3D printed headholder for use in neurosurgical cadaver training: Technical note.

Introduction: Headholders or skull clamps serve as indispensable tools in neurosurgery, facilitating the precise positioning and stabilization of the head for surgery. The realm of neurosurgical training in cadaver labs presents a clear challenge due to the lack of suitable non-clinical headholders.

Research Question: We describe a 3D printed stainless-steel headholder for use in neurosurgical cadaver lab training.

Stereo-electroencephalography-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation restricted to periventricular nodular heterotopias in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy: A single center experience.

Introduction: Periventricular nodular heterotopias (PVNH) are developmental abnormalities with neurons abnormally clustered around the cerebral ventricles. Patients frequently present with focal drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). However, the relationship between PVNH and the seizure onset zone (SOZ) is complex.

High-precision stereotactic irradiation for focal drug-resistant epilepsy versus standard treatment: a randomized waitlist-controlled trial (the PRECISION trial).

Introduction: The standard treatment for patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) who are not eligible for open brain surgery is the continuation of anti-seizure medication (ASM) and neuromodulation. This treatment does not cure epilepsy but only decreases severity. The PRECISION trial offers a non-invasive, possibly curative intervention for these patients, which consist of a single stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) treatment.

The existence of cranial bone flap displacement during brain radiotherapy.

This retrospective study examined bone flap displacement during radiotherapy in 25 post-operative brain tumour patients. Though never exceeding 2.5 mm, the sheer frequency of displacement highlights the need for future research on larger populations to validate its presence and assess the potential clinical impact on planning tumour volume margins.

DeepFLAIR: A neural network approach to mitigate signal and contrast loss in temporal lobes at 7 Tesla FLAIR images.

Background And Purpose: Higher magnetic field strength introduces stronger magnetic field inhomogeneities in the brain, especially within temporal lobes, leading to image artifacts. Particularly, T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images can be affected by these artifacts. Here, we aimed to improve the FLAIR image quality in temporal lobe regions through image processing of multiple contrast images via machine learning using a neural network.

Surgical complications of vagus nerve stimulation surgery: A 14-years single-center experience.

Introduction: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is the most frequently used neuromodulation treatment for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy (DRE) patients. Complications of VNS surgery include surgical site infection and unilateral vocal cord paresis. Complication rates vary across studies.

Current state of the art of traditional and minimal invasive epilepsy surgery approaches.

Introduction: Open resective surgery remains the main treatment modality for refractory epilepsy, but is often considered a last resort option due to its invasiveness.

Research Question: This manuscript aims to provide an overview on traditional as well as minimally invasive surgical approaches in modern state of the art epilepsy surgery.

Materials And Methods: This narrative review addresses both historical and contemporary as well as minimal invasive surgical approaches in epilepsy surgery.

Defining benchmark outcomes for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy surgery: A global multicenter analysis of 1119 cases.

Objective: Benchmarking has been proposed to reflect surgical quality and represents the highest standard reference values for desirable results. We sought to determine benchmark outcomes in patients after surgery for drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE).

Methods: This retrospective multicenter study included patients who underwent MTLE surgery at 19 expert centers on five continents.

Outcome of Epilepsy Surgery in MRI-Negative Patients Without Histopathologic Abnormalities in the Resected Tissue.

Background And Objective: Patients with presumed nonlesional focal epilepsy-based on either MRI or histopathologic findings-have a lower success rate of epilepsy surgery compared with lesional patients. In this study, we aimed to characterize a large group of patients with focal epilepsy who underwent epilepsy surgery despite a normal MRI and had no lesion on histopathology. Determinants of their postoperative seizure outcomes were further studied.

Societal costs and quality of life analysis in patients undergoing resective epilepsy surgery: A one-year follow-up.

Although effectiveness of Resective Epilepsy Surgery (RES) for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is widely proven, research on the impact of societal costs (SC) is lacking. The aim of this study is to provide both clinical and economic outcomes of RES by offering an overview of treatment effectiveness as well as SC of RES in a cohort of 30 Dutch DRE patients. This project serves as a pilot project to offer an up-to-date model for larger cost-effectiveness studies.

Hemispherotomy Revised: A complication overview and a systematic review meta-analysis.

