Twofold improved tumor-to-brain contrast using a novel T1 relaxation-enhanced steady-state (T1RESS) MRI technique.

A technique that provides more accurate cancer detection would be of great value. Toward this end, we developed T1 relaxation-enhanced steady-state (T1RESS), a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pulse sequence that enables the flexible modulation of T1 weighting and provides the unique feature that intravascular signals can be toggled on and off in contrast-enhanced scans. T1RESS makes it possible to effectively use an MRI technique with improved signal-to-noise ratio efficiency for cancer imaging. In a proof-of-concept study, "dark blood" unbalanced T1RESS provided a twofold improvement in tumor-to-brain contrast compared with standard techniques, whereas balanced T1RESS greatly enhanced vascular detail. In conclusion, T1RESS represents a new MRI technique with substantial potential value for cancer imaging, along with a broad range of other clinical applications.

Who should conduct and interpret the neuropsychological assessment in sports-related concussion?

OBJECTIVE: This paper seeks to (i) describe the education and training of clinical neuropsychologists, (ii) discuss the significant differences between test administration and clinical assessment, (iii) outline the complex factors involved in psychometric test theory and test interpretation, and (iv) provide a framework for the role of clinical neuropsychologists in the interpretation and administration of neuropsychological instruments within the sports context. DESIGN: Review of pertinent professional practice, empirical and theoretical literature. INTERVENTION: Pubmed, Medline and Psych Info databases were reviewed. In total, 35 articles and 2 books were reviewed. RESULTS: The decision to return an athlete to play following sports-related brain injury is complex and requires the analysis of several sources of data. The decision is determined by a team physician; ideally within the context of a multidisciplinary team that employs comprehensive concussion surveillance and management, including baseline and post-injury neuropsychological assessment. Neuropsychologists possess the training and skill sets necessary to provide unique expertise in the assessment of cognitive functioning and post-injury neurocognitive and psychological assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline neuropsychological testing is a technical procedure that can be conducted by technicians under the supervision/guidance of a neuropsychologist. Post-injury assessment requires advanced neuropsychological expertise that is best provided by a clinical neuropsychologist. Significant international differences exist with respect to the training and availability of clinical neuropsychologists, which require modification of these views on a country by country basis.

Clinical trials: are they a good buy?

PURPOSE: Concern that clinical trials may be too costly has been used to justify traditionally restrictive insurer policies regarding clinical trials. Additionally, fear of insurer reimbursement denial can be a significant barrier to clinical trial participation. In this study, we reviewed the empirical data on costs of clinical trials versus standard care and summarized the current status of policy initiatives related to clinical trial insurance reimbursement. METHODS: Electronic and print data sources were searched for studies on the costs of oncology clinical trials. Information on policy initiatives for clinical trial reimbursement was obtained from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and the Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups and from searches of World Wide Web sites. RESULTS: Five pilot studies provided information for 377 patients on phase II/III clinical trials matched with controls on standard care. Cost estimates ranged from 10% lower to 23% higher costs/charges for clinical trials in comparison to standard medical care. Medicare, 14 states, and several private insurers now cover the costs of patient care in "qualifying" clinical trials. CONCLUSION: Findings from small pilot studies suggest that phase II and III clinical trials result in at most modest increases in cost over standard treatment costs. Also, an increasing number of policy makers have decided to support clinical trial reimbursement initiatives. It is hoped that economic data from large observational studies will facilitate widespread and permanent decisions that support reimbursement for phase I, II, and III clinical trial participation.

Chronic subdural hematoma presenting with symptoms of transient ischemic attack (TIA): a case report.

Rarely, chronic subdural hematomas (CSDH) will present with symptoms mimicking transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). We report the case of an elderly man who presented with intermittent numbness and weakness of his left upper extremity typical of symptoms arising from a right sensorimotor cortex TIA. He was treated with empiric antiplatelet therapy for several days before a head CT was performed. The head CT and a subsequent MRI showed a CSDH with an acute component and cortical compression. Upon evacuation of the hematoma, his symptoms resolved. In cases of suspected TIA, a head CT should always be performed before beginning antiplatelet therapy. If there is an underlying hematoma, such therapy is dangerous, as it can potentiate more bleeding and leave the true pathology unaddressed.

