Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2014
Comprehensive analysis of neurobehavior associated with histomorphological alterations in a chronic constrictive nerve injury model through use of the CatWalk XT system.
Neuropathic pain is debilitating, and when chronic, it significantly affects the patient physically, psychologically, and socially. The neurobehavior of animals used as a model for chronic constriction injury seems analogous to the neurobehavior of humans with neuropathic pain. However, no data depicting the severity of histomorphological alterations of the nervous system associated with graded changes in neurobehavior are available. To determine the severity of histomorphological alteration related to neurobehavior, the authors created a model of chronic constrictive injury of varying intensity in rats and used the CatWalk XT system to evaluate neurobehavior. ⋯ Histomorphological and electrophysiological alterations were associated with severity of nerve damage. Subtle neurobehavioral differences were detected by the CatWalk XT system but not by mechanical allodynia or thermal hyperalgesia. Thus, the CatWalk XT system should be a useful tool for monitoring changes in neuropathic pain, especially subtle alterations.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2014
Historical ArticleThe influence of war on the development of neurosurgery.
The treatment of craniospinal war wounds proved to be a significant driving force in the early growth of neurosurgery as a specialty. This publication explores the historical relationship between the evolution of combat methodology from antiquity through modern conflicts as it dovetails with and drives corresponding advancements in the field of neurosurgery. Whether it's the basic management principles for intracranial projectile wounds derived from World War I experiences, the drastic improvement in the outcomes and management of spinal cord injuries observed in World War II, or the fact that both of these wars played a crucial role in the development of a training system that is the origin of modern residency programs, the influence of wartime experiences is pervasive.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2014
Surgery for insular low-grade glioma: predictors of postoperative seizure outcome.
Although a number of recent studies on the surgical treatment of insular low-grade glioma (LGG) have demonstrated that aggressive resection leads to increased overall patient survival and decreased malignant progression, less attention has been given to the results with respect to tumor-related epilepsy. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of volumetric, histological, and intraoperative neurophysiological factors on seizure outcome in patients with insular LGG. ⋯ No or little postoperative seizure improvement occurs mainly in cases with a prevalent infiltrative tumor growth pattern, expressed by high ΔVT2T1 values, which consequently reflects a smaller EOR.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2014
Stromal cell-derived factor-1 promoted angiogenesis and inflammatory cell infiltration in aneurysm walls.
A small percentage of cerebral aneurysms rupture, but when they do, the effects are devastating. Current management of unruptured aneurysms consists of surgery, endovascular treatment, or watchful waiting. If the biology of how aneurysms grow and rupture were better known, a novel drug could be developed to prevent unruptured aneurysms from rupturing. Ruptured cerebral aneurysms are characterized by inflammation-mediated wall remodeling. The authors studied the role of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) in inflammation-mediated wall remodeling in cerebral aneurysms. ⋯ These data suggest SDF-1 is associated with angiogenesis and inflammatory cell migration and proliferation in the walls of aneurysms, and may have a role in the development of intracranial aneurysms.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2014
Case ReportsIntraoperative 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced fluorescence in primary central nervous system lymphoma.
The authors report a case of primary CNS lymphoma located in the floor of the fourth ventricle that showed intense fluorescence after preoperative administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid. The authors believe that this is the first demonstration of a 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced fluorescence pattern in primary CNS lymphoma.