Aberrant connectivity in the hippocampus, bilateral insula and temporal poles precedes treatment resistance in first-episode psychosis: a prospective resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study with connectivity concordance mapping.

Functional connectivity resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging has been proposed to predict antipsychotic treatment response in schizophrenia. However, only a few prospective studies have examined baseline resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data in drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenia patients with regard to subsequent treatment response. Data-driven approaches to conceptualize and measure functional connectivity patterns vary broadly, and model-free, voxel-wise, whole-brain analysis techniques are scarce. Here, we apply such a method, called connectivity concordance mapping to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data acquired from an Asian sample (n = 60) with first-episode psychosis, prior to pharmaceutical treatment. Using a longitudinal design, 12 months after the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we measured and classified patients into two groups based on psychometric testing: treatment responsive and treatment resistant. Next, we compared the two groups' connectivity concordance maps that were derived from the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data at baseline. We have identified consistently higher functional connectivity in the treatment-resistant group in a network including the left hippocampus, bilateral insula and temporal poles. These data-driven novel findings can help researchers to consider new regions of interest and facilitate biomarker development in order to identify treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients early, in advance of treatment and at the time of their first psychotic episode.

Mental Health Reform Processes and Service Delivery Shift From the Hospital to the Community in Belgium and Hong Kong.

Aim: We aimed to illustrate and compare the processes of mental health policies aiming at a service delivery shift from the hospital to the community using implementation science, and to identify important implementation strategies. Methods: This study had a comparative case study design. The cases were the Belgian mental health reform, and the person-centered model of mental health in Hong Kong, China. Several documentary sources were reviewed, including the published literature and websites. Data on policy processes were extracted, analyzed using directed content analysis, and categorized into constructs of the conceptual model for evidence-informed policy formulation and implementation arranged for the mental health policy. Results: Several similarities were identified in the strategies for active implementation and dissemination; official staff allocation, and training to the community psychiatric services, an approach to adjust the number of psychiatric hospital beds, and promoting collaboration between health care sectors and social welfare sectors. Under distinct social contexts, differences were found in all processes. Conclusions: Each of the described policy processes can serve as a model for countries in similar social contexts seeking to shift their psychiatric service delivery. Furthermore, our findings suggest widely applicable implementation strategies for policies aiming at a service delivery shift.

Trampoline-Associated Cranial and Spinal Injuries: A 10-Year Study in a Pediatric Neurosurgery Center.

OBJECTIVE:  There has been an increasing use of trampolines for recreation by children in recent years. Many studies have explored the different types of injuries sustained due to falls from trampolines, but so far none have focused specifically on cranial and spinal injuries. In this study, we describe the pattern of cranial and spinal injuries sustained by pediatric patients that were associated with the use of trampolines and their management in a tertiary pediatric neurosurgery unit over a period of 10 years. METHODS:  This is a retrospective study of all children less than 16 years of age with suspected or confirmed trampoline-associated cranial or spinal injuries, managed by a tertiary pediatric neurosurgery unit from 2010 to 2020. Data collected included the patient's age at the time of injury, gender, neurological deficits, radiological findings, management, and clinical outcome. The data were analyzed to highlight any trends in the pattern of injuries. RESULTS:  A total of 44 patients with a mean age of 8 years (ranging from one year and five months to 15 years and five months) were identified. 52% patients were male. 10 patients (23%) had a reduced Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. In terms of imaging findings, 19 patients (43%) had a radiologically positive head injury, nine (20%) had a craniovertebral junction (CVJ) injury, including the first (C1) and second (C2) cervical vertebrae, and six (14%) had an injury involving other parts of the spine. No patient sustained concurrent head and spinal injuries. Eight (18%) patients had normal radiological findings. Two (5%) had incidental findings on radiology that required subsequent surgery. A total of 31 patients (70%) were managed conservatively. 11 patients (25%) underwent surgery for their trauma, of which seven were cranial. Two further patients underwent surgery for their incidental intracranial diagnoses. One child died from an acute subdural hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS:  This study is the first to focus on trampoline-associated neurosurgical trauma and report the pattern and severity of cranial and spinal injuries. Younger children (less than five years of age) are more likely to develop a head injury, whereas older children (more than 11 years of age) are more likely to develop a spinal injury following the use of a trampoline. Although uncommon, some injuries are severe and require surgical intervention. Therefore, trampolines should be used prudently with the appropriate safety precautions and measures.

Spondylodiscitis following ingestion of button battery in an infant-a case-based update.

