Trunk Movement and Sequential Trunk Muscle Activation During Oscillation Exercises Using Flexible Poles.

OBJECTIVES: Oscillatory exercises using flexible poles, such as the Flexi-bar, were recommended as rehabilitation programs to increase trunk muscles strength; however, the strategy to enhance the training effects is under investigations. The aim of this study was to characterize the trunk movements and muscle activation patterns when performing an oscillation exercise with flexible poles in different weights. METHODS: Twelve healthy male participants performed oscillation exercises with flexible poles of different weights. The center of mass, as well as surface electromyography for 10 trunk muscles were assessed while participants performed oscillation exercises. RESULTS: The participants' trunks showed rhythmic anterior-posterior movement during oscillation exercises using flexible poles. The center-of-mass movement distances were 20.32 (6.73) mm, 25.33 (5.31) mm, 32.40 (9.94) mm, and 37.28 (21.59) mm for the Flexi-bar, light pole, medium pole, and heavy pole, respectively. Erector spinae, internal obliques, multifidus, and external obliques revealed significant activation levels during oscillation exercises. The participants who could perform steady and smooth oscillation with heavy pole for 30 seconds revealed phasic sequential muscle activation. CONCLUSION: The present study suggested that oscillation exercises with flexible poles were associated with a concomitant trunk movement in anterior-posterior direction and an effective activation of trunk muscles.

The risk of cardiac mortality in patients with status epilepticus: A 10-year study using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether status epilepticus affected cardiac mortality. METHODS: We used the 2008-2017 multicause mortality data of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research. The status epilepticus group included patients whose death certificates mentioned status epilepticus as contributing to death. The non-status epilepticus group included patients whose death certificates mentioned epilepsy, other and unspecified convulsions, febrile convulsions, or post-traumatic seizures, as contributing to death. The outcomes for evaluation were death certificates that indicated that myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, heart failure, or cardiac arrest (CA) was the immediate cause of death. The numbers of deaths and population sizes by categorical demographics were recorded and subjected to multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 14,487 death certificates in status epilepticus group; 3080 patients (21.3%) died of CA. When clinical records were compared to autopsy data, females were at a lower risk of myocardial infarction (odds ratio [OR]: 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-0.61). Patients aged 45-65 years and older than 65 years were at a higher risk of developing all four cardiac complications. Status epilepticus was associated with higher risks of arrhythmia (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.11-2.15) and CA (OR: 4.34, 95% CI: 3.49-5.39) but a reduced risk of myocardial infarction (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.30-0.57) as the cause of immediate death. CONCLUSION: The frequency of CA in patients with status epilepticus increased between 2008 and 2017. Male and elderly patients were at a higher risk of cardiogenic mortality.

γ-secretase inhibitors, DAPT and RO4929097, promote the migration of Human Glioma Cells via Smad5-downregulated E-cadherin Expression.

Malignant gliomas are a type of central nervous system cancer with extremely high mortality rates in humans. γ-secretase has been becoming a potential target for cancer therapy, including glioma, because of the involvement of its enzymatic activity in regulating the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. In this study, we attempted to determine whether γ-secretase activity regulates E-cadherin to affect glioma cell migration. The human glioma cell lines, including LN18 and LN229, and the γ-secretase inhibitors, including N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT) and RO4929097, were used in this study. It was shown that γ-secretase activity inhibition by DAPT and RO4929097 could promote LN18 and LN229 glioma cell migration via downregulating E-cadherin mRNA and protein expressions, but not via affecting E-cadherin protein processing. In addition, γ-secretase activity inhibition was regulated by bone morphogenetic proteins-independent Smad5 activation in glioma cells. Moreover, endogenous Smad1 in glioma cells was found to play an important role in regulating E-cadherin expression and subsequent cell migration but did not affect DAPT-stimulated effects. These results help further elucidate the molecular mechanisms of γ-secretase activity regulation involved in controlling glioma cell malignancy. Information about a potential role for Smad1/5 activity upregulation and subsequent E-cadherin downregulation during inhibition of γ-secretase activity in the development of gliomas is therefore relevant for future research.

