Ailing guitarist strums while surgeons 'burn' his brain

Something unusual occurred during a seven-hour brain operation in Bangalore last week: the patient strummed a guitar while under the knife.

The musician had to undergo the complicated operation because he was suffering from a neurological disorder that causes cramps and renders the limbs useless.

Media reports said the patient was told to strum a guitar while the doctors identified the damaged nerve and 'burned' his brain.

When the 32-year-old techie-turned-musician suffered cramps in his fingers about 18 months ago, doctors told him he had musical dystopia.

Mahaveer Jain Institute of Movement Disorders and Stereotactic Neurosurgery neuro-surgeon Dr Sharan Srinivasan asked the patient to keep strumming his guitar when his skull was drilled and a 14mm outlet was created under local anesthesia. Through the hole, a specialised electrode was passed into his brain to correct the neurological disorder. Tushar was asked to play the guitar to help them locate the affected areas.

He is now able to play the guitar again without any discomfort.

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