This study looked at a pre-surgery program called non-invasive neuromodulation-induced prehabilitation (NIP) for patients with operable brain tumors affecting language or motor areas. The program combined brain stimulation with intensive language training. The study included 26 patients, with 11 receiving language-targeted NIP and 14 receiving NIP focused on motor networks.
Researchers found that in the language-targeted group, brain scans showed reduced overlap between the stimulation target and language activation areas. No similar changes were seen in the control group. The study also reported that language and cognitive performance were preserved during this process. No significant changes were seen in motor network activity.
The study did not report any safety concerns, but it was small, non-randomized, and from a single center. This means the findings are early and not yet practice-changing. The main reason to be careful is that the results show an association, not a cause, and cannot be generalized to other patients.
Realistically, this suggests that targeting language networks with NIP might be a safe preoperative strategy to help surgeons plan larger, safer resections. However, more research is needed to confirm these results and see if they lead to better surgical outcomes.