Links
to Journal Articles Delivered Directly to Your Computer
The latest links to journal article abstracts on Traumatic Brain Injury,
Neurology, Neuropsychology, Pharmacology, Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Stroke, Trauma, Research, Assistive
Technology, Community Reentry and other related clinical topics. Add the Northeast Center for Special
Care Journal Watch
to your favorite RSS program.
Acta Neurologica Belgica 2008,
No 2 (Vol. 108/2) p.58-63
Cognitive dysfunction in epileptic patients may develop due to the neurophysiological changes related to seizures or antiepileptic drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cognitive dysfunction in epileptic patients under antiepileptic drug therapy by the aid of event related potentials.
Acta Neurologica Belgica 2008,
No 2 (Vol. 108/2) p.48-52
To analyze the long-term outcomes of patients presenting with pure parkinsonian tremor and to determine whether or not such patients develop the other features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) eventually.
Intracranial aspergillus infection is an uncommon finding. The importance of a high index of clinical suspicion, coupled with an early diagnosis, can potentially be lifesaving.
Journal of Neurotrauma. ahead of print. doi:10.1089/neu.2007.0494
Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and consequent apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps have been used for lesion detection and as a predictor of outcome in adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI), but few studies have been reported in children.
Journal of Neurotrauma. ahead of print. doi:10.1089/neu.2008.0591
This study sought to determine the bio-availability of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) in the brain and blood and its effects on the cerebral concentrations of the inflammatory mediators interleukin-1{beta} (IL-1{beta} ) and macrophage-inflammation protein-2 (MIP-2) following lateral fluid percussion brain injury (FPI) in the rat.
Journal of Neurotrauma. ahead of print. doi:10.1089/neu.2007.0402
Local brain tissue oxygen (ptiO2) monitoring is frequently applied in patients at risk for cerebral ischemia. To identify ischemic thresholds, the normal range of local brain tissue oxygen pressure (ptiO2) values needs to be established.
Several recent reports proposed that astrocyte death might precede neuronal demise after focal ischemia, contrary to the conventional view that astrocytes are more resistant to injury than neurons. Interestingly, there are findings supporting each of these opposing views.
Severe head injury (SHI) is a significant health, social and economic concern rendering a worldwide health problem. This retrospective study was designed to describe the features and outcomes of patients with SHI treated in a single neurosurgical unit (Hospital "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain) over a period approaching 13 years.
Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain Published Online: 13 Oct 2008
We report the clinical findings of a 40-year-old woman with recurrent migraine presenting with Wernicke's aphasia in accordance with the results of a standardized battery for language assessment (Boston Aphasia Diagnostic Examination).
Guam ALS/PDC is a severe tangle forming disorder endemic to Guam with features overlapping such neurodegenerative disorders as Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), ALS, corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and pallido-ponto-nigral degeneration (PPND).
High grade glioma (HGG) is an aggressive form of brain tumour the treatment of which usually entails biopsy or resection where possible followed by radiotherapy. Temozolomide is a novel oral chemotherapeutic drug that penetrates into the brain and has a low incidence of adverse effects.
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Volume 25, Issue 7 September 2008 , pages 665 - 672
Cytoplasmic vacuoles that have been seen in FAB L3-type lymphoblasts are not usual in neuroblastoma. The authors report three children with neuroblastoma having vacuolated cells mimicking L3-type lymphoblasts on bone marrow aspiration smears.
Child's Nervous System 0256-7040 (Print) 10.1007/s00381-008-0718-1
We report a case of head and neck inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) in an infant. Reviewing the literature, we discuss the etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of the head and neck IMT in children.
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Volume 25, Issue 7 September 2008 , pages 647 - 654
The authors sought to evaluate the treatment outcome of children with medulloblastoma at a single institution. Forty-two children were analyzed. Eighty-six percent of the children who received chemotherapy were treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. No factors were found to affect outcome significantly.
Prediction of short- and long-term prognosis is an important issue in acute stroke care. This metaanalysis explores the prognostic value of initial bed-side transcranial ultrasound in acute stroke.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may damage the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and disturb cortisol metabolism. There are no available data that relates to the response of the HPA-axis in the acute phase of SAH.
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
The authors report a case of status epilepticus secondary to limbic encephalitis that was successfully treated with temporal lobectomy. A 45-year-old woman presented in status epilepticus refractory to high-dose suppressive medical therapy.
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence rate and risk factors of surgical site infections (SSIs) in neurosurgery for any type of surgery and any American Society of Anesthesiologists class.
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
It has recently been suggested that the degree of intracranial pressure (ICP) above the treatment goal can be estimated by the area under the curve (AUC) of ICP versus time in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
Although the goal of surgery for World Health Organization Grade II gliomas is maximal extent of resection, complete tumor removal is not always possible when the glioma involves eloquent areas.
