Improving postsurgical paresis in brain tumor patients by transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Background And Objectives: Recently, reduction of transcallosal inhibition by contralateral navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (nrTMS) improved neurorehabilitation of glioma patients with new postoperative paresis. This multicentric study examines the effect of postoperative nrTMS in brain tumor patients to treat surgery-related upper extremity paresis.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of two randomized and three one-arm studies in brain tumor patients with new/progressive postoperative paresis.

The impact of linguistic complexity on feasibility and reliability of language mapping in aphasic glioma patients.

Background: Reliable language mappings require sufficient language skills. This study evaluated whether linguistic task properties impact feasibility and reliability of navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS)-based language mappings in aphasic glioma patients.

Methods: The effect of linguistic complexity on naming accuracy during baseline testing without stimulation and on the number of errors during nTMS was evaluated for 16 moderately and 4 severely expressive aphasic patients.

Minimally invasive versus open surgery for colonic diverticular disease: a nationwide analysis of German hospital data.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the current rates and outcomes of minimally invasive versus open surgery for colonic diverticular disease in Germany, using a nationwide dataset.

Methods: We analyzed data from 36 hospitals, encompassing approximately 1.25 million hospitalizations from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023.

Cancer Neuroscience of Brain Tumors: From Multicellular Networks to Neuroscience-Instructed Cancer Therapies.

Deepening our understanding of neuro-cancer interactions can innovate brain tumor treatment. This mini review unfolds the most relevant and recent insights into the neural mechanisms contributing to brain tumor initiation, progression, and resistance, including synaptic connections between neurons and cancer cells, paracrine neuro-cancer signaling, and cancer cells' intrinsic neural properties. We explain the basic and clinical-translational relevance of these findings, identify unresolved questions and particularly interesting future research avenues, such as central nervous system neuro-immunooncology, and discuss the potential transferability to extracranial cancers.

Discharge Against Medical Advice in Cancer Patients: Insights from a Multicenter Study in Germany.

Background: Discharge against medical advice (DAMA) disrupts continuity of care and is associated with increased readmission rates, morbidity, and mortality. While extensively studied in general hospital populations, its prevalence and associated factors in cancer patients, where treatment adherence is critical for outcomes, remain underexplored.

Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional study analyzed anonymized data from the IQVIA hospital database, including cancer patients hospitalized in 36 German hospitals between January 2019 and December 2023.

Correlation of endoscopic third ventriculostomy with postoperative body temperature elevation: a single-center retrospective comparative study.

Postoperative fever following neuroendoscopic procedures has been well-documented, yet specific differentiation based on the nature and site of the procedure remains lacking. Given the anatomical involvement of the hypothalamus in temperature regulation, we propose that endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) may have a distinct impact on postoperative fever. This study aims to investigate this phenomenon.

Evaluating optic system compression in sellar tumors: A novel application of quantitative pupillometry.

Introduction: Tumorous growths in the sellar region pose significant clinical challenges due to their proximity to critical visual structures such as the optic chiasm and optic nerves. Given their proximity to the optic system, these tumors are often diagnosed due to a progressive decrease in visual acuity. Thus, surgical intervention is crucial to prevent irreversible damage, as timely decompression can halt the progression of edema and subsequent optic atrophy.

Level I and II deficits-A clinical survey on international practice of awake craniotomy and definitions of postoperative "major" and "minor" deficits.

Background: Awake craniotomy (AC) is a technique that balances maximum resection and minimal postoperative deficits in patients with intracranial tumors. To aid in the comparability of functional outcomes after awake surgery, this study investigated its international practice and aimed to define categories of postoperative deficits.

Methods: A survey was distributed via neurosurgical networks in Europe (European Association of Neurosurgical Societies, EANS), the Netherlands (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Neurochirurgie, NVVN), Belgium (Belgian Society of Neurosurgery, BSN), and the United States (Congress of Neurological Surgeons, CNS) between April 2022 and April 2023.

Depression in patients with anorectal fistulas and anal fissures: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

Purpose: Anal fissures and anorectal fistulas are diseases often associated with significant pain and prolonged discomfort, resulting in a significantly reduced quality of life (QoL). They are not only a surgical problem but also have a profound psychosocial impact and influence on QoL. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of depression in patients with these pathologies and to highlight the need to address the psychosocial aspects of these diseases.

Assessment of the efficacy and safety of neuroendoscopic procedures for intracranial pathologies: A single-centre retrospective study with 318 intracranial endoscopic procedures.

Introduction: Neuroendoscopy has become a well-established procedure for treating various intracranial conditions.

