Background: Understanding and teaching the three-dimensional architecture of the brain remains difficult because of the intricate arrangement of grey nuclei within white matter tracts. Although cortical area functions have been well studied, educational and three-dimensional descriptions of the organization of deep nuclei and white matter tracts are still missing.
Objective: We propose herein a detailed step-by-step dissection of the lateral aspect of a left hemisphere using the Klingler method and provide high-quality stereoscopic views with the aim to help teach medical students or surgeons the three-dimensional anatomy of the brain.
While high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) is now included in the armamentarium to treat chronic neuropathic pain (NP), direct-current anodal stimulation (a-tDCS) to the same cortical targets may represent a valuable alternative in terms of feasibility and cost. Here we performed a head-to-head, randomized, single-blinded, cross-over comparison of HF-rTMS versus a-tDCS over the motor cortex in 56 patients with drug-resistant NP, who received 5 daily sessions of each procedure, with a washout of at least 4 weeks. Daily scores of pain, sleep, and fatigue were obtained during 5 consecutive weeks, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to a motor task was performed in a subgroup of 31 patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The aim of this paper was to identify and characterize all the segmental radiculomedullary arteries (RMAs) that supply the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord.
Methods: All RMAs from T4 to L5 were studied systematically in 25 cadaveric specimens. The RMA with the greatest diameter in each specimen was termed the artery of Adamkiewicz (AKA).
In this one-year prospective study, Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with or without mania following STN-DBS were compared to investigate risk and etiological factors, clinical management and consequences. Eighteen (16.2%) out of 111 consecutive PD patients developed mania, of whom 17 were males.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOper Neurosurg (Hagerstown)
January 2022
Background: The anatomy of both the skull and the brain offers many landmarks that could lead surgery. Cranial "craniometric" key points were described many years ago, and then, cerebral key points-along sulci and gyri-were detailed more recently for microneurosurgical approaches that can reach deep structures while sparing the brain. Nonetheless, this anatomic knowledge is progressively competed by new digital devices, such as imaging guidance systems, although they can be misleading.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Several surgical methods are used for deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to compare clinical outcomes and electrode placement accuracy after robot-assisted (RAS) versus frame-based stereotactic (FSS) STN DBS in Parkinson's disease.
Methods: In this single-center open-label study, we prospectively collected data from 48 consecutive PD patients who underwent RAS (Neuromate®; n = 20) or FSS (n = 28) STN DBS with the same MRI-based STN targeting between October 2016 and December 2018 in the university neurological hospital of Lyon, France.
Background: Recent studies have highlighted multicolumn spinal cord stimulation (SCS) efficacy, hypothesizing that optimized spatial neural targeting provided by new-generation SCS lead design or its multicolumn programming abilities could represent an opportunity to better address chronic back pain (BP).
Objective: To compare multicolumn vs. monocolumn programming on clinical outcomes of refractory postoperative chronic BP patients implanted with SCS using multicolumn surgical lead.
Purpose: The anatomy of both the brain and the skull is particularly difficult to learn and to teach. Since their anatomical structures are numerous and gathered in a complex tridimensional (3D) architecture, classic schematical drawing or photography in two dimensions (2D) has difficulties in providing a clear, simple, and accurate message. Advances in photography and computer sciences have led to develop stereoscopic 3D visualization, firstly for entertainment then for education.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The intradural filum terminale (iFT) connects the conus medullaris (CM) with the dural sac (DS), and the extradural filum terminale (eFT) connects the DS to the coccyx. The aim of the present study was to update the description of the FT and integrate these data in a physiological and pathological context.
Methods: Anatomical measurements and histological investigations were performed on 10 human cadavers.
