Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics
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Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is a diagnostic procedure in which multiple electrodes are stereotactically implanted within predefined areas of the brain to identify the seizure onset zone, which needs to be removed to achieve remission of focal epilepsy. Computer-assisted planning (CAP) has been shown to improve trajectory safety metrics and generate clinically feasible trajectories in a fraction of the time needed for manual planning. We report a prospective validation study of the use of EpiNav (UCL, London, UK) as a clinical decision support software for SEEG. ⋯ CAP trajectories were generated in 30% of the time with significantly lower risk scores compared to manually generated. EpiNav has successfully been integrated as a clinical decision support software (CDSS) into the clinical pathway for SEEG implantations at our institution. To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study of a complex CDSS in stereotactic neurosurgery and provides the highest level of evidence to date.
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder in which the neuromuscular junction progressively degenerates, leading to movement difficulties, paralysis, and eventually death. ALS is currently being treated by only two FDA-approved drugs with modest efficacy in slowing disease progression. Often, the translation of preclinical findings to bedside terminates prematurely as the evaluation of potential therapeutic compounds focuses on a single study or a single animal model. ⋯ TRVA242 was identified as the most potent compound as it significantly improved efficiency in rescuing locomotor, motorneuron, and neuromuscular junction synaptic deficits in a C. elegans TDP-43 model and in multiple zebrafish genetic (TDP-43, SOD1, and C9ORF72) models of ALS. The actions of TRVA242 were also conserved in a mammalian model as it also stabilized neuromuscular junction deficits in a mouse SOD1 model of ALS. Compounds such as TRVA242 therefore represent new potential therapeutics for the treatment of ALS.