Dynamic functional connectivity in verbal cognitive control and word reading.

Cognitive control processes enable the suppression of automatic behaviors and the initiation of appropriate responses. The Stroop color naming task serves as a benchmark paradigm for understanding the neurobiological model of verbal cognitive control. Previous research indicates a predominant engagement of the prefrontal and premotor cortex during the Stroop task compared to reading.

Indications for cerebral revascularization for moyamoya syndrome in pediatric sickle cell disease determined by Delphi methodology.

Objective: Cerebral revascularization surgery (CRS) has been used to prevent stroke in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and cerebral vasculopathy (e.g., moyamoya syndrome).

Ventricular catheter tissue obstruction and shunt malfunction in 9 hydrocephalus etiologies.

Objective: Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder with an incidence of 80-125 per 100,000 births in the United States. The most common treatment, ventricular shunting, has a failure rate of up to 85% within 10 years of placement. The authors aimed to analyze the association between ventricular catheter (VC) tissue obstructions and shunt malfunction for each hydrocephalus etiology.

Utilizing combination intrathecal baclofen and analgesic medication to manage spasticity and pain in patients with pediatric-onset disability: Case series.

Purpose: The use of intrathecal medications for the management of spasticity and various pain syndromes in the adult population has been previously reported. However, no evidence-based guidelines currently exist in the pediatric population. This case series presents patients (n = 8) with pediatric-onset disability who underwent placement of intrathecal baclofen pumps initially for management of severe spasticity.

MRI and pathology comparisons in Rasmussen's encephalitis: a multi-institutional examination of hemispherotomy outcomes relative to imaging and histological severity.

Purpose: Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) is a very rare chronic neurological disorder of unilateral inflammation of the cerebral cortex. Hemispherotomy provides the best chance at achieving seizure freedom in RE patients, but with significant risks and variable long-term outcomes. The goal of this study is to utilize our multicenter pediatric cohort to characterize if differences in pathology and/or imaging characterization of RE may provide a window into post-operative seizure outcomes, which in turn could guide decision-making for parents and healthcare providers.

Intracranial Germinoma in Two Caucasian American Siblings With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Intracranial germ cell tumors (IGCTs) comprise 3% to 5% of all pediatric brain tumors in the West, with a significantly higher prevalence in Asia. Although these tumors are histologically diverse, repeated somatic variants have been demonstrated. Chromosomal aneuploidies, such as Klinefelter and Down syndromes, are associated with IGCTs, but no familial germline tumor syndromes are currently known.

Developmental atlas of phase-amplitude coupling between physiologic high-frequency oscillations and slow waves.

We investigated the developmental changes in high-frequency oscillation (HFO) and Modulation Index (MI) - the coupling measure between HFO and slow-wave phase. We generated normative brain atlases, using subdural EEG signals from 8251 nonepileptic electrode sites in 114 patients (ages 1.0-41.

Exploration of clinical predictors of the degree of ventricular catheter obstruction: a multicenter retrospective study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore how clinical factors, including the number of lifetime revision surgeries and the duration of implantation, affect the degree of obstruction and failure rates of ventricular catheters (VCs) used to manage hydrocephalus.

Methods: A total of 343 VCs and their associated clinical data, including patient demographics, medical history, and surgical details, were collected from 5 centers and used for this analysis. Each VC was classified by the degree of obstruction after macroscopic analysis.

Central Nervous System Tumor With BCL6 Corepressor Internal Tandem Duplication: Treatment Course of a Long-term Survivor.

Central nervous system (CNS) tumor with BCL6 corepressor (BCOR) internal tandem duplication (ITD) is a newly described CNS tumor, characterized by in-frame ITDs of the BCOR gene. There is no standard practice regarding the management of this tumor. We report the clinical course of a 6-year-old boy who presented to the hospital with worsening headaches.

Dynamic cortical and tractography atlases of proactive and reactive alpha and high-gamma activities.

Alpha waves-posterior dominant rhythms at 8-12 Hz reactive to eye opening and closure-are among the most fundamental EEG findings in clinical practice and research since Hans Berger first documented them in the early 20th century. Yet, the exact network dynamics of alpha waves in regard to eye movements remains unknown. High-gamma activity at 70-110 Hz is also reactive to eye movements and a summary measure of local cortical activation supporting sensorimotor or cognitive function.

