Impaired Glymphatic and Meningeal Lymphatic Functions in Patients with Chronic Migraine.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to investigate migraine glymphatic and meningeal lymphatic vessel (mLV) functions. METHODS: Migraine patients and healthy controls (HCs) were prospectively recruited between 2020 and 2023. Diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index for glymphatics and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging parameters (time to peak [TTP]/enhancement integral [EI]/mean time to enhance [MTE]) for para-superior sagittal (paraSSS)-mLV or paratransverse sinus (paraTS)-mLV in episodic migraine (EM), chronic migraine (CM), and CM with and without medication-overuse headache (MOH) were analyzed. DTI-ALPS correlations with clinical parameters (migraine severity [numeric rating scale]/disability [Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS)]/bodily pain [Widespread Pain Index]/sleep quality [Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)]) were examined. RESULTS: In total, 175 subjects (112 migraine + 63 HCs) were investigated. DTI-ALPS values were lower in CM (median [interquartile range] = 0.64 [0.12]) than in EM (0.71 [0.13], p = 0.005) and HCs (0.71 [0.09], p = 0.004). CM with MOH (0.63 [0.07]) had lower DTI-ALPS values than CM without MOH (0.73 [0.12], p < 0.001). Furthermore, CM had longer TTP (paraSSS-mLV: 55.8 [12.9] vs 40.0 [7.6], p < 0.001; paraTS-mLV: 51.2 [8.1] vs 44.0 [3.3], p = 0.002), EI (paraSSS-mLV: 45.5 [42.0] vs 16.1 [9.2], p < 0.001), and MTE (paraSSS-mLV: 253.7 [6.7] vs 248.4 [13.8], p < 0.001; paraTS-mLV: 252.0 [6.2] vs 249.7 [1.2], p < 0.001) than EM patients. The MIDAS (p = 0.002) and PSQI (p = 0.002) were negatively correlated with DTI-ALPS index after Bonferroni corrections (p < q = 0.01). INTERPRETATION: CM patients, particularly those with MOH, have glymphatic and meningeal lymphatic dysfunctions, which are highly clinically relevant and may implicate pathogenesis for migraine chronification. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:583-595.

Disrupted Brain Functional Status in Patients with Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the functional networks in subjects with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS: We prospectively recruited patients with RCVS and healthy controls (HCs) between February 2017 and April 2021. The rs-fMRI data were analyzed using graph theory methods. We compared node-based global and regional topological metrics (Bundle 1) and network-based intranetwork and internetwork connectivity (Bundle 2) between RCVS patients and HCs. We also explored the associations of clinical and vascular (ie, the Lindegaard index, LI) parameters with significant rs-fMRI metrics. RESULTS: A total of 104 RCVS patients and 93 HCs were included in the final analysis. We identified significantly decreased local efficiency of the left dorsal anterior insula (dAI; p = 0.0005) in RCVS patients within 30 days after disease onset as compared to HCs, which improved 1 month later. RCVS patients also had increased global efficiency (p = 0.009) and decreased average degree centrality (p = 0.045), clustering coefficient (p = 0.033), and assortativity values (p = 0.003) in node-based analysis. In addition, patients with RCVS had increased internetwork connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) with the salience (p = 0.027) and dorsal attention (p = 0.016) networks. Significant correlations between LI and regional local efficiency in left dAI (rs = -0.418, p = 0.042) was demonstrated. INTERPRETATION: The significantly lower local efficiency of the left dAI, suggestive of impaired central autonomic modulation, was negatively correlated with vasoconstriction severity, which is highly plausible for the pathogenesis of RCVS. ANN NEUROL 2023;94:772-784.

Automated identification and quantification of metastatic brain tumors and perilesional edema based on a deep learning neural network.

