Cutting Through History: The Evolution of Glioblastoma Surgery.

Despite significant advancements in neuro-oncology, management of glioblastoma remains a formidable challenge. Over the last century, the role and goals of surgery for patients with glioblastoma have evolved dramatically, with surgical intervention maintaining a central role in patient care. To understand the future role of surgery in the management of glioblastoma, we must review and appreciate the historical journey that has led us to this juncture.

Advances in imaging modalities for spinal tumors.

The spinal cord occupies a narrow region and is tightly surrounded by osseous and ligamentous structures; spinal tumors can damage this structure and deprive patients of their ability to independently perform activities of daily living. Hence, imaging is vital for the prompt detection and accurate diagnosis of spinal tumors, as well as determining the optimal treatment and follow-up plan. However, many clinicians may not be familiar with the imaging characteristics of spinal tumors due to their rarity.

Imaging protocols for non-traumatic spinal cord injury: current state of the art and future directions.

Introduction: Non-traumatic spinal cord injury (NTSCI) is a term used to describe damage to the spinal cord from sources other than trauma. Neuroimaging techniques such as computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have improved our ability to diagnose and manage NTSCIs. Several practice guidelines utilize MRI in the diagnostic evaluation of traumatic and non-traumatic SCI to direct surgical intervention.

Severity of in vivo corticospinal tract degeneration is associated with survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a longitudinal, multicohort study.

Background And Purpose: This study sought to evaluate the relationship of progressive corticospinal tract (CST) degeneration with survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: Forty-one ALS patients and 42 healthy controls were prospectively recruited from the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium. Magnetic resonance imaging scanning and clinical evaluations were performed on participants at three serial visits with 4-month intervals.

Distinct patterns of progressive gray and white matter degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Progressive cerebral degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains poorly understood. Here, three-dimensional (3D) texture analysis was used to study longitudinal gray and white matter cerebral degeneration in ALS from routine T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Participants were included from the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium (CALSNIC) who underwent up to three clinical assessments and MRI at four-month intervals, up to 8 months after baseline (T ).

Comparison of Prognostic Scoring Systems to Predict Durable Pain Relief After Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Background: Microvascular decompression (MVD) is an effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia, but pain recurs in a substantial minority of patients. Two recently published scoring systems by Hardaway et al. and Panczykowski et al.

Progressive Neurochemical Abnormalities in Cognitive and Motor Subgroups of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Prospective Multicenter Study.

Objective: To evaluate progressive cerebral degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by assessing alterations in -acetylaspartate (NAA) ratios in the motor and prefrontal cortex within clinical subgroups of ALS.

Methods: Seventy-six patients with ALS and 59 healthy controls were enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal, multicenter study in the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium. Participants underwent serial clinical evaluations and magnetic resonance spectroscopy at baseline and 4 and 8 months using a harmonized protocol across 5 centers.

Magnetic resonance imaging analysis of human skull diploic venous anatomy.

Background: The skull diploic venous space (DVS) represents a potential route for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion and absorption in the treatment of hydrocephalus. The goal of this study was to carry out a detailed characterization of the drainage pattern of the DVS of the skull using high-resolution MRI, especially the diploic veins draining to the lacunae laterales (LLs) since the LLs constitute an important channel for the CSF to access the superior sagittal sinus and subsequently the systemic circulation. The objective was to identify those skull regions optimally suited for an intraosseous CSF diversion system.

MRI Texture Analysis Reveals Brain Abnormalities in Medically Refractory Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Several neuroimaging studies report structural alterations of the trigeminal nerve in trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Less attention has been paid to structural brain changes occurring in TN, even though such changes can influence the development and response to treatment of other headache and chronic pain conditions. The purpose of this study was to apply a novel neuroimaging technique-texture analysis-to identify structural brain differences between classical TN patients and healthy subjects.

Neuroanatomical associations of the Edinburgh cognitive and Behavioural ALS screen (ECAS).

