Microcatheters with extra-long detachable tip: A promising treatment option in dural arteriovenous fistulas.

Purpose: Treating cerebral dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) by transarterial embolization is an established endovascular approach but no data exist regarding the utility of using the newly introduced microcatheters with extra-long detachable tip. Aim of our study was to evaluate the value of these microcatheters and, additionally, of combining them with the simplified pressure cooker technique.

Methods: Twenty-nine patients treated for dAVF with transarterial embolization were enrolled.

What is the hemodynamic effect of the Woven EndoBridge? An in vivo quantification using time-density curve analysis.

Purpose: Using the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) for aneurysm treatment has emerged as endovascular approach aiming for flow disruption in aneurysm sac. Since quantifiable data confirming the hemodynamic effect are lacking, we investigated in vivo aneurysmal flow alterations using time-density curve (TDC) analysis. Additionally, we evaluated whether flow parameters could be identified as independent factor to predict aneurysm occlusion.

High-resolution diffusion tensor-imaging indicates asymmetric microstructural disorganization within substantia nigra in early Parkinson's disease.

Background And Purpose: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterised by neuropathological degenerative changes in the substantia nigra (SN). Our study aimed to evaluate whether high-resolution diffusion tensor-imaging (DTI) can detect anatomical biomarkers in early-stage PD, and has the potential to visualize asymmetry effects comparable to the 123I-FP-CIT SPECT (DaTSCAN).

Methods: Ten early-stage PD patients with mild disease severity and ten age- and gender-matched healthy controls were examined with a high-resolution DTI protocol at a 3 Tesla MRI scanner to assess fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the ventral, middle and dorsal region of SN.

Ultra-early Detection of Microcirculatory Injury as Predictor of Developing Delayed Cerebral Ischemia After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Purpose: Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) still remains a major complication after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of our study was to evaluate whether flow analysis of admission digital subtraction angiography (DSA) using parametric color coding (PCC), a postprocessing algorithm, allows ultra-early identification of SAH patients at risk for developing subsequent symptomatic vasospasm.

Methods: In this study 52 patients who suffered SAH from aneurysm rupture, were retrospectively enrolled.

Optimized Flat-Detector CT in Stroke Imaging: Ready for First-Line Use?

Background: Using flat-detector CT (FD-CT) for stroke imaging has the advantage that both diagnostic imaging and endovascular therapy can be performed directly within the Angio Suite without any patient transfer and time delay. Thus, stroke management could be speeded up significantly, and patient outcome might be improved. But as precondition for using FD-CT as primary imaging modality, a reliable exclusion of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) has to be possible.

[Neurological diseases after lightning strike : Lightning strikes twice].

Lightning strikes rarely occur but 85 % of patients have lightning-related neurological complications. This report provides an overview about different modes of energy transfer and neurological conditions related to lightning strikes. Moreover, two case reports demonstrate the importance of interdisciplinary treatment and the spectrum of neurological complications after lightning strikes.

Real-Time, In Vivo Monitoring, and Quantitative Assessment of Intra-Arterial Vasospasm Therapy.

Background: Our study aimed to evaluate whether the effect of an intra-arterial vasospasm therapy can be assessed quantitatively by in vivo blood flow analysis using the postprocessing algorithm parametric color coding (PCC).

Methods: We evaluated 17 patients presenting with acute clinical deterioration due to vasospasm following subarachnoidal hemorrhage treated with intra-arterial nimodipine application. Pre- and post-interventional DSA series were post-processed by PCC.

Flow-diverting stents allow efficient treatment of unruptured, intradural dissecting aneurysms of the vertebral artery: An explanatory approach using in vivo flow analysis.

Object: Our study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of flow-diverting stents (FDS) in treating unruptured, intradural dissecting aneurysms of the vertebral artery (VADAs). Additionally, the effect of FDS on the aneurysmal flow pattern was investigated by performing in vivo flow analysis using parametric color coding (PCC).

Methods: We evaluated 11 patients with unruptured, intradural VADAs, treated with FDS.

Cerebral aneurysm treatment using flow-diverting stents: in-vivo visualization of flow alterations by parametric colour coding to predict aneurysmal occlusion: preliminary results.

Objectives: After deployment of flow-diverting stents (FDS), complete aneurysm occlusion is not predictable. This study investigated whether parametric colour coding (PCC) could allow in vivo visualization of flow alterations induced by FDS and identify favourable or adverse flow modulations.

Methods: Thirty-six patients treated by FDS were analyzed.

Contrast-enhanced angiographic computed tomography for detection of aneurysm remnants after clipping: a comparison with digital subtraction angiography in 112 clipped aneurysms.

Background: For preclusion of remnants after aneurysm clipping, a reliable, noninvasive imaging technique is desirable.

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of optimized angiographic computed tomography with intravenous contrast agent injection (ivACT) in detecting remnants after aneurysmal clipping compared with digital subtraction angiography (DSA), the gold standard.

Methods: We included 84 patients with 112 clipped cerebral aneurysms of the anterior circulation.

Optimized angiographic computed tomography with intravenous contrast injection: an alternative to conventional angiography in the follow-up of clipped aneurysms?

Object: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an optimized angiographic CT (ACT) program with intravenous contrast agent injection (ivACT) in the assessment of potential aneurysm remnants after neurosurgical clipping compared with conventional digital subtraction angiography (DSA).

Methods: The authors report on 14 patients with 19 surgically clipped cerebral aneurysms who were scheduled to undergo angiographic follow-up. For each patient, the authors performed ivACT with dual rotational acquisition and conventional angiography including a 3D rotational run.

Sustained increase of somatosensory cortex excitability by tactile coactivation studied by paired median nerve stimulation in humans correlates with perceptual gain.

Cortical excitability can be reliably assessed by means of paired-pulse stimulation techniques. Recent studies demonstrated particularly for motor and visual cortex that cortical excitability is systematically altered following the induction of learning processes or during the development of pathological symptoms. A recent tactile coactivation protocol developed by Godde and coworkers showed that improvement of tactile performance in humans can be achieved also without training through passive stimulation on a time scale of a few hours.

Sex differences in cortical and subcortical recruitment during simple and complex motor control: an fMRI study.

In this study, we compared brain activation patterns in men and women during performance of a fine motor task, in order to investigate the influence of motor task complexity upon asymmetries of hemispheric recruitment. Thirty-three right-handed participants (17 males, 16 females) performed a self-paced finger-tapping task comprising three conditions of increasing complexity with both the dominant and the non-dominant hand. Imaging results demonstrated significant sex differences in brain activation patterns.

Dopaminergic influences on changes in human tactile acuity induced by tactile coactivation.

As shown in animal experiments, dopaminergic mechanisms participate in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent neuroplasticity. Dopamine is thought to play a similar role in humans, where it influences learning and memory. Here, we tested the dopaminergic action on learning in the tactile domain.