When removing cancerous tissue in the brain, neurosurgeons often use “awake brain mapping” to minimize the risk of causing unintended disruptions to a patient’s quality of life while removing as much tumor as possible. This practice, which has been used for decades, involves waking a patient up mid-surgery to test their neurocognitive functions in real time by stimulating the brain surface and assessing for functional changes. Now, a study published in the journal Science Advances details a promising, new avenue toward improving awake brain mapping results by investigating the tiny, nearly imperceptible variabilities in patient behavior that occur during the procedure. This work points to a future where brain surgeries are not just safer, but more precisely tailored to protect each patient’s speech, movement and quality of life.