Long-term follow-up for lumbar intrathecal baclofen catheters placed using the paraspinal subfascial technique.

OBJECT Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) is a valuable therapeutic option for patients with spasticity and dystonia. The techniques that place an ITB pump catheter into the subcutaneous fat of a lumbar incision are well described. Because patients who require ITB often have low body fat content, they may be predisposed to catheter-related complications.

Quantification of exocytosis kinetics by DIC image analysis of cortical lawns.

Cortical lawns prepared from sea urchin eggs have offered a robust in vitro system for study of regulated exocytosis and membrane fusion events since their introduction by Vacquier almost 40 years ago (Vacquier in Dev Biol 43:62-74, 1975). Lawns have been imaged by phase contrast, darkfield, differential interference contrast, and electron microscopy. Quantification of exocytosis kinetics has been achieved primarily by light scattering assays.