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Objective: Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) have been identified to have a significantly increased risk of developing intracranial aneurysms (IAs). These patients are diagnosed at younger ages and are also at increased risk for IA rupture. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify risk factors associated with IA detection during screening of asymptomatic ADPKD patients., Methods: The authors searched for studies reporting the prevalence of IA among patients with ADPKD screened using MRA, CTA, or DSA on PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and ClinicalTrials.gov prior to August 2023 by using individualized standardized search strategies. Eligibility of all retrieved studies was assessed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Risk of bias of the included observational studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model., Results: Twenty-four observational studies involving 5907 patients with ADPKD were identified for quantitative analysis. The authors observed an overall prevalence of IA of 12.6%. They identified several risk factors for IA with statistically significantly increased odds for unruptured IA (UIA) detection, including female sex (18 studies, OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.37-1.94, I2 = 0%), family history of either IA or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) (12 studies, OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.68-2.81, I2 = 0%), family history of SAH (3 studies, OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.25-5.71, I2 = 66.0%), stage 3 or greater chronic kidney disease (CKD) (4 studies, OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.84-3.54, I2 = 0%), and hypertension (13 studies, OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.04-1.91, I2 = 34%). Age > 45 years, family history of ADPKD, smoking status, and presence of liver cysts did not reach statistical significance as risk factors during this meta-analysis., Conclusions: The results of the authors' meta-analysis suggest increased risk of UIA detection in screening of ADPKD patients who are female, have a family history of IA or SAH, have hypertension, or have moderate or more severe CKD. Given the increased prevalence of IA in ADPKD patients with these risk factors, these patients may stand to benefit from screening for IA early in treatment or at time of diagnosis, even if neurologically asymptomatic.

Background and Objectives: Neurosurgery is a world leader in disseminating neurosurgical science. Although the literature has seen significant increases in academic collaboration, data science, and authorship diversity, the bibliometric evolution of Neurosurgery remains unknown. This study sought to elucidate bibliometric trends in Neurosurgery from 1977 to 2023., Methods: Wolters Kluwer and Web of Science were used to identify all publications in Neurosurgery from 1977 to 2023. Database utilization was analyzed from 2007 to 2023 using abstract keywords. The BERTopic tool analyzed prevailing subspecialty themes. Publication types including clinical/case report/review were analyzed. Statistical analysis included exponential and linear regression., Results: From 1977 to 2023, 29 755 publications containing 127 171 authors were published in Neurosurgery . From 1977 to 2023, the mean authorship count per publication exponentially increased (2.4 to 8.4, 2.0% annually) ( R 2 = 0.76), small authorship groups (≤ 5 authors) linearly decreased (90% to 37%) ( R = 0.93), multinational authorship groups linearly increased (0% to 21.2%) ( R = 0.95), and authorship affiliations per publication exponentially increased (1.3 to 4.6, 3.2% annually) ( R 2 = 0.65). From 1990 to 2023, female first authorship linearly increased (7.5% to 15.7%) ( R = 0.93), Bachelor degree first authorship increased (0.6% to 12.5%), and MD/PhD senior authorship increased (6.2% to 24.7%), with more review articles and less case reports. Cerebrovascular topics dominated from 1980 to 2020, with spine topics most represented in the 2020s. Database utilization demonstrated an exponential, 4.6-fold increase from 2007 (0.38%) to 2023 (2.14%) ( R = 0.63)., Conclusion: Neurosurgery publications have demonstrated increasing authorship counts, authorship diversity, collaboration, and database utilization since the journal's 1977 inception, prominently publishing on topics in cerebrovascular and spine research., Competing Interests: The authors have no personal, financial, or institutional interest in any of the drugs, materials, or devices described in this article., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of Congress of Neurological Surgeons.)

Resection is often the primary treatment for large brain tumors but is less practical for multiple brain metastases (BM). Current guidelines recommend stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for untreated BMs or following the surgical removal of a solitary BM to reduce the risk of local tumor recurrence. Preoperative SRS (pre-SRS) shows promise with fewer complications and more precise targeting, but it lacks tissue diagnosis and may hinder wound healing. This study aims to compare the safety and efficacy of pre-SRS and postoperative SRS (post-SRS) for BM treatment. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. Studies were selected based on PICO criteria, including patients with metastatic intracranial lesions undergoing preoperative or postoperative radiosurgery. Data related to outcomes and complications were extracted. Meta-analysis was performed, employing the fixed effect model due to study design similarities and limited patient numbers. Four studies encompassing 616 BM patients (221 preoperative, 405 postoperative) were included. Patient characteristics, including age, gender, cancer source, and lesion location, were similar between groups. Radiosurgery modalities included LINAC and Gamma Knife, with hypofractionated treatments more common postoperatively. Outcomes showed comparable overall survival (p = 0.07), local failure (p = 0.26), and distant failure rates (p = 0.84) between groups. The preoperative group had lower risks of radiation necrosis (p = 0.02) and leptomeningeal disease (p = 0.03) in 1-year follow-up, with significantly better composite outcomes (p = 0.04). No significant difference in wound issues was observed (p = 0.98). This review reveals pre- and post-SRS for BM have similar outcomes for LF, DF, and OS. Pre-SRS potentially lowers RN and LMD risks, with better tumor targeting and less radiation to healthy tissue, while post-SRS targets residual disease but with higher complication risks. Future research should optimize SRS protocols., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: Not applicable. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent to publish: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: This study reports the authors' experience with surgical interventions for nonsyndromic craniosynostosis. They assessed open surgery and minimally invasive endoscopic suturectomy in terms of periprocedural outcomes and related risk factors for postoperative complications and reoperation. This study aimed to provide insights toward surgical approach decisions and lay the groundwork for future prospective studies in this field., Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the medical records of all patients with nonsyndromic craniosynostosis who underwent primary surgery at the authors' center from 2014 to 2024 were analyzed. The authors assessed open surgery and endoscopic suturectomy based on anesthesia time, length of hospitalization, hematological parameters, postoperative blood transfusion volume, and changes in head circumference percentile (HCP). A subgroup analysis was conducted for patients younger than 6 months across different types of craniosynostosis. Further investigation was conducted to identify potential risk factors for postoperative complications and reoperation., Results: A total of 633 pediatric patients treated for nonsyndromic craniosynostosis were included in this study (281 with endoscopic suturectomy, 352 with open surgery). These data indicated a growing trend for endoscopic procedures. The authors' center began performing endoscopic surgery in 2014, and by 2024, 75% of craniosynostosis patients underwent this procedure (p < 0.001). Patients in the endoscopic group experienced shorter anesthesia times (p < 0.001), reduced lengths of hospitalization (p < 0.001), and lower blood transfusion volumes (p < 0.001) compared with those in the open surgery group; however, blood transfusion volume differences were not significant in the subgroup analysis. The subgroup analysis revealed comparable HCP changes in sagittal (p = 0.4) and coronal (p = 0.85) craniosynostosis. In comparison, greater changes were noted after open surgery in cases of metopic (p = 0.03) and multisuture (p = 0.04) craniosynostosis. The rates of postoperative complications (endoscopic 6.4% and open 4.5%) and reoperation (endoscopic 4.6% and open 2.8%) were comparable between the two groups. In univariate analysis, higher weight (OR 1.07, p < 0.05) was identified as the only risk factor for postoperative complications, which can be attributed to delayed surgical intervention. Coronal (OR 8.38, p < 0.05) and multisuture (OR 23.66, p < 0.01) craniosynostoses were associated with higher reoperation rates, while adding barrel stave osteotomies was linked to a lower reoperation rate (OR 0.22, p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Endoscopic suturectomy is associated with acceptable periprocedural outcomes compared with open surgery, with comparable rates of complications and reoperation. These findings are supported by the subgroup analysis. However, further studies focusing on craniometric outcomes are needed, as surgical procedures have shown variable results across different types of craniosynostosis.

