Clinical neurology and neurosurgery
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Clin Neurol Neurosurg · Dec 2014
Peripheral field stimulation for thoracic post herpetic neuropathic pain.
Post herpetic neuralgia is a chronic, debilitating pain with very few management options and is often refractory to treatment. We present our experience with a series of 4 patients who underwent subcutaneous peripheral field stimulation for treatment of thoracic post herpetic neuropathic pain. ⋯ Peripheral field stimulation for the treatment of post herpetic neuropathic pain is a safe and effective method for pain relief for an extremely complex problem with very few solutions. Patient selection and proper lead placement is most important for the success of treatment.
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Clin Neurol Neurosurg · Dec 2014
Review Meta Analysis Comparative StudyA meta-analysis of interlaminar minimally invasive discectomy compared to conventional microdiscectomy for lumbar disk herniation.
A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the evidence that compared the safety and efficacy of interlaminar minimally invasive discectomy (ILMI) and conventional microdiscectomy (MD) for treating lumbar disk herniation (LDH) patients and to develop GRADE based recommendations for using the procedures to treat LDH. Eleven studies, encompassing 1012 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the results of the meta-analysis indicated that there were significant differences between the two groups in blood loss (SMD=-0.93, 95% CI -1.84, -0.02; p=0.05), and the number of days stays in hospital (SMD=-0.79, 95% CI -1.55, -0.04; p=0.04). ⋯ Compared with MD, ILMI can shorten days in hospital, decrease the mounts of blood loss during surgery. However, the overall GRADE evidence quality was very low. Therefore, further validation is required, and medical institutions should conduct high-quality studies.
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Clin Neurol Neurosurg · Dec 2014
Cervical and cervicomedullary spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain: efficacy and outcomes.
The role for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in the management of chronic spinal cord forms of pain involving cervical dermatomes or the cervicomedullary junction (CMJ) for facial pain remains largely uncharted. ⋯ Cervical and CMJ SCS are safe and efficacious and may provide greater relief along the upper extremities than axially, and in the head rather than in the occipital region.
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Clin Neurol Neurosurg · Dec 2014
Comparative StudyWide-bore 1.5 T MRI-guided deep brain stimulation surgery: initial experience and technique comparison.
We report results of the initial experience with magnetic resonance image (MRI)-guided implantation of subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulating (DBS) electrodes at the University of Wisconsin after having employed frame-based stereotaxy with previously available MR imaging techniques and microelectrode recording for STN DBS surgeries. ⋯ Our initial experience confirms the safety of MRI-guided DBS, setting the stage for future investigations combining physiology and MRI guidance. Further follow-up is required to compare the efficacy of the MRI-guided surgery cohort to that of traditional frame-based stereotaxy.
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Clin Neurol Neurosurg · Dec 2014
Observational StudyPredictors of deterioration indicating a requirement for surgery in mild to moderate traumatic brain injury.
Careful course observation is necessary for cases of mild to moderate traumatic brain injury even when disturbed consciousness is mild on admission. This is because delayed enlargement of hematoma and progression of cerebral swelling may occur and result in an emergency craniotomy. Here, we investigated coagulopathy and abnormal fibrinolysis as a predictive factor of "deterioration requiring surgery" in mild to moderate traumatic brain injury. ⋯ Coagulopathy and abnormal fibrinolysis, which are measurable in routine medical practice, is associated with deterioration requiring surgery in mild to moderate traumatic brain injury, indicating that careful course observation is necessary.