Publications by authors named "Brian M Howard"

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is frequently complicated by permanent shunt-dependent hydrocephalus, but it is difficult to predict which patients are at highest risk.

Objective: This study seeks to identify novel variables associated with shunt dependency after aSAH and to create a predictive algorithm that improves upon existing models.

Methods: Retrospective case control design was used.

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Following recent advances in post-thrombectomy stroke care, the role of neuroinflammation and neuroprotective strategies in mitigating secondary injury has gained prominence. Yet, while neuroprotection and anti-inflammatory agents have re-emerged in clinical trials, their success has been limited. The neuroinflammatory response in cerebral ischemia is robust and multifactorial, complicating therapeutic approaches targeting single pathways.

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Objective: The objective was to evaluate the etiology, natural history, and impact of surgical intervention on outcomes of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients presenting with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods: The authors completed a retrospective review of LVAD patients who presented with ICH at 2 centers between 2013 and 2022. Patients were reviewed for demographic, clinical, and radiographic variables.

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The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device has become a prominent treatment for wide-neck bifurcation intracranial aneurysms since its FDA approval in 2018. However, the impact of anticoagulant therapy on its efficacy and patient outcomes remains underexplored. This study aims to evaluate the effects of postoperative anticoagulant use on aneurysm occlusion, retreatment rates, and functional outcomes following WEB device implantation.

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Background: Classic teaching in neurocritical care is to avoid jugular access for central venous catheterization (CVC) because of a presumed risk of increasing intracranial pressure (ICP). Limited data exist to test this hypothesis. Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) leads to diffuse cerebral edema and often requires external ventricular drains (EVDs), which provide direct ICP measurements.

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Objectives: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a cerebrovascular disorder marked by the progressive steno-occlusion of the bilateral internal carotid arteries and the formation of abnormal collateral vessel networks at the base of the brain. Previous studies have attempted to identify risk factors predictive of postoperative complications to improve patient management. This study aims to identify pretreatment factors associated with post-bypass symptomatic strokes in MMD patients.

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Background: The duration of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a negative predictor of outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS), yet the precise mechanisms are unclear. We investigated whether the placement of large-bore catheters intracranially reduces blood flow to the ischemic penumbra and diminishes the efficacy of MT.

Methods: We investigated the impact of different catheter sizes on flow through the intracranial circulation using an in vitro model.

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Background And Objectives: Multiple preferences exist for embolic materials selection in middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) for chronic subdural hematoma with limited comparative literature data. Herein, we compare different embolic materials.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing MMAE for chronic subdural hematoma at 14 North-American centers (2018-2023) were classified into 3 groups: (a) particles, (b) Onyx, (c) n-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA).

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Background And Objectives: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is characterized by progressive steno-occlusion of the internal carotid arteries, leading to compensatory collateral vessel formation. The optimal surgical approach for MMD remains debated, with bilateral revascularization potentially offering more comprehensive protection but involving more extensive surgery compared to unilateral revascularization. This study aims to compare bilateral revascularization and unilateral revascularization short-term safety profile in the treatment of MMD.

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Background And Objectives: Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs) are rare cerebrovascular complications of infective endocarditis (IE) accounting approximatively for 0.5% to 6.5% of all aneurysms.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare brain disorder that causes narrowing of blood vessels, often accompanied by high blood pressure, which complicates the condition's outcomes; this study compares MMD patients with and without hypertension.
  • - A total of 598 MMD patients were analyzed from multiple institutions, with hypertensive (292) and non-hypertensive (306) groups evaluated for clinical characteristics and outcomes using statistical adjustments to account for differences in their backgrounds.
  • - Results indicated that although hypertensive patients showed higher rates of certain risk factors (like diabetes and smoking) and higher stroke rates before adjustments, post-matching analysis revealed no significant differences in stroke rates or recovery outcomes between the two groups, suggesting effective
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Background: A combination of intravenous (IVT) or intra-arterial (IAT) thrombolysis with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO) has been investigated. However, there is limited data on patients who receive both IVT and IAT compared with IVT alone before MT.

Methods: STAR data from 2013 to 2023 was utilized.

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Purpose: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a rare but life-threatening clinical event for pediatric patients. Cerebral vasospasm is a common complication of SAH that often leads to poor outcomes. This case report describes the use of dual intraventricular (IVT) vasodilators in a pediatric patient.

