Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2017
A novel assistive method for rigidity evaluation during deep brain stimulation surgery using acceleration sensors.
OBJECTIVE Despite the widespread use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), the exact anatomical target responsible for the therapeutic effect is still a subject of research. Intraoperative stimulation tests by experts consist of performing passive movements of the patient's arm or wrist while the amplitude of the stimulation current is increased. At each position, the amplitude that best alleviates rigidity is identified. ⋯ The comparison across anatomical locations showed that stimulation in the fields of Forel ameliorates rigidity at similar amplitudes as stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus, but with fewer side effects. CONCLUSIONS This article describes and validates a new assistive method for assessing rigidity with acceleration sensors during intraoperative stimulation tests in DBS procedures. The initial results indicate that the proposed method may be a clinically useful aid for optimal DBS lead placement as well as a new tool in the ongoing scientific search for the optimal DBS target for PD.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2017
Case ReportsSolitary tentorial sarcoid granuloma associated with Propionibacterium acnes infection: case report.
Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease with unknown cause, which very rarely occurs exclusively in the central nervous system. The authors performed biopsy sampling of a mass that developed in the left tentorium cerebelli that appeared to be a malignant tumor. ⋯ Findings suggesting sarcoidosis to be an immune response to P. acnes infection have recently been reported, and they give insight for diagnosis and treatment of this disease. The authors report the possible first case that was confirmed with P. acnes infection in a meningeal lesion in solitary neurosarcoidosis.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2017
Case ReportsChronic electrocorticography for sensing movement intention and closed-loop deep brain stimulation with wearable sensors in an essential tremor patient.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a widespread and valuable treatment for patients with movement disorders such as essential tremor (ET). However, current DBS treatment constantly delivers stimulation in an open loop, which can be inefficient. Closing the loop with sensors to provide feedback may increase power efficiency and reduce side effects for patients. ⋯ The authors implanted in a single patient with ET an Activa PC+S system, a cortical strip of electrodes on the hand sensorimotor cortex, and therapeutic electrodes in the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus. In this paper they describe the effectiveness of the platform when sensing cortical movement intentions while the patient actually performed and imagined performing movements. Additionally, they demonstrate dynamic closed-loop DBS based on several wearable sensor measurements of tremor intensity.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2017
Comparative StudyThe impact of several craniotomies on transcranial motor evoked potential monitoring during neurosurgery.
OBJECTIVE Transcranial motor evoked potential (tMEP) monitoring is popular in neurosurgery; however, the accuracy of tMEP can be impaired by craniotomy. Each craniotomy procedure and changes in the CSF levels affects the current spread. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of several craniotomies on tMEP monitoring by using C3-4 transcranial electrical stimulation (TES). ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Bone removal during a craniotomy positively affects the generation of the electric field in the motor cortex if the motor cortex is just under the bone at the margin of the craniotomy window. The CSF decrease and the shifting brain can negatively affect tMEP ignition. These changes should be minimized to maintain the original conductivity between the motor cortex and the skull, and the operation team must remember the fluctuation of the tMEP threshold.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2017
Case ReportsCentral nervous system filariasis masquerading as a glioma: case report.
Filariasis, an endemic zoonosis in the Southeast Asia region, has been reported to affect various organs as well as the central nervous system (CNS). Inflammatory reactions mimicking those from neoplastic lesions clinically and radiologically have been reported in the breast and urinary bladder. ⋯ The authors here present an interesting case of a young man presenting in status epilepticus, which on radiological evaluation appeared to be a glioma. However, postoperative histopathological examination changed the provisional diagnosis to a filarial infection of the CNS mimicking a primary CNS neoplasm.