Head injury in athletes.

HEAD INJURIES INCURRED during athletic endeavors have been recorded since games were first held. During the last century, our level of understanding of the types of cerebral insults, their causes, and their treatment has advanced significantly. Because of the extreme popularity of sports in the United States and worldwide, the implications of athletic head injury are enormous. This is especially true considering the current realization that mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) or concussion represents a major health consideration with more long-ranging effects than previously thought. When considering athletic injuries, people who engage in organized sports, as well as the large number of people who engage in recreational activities, should be considered. There are 200 million international soccer players, a group increasingly recognized to be at risk for MTBI. The participation in contact sports of a large number of the population, especially youth, requires a careful and detailed analysis of injury trends and recommended treatment. There are numerous characteristics of this patient population that make management difficult, especially their implicit request to once again be subjected to potential MTBI by participating in contact sports. Recent research has better defined the epidemiological issues related to sports injuries involving the central nervous system and has also led to classification and management paradigms that help guide decisions regarding athletes' return to play. We currently have methods at our disposal that greatly assist us in managing this group of patients, including improved recognition of the clinical syndromes of MTBI, new testing such as neuropsychological assessment, radiographic evaluations, and a greater appreciation of the pathophysiology of concussive brain injury. The potential for long-term consequences of repetitive MTBI has been recognized, and we no longer consider the "dinged" states of athletic concussions to have the benign connotations they had in the past. We review the historical developments in the recognition and care of athletes with head injuries, the current theory of the pathophysiology and biomechanics of these insults, and the recommended management strategy, including return-to-play criteria.

Direct surgical management of large bulbous and giant aneurysms involving the paraclinoid segment of the internal carotid artery: report of 29 cases.

BACKGROUND: Twenty-nine patients with large bulbous and giant aneurysms of the paraclinoid segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) were operated on, using Dolenc's combined epi- and subdural approach, between 1985 and 1994. Ages ranged from 25 to 79 (83% female; 17% male). METHODS: Proximal control was established in all patients through either an extracranial or petrous carotid exposure. The aneurysm was approached through a wide exposure by removing the anterior clinoid extradural. All but one aneurysm was clipped directly. A saphenous vein graft from the petrous-to-supraclinoid bypass was performed in this remaining case. RESULTS: Surgical morbidity was assessed at 20%. One patient developed a postoperative subdural hematoma and remained severely disabled. Two patients developed permanent third nerve palsy. One patient experienced severe disabling cognitive deficit. One patient died from complications related to a stroke. One patient developed transient diabetes insipidus. Visual outcome, which was assessed separately, was unimproved in 50% of the cases during a follow-up period that averaged 7 years. CONCLUSIONS: With the development of cranial base procedures such as Dolenc's combined epi- and subdural approach, large and giant aneurysms of the paraclinoid segment can be directly clipped with acceptable morbidity, allowing the ICA to remain patent.

On the field evaluation of athletic head injuries.

This article reviews the diagnosis and management of athletic-related head injury. Cerebral concussion, diffuse axonal injury, brain contusion, and the spectrum of intracranial hematoma is discussed. Emphasis is placed on the need to evaluate when it is prevented from further participation.

On the field evaluation of athletic neck injury.

This article reviews the on the field management of athletic cervical spine and spinal cord injury. The various types of injuries are discussed, as well as the team approach to evaluation, immobilization, and transport of the injured athlete. An overview of treatment rationale and decisions regarding the return of the spine-injured or spinal cord-injured player to competition is given. Emphasis is placed on the prevention of further injury by mishandling the injured athlete.

Guidelines for return to contact or collision sport after a cervical spine injury.

Pro football is a violent, dangerous sport. To play it other than violently would be "imbecilic," according to the late Vince Lombardi. Many sports hold the potential for serious permanent spine and spinal cord injury. Fortunately, the incidence of catastrophic spine and spinal cord injuries has dramatically declined in the past 10 to 15 years. This decline is, in part, attributable to the development of sports-related spine injury registries, the education of the pathomechanics of these injuries, and the implementation of appropriate preventive measures. This article focuses on sports-related spinal cord and nerve injuries, ranging from the mild "stinger" syndrome to complete quadriplegia, with emphasis on recommendations for return to competition.

