title: Neuronavigation: geneology, reality, and prospects.
abstract: Currently, neuronavigation is an indivisible and indispensable part of the neurosurgical reality with a significant potential impact in each neurosurgical procedure. The history of neuronavigation is quite short (< 3 decades), but full of highly promising achievements. The advent of neuronavigation would be unimaginable without the development of imaging technology, electronics, robotics, and space technology. The history of neuroradiology is reviewed briefly parallel with the detailed evolution of frame-based stereotaxy and its successor-neuronavigation. The historic milestones and the state of the art of neuronavigation are discussed in a genealogical manner. The future trends of neuronavigation as integrated with intraoperative CT, MR, and ultrasonography, as well as with robotic systems are outlined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University-Sofia, Bulgaria. dr.y.enchev@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yavor
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Enchev
mesh_terms: D001931:Brain Mapping; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008866:Microsurgery; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D038361:Neuronavigation / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D009485:Neuroradiography / Q000266:history; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012371:Robotics; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques / Q000266:history; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed