[Association between single nucleotide genetic polymorphisms in ABC transporter genes with drug-resistant epilepsy in the Spanish population].

Introduction: Almost a third of all patients with epilepsy (30%) fail to respond to pharmacological treatment. The presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the individual may influence the variability of the response to drug treatment. The transporter hypothesis posits that the presence of SNPs in the genes encoding ABC proteins would affect the bioavailability of antiseizure drugs at the epileptogenic focus, giving rise to refractoriness.

Network Substrates of Centromedian Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation in Generalized Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS), specifically thalamic DBS, has achieved promising results to reduce seizure severity and frequency in pharmacoresistant epilepsies, thereby establishing it for clinical use. The mechanisms of action are, however, still unknown. We evidenced the brain networks directly modulated by centromedian (CM) nucleus-DBS and responsible for clinical outcomes in a cohort of patients uniquely diagnosed with generalized pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

[Bases of deep brain stimulation].

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation is an effective therapy that is being used in an increasing number of indications. The mechanisms by which it exerts its therapeutic effect are still largely unknown, although there is increasing evidence of its influence at various levels.

Aim: To review the existing literature on the mechanism of action of deep brain stimulation.

[Deep brain stimulation in drug-resistant epilepsy].

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in drug-resistant epilepsy has been applied to several brain targets. However, its exact mechanism of action is not known, and the diversity of targets makes it difficult to know the degree of evidence that supports its use.

Development: A review of the literature on DBS for drug-resistant epilepsy was conducted.

Deep brain stimulation for aggressiveness: long-term follow-up and tractography study of the stimulated brain areas.

Objective: Initial studies applying deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the posteromedial hypothalamus (PMH) to patients with pathological aggressiveness have yielded encouraging results. However, the anatomical structures involved in its therapeutic effect have not been precisely identified. The authors' objective was to describe the long-term outcome in their 7-patient series, and the tractography analysis of the volumes of tissue activated in 2 of the responders.

How I do it? Lumbar cortical bone trajectory fixation with image-guided neuronavigation.

Background: Cortical bone trajectory was described in 2009 to reduce screw loosening in osteoporotic patients. Since then, it has demonstrated improvements in biomechanical and perioperative results compared to pedicle screws, and it have been described as a minimally invasive technique.

Method: We describe our experience with the technique assisted by 3D neuronavigation and review some of the complications and tools to avoid them together with limitations and pitfalls.

[Is it possible to extract intracranial pressure information based on the EEG activity?].

Introduction: The capability of the electroencephalography (EEG) of recording the bioelectrical activity of the brain has made of it a fundamental tool for the evaluation of the patient's neurological condition. In recent years, moreover, it has also begun to be used in obtaining information for other kind of variables, as the ones related with the cerebral hemodynamics.

Aim: To study the potential relationship between the EEG activity and the intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients suffering from traumatic brain injury and subarachnoid hemorrhage, during their stay at the intensive care unit.

Subcutaneous tissue metastasis from glioblastoma multiforme: A case report and review of the literature.

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary brain tumor, despite an aggressive clinical course, less than 2% of patients develop extraneural metastasis. We present a 72-year-old male diagnosed with a right temporal glioblastoma due to headache. He underwent total gross resection surgery and after that the patient was treated with adyuvant therapy.

Review of Cortical Bone Trajectory: Evidence of a New Technique.

This article summarizes recent evidence on the cortical bone trajectory (CBT) obtained from published anatomical, biomechanical, and clinical studies. CBT was proposed by Santoni in 2009 as a new trajectory that can improve the fixation of pedicle screws in response to screw loosening in osteoporotic patients. Recently, research interest has been growing with increasing numbers of published series and frequent reports of new applications.

[Medullar thoracic compression by tophaceous gout: presentation of a case and review of the literature].

Introduction: Spine involvement in gout is an extremely uncommon complication. Dorsalgia and quadriplegia are some manifestations that may occur, although these symptoms are seen more frequently in other more prevalent pathologies, such as spinal tumors.

Case Report: We present an unusual case of thoracic spinal cord compression at T10-T11 level caused by the extradural deposit of tophaceous material in a 52-year-old woman with uncontrolled chronic tophaceous gout.

[Haemorrhagic pineal cysts: two clinical cases successfully treated by means of microsurgery].

Introduction: Pineal cysts are a relatively frequent incidental finding in imaging tests; yet, pineal apoplexy is considered to be rare and is associated to severe symptoms.

Case Reports: We report the cases of a 25-year-old male and a female aged 15 years who visited the emergency department with signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension. The existence of a pineal haemorrhage was confirmed by imaging tests.

Classification of structural lesions in magnetic resonance imaging. Surgical implications in drug-resistant epilepsy patients.

Introduction: The presence of a structural lesion in the preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of drug-resistant epilepsy patients has been usually associated with a favourable surgical outcome. We present our experience in our Epilepsy Surgery Unit.

Patients And Methods: Clinical records from 265 patients, operated on from 1990-2010 in our institution, were reviewed.