Introduction: Hemispherectomy/hemispherotomy has been employed in the management of catastrophic epilepsy. However, initial reports on the associated mortality and morbidity raised several concerns regarding the technique's safety. Their actual, current incidence needs to be systematically examined to redefine hemispherotomy's exact role.

Successful epilepsy surgery in two cases with multiple sclerosis.

Brain surgery is the only curative treatment for people with focal epilepsy, but it is unclear whether this induces active disease in multiple sclerosis (MS). This creates a barrier to evaluate MS patients for epilepsy surgery. We present two cases of successful epilepsy surgery in patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy and stable MS and give an overview of the existing literature.

Resective Epilepsy Surgery, QUality of life and Economic evaluation (RESQUE): the change in quality of life after resective epilepsy surgery-protocol for a multicentre, prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Resective epilepsy surgery is often seen as a last resort when treating drug-resistant epilepsy. Positive results on quality of life (QoL) and economic benefits after surgery argue for a less restrictive attitude towards epilepsy surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy. QoL and economic benefits are country-dependent.

QUality of life and Economic evaluation after neuroSTimulation for Epilepsy (QUESTE) in adolescents and adults with drug-resistant epilepsy: protocol for a multicentre, prospective observational cohort study in The Netherlands.

Introduction: Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders. Antiseizure medication (ASM) is the first choice of treatment, however, 30% of epilepsy patients are drug-resistant. For these patients, neuromodulation can be an option, especially when epilepsy surgery is not possible or did not lead to seizure freedom.

Cerebrovascular glycocalyx damage and microcirculation impairment in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is increasingly associated with blood-brain barrier dysfunction and microvascular alterations, yet the pathophysiological link is missing. An important barrier function is exerted by the glycocalyx, a gel-like layer coating the endothelium. To explore such associations, we used intraoperative videomicroscopy to quantify glycocalyx and microcirculation properties of the neocortex and hippocampus of 15 patients undergoing resective brain surgery as treatment for drug-resistant TLE, and 15 non-epileptic controls.

Visualizing GABA transporters in vivo: an overview of reported radioligands and future directions.

By clearing GABA from the synaptic cleft, GABA transporters (GATs) play an essential role in inhibitory neurotransmission. Consequently, in vivo visualization of GATs can be a valuable diagnostic tool and biomarker for various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Not surprisingly, in recent years several research attempts to develop a radioligand have been conducted, but so far none have led to suitable radioligands that allow imaging of GATs.

Advances in Image Processing for Epileptogenic Zone Detection with MRI.

Focal epilepsy is a common and severe neurologic disorder. Neuroimaging aims to identify the epileptogenic zone (EZ), preferably as a macroscopic structural lesion. For approximately a third of patients with chronic drug-resistant focal epilepsy, the EZ cannot be precisely identified using standard 3.

Neurocognition in adults with intracranial tumors: does location really matter?

Objective: As preservation of cognitive functioning increasingly becomes important in the light of ameliorated survival after intracranial tumor treatments, identification of eloquent brain areas would enable optimization of these treatments.

Methods: This cohort study enrolled adult intracranial tumor patients who received neuropsychological assessments pre-irradiation, estimating processing speed, verbal fluency and memory. Anatomical magnetic resonance imaging scans were used for multivariate voxel-wise lesion-symptom predictions of the test scores (corrected for age, gender, educational level, histological subtype, surgery, and tumor volume).

From a dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor to a glioblastoma multiforme: Pitfalls of initial diagnosis on biopsy material, a case report.

Background: Ganglioglioma (GG) and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET) belong to the group of low-grade epilepsy-associated tumors (LEAT) and are the most prevalent tumor types found in patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. Histopathological differentiation between GG and DNET can be difficult on biopsies due to limited tumor tissue.

Case Description: Here, we present a rare case where a low-grade tumor was initially classified as DNET, based on biopsy findings and unfortunately dedifferentiated within 10 years into a glioblastoma multiforme.

Assessment of need for hemostatic evaluation in patients taking valproic acid: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Valproic acid (VPA) is a frequently prescribed anti-epileptic drug. Since its introduction side effects on hemostasis are reported. However, studies show conflicting results, and the clinical relevance is questioned.