Purpose: The Journal of Neuro-Oncology (JNO), established in 1983, plays a key role in publishing research on brain and spinal cord tumors. This study examines JNO's publication trends, focusing on country and gender representation to highlight its global impact., Methods: Statistical analyses were conducted using R. Gender of the first authors was predicted using a gender-guesser, and author affiliations were used to determine publication countries. We introduced a novel Country-Related Diversity (CRD) index to assess the JNO's representativeness, comparing a country's JNO publications to its overall neurosurgical output. An index value of 1 indicates proportional representation., Results: The JNO corpus, spanning from 1983 to 2024, comprises 8,154 documents with an average document age of 14.4 years. The average citation count per document is 28.71, with a rate of 2.16 citations per document per year. JNO's scientific output has grown significantly, peaking at 397 articles in 2011, with a long-term annual growth rate of 3.7%. The keyword analysis highlights "glioblastoma" as the most frequent term, reflecting the journal's neuro-oncological focus. Geographically, the U.S. led with 2,535 articles (40.1%), followed by China and Germany. International collaboration rose steadily, with multi-country publications increasing from 4.76% in 1983 to 20.98% in 2024. Analyzing contributions from different countries showed a converging CRD index toward 1 (P < 0.01), with U.S. and non-U.S. countries trending similarly. Upper-middle-income countries displayed fluctuating CRD patterns, whereas lower-middle-income countries lagged behind. Authorship analysis showed an increasing trend in co-authorship (P < 0.01), with the average number of authors per paper reaching 10.4 by 2024. Gender representation revealed a growing number of female first and senior authors, although males still dominate. By 2024, 32.9% of first authors and 21.6% of senior authors were female, signaling a gradual trend toward gender parity (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: The CRD index offers a standardized measure of country-specific research representation in the JNO. The convergence towards 1 reflects balanced international representation. JNO publication also reflects a trend toward gender equity, with a notable rise in female first authors, enhancing global research inclusivity., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: While the relationship between smoking and subarachnoid hemorrhage is well established, data regarding the probability of detecting unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) in smokers remain sparse. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between smoking and the likelihood of identifying UIAs in healthy asymptomatic patients who underwent brain imaging for indications unrelated to UIAs., Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for studies published before March 2024 that reported on the presence of UIAs in healthy asymptomatic patients who had undergone brain imaging for indications unrelated to UIAs. Three independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of all retrieved studies. Risk of bias for the included observational studies was assessed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies. Data on UIA prevalence, smoking status, and patient and aneurysm characteristics were extracted. The association between smoking and the presence of UIA was studied. A prevalence proportional meta-analysis was conducted across the included studies. A meta-analysis was performed with a random-effects model by using summary statistics from the included studies., Results: Six studies involving 47,788 patients who had undergone brain imaging were identified for quantitative analysis. The pooled UIA prevalence in the sample was 3.07% (95% CI 2.27%-4.16%). Patients who smoked had higher rates of aneurysm detection than the patients who did not smoke (pooled prevalence of 2.96%, 95% CI 2.68%-3.27% vs 2.23%, 95% CI 2.08%-2.39%). Although the relation between the two was not statistically significant (p = 0.06), smoking was associated with higher odds for UIA detection, yielding an OR of 1.34 (95% CI 1.07-1.67) with an I2 value of 53%., Conclusions: This study suggests a potentially higher risk of UIAs in patients who smoked than in those who never smoked. However, the results of this meta-analysis revealed that smoking was not statistically associated with higher UIA detection. This result could be explained by the limited number of studies published on this topic. If these findings reach statistical significance in future larger studies, it could justify revising guidelines to include cigarette smokers in intracranial aneurysm screening.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, impacting healthcare systems and economies. Early identification of poor outcomes is crucial for effective treatment. This systematic review assesses the prognostic value of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in predicting poor neurological outcomes and mortality in the acute phase of TBI. A comprehensive search of Scopus, MEDLINE, and Web of science databases was performed to identify studies examining CT and MR-based imaging findings and their association with poor outcomes as assessed by Glasgow outcome score as well as mortality within the early acute phase of TBI following injury/admission. Qualitative evaluation of included studies revealed several imaging sequences that modify the outcome of the patients, including extra-axial and intra-axial hemorrhage, swirl sign, contrast extravasation, midline shift, closed and open cranial cisterns, signs of edema, presence of cranial fractures, intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral microbleeds, diffuse axonal injury, apparent diffusion coefficient and fractional anisotropy in diffusion tensor imaging, as well as, concentrations of brain metabolites(N-acetyl aspartate, Creatinine, Choline, Myo-inositol, glutamate, and glutamine) in magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Among these markers, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and subdural hematoma (SDH) emerged as the most predictive of poor outcomes based on meta-analysis findings. SAH was significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality (OR: 3.35, 95% CI: 2.41-4.65, I²=51.3%) and poor outcomes (OR: 2.69, 95% CI: 2.44-2.96, I²=0%). Similarly, SDH correlated with higher mortality risk (OR: 2.44, 95% CI: 2.14-2.78, I²=0%) and worse outcomes (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.12-3.59, I²=60.9%). In contrast, epidural hematoma (EDH) was linked to better outcomes (OR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.52-0.68, I²=0%) but not significantly associated with mortality (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.09-1.65, I²=73.7%). The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis provide an overview of clinically feasible imaging markers of prognostic value and may inform clinical decision-making in the future., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The management for craniocervical junction dural arteriovenous fistulas (CCJ-DAVFs) remains controversial and clinically challenging. We systemically summarized the clinical and angiographic outcomes of microsurgery, embolization, and conservative management., Methods: Relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane, following PRISMA guidelines. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on the clinical characteristics, management approaches, and clinical and angiographic outcomes., Results: We included 13 articles (166 patients). The weighted mean age was 58.9 years (95%CI: 53.2-64.5), 58.8 years (95%CI: 48.4-69.2), and 63.8 years (95%CI: 60.1-67.5), in microsurgery, embolization, and conservative groups respectively, with an overall male sex predominance (microsurgery [n = 51/77, 66.2%], embolization [n = 44/56, 78.6%], and conservative management [n = 6/8, 75.0%]). Patients were managed with microsurgery (n = 80/172, 46.5%), embolization (n = 79/172, 45.9%), and conservative treatment (n = 13/172, 7.6%). Foramen magnum was the most common location (microsurgery [n = 34/77, 44.2%], embolization [n = 31/56, 55.4%], and conservative treatment [n = 3/8, 37.5%]). Vertebral artery was the primary feeder (microsurgery [n = 58/84, 69.1%], embolization [n = 41/86, 47.6%], and conservative treatment [n = 4/7, 57.1%]). Complete fistula obliteration rates were 74.1% (95%CI:52.3-88.2%) in the microsurgery group and 54.9% (95%CI:30.7-77.0%) in the embolization group. Complications rates were 16.2% (95%CI:6.7-34.5%) in the embolization group, 11.6% (95%CI:3.8-30.4%) in the microsurgery group, and 7.7% (95%CI:1.1-39.1%) in the conservative group. Different rates of good clinical outcomes were observed [microsurgery: 66.4% (95%CI:48.1-80.8%), embolization: 51.9% (95%CI:30.8-72.4%), and conservative: 11.6% (95%CI:4.4-27.4%)]., Conclusions: In patients with CCJ-DAVFs, each management approach has its own merits based on the fistula and patient characteristics., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Smoking and observed growth of intracranial aneurysms are known risk factors for rupture. The mechanism by which smoking increases this risk is not completely elucidated. Furthermore, an association between smoking and aneurysm growth has not been clearly defined in the literature. We hypothesize that smoking is associated with aneurysm growth, which, in turn, may serve as one of the mechanisms by which smoking drives rupture risk., Methods: We report a systematic review of the literature in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. Using the R software, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association between smoking and the growth of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Studies on familial aneurysms and genetic syndromes known to increase the risk of aneurysms were excluded., Results: Eighteen observational studies were included with a total of 3535 patients and 4289 aneurysms with a mean follow-up period ranging from 17 to 226 months. The mean age among the studies ranged from 38.4 to 73.9 years; 74% of patients were female. Ever-smoking status (odds ratio, 1.10 [95% CI, 0.87-1.38]) and current smoking status (odds ratio, 1.43 [95% CI, 0.84-2.43]) did not show a statistically significant association with growth of intracranial aneurysms. Patients currently smoking did not have a statistically significant association with the growth of intracranial aneurysms (odds ratio, 1.18 [95% CI, 0.72-1.93]) compared with patients without a smoking history. No significant association was found in patients who previously smoked compared with patients who never smoked (odds ratio, 1.46 [95% CI, 0.88-2.43])., Conclusions: Smoking is not clearly associated with the growth of unruptured intracranial aneurysms, despite trends being observed, there is no statistical association. The mechanism by which smoking increases rupture risk might not be growth. In patients for whom observation is recommended, the absence of growth over time in the setting of smoking history does not, therefore, imply protection from rupture., Competing Interests: None.