Button battery ingestion in infants is an increasingly common surgical emergency which can lead to oesophageal perforation, mediastinitis, trachea-oesophageal fistulation, airway compromise and death. One exceedingly rare complication of battery ingestion is discitis and osteomyelitis in the cervical and upper thoracic spine. Diagnosis is normally delayed due to the non-specific presentation, delayed imaging findings and the initial clinical focus on dealing with the immediate, and potentially life-threatening, complications. We describe a case of a 1-year-old girl who presented with haematemesis and an oesophageal injury, secondary to button battery ingestion. Sagittal reconstruction of the CT chest demonstrated a suspicious area of vertebral erosion in the cervicothoracic spine which prompted a further evaluation with MRI demonstrating spondylodiscitis of C7-T2 with vertebral erosion and collapse. The child was successfully treated with long course of antibiotics. We wish to highlight the importance of clinical and radiological spinal assessment in children with button battery ingestion to avoid delayed diagnosis and complications of spinal osteomyelitis.

Molecular subgroup of medulloblastoma: evaluation of contribution to CSF diversion following tumour resection.

INTRODUCTION: Medulloblastoma is the commonest malignant brain tumour in children. Pre-operative hydrocephalus is present in up to 90% of these patients at presentation. Following posterior fossa surgery, despite resolution of fourth ventricular obstruction, a proportion of these children will still require cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion for management of persistent or new hydrocephalus. Various scoring systems have been developed to predict the risk for CSF diversion following posterior fossa surgery. However, no accurate tool exists regarding which pathological subset or group of medulloblastoma patients will require a shunt post-operatively. In this study we investigated the impact of molecular subgroup of medulloblastoma on shunt dependency post-operatively in paediatric patients. METHODS: We undertook a retrospective multi-centre study of children with medulloblastoma who underwent tumour resection. Those with available molecular subgroup were identified. Demographic data and clinical parameters including age, sex, presence of pre-operative hydrocephalus, extent of surgical resection, evidence of metastasis/leptomeningeal disease and need for CSF diversion post-operatively were further analysed. RESULTS: Sixty-nine children with medulloblastoma with available molecular data were identified during the study period with male to female ratio of 1.5:1 (42M:27F). Twelve patients (17.4%) belonged to SHH, 10 (14.5%) Wnt, 19 (27.5%) Group 3 and 15 (21.7%) Group 4; 13 (18.8%) were non-specified Group 3 or 4. A total of 18 (26%) patients had evidence of leptomeningeal disease at presentation (20% of Wnt, 42% of Group 3, 33% of group 4, 23% of group 3/4, and 0% of SHH). Fifteen patients (22%) underwent post-operative ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion. No patient in the Wnt group required ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt post-operatively in this cohort. Need for shunt was associated with pre-operative hydrocephalus, leptomeningeal disease, with molecular group 3 or 4 demonstrating higher rate of leptomeningeal disease, and pre-operative hydrocephalus. Age, extent of resection and pre-operative EVD were not associated with need for shunt in this cohort. Regression analysis identified only pre-operative hydrocephalus and leptomeningeal disease as independent predictors of need for shunt post-resection in this cohort. CONCLUSION: All patients requiring permanent post-operative VP shunt belonged to non-Wnt groups, particularly group 3 and 4. Although medulloblastoma subgroup does not independently predict need for post-operative shunt, presence of leptomeningeal disease and pre-operative hydrocephalus, and their higher prevalence in group 3 and 4, likely account for observed higher rate of shunting in these groups.

Community Genetics screening in a pandemic: solutions for pre-test education, informed consent, and specimen collection.

A Community Genetics carrier screening program for the Jewish community has operated on-site in high schools in Sydney (Australia) for 25 years. During 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, government-mandated social-distancing, 'lock-down' public health orders, and laboratory supply-chain shortages prevented the usual operation and delivery of the annual testing program. We describe development of three responses to overcome these challenges: (1) pivoting to online education sufficient to ensure informed consent for both genetic and genomic testing; (2) development of contactless telehealth with remote training and supervision for collecting genetic samples using buccal swabs; and (3) a novel patient and specimen identification 'GeneTrustee' protocol enabling fully identified clinical-grade specimens to be collected and DNA extracted by a research laboratory while maintaining full participant confidentiality and privacy. These telehealth strategies for education, consent, specimen collection and sample processing enabled uninterrupted delivery and operation of complex genetic testing and screening programs even amid pandemic restrictions. These tools remain available for future operation and can be adapted to other programs.

Clinical features and outcome in pediatric arteriovenous malformation: institutional multimodality treatment.

