Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2003
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialPeroneal intraneural ganglia: the importance of the articular branch. Clinical series.
The peroneal nerve is the most common site of intraneural ganglia. The neurological deficit associated with these cysts is often severe and the operation to eradicate them is difficult The aims of this multicenter study were to collate the authors' experience with a relatively rare lesion and to improve clinical outcomes by better understanding its controversial pathogenesis. ⋯ The clinical presentation, electrical studies, imaging characteristics, and operative observations regarding peroneal intraneural ganglia are predictable. Treatment must address the underlying pathoanatomy and should include decompression of the cyst and ligation of the articular branch of the nerve. To avoid extraneural recurrence, resection of the superior tibiofibular joint may also be necessary, but indications for this additional procedure need to be defined. These recommendations are based on the authors' belief that intraneural peroneal ganglia arise from the superior tibiofibular joint and are connected to it by the articular branch.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2003
Cocaine use as a predictor of outcome in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
The goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between cocaine use and outcomes of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). ⋯ Cocaine adversely affects both the presentation of and outcome in patients with aneurysmal SAH who are undergoing treatment for this disease. The vasoactive properties of the drug appear to aggravate the already tenuous situation of SAH and increase both the occurrence and influence of cerebral vasospasm. Statistical analysis demonstrates that cocaine directly affects both presentation and outcome in a significant manner. It is the authors' interpretation of the results of this retrospective review that cocaine use negatively affects outcome to such an extent that it should be considered equal to the presence of a major systemic illness when determining Hunt and Hess grade.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2003
Computational and experimental study of proximal flow in ventricular catheters. Technical note.
The treatment of hydrocephalus with shunt insertion is fraught with high failure rates. Evidence indicates that the proximal holes in a catheter are the primary sites of blockage. The authors have studied ventricular catheter designs by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), two-dimensional water table experiments, and a three-dimensional (3D) automated testing apparatus together with an actual catheter. ⋯ Given this finding, new designs that incorporated varying hole pattern distributions and size dimensions of the ventricular catheter were conceived and tested using two models. These changes in the geometrical features significantly changed the entering mass flow rate distribution. In conclusion, new designs in proximal ventricular catheters with variable hole diameters along the catheter tip allowed fluid to enter the catheter more uniformly along its length, thereby reducing the probability of its becoming occluded.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2003
Preoperative correlation of intraoperative cortical mapping with magnetic resonance imaging landmarks to predict localization of the Broca area.
Broca identified the posterior third of the inferior frontal gyrus as a locus essential for the production of fluent speech. The authors have conducted this retrospective analysis in an attempt to find readily identifiable landmarks on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging that correspond to intraoperative cortical stimulation-induced speech arrest. These landmarks demonstrate novel structural-functional relationships that can be used preoperatively to predict the location of the Broca area. ⋯ The results indicate a correlation between the structure of the frontal operculum as seen on MR imaging and the functional localization of speech arrest in the dominant hemisphere. Additionally, sulcal landmarks that can be used preoperatively to predict the location of the Broca area within the inferior frontal gyrus are described based on the patient population. This information will allow the surgeon to determine if an awake craniotomy is necessary to identify the Broca area when planning a surgical procedure near the dominant frontal operculum.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2003
Upregulation of neurogenesis and reduction in functional deficits following administration of DEtA/NONOate, a nitric oxide donor, after traumatic brain injury in rats.
Neurogenesis, which is upregulated by neural injury in the adult mammalian brain, may be involved in the repair of the injured brain and functional recovery. Therefore, the authors sought to identify agents that can enhance neurogenesis after brain injury, and they report that (Z)-1-[N-(2-aminoethyl)-N-(2-ammonioethyl)amino]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (DETA/NONOate), a nitric oxide donor, upregulates neurogenesis and reduces functional deficits after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats. ⋯ Compared with control rats, the proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation of neural progenitor cells were all significantly enhanced in the hippocampus, subventricular zone, striatum, corpus callosum, and the boundary zone of the injured cortex, as well as in the contralateral hemisphere in rats with TBI that received DETA/ NONOate treatment. Neurological functional outcomes in the DETA/NONOate-treated group were also significantly improved compared with the untreated group. These data indicate that DETA/NONOate may be useful in the treatment of TBI.