Neurosurgery
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Microvascular decompression (MVD) is the surgical treatment of choice for hemifacial spasm (HFS). During MVD, monitoring of the abnormal lateral spread response (LSR), an evoked response to facial nerve stimulation, has been traditionally used to monitor adequacy of cranial nerve (CN) VII decompression. ⋯ Intraoperative LSR monitoring has high specificity but modest sensitivity in predicting the spasm-free status following MVD. Persistence of LSR carries high risk for immediate and long-term facial spasm persistence. Therefore, adequacy of decompression should be thoroughly investigated before closing in cases where intraoperative LSR persists.
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Human brain organoids emerged in 2013 as a technology that, unlike prior in Vitro neural models, recapitulates brain development with a high degree of spatial and temporal fidelity. As the platform matured with more accurate reproduction of cerebral architecture, brain organoids became increasingly valuable for studying both normal cortical neurogenesis and a variety of congenital human brain disorders. While the majority of research utilizing human brain organoids has been in the realm of basic science, clinical applications are forthcoming. ⋯ Moreover, organoids are being explored as a structured neural substrate for repairing brain circuitry. Thus, we believe it is important for our field to be aware and have an accurate understanding of this emerging technology. In this review, we describe the key characteristics of human brain organoids, review their relevant translational applications, and discuss the ethical implications of their use through a neurosurgical lens.
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Multicenter Study
Sustained Long-Term Outcomes With Closed-Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation: 12-Month Results of the Prospective, Multicenter, Open-Label Avalon Study.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) activates the dorsal column fibers using electrical stimuli. Current SCS systems function in fixed-output mode, delivering the same stimulus regardless of spinal cord (SC) activation. ⋯ The majority of patients experienced more than 80% pain relief with stable SC activation, as measured by ECAP amplitude at 12 mo, providing evidence for the long-term effectiveness of the Evoke closed-loop SCS system.
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Case Reports
Case Series: Unilateral Amygdala Ablation Ameliorates Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Biomarkers.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a severe psychobiological disorder associated with hyperactivity of the amygdala, particularly on the right side. Highly selective laser ablation of the amygdalohippocampal complex is an effective neurosurgical treatment for medically refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy that minimizes neurocognitive deficits relative to traditional open surgery. ⋯ These observations support the emerging hypothesis that the right amygdala particularly perpetuates the signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and suggests that focal unilateral amydalohippocampotomy can provide therapeutic benefit.