Publications by authors named "A J Belzberg"

Purpose: This study aims to explore demographic disparities, regional and institutional variations, surgical timing, narcotic use, and management trends in neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) patients due to limited published literature.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database of NBPP patients who underwent surgery within the first 2 years of life. Patients were stratified into two groups based on age at surgery: ≤ 8 months and > 8 months.

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Article Synopsis
  • Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) pose a significant risk to patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), with current treatments failing to improve outcomes, highlighting the need for new therapies that target the tumor's immune environment.
  • Researchers examined the immune microenvironment in NF1-associated tumors, using various techniques to analyze how immune cells infiltrate and respond to these tumors.
  • Results showed that malignant progression involved increased infiltration of specific immune cells, particularly tumor-associated macrophages, linked to worse patient outcomes, indicating a potential for therapies that can enhance anti-tumor immune responses.
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Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries (PNI), present with symptoms ranging from pain to loss of motor and sensory function. Difficulties in intraoperative visual assessment of nerve functional status necessitate intraoperative nerve conduction studies (INCSs) by neurosurgeons and neurologists to determine the presence of functioning axons in the zone of a PNI. This process, also referred to as nerve "inching", uses a set of stimulating and recording electrode hooks to lift the injured nerve from the surrounding surgical field and to determine whether an electrical stimulus can travel through the zone of injury.

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Purpose: Restoration of pinch and grasp is a chief concern of patients with cervical spinal cord injury or peripheral nerve injury involving the anterior interosseous nerve (AIN). We hypothesize that supinator nerve-to-AIN (Sup-AIN) nerve transfer is a viable option for AIN neurotization.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who received Sup-AIN.

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Spasticity is a potentially debilitating symptom of various acquired and congenital neurologic pathologies that, without adequate treatment, may lead to long-term disability, compromise functional independence, and negatively impact mental health. Several conservative as well as non-nerve targeted surgical strategies have been developed for the treatment of spasticity, but these may be associated with significant drawbacks, such as adverse side effects to medication, device dependence on intrathecal baclofen pumps, and inadequate relief with tendon-based procedures. In these circumstances, patients may benefit from nerve-targeted surgical interventions such as (i) selective dorsal rhizotomy, (ii) hyperselective neurectomy, and (iii) nerve transfer.

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