PURPOSE: Intracranial arteriovenous-malformation (AVM) is a relatively rare condition in pediatrics, yet is a major cause of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage with a risk of fatal hemorrhage reported to be between 4 and 29%. Little is known about vessel morphology and optimum treatment modalities including multimodality combination therapy and prognosis in children. METHODS: A retrospective review of all children presenting to our institution from 2006 to 2020 that had an AVM was undertaken. RESULTS: A total of 50 children were identified with median age of 11 (range 1-16) years. The mean follow-up was 7.6 years. Forty-one children presented as an emergency and of those, 40 had hemorrhage identified on initial brain imaging. The average nidus size was 25 mm, drainage was superficial in 51% of cases, and located in eloquent cortex in 56%. The supplemental Spetzler-Martin grading indicated 78% (39/50) were grade 4 and above (moderate to high risk). Primary treatment modalities included embolization in 50% (25) or SRS in 30% (15) and surgery in 20% (10).The AVM was obliterated on follow-up DSA in 66% children. Three children had post-treatment hemorrhage, two related to embolization and one the day following SRS, giving a re-bleed rate of 6%. The GOSE was available for 32 children at long term follow and 94% had a good outcome (GOSE 5-8). Two children died due to acute hemorrhage (4%). CONCLUSION: The majority of children with AVM present with hemorrhage. The rebleed rate during definitive treatment is low at 6% over the study period. The selective use of the 3 modalities of treatment has significantly reduced mortality and severe disability.

The role of surgery in relieving calcified shunt site-related pain in patients with functioning VP shunt.

PURPOSE: Shunt calcification is a known late sequela of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion and is associated with shunt malfunction. However, in some patients, while shunt functionality is preserved despite calcification of the catheters, they experience nociceptive symptoms. In this paper, the authors present their surgical experience in managing patients with a functional VP shunt and experiencing pain secondary to shunt calcification. METHODS: We analysed outcomes of patients presenting with pain at the level of a calcified shunt who underwent surgical untethering of the calcified catheter from the soft tissues. This procedure was commenced by the senior author in 2015. Patients were collected prospectively from the databases of two institutions. Evidence of shunt calcification was confirmed on neuroimaging. RESULTS: Seven patients, two male and five female, were included. The mean age at untethering was 13.5 years. The mean time interval between primary shunt surgery and symptom onset was 12 years (range 6-16 years). The commonest site of tethering was the neck (50%) followed by abdomen and chest (both 25%). Six patients underwent untethering of the catheter from soft tissues. One patient had removal of a redundant segment of calcified shunt left in situ during a previous revision. All patients experienced pain relief following shunt untethering. CONCLUSION: Untethering of calcified VP shunt catheters from soft tissue can be considered an effective treatment of shunt site pain and offered to patients presenting with a functional VP shunt.

Working memory deterioration as an early warning sign for relapse in remitted psychosis: A one-year naturalistic follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Relapse prevention is an important goal in the clinical management of psychosis. Cognitive deficits/deterioration can provide useful insights for monitoring relapse in psychosis patients. METHODS: This was a prospective, naturalistic 1-year follow-up study involving 110 psychosis patients with full clinical remission. Relapse, defined as the recurrence of psychotic symptoms, was monitored monthly along with digital tracking of verbal and visual working memory using a mobile app developed for this study. Cognitive deterioration was defined as worsening performance over 2 months prior to relapse or study termination, whichever was earlier. Other clinical, cognitive, functioning, and psychosocial variables were also collected. RESULTS: At 1 year, 18 (16.36%) patients relapsed, of which 6 (33.33%) required hospitalization. Relapse was predicted by verbal working memory deterioration 2 months prior to relapse (p = 0.029), worse medication adherence (p = 0.018), and less resilience (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Verbal working memory deterioration is a novel early sign of relapse. It is a clearly defined, objectively measurable, and reproducible marker that can help clinicians and healthcare workers identify patients at risk of relapse and make decisions about maintenance therapy. Moreover, digital monitoring is a viable tool in the management of relapse.

