New digital tool helps doctors map critical brain functions during tumor removal
· Medical Xpressby Autonomous University of Barcelona
edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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A new company originating from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Center for Computer Vision (CVC) has developed a digital tool that helps neurosurgery teams identify the areas of the brain that need to be preserved during tumor removal. The project has been developed in collaboration with the Neurosurgery Department at Bellvitge University Hospital and the Cognition and Brain Plasticity research group at IDIBELL, and has been used to date in 31 neurosurgical procedures, 19 of which took place at Bellvitge University Hospital.
The company, BrainMapp Software Solutions, aims to bring to market digital technology that helps medical teams identify areas of the brain associated with essential functions such as speech, movement and cognition during brain tumor surgery.
The technology was developed by researchers from the UAB, the University of Barcelona (UB), the CERCA Computer Vision Center (CVC) and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA). They collaborated with the neurosurgery department at Bellvitge University Hospital, led by Dr. Andreu Gabarrós, with the participation of Dr. Alejandro Fernández Coello, and the Cognition and Brain Plasticity research group at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), led by Dr. Antoni Rodríguez Fornells. Neuropsychologists Anna Gasa Roqué and Dr. Joanna Sierpowska were also involved in the project.
The collaboration between clinical and research teams made it possible to tailor the technology to the specific needs that arise in the operating room during brain tumor surgery.
Preserving essential functions during surgery
In certain neurosurgical procedures, specialists need to identify precisely which areas and connections in the brain are involved in essential functions such as language, movement and certain cognitive abilities.
To do this, they can stimulate different areas of the brain during the procedure and observe the patient's response. This procedure, known as intraoperative brain mapping, helps them identify structures that need to be preserved while the tumor is removed.
"In brain tumor surgery, one of the major challenges is removing as much of the tumor as possible while preserving functions essential to the patient. Intraoperative brain mapping allows us to identify the areas and connections involved in these functions during the procedure and decide which structures must be preserved," said Gabarrós, head of the neurosurgery department at Bellvitge University Hospital.
BrainMapp facilitates this process through a digital platform for recording, organizing and visualizing information generated during surgery in real time. The system uses a workstation installed in the operating room to capture stimulation performed by the neurosurgery team, patient responses and results of tests conducted during the operation.
The platform also allows these data to be integrated with previous brain images, such as MRI scans and other neuroimaging tests. It can preserve records of the surgery, including audio, video and medical images.
"During an operation, a great deal of information is generated in a very short time. With BrainMapp, we want to help neurosurgery teams keep it organized and accessible in a single environment to make it easier to track brain mapping and make more informed decisions during surgery," said Víctor Cepero, co-founder of BrainMapp.
Of 31 procedures, 19 took place at Bellvitge
BrainMapp is used as a supplementary support tool under the direct supervision of the medical team responsible for the procedure. To date, it has been used in 31 neurosurgical procedures, 19 of them at Bellvitge University Hospital.
The technology incorporates computer vision and artificial intelligence tools to help record and organize information generated during brain mapping. "The first version of BrainMapp focuses on mapping the superficial areas of the brain. We are now working to extend its capabilities to mapping deeper brain regions and to incorporate new data analysis and decision-support tools," said Joaquim Cerdà, a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the UAB, a researcher at the CVC and a co-founder of the company.
Structured records of data generated during surgery can also facilitate later research and contribute to a better understanding of brain functions.
The project has also collaborated with other hospitals, including Hospital del Mar, Josep Trueta University Hospital in Girona, and 12 de Octubre University Hospital and La Paz University Hospital, both in Madrid.
From university research and clinical innovation to knowledge transfer
Before becoming a spinoff, BrainMapp participated in entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer initiatives through Emprèn UAB, notably the AI4ALL and Polaris programs, as well as the Barcelona Deep Tech Node's Mentoring in Residence. It also took part in the RDI-IA Network's AI Accelerator, an initiative linked to the Government of Catalonia's Catalonia AI 2030 Strategy, which helped accelerate the technology's development and transfer.
With the establishment of the spinoff company, BrainMapp is entering a new phase focused on continuing to develop and validate its technology and moving toward commercialization and wider adoption in clinical settings.
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NeurologyOncology Provided by Autonomous University of Barcelona Who's behind this story?
Lisa Lock
BA art history, MA material culture. Former museum editor, paramedic, and transplant coordinator. Editing for Science X since 2021. Full profile →
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