Mapping of Capsular Side Effects by using Intraoperative Motor-Evoked Potentials during Asleep Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery of the Subthalamic Nucleus for Parkinson's Disease.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to present a novel technique for subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) implantation under general anesthesia by using intraoperative motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) through direct lead stimulation and determining their correlation to the thresholds of postoperative stimulation-induced side effects.

Methods: This study included 22 consecutive patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who underwent surgery in our institution between January 2021 and September 2023. All patients underwent bilateral implantation in the STN (44 leads) under general anesthesia without microelectrode recordings (MERs) by using MEPs with electrostimulation directly through the DBS lead.

Plaque characteristics of asymptomatic carotid stenosis and risk of stroke.

Background: The optimal treatment of asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS) is controversial. To optimize the risk-benefit ratio of carotid artery revascularization, it is crucial to identify ACS patients who are at increased stroke risk. Recent data suggest that plaque vulnerability depends on its composition.

Diffusion-weighted MRI helps predict outcome in basilar artery occlusion patients treated with intra-arterial thrombolysis.

Background: Intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT) can improve clinical outcome in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the severity of neurological symptoms, the extent of early ischemic damage on pretreatment diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), and the lesion progression or regression on post-treatment MRI can predict functional outcome in patients with BAO treated with IAT.

Methods: Thirty-six BAO patients (13 women, 23 men; mean age 60 years) treated with IAT within 12 h of symptom onset were studied.

Posterior versus anterior circulation strokes: comparison of clinical, radiological and outcome characteristics.

Background And Purpose: Physicians treating patients with posterior circulation strokes (PCS) tended to debate more on whether or not to introduce anticoagulation rather than performing investigations to identify stroke aetiology, as in patients with anterior circulation strokes (ACS). Recent findings suggest that stroke aetiologies of PCS and ACS are more alike than dissimilar, suggesting that PCS deserve the same investigations as ACS. The characteristics and current diagnostic evaluation between patients with PCS and ACS were compared.

Long-term outcome of symptomatic severe ostial vertebral artery stenosis (OVAS).

Introduction: The optimal management of patients with symptomatic severe ostial vertebral artery stenosis (OVAS) is currently unclear. We analyzed the long-term outcome of consecutive patients with OVAS who received either medical treatment (MT) or vertebral artery stenting (VAS).

Methods: Thirty-nine (>70%) patients with severe OVAS were followed for a mean period of 2.

Predictors of early mortality after acute ischaemic stroke.

Background: The study set out to identify clinical, laboratory and radiological predictors of early mortality after an acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) and to analyse medical and neurological complications that caused death.

Methods: A total of 479 consecutive patients (mean age 63+/-14 years) with AIS underwent stroke examination and treatment. Examination included clinical evaluation, laboratory tests, and brain CT and/or MRI.