Publications by authors named "Conor Gillespie"

Objective: Hyponatremia after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is common, however the incidence, and association with vasospasm, morbidity, and mortality, has yet to be defined. We aimed to identify incidence of hyponatremia after aSAH, and quantify its association with measurable outcomes.

Methods: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted (PROSPERO ID CRD42022363472).

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Posterior fossa extradural hematoma (PFEDH) is rare but has a greater incidence amongst children. It is also associated with a rapid deterioration. The aim of this study was to present the management of PFEDH through our institutional experience and a meta-analysis.

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Article Synopsis
  • A chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH) is an increasingly common condition in older adults, characterized by a collection of fluid and blood in the subdural space, with no existing guidelines for optimal care from symptom onset to recovery.
  • This paper outlines the creation of consensus-based recommendations for the management of cSDH, developed by a multidisciplinary committee that included healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers.
  • The final guideline features 67 recommendations spread across eight themes, addressing key aspects such as diagnosis, surgical procedures, non-operative management, and post-operative care despite a general lack of high-quality evidence in the literature.
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Chronic Subdural Hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common neurosurgical pathologies. Due to an elderly demographic with increasing co-morbidities, surgery is often deferred out of hours. This may reduce complication risk, but increases length of stay and may compromise patient care due to delayed surgery.

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Objective: Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) use is becoming increasingly widespread in neurosurgical practice, and most of the data reporting its use are in adult populations. There is less evidence on the use of iMRI in pediatric neurosurgery. The aim of this paper was to synthesize the available literature into a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the evidence for iMRI in pediatric neurosurgery, with a particular focus on neuro-oncology and epilepsy surgery.

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  • Comprehensive reporting of clinical trial activity is essential, guided by the SPIRIT 2013 and CONSORT 2010 statements, which outline what should be included in protocols and result articles.
  • A review analyzed the reporting quality of 9 trial protocols and 76 trial result articles related to pediatric brain tumors, revealing an average adherence of 76.8% for protocols and around 67-71% for result articles to established reporting standards.
  • The findings suggest a need for improved reporting quality in pediatric neuro-oncology, especially regarding randomization and blinding, echoing similar issues previously identified in adult trials.
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Introduction: Intracranial fungal infections' (IcFIs) varying clinical manifestations lead to difficulties in diagnosis and treatment. African populations are disproportionately affected by the high burden of the disease. There is a lack of clarity as to the diagnostic and treatment modalities employed across the continent.

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  • The Brain Injury Guidelines (BIG) categorize Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) severity, but their ability to predict the need for neurosurgery or radiological changes is unclear due to limited pooled data analysis.
  • A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess BIG's diagnostic accuracy, including studies published between 2000 and October 2022.
  • The findings showed that while BIG is highly sensitive for identifying cases that don't need surgery, it has low specificity for correctly identifying patients who do require surgical intervention.
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Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is increasingly common, particularly in the older and multimorbid population. Surgical proficiency in management is required in the early years of U.K.

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Objective: The objective was to evaluate the long-term outcome of microvascular decompression (MVD) utilizing autologous muscle for trigeminal neuralgia (TGN).

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all first-time MVD patients for typical classic TGN without prior surgical intervention who were treated between 2000 and 2019 at a tertiary supraregional neurosurgery practice. Demographic characteristics, surgical findings, operative results, complications, and recurrence rates at 1 year, 5 years, and last follow-up were collected.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study is a systematic review focusing on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with Primary Spinal Intradural Tumours (PSITs), which are rare but can greatly affect quality of life.
  • It analyzed 11 studies involving 737 patients, mainly assessing results from surgeries, highlighting that patients reported lower quality of life than healthy individuals, with some improvements noted after surgery for extramedullary tumors.
  • The review identified inconsistencies in measuring PROs due to diverse tools used across studies, suggesting a need for standardized measurements and registries for better evaluation of these outcomes in PSIT patients.
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A chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH) is a collection of aged blood between the dura and the brain, typically treated with surgical evacuation. Many patients with CSDH have comorbidities requiring the use of antithrombotic medications. The optimal management of these medications in the context of CSDH remains unknown, as the risk of recurrence must be carefully weighed against the risk of vaso-occlusive events.

