Perceptions of Selected Undergraduate Medical Students in the Philippines on the Effectiveness of the Combined Use of Plastinated and Formalin-preserved Brains in Neuroanatomy Education: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background And Objective: Neuroanatomy is both terrifying to learn and problematic to teach, and the different methods of neuroanatomical education have their own strengths and weaknesses. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the perception of undergraduate medical students towards the combined use of plastinated and formalin-preserved brain specimen in their neuroanatomy course.

Methods: A bridging program was designed for students whose medical education was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to reinforce the knowledge and understanding of anatomy that they acquired in a virtual environment.

Student Evaluation of a Learning Enhancement in Anatomy Program (LEAP) during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study.

Background And Objective: The pandemic acted as an accelerator for the development of online teaching formats in anatomy and histology worldwide. The authors introduce a bridging program that reinforces the knowledge and understanding of gross and correlative anatomy and histology acquired in a virtual environment in preparation for its future clinical application. The study aims to evaluate the Learning Enhancement in Anatomy Program (LEAP) conducted among first-year medical students at the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila.

Clinical Capacity Building Through Partnerships: Boots on the Ground in Global Neurosurgery.

Global neurosurgery seeks to provide quality neurosurgical health care worldwide and faces challenges because of historical, socioeconomic, and political factors. To address the shortfall of essential neurosurgical procedures worldwide, dyads between established neurosurgical and developing centers have been established. Concerns have been raised about their effectiveness and ability to sustain capacity development.

Global Neurosurgery: A Path Forward Through Health System Strengthening.

The future of global neurosurgery should focus on addressing the unmet neurosurgical need from a health system approach should we hope to achieve sustainable and ethical change. In this article, we review the global building blocks, as defined by the World Health Organization, and use this framework to propose strategies to strengthen neurosurgical care on the global frontier. The targets for Universal Healthcare Coverage by 2030, as outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, are reviewed, and the role of neurosurgeons in addressing the global targets is discussed.

Education and Training in Global Neurosurgery: The Quest for Diversity and Equitable Collaborations.

Education and training are essential components of global neurosurgery because they provide a sustainable solution to address the workforce deficits in the neurosurgical burden of disease. Neurosurgery training programs and opportunities exist in most areas of the world, but some countries still lack formal mechanisms to train future generations. In this special article, we review the neurosurgical workforce deficit, characterize factors influencing the absence or inadequacy of neurosurgical training, and identify strategies that could facilitate global efforts in building a stronger workforce.

Achieving Equity Through Global Neurosurgery Research.

Since the release of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery report in 2015, there has been an increase in the number of published papers on global neurosurgery, gaining widespread support from major neurosurgery journals. However, there remains no consensus on what may be considered part of global neurosurgery literature. Here, we propose that global neurosurgery research encompasses all scholarly work that measure, explore, or address inequity in the care of neurosurgical disease.

Global Neurosurgery: An Overview.

In the following article, we define the practice of global neurosurgery and review the major historical events defining this movement within the larger context of global surgery. The current state of the neurosurgical workforce, disease burden, and ongoing collaborative efforts are highlighted. Ethical practice leading the sustainability is discussed, as well as future targets for the global community as we look beyond the next decade of opportunities to affect the neurosurgical burden of disease.

A guide to interpreting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in neurosurgery and surgery.

Introduction: Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) are methods of data analysis used to synthesize information presented in multiple publications on the same topic. A thorough understanding of the steps involved in conducting this type of research and approaches to data analysis is critical for appropriate understanding, interpretation, and application of the findings of these reviews.

Methods: We reviewed reference texts in clinical neuroepidemiology, neurostatistics and research methods and other previously related articles on meta-analyses (MAs) in surgery.

Reducing the Gap in Neurosurgical Education in LMICs: A Report of a Non-Profit Educational Program.

Introduction: Central to neurosurgical care, neurosurgical education is particularly needed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where opportunities for neurosurgical training are limited due to social and economic constraints and an inadequate workforce. The present paper aims (1) to evaluate the validity and usability of a cadaver-free hybrid system in the context of LMICs and (2) to report their learning needs and whether the courses meet those needs via a comprehensive survey.

Methods: From April to November 2021, a non-profit initiative consisting of a series of innovative cadaver-free courses based on virtual and practical training was organized.

The Neurosurgical Workforce of the Philippines.

Background And Objectives: No study has comprehensively examined the delivery of neurosurgical care in the Philippines, a lower-middle-income country in Southeast Asia with a total population of 109 million. We aimed to quantify the workforce, map the distribution, and characterize the clinical practice of neurosurgeons across the 17 regions and 81 provinces of the Philippines.

