World Neurosurg
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Tourette syndrome is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics. In the majority of cases, tics are associated by behavioral disorders such as obsessive-compulsive behavior. First symptoms typically appear in early childhood. ⋯ In the majority of the published cases, there is a clear effect on tics but most studies consist of only a limited number of patients. A strict patient selection is absolutely mandatory. There is a need for double-blinded multicenter trials with inclusion of more patients.
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Review Historical Article
Surgery of the mind, mood, and conscious state: an idea in evolution.
Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have sought a physical means of altering disordered behavior and consciousness. This quest has spawned numerous innovations in neurosurgery and the neurosciences, from the earliest prehistoric attempts at trepanation to the electrocortical and anatomic localization of cerebral function that emerged in the 19th century. At the start of the 20th century, the overwhelming social impact of psychiatric illness intersected with the novel but imperfect understanding of frontal lobe function, establishing a decades-long venture into the modern origin of psychosurgery, the prefrontal lobotomy. ⋯ Recent decades have seen a revolution in minimalism, noninvasive imaging, and functional manipulation of the human cerebrum that have created new opportunities and treatment modalities for disorders of the human mind and mood. Early contemporary efforts were directed at focal lesioning of abnormal pathways, but deep-brain stimulation now aims to reversibly alter and modulate those neurologic activities responsible for not only psychiatric disorders, but also to modulate and even to augment consciousness, memory, and other elements of cerebral function. As new tools become available, the social and medical impact of psychosurgery promises to revolutionize not only neurosurgery, but also humans' capability for positively impacting life and society.
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To assess the outcome of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for patients with benign skull base tumors and trigeminal-related facial pain. ⋯ Although SRS offers excellent radiographic tumor control for benign skull base tumors, durable relief of tumor-related trigeminal pain without medication was noted in only one-fourth of patients at last follow-up.
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On the basis of the findings of the electrophysiological evaluation of vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS), the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) was examined according to long-term follow-up results. The results of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on MCS was also examined and compared with that of DBS. ⋯ DBS for VS and MCS patients and SCS for MCS patients may be useful, when the candidates are selected on the basis of the electrophysiological inclusion criteria. Only 16 (14.9%) of the 107 VS patients and 15 (71.4%) of the 21 MCS patients satisfied the electrophysiological inclusion criteria.