McAuliffe N, et al. - Researchers determined the impacts of using dexmedetomidine and scalp blocks, without airway intervention, as a means to facilitate and optimize intraoperative brain mapping and brain tumour resection during awake craniotomy (AC). They found that no need for urgent airway intervention or unplanned conversion to a full general anesthetic was encountered and AC surgery was facilitated when dexmedetomidine-based anesthesia and scalp block were used. Real-time surgical decision-making based on intraoperative brain mapping with patients awake could be facilitated via this approach allowing physiologic testing before and during tumour resection. This can minimize the risk of neurologic deficit and increase the opportunity for optimal surgical resection.