C5 palsy following one- or two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: Incidence and neurological recovery in a retrospective neurosurgical multicenter study.

Background: C5 palsy is a frequent complication following cervical spine surgery, particularly after posterior approaches. Although several risk factors have been proposed, the incidence of C5 palsy after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) remains less well understood. This study aims to elucidate the risk factors and neurological recovery associated with C5 palsy following ACDF.

Evaluation of the preventive effect of sublingual immunotherapy for pediatric bronchial asthma.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in preventing the exacerbation of asthma.

Methods: This retrospective study investigated the changes in the rate of continuous steroid inhalation introduced over three years due to SLIT in 328 patients aged 5-15 years who were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019. These patients were not initially prescribed with continuous steroid inhalation.

Temporal Information Processing in the Cerebellum and Basal Ganglia.

Temporal information processing in the range of a few hundred milliseconds to seconds involves the cerebellum and basal ganglia. In this chapter, we present recent studies on nonhuman primates. In the studies presented in the first half of the chapter, monkeys were trained to make eye movements when a certain amount of time had elapsed since the onset of the visual cue (time production task).

Difference in badminton-specific endurance evaluated by a newly developed on-court test between competitive levels: A pilot study of female players.

We developed a test to evaluate badminton-specific endurance. The study included 10 female badminton players. Five participants were ranked in Japan's top 100 national rankings (ranked), whereas the others were unranked (unranked).

Postoperative Airway Management after Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery: Retrospective Neurosurgical Multicenter Study.

Airway complications that occur after anterior cervical spine surgery pose a life-threatening risk, which encompasses complications including prolonged intubation, unplanned reintubation, and/or necessity of tracheostomy. The present study aimed to identify the surgical risks associated with postoperative airway complications in neurosurgical training institutes. A retrospective, multicenter, observational review of data from 365 patients, who underwent anterior cervical spine surgery between 2018 and 2022, at three such institutes was carried out.

[Usefulness of Preoperative Simulation: Skull Base Approach].

Preoperative simulation images creates an accurate visualization of a surgical field. The anatomical relationship of the cranial nerves, arteries, brainstem, and related bony protrusions is important in skull base surgery. However, an operator's intention is unclear for a less experienced neurosurgeon.

Suppressed pediatric asthma hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, from a national survey.

Background: Acute asthma exacerbation in children is often caused by respiratory infections. In this study, a coordinated national surveillance system for acute asthma hospitalizations and causative respiratory infections was established. We herein report recent trends in pediatric acute asthma hospitalizations since the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Vertebral artery is an anatomical landmark in the posterior unilateral resection of cervical benign nerve sheath tumors with dumbbell extension of Eden type 2 or 3.

Background: In the cervical nerve sheath tumor (NST) surgery with dumbbell extension of Eden type 2 or 3, selection of anterior, posterior, or combined approach remains controversial.

Objectives: This technical note aimed to propose possible advantages of the posterior unilateral approach (PUA). Methods: Six patients who underwent the surgical treatment of cervical NSTs with dumbbell extension of Eden type 2 or 3 were included.

Hemolysis Precedes Urine Color Change in Patients Undergoing Open-Heart Surgery on Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Purpose: Red-colored urine often occurs in patients in the perioperative period who undergo cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). This urine color change has been utilized for approximating hemolysis during CPB without a proven relationship for ongoing hemolysis. This case series study aimed to examine the relationship between plasma free hemoglobin (Hb) levels and quantified measures of urine color.

Expression and distribution of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor in comparison between radiation necrosis and tumor tissue in metastatic brain tumor: A case report.

We report the case of a 70-year-old woman with metastatic brain tumors who underwent surgical removal of the tumor and radiation necrosis. The patient had a history of colon cancer and had undergone surgical removal of a left occipital tumor. Histopathological evaluation revealed a metastatic brain tumor.

