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Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an accepted treatment for patients with medication-resistant Tourette syndrome (TS). Sedation is commonly required during electrode implantation to attenuate anxiety, pain, and severe tics. Anesthetic agents potentially impair the quality of microelectrode recordings (MER). Little is known about the effect of these anesthetics on MER in patients with TS. We describe our experience with different sedative regimens on MER and tic severity in patients with TS. Methods: The clinical records of all TS patients who underwent DBS surgery between 2010 and 2018 were reviewed. Demographic data, stimulation targets, anesthetic agents, perioperative complications, and MER from each hemisphere were collected and analyzed. Single-unit activity was identified by filtering spiking activity from broadband MER data and principal component analysis with K-means clustering. Vocal and motor tics which caused artifacts in the MER data were manually selected using visual and auditory inspection. Results: Six patients underwent bilateral DBS electrode implantation. In all patients, the target was the anterior internal globus pallidus. Patient comfort and hemodynamic and respiratory stability were maintained with conscious sedation with one or more of the following anesthetic drugs: propofol, midazolam, remifentanil, clonidine, and dexmedetomidine. Good quality MER and clinical testing were obtained in 9 hemispheres of 6 patients. In 3 patients, MER quality was poor on one side. Conclusion: Cautiously applied sedative drugs can provide patient comfort, hemodynamic and respiratory stability, and suppress severe tics, with minimal interference with MER.

BACKGROUND: Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a routine treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). DBS surgery is commonly performed under local anesthesia (LA) to obtain reliable microelectrode recordings. However, procedural sedation and/or analgesia (PSA) is often desirable to improve patient comfort. The impact of PSA in addition to LA on outcome is largely unknown. Therefore, we performed an observational study to assess the effect of PSA compared to LA alone during STN DBS surgery on outcome in PD patients.METHODS: Seventy PD patients (22 under LA, 48 under LA + PSA) scheduled for STN DBS implantation were included. Dexmedetomidine, clonidine or remifentanil were used for PSA. The primary outcome was the change in Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Score III (MDS-UPDRS III) and levodopa equivalent daily dosage (LEDD) between baseline, one month before surgery, and twelve months postoperatively. Secondary outcome measures were motor function during activities of daily living (MDS-UPDRS II), cognitive alterations and surgical adverse events. Postoperative assessment was conducted in "on" stimulation and "on" medication conditions.RESULTS: At twelve months follow-up, UPDRS III and UPDRS II scores in "on" medication conditions were similar between the LA and PSA groups. The two groups showed a similar LEDD reduction and an equivalent decline in executive function measured by the Stroop Color-Word Test, Trail Making Test-B, and verbal fluency. The incidence of perioperative and postoperative adverse events was similar between groups.CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that PSA during STN DBS implantation surgery in PD patients was not associated with differences in motor and non-motor outcome after twelve months compared with LA only.

Background: Microelectrode recordings (MER) are used to optimize lead placement during subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS). To obtain reliable MER, surgery is usually performed while patients are awake. Procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) is often desirable to improve patient comfort, anxiolysis and pain relief. The effect of these agents on MER are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of commonly used PSA agents, dexmedetomidine, clonidine and remifentanil and patient characteristics on MER during DBS surgery. Methods: Data from 78 patients with Parkinson&rsquo, s disease (PD) who underwent STN-DBS surgery were retrospectively reviewed. The procedures were performed under local anesthesia or under PSA with dexmedetomidine, clonidine or remifentanil. In total, 4082 sites with multi-unit activity (MUA) and 588 with single units were acquired. Single unit firing rates and coefficient of variation (CV), and MUA total power were compared between patient groups. Results: We observed a significant reduction in MUA, an increase of the CV and a trend for reduced firing rate by dexmedetomidine. The effect of dexmedetomidine was dose-dependent for all measures. Remifentanil had no effect on the firing rate but was associated with a significant increase in CV and a decrease in MUA. Clonidine showed no significant effect on firing rate, CV or MUA. In addition to anesthetic effects, MUA and CV were also influenced by patient-dependent variables. Conclusion: Our results showed that PSA influenced neuronal properties in the STN and the dexmedetomidine (DEX) effect was dose-dependent. In addition, patient-dependent characteristics also influenced MER.

