Pictures from the 2005 Alumni Reception

increasing number of patients with Dystonia. In many cases, these patients are children or teen-agers. The results can be quite dramatic and are very satisfying for everyone involved.

The Center has a long history in the neurosurgical treatment of intractable Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Major Depression. We have monthly meetings to review cases that are attended by psychiatrists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons.

We continue to perform cingulotomies as appropriate. However, over the past year, we have begun evaluating patients for vagal nerve stimulation to treat Major Depression. In addition, we are part of a multi-center trial to evaluate DBS to treat Major Depression.

The Center remains active in publishing both scientific and clinical results. We have published recent paper in Nature Neuroscience, the Journal of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery, and Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. In addition, the biennial meeting of the

American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery is being Co-Chaired by Dr. Eskandar, and is being held in Boston this year.

The Center is also actively involved in community outreach and education through local presentations and seminars held at MGH.

Quilters, farmers and a go-carter……all of them are doing what they love because of the advances made in Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery.

In the first floor waiting area in the Wang neurosurgery offices a quilt hangs on the wall as proof that with the today's cutting-edge techniques (and the right neurosurgeon) life can be made whole. A patient of Dr. Emad Eskandar's gave him that quilt after surgery gave her back the ability to piece and sew it together.

"It's why I chose functional and stereotactic neurosurgery. It provides an opportunity to make patients dramatically better, people with chronic problems such as trigeminal neuralgia, Parkinson's disease, and Epilepsy. It's very elegant, because it combines neurophysiology, neuroscience and neurosurgery. In many ways it represents the future of neurosurgery" said Eskandar.