Pepper power: short-term impact of pepper consumption on the gut bacteriome composition in healthy volunteers.

Background: Pepper from species is a well-established spice with a rich history of culinary use. Some observations have linked its consumption to gastrointestinal discomfort and alterations in stool patterns while it is considered beneficial in some cultures. However, there is lack of information on the direct effect of pepper consumption on human gut microbiota, we conducted dietary intervention studies to assess the impact of pepper on gut bacteriome composition in humans.

Validation of the graded prognostic assessment and recursive partitioning analysis as prognostic tools using a modern cohort of patients with brain metastases.

Background: Prognostic indices for patients with brain metastases (BM) are needed to individualize treatment and stratify clinical trials. Two frequently used tools to estimate survival in patients with BM are the recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) and the diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (DS-GPA). Given recent advances in therapies and improved survival for patients with BM, this study aims to validate and analyze these 2 models in a modern cohort.

The Prevalence of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Trends, Variances, and Value Appraisal.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate recent trends in the use of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in the United States, (2) assess regional variations in the use of IONM, and (3) assess the association between IONM and clinical outcomes.

Summary Of Background Data: IONM is frequently used during anterior cervical procedures to mitigate the risk of neurological injury.

Angiographic evidence of an inadvertent cannulation of the marginal sinus following central line migration: illustrative case.

Background: Central venous catheters (CVCs) play an indispensable role in clinical practice. Catheter malposition and tip migration can lead to severe complications. The authors present a case illustrating the endovascular management of inadvertent marginal sinus cannulation after an internal jugular vein (IJV) catheter tip migration.

Perioperative Blindness in Spine Surgery: A Scoping Literature Review.

Perioperative vision loss (POVL) is a devastating surgical complication that impacts both the recovery from surgery and quality of life, most commonly occurring after spine surgery. With rates of spine surgery dramatically increasing, the prevalence of POVL will increase proportionately. This scoping review aims to aggregate the literature pertinent to POVL in spine surgery and consolidate recommendations and preventative measures to reduce the risk of POVL.

External Validation of an Online Wound Infection and Wound Reoperation Risk Calculator After Metastatic Spinal Tumor Surgery.

Study Design: This was a single-institutional retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Wound infections are common following spine metastasis surgery and can result in unplanned reoperations. A recent study published an online wound complication risk calculator but has not yet undergone external validation.

A blinded study using laser induced endogenous fluorescence spectroscopy to differentiate ex vivo spine tumor, healthy muscle, and healthy bone.

Ten patients undergoing surgical resection for spinal tumors were selected. Samples of tumor, muscle, and bone were resected, de-identified by the treating surgeon, and then scanned with the TumorID technology ex vivo. This study investigates whether TumorID technology is able to differentiate three different human clinical fresh tissue specimens: spine tumor, normal muscle, and normal bone.

Scoping review on the state of racial disparities literature in the treatment of neurosurgical disease: a call for action.

Objective: Racial disparities are ubiquitous across medicine in the US. This study aims to assess the evidence of racial disparities within neurosurgery and across its subspecialties, with a specific goal of quantifying the distribution of articles devoted to either identifying, understanding, or reducing disparities.

Methods: The authors searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus databases by using keywords to represent the concepts of neurosurgery, patients, racial disparities, and specific study types.

Association Between Urbanicity and Outcomes Among Patients with Spinal Cord Ependymomas in the United States.

Background: Spinal cord ependymomas (SCEs) represent the most common intramedullary spinal cord tumors among adults. Research shows that access to neurosurgical care and patient outcomes can be greatly influenced by patient location. This study investigates the association between the outcomes of patients with SCE in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.

Associations between urbanicity and spinal cord astrocytoma management and outcomes.

Background: The management of spinal cord astrocytomas (SCAs) remains controversial and may include any combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Factors such as urbanicity (metropolitan versus non-metropolitan residence) are shown to be associated with patterns of treatment and clinical outcomes in a variety of cancers, but the role urbanicity plays in SCA treatment remains unknown.

Methods: The Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) analytic dataset, which combines data from CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Programs, was used to identify individuals with SCAs between 2004 and 2019.

Sociodemographic Trends in Telemedicine Visit Completion in Spine Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: This study identifies potential disparities in telemedicine utilization in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath in patients receiving spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: COVID-19 led to the rapid uptake of telemedicine in the spine surgery patient population.

The Association Between Sociodemographic Factors, Social Determinants of Health, and Spine Surgical Patient Portal Utilization.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To examine patient portal use among the surgical spine patient population across different sociodemographic groups and assess the impact of patient portal use on clinical outcomes.

Summary Of Background Data: Patient portals (PP) have been shown to improve outcomes and quality of care.

Promoting diversity in neurosurgery through a virtual symposium.

Objective: The rates of women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minority (UREM) students successfully matching into neurosurgical residency are extremely low and do not reflect the makeup of the general population. As of 2019, only 17.5% of neurosurgical residents in the United States were women, 4.

Robotic navigation in spine surgery: Where are we now and where are we going?

Robotic navigation is a new and rapidly emerging niche within minimally invasive spine surgery. The robotic arms-race began in 2004 and has resulted in no less than four major robotic surgical adjuncts. Current Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved applications of robotic navigation are limited to pedicle screw instrumentation, but new indications and experimental applications are rapidly emerging.