Deep brain stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus is an effective treatment for patients with refractory epilepsy who do not respond sufficiently to medical therapy. Optimal therapeutic effects of deep brain stimulation probably depend on accurate positioning of the stimulating electrodes. Microelectrode recordings show bursty firing neurons in the anterior nucleus of the thalamus region, which confirms the anatomical target determined by the surgeon. Deep brain stimulation electrodes in epilepsy patients are implanted under general anesthesia. The type and depth of anesthesia might interfere with microelectrode ecordings. Here, we describe our experience of a patient who underwent deep brain stimulation surgery under general anesthesia with sevoflurane, a volatile anesthetic, and its effect on the microelectrode recordings. Keywords: Thalamus, Deep brain stimulation, Sevoflurane

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective surgical treatment for patients with various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Clinical improvements rely on careful patient selection and accurate electrode placement. A common method for target localization is intraoperative microelectrode recording (MER). To facilitate MER, DBS surgery is traditionally performed under local or regional anesthesia. However, sedation or general anesthesia is sometimes needed for patients who are unable to tolerate the procedure fully awake because of severe motor symptoms, psychological distress, pain, or other forms of discomfort. The effect of anesthetic drugs on MER is controversial but likely depends on the type and dose of a particular anesthetic agent, underlying disease, and surgical target. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the current literature on the anesthetic drugs most often used for sedation and anesthesia during DBS surgery, with a focus on their effects on MERs.

The Ethics Committee of The Transplantation Society convened a meeting on pediatric deceased donation of organs in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 21 to 22, 2014. Thirty-four participants from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Europe, and North and South America explored the practical and ethical issues pertaining to pediatric deceased donation and developed recommendations for policy and practice. Their expertise was inclusive of pediatric intensive care, internal medicine, and surgery, nursing, ethics, organ donation and procurement, psychology, law, and sociology. The report of the meeting advocates the routine provision of opportunities for deceased donation by pediatric patients and conveys an international call for the development of evidence-based resources needed to inform provision of best practice care in deceased donation for neonates and children. ispartof: Transplantation vol:99 issue:7 pages:1403-9 ispartof: location:United States status: published

IntroductionEffective treatment of new-onset headache after craniotomy, especially anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) and amygdalohippocampectomy for drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy, is a challenge. The current practice, acetaminophen combined with opioids is often reported by patients as insufficient and sometimes accompanied by opioid-related adverse effects. Based on expert opinion, anaesthesiologists therefore frequently consider s-ketamine as add-on therapy. This randomised parallel group design trial compares s-ketamine with a placebo as add on medication to a multimodal pain approach.Methods and analysisIn total 62 adult participants, undergoing ATL for drug resistant epilepsy under general anaesthesia, will be randomised to either receive a 0.25 mg/kg bolus followed by a continuous infusion of 0.1 mg/kg/hour of s-ketamine or placebo (0.9% NaCl) starting before incision and continued for 48 hours as an addition to acetaminophen and opioids administered in a patient-controlled analgesia pump. The primary outcome measure is the cumulative postoperative opioid consumption. Patient recruitment started August 2018 and will end in 2021. Secondary outcome measures are postoperative pain intensity scores, psychological parameters, length of hospital stay and adverse events and will be reassessed at 3 and 6 months after surgery, with a baseline measurement preoperatively. All data are collected by researchers who are blinded to the treatment. The data will be analysed by multivariable linear mixed-effects regression.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been given by the local medical ethical committee (NL61666.068.17). This study will be conducted in accordance with the Dutch Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act and the Declaration of Helsinki. The results of this trial will be publicly disclosed and submitted for publication in an international peer-reviewed scientific journal.Trial registration numberNTR6480.