Intra- and inter-hemispheric network dynamics supporting object recognition and speech production.

We built normative brain atlases that animate millisecond-scale intra- and inter-hemispheric white matter-level connectivity dynamics supporting object recognition and speech production. We quantified electrocorticographic modulations during three naming tasks using event-related high-gamma activity from 1,114 nonepileptogenic intracranial electrodes (i.e.

Endoscopy in Craniosynostosis Surgery: Evolution and Current Trends.

Over the past 30 years, advances in endoscopic technology and advancing interest in the benefits of minimally invasive approaches for craniofacial surgery have resulted in these techniques becoming a part of the standard of care in the treatment of craniosynostosis. In this review, we discuss the evolution and adoption of endoscopic-assisted strip craniectomy procedures. In addition to reviewing the studies describing various nuances and modifications to minimally invasive strip craniectomy, attention to comparisons in outcomes between traditional or open cranial vault reconstructions and endoscopic-assisted techniques is highlighted for different craniosynostosis diagnoses.

The effect of A1 and A2 reactive astrocyte expression on hydrocephalus shunt failure.

Background: The composition of tissue obstructing neuroprosthetic devices is largely composed of inflammatory cells with a significant astrocyte component. In a first-of-its-kind study, we profile the astrocyte phenotypes present on hydrocephalus shunts.

Methods: qPCR and RNA in-situ hybridization were used to quantify pro-inflammatory (A1) and anti-inflammatory (A2) reactive astrocyte phenotypes by analyzing C3 and EMP1 genes, respectively.

Women in Neurosurgery: A PRISMA-Compliant Systematic Review of Where We Stand and a Pilot Study on How to Move Forward.

Background: Surgical specialties struggle to recruit women. In this study, the authors performed a systematic review to describe progress of women in neurosurgery and highlight areas where further research is needed.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were queried with "women in neurosurgery" OR "female neurosurgeon," and publications with empiric research were included.

A multicenter retrospective study of heterogeneous tissue aggregates obstructing ventricular catheters explanted from patients with hydrocephalus.

Background: Implantation of ventricular catheters (VCs) to drain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a standard approach to treat hydrocephalus. VCs fail frequently due to tissue obstructing the lumen via the drainage holes. Mechanisms driving obstruction are poorly understood.

Biographies of international women leaders in neurosurgery.

We received so many biographies of women neurosurgery leaders for this issue that only a selection could be condensed here. In all of them, the essence of a leader shines through. Many are included as "first" of their country or color or other achievement.

Investigation of ventriculoperitoneal shunt disconnection for hydrocephalus treatment.

Objective: This investigation is aimed at gaining a better understanding of the factors that lead to mechanical failure of shunts used for the treatment of hydrocephalus, including shunt catheter-valve disconnection and shunt catheter fracture.

Methods: To determine the root cause of mechanical failure, the authors created a benchtop mechanical model to mimic mechanical stressors on a shunt system. To test shunt fracture, cyclical loading on the catheter-valve connection site was tested with the shunt catheter held perpendicular to the valve.

Characterization of a multicenter pediatric-hydrocephalus shunt biobank.

Background: Pediatric hydrocephalus is a devastating and costly disease. The mainstay of treatment is still surgical shunting of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). These shunts fail at a high rate and impose a significant burden on patients, their families and society.

Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome and Sickle Cell Disease: A Case Report.

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), is rare in the pediatric population and is characterized by severe headaches and other neurologic symptoms. We present a case of RCVS occurring concomitantly with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in an 8-year-old African American child with sickle cell disease (HbSS). Imaging studies including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral angiography of the brain showed acute hemorrhagic stroke and a beaded appearance of peripheral cerebral vessels.

Pneumocephalus in a Pediatric Patient with Glioma Receiving Trametinib.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway consists of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling cascade, and its upregulation plays a major role in the pathogenesis of pediatric astrocytomas and molecular inhibitors of this pathway including trametinib and dabrafenib have been tested in early-phase clinical trials and used by pediatric oncologists in children with BRAF-mutated gliomas. We report a clinical case where a child with progressive BRAF-mutated glioma developed an uncommon and difficult to manage complication - pneumocephalus from intracranial air entry and trapping through dehisced surgical wounds and preexisting skull burr holes. The patient's wound breakdown coincided with skin toxicity from MEK inhibitor therapy.