Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery最新文献

Background and objectives: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and responsive neural stimulation (RNS) are effective for patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Similar outcomes and increasingly convergent indications means the choice of device may come down to other factors. Common to implanted therapeutic devices, wound associated adverse outcomes are among the more common complications for these two procedures. However, there have been limited studies evaluating the differences in wound complication rates between DBS and RNS, despite the procedural differences for implantation for the two devices. Our objective is to analyze the differences in wound complication rates between patients who received DBS and RNS devices at the University of Colorado Hospital between 2016 and 2023.

Methods: All DBS and RNS surgeries performed from 2016 to 2023 for two surgeons at the University of Colorado Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Wound complications included infection, hardware protrusion, or wound erosion requiring surgical washout, explant, or replacement. Risk factors evaluated included age, sex, diabetes, body mass index, and immunocompromised status. Incidence of complications and risk factors were evaluated and compared using a Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U test. The relationship between selected risk factors and the probability of wound complication was evaluated using a binomial logistic regression.

Results: A total of 297 patients underwent DBS (n=234, n=218 for movement disorders, n=16 for epilepsy) and RNS (n=63) implantation. The DBS group had higher median age at the time of surgery compared to the RNS group (65 vs 37, p<0.001), no other significant differences in group characteristics were noted. Wound complication incidence was greater in the RNS group compared to DBS (12.7% vs 4.3%, p<0.001). No other risk factors were noted to contribute to wound complication rate.

Conclusion: Wound complication incidence was greater in RNS patients compared to DBS patients. Differences in age, sex, body mass index, and immunocompromised status were not associated with increased wound complication risk.

Introduction: Stereoencephalography (SEEG) has emerged as the most common technique for invasive monitoring as part of the preoperative workup for epilepsy surgery. The use of intracranial implants has the potential for vascular injury giving rise to pseudoaneurysm, followed by unpredictable, delayed hemorrhage. Confirmed cases of post-SEEG pseudoaneurysm, as well as suspected cases involving delayed hemorrhage after explanation, are very rare and have not allowed identification of the inciting cause.

Case presentation: A patient was evaluated over the course of two SEEG implantations before the decision to proceed with deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) to treat their drug-resistant epilepsy. Preoperative imaging for DBS revealed a pseudoaneurysm proximal to an SEEG craniostomy site. The lesion was treated with excision and vascular bypass, and the patient ultimately underwent DBS as planned. Retrospective analysis strongly implicated the SEEG implantation in pseudoaneurysmal formation, most likely via arterial collision resulting from entry site deviation from the planned stereotactic trajectory.

Conclusion: Pseudoaneurysm may be a more prevalent complication of SEEG than existing literature would suggest, as the delayed formation of these lesions can allow them to escape recognition on routine postoperative imaging. Though likely still uncommon, this may suggest the prudence of additional radiological surveillance. This complication is potentially devastating if unrecognized and untreated, but otherwise does not preclude further surgical therapies for epilepsy.

Introduction: There is a lack of evidence to guide the choice between stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and neuroablative procedures for patients with medically refractory trigeminal neuralgia (TN). This meta-analysis aims to identify the outcomes of these interventions for TN.

Methods: Studies identified through PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase, were cohort studies or clinical trials, had ≥20 participants, and had a ≥12-month follow-up. All participants were ≥16 years old and had primary refractory TN. Studies reported outcomes using the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) scale. The Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U test, two-tailed T Test, Spearman's R, and ANCOVA were used to test statistical significance. Screening was done according to PRISMA guidelines. Bias assessment was according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Results: 3,288 patients from 37 studies were included (2,537 SRS, 751 neuroablative). Overall reporting of BNI I, II, III, IV, and V was 36.0%, 17.4%, 23.9%, 11.7%, and 10.9%, respectively, in the SRS cohort, and 63.6%, 10.4%, 11.1%, 7.3%, and 7.6%, respectively, in the neuroablative cohort (p < 0.0001). Recurrence was 41.6% in the SRS cohort and 22.5% in the neuroablative cohort (p < 0.001). The neuroablative cohort reported significantly higher rates of hypoesthesia (18.6% vs. 50.5%, p < 0.0001), and minor (19.6% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.0001) and major (3.4% vs. 1.3%, p < 0.001) adverse effects compared to SRS.

Conclusion: The findings suggest improved pain relief and reduced recurrence with neuroablative procedures compared to SRS, albeit conferring a higher rate of adverse effects. Neuroablative techniques may be more appropriate for patients with medically refractory TN who are unsuitable for microvascular decompression.

Introduction: Functional thalamic surgery is known for alleviating isolated focal hand dystonia; however, the optimal target site in the thalamus is not determined. This study aimed to identify effective sites for thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treating this condition.

Methods: Four patients presenting with focal hand dystonia underwent thalamic DBS. Effective stimulation sites were identified through a combination of physiological and radiological mapping.

Results: All patients exhibited significant improvement in their hand dystonia. The most effective stimulation sites were localized in the anterior regions of the ventral intermedius nucleus (Vim), involving both Vim and the ventrooral nucleus.

Conclusion: Thalamic DBS proves highly effective in managing focal hand dystonia. The identified effective stimulation sites suggest the involvement of both the pallidothalamocortical and cerebellothalamocortical pathways in its pathophysiology.