Resumen — En este articulo se hace la descripcion del diseno de un filtro digital tipo FIR con ocho bits de ancho de datos. Este sistema ha sido implementado en un FPGA (SPARTAN 3E de XILINX) y posee un software que realiza el calculo de los coeficientes del filtro y la reconfiguracion del hardware. Las pruebas se realizaron usando el programa MATHLAB para verificar su funcionamiento. Palabras clave —Filtros digitales, tratamie nto digital de senales, FPGA, VHDL, FIR. I MPLEMENTATION OF D IGITAL F ILTERS OF FIR T YPE IN FPGA Abstract — This paper presents the description of development of digital filter of FIR type with eight bits data transmission. This system was implemented in FPGA (SPARTAN 3E by XILINX) and includes the software for calculation of filter coefficients and hardware reconfiguration. The experiments were conducted using simulation in MATHLAB. Index Terms — Digital filter, digital signal processing, FPGA, VHDL, FIR. I. I NTRODUCCION n filtro es un sistema que, dependiendo de algunos parametros, realiza un proceso de discriminacion de una senal de entrada obteniendo variaciones en su salida. Los filtros digitales tienen como entrada una senal analogica o digital y a su salida tienen otra senal analogica o digital, pudiendo haber cambiado en amplitud, frecuencia o fase dependiendo de las caracteristicas del filtro. El filtrado digital es parte del procesado de senal digital. Se le da la denominacion de digital mas por su funcionamiento

In 1993 the radiotherapy advisory committee of the Dutch Health Council published its report on the developments of infrastructure for radiotherapy in The Netherlands during the last 10 years and the prognosis for future needs until 2010. Based on demographic trends, the expected incidence of cancer, the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer, and the workload assessment in a model department, two scenarios are presented for the development of infrastructure. According to the committee, the Quality Scenario would be the most appropriate.

The reversed radial forearm free flap is described and patient histories are presented to illustrate its unique reconstructive versatility. The valvular orientation of the deep and superficial forearm veins should theoretically oppose the reversed flow in this flap, but the venous flow is not compromised. In comparison to the anterograde forearm free flap the vascular pedicle is longer and the donor defect generates less functional and cosmetic complications because it is located on the proximal forearm. In a review of the literature anatomical details of the venous drainage are presented. Different opinions on reverse flow in forearm flaps are discussed and a new theory is proposed. © 1993 Wiley-Liss Inc.

A series of papers in Philosophy, Ethics and Humanities in Medicine (PEHM) have recently disputed whether non-heart beating organ donors are alive and whether non-heart beating organ donation (NHBD) contravenes the dead donor rule. Several authors who argue that NHBD involves harvesting organs from live patients appeal to "strong irreversibility" (death beyond the reach of resuscitative efforts to restore life) as a necessary criterion that patients must meet before physicians can declare them to be dead. Sam Shemie, who defends our current practice of NHBD, holds that in fact physicians consider patients to be dead or not according to physician intention to resuscitate or not. We suggest that criteria for a concept are not necessarily truth conditions for assertions involving the concept. Hence, non-heart beating donors may be declared dead without meeting the criterion of strong irreversibility even though strong irreversibility is implied by the concept of death. Our perception that a concept applies in a given case is determined not by the concept itself but by our necessary skill and judgment when using it. In the case of deciding that a patient is dead, such judgment is learned by physicians as they learn the practice of medicine and may vary according to circumstances. Current practice of NHBD can therefore be defended without abandoning death as an empirical concept, as Shemie appears to do. We conclude that the dead donor rule continues to be viable and ought to be retained so as to guarantee what the public most cares about as regards organ donation: that physicians can be trusted to make determinations of eligibility for organ donation in the interests of patients and not for other purposes such as increasing the availability of organs.

Hereditary congenital facial paralysis is rare. This paper presents a pedigree of four generations of a family of about 100 members, nine of whom suffer from congenital facial paresis, three with impaired hearing, and three with both facial paresis and impaired hearing. Heredity is dominant with reduced penetrance.

A study of 275 cases of cutaneous malignant melanoma treated in one centre at Nottingham has shown no significant changes in survival rates since Bodenham published his figures 13 years ago. Early excision of a suspicious tumour followed by immediate frozen section is still the best approach and was found to be a reliable way of confirming the diagnosis of malignancy in a pigmented lesion. A large percentage of patients with malignant melanoma develop their first metastases 5 years after the initial treatment. Therefore, the routine follow-up of patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma should be continued for at least 10 years.