Improvement of serum folate status in the US women of reproductive age with fortified iodised salt with folic acid (FISFA study).

Objective: Mandatory folic acid fortification of enriched grains has reduced neural tube defect prevalence in several countries. We examined salt as an additional vehicle for folic acid fortification. The primary objective was to examine the change in serum folate concentration after 1 month of consumption of fortified iodised salt with folic acid (FISFA) among women of reproductive age.

The Power of Advocacy in Global Neurosurgery.

Advocacy, one of the five domains of global neurosurgery, represents a powerful avenue to influence public policy to expand access to safe, timely, and affordable neurosurgical care. In this manuscript, we characterize advocacy in global neurosurgery, describe specific neurosurgeon-led initiatives, and delineate how neurosurgeons can become involved in global neurosurgery advocacy efforts. Advocacy in global neurosurgery involves working together in organized neurosurgery with organizations focused on clinical provisions, training, and policy initiatives.

The role of a dedicated transition process from pediatric to adult interdisciplinary care for persons with spina bifida.

Objective: Interdisciplinary care and pediatric to adult transitional programs have consistently shown medical and social value for individuals with complex medical conditions such as spina bifida (SB). Such interdisciplinary clinics are common in pediatrics but are rarely offered for adults. This survey-based study reports information related to transition, daily pain burden, and satisfaction with care delivery in an adult SB clinic.

Transition mentorship for spina bifida patients with the JUMP program: a pilot study.

Objective: The transition from pediatric to adult care is challenging for patients and families with spina bifida (SB). Lifelong care relationships yield to new care environments that are typically larger, less personal, and less engaged with the nuances of SB care. Adolescence and young adulthood are often characterized by personal and psychological stresses due to factors independent of illness or chronic medical complexity.

Neurosurgical management of Myelomeningocele in premature infants: a case series.

Introduction: Myelomeningocele (MMC) is the most common neural tube defect, but rarely seen in premature infants. Most centers advocate for closure of MMC within 24 h of birth. However, this is not always possible in severely premature infants.

Endoluminal Biopsy for Vein of Galen Malformation.

Background And Objectives: Vein of Galen malformation (VOGM), the result of arteriovenous shunting between choroidal and/or subependymal arteries and the embryologic prosencephalic vein, is among the most severe cerebrovascular disorders of childhood. We hypothesized that in situ analysis of the VOGM lesion using endoluminal tissue sampling (ETS) is feasible and may advance our understanding of VOGM genetics, pathogenesis, and maintenance.

Methods: We collected germline DNA (cheek swab) from patients and their families for genetic analysis.

Neurosurgical Management of Myelomeningocele in Premature Infants: A Case Series.

Introduction: Myelomeningocele (MMC) is the most common neural tube defect, but rarely seen in premature infants. Most centers advocate for closure of MMC within 24 hours of birth. However, this is not always possible in severely premature infants.

Evaluation of multidisciplinary high-risk pregnancy clinic for myelomeningocele.

Introduction: A cross-sectional study retrospectively evaluating the perceived usefulness of attending a multi-disciplinary, roundtable, educational prenatal clinic for mothers expecting children with myelomeningocele is presented.

Methods: Mothers who currently have children with SB completed a survey which evaluated their overall preparedness, spina bifida education, delivery plans, surgical expectations, and expectations in terms of quality of life and development. Open comments were also collected.

Endovascular balloon usage in endoscopic third ventriculostomy for hydrocephalus during a national shortage: case series and technical note.

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is a well-established surgical technique for treating hydrocephalus. Many providers have transitioned to utilizing the specialized Neuroballoon for the stoma dilation in ETV; however, these devices are intermittently unavailable during supply chain shortages. We present the experience of employing cardiac angioplasty and neurovascular balloons as substitutes for the Neuroballoon in 3 patients.

Pediatric non-galenic pial arteriovenous fistula's characteristics and outcomes: a systematic review.

Introduction: Pediatric non-galenic pial arteriovenous fistulas (pAVFs) are rare vascular malformations that are characterized by a pial arterial-venous connection without an intervening capillary bed. Outcomes and treatment strategies for pAVFs are highly individualized, owing to the rarity of the disease and lack of large-scale data guiding optimal treatment approaches.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of pediatric patients (< 18 years at diagnosis) diagnosed with a pAVF by digital subtraction angiogram (DSA).

The genetic basis of hydrocephalus: genes, pathways, mechanisms, and global impact.