Background: The subspecialized, clinically complex nature of neurosurgery should not result in marginalization or under-representation of neurosurgical scientific output. This study aims to provide an overview of the trends of neurosurgical publications in high-impact medical journals during the past 3 decades., Methods: An electronic database search was performed to identify all articles affiliated with neurosurgery departments published in 10 highly regarded medical journals. The trend of the proportion of neurosurgical publications to total publications in these journals was examined over time. Subgroup analyses on the basis of location, setting, domain, grant source, and topic of the articles were performed., Results: Overall, 2090 neurosurgical publications were identified in the selected journals, comprising 0.26% of those journals' publications. The proportion of neurosurgical publications to total publications in these journals increased over time, from 0.03% before 1991 to 0.35% after 2020. Most studies were single-center (82.7%), clinical (52.4%), and primary research (89%). The United States (40.1%), China (12.4%) and the United Kingdom (7.1%) had the greatest number of neurosurgical publications among those analyzed. The share of clinical neurosurgical articles increased over time compared with basic and translational articles (P = 0.01). Among neurosurgical subspecialties, neuro-oncology (60.1%), vascular (19.0%), and general (7.0%) had the greatest number of publications identified, with substantial increases in vascular publications over time. The mean number of citations per year received by neurosurgical articles has increased over time, from 1.65 (before 1991) to 4.12 (2010-2020)., Conclusions: Neurosurgery's proportion of high-impact journal publications has increased over time., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background and Purpose: Treatment of recurrent intracranial aneurysms after their initial therapy has been a significant challenge in the field of neurointervention. Recently flow diverters stents are widely used for treating intracranial aneurysms. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed the safety and efficacy of flow diverter in treating recurrent or recanalized intracranial aneurysms., Methods: This meta-analysis is reported following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We conducted a systematic review of literature in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Sciences, and Scopus databases. Pooled prevalence and the corresponding 95% are calculated from extracted data using a random-effect model., Results: The systematic literature search included 21 studies involving 411 patients, with 135 (32.8%) being male and 276 (67.2%) being females with a total number of 447 aneurysms. The overall rate of adequate occlusion was 90.67% (95% CI: 84.23%-94.65%), and the rates were comparable between the surgery (93.48%), coiling (91.78%), and stenting (85.77%) groups. The overall pooled rate of complete occlusion was 81.80 (95% CI: 71.14%-89.13%). On doing a subgroup analysis, the complete occlusion rates were 89.68%, 84.39%, and 73.47% for the surgery, coiling, and stenting groups, respectively. The overall mortality rate and achieving modified Rankin scale score of 0-2 was 1.28% (95% CI: 0.45%-3.64%) and (95% CI: 89.92%-97.84%), respectively. No significant heterogeneity is noted in the included studies., Conclusion: Flow diverter stents are an effective and safe method for retreating recurrent or residual intracranial aneurysms with a high rate of complete and adequate occlusion. The rate of mortality, intracerebral hemorrhage, and overall and procedural complications following using flow diverters for intracranial aneurysms is low., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become an effective and safe treatment in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) not responding to conventional treatments. With the growing body of literature regarding the use of DBS in different movement disorders, there remain controversies regarding performing awake or asleep DBS. This systematic review provides the most comprehensive review of the literature comparing the two techniques from various aspects in detail., Methods: A systematic review of the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted. All studies comparing any aspects of asleep and awake DBS were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions tool. Meta-analysis was conducted with consideration of baseline characteristics., Results: Thirty-one studies with 2563 PD patients were included. A total of 1423 patients underwent asleep DBS. The two groups were comparable regarding their baseline characteristics. The follow-up ranged from 3 to 60 months. The two DBS techniques were comparable in terms of motor symptom improvements and levodopa equivalent daily doses. However, the asleep technique showed slightly better improvements in Mattis Dementia Rating Scale and Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire scores. Moreover, the asleep technique was associated with more surgical adverse events, whereas pneumocephalus and psychological disorders such as mood, affect, and cognitive disorders were more common in the awake technique. Subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences in outcomes between asleep and awake DBS when categorized by targeted brain nuclei, use of intraoperative or preoperative imaging, and whether microelectrode recordings were used., Conclusions: These findings suggest comparable clinical outcomes between the two DBS approaches. The two methods had their salient differences in terms of lead passes and specific adverse events. The decision to perform awake or asleep DBS should be based on the patient's preference, the surgeon's experience, the availability of advanced intraoperative imaging, and the patient's tolerance for specific adverse events.

Objective: The recent introduction of the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) has presented an alternative treatment modality for intracranial bifurcation and wide-neck aneurysms with a growing body of literature evaluating its efficacy. However, no previous systematic review has focused on comparing WEB with previously using endovascular approaches, specifically primary coiling (PC) and stent-assisted coiling (SAC). Herein, the authors present the first systematic review summarizing available literature to reach a consensus regarding the safety and effectiveness of WEB., Methods: A systematic review of articles identified through a search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted. Studies were included if they compared WEB with PC or SAC from any aspect for intracranial aneurysms. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies-of Interventions tool. Meta-analyses of the outcomes based on stent use and rupture status were performed., Results: A total of 16 studies were included. The three endovascular approaches were comparable in terms of baseline characteristics except for older age and smaller aneurysm neck in the PC group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the follow-up duration was shorter in the WEB group (p < 0.05). Although the WEB group demonstrated lower complete and adequate immediate occlusion rates (p < 0.01), the rates at follow-up evaluations were comparable with SAC and PC (p = 0.61 and p = 0.27, respectively). The WEB group experienced significantly fewer unfavorable neurological outcomes than the SAC group (p = 0.04), while comparable to the PC group (p = 0.36). Retreatment rates were comparable between WEB and coiling (p = 0.92). The WEB group had fewer hemorrhagic and thromboembolic complications (p < 0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively), with similar neurological and procedure-related complications compared with combined PC and SAC groups. Lastly, mortality was comparable among the different endovascular approaches., Conclusions: This study provides evidence on the noninferiority of WEB compared with PC and SAC in terms of angiographic outcomes. Meanwhile, our findings on lower complication rates, cost, and improved operative aspects associated with WEB establish this novel endovascular treatment as a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of bifurcation and wide-neck aneurysms.

Background: Stereotactic radiosurgery is the preferred option for treating brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) when the risks associated with surgery outweigh the potential benefits. However, some patients require repeat radiosurgery due to residual AVM after the first procedure. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of repeated procedure of radiosurgery for AVM., Method: A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline. The search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science, using a pre-designed search string. Studies investigating the efficacy of repeat radiosurgery for residual AVM following initial single session radiosurgery were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the JBI tool. Meta-analysis and met-regression were performed to pool and inspect data., Results: Our meta-analysis, with a mean follow-up of 45.57 months, reveals repeat radiosurgery as a viable option for arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), achieving a 60.82% obliteration rate with a mean time to obliteration of 33.18 months. Meta-regression identifies AVM volume and Spetzler-Martin (SM) grade as factors influencing obliteration, with smaller volume and lower SM grades associated with higher rates. Complications include 10.33% radiation-induced changes, 5.26% post-radiosurgery hemorrhage, 2.56% neurologic deficits, and 0.67% cyst formation. Heterogeneity in complications is primarily attributed to male proportion and SM grade, while factors influencing post-radiosurgery hemorrhage remain unclear. The type of radiosurgery, whether Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKRS) or LINAC, does not significantly impact outcomes., Conclusion: Repeat radiosurgery is a feasible, effective, and safe treatment for AVMs following failure of initial radiosurgery. When utilized in appropriate patient subgroups, it provides an acceptable risk-to-benefit profile. Feature studies are required to clarify its clear indications., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Chordoma is a primary bone tumor with limited literature on its management because of its rarity. Resection, while considered the first-line treatment, does not always provide adequate tumor control. In this systematic review, the authors aimed to provide comprehensive insights by managing these tumors with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)., Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines using the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Search terms included chordoma and radiosurgery and their equivalent terms. Data on baseline characteristics, SRS details, and outcomes were extracted. The Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used to assess risk of bias. A meta-analysis was performed on relevant variables., Results: A total of 33 eligible studies encompassing 714 patients with skull base chordomas were included. Most studies had a low risk of bias. Patients, predominantly male (57.37%) with a mean age of 46.54 years, exhibited a conventional chordoma subtype (74.77%) and primary lesions (77.91%), mainly in the clivus (98.04%). The mean lesion volume was 13.49 cm3, and 96.68% of patients had undergone prior surgical attempts. Gamma Knife radiosurgery (88.76%) was the predominant SRS method. Radiologically, 27.19% of patients experienced tumor regression, while 55.02% showed no signs of disease progression at the latest follow-up. Progression occurred after a mean of 48.02 months. Symptom improvement was noted in 27.98% of patients. Radiosurgery was associated with a relatively low overall adverse event rate (11.94%), mainly cranial nerve deficits (8.72%). Meta-regression revealed that age and primary lesion type influenced symptom improvement, while factors like extent of resection, radiotherapy, and SRS type affected adverse event rates., Conclusions: This systematic review provides evidence on the safety and effectiveness of radiosurgery in the management of skull base chordomas. Local tumor control was achieved in the majority of patients treated with SRS. Various baseline characteristics and SRS features have been analyzed to identify modifying factors for each outcome to provide a framework for informed decision-making when managing these patients.

