Biomechanical Effects of Seizures on Cerebral Dynamics and Brain Stress.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders globally, affecting about 50 million people, with nearly 80% of those affected residing in low- and middle-income countries. It is characterized by recurrent seizures that result from abnormal electrical brain activity, with seizures varying widely in manifestation. The exploration of the biomechanical effects that seizures have on brain dynamics and stress levels is relevant for the development of more effective treatments and protective strategies. This study uses a blend of experimental data and computational simulations to assess the brain's physical response during seizures, particularly focusing on the behavior of cerebrospinal fluid and the resulting mechanical stresses on different brain regions. Notable findings show increases in stress, predominantly in the posterior gyri and brainstem, during seizures and an evidence of brain displacement relative to the skull. These observations suggest a dynamic and complex interaction between the brain and skull, with maximum shear stress regions demonstrating the limited yet essential protective role of the CSF. By providing a deeper understanding of the mechanical changes occurring during seizures, this research supports the goal of advancing diagnostic tools, informing more targeted treatment interventions, and guiding the creation of customized therapeutic strategies to enhance neurological care and protect against the adverse effects of seizures.

Postural deviation in pregnancy: A significant debilitating balance problem which can be rectified by physiotherapeutic intervention.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of physiotherapeutic intervention to improve the deviated balance of pregnant women. Method: A total of 174 subjects were included in the study out of which 62 had postural deviation. They were divided into three groups, two intervention groups and one control group. The target population consisted of women in the antenatal stage, randomly selected from Obstetrics and Gynecology OPD, PGIMER, Chandigarh. The study was conducted over a period of 3 years (2014-2017). They were advised exercises, postural correction, regular walking, and hot water fomentation. Six follow-ups were taken into consideration throughout the pregnancy and postnatal stage. Result: The impact of the intervention package on both ante-natal and postnatal women with balance problems showed significant improvement. Conclusion: Postural deviations, pain, heaviness in the lower limb, incontinence, breathlessness, etc., are common complaints during and after pregnancy. The problem starts early in pregnancy and increased over time and may persist throughout life if treatment does not start early in the pregnancy. This intervention can be practiced in primary care setting after giving proper training to the health care workers by experienced physiotherapists.

Effect of intraoperative methadone vs other opioids on postoperative outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

ABSTRACT: Recent randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy between intraoperative methadone and other opioids on postoperative outcomes have been limited by their small sample sizes and conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials which investigated outcomes between methadone and an opioid control group. Primary outcome data included postoperative opioid consumption, number of patients who received postoperative opioids, time to first analgesic, and pain scores. Secondary outcomes included time to extubation and incidence of nausea, vomiting, and respiratory depression. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Nine studies comprising 632 patients were included. There was no statistically significant reduction in opioid consumption postoperatively between the groups. Forty-seven percentage of patients in the methadone group received a dose of opioid postoperatively compared with 55% in the other opioids control group, which was not statistically significant. (P = 0.25) There was no difference in average time to receiving first postoperative analgesic among the groups. Pain scores within 24 hours were significantly lower in the methadone group when compared with other opioids (8 studies, n = 622, -0.49 [-0.74, -0.23], P = 0.002). However, there was no difference between 24 and 72 hours. There was no difference among the groups with respect to extubation time, nausea, vomiting, or respiratory depression. This meta-analysis concludes that there is currently insufficient evidence for the use of intraoperative methadone, when compared with other opioids. Although there was a decrease in average pain scores with methadone when compared with controls at 24 hours, there was no difference between 24 and 72 hours.

