Current Status of Neuromodulation-Induced Cortical Prehabilitation and Considerations for Treatment Pathways in Lower-Grade Glioma Surgery

The infiltrative character of supratentorial lower grade glioma makes it possible for eloquent neural pathways to remain within tumoural tissue, which renders complete surgical resection challenging. Neuromodulation-Induced Cortical Prehabilitation (NICP) is intended to reduce the likelihood of premeditated neurologic sequelae that otherwise would have resulted in extensive rehabilitation or permanent injury following surgery. This review aims to conceptualise current approaches involving Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS-NICP) and extraoperative Direct Cortical Stimulation (eDCS-NICP) for the purposes of inducing cortical reorganisation prior to surgery, with considerations derived from psychiatric, rehabilitative and electrophysiologic findings related to previous reports of prehabilitation. Despite the promise of reduced risk and incidence of neurologic injury in glioma surgery, the current data indicates a broad but compelling possibility of effective cortical prehabilitation relating to perisylvian cortex, though it remains an under-explored investigational tool. Preliminary findings may prove sufficient for the continued investigation of prehabilitation in small-volume lower-grade tumour or epilepsy patients. However, considering the very low number of peer-reviewed case reports, optimal stimulation parameters and duration of therapy necessary to catalyse functional reorganisation remain equivocal. The non-invasive nature and low risk profile of rTMS-NICP may permit larger sample sizes and control groups until such time that eDCS-NICP protocols can be further elucidated.

Automated summary

The infiltrative nature of supratentorial lower grade glioma makes complete surgical resection challenging. A method called Neuromodulation-Induced Cortical Prehabilitation (NICP) aims to reduce the risk of neurological complications following surgery. This review discusses current approaches using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS-NICP) and extraoperative direct cortical stimulation (eDCS-NICP) to induce cortical reorganization before surgery. Preliminary findings suggest that cortical prehabilitation relating to the perisylvian cortex may be effective, but there is a need for further investigation and clarification of optimal stimulation parameters.