Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2010
Safety of magnetic resonance imaging of deep brain stimulator systems: a serial imaging and clinical retrospective study.
With the expanding indications and increasing number of patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS), postoperative MR imaging is becoming even more important in guiding clinical care and practice-based learning; important safety concerns have recently emerged, however. Although phantom model studies have driven conservative recommendations regarding imaging parameters, highlighted by 2 recent reports describing adverse neurological events associated with MR imaging in patients with implanted DBS systems, the risks of MR imaging in such patients in clinical practice has not been well addressed. In this study, the authors capitalized on their large experience with serial MR imaging (3 times per patient) to use MR imaging itself and clinical outcomes to examine the safety of MR imaging in patients who underwent staged implantation of DBS electrodes for Parkinson disease, tremor, and dystonia. ⋯ Although potential risks of MR imaging in patients undergoing DBS may be linked to excessive heating, induced electrical currents, disruption of the normal operation of the device, and/or magnetic field interactions, MR imaging can be performed safely in these patients and provides useful information on DBS lead location to inform patient-specific programming and practice-based learning.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2010
Balloon angioplasty of the A2 segment of the anterior cerebral artery for recurrent, symptomatic atherosclerotic disease.
Intracranial atherosclerotic disease accounts for 5-10% of ischemic strokes in the US. Lesions located in the anterior cerebral artery territory are infrequently reported. ⋯ There is a paucity of literature describing angioplasty of fixed atherosclerotic lesions affecting the anterior cerebral artery territory, and especially the A(2) segment. This case illustrates that this vessel segment may be treated with balloon angioplasty.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2010
Comparative StudySubthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulator placement using high-field interventional magnetic resonance imaging and a skull-mounted aiming device: technique and application accuracy.
The authors discuss their method for placement of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes using interventional MR (iMR) imaging and report on the accuracy of the technique, its initial clinical efficacy, and associated complications in a consecutive series of subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS implants to treat Parkinson disease (PD). ⋯ The authors' technical approach to placement of DBS electrodes adapts the procedure to a standard configuration 1.5-T diagnostic MR imaging scanner in a radiology suite. This method simplifies DBS implantation by eliminating the use of the traditional stereotactic frame and the subsequent requirement for registration of the brain in stereotactic space and the need for physiological recording and patient cooperation. This method has improved accuracy compared with that of anatomical guidance using standard frame-based stereotaxy in conjunction with preoperative MR imaging.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2010
True posterior communicating artery aneurysms: are they more prone to rupture? A biomorphometric analysis.
Posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysms can occur at the junction with the internal carotid artery, posterior cerebral artery (PCA), or the proximal PCoA itself. Hemodynamic stressors contribute to aneurysm formation and may be associated with parent vessel size and aneurysm location. This study evaluates the correlation of various biomorphometric characteristics in 2 of the aforementioned types of PCoA aneurysms. ⋯ These data suggest that true PCoA aneurysms have a larger PCoA relative to the ipsilateral P(1) segment. To the authors' knowledge, this represents the first such biomorphometric comparison of these different types of PCoA aneurysms. Although statistically smaller in size, true PCoA aneurysms also have a similar prevalence of presenting as a ruptured aneurysm, suggesting that they might be more prone to rupture than a junctional aneurysms of similar size. Further analysis will be required to determine the biophysical factors affecting rupture rates.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2010
Comparative StudyComparison of diffusion tensor imaging tractography of language tracts and intraoperative subcortical stimulations.
Diffusion tensor (DT) imaging tractography is increasingly used to map fiber tracts in patients with surgical brain lesions to reduce the risk of postoperative functional deficit. There are few validation studies of DT imaging tractography in these patients. The aim of this study was to compare DT imaging tractography of language fiber tracts by using intraoperative subcortical electrical stimulations. ⋯ There was a good correspondence between positive stimulation sites and fiber tracts, suggesting that DT imaging fiber tracking is a reliable technique but not yet optimal to map language tracts in patients with brain lesions. Negative tractography does not rule out the persistence of a fiber tract, especially when invaded by the tumor. Stimulations of the different tracts induced variable language disorders that were specific to each fiber tract.