Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
ReviewClinical trial implementation: a primer for neurosurgeons.
In the current landscape of evidence-based medicine, prospective clinical trials are an important avenue through which to establish the efficacy and safety of biomedical treatments compared with standard-of-care interventions. Depending on their scope and aims, clinical trials can be extremely costly and time intensive, and significant coordination is needed to ensure optimal utilization of healthcare resources, adherence to the principles of biomedical ethics, and appropriate interpretation of study results. This review highlights the core principles for designing and implementing clinical trials within neurosurgery, with the aim to provide clinicians with a framework for implementing both investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored trials.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialEarly stellate ganglion block for improvement of postoperative cerebral blood flow velocity after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial.
Stellate ganglion block (SGB) is a commonly used sympathetic nerve block technique that may have benefits for patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) in the early stage. Cerebral vasospasm (CVS), one of the most common complications of aSAH, is accompanied by an abnormal increase in cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) and neurological dysfunction. In this pilot study the authors sought to determine the feasibility of early SGB for CVS in aSAH patients by observing the incidence of symptomatic CVS. ⋯ This pilot study demonstrated for the first time, to the authors' knowledge, that early SGB is feasible and has the potential to reduce the risk of CVS and improve the prognosis of aSAH. This method may be a new treatment for patients with aSAH that may have more advantages than traditional therapeutic drugs and is worth further study. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT04691271 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
ReviewThe pathophysiology of trigeminal neuralgia: a molecular review.
The goal of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). ⋯ The current literature does not suggest a conclusive disease mechanism for TN in humans. In addition to neurovascular conflict/compression of the trigeminal nerve, recent studies have indicated that TN may be linked to inflammatory and reactive oxygen species signaling as well. Recent genetic studies in patients with TN have yet to be investigated further in animal models.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
Ventriculosinus shunt: a pilot study to investigate new technology to treat hydrocephalus and mimic physiological principles of cerebrospinal fluid drainage.
Devices draining CSF to the intracranial venous sinus for the treatment of hydrocephalus have been tested in the past, and while clinically effective, have not shown efficacy in the long term. The majority of these devices become obstructed within 3 months due to endothelial overgrowth. In this study, the authors investigated a newly developed ventriculosinus (VS) shunt outlet device with the objective of showing it would remain patent for at least 6 months. ⋯ These findings indicate that the outlet device can remain patent and has the capability to mimic physiological drainage by diverting CSF to the intracranial sinus. Additional confirmation of its potential as part of a new VS shunt system and ultimately as a viable alternative for ventriculoperitoneal and ventriculoatrial shunting to reduce complication rates requires further clinical trials.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2023
Microsurgical and fiber tract anatomy of the interthalamic adhesion.
The authors of this study aimed to define the microanatomy of the interthalamic adhesion (ITA) using microfiber dissection, magnetic resonance (MR) tractography, and histological analysis. ⋯ This is the first study to demonstrate fiber tracts of the ITA through fiber dissection and transillumination techniques as well as radiological and histological study. Statistical data were obtained by comparing the morphological group with age and gender groups. The anatomy of this structure, which has been neglected for many years, was reexamined. This study showed that the ITA has fibers connecting different parts of the brain, in contrast to previous studies suggesting that it was a simple massa.