Effect of high-endurance exercise intervention on sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effects of physical exercise on sleep-dependent consolidation of procedural memory in individuals with schizophrenia. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effectiveness of physical exercise in improving this cognitive function in schizophrenia. METHODS: A three-arm parallel open-labeled RCT took place in a university hospital. Participants were randomized and allocated into either the high-intensity-interval-training group (HIIT), aerobic-endurance exercise group (AE), or psychoeducation group for 12 weeks, with three sessions per week. Seventy-nine individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were contacted and screened for their eligibility. A total of 51 were successfully recruited in the study. The primary outcome was sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation performance as measured by the finger-tapping motor sequence task (MST). Assessments were conducted during baseline and follow-up on week 12. RESULTS: The MST performance scored significantly higher in the HIIT (n = 17) compared to the psychoeducation group (n = 18) after the week 12 intervention (p < 0.001). The performance differences between the AE (n = 16) and the psychoeducation (p = 0.057), and between the AE and the HIIT (p = 0.999) were not significant. Yet, both HIIT (p < 0.0001) and AE (p < 0.05) showed significant within-group post-intervention improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that HIIT and AE were effective at reverting the defective sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia. Moreover, HIIT had a more distinctive effect compared to the control group. These findings suggest that HIIT may be a more effective treatment to improve sleep-dependent memory functions in individuals with schizophrenia than AE alone.

Functional hemispherotomy for epilepsy in the very young.

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in children. Among very young children, one-third are resistant to medical treatment, and lack of effective treatment may result in adverse outcomes. Although functional hemispherotomy is an established treatment for epilepsy, its outcome in the very young child has not been widely reported. In this study the authors investigated seizure and developmental results after hemispherotomy in children younger than 3 years. METHODS: The authors reviewed a prospective database of all children younger than 3 years with medically intractable epilepsy who underwent functional hemispherotomy at the authors' institution during the period between 2012 and 2020. Demographic data, epilepsy history, underlying etiology, operative and transfusion details, and seizure and developmental outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Twelve patients were included in this study. The mean age (± SD) at seizure onset was 3 ± 2.6 months and at surgery was 1.3 ± 0.77 years, with a mean follow-up of 4 years. Diagnoses included hemimegalencephaly (n = 5), hemidysplasia (n = 2), hypoxic/hemorrhagic (n = 2), traumatic (n = 1), Sturge-Weber syndrome (n = 1), and mild hemispheric structural abnormality with EEG/PET correlates (n = 1). Eleven patients achieved an Engel class I outcome, and 1 patient achieved Engel class IV at last follow-up. No deaths, infections, cerebrovascular events, or unexpected long-term neurological deficits were recorded. All children progressed neurodevelopmentally following surgery, but their developmental levels remained behind their chronological age, with an overall mean composite Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale score of 58 (normal: 86-114, low: < 70). One patient required insertion of a subdural peritoneal shunt, 1 patient required dural repair for a CSF fluid leak, and 1 patient required aspiration of a pseudomeningocele. In 2 patients, both of whom weighed less than 5.7 kg, the first operation was incomplete due to blood loss. CONCLUSIONS: Hemispherotomy in children younger than 3 years offers excellent seizure control and an acceptable risk-to-benefit ratio in well-selected patients. Families of children weighing less than 6 kg should be counseled regarding the possibility of staged surgery. Postoperatively, children continue to make appropriate, despite delayed, developmental progress.

Tectal Plate Gliomas Masquerading as Idiopathic Aqueduct Stenosis.

Aqueduct stenosis is a recognized cause of obstructive hydrocephalus in children and can be treated effectively with endoscopic third ventriculostomy. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging is often diagnostic of the cause of aqueduct stenosis. We describe 2 pediatric cases with obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to a working diagnosis of idiopathic aqueduct stenosis. Following successful endoscopic third ventriculostomy, repeat magnetic resonance brain imaging revealed tectal plate glioma as the primary cause of obstruction. We believe these 2 reported cases demonstrate a previously unreported phenomenon whereby concealed tectal gliomas presenting with hydrocephalus are only unmasked following relief of hydrocephalus and decompression and normalization of the ventricular system. We aim to raise awareness about this unusual phenomenon and recommend routine postoperative interval imaging following endoscopic third ventriculostomy to avoid missing underlying pathology masquerading as aqueduct stenosis.

A rare case of inferior vena cava occlusion secondary to abdominal pseudocyst associated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt-case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Abdominal pseudocyst (APC) is an uncommon but well-recognised complication of ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt. Diagnosis is based on clinical features of shunt malfunction, including headaches, vomiting and drowsiness, and abdominal swelling. APCs can grow to large sizes resulting in compression of abdominal viscera; however, inferior vena cava (IVC) compression is extremely rare, and only one other case associated with VP shunt had been reported. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 12-year-old girl with a background of open myelomeningocoele repair, kyphoscoliosis and right-sided VP shunt in situ who presented with bilateral lower limb swelling and abdominal distension. She exhibited no features of raised intracranial pressure but had bilateral pitting oedema up to the groin. Abdominal ultrasound and CT scan showed a massive septated pseudocyst (20 × 18 × 8 cm) compressing the IVC. The APC was drained, and the shunt was externalised, with conversion to a ventriculo-atrial (VA) shunt 1 week later after cultures of the cystic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid and shunt tube came back sterile. The patient remained well with no recurrence of the abdominal fluid and no VA shunt complication at 36-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: This patient had specific risk factors for development of a massive APC and the subsequent IVC compression, including prior surgeries, spinal deformity, abnormal abdominal anatomy and poor abdominal muscle tone and sensation. Early recognition of this complication and prompt alleviation of the mass effect of IVC compression can prevent long-term neurological and vascular sequalae.

