Neurophysiology of language and cognitive mapping

Preservation of language and cognitive functions is the key of functional neurosurgery when the tumor involves language and cognitive pathways. In this regard, surgery to efficiently perform tumor removal, the resection should be tailored according to language and cognitive bundle. The surgeon should acquire a detailed knowledge of the anatomo-functional organization of language and cognitive processes, as well as of the intraoperative tools and tests required to efficiently perform the cortical and subcortical identification of language and cognitive networks. In this chapter, we briefly described the current knowledge of language network and how to map it, focusing on the relevance of the neuropsychological evaluation and of the neurophysiological tools required for routine practice. We will also briefly introduce some updates on mapping for high cognitive functions.