Cognitive impairment is now recognized in a subset of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The objective of the study was to identify group differences and neuroanatomical correlates of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS) in participants ALS. Fifty-three ALS patients and 43 healthy controls recruited as a part of our multicentre study (CALSNIC) were administered the ECAS and underwent an MRI scan.

A prospective harmonized multicenter DTI study of cerebral white matter degeneration in ALS.

Objective: To evaluate progressive white matter (WM) degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: Sixty-six patients with ALS and 43 healthy controls were enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal, multicenter study in the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium (CALSNIC). Participants underwent a harmonized neuroimaging protocol across 4 centers that included diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for assessment of WM integrity.

The effects of body mass index on outcomes for patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement.

Background: Most of the studies of obesity and postoperative outcome have looked predominantly at coronary artery bypass grafting with fewer focused on valvular disease. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement stratified by body mass index (BMI, kg/m^2).

Methods: The Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart Disease registry captured 4780 aortic valve replacements in Alberta, Canada from January 2004 to December 2018.

Reliability of 3D texture analysis: A multicenter MRI study of the brain.

Background: Texture analysis (TA) is an image-analysis technique that detects complex intervoxel statistical patterns. 3D TA has shown potential in detecting cerebral degeneration not perceptible to the human eye in many neurological disorders. The reliability of this method's application in a multicenter study is unknown.

Quantifying changes on susceptibility weighted images in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using MRI texture analysis.

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) has been used to identify neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through qualitative gross visual comparison of signal intensity. The aim of this study was to quantitatively identify cerebral degeneration in ALS on SWI using texture analysis. SW images were acquired from 17 ALS patients (58.

Argyrophilic grain disease: a clinicopathological review of an overlooked tauopathy.

Argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) is a sporadic tauopathy and actually the second most frequent cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. Patients can present with slowly progressive cognitive decline as well as psychiatric manifestations such as depression. Definite diagnosis of AGD can only be made by post-mortem examination of the brain.

Alzheimer's disease: 3-Dimensional MRI texture for prediction of conversion from mild cognitive impairment.

Introduction: Currently, there are no tools that can accurately predict which patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) will progress to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Texture analysis uses image processing and statistical methods to identify patterns in voxel intensities that cannot be appreciated by visual inspection. Our main objective was to determine whether MRI texture could be used to predict conversion of MCI to AD.

Evaluating the cerebral correlates of survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate cerebral degenerative changes in ALS and their correlates with survival using 3D texture analysis.

Methods: A total of 157 participants were included in this analysis from four neuroimaging studies. Voxel-wise texture analysis on T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance images (MRIs) was conducted between patients and controls.

Corticospinal tract degeneration in ALS unmasked in T1-weighted images using texture analysis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether textures computed from T1-weighted (T1W) images of the corticospinal tract (CST) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are associated with degenerative changes evaluated by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Nineteen patients with ALS and 14 controls were prospectively recruited and underwent T1W and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Three-dimensional texture maps were computed from T1W images and correlated with the DTI metrics within the CST.

Scientific overview on CSCI-CITAC Annual General Meeting and 2017 Young Investigators' Forum.

The 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Society of Clinician Investigators (CSCI) and Clinician Investigator Trainee Association of Canada/Association des Cliniciens-Chercheurs en Formation du Canada (CITAC/ACCFC) was a national Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Toronto, Ontario November 20-22, 2017, in conjunction with the University of Toronto Clinician Investigator Program Research Day. The theme for this year's meeting was "Roll up your sleeves-How to manage your physician scientist career", emphasizing lectures and workshops that were designed to provide tools for being proactive and successful in career planning. The keynote speakers were Dr.

Training the next generation of Canadian Clinician-Scientists: charting a path to success.

Clinician-scientists are physicians with training in both clinical medicine and research that enables them to occupy a unique niche as specialists in basic and translational biomedical research. While there is widespread acknowledgement of the importance of clinician-scientists in today's landscape of evidence-based medical practice, training of clinician-scientists in Canada has been on the decline, with fewer opportunities to obtain funding. With the increasing length of training and lower financial compensation, fewer medical graduates are choosing to pursue such a career.