• Kamran Urgun, Michelle Paff, Alvin Chan, Frank Hsu, and Sumeet Vadera.
• Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, California, USA. Electronic address: kurgun@hs.uci.edu.
• World Neurosurg. 2021 Jan 1; 145: 210-219.

ObjectiveSingle neuron or unit recording enables researchers to measure the electrophysiologic responses of single neurons using a microelectrode system. This approach is widely used in cognitive science and has become more widespread in humans with the use of hybrid (micro-within-macrowire) depth electrodes that enable the implantation of microwires into the brain parenchyma.MethodsThe authors describe their surgical technique in a total of 7 patients with intractable epilepsy who underwent robot-enhanced stereoencephalography in which both standard (nonhybrid) and hybrid depth electrodes were used for invasive chronic monitoring.ResultsThe technique and accuracy of the procedure were evaluated with a total of 84 depth electrodes (46 hybrid, 38 standard) in 7 patients. No major complications, such as intracranial hemorrhage, infection or cerebrospinal fluid leakage, occurred regardless of the type of electrode used.ConclusionsThe addition of hybrid depth electrodes for the purpose of in vivo single neuron recording in robot-enhanced stereoencephalography procedures is safe and does not impact the accuracy of targeting or patient safety.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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