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Background: With transradial access (TRA) being more progressively used in neuroendovascular procedures, we compared TRA with transfemoral access (TFA) in middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) for chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH).

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing MMAE for cSDH at 14 North American centers (2018-23) were included. TRA and TFA groups were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) controlling for: age, sex, concurrent surgery, previous surgery, hematoma thickness and side, midline shift, and pretreatment antithrombotics.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the outcomes of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for medium vessel occlusions (MeVOs) in different brain areas by analyzing data from an international registry.
  • Researchers analyzed 1,744 cases of isolated MeVOs treated between 2013 and 2022, observing different success rates for occlusions in specific vascular territories.
  • Results showed that A2/A3 occlusions had significantly poorer outcomes in terms of the 90-day modified Rankin score compared to M2 occlusions, while P2/P3 occlusions had lower rates of successful recanalization and increased early neurological deterioration.
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Carotid cavernous fistulae (CCFs) are arteriovenous shunts involving the cavernous sinus. CCFs are defined as direct or indirect. Direct CCFs are treated by deconstructive or reconstructive techniques depending on whether the affected internal carotid artery is required to perfuse the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere, as determined by a balloon test occlusion.

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The conventional intracarotid amobarbital (Wada) test has been used to assess memory function in patients being considered for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) surgery. Minimally invasive approaches that target the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and spare neocortex are increasingly used, but a knowledge gap remains in how to assess memory and language risk from these procedures. We retrospectively compared results of two versions of the Wada test, the intracarotid artery (ICA-Wada) and posterior cerebral artery (PCA-Wada) approaches, with respect to predicting subsequent memory and language outcomes, particularly after stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy (SLAH).

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Article Synopsis
  • Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) is being recognized as an effective treatment for non-acute subdural hematomas (NASHs), but its impact on coagulopathic patients needs further investigation.
  • In a study analyzing 537 patients undergoing MMAE from 2019 to 2023, researchers found that coagulopathy significantly increases the likelihood of needing additional surgical intervention post-treatment.
  • Specifically, patients with coagulopathy required rescue surgery at rates almost three times higher than those without coagulopathy, suggesting that anticoagulant and antiplatelet use may worsen outcomes.
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Background And Objectives: The choice of anesthesia type (general anesthesia [GA] vs nongeneral anesthesia [non-GA]) in middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) procedures for chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH) differs between institutions and left to care team discretion given lack of standard guidelines. We compare the outcomes of GA vs non-GA in MMAE.

Methods: Consecutive patients receiving MMAE for cSDH at 14 North American centers (2018-2023) were included.

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Background: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) remains the standard of care for acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. However, the safety and efficacy of repeat thrombectomy (rEVT) in recurrent LVO remains unclear. This study uses a large real-world patient cohort to study technical and clinical outcomes after rEVT.

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Background: Cavernous malformations (CMs) are clusters of thin-walled sinusoidal vessels without well-defined walls. Though they can occur anywhere in the neuroaxis, cranial nerve (CN) CMs are rare.

Method: We report a 47-year-old male with gradual CN III palsy.

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Background: Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs) are a rare sequel of systemic infection and occur most commonly in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). Despite the increasing use of non-invasive screening angiography in patients with IE, the incidence remains low, yielding limited data on the management of IIAs in pediatric populations. We performed a pooled analysis of all published series of pediatric patients with IIAs to study the disease landscape including presentation, management, and outcomes.

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Background: The safety and efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for the treatment of acute anterior cerebral artery (ACA) occlusions have not clearly been delineated. Outcomes may be impacted based on whether the occlusion is isolated to the ACA (primary ACA occlusion) or occurs in conjunction with other cerebral arteries (secondary).

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the multicenter Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm (STAR) database.

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Article Synopsis
  • Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) is a new treatment for a condition called chronic subdural hematomas (cSDHs), which are injuries inside the brain that can cause problems.
  • This study looked at two groups of patients: one that got only MMAE and another that had MMAE plus surgery to see which treatment worked better.
  • The results showed that both treatments were pretty much equally effective, meaning MMAE alone is a good option for some patients with cSDHs.
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Background: Several studies have established the safety and efficacy of balloon guide catheters (BGCs) for large vessel occlusions. However, the utility of BGCs remains largely unexplored for distal medium vessel occlusions (DMVOs). In this study, we aim to compare the outcomes of BGC vs.

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