PURPOSE: This paper presents a deep learning model for use in the automated segmentation of metastatic brain tumors and associated perilesional edema. METHODS: The model was trained using Gamma Knife surgical data (90 MRI sets from 46 patients), including the initial treatment plan and follow-up images (T1-weighted contrast-enhanced (T1cWI) and T2-weighted images (T2WI)) manually annotated by neurosurgeons to indicate the target tumor and edema regions. A mask region-based convolutional neural network was used to extract brain parenchyma, after which the DeepMedic 3D convolutional neural network was in the segmentation of tumors and edemas. RESULTS: Five-fold cross-validation demonstrated the efficacy of the brain parenchyma extraction model, achieving a Dice similarity coefficient of 96.4%. The segmentation models used for metastatic tumors and brain edema achieved Dice similarity coefficients of 71.6% and 85.1%, respectively. This study also presents an intuitive graphical user interface to facilitate the use of these models in clinical analysis. CONCLUSION: This paper introduces a deep learning model for the automated segmentation and quantification of brain metastatic tumors and perilesional edema trained using only T1cWI and T2WI. This technique could facilitate further research on metastatic tumors and perilesional edema as well as other intracranial lesions.

Dynamic changes in glymphatic function in reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of the reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) remains enigmatic and the role of glymphatics in RCVS pathophysiology has not been evaluated. We aimed to investigate RCVS glymphatic dynamics and its clinical correlates. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the glymphatic function in RCVS patients, with RCVS subjects and healthy controls (HCs) recruited between August 2020 and November 2023, by calculating diffusion-tensor imaging along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index under a 3-T MRI. Clinical and vascular (transcranial color-coded duplex sonography) investigations were conducted in RCVS subjects. RCVS participants were separated into acute (≤ 30 days) and remission (≥ 90 days) groups by disease onset to MRI interval. The time-trend, acute stage and longitudinal analyses of the DTI-ALPS index were conducted. Correlations between DTI-ALPS index and vascular and clinical parameters were performed. Bonferroni correction was applied to vascular investigations (q = 0.05/11). RESULTS: A total of 138 RCVS patients (mean age, 46.8 years ± 11.8; 128 women) and 42 HCs (mean age, 46.0 years ± 4.5; 35 women) were evaluated. Acute RCVS demonstrated lower DTI-ALPS index than HCs (p < 0.001) and remission RCVS (p < 0.001). A continuously increasing DTI-ALPS trend after disease onset was demonstrated. The DTI-ALPS was lower when the internal carotid arteries resistance index and six-item Headache Impact test scores were higher. In contrast, during 50-100 days after disease onset, the DTI-ALPS index was higher when the middle cerebral artery flow velocity was higher. CONCLUSIONS: Glymphatic function in patients with RCVS exhibited a unique dynamic evolution that was temporally coupled to different vascular indices and headache-related disabilities along the disease course. These findings may provide novel insights into the complex interactions between glymphatic transport, vasomotor control and pain modulation.

Federated Learning: A Cross-Institutional Feasibility Study of Deep Learning Based Intracranial Tumor Delineation Framework for Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

BACKGROUND: Deep learning-based segmentation algorithms usually required large or multi-institute data sets to improve the performance and ability of generalization. However, protecting patient privacy is a key concern in the multi-institutional studies when conventional centralized learning (CL) is used. PURPOSE: To explores the feasibility of a proposed lesion delineation for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) scheme for federated learning (FL), which can solve decentralization and privacy protection concerns. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. SUBJECTS: 506 and 118 vestibular schwannoma patients aged 15-88 and 22-85 from two institutes, respectively; 1069 and 256 meningioma patients aged 12-91 and 23-85, respectively; 574 and 705 brain metastasis patients aged 26-92 and 28-89, respectively. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5T, spin-echo, and gradient-echo [Correction added after first online publication on 21 August 2023. Field Strength has been changed to "1.5T" from "5T" in this sentence.]. ASSESSMENT: The proposed lesion delineation method was integrated into an FL framework, and CL models were established as the baseline. The effect of image standardization strategies was also explored. The dice coefficient was used to evaluate the segmentation between the predicted delineation and the ground truth, which was manual delineated by neurosurgeons and a neuroradiologist. STATISTICAL TESTS: The paired t-test was applied to compare the mean for the evaluated dice scores (p < 0.05). RESULTS: FL performed the comparable mean dice coefficient to CL for the testing set of Taipei Veterans General Hospital regardless of standardization and parameter; for the Taichung Veterans General Hospital data, CL significantly (p < 0.05) outperformed FL while using bi-parameter, but comparable results while using single-parameter. For the non-SRS data, FL achieved the comparable applicability to CL with mean dice 0.78 versus 0.78 (without standardization), and outperformed to the baseline models of two institutes. DATA CONCLUSION: The proposed lesion delineation successfully implemented into an FL framework. The FL models were applicable on SRS data of each participating institute, and the FL exhibited comparable mean dice coefficient to CL on non-SRS dataset. Standardization strategies would be recommended when FL is used. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

Treatment and survival of patients with small cell lung cancer and brain metastasis.

