Acta neurochirurgica. Supplement
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2016
Reduction of Cerebral Edema via an Osmotic Transport Device Improves Functional Outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), the foremost cause of morbidity and mortality in persons under 45 years of age worldwide, leads to about 200,000 victims requiring hospitalization and approximately 52,000 deaths per year in the United States. TBI is characterized by cerebral edema leading to raised intracranial pressure, brain herniation, and subsequent death. Current therapies for TBI treatment are often ineffective, thus novel therapies are needed. ⋯ Animals treated with a craniectomy plus an OTD had significantly better neurological function 2 days after TBI compared with those treated with craniectomy only. This study suggests that an OTD for severe brain swelling may improve patient functional outcome. Future studies include a more comprehensive neurological examination, including long-term memory tests.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2016
The Effect of Gender on Acute Hydrocephalus after Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
Acute hydrocephalus is a common complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We investigated the effect of gender on acute hydrocephalus development in a rat SAH model. SAH was induced in adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats using endovascular perforation. ⋯ The increased hydrocephalus occurred even though SAH severity grade and ventricular T2* hypointensity volumes were not significantly different between male and female animals. Our data demonstrate that gender influences acute hydrocephalus development in a rat SAH model. Future studies should determine the role of estrogen in SAH-induced hydrocephalus.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2016
Results of Clipping Surgery for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Elderly Patients Aged 90 or Older.
The number of elderly patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is increasing. Although advanced age is one of the recognized risk factors for poor outcome, conservative treatment for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage cannot provide satisfactory outcome in elderly patients. The aim of this study is to assess the outcome in patients aged 90 or older, for whom ruptured aneurysms were treated by clipping. ⋯ We propose that advanced age alone does not exclude suitable surgical clipping in patients with aneurysmal rupture in the tenth decade of life.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2016
Identification of an Intracranial Pressure (ICP) Response Function from Continuously Acquired Electroencephalographic and ICP Signals in Burst-Suppressed Patients.
Continuous intracranial pressure (ICP) and electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring are used in the management of patients with brain injury. It is possible that these two signals could be related through neurovascular coupling. To explore this mechanism, we modeled the ICP response to brain activity by treating spontaneous burst activity in burst-suppressed patients as an impulse, and identified the ICP response function (ICPRF) as the subsequent change in ICP. ⋯ The ME of the elevating segments increased at an average rate of 57 mmHg/min, whereas the average ME of the stable segments increased at a rate of 0.05 mmHg/min. These findings demonstrate that deriving an ICPRF from a burst-suppressed patient is a suitable approach for stable segments. To completely model the ICP response to EEG activity, a more robust model should be developed.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2016
Patient-Specific Thresholds and Doses of Intracranial Hypertension in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.
Based on continuous monitoring of the pressure reactivity index (PRx), we defined individualized intracranial pressure (ICP) thresholds by graphing the relationship between ICP and PRx. We hypothesized that an "ICP dose" based on individually assessed ICP thresholds might correlate more closely with 6-month outcome compared with ICP doses derived from the recommended universal thresholds of 20 and 25 mmHg. Data from 327 patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) were analyzed. ⋯ DPRx was found to be the best discriminator of mortality, despite the fact that D20 was twice as large as DPRx. Individualized doses of intracranial hypertension were stronger predictors of mortality than doses derived from the universal thresholds of 20 and 25 mm Hg. The PRx could offer a method of individualizing the ICP threshold.