156 AJMONE-MARSAN
electroencephalographers, neuropsychologists, and neuroradiologists.
Radiographs consisted mainly of plain X-rays, pneumoencephalographs,
and, occasionally, angiograms (these were pre-CT and pre-MRI years!).
Final discussion of a case with the presentation of specific findings from
each of the various team members took place at weekly “EEG Confer
ences” in the presence of the patient. As was the case in Montreal, acute
electrocorticography monitoring in the course of cortical exposure was
routinely performed (see photo below).
This technique played an important role in the outline of the regions
to be excised and, in particular, to check for completion or, if necessary,
to extend the ablation of such regions after the main excision had been
performed. The surgical procedure itself included a protracted period
of cortical stimulation studies (with the patient awake and alert), not
only to identify important functional areas but also to extend Penfield’s
original investigations on cortical localization of secondary motor and
sensory areas.^8
Baldwin and his group’s interest in the surgery of temporal lobe
seizures (the terminology of “partial complex” seizures would be introducedNIH Clinical Center, 1954. The first neurosurgical operating room. Surgeons are Maitland
Baldwin (left) and Bruce L. Ralston. Photograph is taken from the window separating the OR
unit from the ECoG monitoring room (similar to the original outline at MNI).
Donated to the Office of NIH History by Dr. Cosimo Ajmone-Marsan