Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery
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Reactive gliosis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of communicating hydrocephalus. Because the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is considered as a significant factor to contribute to brain development, neurodegenerative process, and reactive gliosis, we target this pathway for intervention by using sFRP-l and investigated the expression of β-catenin, cyclin D-1, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the brain of experimental hydrocephalic rats in terms of protein and gene expression. ⋯ These results suggest that regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may provide new therapeutic methods for hydrocephalic patients.
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Cerebrospinal fluid shunt failure is related to additional morbidity. Misplacement of ventricular catheters occurs in 40 % with freehand technique and is a risk factor for shunt failure. The goal of this study was to analyze the impact of intraoperative real-time ultrasound on catheter positioning and outcome in children. ⋯ This analysis demonstrated an improvement of catheter positioning with ultrasound guidance. In the absence of additional burden or risks, this method should be favored over freehand technique. It remains to be demonstrated in a randomized controlled fashion to what extent improved catheter position translates into improved outcome.
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Previous studies aimed at identifying predictors of seizure outcomes following resective surgery for tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are limited by multicollinearity among predictors, whereby the high degree of correlation between covariates precludes detection of potentially significant findings. ⋯ Using a data-driven, multivariate method, PLS, we describe patient phenotypes that are associated with seizure-freedom following resective surgery for TSC.