Intracranial aneurysms formation after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: a 10-year nationwide follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial aneurysms after radiotherapy (RT) have previously been reported. However, the majority of studies were case reports. Therefore, we performed a nationwide study to explore the risk of radiation-induced intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: This study included patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer (ICD9: 140-149, 161). Intracranial aneurysms formation was identified using the following ICD9 codes: nonruptured cerebral aneurysm (ICD9:4373), aneurysm clipping (ICD9:3951). Patients who did not receive curative treatment and those with intracranial aneurysms before the diagnosis of head and neck cancer were excluded. RESULTS: In total, 70,691 patients were included in the final analysis; they were categorized into the following three groups: nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with RT, non-NPC with RT, and non-NPC without RT. Patients in the NPC with RT group had the highest risk of developing intracranial aneurysms (hazard ratio (HR) 2.57; P <  0.001). In addition, hypertension was also a risk factor of developing intracranial aneurysms (HR 2.14; P <  0.01). The mean time interval from cancer diagnosis to intracranial aneurysm formation in the NPC with RT group was 4.3 ± 3.1 years. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the non-NPC with RT and the non-NPC without RT groups, patients with NPC who received RT had a higher risk of developing intracranial aneurysms.

Percutaneous dorsal root ganglion block for treating lumbar compression fracture-related pain.

BACKGROUND: The pain of acute compression fracture in the lumbar spine may be refractory to conservative treatment, and surgery is not an optimal choice for the elderly or infirm individuals. Moreover, even vertebroplasty can cause many side effects such as chemical leak, adjacent segment instability, and residual pain. Percutaneous dorsal root ganglion block (PDRGB) possibly is an alternative therapeutic option. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of pain relief and the rate of adjacent level compression fracture in patients with acute compression fracture of the lumbar spine. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 40 patients with lumbar compression fracture from 2013 to 2015. The patients were treated with navigation-assisted CT-guided PDRGB with steroid at the pathological level and at the adjacent level above and below. Therapeutic response was evaluated using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS); and an optimal, acceptable, and unfavorable outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 40 patients treated, initial pain relief on the first day was dramatic, and the average NRS did not change significantly up to the first-year follow-up. The highest percentage of a good outcome, at 90% (37.5% with an optimal outcome, 52.5% with an acceptable outcome), was reported at 1 week postoperatively. The percentage of optimal outcomes increased even at the 1-year follow-up. No adjacent compression fracture was found in the group treated with PDRGB alone at the 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: PDRGB is a simple, safe, and minimally invasive procedure that showed immediate and prolonged improvement of pain in lumbar osteoporotic compression fracture patients who failed conservative treatment or had residual pain after vertebroplasty. However, continuous medication for osteoporosis was still required.

Charge collection enhancement by incorporation of gold-silica core-shell nanoparticles into P3HT:PCBM/ZnO nanorod array hybrid solar cells.

In this work, gold-silica core-shell (Au@silica) nanoparticles (NPs) with various silica-shell thicknesses are incorporated into P3HT:PCBM/ZnO nanorod (NR) hybrid solar cells. Enhancement in the short-circuit current density and the efficiency of the hybrid solar cells is attained with the appropriate addition of Au@silica NPs regardless of the silica-shell thickness. Compared to the P3HT:PCBM/ZnO NR hybrid solar cell, a 63% enhancement in the efficiency is achieved by the P3HT:PCBM/Au@silica NP/ZnO NR hybrid solar cell. The finite difference time domain simulations indicate that the strength of the Fano resonance, i.e., the electric field of the quasi-static asymmetric quadrupole, on the surface of Au@silica NPs in the P3HT:PCBM/ZnO NR hybrid significantly decreases with increasing thickness of the silica shell. Raman characterization reveals that the degree of P3HT order increases when Au@silica NPs are incorporated into the P3HT:PCBM/ZnO NR hybrid. The charge separation at the interface between P3HT and PCBM as well as the electron transport in the active layer are retarded by the electric field of the Fano resonance. Nevertheless, the prolongation of the electron lifetime and the reduction of the electron transit time in the P3HT:PCBM/ZnO NR hybrid solar cells, which result in an enhancement of electron collection, are achieved by the addition of Au@silica NPs. This may be attributed to the improvement in the degree of P3HT order and connectivity of PCBM when Au@silica NPs are incorporated into the P3HT:PCBM active layer.

Is preoperative brain midline shift a determinant factor for neurological improvement after cranioplasty?

