Definition
Hemispherectomy refers to a radical neurosurgical procedure in which a complete cerebral hemisphere is removed. This “disconnection” procedure enables functional isolation of single or multiple epileptogenic regions largely involving one hemisphere. The most common indication for the procedure is refractory hemispheric epilepsy or Rasmussen syndrome, a form of epilepsy associated with progressive destruction of one cerebral hemisphere. The outcome of hemispherectomy with respect to epilepsy and functional abilities depends on the underlying disease being treated.
Current Knowledge
Hemispherectomy, though a disabling procedure to treat medically intractable seizures predominately in children, may ultimately result in an improved quality of life. This is compared with the safety risks of constant uncontrollable seizures affecting one’s lifestyle and the toxic effects of anticonvulsant drugs used in an attempt to control them. In addition, it has provided fascinating insights...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References and Readings
Bode, S., Firestine, A., Mathern, G. W., & Dobkin, B. (2005). Residual motor control and cortical representations of function following hemispherectomy: Effects of etiology. Journal of Child Neurology, 20(1), 64–75.
Hu, W. H., Zhang, C., Zhang, K., Shao, X. Q., & Zhang, J. G. (2016). Hemispheric surgery for refractory epilepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis with emphasis on seizure predictors and outcomes. Journal of Neurosurgery, 124(4), 952–961.
Marras, C. E., Granata, T., Franzini, A., et al. (2010). Hemispherotomy and functional hemispherectomy: Indications and outcome. Epilepsy Research, 89(1), 104–112.
Meoded, A., Faria, A. V., Hartman, A. L., et al. (2016). Cerebral reorganization after hemispherectomy: A DTI study. AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 37(5), 924–931.
Pardo, C. A., Vining, E. P. G., Guo, L., Skolasky, R. L., Carson, B. S., & Freeman, J. M. (2004). The pathology of Rasmussen syndrome: Stages of cortical involvement and neuropathological studies in 45 hemispherectomies. Epilepsia, 45(5), 516–526.
Pulsifer, M. B., Brandt, J., Salorio, C. F., Vining, E. P. G., Carson, B. S., & Freeman, J. M. (2004). The cognitive outcome of hemispherectomy in 71 children. Epilepsia, 45(3), 243–254.
Ramey, W. L., Martirosyan, N. L., Lieu, C. M., et al. (2013). Current management and surgical outcomes of medically intractable epilepsy. Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, 115(12), 2411–2418.
Terra-Bustamante, V. C., Fernandes, R. M. F., Inuzuka, L. M., Velasco, T. R., Alexandre Jr., V., Wichert-Ana, L., et al. (2005). Surgically amenable epilepsies in children and adolescents: Clinical, imaging, electrophysiological, and post-surgical outcome data. Childs Nervous System, 21(7), 546–551.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Weintraub, A., Whyte, J. (2016). Hemispherectomy. In: Kreutzer, J., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_37-3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_37-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-56782-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-56782-2
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences