Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2016
Case ReportsA case of dural arteriovenous fistula draining to the diploic vein presenting with intracerebral hemorrhage.
The authors report an unusual case of a dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) draining only to the diploic vein and causing intracerebral hemorrhage. A 62-year-old woman presented with disturbance of consciousness and left hemiparesis. ⋯ The dAVF was successfully obliterated by percutaneous transarterial embolization with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate. The mechanism of retrograde cortical venous reflux causing intracerebral hemorrhage is discussed.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2016
Motor cortex stimulation and neuropathic pain: how does motor cortex stimulation affect pain-signaling pathways?
Neuropathic pain is often severe. Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) is used for alleviating neuropathic pain, but the mechanism of action is still unclear. This study aimed to understand the mechanism of action of MCS by investigating pain-signaling pathways, with the expectation that MCS would regulate both descending and ascending pathways. ⋯ This study demonstrated that MCS effectively attenuated neuropathic pain. MCS modulated ascending and descending pain pathways. It regulated neuropathic pain by affecting the striatum, periaqueductal gray, cerebellum, and thalamic area, which are thought to regulate the descending pathway. MCS also appeared to suppress activation of the VPL, which is part of the ascending pathway.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Mar 2016
Cocaine use as an independent predictor of seizures after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Seizures are relatively common after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Seizure prophylaxis is controversial and is often based on risk stratification; middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms, associated intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), poor neurological grade, increased clot thickness, and cerebral infarction are considered highest risk for seizures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of recent cocaine use on seizure incidence following aSAH. ⋯ Cocaine use confers a higher seizure risk following aSAH and should be considered during risk stratification for seizure prophylaxis and close neuromonitoring.
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Helmets are used for sports, military, and transportation to protect against impact forces and associated injuries. The common belief among end users is that the helmet protects the whole head, including the brain. However, current consensus among biomechanists and sports neurologists indicates that helmets do not provide significant protection against concussion and brain injuries. In this paper the authors present existing scientific evidence on the mechanisms underlying traumatic head and brain injuries, along with a biomechanical evaluation of 21 current and retired football helmets. ⋯ The study findings demonstrated that not all football helmets provide equal or adequate protection against either focal head injuries or traumatic brain injuries. In fact, some of the most popular helmets on the field ranked among the worst. While protection is improving, none of the current or retired varsity football helmets can provide absolute protection against brain injuries, including concussions and subdural hematomas. To maximize protection against head and brain injuries for football players of all ages, the authors propose thresholds for all sports helmets based on a peak linear acceleration no greater than 90 g and a peak angular acceleration not exceeding 1700 rad/sec(2).