Background: Tumors in the fourth ventricle can be critical due to the small size of the fourth ventricle, which causes symptoms to be detected even in the presence of lesser mass effects. A proper surgical approach to the fourth ventricle poses challenges due to its deep location and proximity to vital compartments within the brainstem. The two commonly used approaches to these tumors are the transvermian and telovelar approaches., Methods: A comprehensive systematic study was conducted based on a literature search of the databases. All case controls, cohorts, and case series including patients with fourth ventricle tumors, who were operated on with either telovelar or transvermian approaches were considered eligible. The evaluated outcomes were comparative postoperative complications of the telovelar vs. transvermian approach. After screening and data extraction, a meta-analysis was performed whenever adequate quantitative data were available., Results: Seven studies with a total number of 848 patients, discussed both telovelar and transvermian approaches, with comparative reporting of outcomes in each group. Postoperative outcomes including cranial nerve deficit, mutism, diplopia, CSF leak, need for CSF diversion, and postoperative gait disturbance were not significantly different between telovelar and transvermian approaches., Conclusion: Postoperative complications were not significantly different between telovelar and transvermian approaches. Moreover, it could be proposed that such complications would be more likely to be a multifactorial matter concerning the patient's clinical condition, tumor characteristics, and surgeon's experience, rather than the surgical approach alone., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: In patients with acromegaly, secondary treatment options in cases of hormonal non-remission or tumor progression include repeat transsphenoidal surgery (TSS), radiation-based treatment (RT), or medical therapy (MT). In this study, we aim to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of various second-line treatment options for acromegaly., Methods: Using the PRISMA guideline, a systematic review was performed by searching MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane electronic bibliographic databases from conception to the end of 2022. Outcomes of interest included hormonal remission rate, complications, and mortality associated with each treatment modality for refractory acromegaly., Results: A total of 79 studies including 3,208 refractory acromegaly patients (44.90% males) were analyzed, with a mean patient age of 43.89 years. There was a statistically significant difference between various therapeutic modalities in terms of remission rate, with MT offering the highest remission rate (62.55%), followed by RT (50.15%) and TSS (37.39%). Subgroup analysis of radiotherapeutic and medical modalities did not show a significant difference in remission rate between different kinds of sub-modalities in each treatment approach. Recurrence following secondary treatment was not different in patients treated with reoperation TSS compared to other modalities., Conclusions: The management of persistent and recurrent acromegaly optimally requires a multimodal approach. In different scenarios of refractory acromegaly based on previous treatment, secondary treatments may vary in terms of remission rate and complications. Medical agents provide considerable effectiveness as a second-line therapy for recurrent or persistent disease. In selected cases, however, reoperation still provides an opportunity for cure or freedom from medications. The findings of this study may help clinicians to prioritize varying options involved in this multifaceted decision-making process., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Pituitary adenoma surgery is a complex procedure due to critical adjacent neurovascular structures, variations in size and extensions of the lesions, and potential hormonal imbalances. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has demonstrated considerable potential in assisting neurosurgeons in decision-making, optimizing surgical outcomes, and providing real-time feedback. This scoping review comprehensively summarizes the current status of AI/ML technologies in pituitary adenoma surgery, highlighting their strengths and limitations., Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Studies discussing the use of AI/ML in pituitary adenoma surgery were included. Eligible studies were grouped to analyze the different outcomes of interest of current AI/ML technologies., Results: Among the 2438 identified articles, 44 studies met the inclusion criteria, with a total of seventeen different algorithms utilized across all studies. Studies were divided into two groups based on their input type: clinicopathological and imaging input. The four main outcome variables evaluated in the studies included: outcome (remission, recurrence or progression, gross-total resection, vision improvement, and hormonal recovery), complications (CSF leak, readmission, hyponatremia, and hypopituitarism), cost, and adenoma-related factors (aggressiveness, consistency, and Ki-67 labeling) prediction. Three studies focusing on workflow analysis and real-time navigation were discussed separately., Conclusion: AI/ML modeling holds promise for improving pituitary adenoma surgery by enhancing preoperative planning and optimizing surgical strategies. However, addressing challenges such as algorithm selection, performance evaluation, data heterogeneity, and ethics is essential to establish robust and reliable ML models that can revolutionize neurosurgical practice and benefit patients., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To develop a predictive model of incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI)., Methods: The data for training the model included both the incidence data and the covariates. The incidence data were extracted from systematic reviews and the covariates were extracted from data available in the international road federation database. Then the feature processing measures were taken. First we defined a hyper-parameter, missing-value threshold, in order to eliminate features that exceed this threshold. To tackle the problem of overfitting of model we determined the Pearson correlation of features and excluded those with more than 0.7 correlation. After feature selection three different models including simple linear regression, support vector regression, and multi-layer perceptron were examined to fit the purposes of this study. Finally, we evaluated the model based on three standard metrics: Mean Absolute Error, Root Mean Square Error, and R 2 ., Results: Our machine-learning based model could predict the incidence rate of TSCI with the mean absolute error of 4.66. Our model found "Vehicles in use, Total vehicles/Km of roads", "Injury accidents/100 Million Veh-Km", "Vehicles in use, Vans, Pick-ups, Lorries, Road Tractors", "Inland surface Passengers Transport (Mio Passenger-Km), Rail", and "% paved" as top predictors of transport-related TSCI (TRTSCI)., Conclusions: Our model is proved to have a high accuracy to predict the incidence rate of TSCI for countries, especially where the main etiology of TSCI is related to road traffic injuries. Using this model, we can help the policymakers for resource allocation and evaluation of preventive measures., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background and Objectives: The addition of adjuvant embolization to radiosurgery has been proposed as a means of improving treatment outcomes of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). However, the relative efficacy and safety of radiosurgery with adjuvant embolization vs radiosurgery alone remain uncertain. Moreover, previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have included a limited number of studies and did not consider the effects of baseline characteristics, including AVM volume, on the outcomes. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of preradiosurgery embolization for intracranial AVMs with consideration to matching status between participants in each treatment group., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, up to January 2023. All studies evaluating the utilization of preradiosurgery embolization were included., Results: A total of 70 studies (9 matched and 71 unmatched) with a total of 12 088 patients were included. The mean age of the included patients was 32.41 years, and 48.91% of the patients were female. Preradiosurgery embolization was used for larger AVMs and patients with previous hemorrhage ( P < .01, P = .02, respectively). The obliteration rate for preradiosurgery embolization (49.44%) was lower compared with radiosurgery alone (61.42%, odds ratio = 0.56, P < .01), regardless of the matching status of the analyzed studies. Although prior embolization was associated higher rate of cyst formation ( P = .04), it lowered the odds of radiation-induced changes ( P = .04). The risks of minor and major neurological deficits, postradiosurgery hemorrhage, and mortality were comparable between groups., Conclusion: This study provides evidence that although preradiosurgery embolization is a suitable option to reduce the AVM size for future radiosurgical interventions, it may not be useful for same-sized AVMs eligible for radiosurgery. Utilization of preradiosurgery embolization in suitable lesions for radiosurgery may result in the added cost and burden of an endovascular procedure., (Copyright © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2023. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been established as a safe and alternative treatment for dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs). While embolization alone is the most commonly used modality for the treatment of dAVFs, the adjunctive use of embolization with SRS, with the growing use of SRS, has gained increasing interest in the past few years. However, the relative efficacy and safety of SRS combined with embolization versus SRS alone for dAVFs remains uncertain. Hence, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of SRS with adjunctive embolization for intracranial dAVFs., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted by searching electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, up to August 2023. All studies evaluating the utilization of adjunctive embolization and SRS for dAVFs were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A meta-analysis was conducted on the suitable outcomes., Results: Eighteen studies involving 715 patients were included. The mean age of the participants in the study was 64.30 years in the adjunctive embolization group and 60.51 years in the SRS-alone group. In the adjunctive embolization group 41.3% of patients were female, compared with 47.1% in the SRS-only group. The dAVF obliteration rates were 64.7% and 65.7% in the adjunctive embolization and SRS-alone groups, respectively. These obliteration rates were comparable between the two groups (p = 0.96), as were the symptom improvement rates (p = 0.35). Adverse events were rare, and were more commonly associated with the adjunctive embolization procedure, although further causal analysis was not possible., Conclusions: This study provides evidence that adjunctive embolization plus SRS provides similar obliteration and symptom improvement rates compared with SRS alone, with both having very limited SRS-related adverse events. Considering the added burden and adverse events of additional endovascular treatment, the authors recommend embolization be reserved for more complex dAVFs or when embolization can potentially be curative alone or provide more rapid symptomatic relief or protection during the radiosurgical latency period.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a cerebrovascular disorder with significant mortality and morbidity. Neural injury in SAH is mediated through a variety of pathophysiological processes. Currently available treatments are either nonspecific in targeting the basic pathophysiological mechanisms that result in neural damage in SAH, or merely focus on vasospasm. Ferroptosis is a type of programmed iron dependent cell death, which has received attention due to its possible role in neural injury in SAH. Herein, we review how intracellular iron overload mediates the production of reactive free radicals and lipid peroxidation through a variety of biochemical pathways in SAH. This in turn results in induction of ferroptosis, as well as exacerbation of vasospasm. We also discuss several therapeutic agents that have been shown to inhibit ferroptosis through targeting different steps of the process. Such agents have proven effective in ameliorating vasospasm, neural damage, and neurobehavioral outcomes in animal models of SAH. Human studies to test the safety and efficacy of intrathecal or parenteral administration of the inhibitors of ferroptosis in improving outcomes of SAH patients are warranted. There are currently a few ongoing clinical trials pursuing this therapeutic concept, the results of which will be critical to determine the value of ferroptosis as a novel therapeutic target in SAH., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: A healthy diet play an important role in the prevention and even treatment of various diseases. Proper nutrition plays an important role in boosting of immune system. These include the consumption of macronutrients such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and also micronutrients including vitamins. Here, we aimed to systematically review the effects of macronutrients and micronutrients on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19., Methods: We searched the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science on December 23, 2023. The records were downloaded into an EndNote file, the duplicates were removed, and the studies underwent a two-phase screening process based on their title/abstracts and full texts. The included articles were screened and underwent inclusion and exclusion criteria. We included the English systematic reviews and meta-analyses that concurred with the aim of our study. The selected articles were assessed by Cochrane's Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews for the quality check. The data of the eligible studies were extracted in a pre-designed word table and were used for the qualitative synthesis., Results: A total of 28 reviews were included in this study. Most studies have shown that micronutrients are effective in morbidity and mortality controlling in viral respiratory infections such as COVID-19 but some studies have shown that micronutrients are sometimes not effective in controlling severity. On the other hand, calcifediol was by far the most successful agent in reducing intensive care needs and mortality between studies., Conclusion: Individuals without malnutrition had a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease. The administration of Vitamin D is effective in reducing the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. Patients with vitamin D deficiency were more prone to experience severe infection, and they were at higher risk of morbidities and mortality. Other micronutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and Zinc also showed some benefits in patients with COVID-19. Vitamin C showed no efficacy in COVID-19 management even in intravenous form or in high doses., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Objective: Management of recurrent acromegaly is challenging for both neurosurgeons and endocrinologists. Several treatment options including repeat surgery, medical therapy, and radiation are offered for such patients. The efficacy of these modalities for the treatment of recurrence has not been studied previously in the literature. In this study, we aim to systematically review the existing cases of recurrence and come to a conclusion regarding the appropriate treatment in such cases., Method: A systematic review was performed through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane database to identify studies reporting the treatment outcome of recurrent acromegaly patients. Using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, the included studies were reviewed for primary and secondary treatment, complications, and outcomes of the secondary treatment., Results: The systematic review retrieved 23 records with 95 cases of recurrent acromegaly. The mean time of recurrence was 4.16 years after the initial treatment. The most common primary treatment was surgery followed by radiotherapy. The remission rate was significantly higher in medical and radiotherapy compared to surgical treatment., Conclusion: In cases of recurrent acromegaly, the patient may benefit more from radiotherapy and medical therapy compared to surgery. As the quality of evidence is low on this matter feature studies specifically designed for recurrent patients are needed., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of delayed response following microvascular decompression (MVD) in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and identify potential contributing factors. Additionally, we present two cases with delayed relief observed at our institution., Method: Two TN patients with delayed response and clear intra-operative arterial findings are presented in this study. Furthermore, we conducted a systematic review by searching electronic bibliographic databases, including MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase, from inception to 2022., Results: We identified a total of 28 full-text articles involving 322 TN patients who experienced delayed pain relief. Out of these, only 11 studies provided sufficient evidence and were included in the final analysis. Among the patients, 73.46% were female. The mean incidence rate of delayed response after MVD treatment for TN was 10.5%, with a range of 0.95 to 57.14% across different studies. The mean age of these patients was 59.86 years. The reported time to pain relief in the existing reports was at least 4 days post-surgery. In 72.88% of the reported cases, right-side dominance was observed. The majority of delayed cases experienced pain relief within 3 months, with a median time of 1 month., Conclusions: A thorough examination of the probability of delayed pain relief after MVD for TN and understanding the characteristics of this phenomenon can offer surgeons valuable post-operative guidance and aid in decision-making regarding potential immediate reoperation., (© 2023. Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia.)

