Neurological research
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Neurological research · Jan 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialAssociation between peridural scar and activity-related pain after lumbar discectomy.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between activity-related pain six months after first surgery for herniated lumbar disc, and the extent of lumbar epidural fibrosis present at the surgical site, assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. The 298 patients who underwent surgery for lumbar disc herniation were studied in a randomized, controlled, double-blind multicenter clinical trial to test the effectiveness of the scar-inhibiting device ADCON-L. Clinical assessments were conducted pre-operatively and at 1, 3, and 6 month intervals post-operatively, and included wound examination, magnetic resonance imaging scar assessment, and the Johns Hopkins activity-related pain questionnaire. ⋯ Repeated measures analysis demonstrated that patients who received treatment with ADCON-L at the time of surgery experienced less activity-related pain through the 12-month assessment (p = 0.05). A significant association between extensive epidural scar and activity-related pain is demonstrated. Patients with less scar had less activity related pain, confirming the finding that the use of the scar inhibitor ADCON-L has a positive effect on surgical outcome.
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Neurological research · Jan 1999
ReviewEpidural fibrosis and the failed back surgery syndrome: history and physical findings.
Patients who present with recurrent symptoms after surgical intervention aimed at correcting their lumbosacral disease pose a therapeutic challenge. A heterogeneous group of factors may underlie symptom recurrence and formulation of a therapeutic strategy depends on an accurate diagnosis of the patient's underlying problem. In this review, the authors discuss the relevant historical and physical findings in patients with epidural fibrosis and the failed back surgery syndrome.
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Neurological research · Dec 1998
Comparative StudyEffects of mild (33 degrees C) and moderate (29 degrees C) hypothermia on cerebral blood flow and metabolism, lactate, and extracellular glutamate in experimental head injury.
The effects of mild (33 degrees C) and moderate (29 degrees C) hypothermia were investigated to determine which temperature was more effective against compression-induced cerebral ischemia. Eighteen cats were anesthetized. The animals were divided into three groups according to deep-brain temperature (control, 37 degrees C; mild hypothermia, 33 degrees C; and moderate hypothermia, 29 degrees C). ⋯ Extracellular glutamate increased in control animals (3.8 +/- 1.72 microM), an effect most effectively suppressed in the mild hypothermia group (1.0 +/- 0.46 microM). Damaged tissue volumes as indicated by Evans blue dye extravasation were 729 +/- 89 mm3 in control, 247 +/- 56 mm3 in mild hypothermia, and 267 +/- 35 mm3 in moderate hypothermia animals. These data suggest that mild hypothermia (33 degrees C) might be the optimal brain temperature to treat compression-related cerebral ischemia.
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Neurological research · Oct 1998
Lower clivus and foramen magnum anterolateral meningiomas: surgical strategy.
Lower clivus and anterolateral foramen magnum meningiomas are rare but challenging tumors. Indeed, all access routes to their intradural anterolateral implantation appear unsafe since highly-functional local structures may not be sacrified or even retracted. Anterior and posterior surgical approaches have specific advantages and limitations. ⋯ They include a transposition of the vertebral artery, a partial occipital condylectomy and even the exposure and the section of the sigmoid sinus. Such posterolateral approaches offer the optimal access to anterolateral foramen magnum meningiomas and allow a total removal with a minimal morbidity. We report the surgical strategy that we applied for the last 6 anterolateral foramen magnum meningiomas in our department.
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Neurological research · Sep 1998
Influence of isoflurane anesthesia on motor evoked potentials elicited by transcortical, brainstem, and spinal root stimulation.
Electrical stimulation over the motor cortex, base of the skull, and cervical spine motor roots was performed in 9 male rats (410 +/- 86 g) before and after induction with isoflurane at 1 MAC concentration. The mean latency and amplitude of descending spinal evoked potential (DSEP) from spinal cord and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from forearm muscles obtained after motor cortex, brainstem, and cervical root stimulations were calculated and compared. The electrical current intensity to elicit the MEPs after cortical, brainstem, and spinal roots stimulation were 23.4 +/- 7.6, 7.0 +/- 3.1, and 1.4 +/- 0.8 mA, respectively. ⋯ The amplitudes were 189 +/- 141, 672 +/- 354, and 765 +/- 389 microV for cortical, brainstem, and cervical root stimulations. The inhalation anesthesia isoflurane at 1 MAC (1.2%) completely abolished the cortical and brainstem MEPs within minutes, while the MEPs elicited by direct stimulation of the cervical spinal roots remained unchanged. Our results indicate synaptic-dependent MEPs elicited at motor cortex or brainstem levels are highly sensitive to isoflurane anesthesia.