PURPOSE: To elucidate treatment patterns and their outcomes in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and brain metastasis (BM). METHODS: In this retrospective study, patients with SCLC and BM were stratified by treatment modality into three groups: those treated with systemic therapy only, those treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and systemic therapy, and those treated with whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and systemic therapy. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and time to central nervous system progression (TTCP). RESULTS: The analysis included 149 patients. After BM diagnosis, 48 patients (32.2%) received systemic therapy alone, 33 received SRS with systemic therapy, and 68 received WBRT with systemic therapy. The median OS and TTCP were 7.2 months and 8.7 months, respectively. Patients receiving WBRT with systemic therapy exhibited better intracranial control, but not better OS, than did the other patients. Key prognostic factors affecting OS were age, BM lesion count, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Notably, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and BM lesion count significantly influenced intracranial control in patients treated with SRS and systemic therapy. CONCLUSION: Although WBRT combined with systemic therapy offer better intracranial control in patients with SCLC and BM, this approach is not superior to the other approaches in terms of OS benefits. Emerging systemic therapies, such as immunotherapy, may be used as alternative or adjunctive treatments for specific patient populations. Further studies are warranted to refine treatment selection.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for pituitary and cavernous sinus metastases.

PURPOSE: Metastases extending to the pituitary gland and cavernous sinus are extremely rare; however, advances in neuroimaging have increased the reported incidence. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) affords the precise delivery of focused radiation to minimize adverse radiation effects. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of SRS in the treatment of pituitary and cavernous sinus metastases. METHODS: Analysis was performed on 23 patients with pituitary and cavernous sinus metastases who underwent treatment using SRS between 1996 and 2021. The cohort was categorized into 2 groups in terms of metastasis location: pituitary involvement (Group 1, n = 11) and cavernous sinus involvement (Group 2, n = 12). Overall survival, local tumor control, and distal tumor control rates were compared between the two groups using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: The median age of the cohort was 52.2 years and the median tumor volume was 4.5 mL. Overall survival rates were as follows: 1 year (72.9%), 2 years (51.8%), and 3 years (45.3%). Local tumor control rates were as follows: 1 year (82.3%), 2 years (82.3%), and 3 years (65.9%). Visual deficit and hypopituitarism were the most common presentations in Group 1, whereas cranial nerve deficit was the most common presentation in Group 2. CONCLUSIONS: SRS appears to be a safe and effective therapy for the treatment of pituitary and cavernous sinus metastases. GKRS is a relatively simple procedure, which places minimal stress on the patient, thereby facilitating further anti-cancer treatment. Considering the limited survival duration in cases of metastasis, it is very likely that post-GKRS complications (e.g., new onset cranial nerve deficit and hypopituitarism) would not become an issue before patient passes away.

Magnetic resonance imaging signal characteristics associated with prognosis of skull base chordoma after gamma knife radiosurgery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal characteristics of skull base chordoma and radiosurgical outcomes. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with skull base chordomas treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) after previous surgical resection were retrospectively (2001-2021) examined. Pre-GKRS MRIs were analyzed for RT2 (tumor-to-brainstem signal intensity ratio on T2-weighted imaging), RCE (tumor-to-brainstem signal intensity ratio on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging), and mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Correlations of the parameters with patient survival and local tumor progression were made by using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 46 months after GKRS, 9 patients died with significantly more local tumor progression events (median number: 2 vs 0, P = .012) than did 15 alive patients. On multivariable analysis, higher mean ADC was associated with longer patient survival (P = .016) after GKRS. The actuarial 5-year overall survival rates were 88.9% versus 54.7% for chordomas with an ADC of ≥ 1270 × 10-6 mm2/s versus < 1270 × 10-6 mm2/s. RT2 < 1.5 (P = .038) and RCE > 1.57 (P = .022) were associated with a lower probability of local tumor control. CONCLUSION: Lower mean ADC values are associated with shorter patient survival in skull base chordomas after GKRS. Diffusion-weighted imaging may help in GKRS planning and outcome prediction for these patients.