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
In their previous studies, the authors found that simvastatin treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats had beneficial effects on spatial learning functions. In the current study they wanted to determine whether simvastatin suppressed neuronal cell apoptosis after TBI, and if so, they wanted to examine the underlying mechanisms of this process.
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of a short train of high-frequency (500 Hz) cortical stimulation to delineate the primary motor cortex (MI), supplementary motor area (SMA), primary somatosensory cortex (SI), supplementary sensory area (SSA), negative motor area (NMA), and supplementary negative motor area (SNMA) in patients with epilepsy who were undergoing functional mapping.
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
Cyclosporine neuroprotection has been reported in brain injury models but safety and dosing guidelines have not been determined in humans with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of this investigation was to establish the safety of cyclosporine using 4 clinically relevant dosing schemes.
Journal of Neurosurgery ctober 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
A decompressive craniectomy can be a life-saving procedure to relieve critically increased intracranial pressure. The survival of a patient is important as well as the subsequent and long-term quality of life.
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
Acute subdural hematoma (SDH) is one of the most lethal forms of intracranial injury; several risk factors predictive of a worse outcome have been identified. Emerging research suggests that patients with coagulopathy and intracerebral hemorrhage have a worse outcome than patients without coagulopathy but with intracerebral hemorrhage. The authors sought to determine if such a relationship exists for patients with acute SDH.
The Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels (SPARCL) trial found that treatment with atorvastatin 80 mg per day reduced the risk of stroke and cardiovascular events in patients with a recent transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke.
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
The aim of this study was to compare designed scaffolds with a random-pored sponge scaffold to determine what role scaffold architecture plays in a cortical injury model.
Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and changes in regional cerebral perfusion (CP) in subjects with DM.
Elevated serum uric acid level is associated with poor outcome and increased risk of recurrent events after stroke. The xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol lowers uric acid but also attenuates expression of inflammatory adhesion molecules in murine models, reduces oxidative stress in the vasculature, and improves endothelial function.
Tongxinluo capsules are a compound of Chinese traditional medicine which contain substances that are thought to have vasodilatory, antiplatelet, anticoagulant, thrombolytic and even lipid-lowering properties, and therefore may improve outcome after acute ischaemic stroke. To date the evidence of its effect has not been systematically reviewed, making it difficult to derive robust conclusions about its actual benefits, and indeed, possible harms.
Ginkgo biloba extracts are now prescribed in several countries for their reported health benefits, particularly for medicinal properties in the brain. The standardized Ginkgo extract, EGb761, has been reported to protect neurons against oxidative stress, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.
Child's Nervous System 0256-7040 (Print) 10.1007/s00381-008-0725-2
Intracranial aneurysms are relatively rare in the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to highlight the clinical and radiological features and the therapeutic outcome and clarify the choice of therapeutic strategies for pediatric intracranial aneurysms.
Child's Nervous System 0256-7040 (Print) 10.1007/s00381-008-0721-6
The advancement of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technology has revealed that intracranial venous anomalies, such as vertical embryonic positioning of the straight sinus (VEP of SS), are associated with atretic parietal cephaloceles.
Child's Nervous System 0256-7040 (Print) 10.1007/s00381-008-0720-7
A 6-year-old boy presented with seizures. Computed tomogram (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a large enhancing mass in the left temporoparietal region.
Child's Nervous System 0256-7040 (Print)10.1007/s00381-008-0728-z
Arachnoid cysts are usually found incidentally and are generally asymptomatic. They are thought to be developmental anomalies, and their etiology is unknown. Some complications such as subdural hematoma, subdural hygroma, and intracystic bleeding can occur after minor traumas.
Collateral circulation plays a vital role in patients with steno-occlusive disease, in particular for predicting stroke outcome. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is the gold standard for the assessment of collateral circulation, despite its invasive nature.
Electromagnetic brain stimulation might have value to reduce motor deficits after stroke. Safety and behavioral effects of higher frequencies of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) require detailed assessment.
The role of the cerebral microcirculation in delayed ischemia after subarachnoid hemorrhage remains obscure. To test the hypothesis that cerebral arterioles have a reduced capacity to dilate after subarachnoid hemorrhage, we studied the microvascular responses to papaverine (PPV) in patients undergoing aneurysm surgery.
Journal of Neurosurgery October 2008 Volume 109, Number 4
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder with diagnostic criteria defined as a combination of clinical symptoms, electroencephalography findings, cerebrospinal fluid
(CSF) analysis, and MR imaging results.
Child's Nervous System 0256-7040 (Print) 10.1007/s00381-008-0723-4
The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between apolipoprotein E (APO E) alleles, the amount of cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) insult and outcome in children after brain trauma.
Mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA) result in Gaucher disease and can be associated with a phenotype characterized by adult-onset progressive neurologic deterioration and parkinsonism.
Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) associated with warfarin sodium therapy is becoming more common as the use of this medication increases in the aging population.
Comprehensive resequencing of the causative and disease-related genes of neurodegenerative diseases is expected to enable (1) comprehensive mutational analysis of familial cases, (2) identification of sporadic cases with de novo or low-penetrant mutations, (3) identification of rare variants conferring disease susceptibility, and ultimately (4) better understanding of the molecular basis of these diseases.
While adults who drink low to moderate amounts of alcohol have lower rates of cardiovascular disease than other adults, the effect of alcohol on the brain is less clear.
Attention is the process by which we select stimuli in our environment for perception and action. The ability to orient to salient visual stimuli and to parse the visual world begins to emerge in the first few months of life and continues to evolve through childhood.
Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is the predominant form of brain injury and the leading known cause of cerebral palsy and cognitive deficits in premature infants.
A 67-year-old man had the sudden onset of vertigo, gait unsteadiness, and vomiting. A week prior to these symptoms, he had developed transient left leg weakness lasting 10 minutes.
A 27-year-old man experienced a progressive, global, pressure headache followed by partial motor seizures. Initial neurologic evaluation results were normal.
Despite increasing evidence of adverse effects on informal carers of caring for stroke survivors, little is known about the characteristics of carers and survivors that influence carer outcomes. The purpose of this review is to summarize factors influencing outcomes in carers of stroke survivors.
This qualitative study explored the perceptions of adults with Parkinson's disease (PD) about the positive and negative aspects and outcomes of a community-based progressive resistance strengthening programme (PRST), motivators to begin and continue with the PRST program, and factors that might facilitate or create barriers to participation in and completion of a PRST programme.
The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of an ICF core set for functional assessment in disability claims in European social security systems.
Post-traumatic language and memory impairment, as well as a subsequent recovery in monolinguals have been widely documented in the literature, yet little is known about learning the second language after a severe head trauma followed by coma, as well as the relationship of this process with cognitive recovery, psychological status and quality of life.
This study is part of a larger project that examined the impact of violently acquired spinal cord injuries (VASCI) on identity among racial and ethnic minority men living in a major American metropolis.
There is concerning evidence that people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be at increased risk for suicide. This paper aims to provide an overview of traumatic brain injury and suicide in order to enhance the ability of professionals to recognize and manage suicidality in patients with TBI.
Despite the importance of community integration to individuals with traumatic brain injury, it is assessed relatively infrequently. The present paper provides a review of current approaches to the assessment of community integration, including evaluation of psychometric and administrative properties reported in the literature.
The present study investigated working memory ability in children who sustained moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injuries in relation to pre-injury, injury-related and developmental factors.
To investigate the clinical potential of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS 42) and its shorter version (DASS 21) for assessing emotional status following acquired brain injury.
To study cerebral response in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task of speech perception in a sample of patients in vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) after traumatic brain injury.
The goal of the current study was to assess the feasibility of an Internet-based cognitive rehabilitation program for individuals with acquired brain injuries and memory impairment.
Modified CIT (mCIT) was performed in a stroke patient with a lesion in the left medial frontal region including the supplementary motor area (SMA), which is part of the higher-motor area, and whose primary symptom was motor ignition difficulty observed at the start of voluntary movement of the right leg.
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 17, 2639-2646, October 1, 2008
To determine whether a Web-based survey was an acceptable method of data collection for a clinic-based case-control study of adult brain cancer, the authors compared the reliability of paired responses to a main and resurvey for participants completing surveys by telephone (n = 74) or self-administered on the Web (n = 465) between 2003 and 2006.
Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics October 2008 Volume 2, Number 4
Olfactory schwannomas are rare tumors of the anterior skull base that are possibly derived from ectopic Schwann cells, perivascular neural tissue, or sensory nerves of the meninges.