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: In patients with traumatic brain injury, the degree of brain midline shift is related to prognosis. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the presence of a preoperative brain midline shift on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores and muscle power (MP) improvement after cranioplasty. METHODS: In this 6-year retrospective cohort study, we compared cranioplasty patients from Taiwan with and without a preoperative brain midline shift. We assigned the patients to the following two groups: the midline shift group and the nonmidline shift group. The GCS score and MP contralateral to the lesion site were recorded and analyzed both prior to and 1 year after the operation. RESULTS: We enrolled 56 cranioplasty patients (35 patients with a midline shift and 21 without a midline shift) and analyzed their complete clinical characteristics. There were significant improvements in the GCS (p = 0.0078), arm MP (p = 0.0056), and leg MP (p = 0.0006) scores after cranioplasty. There was also a significant improvement in the GCS score in the brain midline shift group (0.4 ± 0.149 in the brain midline shift group vs. 0.05 ± 0.48 in the nonmidline shift group, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: For patients who underwent craniectomy, an improvement in neurological function 1 year after cranioplasty was observed. The patients with brain midline shift showed more improvement in consciousness after cranioplasty than those without a brain midline shift. The presence of a preoperative brain midline shift may be an isolated determinant for the prediction of the outcome after cranioplasty.

Percutaneous dorsal root ganglion lysis with phenol for the treatment of pain associated with thoracic compression fracture.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic thoracic compression fracture is one of the most common causes of back pain in elderly. Although vertebroplasty is widely utilized in patients when conservative treatment fails, we introduced an alternative percutaneous technique for the treatment of thoracic compression pain. METHODS: This in a retrospective study. The analysis was performed on 28 consecutive patients who underwent undergoing percutaneous dorsal root ganglion lysis with phenol for the treatment of pain associated with thoracic compression fracture. An acceptable treatment outcome was operationally defined as a pain intensity numerical rating scale (NRS) score of 3 or lower or EQ-5D index of 0.672 or higher. The primary outcome was pain relief and acceptable treatment outcome at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 1 year. RESULTS: Of the 28 cases treated with our procedures, the change in mean NRS score between baseline and one day was -2.5 (95 % CI -1.6 ~ -3.4, p < 0.001), between baseline and one week was -4.7 (-4.1 to -5.3, p < 0.001), between baseline and one month was -5.8 (-5.2 to -6.5, p < 0.001), and between baseline and one year was -6.3 (-5.6 to -7.1, p < 0.001). An acceptable treatment outcome was 14 % one day after the procedure, 46 % at one week, 72 % at one month, and 84 % at one year. Complication rate was 3.6 %. CONCLUSIONS: For thoracic compression fracture patients, percutaneous dorsal root ganglion lysis with phenol is an effective, and safe alternative treatment method worth considering. Pain relief is fast and persists for one year.

Feasibility of Intra-operative Computed Tomography Navigation System for Pedicle Screw Insertion of the Thoraco-lumbar Spine.

STUDY DESIGN:: A retrospective analysis of feasibility of intraoperative computed tomography (iCT) navigation for pedicle screw insertion of the thoraco-lumbar spine OBJECTIVES:: This study assessed the feasibility of an iCT navigation system by evaluating the screw insertion time, screw revision time, and learning curve of the iCT surgical team in patients who underwent thoraco-lumbar pedicle screw surgery using this navigation system. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA:: The iCT navigation system has been reported to improve the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw insertion. However, the assessment of the feasibility of spinal instrumentation guided by iCT navigation system is limited. METHODS:: From the time iCT navigation system was set-up to a period covering 16 months, consecutive patients who underwent thoracic or lumbar spinal pedicle screw surgery were enrolled. The screw insertion and screw revision times were estimated using the system's automatic time recording between the intra-operative CT scans. The insertion time per screw of the first 50 patients not requiring screw revision was also analyzed to evaluate the learning curve of the iCT surgical team. RESULTS:: There were 178 patients with a total of 932 pedicle screws. The cortical breach rate was 3.2% and the screw revision rate was 1.4%. The insertion time per screw was 10.2±6.3▒min and the screw revision time was 13.8±9.9▒min. The learning curve of the iCT surgical team for pedicle screw insertion guided by this navigation system was not steep and experience from less than 10 patients was adequate to provide familiarity with this system. CONCLUSION:: The iCT navigation system is clinically feasible for thoraco-lumbar pedicle screw surgery. It provides high-level safety and accuracy, as well as ease of screw revision when required.

The inhibitory effect of CIL-102 on the growth of human astrocytoma cells is mediated by the generation of reactive oxygen species and induction of ERK1/2 MAPK.