Improved survival and intracranial tumor control of EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with newly developed brain metastases following stereotactic radiosurgery and EGFR-TKI: a large retrospective cohort study and meta-analyses.

PURPOSE: To examine the differential effects of SRS and TKI on EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with brain metastases (BMs) and outcomes following continuation of the same TKI agent in case of new BMs. METHODS: This study included 608 NSCLC patients (2,274 BMs) while meta-analyses included 1,651 NSCLC patients (> 3,944 BMs). Overall survival (OS) and intracranial progression free survival (iPFS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Hazard ratios (95% CI) of prognostic factors were estimated using Cox regression models. RESULTS: The median OS/iPFS (95% CI) (months) for patients with wildtype EGFR/ALK, EGFR mutations, and ALK rearrangements were 17.7 (12.9-23.6)/12.1 (9.8-15.6), 28.9 (23.8-33.3)/17.7 (14.8-21.2), and 118.0 (not reached)/71.7 (15.1-not reached), respectively. In EGFR-mutated patients, meta-analyses combining our data showed significantly improved OS and iPFS of patients who received SRS and TKI (OS:35.1 months, iPFS:20.0 months) when compared to those who have SRS alone (OS:20.8 months, iPFS:11.8 months) or TKI alone (OS:24.3 months, iPFS:13.8 months). Having SRS for newly diagnosed BMs while keeping the existing TKI agent yielded OS (30.0 vs. 32.1 months, p = 0.200) non-inferior to patients who started combined SRS and TKI therapy for their newly diagnosed NSCLC with BMs. Multivariable analyses showed that good performance score and TKI therapy were associated with improved outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Combined SRS and TKI resulted in favorable outcomes in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with newly diagnosed BMs. Continuation of the same TKI agent plus SRS in case of new brain metastases yielded good clinical outcomes and may be considered a standard-of-care treatment.

Leukoencephalopathy in patients with brain metastases who received radiosurgery with or without whole brain radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) for brain metastases (BMs) is a common cause of radiation-induced leukoencephalopathy; however the safety of alternative stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) remains unclear. This study examined the incidence of leukoencephalopathy in patients treated with SRS alone versus WBRT plus SRS for BMs with a focus on the relationship between prognostic factors and leukoencephalopathy. METHODS: Analysis was performed between 2002 and 2021. The total enrollment was 993 patients with the distribution: WBRT plus SRS (n = 291) and SRS only (n = 702). Leukoencephalopathy was graded from 0 to 3 for changes in white matter indicated by the MRI after WBRT or SRS. Patient characteristics and SRS dosimetric parameters were reviewed to identify factors that contributed to the incidence of leukoencephalopathy or overall survival. RESULTS: The incidence of leukoencephalopathy was consistently higher in WBRT plus SRS group than in SRS alone group (p < 0.001). Leukoencephalopathy was also associated with a larger total tumor volume (≧28cm3; p = 0.028) and age (> 77 years; p = 0.025). Nonetheless, the SRS integral dose to skull in the subgroup of WBRT plus SRS treatment was not demonstrated significance in development of leukoencephalopathy (p = 0.986 for integral dose 1-2 J, p = 0.776 for integral dose > 2 J). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that SRS is safe for oligo-BMs in terms of leukoencephalopathy development. Patient age and total tumor volume were identified as important factors in assessing the development of leukoencephalopathy. The additional of SRS (even at an integral dose > 2 J) did not increase the incidence of leukoencephalopathy.

Natural history of lung squamous cell brain metastases in patients treated with radiosurgery: a thirty-year experience at a tertiary medical center.

PURPOSE: In this study we report our 30-year experience in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) brain metastases (BMs). It will serve to provide detailed longitudinal outcomes and predictors of efficacy in treating LUSC-BMs with SRS. METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed 51 patients and 109 tumors treated with SRS at our center between 1993 and 2022. Patient demographics, PDL1 genotype, immunotherapy use and mortality cause were recorded. Radiological and clinical outcomes were followed at 1-3-month intervals post-SRS. Cox-regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were performed in statistical analysis. RESULTS: We included 37 male and 14 female patients (median age 62.7 years at BM diagnosis). Median overall survival (OS) time was 6.9 months, 6-month OS rate was 62.1%, and Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) was the only independent predictor. Median time for local control maintenance was 7.6 months, 6-month local control rate was 69.1%, with TKI as the only independent predictor. Median time to distant failure was 5.13 months, 6-month distant failure rate was 51.1%, and factors with significant impact included gender (p = 0.002), presence of extracranial metastases (p < 0.001), use of immunotherapy(p < 0.001), PDL1 genotype (p = 0.034), and total intracranial metastases number (p = 0.008). However, no definitive benefits of immunotherapy were identified in patients with higher PDL1 mutational tumors. CONCLUSION: In this study we defined the natural history of disease progression and outcomes in SRS-treated LUSC-BM patients. We also identified predictors of OS and tumor control among these patients. The findings of this study will serve as a guide when counseling these patients for SRS.