Geriatrics & Aging Volume 11, Number 8, September 2008, Pages 464-468
Stroke and dementia are major health problems affecting older people. Cerebrovascular disease is the second-leading cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, the third- leading cause of death, and one of 10 leading causes of physical disability.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1777-1781, October 2008
Concurrent temporary inflation of a nondetachable balloon in the parent artery has been reported to be useful during endovascular coiling of complex, wide-neck aneurysms, facilitating truer coil reconstruction of the native vessel.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1638-1643, October 2008
The E200K mutation of the PRNP (prion protein) gene is the most common cause of familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (fCJD), which has imaging and clinical features that are similar to the sporadic form.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1612-1621, October 2008
The term hepatic encephalopathy (HE) includes a spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities occurring in patients with liver dysfunction. Most cases are associated with cirrhosis and portal hypertension or portal-systemic shunts, but the condition can also be seen in patients with acute liver failure and, rarely, with portal-systemic bypass and no associated intrinsic hepatocellular disease.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1649-1651, October 2008
We studied the usefulness of an MR imaging-compatible electroencephalography (EEG) electrode system for continuous EEG recordings in our epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) by comparing 100 consecutive patients with MR imaging-compatible and MR imaging-incompatible EEG recording electrodes who underwent MR imaging between 3:00 PM and 7:00 AM.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1789-1794, October 2008
It has previously been demonstrated that comparison of signal intensity (SI) between selected brain structures on T1-weighted images enables distinction between the absence or presence of hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury in young infants.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1783-1788, October 2008
Peripheral aneurysms of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) are rare, and pre-existing literature concerning their endovascular treatment is limited.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1627-1629, October 2008
We report the use of an emergent, targeted fibrin spinal epidural blood patch with subarachnoid saline infusion to rapidly reverse "in-extremis" clinical and imaging signs of posterior-fossa coning brought about by acute-on-chronic intracranial hypotension, itself consequent to a cervicothoracic CSF leak.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1630-1635, October 2008
The differentiation between classic and atypical meningiomas may have implications in preoperative planning but may not be possible on the basis of conventional MR imaging.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1636-1637, October 2008
Chikungunya, an alphavirus presenting with fever, rash, and polyarthritis, is derived from the Makonde word that means "that which bends up," in reference to the crippling manifestations of the disease.
American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1671-1676, October 2008
The Patlak model has been applied to first-pass perfusion CT (PCT) data to extract information on blood-brain barrier permeability (BBBP) to predict hemorrhagic transformation in patients with acute stroke.
Patients who have had one stroke are at increased risk of another. Secondary prevention strategies that address medical risk factors and promote healthy lifestyles can reduce the risk. However, concordance with secondary prevention strategies is poor and there has been little research into patient and carer views.
Prediction of short- and long-term prognosis is an important issue in acute stroke care. This metaanalysis explores the prognostic value of initial bed-side transcranial ultrasound in acute stroke.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting primarily the motor neurons. Stem cell therapy is under development as a possible treatment approach.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 228-232 (October 2008)
This study was carried out to evaluate Synthetic Aperture Magnetometry-kurtosis (SAM(g2)), a spatially filtered source localization technique in magnetoencephalography (MEG), for identification of epileptogenic areas of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD).
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 225-227 (October 2008)
A 41-year-old woman with focal epilepsy was analyzed immediately and 1 week post-ictally using pulsed-arterial-spin-labeling perfusion 3T MRI, a non-invasive method.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 211-219 (October 2008)
WAG/Rij and GAERS rats show delays or resistance to secondary generalization of limbic seizures during amygdaloid kindling. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the kindling from a different limbic site, hippocampus, and to compare its effects on spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs) with that of amygdaloid kindling.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 204-210 (October 2008)
19 patients with untreated IGE were investigated. EEG was recorded in the untreated condition and 3 months later when LTG treatment abolished the seizures.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 188-197 (October 2008)
Catastrophic epilepsy due to cortical dysplasia is often intractable to anticonvulsant treatment. Many of the medications used unsuccessfully in treating this disorder are thought to exert at least a portion of their action through enhancement of inhibitory GABAA neurotransmission.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 176-187 (October 2008)
The purpose of this study was to ascertain health care and non-health care resources use in the past 12-months and to estimate the cost-of-illness in adult outpatients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) in Spain.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 167-175 (October 2008)
Ictal propagation to the cortical and subcortical structures is well known in mesial temporal epilepsy (MTE) and neocortical epilepsy (NE). We analyzed the ictal changes of regional blood flow in limbic-related cortical and subcortical structures to evaluate the differences in ictal propagation patterns between MTE and NE.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 161-166 (October 2008)
Status epilepticus (SE) induces a number of events leading to programmed cell death (PCD). The aim of our work is to study the time sequence of activation of different factors in experimental SE (intraperitoneal kainic acid (KA) model).
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 155-160 (October 2008)
Established markers of brain damage, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S-100b protein (S-100), may increase after status epilepticus, but whether a single tonic-clonic or complex partial seizure induces elevation of these markers is not known.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 148-154 (October 2008)
Topiramate (TPM) is a new, effective and safe antiepileptic drug. TPM is also effective in treating a wide spectrum of conditions such as eating disorders and related anomalies, bulimia nervosa and other conditions in which serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is involved pathogenetically.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 143-147 (October 2008)
Overall, 118 infusions in 15 patients were performed during the period assessed. No adverse reactions were observed during the infusion phase of the IV formulation.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 136-142 (October 2008)
Imaging changes in patients with focal epilepsy are not only seen in areas where seizures arise but often also in remote locations. The mechanism for such changes is unknown.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 128-135 (October 2008)
Bilateral diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) abnormalities have been reported in the white matter associated to the hippocampus in adults with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In children with a shorter duration of epilepsy, such changes may not have yet emerged.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 119-127 (October 2008)
Anticonvulsant effects of the ketogenic diet (KD) have been reported in the mouse, although previous studies did not control for intake of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 114-118 (October 2008)
Polymorphisms of the haptoglobin (HP) gene and deletions in {alpha}-globin gene ({alpha}-thalassaemia) are common in malaria-endemic Africa. The same region also has high incidence rates for childhood acute seizures.
