Journal of neurosurgery
-
Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2020
In vitro and in vivo testing of a novel local nicardipine delivery system to the brain: a preclinical study.
The management of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains a highly demanding challenge in critical care medicine. Despite all efforts, the calcium channel antagonist nimodipine remains the only drug approved for improving outcomes after aSAH. However, in its current form of application, it provides less than optimal efficacy and causes dose-limiting hypotension in a substantial number of patients. Here, the authors tested in vitro the release dynamics of a novel formulation of the calcium channel blocker nicardipine and in vivo local tolerance and tissue reaction using a chronic cranial window model in mice. ⋯ NicaPlant provides continuous in vitro release of nicardipine over a 3-week observation period. In vivo testing confirmed vasoactivity and lack of toxicity. The local application of this novel nicardipine delivery system to the subarachnoid space is a promising tool to improve patient outcomes while avoiding systemic side effects.
-
Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2020
Impact of frailty on short-term outcomes in patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.
Frailty, a state of decreased physiological reserve, has been shown to significantly impact outcomes of surgery. The authors sought to examine the impact of frailty on the short-term outcomes of patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. ⋯ Frailty in patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary surgery is associated with worse postoperative outcomes and higher costs, indicating that state's potential role in routine preoperative risk stratification.
-
Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2020
Biomechanics of a novel reversibly expandable dynamic craniotomy bone flap fixation plate.
Biomechanical evaluation of a novel expandable cranial fixation plate was assessed in cadavers. The dynamic craniotomy procedure uses low-profile reversibly expandable plates that allow cranial decompression by providing for intracranial volume expansion without removal of the bone flap. The plates allow reversible outward movement of the bone flap upon an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) and also retract the bone flap and prevent it from sinking inside the cranium once the ICP normalizes. ⋯ The reversibly expandable plates provide for a low-profile bone flap fixation with rigid restriction of bone flap sinking and also enable cranial decompression with a high tolerance for repetitive expansion and contraction.
-
Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2020
Allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell sheet that produces neurological improvement with angiogenesis and neurogenesis in a rat stroke model.
Stem cell therapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of severe cerebral ischemia. However, targeting sufficient grafted cells to the affected area remains challenging. Choosing an adequate transplantation method for the CNS appears crucial for this therapy to become a clinical reality. The authors used a scaffold-free cell sheet as a translational intervention. This method involves the use of cell sheet layers and allows the transplantation of a large number of cells, locally and noninvasively. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of allogeneic adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell sheets in a rat model of stroke. ⋯ The transplantation approach described here is expected to provide not only a paracrine effect but also a direct cell effect resulting in cell replacement that protects the damaged neurovascular unit. The behavioral improvement seen with this transplantation approach provides the basis for further research on cell sheet-based regenerative treatment as a translational treatment for patients with stroke.