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A common neurosurgical condition, chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH) typically affects older people with other underlying health conditions. The care of this potentially vulnerable cohort is often, however, fragmented and suboptimal. In other complex conditions, multidisciplinary guidelines have transformed patient experience and outcomes, but no such framework exists for cSDH.

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Objective: Traditionally, resection of nondominant hemisphere brain tumors was performed under general anesthesia. An improved understanding of right-lateralized neural networks has led to a paradigm shift in recent decades, where the right or nondominant hemisphere is no longer perceived as "functionally silent." There is an increasing interest in awake brain mapping for nondominant hemisphere resections.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study analyzing 39 adult patients with TPGs from 1993 to 2021 found that about 20% experienced tumor progression over a median follow-up of 10 years, with a high overall survival rate of 86.5%.
  • * The study highlights the importance of identifying risk factors for TPG progression and suggests that future research should focus on larger cohorts for more definitive conclusions about long-term outcomes.
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  • The study aimed to explore the link between blood inflammatory markers and seizure occurrence in patients after meningioma surgery.
  • Researchers analyzed blood data from patients who had undergone meningioma resection from 2012 to 2020, excluding those with pre-existing inflammatory conditions or complications.
  • Findings revealed that patients with new seizures post-surgery had higher white cell counts, and a specific blood marker (dNLR) was notably predictive of seizure occurrence one year after surgery.
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The social and economic constructs of the United Kingdom (UK) provide a fertile food environment for the dramatic expansion in the ultra-processed food (UPF) market, driving increased UPF consumption. This has coincided with the significant increase in the incidence and prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, with an inherent impact on morbidity and mortality. Our review aims to assess the current epidemiological and public health trends in the United Kingdom, specifically examining consumption of UPFs and subsequent development of NCDs, summarizing existing meta-analytical and experimental approaches.

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Study Design: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Identify the incidence, mechanism of injury, investigations, management, and outcomes of Vertebral Artery Injury (VAI) after cervical spine trauma.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO-ID CRD42021295265).

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Article Synopsis
  • * Recent research is focusing on the molecular biology of meningiomas, using various profiling techniques to improve how these tumors are understood and predicted in terms of prognosis.
  • * While detailed molecular analysis of tumors is not yet routine in clinical practice, its increasing availability may lead to better treatment options and overall patient care in the future.
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Purpose: Benign Epilepsy with Centro-Temporal Spikes (BECTS) is a pediatric epilepsy with typically good seizure control. Although BECTS may increase patients' risk of developing neurological comorbidities, their clinical care and short-term outcomes are poorly quantified.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed adherence to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines relating to specialist referral, electroencephalogram (EEG) conduct and annual review in the care of patients with BECTS, and measured their seizure, neurodevelopmental and learning outcomes at three years post-diagnosis.

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Background And Aims: Poor cardiometabolic health is associated with dementia. Considering previous meta-analyses have confirmed associations between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and cardiometabolic disease, we were interested in the contribution of UPF consumption to the risk of developing dementia.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all records registered on Ovid Medline and Web of Science from inception until December 2022 [PROSPERO (CRD42023388363)].

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Background: Central nervous system (CNS) tuberculomas are rare and account for approximately 1% of all tuberculosis (TB) cases. These intracranial lesions are more commonly observed in immunocompromised individuals, often as part of disseminated miliary TB or after latent infection reactivation. This case report presents the occurrence of a thalamic tuberculoma in an immunocompetent girl.

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Background: Current guidelines set clinical standards for the management of suspected first seizures and epilepsy. We aimed to assess if these standards are being met across first seizure clinics nationally, to describe variations in care and identify opportunities for service delivery improvement.

Methods: Multicentre audit assessing the care of adults (≥16 years) referred to first seizure clinics from 31st December 2019 going backwards (30 consecutive patients per centre).

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