Epilepsy Research Volume 81, Issue 2, Pages 107-113 (October 2008)
Valproic acid (VPA) is a major antiepileptic drug (AED) with efficacy against multiple seizure types. It has a rapid onset of action but its anticonvulsant activity increases during prolonged treatment, which cannot be explained by drug or metabolite accumulation in plasma or brain.
Early in development, the depolarizing GABAAergic signaling is needed for normal neuronal differentiation. It is shown here that hyperpolarizing reversal potentials of GABAAergic postsynaptic currents (EGABA) appear earlier in female than in male rat CA1 pyramidal neurons because of increased potassium chloride cotransporter 2 (KCC2) expression and decreased bumetanide-sensitive chloride transport in females.
It is proposed that a reduced surface expression of GABAA receptors (GABARs) contributes to the pathogenesis of status epilepticus (SE), a condition characterized by prolonged seizures.
Naming is mediated by perisylvian cortex in the left (language-dominant) hemisphere, and thus, left anterior temporal lobe resection for pharmacologically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) carries risk for post-operative naming decline. Interestingly, this risk is lower in patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) relative to those without HS (non-HS). Although the hippocampus has traditionally been considered a critical structure for memory, without contribution to naming, this pattern might implicate direct hippocampal naming involvement.
To examine postictal breathing pattern in generalized convulsive nonepileptic seizures (GCNES) and generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) and evaluate this feature as a discriminating sign.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible frontal cognitive dysfunction in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and to compare the results with those of patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), as well as with controls.
Pediatric Blood & Cancer Published Online: 6 Oct 2008
We report 19 episodes of hypercalcemia in three children treated with 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) as a post-consolidation therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma. There was no concomitant overload in 13-cis-RA blood levels.
Surgical intervention in cerebral abscess is indicated to confirm diagnosis, to identify pathogens for specific antibiotic therapy, or to reduce mass effect.
Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics October 2008 Volume 2, Number 4
A 12-year-old boy presented with headache, abnormal behaviors, and ataxia. Brain MR imaging revealed a 2-cm, well-enhanced mass in the third ventricle and hydrocephalus.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 535 - 541
Selective amygdalohippocampectomy (SelAH) is now widely used in the surgical treatment of patients with medically intractable medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). We present our single-centre experience of a uniform series of drug-resistant MTLE patients treated exclusively with SelAH.
Exogenous 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) increases the growth of human glioma cells in vitro. However, glioma cells in culture show negligible 20-HETE synthesis. We examined whether inducing the expression of a 20-HETE synthase in a human glioma U251 cell line would increase proliferation.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 497 - 507
Raised body temperature is a common occurrence after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). It is widely accepted that experimental evidence points to a harmful effect of raised temperature both during and after TBI.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 529 - 534
A wide range of treatment modalities are employed in the treatment of chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH). A rational and evidence-based treatment strategy has the potential to optimise treatment for the individual patient and save resources.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 542 - 545
Plate cage Benezech (PCB) is a titanium-made implant introduced recently in spinal surgery as a new substitute for autograft in cervical spine interbody fusion. It has a plate attached to the anterior surface of the cage to prevent any displacement of the cage, and to provide additional support in patients with dynamic instability.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 546 - 549
The molecular mechanisms of cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) remain unclear. Acrolein, a reactive metabolite produced in many models of mechanical and ischemic injury, has been shown to cause vasospasm in coronary artery and aorta models.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 1 - 12
Throughout the ages, art and neuroscience have had a delicate yet definite relationship with reciprocal influence. By virtue of their superior power of observation, artists have often preserved neurological signs through detailed brush strokes or meticulous carvings long before it is described in scientific literature.
Lower urinary tract dysfunction is often occurs in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), that is primarily induced by neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) and negatively effect the quality of the patient's life. The aim of this study is to evaluate the acute effects of posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) on the urodynamic findings in the PD patients with NDO.
PEDIATRICS Vol. 122 No. 4 October 2008, pp. e911-e916
Specific language impairment is a primary developmental language disorder in which language is impaired disproportionately to other developmental domains.
PEDIATRICS Vol. 122 No. 4 October 2008, pp. e791-e798
Whole-body hypothermia reduced the frequency of death or moderate/severe disabilities in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in a randomized, controlled multicenter trial.
Chronic treatment with antiepileptic medication is associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD), which may underlie the two- to sixfold increase in fracture rates observed in patients with epilepsy.
Previous studies have documented a synaptic translocation of calcineurin (CaN) and increased CaN activity following status epilepticus (SE); however, the cellular effect of these changes in CaN in the pathology of SE remains to be elucidated.