Is it advisable to perform radiosurgery for EGFR-TKI-controlled brain metastases? A retrospective study of the role of radiosurgery in lung cancer treatment.

PURPOSE: Given the availability of TKIs with high central nervous system efficacy, the question arises as to whether upfront SRS provides additional clinical benefits. The goal of this study was to characterize the clinical outcomes of SRS as salvage therapy for TKI-uncontrolled BMs. METHODS: This retrospective study included EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients presenting BMs at the time of primary tumor diagnosis. BMs were categorized into three subgroups, referred to as "Nature of TKI-treated BMs", "TKI-controlled brain metastases ± SRS", and "SRS salvage therapy". The first subgroup analysis characterized the effects of TKIs on tumor behavior. In the second subgroup, we compared outcomes of TKI-controlled BMs treated with TKI alone versus those treated with combined TKI-SRS therapy. The third subgroup characterized the outcomes of TKI-uncontrolled BMs treated with SRS as salvage therapy Clinical outcomes include local and distant tumor control. RESULTS: This study included 106 patients with a total of 683 BMs. TKI treatment achieved control in 63% of local tumors at 24 months. Among the TKI-controlled BMs, local tumor control was significantly higher in the combined TKI-SRS group (93%) than in the TKI-alone group (65%) at 24 months (p < 0.001). No differences were observed between the two groups in terms of distant tumor control (p = 0.832). In dealing with TKI-uncontrolled BMs, salvage SRS achieved local tumor control in 58% of BMs at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: While upfront TKI alone proved highly effective in BM control, this study also demonstrated the outcomes of SRS when implemented concurrently with TKI or as salvage therapy for TKI-uncontrolled BMs. This study also presents a strategy of the precise timing and targeting of SRS to lesions in progression.

Noninvasive investigations of human glymphatic dynamics in a diseased model.