Introduction: Photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) represents the next generation of CT technology, offering enhanced capabilities for detecting the orientation of directional leads in deep brain stimulation (DBS). This study aims to refine PCD-CT-based lead orientation determination using an automated method applicable to devices from various manufacturers, addressing current methodological limitations and improving neurosurgical precision.

Methods: An automated method was developed to ascertain the orientation of directional DBS leads using PCD-CT data and grayscale model fitting for devices from Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and Abbott. A phantom study was conducted to evaluate the precision and accuracy of this method, comparing it with the stripe artifact method across different lead alignments relative to the CT gantry axis.

Results: Except for the Medtronic Sensight™ lead, where detection was occasionally unfeasible if aligned normal to the z-axis of the CT gantry, a clinically very unlikely alignment, the lead orientation could be automatically determined regardless of its position. The accuracy and precision of this automated method was comparable to those of the stripe artifact method.

Conclusion: PCD-CT enables the automatic determination of lead orientation from leading manufacturers with an accuracy comparable to the stripe artifact method, and it offers the added benefit of being independent of the clinically occurring orientation of the head and, consequently, the lead relative to the CT gantry axis.

Introduction: Freezing of gait (FOG) is a clinical phenomenon with major life impairments and significant reduction in quality of life for affected patients. FOG is a feature of Parkinson's disease and a hallmark of primary progressive FOG, currently reclassified as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy-progressive gait freezing (PSP-PGF). The pathophysiology of FOG and particularly PGF, which is a rare degenerative disorder with a progressive natural history of gait decline, is poorly understood. Mechanistically, changes in oscillatory activity and synchronization in frontal cortical regions, the basal ganglia, and the midbrain locomotor region have been reported, indicating that dysrhythmic oscillations and coherence could play a causal role in the pathophysiology of FOG. Deep brain stimulation and spinal cord stimulation (SCS) have been tested as therapeutic neuromodulation avenues for FOG with mixed outcomes.

Methods: We analyzed gait and balance in 3 patients with PSP-PGF who received percutaneous thoracic SCS and utilized magnetoencephalography (MEG), electroencephalography, and electromyography to evaluate functional connectivity between the brain and spine.

Results: Gait and balance did not worsen over a 13-month period. This observation was accompanied by decreased beta-band spectral power in the whole brain and particularly in the basal ganglia. This was accompanied by increased functional connectivity in and between the sensorimotor cortices, basal ganglia, temporal cortex, and cerebellum, and a surge in corticomuscular coherence when SCS was paired with visual cues.

Conclusion: Our results suggest synergistic activity between brain and spinal circuits upon SCS for FOG in PGF, which may have implications for future brain-spine interfaces and closed-loop neuromodulation for patients with FOG.

Introduction: Cerebellar deep brain stimulation (DBS) is gaining traction as a potential treatment for movement disorders and stroke, and there is renewed interest in the cerebellum as a target for neuromodulation. Despite the safety and accuracy of frame-based approaches to the posterior fossa, unconventional stereotactic frame placement may be necessary to allow for low posterior fossa trajectories. Current literature lacks a comprehensive protocol detailing inverted frame placement and targeting.

Methods: Preoperative imaging was acquired prone. An inverted Leksell G frame was applied along with an open-topped CT fiducial box, followed by a prone CT with the scanner set to the "legs first, nose up" configuration. Target coordinates were extracted from navigation software after image fusion. Intraoperatively, the patient was positioned prone, and the stereotactic arc was mounted in the lateral-right orientation, with inverted arc supports. Confirmatory stereotaxy to a scalp staple was performed, and the DBS leads were then inserted.

Conclusion: Our standardized protocol provides a flexible platform for posterior fossa DBS, allowing for low trajectories and multiple electrodes. Unlike conventional upright frame placement, an inverted frame permits an unobstructed view of suboccipital entry sites and incision placement. A conventional frame and regular planning software are sufficient, with no additional mathematical calculations required.

Introduction: Complex epilepsy networks with multifocal onset zones that overlap with eloquent cortex may benefit from combined surgical approaches. However, limited data exist on outcomes associated with performing these therapies in tandem. In this case series, we report on 6 patients who underwent combination surgery with either resection or laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) and neuromodulation with responsive neurostimulation (RNS) or deep brain stimulation (DBS).

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of adult patients with medically refractory epilepsy who underwent staged combination epilepsy surgeries during the same admission at our institution. Six cases treated between 2019 and 2023 were identified. All patients underwent a presurgical work-up including invasive intracranial monitoring and underwent a combined approach with either surgical resection, LITT, RNS, or DBS. We extracted data on demographic, clinical, and surgical characteristics. The primary outcome was change in seizure frequency from baseline.

Results: The mean age was 42.7 years old (4 female). All patients had at least one epileptogenic zone in the temporal lobe, two in extratemporal neocortex, two in periventricular nodular heterotopia. For the staged combination approach, 3 patients underwent LITT followed by RNS, two underwent resection and RNS, and one received LITT and DBS. The mean reduction in seizure frequency per month at last follow-up was 90%. Postoperatively, 1 patient experienced superior visual field deficits related to LITT, and another had postoperative deep vein thrombosis.

Conclusion: All patients experienced at least an 83% reduction in seizures. This case series demonstrates the potential benefits of a combined surgical approach in patients with multifocal seizures and at least one lesion that can be safely resected or ablated. Future prospective studies are warranted.