CIL-102 (1-[4-(furo[2,3-b]quinolin-4-ylamino)phenyl]ethanone) is the major active agent of the alkaloid derivative of Camptotheca acuminata, with multiple pharmacological activities, including anticancer effects and promotion of apoptosis. The mechanism by which CIL-102 inhibits growth remains poorly understood in human astrocytoma cells. Herein, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which CIL-102 affects the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell cycle G2/M arrest in glioma cells. Treatment of U87 cells with 1.0µM CIL-102 resulted in phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK1/2), downregulation of cell cycle-related proteins (cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin D1, and cdk1), and phosphorylation of cdk1Tyr(15) and Cdc25cSer(216). Furthermore, treatment with the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 abolished CIL-102-induced Cdc25cSer(216) expression and reversed CIL-102-inhibited cdk1 activation. In addition, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an ROS scavenger, blocked cell cycle G2/M arrest and phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Cdc25cSer(216) in U87 cells. CIL-102-mediated ERK1/2 and ROS production, and cell cycle arrest were blocked by treatment with specific inhibitors. In conclusion, we have identified a novel CIL-102-inhibited proliferation in U87 cells by activating the ERK1/2 and Cdc25cSer(216) cell cycle-related proteins and inducing ROS production; this might be a new mechanism in human astrocytoma cells.

Noninvasive monitoring of tumor growth in a rat glioma model: comparison between neurological assessment and animal imaging.

Malignant gliomas are the most common primary tumors that arise from glial cells and are characterized by extensive invasiveness and rapid progression. Limitation of the current therapeutic regimen for malignant glioma warrants the development of new therapies strategies. In order to investigate new methods of therapy, establishment of a reliable animal model is essential both in studying the tumor biology and trialing a new therapeutic strategy. Noninvasive monitoring of tumor growth in living animals may be important for new therapeutic strategy development. The development of animal imaging techniques has improved our ability to investigate animal models of malignant gliomas. In this study, both neurological examination and positron emission tomography (PET) with (18)F-FDG were used to monitor tumor growth in a rat glioma model. Visual limb placing, tactile limb placing, and beam walking tests were used to assess neurological deficits. Neurobehavioral alterations were correlated with PET findings and histopathological data. Seven days after surgery, the tumor was clearly visible on PET images. Results of behavioral tests correlated well with imaging data and histopathological findings. PET is feasible to detect experimental rat gliomas in their early stage of development. In contrast, standard neurological assessment is useful for monitoring tumor growth during the course of the disease.

Foramen ovale cannulation guided by intra-operative computed tomography with integrated neuronavigation for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency rhizotomy of the Gasserian ganglion for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia via percutaneous cannulation of the foramen ovale is facilitated by various localization modalities. In our preliminary study, we described the feasibility of computed tomography (CT) using an integrated neuronavigation system to cannulate the foramen ovale. METHODS: Analysis was performed on 42 consecutive patients who underwent cannulation of the foramen ovale for radiofrequency trigeminal rhizotomy guided by CT using an integrated neuronavigation system. The reproducibility and safety of the neuronavigation-guided procedure were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, the average dimension of the foramen ovale was 7.1 (1.5) × 4.7 (1.1) mm, and it was successfully cannulated by neuronavigation guidance in 31 (73.8%) patients with a mean cannulation time of 3.1 (0.7) min and an overall procedure time of 68.2 (16.4) min. The remaining 11 (26.2%) patients required subsequent CT guidance for successful puncture of the foramen ovale. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that neuronavigation-guided cannulation of the foramen ovale can be executed both quickly and safely on an outpatient basis. Additionally, the use of CT with integrated neuronavigation technology provides superior visual-spatial information compared to conventional fluoroscopy, the process of CT scanning, object planning, and neuronavigation-guided intervention can be completed in the same locale, and its application is easy to master and has the potential to enhance procedure tolerability of awake patients.

Pial arteriovenous fistula: a review of literature.

Pial arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is a rare vascular lesion, with less than 120 reported cases in the English literatures (Hoh et al., Neurosurgery 2001;49(6):1351). The angio-architecture, clinical course and therapeutic options are all different from arteriovenous malformation (AVM), dural AVM or other intracranial vascular lesions. A review of literatures to analyse the clinical course of pial AVF was carried out. The presence of varix dictates the clinical course and presentation. Paediatric type had high percentage of varix, and mass effect as clinical presentation while the adult type usually manifest by haemorrhage. Disconnection of direct shunting, either by endovascular or surgically, is sufficient to achieve successful treatment; therefore, total resection of the lesion is unnecessary.