Despite being relatively rare, pediatric traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is a debilitating event with high morbidity and long-term damage and dependency. This study aims to provide insight on the epidemiological characteristics of pediatric TSCI worldwide. The studies were included if they provided data for the pediatric population with the diagnosis of TSCI. Information sources included PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. All databases were searched from 1990 to April 2023. The quality of included studies was evaluated by Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. The results of the meta-analysis were presented as forest plots. PROSPERO Registration code: CRD42020189757. We identified 87 studies from 18 developed and 11 developing countries. Of the 87 studies evaluated, 52 studies were considered medium quality, 27 studies were considered high quality, and 8 studies were considered low quality. In developed countries, the proportion of TSCIs occurring in patients aged 0-15 years was 3% (95% CI: 2.2%; 3.9%), while in developing countries, it was 4.5% (95% CI: 2.8%; 6.4%). In developed countries, the pooled incidence of pediatric TSCI was 4.3/millions of children aged 0-15/year (95% CI: 3.1; 6.0/millions children aged 0-15/year) and boys comprised 67% (95% CI: 63%; 70%) of cases. The most prevalent level of injury was cervical (50% [95% CI: 41%; 58%]). The frequency of SCI Without Obvious Radiological Abnormality (SCIWORA) was 35% (95% CI: 18%; 54%) among children 0-17 years. The most common etiology in developed countries was transport injuries (50% [95% CI: 42%; 57%]), while in developing countries falls were the leading cause (31% [95% CI: 20%; 42%]). The most important limitation of our study was the heterogeneity of studies in reporting age subgroups that hindered us from age-specific analyses.   Conclusion: Our study provided accurate estimates for the epidemiology of pediatric TSCI. We observed a higher proportion of pediatric TSCI cases in developing countries compared to developed countries. Furthermore, we identified distinct epidemiological characteristics of pediatric TSCI when compared to adult cases and variations between developing and developed countries. Recognizing these unique features allows for the implementation of cost-effective preventive strategies aimed at reducing the incidence and burden of TSCI in children. What is Known: • Pediatric Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (TSCI) can have profound physical and social consequences for affected children, their families, and society as a whole. • Epidemiological insights are vital for they provide the data and understanding needed to the identification of vulnerable populations, aiding in the development of targeted prevention strategies and effective resource allocation. What is New: • The estimated incidence of pediatric TSCI in developed countries is 4.3 cases per million children aged 0-15. The proportion of pediatric TSCI cases in relation to all-age TSCI cases is 3% in developed countries and 4.5% in developing countries. • The etiology of TSCI in pediatric cases differs between developing and developed countries. In developed countries, transport injuries are the most prevalent cause of pediatric TSCI, while falls are the least common cause. Conversely, in developing countries, falls are the leading cause of pediatric TSCI., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Objectives: Surgical evacuation is the standard treatment for chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs) but is associated with a high risk of recurrence and readmission. Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) is a novel treatment approach which could be performed upfront or in adjunction to surgical evacuation. MMAE studies are limited by small sample sizes. This study aimed to describe and compare outcomes of MMAE in adjunction to surgery with those of surgery alone on a national level., Methods: The national Vizient Clinical Database was queried by use of a specific validated set of International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes (October 2018-June 2022). Patients with the diagnosis of nontraumatic CSDH who received MMAE and surgical drainage in the same hospitalization were identified, and their outcomes were compared with isolated surgical drainage., Results: A total of 606 subjects from 156 institutes and 6340 subjects from 369 institutes were included in the MMAE plus surgery (M&S) and surgery groups, respectively. Average length of stay was significantly longer in the M&S group (9.87 vs 7.53 days; P < .01). There was no significant difference in the in-hospital mortality rate (2.8% vs 2.9%), but the complication rate was significantly higher in the M&S group (8.7% vs 5.5%; P < .01). Complications that were significantly more common in the M&S group included aspiration pneumonia, postoperative sepsis, and anesthesia-related. Mean direct costs were significantly higher in the M&S group (28 834 vs 16 292 US dollars; P < .01). The 30-day readmission rate was significantly lower in the M&S group compared with the surgery group (4.2% vs 8.0%; P < .01)., Conclusion: This analysis of large-scale national data indicates that MMAE performed in adjunction to surgery for treatment of CSDH is associated with higher direct costs, higher complication rates, and longer length of stay but lower readmission rates compared with surgical evacuation alone., (Copyright © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2023. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Pituitary surgery is a frequent neurosurgical procedure for the management of pituitary adenomas, but little research has been done on the impact of healthcare disparities on surgical results. Healthcare inequity/disparity in terms of race and socioeconomic status (SES), in addition to age and gender, was evaluated in this study to see if they affect the results of pituitary surgery., Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out utilizing the MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase electronic databases from conception to 2023. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for quality assessment of the included studies., Results: Twenty-one studies yielded a total of 381,643 patients, and removal of the studies with temporal overlap resulted in 134,832 patients with a mean ± SD age of 51.52 ± 0.41 years. Based on the available data, 46.63% of patients were male. Black patients were more likely to be recommended against surgery, while Asian or Pacific Islander patients were more likely to be recommended for surgery. Postoperative course and outcome showed mixed results, with some studies reporting higher rates of transient diabetes insipidus and stroke in racial minority populations. Private hospitals admitted more White patients, and certain racial groups had reduced access to high-volume centers. SES disparities were assessed in terms of insurance and income. Patients with government insurance or without insurance were more likely to be recommended active surveillance instead of definitive treatment. Furthermore, high SES was associated with a higher likelihood of receiving surgical treatment, better treatment outcomes, and better access to high-volume centers. In terms of age and gender disparity, older patients and females were less likely to be recommended for surgical treatment. Age and gender did not consistently impact postoperative course and treatment outcomes, with varying results across studies. No significant age and gender disparities were observed in hospital admissions and charges., Conclusions: This study revealed the presence of disparities in pituitary adenoma surgery based on race, SES, age, and gender. These disparities highlight the need for further research and interventions to ensure equitable access to appropriate surgical treatment and improved outcomes for all patients with pituitary adenomas.

