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.

Scientists have identified how specific genetic changes function in cells to influence disease risk and other human health traits. By probing regions of DNA previously linked to disease, the work has created high resolution maps of DNA variant activity, helping pinpoint the exact changes that shape blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar and other complex human traits.