Journal of Neuro-Oncology 0167-594X (Print) 10.1007/s11060-008-9710-6
The standard treatment for newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme is surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Most studies on these treatments are retrospective clinical data analysis.
Current Opinion in Oncology. 20(6):662-667, November 2008
The purpose of this review is to determine if recent advances in diagnostic and treatment modalities result in improvement in the pattern of care of brainstem gliomas.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 508 - 519
Continuous infusion of intrathecal baclofen (ITB) via a subcutaneously implanted pump has developed over the last 20 years as a powerful tool in the management of spasticity in various adult and paediatric neurological conditions.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 486 - 496
Temperature has a major effect on survival in all animal species. Despite wide variations in climate, organ temperature is regulated 'tightly' by homeostatic mechanisms controlling heat production and conservation, as well as heat loss.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis First Published on: 07 October 2008
The Schedule for the Evaluation of the Individual Quality of Life-Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW) has been used to measure quality of life (QoL) in small cohorts of individuals with ALS, but its suitability for assessing aggregate QoL for between-group comparisons is uncertain.
Hypothalamic hamartomas (HHs) have been demonstrated as the cause of gelastic epilepsy, both by intracranial electrodes and functional imaging. The neocortex becomes secondarily involved, through poorly characterized propagation pathways.
Valproate (VPA) interferes with mitochondrial metabolism causing hyperammonemia, thereby shifting the balance reaction of glutamine (Gln)/glutamate (Glu) toward Gln. In this study we wanted to determine whether metabolic changes could be reproduced in VPA-treated patients with epilepsy and whether the results differed from those known in chronic hepatic encephalopathy (CHE).
To determine the: (1) national prevalence of epilepsy and depression; (2) prevalence of depression among those with epilepsy; (3) odds ratio of depression among those with epilepsy compared to those without, controlling for demographic characteristics; (4) demographic correlates of depression among those with epilepsy and those without; and, (5) health services utilization of those with epilepsy and depression.
A focal lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum is a rare finding in patients with epilepsy. Intoxication with antiepileptic drugs, edema after generalized seizures, or a rapid change of antiepileptic drug levels have been proposed as possible mechanisms.
To evaluate the presence of myocardial injury during convulsive seizures in children and adolescents by determining serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB mass (CK-MB mass), and plasma brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP).
The purpose of this study was to characterize the epileptogenicity of tubers and surrounding cortex in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Three pediatric patients with TSC and intractable epilepsy underwent surgical resection of tubers associated with epileptogenic foci. In all patients, presurgical imaging revealed a prominent tuber that correlated on electroencephalography (EEG) with frequent interictal epileptiform discharges and electrographic seizures.
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica Published Online: 6 Oct 2008
There is behavioural evidence that caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS) can alleviate central pain. Several such patients have also noted that it reduces tactile allodynia, an especially ill-understood phenomenon in these patients.
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica Published Online: 6 Oct 2008
The role of PET in the diagnosis of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) has previously been reported in retrospective studies, from specialized neuro-oncology units, often selecting patients with positive paraneoplastic antibodies.
American Journal of Surgical Pathology. 32(10):1444-1453, October 2008
Gliomas are the most frequent primary brain tumors. In a minority of cases, the differentiation between astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas based on morphologic characteristics alone can be difficult; though it is important, as patients with oligodendrogliomas follow a more favorable clinical course.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a potent survival and developmental factor that is regulated by cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and has a protective effect against retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death.
We identified neurological admissions temporally associated with influenza vaccine to determine the likelihood of causality using World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Although all cases were categorized as possibly related to the vaccine, most had a compelling alternative explanation. This observation suggests that the current WHO criteria may not be sufficient in determining if an adverse event is truly vaccine related.
European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery 1863-9933 (Print) 10.1007/s00068-008-8027-7
It is important to be alert to the possibility of pneumocephalus in patients with head injury. Pneumocephalus is a potentially lethal complication in patients with craniofacial fractures following severe head trauma.
Child's Nervous System 0256-7040 (Print) 10.1007/s00381-008-0716-3
The term of low-grade glioma addresses a favorable clinical outcome with indolent histological features in general consideration; however, recent studies underline the inconsistency, which originates from the accumulation of different histologic subtypes in this terminology. The malignant transformation of a low-grade glioma is unusual but presents a poor prognosis.
Atherosclerotic intracranial stenosis is an important cause of stroke in blacks, yet there are limited data on vascular risk factors and outcome. We analyzed the vascular risk factors and outcomes of blacks and whites in the Warfarin versus Aspirin for Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID) trial.
Pediatric Blood & Cancer Published Online: 1 Oct 2008
Children with brain tumors and other cancers can suffer from seizures. Unfortunately, most antiepileptic therapies are metabolized by the hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) system.
Heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk for all strokes, whereas moderate regular alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk for ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different drinking patterns on stroke risk, independent of average alcohol intake.
Infantile encephalitic beriberi (IEBB) is a rare form of thiamine deficiency and is poorly described. A proportion of Leigh's disease (LD) patients have similar clinical picture and response to thiamine as beriberi, leading to confusion in diagnosis and management. Data on IEBB and LD is scarce and status of thiamine deficiency in India is controversial.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 582 - 584
We present a case of two separate closed parietal meningoceles without communication to the CNS and not in the midline. This is the first such case reported in the literature.
British Journal of Neurosurgery, Volume 22, Issue 4 August 2008 , pages 578 - 579
We describe 8 years follow-up of a case of arachnoid cyst developing after spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage. The cyst was removed by hemilaminectomy; an arachnoid cyst of the same size was again observed by MRI 2 weeks later. We suggest that conservative approach could be the best choice.
Journal of Clinical Oncology, 10.1200/JCO.2007.13.6531
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-ased detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) in neuroblastoma can be used to monitor therapy response and to evaluate stem cell harvests.
Neurocritical Care 1541-6933 (Print) 10.1007/s12028-008-9150-3
Analgesic therapy following intracranial procedures remains a source of concern and controversy. Although opioids are the mainstay of the "alanced"general anesthetic techniques frequently used during intracranial procedures, neurosurgeons and others have been reluctant to administer opioid analgesics to patients following such procedures.
Subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SVD) caused by small-artery disease is a major cause of dementia. It still remains unclear, however, whether SVD may present with localized regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) changes.
Neurosurgical Focus October 2008 Volume 25, Number 4
The aim of this study was to review the current protocols of prehospital practice and their impact on outcome in the management of traumatic brain injury. A literature review of the National Library of Medicine encompassing the years 1980 to May 2008 was performed.
Neurosurgical Focus October 2008 Volume 25, Number 4
Current standard of care for patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is prophylactic treatment with phenytoin for 7 days to decrease the risk of early posttraumatic seizures.
Neurosurgical Focus October 2008 Volume 25, Number 4
Cerebrovascular pressure reactivity is the ability of cerebral vessels to respond to changes in transmural pressure. A cerebrovascular pressure reactivity index (PRx) can be determined as the moving correlation coefficient between mean intracranial pressure (ICP) and mean arterial blood pressure.
Neurosurgical Focus October 2008 Volume 25, Number 4
An understanding of normal cerebral autoregulation and its response to pathological derangements is helpful in the diagnosis, monitoring, management, and prognosis of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Neurosurgical Focus October 2008 Volume 25, Number 4
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) continues to carry a significant public health burden and is anticipated to worsen worldwide over the next century. Recently the authors of several articles have suggested that exposure to beta blockers may improve mortality rates following TBI.
Neurosurgical Focus October 2008 Volume 25, Number 4
The goal of this paper was to examine the relationship between methods of acute clinical assessment and measures of secondary cerebral insults in severe traumatic brain injury in children.
Neurosurgical Focus October 2008 Volume 25, Number 4
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a significant cause of morbidity and death in the US and worldwide. Resuscitative systemic hypothermia following TBI has been established as an effective neuroprotective treatment in multiple studies in animals and humans, although this intervention carries with it a significant risk profile as well. Selective, or preferential, methods of inducing cerebral hypothermia have taken precedence over the past few years in order to minimize systemic adverse effects.
Subjective cognitive failures (SCF) and subjective memory failures (SMF) have been reported to be an early predictor of Alzheimer disease (AD) and have been attributed to white matter lesions (WML).
Spinal Cord advance online publication 7 October 2008; doi: 10.1038/sc.2008.117
This study investigates the role of physical exercise, perceived exercise mastery and fitness on life satisfaction of a sample of individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Volume 3, Issue 4 July 2008 , pages 171 - 180
The objective of this study was to collect outcomes data related to a wheelchair intervention using three outcome instruments, and to develop methodological procedures that could be incorporated easily into busy clinical practices.
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Volume 3, Issue 4 July 2008 , pages 181 - 192
A questionnaire exploring factors in prosthesis acceptance was distributed internationally to individuals with upper limb absence through community-based support groups and rehabilitation hospitals.
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Volume 3, Issue 4 July 2008 , pages 193 - 200
This study examined the psychometric properties of a modified falls-efficacy scale (FES) that included more challenging activities of daily living items and made reference to the presence or absence of enabling assistive devices that are part of the built environment.
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Volume 3, Issue 4 July 2008 , pages 201 - 207
To evaluate if the measurement of gait parameters, examined during the fitting of an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO), has a beneficial effect on the gait pattern of individuals who were affected by a stroke. Also, this study seeks to provide evidence regarding the use of the portable GaitRite(R) system in a clinical setting.