Impact of two intervention packages on the health and fitness of ante - and post-natal women attending in a teaching hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy brings about many changes in mothers' body which continue even after the baby is born. After a vaginal delivery, taking good care of the mother is an essential part of postpartum care and to maintain overall fitness. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of a physiotherapeutic intervention to improve the maternity fitness of Indian women. METHODOLOGY: It was a three-group RCT (randomized controlled trial). The target population consisted of women in ante and postnatal stage, 50 participants (58 were included in the end) in each group, randomly selected from Obstetrics and Gynecology OPD of a tertiary care hospital in North India. The study was carried out in the department of PRM (Physiotherapy). A total of 174 participants was included in the study and was divided into three groups, two intervention groups, and one control group. The target population consisted of women in ante and postnatal stage, randomly selected from ANC (Antenatal clinic) and PNC (Post-natal clinic). The study was conducted over a period of 4 years (2014-2018). They were advised to do exercise, postural correction, regular walking, and electrotherapy modalities and six follow-ups throughout their pregnancy. Outcome measures like (Visual Analogue Scale = VAS): Low and upper back pain relief (n = 158), Leg cramps (n = 41), Coccyx pain (n = 36), Sacro-iliac joint pain (n = 26) was considered. RESULTS: The impact of the intervention package on both ante-natal and post-natal women with fitness-related health problems showed significant improvement. CONCLUSION: Pain, leg cramp and heaviness in the lower limb, coccyx pain, etc., during pregnancy are common complaints that start early in pregnancy and may persist throughout life if treatment does not start early in the pregnancy.

Lead extrusion ten months after spinal cord stimulator implantation: a case report.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this case report is to describe an occurrence of a rare complication of lead extrusion, which was observed 10 months after spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implantation. METHODS: A patient with low back pain and failed back surgery syndrome underwent implantation of a SCS without complications. Ten months after implantation, one SCS lead extruded from her lower back leading to surgical removal of the leads. RESULTS: After identifying the complication of a SCS lead extruding from the patient's back, a surgical revision was performed to remove the SCS leads but retain the implantable pulse generator (IPG) in the gluteal region. During the surgery, it was noted that the anchors were in the appropriate position, sutured and fibrosed to a deep fascial layer. There were no complications from the surgical revision and no infectious process was observed. CONCLUSIONS: We report the occurrence and management of a rare complication of SCS lead extrusion after SCS implantation for failed back surgery syndrome. After recognition, removal of the leads with retention of the IPG was able to effectively resolve the complication. The revising procedure was well tolerated but resulted in the recurrence of the patient's previous low back pain. We believe that knowledge of this case and its management will aid future physicians in the recognition and management of this rare complication of SCS implantation. Furthermore, as there is a paucity of literature discussing the management of lead extrusion after SCS implantation, we hope that this case report will spur additional research on the management of this complication.

Epidural-Like Effects With Bilateral Erector Spinae Plane Catheters After Abdominal Surgery: A Case Report.

This case report highlights the potential for adverse effects with the erector spinae plane (ESP) blocks. ESP blocks are an alternative to the traditional epidural and paravertebral block for postoperative analgesia due to their relative technical ease and seemingly safer profile. To date, few complications have been reported from ESP blocks or catheters. Despite its distance from the epidural space, epidural-like effects may still occur with ESP catheters, such as hypotension and motor blockade, as observed in this patient after abdominal surgery.

Preoperative Stellate Ganglion Block for Perioperative Pain in Lateralized Head and Neck Cancer: Preliminary Results.

Patients with head and neck cancer represent a vulnerable population at particular risk of opioid dependence due to frequent histories of substance abuse, requirement of extensive surgery, and the synergistic toxicity of multimodal therapy. Regional anesthetic techniques have been used by other surgical disciplines to facilitate early recovery after surgery and decrease postoperative patient narcotic requirements. This pilot study investigates the efficacy of a preoperative regional analgesia using stellate ganglion block in lateralized head and neck cancer surgery. From our early results, stellate ganglion blockade may hold promise as an effective preoperative intervention for controlling early postoperative pain, lessening narcotic requirements, and improving quality of life.

Long-term neurocognitive benefits of FLASH radiotherapy driven by reduced reactive oxygen species.

Here, we highlight the potential translational benefits of delivering FLASH radiotherapy using ultra-high dose rates (>100 Gy⋅s-1). Compared with conventional dose-rate (CONV; 0.07-0.1 Gy⋅s-1) modalities, we showed that FLASH did not cause radiation-induced deficits in learning and memory in mice. Moreover, 6 months after exposure, CONV caused permanent alterations in neurocognitive end points, whereas FLASH did not induce behaviors characteristic of anxiety and depression and did not impair extinction memory. Mechanistic investigations showed that increasing the oxygen tension in the brain through carbogen breathing reversed the neuroprotective effects of FLASH, while radiochemical studies confirmed that FLASH produced lower levels of the toxic reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide. In addition, FLASH did not induce neuroinflammation, a process described as oxidative stress-dependent, and was also associated with a marked preservation of neuronal morphology and dendritic spine density. The remarkable normal tissue sparing afforded by FLASH may someday provide heretofore unrealized opportunities for dose escalation to the tumor bed, capabilities that promise to hasten the translation of this groundbreaking irradiation modality into clinical practice.