Actin Alpha 2, Smooth Muscle (ACTA2) Is Involved in the Migratory Potential of Malignant Gliomas, and Its Increased Expression at Recurrence Is a Significant Adverse Prognostic Factor.

Malignant glioma is a highly invasive tumor, and elucidating the glioma invasion mechanism is essential for developing novel therapies. We aimed to highlight actin alpha 2, smooth muscle (ACTA2) as potential biomarkers of brain invasion and distant recurrence in malignant gliomas. Using the human malignant glioma cell line, U251MG, we generated ACTA2 knockdown (KD) cells treated with small interfering RNA, and the cell motility and proliferation of the ACTA2 KD group were analyzed.

Treatment Outcomes of 94 Cases of Pipeline Embolization Device in a Single Center: Predictive Factors of Incomplete Aneurysm Occlusion.

Objective: This study aimed to report the outcome of an endovascular treatment with a pipeline embolization device (PED) at a single center. We also examined the predictive factors for an incomplete occlusion after the PED placement.

Methods: The subjects were 94 patients with 109 aneurysms who underwent the PED placement at our single center from June 2015 to September 2022.

Metabolites in aging and aging-relevant diseases: Frailty, sarcopenia and cognitive decline.

Aging shows biologically complex features with high individual variability, which reflects the exposure to several stimuli and the adaptation to them. Among them, metabolic changes are well observed as consequences or possible causes of aging. Calorie restriction extends organismal life span in experimental models.

Surgical Outcomes and Medical Costs Associated with Spinal Cord Tumors: Comparison of Extramedullary and Intramedullary Tumors.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the differences in the perioperative data of patients with extramedullary and intramedullary tumors and estimate the impact of surgery on medical costs.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent spinal tumor resection between September 2020 and December 2022. The perioperative medical information and medical costs for individual patients were obtained from their medical records.

Pediatric allergies in Japan: Coronavirus disease pandemic-related risk factors.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted various parts of society, including Japanese children with allergies.

Objective: This study investigated risk factors for pediatric allergic diseases associated with the state of emergency owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, including during school closures.

Methods: Parents of pediatric patients (0-15 years) with allergies were enrolled and queried regarding the impact of school closure on pediatric allergies compared to that before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Occult neurohypophyseal germinoma discovered during the course of long-term diabetes insipidus: illustrative case.

Background: The authors report a case of occult neurohypophyseal germinoma detected in a patient with long-term diabetes insipidus. Central diabetes insipidus is the initial symptom in 95% of cases of neurohypophyseal germinoma. In occult neurohypophyseal germinomas, no abnormalities are seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the onset of symptoms.

Development of an Oral Immunotherapy-Related Parental Burden Scale.

Introduction: Oral immunotherapy (OIT) imposes a burden on parents and their children with food allergies (FAs). We already developed a questionnaire for OIT-related Parental Burden (OIT-PB) scale. However, the previous questionnaire had some problems.

[OBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF SUBLINGUAL IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR PEDIATRIC ALLERGIC RHINITIS RESPOND TO SQ HOUSE DUST MITE].

Background: Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has become applicable to insurance for children in Japan in 2018. However, as for the efficacy of SLIT for children, objective evaluation methods have not been sufficiently investigated.

Subjects And Methods: We investigated the efficacy of SLIT as both subjective and objective evaluation in 44 children with allergic rhinitis sensitized to house dust mite who started the treatment in the summer of 2018 in our hospital.

Sensory and motor representations of internalized rhythms in the cerebellum and basal ganglia.

Both the cerebellum and basal ganglia are involved in rhythm processing, but their specific roles remain unclear. During rhythm perception, these areas may be processing purely sensory information, or they may be involved in motor preparation, as periodic stimuli often induce synchronized movements. Previous studies have shown that neurons in the cerebellar dentate nucleus and the caudate nucleus exhibit periodic activity when the animals prepare to respond to the random omission of regularly repeated visual stimuli.