OHSU Brain Institute
The Raslan Lab
During my time as a research intern at the Raslan Translational Neurology Lab at OHSU, I had the opportunity to explore a very wide gamut of topics within neuroscience through journal clubs and patient shadowing opportunities, as well as co-authoring various articles. My internship was supported by a $2,000 stipend from the Jonathan D. Lewis Foundation for my research during the PSI Program at OHSU.
Journal Club
Journal club provided me a chance to learn about different conditions and surgical techniques to apply later when I participated in patient shadowing. Chordotomy is a method of treating non-midline pain (pain in the limbs) by creating a lesion along the spinothalamic tract in the spinal cord. Neurosurgery patients that are terminally ill and most analgesic medications prove ineffective are prime candidates for the cordotomy procedure. Patients in this state are made as comfortable as possible, as the only thing a provider can do is ensure that the patient remains comfortable and happy in their remaining days.
My Research
Numerical Cognition analysis in brain damage patients sought to identify where in the brain numbers are processed, and if this area varies based on the way the number is communicated. The theory of this differentiated numerical processing is called the Triple Code Model (TCM), and was the center of my research at the Raslan Lab this summer. I read through dozens of articles about neuronal processing centers and intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG), and compiled data from each article into a comprehensive table. I will be a second author of “Exploring Numerical Cognition with iEEG, a Review” (Pending publication).
In-Clinic Shadowing
During my time shadowing in Clinic, I was able to attend meetings and patient consultations, and live a day in the life of a neurosurgeon. Since Dr. Raslan’s research and clinic specialize in epilepsy and functional neurology, most patients I saw had seizure-causing brain tumors or essential tremors. One patient was diagnosed with primary intrinsic oligodendroglioma, a rare cancer of the oligodendrocytes (a type of glial neuron in the central nervous system) that originated within the brain and is derived from brain cells. Resection of brain tumors is an extremely aggressive and invasive procedure, especially with oligodendrogliomas. The tumor was located in the frontal lobe, and as the patient deeply valued playing guitar, the surgery would have to avoid the specific structures that controlled movement. Thus, Dr. Raslan suggested an awake craniotomy, which is a surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to resect a tumor while keeping the patient awake.
This procedure allowed the patient to play her guitar during the surgery so that Dr. Raslan could avoid damaging any structure that enabled her to play. Alongside this, I learned the pathophysiology and treatment of essential tremors through dozens of patient visits and HIFU (High-intensity focused ultrasound) consultations. By the end of my time shadowing, I also thoroughly learned the development and treatment of aneurysms, strokes, arteriovenous malformations, meningiomas, schwannomas, neoplasms, myelomeningoceles, as well as a plethora of imaging techniques such as functional MRIs, CT Angiography, and intracranial electroencephalography.