Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2024
Effectiveness and safety of MR-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy in patients with essential tremor and low skull density ratio: a study of 101 cases.
The objective was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment in patients with essential tremor, particularly those with low skull density ratio (SDR) and including those with very low SDR, and to identify the factors influencing treatment effectiveness and to provide insights into therapeutic approaches for patients with lower SDR. ⋯ This study suggested that MRgFUS is effective and safe for patients with medication-resistant essential tremor, including those with very low mean SDR. However, the very low-SDR group had insufficient temperature elevation at the target site compared with the high-SDR group, suggesting the need for a different strategy. Notably, with careful adjustments and considerations, positive outcomes can still be achieved in patients with very low SDR. Therefore, very low SDR should not be considered an absolute exclusion criterion because it is expected to increase the number of patients who benefit from MRgFUS.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2024
Disparities in the treatment of movement disorders using deep brain stimulation.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a well-established treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET). Although the prevalence of PD and ET can vary by sex and race, little is known about the accessibility of neurosurgical treatments for these conditions. In this nationwide study, the authors aimed to characterize trends in the use of DBS for the treatment of PD and ET and to identify disparities in the neurosurgical treatment of these diseases based on ethnic, racial, sex, insurance, income, hospital, and geographic factors. ⋯ The authors describe significant racial and sex-based differences in the utilization of DBS for the treatment of PD and ET. Further research is required to ascertain the causes of these disparities, as well as any differences in access to specialty neurosurgical care and referral for neuromodulation approaches.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2024
Increased CD44 expression in primary meningioma: its clinical significance and association with peritumoral brain edema.
CD44 is a major cell surface receptor involved in cell adhesion and migration. The overexpression of CD44 is a poor prognostic factor in many neoplasms, including meningiomas. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between CD44 gene expression and clinical signatures of primary meningiomas. ⋯ In addition to tumor cell aggressiveness, CD44 expression promotes the development of PTBE in meningioma. Since PTBE is a strong factor of tumor-related epilepsy or cognitive dysfunction in patients with meningioma, CD44 is thus a potential therapeutic target in meningioma with PTBE.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jul 2024
Mapping the global neurosurgery workforce. Part 2: Trainee density.
A sustainable neurosurgery workforce depends on robust training pipelines, but the size and distribution of the global neurosurgery trainee workforce has not been described. The objective of this study was to identify the types of training programs that exist in the global neurosurgery workforce, the support that trainees receive, the diversity of trainee experiences, and the accreditation processes that exist to regulate training programs. ⋯ The authors estimate that there are at least 1261 neurosurgery training programs with 10,546 total trainees worldwide. The density of neurosurgery trainees was disproportionately higher in HICs than LMICs, and the WHO European and Americas regions had the highest trainee densities. The trainee workforce in LICs had the poorest access to subspecialty training and advanced resources.