Cell line studies of glioblastoma and malignant glioma using a newly discovered prenylated chalcone.

CONTEXT: A newly discovered geranyl prenylated chalcone, semisynthesized from naturally occurring nymphaeol C, has the ability to inhibit the growth of CNS1 (glioblastoma) and 13-06 (malignant glioma) cells. A second-order regression model was established to predict the normalized cell viability of CNS1 and 13-06 cells. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to evaluate the influence of prenylated chalcone on the glioblastoma and malignant glioma cell lines. For the first time, response surface methodology (RSM) has been introduced to perform a cell line study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A newly discovered prenylated chalcone was used. This compound is a member of the flavonoid family and possesses a common phenylbenzopyrone structure. Two independent factors, including prenylated chalcone concentration and uptake time, were carefully evaluated by a 2² factorial design. RSM was introduced as a new method for CNS1 and 13-06 cell line studies. RESULTS: For CNS1 cells, the least inhibition uptake time was 20.7 h, and the least inhibition dose was 12.4 µg/ml. For 13-06 cells, the best inhibition uptake time was 26.2 h, and the least inhibition dose was 12.0 µg/ml. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The RSM model successfully predicted the normalized cell viability of CNS1 and 13-06 cells through the use of prenylated chalcone. The results obtained in this study will be useful for further studies on the use of prenylated chalcone.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 Effect on Human Glioblastoma Cell Transmigration and Migration.

Glioblastoma, World Health Organization-grade IV, is the most malignant glioma type and it is still an incurable tumor due to the high level of heterogeneity and uncontrolled metastatic nature. In addition to the tumorigenicity-suppressing activity, bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) has recently been found for its invasion-promoting role in glioblastoma. However, the detailed and precise mechanism in this issue should have more elucidation. Thus, in this study, we determined the BMP7 effect on glioblastoma transmigration and migration regulations and the underlying mechanisms. Human LN18/LN229 glioblastoma cells were used in this study. Our results showed a higher BMP7/pSmad5 level in human malignant glioma tissues compared to healthy brain tissues. In addition, it was demonstrated that endogenous and exogenous BMP7 stimulation could increase the transmigration and migration capabilities of human LN18/LN229 glioblastoma cells. Moreover, this event is regulated by Smad5 and p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) signaling. Furthermore, unexpected data are that the Smad1 gene knockdown could lead to the cell death of human LN18 glioblastoma cells. Overall, the present study finds that the invasion-promoting activity of BMP7 might be an autocrine stimulation of glioblastoma and this effect could be regulated by Smad5-p75NTR signaling.

Decreasing recurrence and increasing survival rates in patients of ethmoid or sphenoid intestinal-type adenocarcinomas: Systematic review and meta-analysis with 1126 cases.

BACKGROUND: Ethmoid or sphenoid intestinal-type adenocarcinomas (ITACs) form a distinct subtype of sinonasal adenocarcinomas that occur less than 1 case/100,000/yr. They have obvious exposure relationship to hardwood or leather dusts, infrequent metastasis, but a relatively high local-recurrence rate. They locate at sinuses close to vital structures listed as high-risk areas in surgeries. Even in expert hands, a craniofacial resection is associated with non-negligible mortality and morbidity. Management of these tumors, first or recurrent, needs to weigh these consequences versus the survival, regional-recurrence, and distant-recurrence rates. Due to the rareness of ethmoid or sphenoid ITACs, accurate overall survival and local- or regional-recurrence rates across diverse treatments are unclear. The aim of this study is to report the overall statistics of this cancer and the relationship between enrollment year versus age, recurrence, and survival. METHODS: Systemic review and meta-analysis with 1126 cases across various treatments in the literature. RESULTS: Here, we show that patients of ethmoid or sphenoid ITACs had overall local-, regional-, and distant-recurrence rates of 32.2%, 2.2%, and 10.3%, respectively, with a 5-year overall survival rate of 66.2%. The results present a significant correlation between age, local-recurrent rate, or overall survival rate versus enrollment year. CONCLUSION: This suggests that recent patients of ethmoid or sphenoid ITACs may present at an older mean age, have a lower local-recurrence rate, and have a better 5-year survival rate than before. There was a shifting trend of treating ethmoid ITACs from external approach to endoscopic resection. Clinicians may want to weigh mortality and morbidity rates of external surgeries and these data to share or decide a solution.