Objective: Cervical saccular limited dorsal myeloschisis (LDM), previously so-called "cervical myelomeningocele," is a rare spinal dysraphism. Although the pathogenesis of true myelomeningocele is primary neurulation failure, LDM results from a delayed abnormality during the final stages of neurulation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of these patients and to assess the correlation of outcomes with the level and type of lesion. Also, pooled data from the literature on similar lesions were systematically reviewed., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Children's Medical Center (CMC), Tehran, Iran. Information of patients who underwent surgery between 2004 and 2020 (i.e., the recent series) was extracted and combined with data from a previously published series from the same center that were obtained between 2000 and 2003 (CMC series). The literature was reviewed for all published cases, to be combined with the CMC series for further analyses., Results: Twenty-two patients were included in the recent series. Combined with 16 previously published cases, 38 patients with a mean ± SD age at surgery of 11.75 ± 28.64 months were included in the CMC series. The rates of neurological deficit, hydrocephalus, and Chiari malformation type II in the CMC series were 26.32%, 39.47%, and 28.95%, respectively. The lesions were at the upper levels in 17 (44.7%) and lower cervical levels in 21 (55.3%) patients, with 31 cases (81.58%) diagnosed with stalk-type lesions and 7 cases (18.42%) with myelocystocele-type lesions. At final follow-up, 31 patients (81.57%) achieved sphincter continence, and all 36 accessible patients were ambulated, consisting of 28 (73.68%) independent and 8 (21.05%) dependent ambulation patients. The rates of Chiari malformation type II and hydrocephalus were insignificantly higher in patients with upper-level lesions, but those of neurological deficit, ambulation, and sphincter continence were not associated with level. The rates of hydrocephalus (p < 0.01), Chiari type II malformation (p < 0.01), and neurological deficit (p = 0.04) were significantly higher in the myelocystocele group. In the systematic review, 24.77% of patients had neurological deficit. Binary logistic regression showed that older age at surgery (p = 0.03) and associated spinal anomalies (p = 0.04) were significant predictors of deficits. Chiari type II malformation was significantly (p < 0.001) and hydrocephalus was marginally (p = 0.06) more common in patients with myelocystocele-type lesions. The rate of Chiari malformation type II was higher in patients with upper-level lesions (p = 0.02)., Conclusions: Patients with cervical saccular LDM had better outcome compared with those patients with true myelomeningocele in more distal areas. According to the current series, most patients obtained ambulation and voiding continence, regardless of the level or type of lesion. Hydrocephalus, Chiari type II malformation, and neurological deficit were more common in patients with myelocystocele-type lesions.

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common neurosurgical condition. Surgical evacuation has remained the primary treatment despite many advancements in the endovascular field. Regardless, recurrence requiring reoperation is commonly observed during the postoperative follow-up. Herein, we aimed to investigate risk factors for recurrence after surgical evacuation. A review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus was conducted using the designed search string. Studies were reviewed based on the predefined eligibility criteria. Data regarding sixty potential risk factors along with operational information were extracted for analysis. A meta-analysis using the random-effect model was conducted, and each risk factor affecting the postoperative recurrence of CSDH was then evaluated and graded. A total of 198 records met the eligibility criteria. A total number of 8523 patients with recurrent CSDH and 56,096 with non-recurrent CSDH were included in the study. The recurrence rate after surgical evacuation was 12%. Fifteen preoperative, nine radiologic, four hematoma-related, and three operative and postoperative factors were associated with recurrence. Risk factors associated with recurrence after surgical evacuation are important in neurosurgical decision-making and treatment planning. Found risk factors in this study may be used as the basis for pre-operative risk assessment to choose patients who would benefit the most from surgical evacuation., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide an updated analysis of studies investigating outcomes, morbidity, and mortality associated with MR-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) corpus callosum ablation (CCA)., Methods: Study inclusion criteria for screening required that studies report on human subjects only, including patients aged 1-52 years diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent CCA. Sixteen articles published between 2016 and 2023 were included for the systematic review and analysis, including 4 case reports, 11 case series, and 1 case-control study. Altogether, 85 pediatric and adult patients undergoing CCA were included in the systematic review (46 patients younger and 39 patients older than 21 years). The main outcome of seizure freedom was measured using the decrease in the frequency of atonic seizures following surgery, percentage of atonic seizure freedom following surgery, and percentage of overall seizure freedom following surgery. These measurements were made using data from the last follow-up for patients with at least 6 months of follow-up post-CCA., Results: The extent of CCA differed across the pooled cohorts, including anterior two-thirds CCA (38.89%, n = 35) and posterior one-third CCA for completion of a prior partial CCA (22.22%, n = 20), complete CCA (27.78%, n = 25), or CCA of residual white matter in the case of subtotal initial ablation (5.56%, n = 5). Overall, 12.94% of the patients undergoing CCA experienced operational complications. The most common operative complications across 90 CCA operations were probe malpositioning (n = 6), hemorrhage (n = 5), off-target extension of splenium ablation to the thalamus (n = 1), infection (n = 1), and postoperative CSF leak (n = 1). Neurological deficits following CCA were reported as transient in 18.82% and permanent in 4.71% of patients across all studies. The most common neurological deficits were disconnection syndrome (n = 4) or transient hemiplegia (supplementary motor area-like syndrome; n = 4). The 6-month overall seizure freedom rate was 18.87% of 53 patients, and the atonic seizure freedom rate was 46.28% of 52 patients postoperatively. CCA resulted in an average decrease in atonic seizure rate from 8.30 to 1.65 atonic seizures per day (average decrease 80.12%)., Conclusions: CCA is associated with an acceptable complication profile, and most patients experience a meaningful reduction in target seizure semiologies. Accurate MRgLITT probe placement is likely important for maximizing CCA while avoiding collateral damage. Avoidable complications of CCA include off-target ablation (and associated deficits), hemorrhage, and future surgery for residual CCA to palliate continued seizures.