Health-Care Financing Administration's proposed regulations to implement Stark II.

The Health Care Financing Administration published its proposed regulations to implement the 1993 amendments to the Stark law in the Federal Register on January 9, 1998. Several provisions are of interest to oncologists: The rental of infusion pumps to patients; how "physically present in the office" is defined; discounts on drugs; and compensation in a group practice. The details are discussed in this article.

Health care economics of cancer in the elderly.

Changing economic circumstances have brought increased pressure to bear on the traditional revenue sources of oncologists. Practice standards and settings are being challenged to generate cost savings both for third-party payers and for oncology practices. Add to this the growing number of patients older than 65 years, and particularly older than 85 years, and the profession is facing a forced reconsideration of its approach to patient treatment. The current and future training of oncologists needs to incorporate both a multidisciplinary approach of cancer subspecialties and an enhanced ability to evaluate the use and cost-effectiveness of new therapies, second-line and third-line therapies, and palliative treatments.

Utilization and cost savings of a wide-area computer network for neurosurgical consultation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Telemedicine systems offer many potential advantages for health care delivery. Most reports have centered on the delivery of primary and medical subspecialty care rather than on its impact on patient care and the potential for cost savings. In 1993, we implemented NeuroLink, a wide-area teleradiology network for delivery of specialty care in neurologic surgery at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH). This study was designed to determine the potential cost savings of such a network. METHODS: We prospectively reviewed 100 consecutive telemedicine neurosurgical consultations from 20 western Pennsylvania community hospitals participating in the NeuroLink network. Data related to referring hospital, diagnosis, disposition of the patient, and mode of transportation were reviewed. To determine the potential cost savings, the differential of hospital-based charges between AGH and western Pennsylvania primary hospitals was calculated based on an average length of stay (LOS), patient bed costs, and transportation charges. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients, 33 did not require transfer to a tertiary facility but were instead managed at the community hospital as a direct result of the remote diagnosis and image review disclosing that neurosurgical procedures or intensive care were not required. Cost analysis, comparing the average LOS at AGH with that of the average community hospital, including transportation, showed savings of $502,638. CONCLUSION: Our neurosurgical wide-area computer network has led to more appropriate transfer of patients to a tertiary facility and significant estimated cost savings.

Intraoperative microvascular Doppler sonography in aneurysm surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to evaluate the efficacy and reliability of intraoperative microvascular doppler sonography for the assessment of cerebral hemodynamics in aneurysm surgery. METHODS: For 35 patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of 42 intracranial aneurysms, microvascular doppler sonography with a 20-MHz probe (1-mm diameter) was used before and after clip application, to confirm the obliteration of aneurysms. Assessment of the patency of the parent vessels and all branching arteries was performed. The findings from doppler sonography were confirmed with either intraoperative angiography or immediate postoperative angiography. RESULTS: The 1-mm microprobe was able to insonate all vessels of the circle of Willis and their major branches; furthermore, perforating arteries were reliably insonated. For 11 patients (31%), doppler sonography exposed parent artery or branching artery stenosis or occlusion and guided the immediate adjustment of aneurysm clip placement. The findings from intraoperative microvascular doppler sonography correlated with findings from angiography in all cases. There were no complications of microvascular doppler probe use. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative microvascular doppler sonography is a safe, instantaneous, effective, reliable, and cost-effective method for documenting the patency of parent vessels, arterial branches, and major perforators and the complete occlusion of cerebral aneurysms. This technique can be reliably used, in many instances, instead of intraoperative angiography for the surgical treatment of aneurysms.

Medicare changes in the budget bill.

The 1997 federal budget bill contains several significant changes for the Medicare program. Of these changes, revamping of the Medicare capitation program probably has the potential for the greatest impact. This article explains how capitation payments will change under the new system. It also details key changes in Medicare payments to physicians and payments to hospital outpatient departments, rehabilitation hospitals, home healthcare providers, and nursing homes. Finally, several new benefits included in the budget bill are described.