Fluorescence image-guided neurosurgery.

Surgery plays an important role in the management of high-grade gliomas (HGG) and imparts significant tumor-free and overall survival advantages. However HGG margins are often invisible, making their gross total resection (GTR) a difficult task. Hence intraoperative technology such as intraoperative fluorescence was a revolutionary discovery.

Intraoperative image-guided surgery in neuro-oncology with specific focus on high-grade gliomas.

Surgery is paramount in glioma management and extent of resection is an independent significant prognostic factor. However, these tumors are often invisible intraoperatively. Hence imaging plays an important role in surgical guidance.

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of intraoperative imaging in high-grade glioma resection; a comparative review of intraoperative ALA, fluorescein, ultrasound and MRI.

Background: Surgical resection of high-grade gliomas (HGG) is standard therapy because it imparts significant progression free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). However, HGG-tumor margins are indistinguishable from normal brain during surgery. Hence intraoperative technology such as fluorescence (ALA, fluorescein) and intraoperative ultrasound (IoUS) and MRI (IoMRI) has been deployed.

Vagus nerve stimulation for chronic major depressive disorder: 12-month outcomes in highly treatment-refractory patients.

Background: There are limited treatment options for patients with chronic, treatment-refractory major depression who do not respond to routinely-available treatments. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) may represent an alternative to ablative neurosurgery for a specific group of patients.

Methods: 12-month response rates for 28 patients with chronic (≥2 years) major depression who had failed to respond to ≥4 adequate treatment trials in the D03 European open clinical trial of VNS were described along with response rates for 13 consecutive patients who underwent VNS within the neurosurgical treatment programme in Dundee.