Wada Test

This is done to predict the effect of surgery by intra-carotid injection of sodium amytal. e.g. you can verify the side of language and detemine if surgery will affect language.

This test was developed by Juhn Wada (b. 1924), a Japanese-Canadian neurologist, while he was a resident in Japan in the late 1940's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wada_test

Q: We had a pt have a seizure after a Wada test. What happened?

A: The brain that was anesthetized was presumably suppressing the potential seizure activity of the other side. Once the suppressive effect was removed, the seizure started.

Q: What may be done during a brain AVM embolization procedure that is similar to a Wada test.

A: Some advocate that any pedicle should have a test injection of sodium amytal prior to embolization. If the pt develops symptoms, then the pedicle is not safe to embolize. This is known as the "selective Wada test". Others note that passing this test could give a false sense of security and that the patient still could develop symptoms after embolization.

Q: Why might a patient become very chatty and say potentially embarassing things during a Wada test?

A: Sodium amytal is a "truth serum" and this is presumably the desired outcome for interrogators.

Q: What happens of both temporal lobes (hippocampal regions are removed?

A: See the story of patient HM.

Reference:

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/wada_test/hic_the_wada_test.aspx