Iatrogenic atrio-esophageal fistula following a video-assisted thoracoscopic maze procedure: Is esophageal instrumentation justified even when the diagnosis is equivocal?

A 74-year-old female underwent an uneventful bilateral thoracoscopic maze procedure for persistent atrial fibrillation with continuous transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) guidance. She presented six weeks later with persistent fever and focal neurological signs. Computed tomography of the thorax revealed air in the posterior LA, raising suspicion for an abscess versus an atrioesophageal fistula (AEF). Before undergoing an exploratory median sternotomy, an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) was performed by the surgeon to check for any esophageal pathology. This however, resulted in sudden hemodynamic compromise that required intensive treatment with vasopressors and inotropes. In this case-report, we review the various intraoperative risk factors associated with the development of AEF during cardiac ablation procedures as well as the potential hazards of esophageal instrumentation with TEE, naso- or oro- gastric devices, and/or an EGD when an AEF is suspected.

LAT-1 based primary breast cancer detection by [99m]Tc-labeled DTPA-bis-methionine scintimammography: first results using indigenously developed single vial kit preparation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of a single vial ready to label with [99m]Tc kit preparation of DTPA-bis-methionine (DTPA-bis-MET) for the detection of primary breast cancer. METHODS: The conjugate (DTPA-bis-MET) was synthesized by covalently conjugating two molecules of methionine to DTPA and formulated as a single vial ready to label with [99m]Tc lyophilized kit preparations. Thirty female patients (mean age=47.5±11.8 years; range=21-69 years) with radiological/clinical evidence of having primary breast carcinoma were subjected to [99m]Tc-methionine scintigraphy. The whole body (anterior and posterior) imaging was performed on all the patients at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 4 hours following an intravenous administration of 555-740 MBq radioactivity of [99m]Tc-methionine. In addition, scintimammography (static images; 256×256 matrix) at 1, 2, and 4 hours was also performed on all the patients. RESULTS: The resultant radiolabel, that is, [99m]Tc-DTPA-bis-MET, yielded high radiolabeling efficiency (>97.0%), radiochemical purity (166-296 MBq/µmol), and shelf life (>3 months). The radiotracer primarily gets excreted through the kidneys and localizes in the breast cancer lesions with high target-to-nontarget ratios. The mean±SD ratios on the scan-positive lesions acquired at 1, 2, and 4 hours postinjection were 3.6±0.48, 3.10±0.24, and 2.5±0.4, respectively. [99m]Tc-methionine scintimammography demonstrated an excellent sensitivity and positive predictive value of 96.0% each for the detection of primary breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Ready to label single vial kit formulations of DTPA-bis-MET can be easily synthesized as in-house production and conveniently used for the scintigraphic detection of breast cancer and other methionine-dependent tumors expressing the L-type amino acid transporter-1 receptor. The imaging technique thus could be a potential substitute for the conventional single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-based tumor imaging agents, especially for tracers with nonspecific mitochondrial uptake. However, the diagnostic efficacy of [99m]Tc-methionine needs to be evaluated in a large cohort of patients through further multicentric trials.

A pilot study of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) overexpression in the brush cytology of patients with malignant pancreatic or biliary strictures.

We have previously demonstrated that uPA is overexpressed in pancreatic tumors. In an attempt to diagnose these tumors earlier, we sought to determine whether uPA could be identified in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography obtained brushings in patients with malignant pancreatic and biliary strictures. Secondarily, uPA was measured in the serum of this patient population. uPA overexpression was identified in the cytologic tissue in 8 of 11 patients (72.7%). Serum analysis demonstrated a 2-fold higher concentration of uPA in the pancreaticobiliary cancer patients (1.27 versus 0.56 ng/mL; P = .0182). Also, uPA overexpression correlated with serum levels (P < .0001). This study confirms that uPA can be detected in the ERCP cytologically obtained tissue and is frequently present in a higher concentration in the serum of pancreaticobiliary cancer patients. A larger sample size will be required to address its value as a sensitive marker for the diagnosis of pancreatic or biliary cancers.