Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery
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Comparative Study
A comparison of the effects of desflurane versus propofol on transcranial motor-evoked potentials in pediatric patients.
The aim was to compare the effects of propofol and desflurane anesthesia on transcranial motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from pediatric patients undergoing surgery for spinal deformities. ⋯ MEPs with good amplitudes were obtained under desflurane only anesthesia that were comparable to propofol only anesthesia in pediatric patients during surgery for spinal deformities. There was no evidence for anesthetic fade over the time period examined. When used by itself, desflurane can be considered a viable alternative to propofol anesthesia.
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To delineate microstructural changes in transected white matter tracts after corpus callosotomy in relation to seizure recurrence using tract-based spatial statistics of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI-TBSS). ⋯ Using DTI-TBSS analysis, we characterized and visualized microstructural white matter changes over time in relation to seizure recurrence in callosotomy patients, suggesting that reorganization of some transected white matter tracts may be related to seizure recurrence. DTI-TBSS analysis can provide reliable and useful information about the state of white matter bundles affected by corpus callosotomy in a noninvasive manner.
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Several surgical training simulators have been created to improve the learning curve of residents in neurosurgery and plastic surgery. Laboratory training is fundamental for acquiring familiarity with the techniques of surgery and the skill in handling instruments. The aim of this study is to present a novel simulator for training in the technique of craniosynostectomy, specifically for the scaphocephaly type. ⋯ The authors conclude that this training model can represent a fairly useful method to accustom trainees to the required surgical techniques and simulates well the steps of standard surgery for scaphocephaly. This training provides an alternative to the use of human cadavers and animal models. Furthermore, it can represent the anatomical alteration precisely as well as intraoperative emergency situations.