Methods: An online survey was sent to all fellows of the Academy of Filipino Neurosurgeons and all graduates of neurosurgical training programs in the country.

The Greatest Healthcare Disparity: Addressing Inequities in the Treatment of Childhood Central Nervous System Tumors in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

The antithesis between childhood cancer survival rates in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and high-income countries (HIC) represents one of healthcare's most significant disparities. In HICs, the 5-year survival rate for children with cancer, including most brain tumors, exceeds 80%. Unfortunately, children in LMICs experience far worse outcomes with 5-year survival rates as low as 20%.

The Role of Registries in Neurotrauma Research: Translating Data Into Health Policy That Enhances Patient Care Comment on "Neurotrauma Surveillance in National Registries of Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review and Comparative Analysis of Data Dictionaries".

The paucity of robust neurotrauma data is felt most in regions that experience a higher burden of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The scoping review done by Barthélemy et al provides insight into the current state of national registries in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) while also exploring the tools required to standardize data collection. In this commentary, we reflect on the barriers to data collection (ie, creation and maintenance of a TBI registry) and explore how registries can aid both scientific output and preventative public awareness campaigns that may pave the way to improved health policy and social change that avert mortality and morbidity from TBI.

The role of neurosurgery in advancing pediatric CNS tumor care worldwide.

Introduction: There is substantial inequity in survival outcomes for pediatric brain tumor patients residing in high-income countries (HICs) compared to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To address disparities in pediatric cancer survival, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) to expand quality care for children with cancer.

Research Question: To provide an overview of pediatric neurosurgical capacity and detail the burden of neurosurgical diseases impacting children.

Needs, Roles, and Challenges of Young Asian Neurosurgeons.

Background: Asia has a marked shortage of neurosurgical care, with approximately 2.5 million critical cases left untreated. The Young Neurosurgeons Forum of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies surveyed Asian neurosurgeons to identify research, education, and practice.

Time to Care: Analysis of Time Differences and Outcomes in the Management of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury for a High-Income and Lower-Middle-Income Country.

Background: Pediatric cranial trauma is the leading cause of acquired death and disability in children worldwide. However, trauma resources vary widely among countries. We sought to compare management and timely access to care between a level 1 U.

Analysis of YouTube videos on hydrocephalus in the local language: matching content with the needs of caregivers.

Objective: Studies that evaluate YouTube videos on hydrocephalus often exclude non-English-language videos, even though hydrocephalus is more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries where English may not be widely understood. This study had two aims: to analyze the engagement, content, and quality of YouTube videos on hydrocephalus in the Filipino language, and to determine whether the videos' content matched the information needs of caregivers of children with hydrocephalus in the Philippines.

Methods: The authors conducted an online survey among caregivers of patients with hydrocephalus, recruited through the Facebook page of the Hydrocephalus Foundation of the Philippines Inc.

Variation in postoperative outcomes of patients with intracranial tumors: insights from a prospective international cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: This study assessed the international variation in surgical neuro-oncology practice and 30-day outcomes of patients who had surgery for an intracranial tumor during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We prospectively included adults aged ≥18 years who underwent surgery for a malignant or benign intracranial tumor across 55 international hospitals from 26 countries. Each participating hospital recorded cases for 3 consecutive months from the start of the pandemic.

Pediatric Neurosurgical Capacity for the Care of Children With CNS Tumors Worldwide: A Cross-Sectional Assessment.

Purpose: Efforts to address inequities in the treatment of pediatric CNS tumors and the burden of childhood cancer globally have prompted the designation of low-grade glioma as one of six index cancers for the World Health Organization Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. Understanding the importance of neurosurgical interventions and evaluating pediatric neurosurgical capacity may identify critical interventions to improve outcomes for children with low-grade glioma and other CNS tumors.

Methods: An online, cross-sectional survey assessing pediatric neurosurgical practice and capacity was distributed to members of the International Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery.

Global Epidemiology of Craniosynostosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Craniosynostosis leads to craniofacial deformity and may result in raised intracranial pressure, neurocognitive deficits, and psychosocial issues if left untreated. The global epidemiology of craniosynostosis is unknown. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate global birth prevalence.

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy And Choroid Plexus Coagulation in Infants: Current Concepts and Illustrative Cases.

Background: The global burden of pediatric hydrocephalus is high, causing significant morbidity and mortality among children especially in low- and middle-income countries. It is commonly treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunting, but in recent years, the combined use of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and choroid plexus coagulation (CPC) has enabled patients to live without a shunt.

Objective: We aim to give an overview of ETV+CPC for the treatment of hydrocephalus in infants, focusing on patient selection, perioperative care, and long-term follow-up.