Hydrocephalus (HC) is a heterogenous disease characterized by alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics that may cause increased intracranial pressure. HC is a component of a wide array of genetic syndromes as well as a secondary consequence of brain injury (intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), infection, etc.) that can present across the age spectrum, highlighting the phenotypic heterogeneity of the disease.

Global Neurosurgery at the 76th World Health Assembly (2023): First Neurosurgery-Driven Resolution Calls for Micronutrient Fortification to Prevent Spina Bifida.

Since 2018, a neurosurgery delegation has been actively engaged and consistently present at the World Health Assembly. Recognizing the growing impact of neurosurgical diseases, the neurosurgery delegation participated in the 76th World Health Assembly in May 2023, advocating for timely, safe, and affordable global neurosurgical care. The delegation focused on forging new collaborations, strengthening the World Health Organization-World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies official relations, and actively supporting resolutions that impact the neurosurgical patients.

Causes of death among people with myelomeningocele: A multi-institutional 47-year retrospective study.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze organ system-based causes and non-organ system-based mechanisms of death (COD, MOD) in people with myelomeningocele (MMC), comparing urological to other COD.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of 16 institutions in Canada/United States of non-random convenience sample of people with MMC (born > = 1972) using non-parametric statistics.

Results: Of 293 deaths (89% shunted hydrocephalus), 12% occurred in infancy, 35% in childhood, and 53% in adulthood (documented COD: 74%).

The Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Interest Group (PESIG) under the auspice of the ISPN Research Committee: Availability of relevant technology and geographical distribution.

Purpose: Epilepsy surgery for pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy has been shown to improve seizure control, enhance patient and family QoL, and reduce mortality. However, diagnostic tools and surgical capacity are less accessible worldwide. The International Society Pediatric Neurosurgery (ISPN) has established a Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Interest Group (PESIG), aiming to enhance global collaboration in research and educational aspects.

Characteristics and outcomes of pediatric dural arteriovenous fistulas: a systematic review.

Background: Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVF) are arteriovenous shunts in communication with the dural vasculature in the brain or spine. Apart from single-center series, risk factors and treatment outcomes for pediatric dAVFs are largely undescribed.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature review of pediatric (< 18 years at diagnosis) intracranial and spinal dAVF according to PRISMA guidelines.

Corpus Callosotomy Is a Safe and Effective Procedure for Medically Resistant Epilepsy.

Corpus callosotomy (CC) is an effective surgical treatment for medically resistant generalized or multifocal epilepsy (MRE). The premise of CC extrapolates from the observation that the corpus callosum is the predominant commissural pathway that allows spread and synchroneity of epileptogenic activity between the hemispheres. Candidacy for CC is typically reserved for patients seeking palliative epilepsy treatment with the goal of reducing the frequency of drop attacks, although reduction of other seizure semiologies (absence, complex partial seizures, and tonic-clonic) has been observed.

Does subtotal resection ameliorate hypothalamic morbidity in pediatric craniopharyngioma? A 30-year retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The optimal extent of resection of craniopharyngiomas to minimize the long-term risks of hypothalamic and endocrine dysfunction (obesity and panhypopituitarism) in children remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to report long-term outcomes of pediatric patients with craniopharyngioma undergoing surgical treatment and to study rates of endocrinological and hypothalamic dysfunction in association with extent of resection.

Methods: This retrospective study was performed in a cohort of children who underwent resection for craniopharyngioma at Children's of Alabama between 1990 and 2020.

Hemispherectomy Outcome Prediction Scale: a validity study.

Objective: Hemispherectomy is highly effective for patients with medically refractory epilepsy (MRE) arising from a single hemisphere. Recently, the Hemispherectomy Outcome Prediction Scale (HOPS) was developed as a prediction tool for seizure freedom after hemispherectomy. The authors' goal was to perform a validation study to determine the generalizability of the HOPS score.

First-time tethered cord release among adults with myelomeningocele: an analysis of people in the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry.

Objective: The authors analyzed the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry (NSBPR), a national registry that tracks the outcomes for people with various forms of spinal dysraphism, to determine the ongoing longitudinal risk for tethered cord release (TCR) among adults with myelomeningocele who had not previously undergone TCR during childhood. The authors also sought to identify the impact of lesion level, ambulation status, and prior treatments for hydrocephalus or Chiari malformations on TCR rates.

Methods: Adults in the registry who had not previously undergone TCR during childhood were studied.