Background: Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD) is a crucial emergency complication of cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI). Although there are several treatment options for AD, unfortunately, there is no consensus on the treatment of AD.This study aimed to present Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) development for AD in SCI in different conditions., Methods: The project was carried out by an executive team of general practitioners and neurosurgeons. A national multidisciplinary panel of experts performed the decision-making step, which consisted of deciding on the final list of recommendations and articulating novel recommendations regarding the infrastructure and fundamental elements necessary for managing patients suffering from AD. Four appraisers evaluated the guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) tools., Results: A total of 575 articles were found after searching different databases. After the primary screening, title, abstract, and full-text screening were performed, which yielded 9 records. Five were excluded after the AGREE II evaluation. The source guidelines' recommendations were tabulated as possible scenarios for 15 patient/population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes clinical questions. Based on the expert panel's opinion, all the recommendations were adaptable. Finally, the suggestions were transformed into a protocol for managing patients suffering from autonomic dysreflexia., Conclusion: This guideline presented the treatment and pharmacotherapy of autonomic dysreflexia. However, the treatment is being updated. We suggest more educational multimedia for health care professionals, primarily in the emergency department., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2023 Iran University of Medical Sciences.)

Purpose: Pipeline embolization device (PED) is thought to induce aneurysmal occlusion through diversion of flow away from the aneurysmal sac with subsequent thrombosis and endothelialization. The impact of different factors especially hypertension (HTN)-a known predisposing factor to hypercoagulability and altered endothelial function-on aneurysmal occlusion after flow diversion has not been studied. We sought to determine predictors of aneurysmal occlusion following PED treatment focusing on impact of blood pressure., Methods: Database of patients with cerebral aneurysms treated with PED from 2013 to 2019 at our institution was retrospectively reviewed. Patients were defined as hypertensive if (1) they had a documented history of HTN requiring anti-HTN medications or (2) average systolic blood pressure on three measurements was > 130 mmHg. The primary outcome was aneurysm occlusion status at the last imaging follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to assess the effect of HTN on occlusion, controlling for age, smoking, aneurysmal size, fusiform morphology, posterior circulation location, and incorporated branches., Results: A total of 331 aneurysms in 294 patients were identified for this analysis. The mean age was 59 years (79.9% female). Fifty-five percent of the cohort were classified as hypertensive. When controlling for other potential confounders, hypertensive patients trended toward higher odds of achieving complete occlusion compared to non-hypertensive patients (OR = 2.05; 95% CI = 0.99-4.25; p = 0.052). Meanwhile, age (OR = 0.91; 95% CI = 0.88-0.95; p < 0.001) and an incorporated branch into an aneurysm (OR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.08-0.58; p < 0.002) were associated with decreased odds for complete aneurysmal occlusion., Conclusion: Hypertensive patients show a trend toward higher odds of achieving complete occlusion when controlling for potential confounders. The HTN-induced hypercoagulable state, enhanced endothelial activation, and altered extracellular matrix regulation might be the contributing factors. Further research is warranted to explore clinical implications of these findings., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: The primary objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) in improving outcomes in patients undergoing pituitary surgery., Methods: A systematic review was performed by searching MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase electronic bibliographic databases from conception to 2022., Results: The included studies yielded a total of 660 patients, with 488 patients undergoing IOUS. Outcome were available for 341 patients treated with IOUS and 157 patients who were treated without the IOUS application, and the remission rates following surgery were 76% and 59%, respectively. Only 2 studies reported remission rates for both groups, and meta-analysis for these studies showed significant superiority of intraoperative ultrasonography (Random effect, odds ratio 4.99, P < 0.01). Regarding extent of resection, IOUS resulted in 71% gross total resection, while absence of IOUS yielded a gross total resection rate of 44%. Among studies with available follow-up on IOUS, the recurrence rate was 3%. Pituitary dysfunction (34%), cerebrospinal fluid leak (31%), and central nervous system infection (8%) were the most common complications in the IOUS group. The mean follow-up was 19.97 months in studies reporting follow-up time., Conclusions: The application of the IOUS is both safe and effective and could improve the outcome of pituitary surgeries. IOUS can assist surgeons in the identification of pituitary tumors and their surrounding anatomy and can help minimize the risk of complications associated with this complex surgical procedure., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is a companion treatment option for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. However, its efficacy and associated risk factors have not been clearly defined. In this study, the authors aimed to systematically assess the effectiveness and role of PCI in the treatment plan of SCLC., Methods: The PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched using the following key terms and their equivalents: "brain," "radiotherapy," "metastases," "prophylactic," and "small cell lung cancer." Studies comparing overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), brain metastasis-free survival (BMFS), and incidence of brain metastases between patients receiving PCI and those not receiving it were considered eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies-of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Meta-analysis was conducted on the mentioned outcomes with subgrouping based on different factors., Results: The authors identified 74 studies published between 1983 and 2022 with 31,551 SCLC patients, of whom 26.7% received PCI. The studies were a mix of prospective randomized and retrospective observational studies. Patients with limited-stage disease receiving PCI had better OS, PFS, and BMFS than those not receiving PCI. Patients receiving PCI also had significantly longer OS times and developed brain metastases significantly later. However, findings regarding extensive-stage SCLC were not as promising., Conclusions: PCI is an effective option for limited-stage SCLC patients. It improves OS and PFS, delays brain metastases, and reduces the incidence of brain metastases. However, it might not benefit patients with extensive-stage SCLC under adequate follow-up with MRI surveillance. Finally, the heterogeneity of the included studies and publication bias were the main limitations of this study.

Differentiating glioma from primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) can be challenging, and current diagnostic measures such as MRI and biopsy are of limited efficacy. Liquid biopsies, which detect circulating biomarkers such as microRNAs (miRs), may provide valuable insights into diagnostic biomarkers for improved discrimination. This review aimed to investigate the role of specific miRs in diagnosing and differentiating glioma from PCNSL. A systematic search was conducted of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase for articles on liquid biopsies as a diagnostic method for glioma and PCNSL. Sixteen dysregulated miRs were identified with significantly different levels in glioma and PCNSL, including miR-21, which was the most prominent miR with higher levels in PCNSL, followed by glioma, including glioblastoma (GBM), and control groups. The lowest levels of miR-16 and miR-205 were observed in glioma, followed by PCNSL and control groups, whereas miR-15b and miR-301 were higher in both tumor groups, with the highest levels observed in glioma patients. The levels of miR-711 were higher in glioma (including GBM) and downregulated in PCNSL compared to the control group. This review suggests that using these six circulating microRNAs as liquid biomarkers with unique changing patterns could aid in better discrimination between glioma, especially GBM, and PCNSL.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a prevalent devastating condition causing significant morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries. The pathophysiology of SCI involves ischemia, neuroinflammation, cell death, and scar formation. Due to the lack of definitive therapy for SCI, interventions mainly focus on rehabilitation to reduce deterioration and improve the patient's quality of life. Currently, rehabilitative exercises and neuromodulation methods such as functional electrical stimulation, epidural electrical stimulation, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation are being tested in patients with SCI. Other spinal stimulation techniques are being developed and tested in animal models. However, often these methods require complex surgical procedures and solely focus on motor function. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is currently used in patients with epilepsy, depression, and migraine and is being investigated for its application in other disorders. In animal models of SCI, VNS significantly improved locomotor function by ameliorating inflammation and improving plasticity, suggesting its use in human subjects. SCI patients also suffer from nonmotor complications, including pain, gastrointestinal dysfunction, cardiovascular disorders, and chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes. VNS has shown promising results in alleviating these conditions in non-SCI patients, which makes it a possible therapeutic option in SCI patients., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The proper application of high-quality clinical practice guidelines improves trauma patients' care and outcomes. This study aimed to adopt and adapt guidelines on the timing of decompressive surgery in acute spinal cord injury (SCI) in Iranian clinical settings., Methods: This study followed a systematic search and review of the literature to enter them into the selection process. The source guidelines' clinical suggestions were converted into clinical scenarios for clinical questions on the timing of decompressive surgery. After summarizing the scenarios, we prepared an initial list of recommendations based on the status of the Iranian patients and the health system. The ultimate conclusion was reached with the help of a national interdisciplinary expert panel comprising 20 experts throughout the country., Results: A total of 408 records were identified. After title and abstract screening, 401 records were excluded, and the full texts of the remaining seven records were reviewed. Based on our screening process, only one guideline included recommendations on the topic of interest. All of the recommendations were accepted by the expert panel with slight changes due to resource availability in Iran. The final two recommendations were the consideration of early surgery (≤24 h) as a treatment option in adult patients with traumatic central cord syndrome and in adult patients with acute SCI regardless of the level of injury., Conclusion: Considering early surgery for adult patients with acute traumatic SCI regardless of the level of injury was the final recommendation for Iran. Although most of the recommendations are adoptable in developing countries, issues with infrastructure and availability of resources are the limitations., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH) appear to be at an increased risk of sarcopenia, which can have a devastating effect on their life due to consequences such as physical disability, poor quality of life, and finally death. This systematic review examined sarcopenia prevalence and its associated factors in PLWH. A systematic search was conducted using the keywords in the online databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane databases from the dates of inception up to May 2022. The retrieved articles underwent a two-step title/abstract and full-text review process, and the eligible papers were selected and included in the qualitative synthesis. Data relating to the study population, purpose of study, gender, age, race, body mass index, medical history, paraclinical results and antiretroviral therapy as associated factors of sarcopenia were extracted. In addition, the prevalence of sarcopenia in PLWH and its promoting and reducing factors were also extracted. We reviewed the 14 related studies for identifying of sarcopenia prevalence and its associated factors in PLWH. The total number of PLWH in all the reviewed studies was 2592. There was no criterion for the minimum number of people with HIV and the lowest number of PLWH was 27, and the highest number was 860. Some studies reported a significantly higher prevalence of sarcopenia in HIV-infected individuals compared with HIV-negative controls as follows: 24.2-6.7%, 15-4% and 10-6%, respectively. We showed that, age (30-50 years), being female, >5 years post-HIV diagnosis, multiple vertebral fractures, cocaine/heroin use and lower gamma-glutamyl transferase level were the main promoting factors of sarcopenia. Higher educational level, employment, physical exercise, calf circumference >31 cm, and gait speed >0.8 m/s were also factors to reduce sarcopenia. Sarcopenia prevalence in PLWH is higher than HIV-negative population. Given the importance and prevalence of sarcopenia among PLWH and its associated consequences (i.e., mortality and disability), determining its risk factors is of great importance., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.)