Risk of Cardiac Morbidities and Sudden Death in Patients With Epilepsy and No History of Cardiac Disease: A Population-Based Nationwide Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of epilepsy on secondary cardiac morbidities and sudden death in patients with epilepsy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present cohort study evaluated data obtained from a subset of adult patients listed in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, diagnosis code of epilepsy from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2013; the date of epilepsy diagnosis or antiepilepsy drug prescription was defined as the index date. Patients with cardiac disease prior to the index date were excluded, and the remaining patients were categorized into epilepsy and nonepilepsy groups. Frequency matching was performed to balance the covariates across groups for the comparison of outcomes. The development of myocardial infarction (MI) and arrhythmia and/or the occurrence of sudden death were the outcomes for evaluation. A Cox proportional hazards regression model and competing risk analysis were used to compare the risks of cardiac morbidities and sudden death between groups. RESULTS: The final analysis included a total of 5411 patients with epilepsy and 21,644 participants without epilepsy. The epilepsy group had significantly higher risks for development of MI (hazard ratio [HR], 1.71; 95% CI, 1.62 to 1.81; P<.001) and arrhythmia (HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.97 to 2.25; P<.001) and the occurrence of sudden death (HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.53 to 2.18; P<.001) compared with the nonepilepsy group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the risks for development of MI and arrhythmia and the occurrence of sudden death were higher in patients with epilepsy. These findings support the hypothesis that epilepsy may lead to secondary cardiac dysfunction and increases the risk of sudden death.

Effect of valproic acid on overall survival in patients with high-grade gliomas undergoing temozolomide: A nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are a rapidly progressive and highly recurrent group of primary brain tumors. Despite aggressive surgical resection with chemoradiotherapy, prognoses remained poor. Valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor has shown the potential to inhibit glioma cell growth in vitro through several diverse mechanisms. However clinical studies regarding the effect of VPA on HGGs are limited. This study aimed to investigate whether using VPA in patients with HGGs under temozolomide (TMZ) would lead to a better overall survival (OS).We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research database to conduct this population-based cohort study. A total of 2379 patients with HGGs under TMZ treatment were included and were further classified into VPA (n = 1212, VPA ≥ 84 defined daily dose [DDD]) and non-VPA (n = 1167, VPA < 84 DDD) groups. Each patient was followed from 1998 to 2013 or until death. A Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to evaluate the effect of VPA and OS.The VPA group had a longer mean OS time compared with the non-VPA group (OS: 50.3 ±â€Š41.0 vs 42.0 ±â€Š37.2 months, P < .001). In patients between 18 and 40 years old, the difference is most significant (OS: 70.5 ±â€Š48.7 vs 55.1 ±â€Š46.0, P = .001). The adjusted hazard ratio is 0.81 (95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.91) for the VPA group relative to the non-VPA group.VPA at over 84 DDD improved OS in HGGs TMZ treatment.

Dural metastasis from prostatic adenocarcinoma mimicking chronic subdural hematoma.

Dural metastasis is rare. In most reported cases, brain CT scan findings are mistaken for subdural hematoma or meningioma. We present here a 72-year-old male with a history of headache and progressive mental status changes. Brain CT scans suggested chronic subdural hematoma. However, the only surgical findings were diffuse thickening of the dura and sclerosis of the temporal bone. Histopathology revealed metastatic prostatic carcinoma. As the surgical approach and prognosis of chronic subdural hematoma and metastatic tumors are completely different, the differential diagnosis of these diseases is very important. A contrast-enhanced brain CT scan is recommended for patients who could possibly have dural metastases.

Factors affecting graft infection after cranioplasty.

The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with bone grafts infection after cranioplasty. Eighty-four cranioplasties were performed on 75 patients between 2002 and 2006. Cryopreserved bone grafts were used as graft material in group 1 and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) was used in group 2. Risk factors including age, gender, time intervals between craniectomy and cranioplasty, mechanism of injury, number of procedures, graft material, and the Glasgow Coma Scale score were compared between groups. Swab culture results and bone graft infection were assessed in group 1. Multiple procedures before cranioplasty and an inadequate time interval between craniectomy and cranioplasty increase the risk of infection after cranioplasty. Swab culture results, age, gender, mechanism of injury, graft material and Glasgow Coma Scale score are not related to infection. The use of PMMA was associated with a relatively low risk of infection (6.25%). Risk of graft infection was not associated with the choice of graft material in the present study. Multiple procedures and insufficient time intervals increase the risk of infection. Interrupting the wound healing process may be the cause of infection. PMMA is a safe material for cranioplasty regardless of previous infection.