Skull base architecture is tough to understand because of its 3D complex shape and its numerous foramen, reliefs or joints. It is especially true for the sphenoid bone whom central location hinged with most of skull base components is unique. Recently, technological progress has led to develop new pedagogical tools.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere are numerous injection materials for the study of vasculature in anatomical specimens, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. Latex and resins are the most widely used injection materials but need several days to set. The development of new materials taking shorter time to polymerize might be very useful to improve anatomic specimen study conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Since the petroclival region is deep-seated with close neurovascular relationships, the removal of petroclival tumors still represents a fascinating surgical challenge. Although the classical anterior petrosectomy (AP) offers a meaningful access to this petroclival region, the expanded endoscopic endonasal approach (EEEA) recently leads to overcome difficulties from trans-cranial approaches. Herein, we present an anatomic comparison of AP versus EEEA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Petroclival tumors remain a surgical challenge. Classically, the retrosigmoid approach (RSA) has long been used to reach such tumors, whereas the anterior petrosectomy (AP) has been proposed to avoid crossing cranial nerves. More recently, the endoscopic endonasal approach has been "expanded" (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany benign and malignant tumors as well as other inflammatory or vascular diseases may be located in the areas of Meckel's cave or the cavernous sinus. Except for typical features such as for meningiomas, imaging may not by itself be sufficient to choose the best therapeutic option. Thus, even though modern therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or radiosurgery) dramatically reduces the field of surgery in this challenging location, there is still some place for surgical biopsy or tumor removal in selected cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: For intramedullary tumor (IMT) surgery, a balance has to be found between aggressively resecting the tumor and respecting all the sensory and motor pathways. The most common surgical approach is through the dorsal median sulcus (DMS) of the spinal cord. However, the precise organization of the meningeal sheats in the DMS remains obscure in the otherwise well-described anatomy of the spinal cord.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Subjective tinnitus is considered a phantom auditory phenomenon. Recent studies show that electrical or magnetic stimulation of the cortex can alleviate some tinnitus. The usual target of the stimulation is the primary auditory cortex (PAC) on Heschl's gyrus (HG).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to evaluate gross and microscopic anatomical features of the vestibulocochlear nerve or eighth cranial nerve (CNVIII) from fresh cadavers, especially the nerve's central myelin portion (CMP) and transitional zone (TZ), and to consider any pathological implications.
Methods: Six fresh cadavers were used to examine the CNVIII. Its cisternal length from brainstem to internal auditory meatus was measured.
Background: Different surgical approaches have been described in the past to treat a trapped fourth ventricle (TFV) but, unfortunately, these techniques showed a high rate of dysfunction and complications. During the last 10 years the development of neuroendoscopy has dramatically changed the outcome of these patients.
Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective evaluation of the safety, effectiveness, and long-term outcome of endoscopic aqueductoplasty and stent placement, performed in 18 consecutive patients with symptomatic TFV through a trans-fourth ventricle approach between 1994 and 2010.
Objective: To report an in vivo anatomic evaluation of prevertebral vessels in the lumbar spine using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) angiography and to develop the concept of vascular window for surgical access to L4-5 and L5-S1 disks.
Methods: In 146 patients who were scheduled for anterior lumbar spine surgery, 3D CT angiography was performed preoperatively. Spinal disorders included degenerative disk disease (n = 120) and low-grade spondylolisthesis (n = 26).
Acta Neurochir (Wien)
December 2011
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomy of the central myelin portion and the central myelin-peripheral myelin transitional zone of the trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves from fresh cadavers. The aim was also to investigate the relationship between the length and volume of the central myelin portion of these nerves with the incidences of the corresponding cranial dysfunctional syndromes caused by their compression to provide some more insights for a better understanding of mechanisms.
Methods: The trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves from six fresh cadavers were examined.
The Chiari I malformation represents a complex disease and its pathophysiology is not completely understood and consequently different surgical procedures have been proposed in the literature. The use of MRI have increased the diagnosis of Chiari I malformation but generally the Chiari I is characterized by the herniation of tonsils at 5 mm below the plane of the occipital hole. The consequent disturbance of the CSF circulation at the level of the cranio-vertebral junction favors the occurrence of the syrinx between 20 and 70% of cases in pediatric series.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObject: The authors share their experience of the treatment of arachnoid cysts with endoscopic fenestration and cystoperitoneal shunt placement during the same operation. The importance of this strategy is related to the fact that the shunt can induce the collapse of the cyst and that the endoscopic fenestration could make it possible to remove the shunt, avoiding the phenomenon of shunt dependence.
Methods: Between 1996 and 2005, 35 patients with an arachnoid cyst were treated using endoscopic fenestration and placement of a programmable shunt.
Objectives: Patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) expressed frequent memory complaints leading to consultations in memory clinics. The 5-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of people with memory complaints.
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