World Neurosurg
-
Laser-assisted spinal endoscopy (LASE) kit has been used for percutaneous intradiscal decompression to evaporate and shrink the posterior and central nucleus for improvement of leg and radicular pain due to contained disc herniation. Percutaneous endoscopic laser annuloplasty (PELA), a new minimally invasive technique, uses LASE to directly coagulate the inflamed disc granulation tissue associated with annular tears. The small diameter of the endoscope including Ho:YAG laser, irrigation, and light, plus the extreme posterolateral approach into the posterior annulus, enables one to minimize damage to normal nuclear tissue. The authors sought to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of PELA for controlling discogenic low back pain (DLBP) due to abnormal disc tissues, new vessels, and nerves in the central torn posterior annulus. ⋯ Percutaneous endoscopic laser annuloplasty using the Ho:YAG laser provides favorable outcomes for carefully selected groups of patients with DLBP.
-
Many Virtual Environments require walking interfaces to explore virtual worlds much larger than available real-world tracked space. We present a model for generating virtual locomotion speeds from Walking-In-Place (WIP) inputs based on walking biomechanics. ⋯ We compared resulting speeds from Real Walking, GUD WIP, and LLCM-WIP via user study: The average output speeds for Real Walking and GUD WIP respond consistently with changing step frequency - LLCM-WIP is far less consistent. GUD WIP produces output speeds that are more locally consistent (smooth) and step-frequency-to-walk-speed consistent than LLCM-WIP.
-
A community-based study was conducted to evaluate the factors related to the size of ruptured aneurysms and the effects of aneurysm size on clinical features. ⋯ Age, cigarette smoking, multiple aneurysms, and aneurysm site appear to be related to the size of ruptured aneurysms. Patients with larger aneurysms seem to have a worse clinical condition and more severe SAH, resulting in higher incidences of rebleeding, symptomatic vasospasm and hydrocephalus, and a worse outcome.
-
This chapter examines brain mechanisms of reward utility operating at particular decision moments in life-moments such as when one encounters an image, sound, scent, or other cue associated in the past with a particular reward or perhaps just when one vividly imagines that cue. Such a cue can often trigger a sudden motivational urge to pursue its reward and sometimes a decision to do so. ⋯ Sudden peaks of intensity of incentive salience, caused by neurobiological mechanisms, can elevate the decision utility of a particular reward at the moment its cue occurs. An understanding of what happens at such moments leads to a better understanding of the mechanisms at work in decision making in general.