World Neurosurg
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To investigate the involvement of the visual cortex in improving freezing of gait (FoG) after subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients using whole-brain seed-based functional connectivity. ⋯ This study suggested that DBS in the rostral region of the STN sensorimotor subregion may alleviate FoG by strengthening functional connectivity in primary visual areas, which has significant implications for guiding surgical strategies for FoG in the future.
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The process surrounding application to the national residency matching program changed drastically because of COVID. Virtual interviews, pre-interview Zoom socials, and limitations on sub-internships are major changes that applicants worldwide have had to overcome. The available literature does not reflect the impact of major changes to the interview process. Here, we examine the neurosurgery resident cohort from 2021-2023 to investigate differences between United States medical schools pre- and post-COVID. ⋯ With the data provided, there have not been many significant changes in which medical schools produce the most neurosurgery residents since COVID changes were implemented. The playing field has remained relatively stable in the setting of major changes.
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Vertebral artery (VA) injury poses a significant risk in cervical spine surgery, necessitating accurate preoperative assessment. This study aims to introduce and validate a novel approach that combines the Fast field echo that resembles a computed tomography using restricted echo spacing (FRACTURE) sequence with Time of Flight (TOF) Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) for comprehensive evaluation of VA courses in the cervical spine. ⋯ The integration of the FRACTURE sequence and TOF MRA presents a promising methodology for the precise evaluation of VA courses in the cervical spine. This approach improves preoperative planning for cervical spine surgery with detailed anatomy and is a valuable alternative to conventional methods without contrast agents.
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To identify high-risk patients for delayed postoperative hyponatremia (DPH) early, we constructed a simple and effective scoring system. ⋯ This scoring system for predicting DPH has an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.856 (95% CI, 0.787-0.925), indicating moderate to good predictive value for DPH in our cohort, but further prospective external validation is needed.
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The aim of this study is to investigate long-term prognostic factors and clinical outcomes in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) treated with ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VPS). ⋯ Long-term outcomes of iNPH patients treated with VPS surgery do not appear to be directly influenced by preoperative comorbidities, age, or responses to CSF samplings. Alterations in preoperative brain MRI CSF dynamics were found to be related to long-term outcomes following VPS surgery, highlighting the role of radiological assessment as a prognostic factor in patients deemed suitable candidates for VPS surgery.