Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and risk for polycystic ovary syndrome and infertility: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms have been implicated in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Despite VDR gene polymorphisms importance and their risk for PCOS, they have not been extensively studied. The main objective was to evaluate the associations between VDR gene polymorphisms and risk for PCOS.

The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: Key Mechanisms Driving Glymphopathy and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease.

The human microbiota constitute a very complex ecosystem of microorganisms inhabiting both the inside and outside of our bodies, in which health maintenance and disease modification are the main regulatory features. The recent explosion of microbiome research has begun to detail its important role in neurological health, particularly concerning cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), a disorder associated with cognitive decline and vascular dementia. This narrative review represents state-of-the-art knowledge of the intimate, complex interplay between microbiota and brain health through the gut-brain axis (GBA) and the emerging role of glymphatic system dysfunction (glymphopathy) and circulating cell-derived microparticles (MPs) as mediators of these interactions.

Concomitant multiple sclerosis and cervical myelopathy: A propensity-matched QOD analysis of patient-reported outcomes and return to work after cervical spine surgery.

Objective: The diagnosis of degenerative cervical myelopathy (CM) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is challenging due to overlapping symptomatology and radiological findings. Minimal literature reports patient reported outcomes measures (PROMs) for MS patients undergoing surgery for CM. Given the diagnostic difficulty, we aimed to determine if patients with MS have worse outcomes after elective cervical spine surgery.

Is intraoperative neuromonitoring the standard of care for pedicle screw placement surgery? A survey of neurosurgeons' practices.

Spine surgery is highly litigious; misplaced screws and intraoperative neuromonitoring frequently feature in lawsuits. Intraoperative neuromonitoring aims to prevent injury but its standards are debated, and literature suggests its benefits are mixed. We surveyed its use among neurosurgeons from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons with Pearson's chi-square test applied to analyse data within R.

Preexisting opioid daily MME and use duration within a national cohort of lumbar spine surgery patients on quality outcomes.

Objective: Pain management surrounding lumbar spine surgery is a complex topic. Though some authors suggest that preoperative opioid use is a negative prognostic factor, its association with patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction after surgery remains controversial. We aimed to uncover the effect of preoperative opioid use on long-term outcomes using a national sample.