Future Neurology, Volume 3, Number 5, September 2008 , pp. 575-588(14)
Continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring is one of many available techniques to assess cerebral function in critically ill patients. Detection and treatment of nonconvulsive seizures (NCSZ) and nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) are the main clinical applications of cEEG.
Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics October 2008 Volume 2, Number 4
The management strategies and outcomes in pediatric patients with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are examined in this study.
Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics Published Online: 16 Sep 2008
We report on a 57-year-old woman, diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, whose panic disorder showed marked improvement after introduction of bupropion, a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor.
Crush preparations (CP) for the diagnosis of meningioma are routinely performed in the frozen section suite when tissue is submitted for intraoperative consultation. The goal of this study was to examine the cytologic features of meningiomas in CP and evaluate if benign meningioma (Grade 1), atypical meningioma (Grade 2), and malignant meningioma (Grade 3) can be diagnosed on CP.
Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics Volume 33 Issue 5, Pages 529 - 535
To evaluate the adequacy of management of modifiable risk factors (MRF) in a group of ischemic stroke outpatients and the value of pharmacist intervention in a randomized controlled study in a tertiary referral hospital.
Clinical Cancer Research 14, 6237-6245, October 1, 2008
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a heterogeneous neoplasm. Detailed biological discrimination is critical for the effective treatment of this disease. Because the tumor behavior of NB is closely associated with the histologic state of differentiation, we thus aimed to identify novel differentiation-associated markers of NB with prognostic implication.
Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology. 20(4):249-255, October 2008
Mild hyperventilation remains a key element in the management of elevated intracranial pressure. However, a harmful effect of hyperventilation on the development or deterioration of ischemic lesions has been shown in patients after severe head trauma.
Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology. 20(4):221-225, October 2008
In neuroanesthesia practice, muscle relaxants may at times need to be avoided to facilitate intraoperative motor pathway monitoring. Our study's objective was to determine the optimal dose of remifentanil required to prevent movement after neurosurgical stimulation.
Future Neurology, Volume 3, Number 5, September 2008 , pp. 551-563(13)
The clinical picture of stroke is not only characterized by neurological deficits but also by the high incidence of infectious complications, in particular pneumonia.
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is not often seen. To date, less than 300 cases have been communicated to the medical literature since the disease was first discovered in 1965.
Neurocritical Care 1541-6933 (Print) 10.1007/s12028-008-9148-x
Longer length of stay (LOS) is associated with higher complications and costs in ICU patients, while hospital protocols may decrease complications and LOS.
There is a paucity of studies evaluating the prognostic role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) changes in viral encephalitis.
Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 27(9):843-846, September 2008
The classic organisms associated with central nervous system infection in the neonate are herpes simplex, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae; we describe an unusual case of neonatal meningoencephalitis caused by Bacillus cereus.
Risk of ischaemic stroke (IS) was associated with total homocysteine (tHCY). On the other hand, serum selenium (Se) exhibited anti-aging and cardiopreventive effects.
There is increasing evidence that serum uric acid is an independent marker of cardiovascular risk. We have shown previously that high urate is associated with cardiac death in stroke survivors independently of conventional risk factors.
Medical Oncology 1357-0560 (Print) 10.1007/s12032-008-9094-7
Astrogliomas are the most common primary brain tumor. Its progression is the result of activation of oncogenes, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs), and expression of various growth factors.
Journal of Neuro-Oncology 0167-594X (Print) 10.1007/s11060-008-9708-0
The invasion- and apoptosis-associated thromboxane synthase gene encoding an enzyme of the arachidonic acid pathway has been implicated in glioma progression.
The physiological mechanisms of deep brain stimulation (DBS) are not completely clear. Our understanding of them may be facilitated with the use of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS).
PEDIATRICS Vol. 122 No. 4 October 2008, pp. e841-e847
Distinguishing abusive head trauma in young children from other diseases by symptoms is difficult in practice. Comparisons between abusive and nonabusive head trauma in young children in Japan, where computed tomography is widely and easily available, might contribute to identifying markers of abusive head trauma that differ from that in Western countries.
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology 0171-5216 (Print) 10.1007/s00432-008-0484-1
Neuroblastoma is an embryonal tumor of neuroectodermal cells. Patients with metastatic neuroblastoma have a poor survival rate, which has led to numerous efforts to develop prognostic markers.
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 122(4):1162-1168, October 2008
Raised intracranial pressure is a well-known complication of Apert syndrome. The current policy in the authors' unit is to monitor these patients and only perform surgery when raised intracranial pressure has been diagnosed.
PEDIATRICS Vol. 122 No. 4 October 2008, pp. 731-735
Child neurologists and neonatologists often discharge newborn infants with phenobarbital treatment for weeks to months despite the absence of continuing seizure activity. We conducted a national survey to determine the degree of variation in this practice.
What
is RSS?
