Novel Development of a Large Cerebral Cavernous Malformation in an Adolescent With a History of Familial Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Syndrome.

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) are capillary vascular malformations of the central nervous system (CNS). These lesions can be either familial or sporadic. We present a case of a 16-year-old girl with familial CCM syndrome who presented with a six-month history of chronic headaches.

Opportunities and challenges for robotic-assisted spine surgery: feasible indications for the MAZOR™ X Stealth Edition.

The clinical use of new technologies has several potential benefits including improved accuracy, precision and efficiency. Robotic assistance during surgery is one such technology and it is making its way into neurosurgical operating rooms with increasing frequency. The Mazor X Stealth robot was first used in Canada for spine surgery during July 2022 and since then multiple indications for its use have been identified and evaluated.

Dynamics of seizure termination in a non-human primate kindling model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures which involve transient neuronal hyperexcitability or hypersynchrony. Focal seizures with impaired awareness (FIAS) are commonly related to mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) with hippocampal sclerosis and potentially status epilepticus. How seizures terminate spontaneously remains an unanswered question fundamental to epileptology.

The Dostoyevsky effect: epileptogenesis and memory enhancement after kindling stimulation in the primate basolateral amygdala.

Kindling is an electrical stimulation technique used to lower the threshold for epileptogenic activity in the brain. It can also be used as a tool to investigate electrophysiologic alterations that occur as a result of seizures. Epileptiform activity, like seizures and after-discharges (AD; evoked epileptiform activity), commonly cause memory impairment but rarely, can elicit vivid memory retrieval.

17-β-Estradiol induces spreading depression and pain behavior in alert female rats.

Aims: Test the putative contribution of 17-β-estradiol in the development of spreading depression (SD) events and head pain in awake, non-restrained rats.

Main Methods: Female, Sprague-Dawley rats were intact or underwent ovariectomy followed one week later by surgery to place electrodes onto the dura to detect epidural electroencephalographic activity (dEEG). dEEG activity was recorded two days later for 12 hours after systemic administration of 17-β-estradiol (180 μg/kg, i.

A Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist Blocks Bone Cancer Pain Without Altering Bone Loss, Tumor Size, or Cancer Cell Proliferation in a Mouse Model of Cancer-Induced Bone Pain.

Unlabelled: Breast cancer metastasizes to bone, diminishing quality of life of patients because of pain, fracture, and limited mobility. Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is characterized as moderate to severe ongoing pain, primarily managed by mu opioid agonists such as fentanyl. However, opioids are limited by escalating doses and serious side effects.

Synthesis and Investigation of Mixed μ-Opioid and δ-Opioid Agonists as Possible Bivalent Ligands for Treatment of Pain.

Several studies have suggested functional association between μ-opioid and δ-opioid receptors and showed that μ-activity could be modulated by δ-ligands. The general conclusion is that agonists for the δ-receptor can enhance the analgesic potency and efficacy of μ-agonists. Our preliminary investigations demonstrate that new bivalent ligands constructed from the μ-agonist fentanyl and the δ-agonist enkephalin-like peptides are promising entities for creation of new analgesics with reduced side effects for treatment of neuropathic pain.

Structure-Activity Relationships of [des-Arg]Dynorphin A Analogues at the κ Opioid Receptor.

Dynorphin A (Dyn A) is an endogenous ligand for the opioid receptors with preference for the κ opioid receptor (KOR), and its structure-activity relationship (SAR) has been extensively studied at the KOR to develop selective potent agonists and antagonists. Numerous SAR studies have revealed that the Arg residue is essential for KOR activity. In contrast, our systematic SAR studies on [des-Arg]Dyn A analogues found that Arg is not a key residue and even deletion of the residue does not affect biological activities at the KOR.

Determination of the active and inactive metabolites of prasugrel in human plasma by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Two fast and sensitive liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)-based bioanalytical assays were developed and validated to quantify the active and three inactive metabolites of prasugrel. Prasugrel is a novel thienopyridine prodrug that is metabolized to the pharmacologically active metabolite in addition to three inactive metabolites, which directly relate to the formation and elimination of the active metabolite. After extraction and separation, the analytes were detected and quantified using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer using positive electrospray ionization.

Perceived racial/ethnic bias in healthcare in Durham County, North Carolina: a comparison of community and national samples.

Background: We sought to compare findings of a national survey of perceptions of racial/ethnic discrimination in healthcare to those of a community survey, with emphasis on the perceptions of Latinos.

Methods: Responses from a national survey were compared to a telephone survey of residents of Durham County, North Carolina.

Results: Black respondents in the Durham sample were more likely than those in the national sample to feel that a healthcare provider had treated them with disrespect because of health insurance status (28% vs 14%; P < 0.