Neurosurgery
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Paralysis after spinal cord injury involves damage to pathways that connect neurons in the brain to peripheral nerves in the limbs. Re-establishing this communication using neural interfaces has the potential to bridge the gap and restore upper extremity function to people with high tetraplegia. We report a novel approach for restoring upper extremity function using selective peripheral nerve stimulation controlled by intracortical microelectrode recordings from sensorimotor networks, along with restoration of tactile sensation of the hand using intracortical microstimulation. ⋯ The combination of implanted cortical electrodes and nerve cuff electrodes has the potential to create bidirectional restoration of motor and sensory functions of the arm and hand after neurological injury.
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Tectal plate gliomas (TPGs) are midbrain tumors that grow slowly and have a benign clinical course. Most TPGs are low-grade astrocytomas, but they can encompass various histological tumor types. Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is being explored as a potentially safe and effective treatment option for TPGs, although research in this area is limited. This study aims to evaluate GKRS's efficacy and safety in patients with TPG and provide a comprehensive review of existing literature on the topic. ⋯ There is limited research available on the management of TPGs, and this study presents the largest patient cohort treated with GKRS, along with a substantial follow-up duration. Despite its limitations, this study demonstrates the efficacy and low-risk profile of GKRS for TPGs.
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Degenerative thoracolumbar disorders (DTDs) typically cause pain and functional impairment. However, little is known regarding the DTD impact on patient's real-life physical activity. The objective of this study is to validate a wearable measure of physical activity monitoring in patients with DTD and to create gender- and sex-specific performance thresholds that are standardized to the mean of a control population. ⋯ We establish the first wearable objective measure of real-life physical activity for patients with DTD, with the first age- and sex-adjusted standard scores to enable clinicians and researchers to set treatment goals and directly compare activity levels between individual patients with DTD and normal controls.