Search results for "Spinal"

Descending Connections from the Brainstem to the Spinal Cord in the Electric Fish <i>Eigenmannia</i>

1990

The descending connections from the brainstem to the spinal cord in Eigenmannia sp. were demonstrated using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique. The spinal cord was transecte

Author’s Response to Professor Reiber’s second letter concerning our article: High sensitivity of free lambda and free kappa light chains for the det…

2009

Meningitis caused by Enterococcus gallinarum after lumbar drainage of cerebrospinal fluid.

2005

We report a rare case of meningitis caused by Enterococcus gallinarum, a bacterium characterized by its ability to express low-level resistance to vancomycin. As in the three other previously reported cases, this one occurred in a patient with a cerebrospinal fluid drainage catheter and properly responded to antimicrobial therapy and removal of the drain.

Obstructive Malformations of the Internal Jugular Vein

2021

Obstructive malformations of the internal jugular veins represent a relatively new clinical problem, which as of yet has not been fully understood. In normal subjects, the internal jugular vein is valveless, except for a single valve, situated just above the junction of this vein with the brachiocephalic vein. Usually, normal jugular valves exhibit a two-leaflet structure. Stenotic lesions of these veins were described for the first time in 2009 in a group of multiple sclerosis patients. The most common obstructive malformation of the internal jugular vein is a stenotic valve. There are several morphological types of such aberrant valves, comprising annular stenoses, valves with fused, reve…

Regeneration After CNS Lesion: Help from the Immune System?

2010

Traumatic injury to the central nervous system (CNS) is followed by an inflammatory response, which is characterized by at least two very distinct phases: First, a short highly controlled burst of acute inflammatory defense and second, a long-term remodeling phase. Similarly, at least one or two phases of T-cell infiltration have been described in CNS trauma models suggesting differential functions of T cells in the acute and remodeling phase. Thus, the role of T cells in CNS trauma is still controversial. Interestingly, vaccine strategies and injections of autoimmune T cells led to both exacerbation of CNS damage after trauma in some models and improvement in others. Here, we suggest that …

Spinal Cord Stimulation to Treat Unresponsive Cancer Pain: A Possible Solution in Palliative Oncological Therapy

2022

(1) Background: Treatment of cancer-related pain is still challenging, and it can be managed by both medical and interventional therapies. Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is a minimally invasive technique, and its use is rapidly increasing in the treatment of chronic pain. (2) Materials and Methods: Our study aims to perform a review of the pertinent literature about current evidences in cancer pain treatment by Spinal Cord Stimulation. Moreover, we created a database based on case reports or case series (18 studies) in the literature. We analyzed a clinical group of oncological patients affected by intractable pain undergoing SCS implantation, focusing on outcome. (3) Results: The analysis o…

Prenatal exposure to cannabinoids evokes long-lasting functional alterations by targeting CB 1 receptors on developing cortical neurons

2015

The CB1 cannabinoid receptor, the main target of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most prominent psychoactive compound of marijuana, plays a crucial regulatory role in brain development as evidenced by the neurodevelopmental consequences of its manipulation in animal models. Likewise, recreational cannabis use during pregnancy affects brain structure and function of the progeny. However, the precise neurobiological substrates underlying the consequences of prenatal THC exposure remain unknown. As CB1 signaling is known to modulate long-range corticofugal connectivity, we analyzed the impact of THC exposure on cortical projection neuron development. THC administration to pregnant mice in…

Autologous fibrin sealant (Vivostat(®)) in the neurosurgical practice: Part I: Intracranial surgical procedure.

2014

Background: Hemorrhages, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula and infections are the most challenging postoperative complications in Neurosurgery. In this study, we report our preliminary results using a fully autologous fibrin sealant agent, the Vivostat ® system, in achieving hemostasis and CSF leakage repair during cranio‑cerebral procedures. Methods: From January 2012 to March 2014, 77 patients were studied prospectively and data were collected and analyzed. Autologous fibrin sealant, taken from patient’s blood, was prepared with the Vivostat ® system and applied on the resection bed or above the dura mater to achieve hemostasis and dural sealing. The surgical technique, time to bleeding c…

Headache in cerebrospinal fluid volume depletion syndrome: A case report

2006

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume depletion syndrome is due to leakage of cerebrospinal fluid through lesions of the dural sac at the level of the cranial base or of the spine. When past medical history is negative for recent trauma or surgery, the term spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is used. SIH is characterized clinically by orthostatic headache, neck pain, nausea, emesis, horizontal diplopia, tinnitus, plugged ear, hearing difficulties, blurring of vision, facial numbness, and upper limb radicular symptoms. In SIH, brain and cervical MR scans show a diffuse pachymeningeal gadolinium enhancement that ends at the site of CSF leakage. The application of epidural blood patches has…

Financial Aspects of Cervical Disc Arthroplasty: A Narrative Review of Recent Literature

2020

Recently, there has been significant interest in understanding the cost-effectiveness of treatments in spine surgery as health care systems in the United States move toward value-based care and alternative payment models. Previous studies have shown comparable outcomes of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) and anterior cervical discectomy fusion; however, there is a lack of consensus on the cost-effectiveness of CDA to support full adoption. Evidence of the limitations of these cost-analysis studies also exists in the literature, including industry funding, potential selection bias, and varying methods of calculating value. The goal of this narrative review is to provide an overview of the co…