OBJECTIVES: To explore human glymphatic dynamics in a diseased model via a noninvasive technique. METHODS: Patients with reversible vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) presenting with blood-brain barrier disruption, i.e., para-arterial gadolinium leakage on 3-T 3-dimensional isotropic contrast-enhanced T2-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (CE-T2-FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were prospectively enrolled. Consecutive 9-min-CE-T2-FLAIR for 5-6 times (early panel) after intravenous gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) administration and one time-varying deferred scan of noncontrast T2-FLAIR (delayed panel) were performed. In Bundle 1, we measured the calibrated signal intensities (cSIs) of 10 different anatomical locations. In Bundle 2, brain-wide measurements of para-arterial glymphatic volumes, means, and medians of the signal intensities were conducted. We defined mean (mCoIs) or median (mnCoIs) concentration indices as products of volumes and signal intensities. RESULTS: Eleven subjects were analyzed. The cSIs demonstrated early increase (9 min) in perineural spaces: (cranial nerve [CN] V, p = 0.008; CN VII + VII, p = 0.003), choroid plexus (p = 0.003), white matter (p = 0.004) and parasagittal dura (p = 0.004). The volumes, mCoIs, and mnCoIs demonstrated increasing rates of enhancement after 9 to 18 min and decreasing rates after 45 to 54 min. The GBCA was transported centrifugally and completely removed within 961-1086 min after administration. CONCLUSIONS: The exogenous GBCA leaked into the para-arterial glymphatics could be completely cleared around 961 to 1086 min after administration in a human model of BBB disruption. The tracer enhancement started variously in different intracranial regions but was eventually cleared centrifugally to brain convexity, probably towards glymphatic-meningeal lymphatics exits. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Glymphatic clearance time intervals and the centrifugal directions assessed by a noninvasive approach may have implications for clinical glymphatic evaluation in the near future. KEY POINTS: • This study aimed to investigate the human glymphatic dynamics in a noninvasive diseased model. • The intracranial MR-detectable gadolinium-based contrast agents were removed centrifugally within 961 to 1086 min. • The glymphatic dynamics was demonstrable by enhancing MRI in an in vivo diseased model noninvasively.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease in patients with adult-onset non-vascular leukoencephalopathy.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID), caused by an expansion of GGC repeats in the 5'-untranslated region of NOTCH2NLC, is an important but underdiagnosed cause of adult-onset leukoencephalopathies. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence, clinical spectrum and brain MRI characteristics of NIID in adult-onset nonvascular leukoencephalopathies and assess the diagnostic performance of neuroimaging features. One hundred and sixty-one unrelated Taiwanese patients with genetically undetermined nonvascular leukoencephalopathies were screened for the NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat expansions using fragment analysis, repeat-primed PCR, Southern blot analysis and/or nanopore sequencing with Cas9-mediated enrichment. Among them, 32 (19.9%) patients had an expanded NOTCH2NLC allele and were diagnosed with NIID. We enrolled another two affected family members from one patient for further analysis. The size of the expanded NOTCH2NLC GGC repeats in the 34 patients ranged from 73 to 323 repeats. Skin biopsies from five patients all showed eosinophilic, p62-positive intranuclear inclusions in the sweat gland cells and dermal adipocytes. Among the 34 NIID patients presenting with nonvascular leukoencephalopathies, the median age at symptom onset was 61 years (range, 41-78 years) and the initial presentations included cognitive decline (44.1%; 15/34), acute encephalitis-like episodes (32.4%; 11/34), limb weakness (11.8%; 4/34) and parkinsonism (11.8%; 4/34). Cognitive decline (64.7%; 22/34) and acute encephalitis-like episodes (55.9%; 19/34) were also the most common overall manifestations. Two-thirds of the patients had either bladder dysfunction or visual disturbance. Comparing the brain MRI features between the NIID patients and individuals with other undetermined leukoencephalopathies, corticomedullary junction curvilinear lesions on diffusion weighted images were the best biomarkers for diagnosing NIID with high specificity (98.4%) and sensitivity (88.2%). However, this diffusion weighted imaging abnormality was absent in 11.8% of the NIID patients. When only fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images were available, the presence of white matter hyperintensity lesions either in the paravermis or middle cerebellar peduncles also favoured the diagnosis of NIID with a specificity of 85.3% and sensitivity of 76.5%. Among the MRI scans of 10 patients, performed within 5 days of the onset of acute encephalitis-like episodes, five showed cortical hyperintense lesions on diffusion weighted images and two revealed focal brain oedema. In conclusion, NIID accounts for 19.9% (32/161) of patients with adult-onset genetically undiagnosed nonvascular leukoencephalopathies in Taiwan. Half of the NIID patients developed encephalitis-like episodes with restricted diffusion in the cortical regions on diffusion weighted images at the acute stage. Corticomedullary junction hyperintense lesions, white matter hyperintensities in the paravermis or middle cerebellar peduncles, bladder dysfunction and visual disturbance are useful hints to diagnosing NIID.

Noninvasive Characterization of Human Glymphatics and Meningeal Lymphatics in an in vivo Model of Blood-Brain Barrier Leakage.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate human glymphatics and meningeal lymphatics noninvasively. METHODS: This prospective study implemented 3-dimensional (3D) isotropic contrast-enhanced T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (CE-T2-FLAIR) imaging with a 3T magnetic resonance machine to study cerebral glymphatics and meningeal lymphatics in patients with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) with (n = 92) or without (n = 90) blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and a diseased control group with cluster headache (n = 35). The contrast agent gadobutrol (0.2mmol/kg [0.2ml/kg]) was administered intravenously in all study subjects. RESULTS: In total, 217 patients (182 RCVS, 35 cluster headache) were analyzed and separated into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of visible gadolinium (Gd) leakage. Para-arterial tracer enrichment was clearly depicted in those with overt BBB disruption, while paravenous and parasinus meningeal contrast enrichment was evident in both groups. Paravenous and parasinus contrast enrichment remained in RCVS patients in the remission stage and in cluster headache patients, suggesting that these meningeal lymphatic channels were universal anatomical structures rather than being phase- or condition-specific. Additionally, we demonstrated nodular leptomeningeal enhancement in 32.3% of participants, which might represent potential lymphatic reservoirs. Four selected RCVS patients who received consecutive contrasted 3D isotropic FLAIR imaging after gadobutrol administration showed that the Gd persisted for at least 54 minutes and was completely cleared within 18 hours. INTERPRETATION: This large-scale in vivo study successfully demonstrated the putative human para-arterial glymphatic transports and meningeal lymphatics by clear depiction of para-arterial, parasinus, and paravenous meningeal contrast enrichment using high-resolution 3D isotropic CE-T2-FLAIR imaging noninvasively; this technique may serve as a basis for further studies to delineate clinical relevance of glymphatic clearance. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:111-124.

