Wada test

For the Wada test, we insert a catheter from the groin and lead it past the heart into the neck artery that supplies blood to one half of the brain. An anesthetic is then released through the catheter. This inactivates the affected hemisphere of the brain for a few minutes. During this time, speech and memory functions will be tested to see which functions are impaired and therefore located on the inactivated brain hemisphere.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• The Wada test is a very reliable test of and shows which functions are located in one hemisphere of the brain.

Disadvantages

• The Wada test involves accessing an artery and requires a short hospital stay (usually one day). Non-invasive alternatives are available, e.g. functional MRI examination or transcranial magnetic stimulation, but these are less established.

Course of treatment

You will come to the Department of Neuroradiology in the morning. After informing you about the procedure, we will perform a diagnostic angiogram where we puncture the groin artery and insert a catheter. The catheter is then left in the cervical artery. An anesthetic is released through the catheter and inactivates the affected brain hemisphere for a few minutes. During this time we will test your speech and memory functions to see which functions are impaired to determine if they are located on the inactivated brain hemisphere.

Aftercare

Immediately after the procedure, we will examine you to make sure everything went well. You will then be transferred to a ward and will need to spend a few more hours in bed to prevent bleeding in the groin. In the late afternoon, you will be able to get up, but you should avoid doing sports for another two days.