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) provide the central nervous system with channels of direct communication to the outside world, without having to go through the peripheral nervous system. Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are notoriously incurable and burdensome medical conditions that will result in progressive deterioration of the nervous system. The applications of BCIs in NDs have been studied for decades now through different approaches, resulting in a considerable amount of literature in all related areas. In this study, we begin by introducing BCIs and proceed by explaining the principles of BCI-based neurorehabilitation. Then, we go through four specific types of NDs, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and spinal muscular atrophy, and review some of the applications of BCIs in the neural rehabilitation of these diseases. We conclude with a discussion of the characteristics, challenges, and future possibilities of research in the field. Going through the uses of BCIs in NDs, we can see that approaches and strategies employed to tackle the wide range of limitations caused by NDs are numerous and diverse. Furthermore, NDs can fall under different categories based on the target area of neurodegeneration and thus require different methods of BCI-based rehabilitation. In recent years, neurotechnology companies have substantially invested in research on BCIs, focusing on commercializing BCIs and bringing BCI-based technologies from bench to bedside. This can mean the beginning of a new era for BCI-based neurorehabilitation, with an anticipated spike in interest among researchers, practitioners, engineers, and entrepreneurs alike., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To develop a comprehensive assessment tool to evaluate the Quality of Care (QoC) in managing individuals with traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI)., Method: At first, the concepts of QoC for TSCI were identified by conducting a qualitative interview along with re-evaluation of the results of a published scoping review (conceptualization). After operationalization of indicators, they were valued by using the expert panel method. Afterward, the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) were calculated and served as cut-offs for indicator selection. Then specific questions were developed for each indicator and classified into three categories: pre-hospital, in-hospital, and post-hospital. Data availability of the National Spinal Cord Injury Registry of Iran (NSCIR-IR) was subsequently used to design questions that represent indicators in an assessment tool format. The comprehensiveness of the tool was evaluated using a 4-item Likert scale by the expert panel., Result: Twelve experts participated in conceptualization and 11 experts participated in operationalization phase. Overall, 94 concepts for QoC were identified from published scoping review (87 items) and qualitative interviews (7 items). The process of operationalization and indicator selection led to the development of 27 indicators with acceptable content validity. Finally, the assessment tool contained three pre-hospital, twelve in-hospital, nine post-hospital, and three mixed indicators. Ninety-one percent of experts evaluated the entire tool as comprehensive., Conclusion: Our study presents a health-related QoC tool that contains a comprehensive set of indicators to assess the QoC for individuals with TSCI. However, this tool should be used in various situations to establish construct validity further., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International Spinal Cord Society.)

Objective: Recurrent Cushing disease (CD) is characterized by the reappearance of clinical and hormonal aspects of hypercortisolism that occur more than 6 months after an initial post-treatment remission., Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the evidence about remission and complication rates after transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) radiotherapy (RT) and medical therapy (MT) in recurrent CD patients. A quantitative systematic review was performed. Article selection was performed by searching MEDLINE (using PubMed), and Cochrane electronic bibliographic databases through 2020., Results: We noted 61 articles described therapeutic management of recurrent CD patients with representative outcome. A total of 723 patients received different therapeutic modality for their recurrent CD. The remission rates were 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60-0.70), 0.57 (95% CI 0.51-0.63), and 0.75 (95% CI 0.60-0.86) in the TSS, RT, and MT subgroups, respectively. The total remission rate after therapeutic approaches on recurrent CD patients was 0.64 (95% CI 0.60-0.68). A test for subgroup differences revealed there was a statistically significant difference between different subgroups (P = 0.01). The post hoc test showed that in comparison with RT, TSS (P = 0.0344) and MT (P = 0.0149) had a higher rate of remission. However, there was no statistically significant difference between separate therapeutic modalities in terms of complications including diabetes insipidus (P = 1.0) and hypopituitarism (P = 0.28)., Conclusions: Compared MT and TSS, RT has a statistically lower rate of remission. Although there is robust superiority of surgery over RT, interpretation of MT data must considered with caution due to the small number of included cases and wide CI range., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To present estimates of prevalence and incidence of and contributors to central nervous system (CNS) cancers, death, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years from 1990 to 2019 in North Africa and the Middle East., Methods: Primary measures were retrieved from Global Burden of Disease 2019. Contribution of various factors to observed incidence and mortality changes was investigated with decomposition and age-period-cohort analyses., Results: In 2019, 27,529 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 18,554-32,579; percent change compared with 1990: +152.5%) new CNS cancers and 17,773 (95% UI:12,096-20,936; percent change compared with 1990: +111.5%) deaths occurred. Meanwhile, 71.0% increase led to 71,6271 (95% UI: 493,932-848,226) disability-adjusted life years in 2019 with a halved years of life lost/years lived with disability ratio of 66.3% (proxy of worse care quality). Altogether, 97,195 (95% UI: 64,216-115,621; percent change compared with 1990: +280.5%) patients with prevalent cases were alive in 2019. All decomposed indices, including aging, cause-specific incidence, and population growth, contributed substantially to increased incidence of CNS cancers. Moreover, age brackets, study period (1990-2019), and 5-year cohorts all demonstrated positive effects, while age had a mixed influence in different age groups. Palestine harbored the highest age-standardized disability-adjusted life years rate in 2019 (232.0 [95% UI: 175.6-279.5]), while Tunisia had the lowest (41.8 [95% UI: 27.6-57.1] per 100,000). The greatest burden increase was found in Saudi Arabia (32.3%)., Conclusions: The burden of CNS cancers is rising in North Africa and the Middle East, with major heterogeneities among countries. Improved early detection and health care access across countries are required to bridge inequalities and address the rising burden of CNS malignancies., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the potential neuroprotective effect of cyclosporine - a calcineurin inhibitor-, ondansetron, and tropisetron-5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 3 receptor (5-HT3R) antagonists-, on optic nerve crush (ONC) injury in rats. Moreover, underlying signaling activities of their beneficial neuroprotective effects were studied., Methods: Adult male rats were treated with the intravitreal administration of cyclosporine (1.6 mM), ondansetron (100 nM), and tropisetron (100 nM) immediately after the induction of ONC. Subsequently, on 7th day after surgery, the rats' retinas were extracted, and the expression of apoptotic regulators (Bax and Bcl-2) and calcineurin were studied by western blot analysis., Results: The induction of ONC injury was associated to higher expression of Bax and calcineurin, while Bcl-2 expression was considerably decreased in these animals. Intravitreal treatment with cyclosporine (1.6 mM), ondansetron (100 nM), and tropisetron (100 nM) significantly attenuated the increased expression of Bax and calcineurin. Moreover, the treatment with these agents resulted in an elevated expression of Bcl-2 in the retina., Conclusion: Our findings indicate that cyclosporine, ondansetron, and tropisetron protect against ONC injury in rats, possibly via the suppression of apoptosis and modulation of calcineurin activity directly and via 5-HT3 receptors. Moreover, immunoblotting showed that tropisetron was more effective as opposed to ondansetron. Further studies are needed to evaluate the precise mechanism behind cyclosporine, ondansetron, and tropisetron activities., Competing Interests: The authors report there are no competing interests to declare., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)