EGFR mutant status and tyrosine-kinase inhibitors affect the GKRS outcomes for NSCLC brain metastases.

OBJECTIVE: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is the first-line treatment for EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, its applicability to patients with wild-type NSCLC remains an issue of contention. This study compared the effects of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) alone versus combining GKRS and TKIs in treating two genetic forms of NSCLC. METHODS: This retrospective study examined 479 NSCLC patients with 1982 brain metastases who underwent GKRS and for whom imaging follow-up data or death records were available. All our patients were consecutive. All gene mutations were confirmed by lung biopsy. The three main endpoints in this study were overall survival (OS), local intracranial tumor control (LC), and distal intracranial tumor control (DC). RESULTS: There were 296 NSCLC patients with EGFR positive: TKI treatment (n = 262) and without TKI treatment (n = 34). GKRS + TKIs was more effective than GKRS alone in terms of OS (HR 0.53, p = 0.085) and DC (HR 0.51, p < 0.001). There were 150 NSCLC patients with wild-type EGFR: TKI treatment (n = 50) and without TKI treatment (n = 100). GKRS + TKIs was less effective than GKRS alone in terms of OS (HR 1.82, p = 0.049) and DC (HR: 1.40, p = 0.011). We observed no difference in terms of LC in both genetic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Combining GKRS with TKIs proved effective in EGFR positive NSCLC patients; however, we do not observe the similar results when combining GKRS with TKIs for patients with wild-type NSCLC.

Shortened cerebral circulation time correlates with seizures in brain arteriovenous malformation: a cross-sectional quantitative digital subtraction angiography study.

OBJECTIVE: Seizure is the most common clinical presentation in patients with nonhemorrhagic brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs) and it influences their quality of life. Angioarchitectural analysis of the seizure risk for BAVMs is subjective and does not consider hemodynamics. This study aimed to investigate the angioarchitectural and hemodynamic factors that may be associated with seizure in patients with BAVMs. METHODS: From 2011 to 2019, 104 patients with supratentorial BAVMs without previous hemorrhage or treatment were included and grouped according to the initial presentation of seizure. Their angiograms and MRI results were analyzed for morphological characteristics and quantitative digital subtraction angiography (QDSA) parameters. Modified cerebral circulation time (mCCT) was defined as the difference between the bolus arrival time of the ipsilateral cavernous internal carotid artery and the parietal vein on lateral DSA. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for BAVMs presenting with seizure. RESULTS: The seizure group had shorter mCCT (1.98 s vs. 2.44 s, p = 0.005) and more BAVMs with temporal location (45% vs. 30.8%, p = 0.013), neoangiogenesis (55% vs. 33%, p = 0.03), and long draining veins (95% vs. 72%, p = 0.004) than did the nonseizure group. Shorter mCCT (OR: 3.4, p = 0.02), temporal location (OR: 13.4, p < 0.001), and neoangiogenesis (OR: 4.7, p = 0.013) were independently associated with higher risks of seizure, after adjustments for age, gender, BAVM volume, and long draining vein. CONCLUSIONS: Shorter mCCT, temporal location, and neoangiogenesis were associated with epileptic BAVMs. QDSA can objectively evaluate hemodynamic changes in epileptic BAVMs. KEY POINTS: • Quantitative digital subtraction angiography may be used to evaluate the hemodynamic differences between brain arteriovenous malformations presenting with and without seizure. • BAVMs with temporal location, neoangiogenesis, and shortened cerebral circulation time were more likely to present with seizure.