[Chronic subdural haematomas. The internal architecture of the haematoma as a predictor of recurrence].

Introduction: The internal architecture of a chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH) is an important factor that must be taken into account as a predictor of recurrence.

Aim: To analyse the factors that are possibly associated to the recurrence of CSDH, with special emphasis on the above-mentioned architecture.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed 147 patients treated between 2010 and 2013.

[Neurophysiological assisted transsulcal approach to a high grade glioma without affect neither motor nor somatosensory function].

Introduction: Intraoperative mapping and neuronavigation permitted a safe approach through the rolandic sulcus, minimizing the impact onto the motor or somatosensory functions. Fluorescence-guide resection defines a limit that allows a total resection without exceed the border of the tumor.

Case Report: A 39-year-old man who was operated by a tumor placed into the rolandic area.

[Intracerebral neurenteric cysts in newborn infants].

Introduction: Intracranial neurenteric cysts are very infrequent congenital lesions. Within the nervous system, they are most commonly located in the rachis. Another frequent site is the craniocervical junction.

[Frontal aneurysmal bone cyst. A case report and review of the literature].

Introduction: Cranial aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a rare pathological finding that is usually diagnosed in young patients. It is defined as a benign lesion made up of intervillous spaces limited by connective bone tissue septa and osteoclast-type giant cells; these histological characteristics are common to extracranial ABC. Clinically, in most patients, they manifest as cranial tumours which may be painful and vary in size.

[Differential contribution of preoperatory studies to diagnosis in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery].

Introduction: It is necessary to know the degree of concordance of preoperative studies in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). AIM. To analyze the relative importance of different preoperative tests (vEEG, EEG, SPECT and MRI), the degree of agreement between them, and to develop a Bayesian probability model for diagnosis.

[Hemispheric transcranial electrical stimulation: clinical results].

Introduction: Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) is a technique widely used in intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring. However, there are theoretical limitations to their use in supratentorial surgery.

Aim: To test the usefulness of hemispheric TES (C3/C4-Cz) in supratentorial surgery.

[Unilateral subthalamic stimulation in the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease].

Introduction: The use of unilateral subthalamic stimulation (USTS) in the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease can be effective and offer a series of advantages on comparing this technique with bilateral subthalamic stimulation (BSTS).

Patients And Methods: We studied 35 consecutive patients: 22 with BSTS and 13 with USTS (six left and seven right). The epidemiological features and the scores on the functional assessment scales -Hoehn and Yahr, Schwab and England, and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) I to IV- were not significantly different in the two groups, except for the Hoehn and Yahr in off (USTS: 3.

[Treatment of hydrocephalus secondary to intraventricular haemorrhage in preterm infants. A review of the literature].

Introduction: The current incidence of intraventricular haemorrhage in low-weight preterm infants is 20%. The percentage of patients who are going to develop hydrocephalus secondary to this haemorrhage varies greatly. In the last 20 years different medical and surgical treatments have been put forward to prevent both the occurrence of haemorrhage and the development of hydrocephalus.

[Surgical treatment of symptomatic arachnoid cysts in children].

Introduction: When symptomatic, arachnoid cysts (AC) must be treated surgically. The best surgical technique, however, is at the present time still subject to controversy -implantation of a cyst-peritoneal shunt (CPS) or fenestration of the cyst, either by means of a craniotomy or by using endoscopic techniques.

Patients And Methods: This paper reports the findings from a series of 18 patients under 10 years of age who were treated for symptomatic ACs.

[Pharmacoresistant temporal-lobe epilepsy. Exploration with foramen ovale electrodes and surgical outcomes].

Aim: To report our experience in the surgical treatment of temporal-lobe epilepsy.

Patients And Methods: An analysis was performed of the outcomes of 137 patients submitted to surgery between 1990 and 2001, with a follow-up of more than two years. A study was conducted of the percentages of successful detection by the different complementary tests--MRI, EEG, interictal SPECT, video-EEG with foramen ovale electrodes (FOE), neuropsychological study (NPS)--and the precision with which they reported the epileptogenic focus.

[Lumbar spinal surgery in elderly patients].

Introduction: In the geriatric population, pain with sciatic irradiation requires a differential diagnosis to enable a distinction to be made mainly between a herniated disc, lateral recess stenosis or lumbar stenosis. In addition, in many cases the degenerative problems are often associated with lumbar listhesis or instability. Furthermore, these patients present very diverse associated cardiovascular, pulmonary or metabolic pathologies which can make surgery complicated and, above all, prolong post-operative recovery, as well as increasing morbidity and mortality.

[Dural fistula in the craniocervical junction. A case report and review of the literature].

Introduction: Spinal dural fistulas consist in an artery that penetrates into the dura mater and drains into a perispinal vein. They are most commonly located in the dorsal or lumbar region; a craniocervical position is infrequent. The clinical features presented by these patients involve an progressive ascending myelopathy caused by severe venous hypertension, although they can also start with symptoms of a subarachnoid haemorrhage.