Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2013
Case ReportsPartly reversible central auditory dysfunction induced by cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
The authors describe a rare case of central auditory dysfunction induced by cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A 55-year-old woman who was admitted after aneurysmal SAH developed cerebral vasospasm on Day 3 affecting mainly the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) and partly the left MCA. The vasospasm became refractory to conventional therapy and was ultimately improved by intraarterial infusion of nimodipine in the right MCA and angioplasty. ⋯ Central auditory dysfunction is a rare complication after SAH. While cortical deafness may be associated with bilateral lesions of the temporal cortex, partly reversible central auditory dysfunction was observed in this patient after prominently unilateral right temporal lesions. The role of the interthalamic connections can be discussed, as well as the possibility that a less severe vasospasm on the left MCA could have transiently impaired the left thalamocortical auditory pathways.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2013
Tumor volume as a predictor of survival and local control in patients with brain metastases treated with Gamma Knife surgery.
The aim of this study was to examine tumor volume as a prognostic factor for patients with brain metastases treated with Gamma Knife surgery (GKS). ⋯ After adjusting for other factors, a total brain metastasis volume was a strong and independent predictor for overall survival, distant brain failure, and local control, even when considering the number of metastases.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2013
Intracranial biomechanics following cortical contusion in live rats.
The goal of this study was to examine the mechanical properties of living rat intracranial contents and corresponding brain structural alterations following parietal cerebral cortex contusion. ⋯ The viscoelastic properties of living rat brain change following contusion. Initially, edema and tissue necrosis occur, and the brain becomes less elastic and less viscous. Later, along with undergoing reactive astroglial changes, the brain tends to become stiffer than normal. These quantitative data, which are related to the physical changes in the brain following trauma and which reflect subjective impressions upon palpation, will be useful for understanding emerging diagnostic tools such as magnetic resonance elastography.