Microelectrode recording and hemorrhage in functional neurosurgery: a comparative analysis in a consecutive series of 645 procedures.

Objective: Functional stereotactic neurosurgery including deep brain stimulation (DBS) and radiofrequency lesioning is well established and widely used for treatment of movement disorders and various other neurological and psychiatric diseases. Although functional stereotactic neurosurgery procedures are considered relatively safe, intracranial hemorrhage resulting in permanent neurological deficits may occur in 1%-3% of patients. Microelectrode recording (MER) has been recognized as a valuable tool for refining the final target in functional stereotactic neurosurgery.