Cervical Myelopathy Secondary to Atlanto-occipital Assimilation: The Usefulness of the Simple Decompressive Surgery.

Atlanto-occipital assimilation is one of the most common osseous anomalies observed at the craniocervical junction. Most patients with atlas assimilation show no symptom, but some have neurological problems such as myelopathy that may require surgical treatment. Occipitocervical fusion may be required if atlato-occipital assimilation is accompanied by occipito-axial instability.

Percutaneous sacroplasty using CT guidance for pain palliation in sacral insufficiency fractures.

Background And Objective: Sacroplasty has emerged as a treatment option for patients with painful osteoporotic sacral insufficiency fractures. We report short-term outcomes in a consecutive cohort of patients treated with sacroplasty.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 57 patients treated with sacroplasty for painful osteoporotic sacral fractures at our institution between 2004 and 2011.

Caffeine inhibits cell proliferation and regulates PKA/GSK3β pathways in U87MG human glioma cells.

Caffeine is the most commonly ingested methylxanthine and has anti-cancer effects in several types of cancer. In this study, we examined the anti-cancer effects of caffeine on gliomas, both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, caffeine treatment reduced glioma cell proliferation through G(0)/G(1)-phase cell cycle arrest by suppressing Rb phosphorylation.

Ethanol down regulates the expression of myelin proteolipid protein in the rat hippocampus.

It is well known that chronic ethanol treatment affects the synthesis of RNA and protein in the brain and the maintenance and function of nervous system. The changes in myelination-related genes are most prominent in human alcoholics. Previously, our cDNA microarray study showed altered Proteolipid protein (PLP), a major protein of central myelin.

Phosphorylation of 14-3-3ζ at serine 58 and neurodegeneration following kainic acid-induced excitotoxicity.

Oxidative stress-induced cell death leads to phosphorylation of 14-3-3ζ at serine 58. 14-3-3ζ is detected at significant levels in cerebrospinal fluid after kainic acid (KA)-induced seizures. Here we examined temporal changes in 14-3-3ζ phosphorylation in the hippocampus and amygdala of mice after KA treatment.

Altered expression of sphingosine kinase 1 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 in mouse hippocampus after kainic acid treatment.

Kainic acid (KA) induces hippocampal cell death and astrocyte proliferation. There are reports that sphingosine kinase (SPHK)1 and sphingosine-1- phosphate (S1P) receptor 1 (S1P(1)) signaling axis controls astrocyte proliferation. Here we examined the temporal changes of SPHK1/S1P(1) in mouse hippocampus during KA-induced hippocampal cell death.

Negative effect of hypopituitarism following brain trauma in patients with diffuse axonal injury.

Object: The aim of this prospective observational study was to assess the incidence and pattern of hypopituitarism after diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and to identify its effect on these patients in terms of functional outcome.

Methods: Of 1307 patients with traumatic brain injury treated at the authors' institution between March 2005 and June 2008, 65 patients with DAI were enrolled in the present study. The authors determined basal hormone levels, initial Glasgow Coma Scale scores, the Marshall CT grades, the presence of abnormal signal intensity indicating lesions on MR images, and duration of unconsciousness.

Superior orbital rim approach for anterior communicating artery aneurysms: a surgical series of 27 patients.

There are debatable claims in the optimal approach for clipping of the anterior communicating artery (AcomA) aneurysm. The authors invented the superior orbital rim approach (SORA) as an alternative and minimally invasive approach for the treatment of AcomA aneurysm. The authors reviewed retrospectively all the medical records of 27 patients of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured AcomA aneurysm.