Cerebrospinal fluid diversion and outcomes for lung cancer patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcomes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion in lung cancer patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC). METHODS: A retrospective review of consecutive lung cancer patients with LMC suffering from increased intracranial pressure (IICP) and hydrocephalus between February 2017 and February 2020. We evaluated the survival benefit of CSF diversion surgery and assessed the outcomes of treatments administered post-LMC in terms of overall survival and shunt-related complications. RESULTS: The study cohort included 50 patients (median age: 59 years). Ventricular peritoneal (VP) shunts were placed in 33 patients, and lumbar peritoneal (LP) shunts were placed in 7 patients. Programmable shunts were placed in 36 patients. Shunt adjustment was performed in 19 patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that shunt placement increased overall survival from 1.95 months to 6.21 months (p = 0.0012) and increased Karnofsky Performance Scores (KPS) from 60 to 70. Univariate analysis revealed no difference between VP or LP shunts in terms of survival. No differences in post-shunt systemic treatments (tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) or systemic treatments) were observed in overall survival. Shunt-related complications were noted in 7 patients, including shunt obstruction (n = 4), infection (n = 1), and over-drainage (n = 2). CONCLUSION: CSF diversion (VP or LP shunt) appears to be an effective and safe treatment for lung cancer patients with LMC and hydrocephalus. Programmable shunts should be considered for complex cases, which commonly require pressure adjustments as the disease progresses.

Sinovenous outflow in lateral sinus dural arteriovenous fistulas after stereotactic radiosurgery: a retrospective longitudinal imaging study.

PURPOSE: To investigate sinovenous outflow restriction (SOR) in lateral sinus dural arteriovenous fistulas (LSDAVFs) after Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) and its association with complete obliteration. METHODS: We retrospectively (1995-2019) enrolled 39 patients with LSDAVFs who had undergone GKRS alone and evaluated their angiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after GKRS. The LS conduits ipsilateral and contralateral to the DAVFs were scored using a 5-point scoring system, with scores ranging from 0 (total occlusion) to 4 (fully patent). SOR was defined by a conduit score < 2. Demographics, imaging features, and outcomes were compared between patients with and without ipsilateral SOR after GKRS. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for obliteration with the imaging findings. RESULTS: After a median angiographic follow-up of 28 months for the 39 patients, the ipsilateral LS became more restrictive (median conduit score before and after GKRS: 2 vs. 1, p = .011). Twenty-one patients with ipsilateral SOR after GKRS had a significantly lower obliteration rate (52.4% vs. 94.4%, p = .005) than those without SOR. Follow-up SOR was independently associated with a lower obliteration rate (OR 0.05, p = .017) after adjustment for age, cortical venous reflux, and absent sinus flow void on MRI. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a restrictive change of outflow in LSDAVFs after GKRS and a lower obliteration rate in patients with SOR. Follow-up imaging for SOR may help predict outcomes of these patients.

Treatment response, risk of relapse and clinical characteristics of Taiwanese patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The long-term disease course and efficacy of maintenance therapies have rarely been investigated in Asian patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). METHODS: Medical records of patients fulfilling the 2015 International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for NMOSD at three medical centers in Taiwan were systematically analyzed. Linear regression analysis was performed to investigate factors related to annualized relapse rate (ARR); survival analysis was used to estimate the relapse-free intervals among therapies. RESULTS: A total of 557 relapses affecting 648 regions (202 optic neuritis, 352 acute myelitis, and 94 brain syndromes) in 204 patients were analyzed during a follow-up period of 69.5 months (range, 1-420). Up to 36.1% of myelitis-onset patients and 24.0% of optic neuritis-onset patients exhibited a limited form disease, defined as having one or more relapses confined to the same region. The median ARR was significantly lower in patients with limited form disease than those with relapses involving multiple regions (0.30 vs. 0.47, respectively). An older age at disease onset was associated with a lower ARR (p = 0.023). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the estimated time (months) to next relapse was longest in rituximab-treatment group (58.0 ± 13.2), followed by immunosuppressant (48.5 ± 4.8) or prednisone (29.6 ± 4.6) groups, and shortest in those without maintenance therapy (27.6 ± 4.2) (p = 8.1 × 10-7). CONCLUSION: Limited form disease and older age at disease onset are associated with a lower relapse rate in NMOSD. Compared to no maintenance therapy, rituximab and immunosuppressant significantly reduce the relapse risks.