CSF drainage ameliorates the motor deficit in normal pressure hydrocephalus: evidence from the analysis of grasping movements.

Apart from the classic triad of hypokinetic gait disorder, cognitive dysfunction and urinary incontinence, the clinical spectrum of normal pressure hydrocephalus has been found to affect the upper limbs. It is unclear if the motor deficit of hand and arm movements improves with CSF evacuation. The present study was designed to quantitatively assess the effect of CSF evacuation on the hypokinesia of grasping movements in normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Reirradiation of recurrent high-grade gliomas using amino acid PET (SPECT)/CT/MRI image fusion to determine gross tumor volume for stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy.

Purpose: To develop a valid treatment strategy for recurrent high-grade gliomas using stereotactic hypofractionated reirradiation based on biologic imaging and temozolomide.

Patients And Methods: The trial included a total of 44 patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas (1 patient with anaplastic oligodendroglioma, 8 with anaplastic astrocytoma, 33 with glioblastoma multiforme, and 2 with gliosarcoma) after previous surgery and postoperative conventional radiotherapy +/- chemotherapy. For fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SFRT) treatment planning, the gross tumor volume was defined by (11)C-methionine positron emission tomography (MET-PET) or (123)I-alpha-methyl-tyrosine (IMT) single-photon computed emission tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion in 82% of the patients and by CT/T1+gadolinium-MRI image fusion in 18% of the patients.

L-(methyl-11C) methionine positron emission tomography for target delineation in resected high-grade gliomas before radiotherapy.

Purpose: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), residual tumor cannot be differentiated from nonspecific postoperative changes in operated patients with brain gliomas. The higher specificity and sensitivity of L-(methyl-11C)-labeled methionine positron emissions tomography (MET-PET) in gliomas has been demonstrated in previous studies and is the rationale for the integration of this investigation in gross tumor volume delineation. The goal of this trial was to quantify the affect of MET-PET vs.

Implications of IMT-SPECT for postoperative radiotherapy planning in patients with gliomas.

Purpose: Using MRI, residual tumor cannot be differentiated from nonspecific postoperative changes in patients with brain gliomas after surgical resection. The goal of this study was to analyze the value of 123I-alpha-methyl-tyrosine-single photon emission CT (IMT-SPECT) in radiotherapy planning of patients with brain gliomas after surgical resection.

Methods And Materials: In 66 patients with surgically resected brain gliomas (33 glioblastomas, 20 anaplastic astrocytomas, 7 anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, and 6 low-grade astrocytomas), IMT-SPECT and MRI were performed for radiotherapy planning.