Research Question: We evaluated the advantages of that technique, with focus on adverse events.

Material And Methods: Retrospective analysis included all patients who underwent neuroendoscopic procedures between January 2017 and December 2023.

Meta-analysis and review of rechargeable implantable pulse generators for spinal cord stimulation and deep brain stimulation.

Introduction: Neuromodulation through deep brain stimulation (DBS) and spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has become a successful therapy for various neurological disorders, such as movement disorders and chronic pain. Implantable pulse generators (IPGs) are pivotal in these therapies, available as either rechargeable (r-IPGs) or non-rechargeable (nr-IPGs).

Research Question: To perform a meta-analysis on r-IPGs.

Practical and statistical aspects of subgroup analyses in surgical neuro-oncology: A comprehensive review from the PIONEER Consortium.

Subgroup analyses are essential to generate new hypotheses or to estimate treatment effects in clinically meaningful subgroups of patients. They play an important role in taking the next step towards personalized surgical treatment for brain tumor patients. However, subgroup analyses must be used with consideration and care because they have significant potential risks.

Exploring the Spectrum of Comorbidities Associated with Primary Aldosteronism: Insights from a Large Real-World Case-Control Study.

: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a common cause of endocrine hypertension, characterized by excessive aldosterone secretion leading to hypertension, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis. While historically diagnosed based on this classic triad of symptoms, current understanding reveals a more nuanced presentation. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of PA-associated diseases in a large German population.

Intraoperative label-free tissue diagnostics using a stimulated Raman histology imaging system with artificial intelligence: An initial experience.

Background: Accurate intraoperative tissue diagnostics could impact on decision making regarding the extent of resection (EOR) during brain tumor surgery. Stimulated Raman histology (SRH) is a label-free optical imaging method that uses different biochemical properties of tissue to generate a hematoxylin-eosin-like image and, in combination with an artificial intelligence-based image classifier, offers the opportunity to obtain rapid intraoperative tissue diagnoses.

Objective: The goal of this study was to report on our initial experience with SRH to evaluate its accuracy in comparison to final tissue diagnosis.

The impact of intraoperative mapping during re-resection in recurrent gliomas: a systematic review.

Purpose: Previous evidence suggests that glioma re-resection can be effective in improving clinical outcomes. Furthermore, the use of mapping techniques during surgery has proven beneficial for newly diagnosed glioma patients. However, the effects of these mapping techniques during re-resection are not clear.

The prognostic impact of CDKN2A/B hemizygous deletions in IDH-mutant glioma.

Background: Homozygous deletions of CDKN2A/B are known to predict poor prognosis in gliomas, but the impact of hemizygous deletions is less clear. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of hemizygous CDKN2A/B deletions in IDH-mutant low-grade astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas.

Methods: Tissue samples diagnosed as astrocytoma, IDH-mutant and oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant, 1p/19q co-deleted CNS WHO grade 2 and 3 were collected from the archives of the Institute of Neuropathology in Heidelberg.

Comparative analysis of 333 proGAV® and proGAV 2.0® adjustable valves in pediatric hydrocephalus treatment: survival and complication rate assessment.

Objective: ProGAV and ProGAV2.0 adjustable valves are extensively used for treating hydrocephalus in pediatric patients. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive comparison between these two valves concerning their survival and complication rates.

Medication Burden Before and After Prescription of Biologics in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Biologics are a cornerstone in the treatment of severe cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and aim to control the disease and improve quality of life. This study investigated changes in nonbiologic medication prescriptions for IBD patients initiating biologic therapy in Germany. This study used data from anonymized pharmacy records in the German longitudinal prescription (LRx) database and included biologic-naive IBD patients who received their first biologic therapy prescription between 2016 and 2022.

The Prognostic Impact of Radioiodine Therapy in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Radioiodine (RAI) therapy after surgery, is an important component for the treatment of patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), the most common thyroid cancer. In this study we sought to evaluate the cancer-specific survival (CSS) impact of RAI in specific thyroid cancer subgroups. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were used to identify patients with PTC who underwent surgery between 2000 and 2019.

Frame-based stereotactic biopsies of brainstem lesions - Monocentric comparison of the transfrontal and the suboccipital-transcerebellar approach over a 16-year period.

Both the transfrontal and the suboccipital-transcerebellar approach are frequently used trajectories for frame-based stereotactic biopsies of brainstem lesions. Nevertheless, it remains unclear which approach is more favorable in terms of complications, diagnostic success and outcome, especially considering the location of the lesion within the brainstem. This study compared the safety and diagnostic yield of these two approaches.