Positive psychotherapy for psychosis in Hong Kong: A randomized controlled trial.

Recovery-oriented practice has been advocated in mental health services in Hong Kong since 2009. Well-being has become an important area of focus for mental health services. Positive Psychotherapy for Psychosis (PPP) is a well-being-focused intervention for use in psychosis, with preliminary evidence from a randomized controlled trial in the United Kingdom of impact on well-being and symptomatology. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of PPP on the well-being of people with psychosis in Hong Kong. The study was a randomized controlled trial with two-arm parallel groups. Both groups received treatments as usual, and in addition the intervention group received a 13-session intervention based on a Cantonese Chinese translation of the PPP manual. Intention-to-treat analysis was used. The trial was registered (ANZCTR: ACTRN12620000464965). A total of 154 participants (78 intervention, 76 control) were recruited. As compared to control group, intervention group participants showed significant changes over time on the primary outcome of well-being assessed using the Chinese Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (p = 0.001) and on secondary outcomes of hope (Agency subscale: p = 0.029) and self-efficacy (p = 0.001). Positive Psychotherapy for Psychosis was found to be an effective treatment in improving the well-being and other mental health outcomes for people with psychosis. It can be recommended for use in mental health services to promote recovery.

Optic Nerve Germinoma and Transient Spontaneous Regression-More Than Meets the Eye.

Infiltration of the optic pathway by germ cell tumors is exceptional and can lead to confusion with glioma or inflammatory conditions. We present the case of a 14-year-old girl with an optic nerve germinoma extending to the hypothalamus and manifesting as panhypopituitarism and visual loss. The patient experienced spontaneous regression of the lesion followed by secondary deterioration requiring treatment. Four other cases of spontaneously regressing intracranial germinoma followed by regrowth have been reported in the literature. This report highlights the importance of clinical and radiologic monitoring of intracranial germinoma, even in the event of initial spontaneous improvement.

Infantile Macrocephaly: Complicated Familial Benign Enlargement of Subarachnoid Space in Twins of Suspected Nonaccidental Injury.

A 3-month-old first of dizygotic male twins, born at 34 + 5 weeks gestational age, presented with a 4-week history of increasing head circumference and vomiting. He had a tense anterior fontanelle and a head circumference above the 97th percentile. Magnetic resonance imaging showed large bilateral subdural collection with hemosiderin deposits suggestive of hemorrhage. Nine days of bilateral subdural drainage reduced the collection size and blood load. On postoperative day 16, magnetic resonance imaging confirmed persistent but smaller subdural collections, unmasking the underlying subarachnoid space enlargement. On day 18, a right subdural-peritoneal valveless shunt was inserted as definitive treatment. As part of a nonaccidental injury investigation, Twin 2 was also found to have macrocephaly secondary to benign enlargement of subarachnoid space, which was managed conservatively. Benign enlargement of subarachnoid space has an assumed autosomal/multifactorial inheritance and predisposes to subdural hemorrhage. Ultimately, no safeguarding issues were raised. Both twins continued to be neurologically stable at 2-year follow-up with head circumferences between the 98th and 99th percentiles.

Photodynamic therapy outcome modelling for patients with spinal metastases: a simulation-based study.

Spinal metastases often occur in the advanced stages of breast, lung or prostate cancer, resulting in a significant impact on the patient's quality of life. Current treatment modalities for spinal metastases include both systemic and localized treatments that aim to decrease pain, improve mobility and structural stability, and control tumour growth. With the development of non-toxic photosensitizer drugs, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has shown promise as a minimally invasive non-thermal alternative in oncology, including for spinal metastases. To apply PDT to spinal metastases, predictive algorithms that optimize tumour treatment and minimize the risk of spinal cord damage are needed to assess the feasibility of the treatment and encourage a broad acceptance of PDT in clinical trials. This work presents a framework for PDT modelling and planning, and simulates the feasibility of using a BPD-MA mediated PDT to treat bone metastases at two different wavelengths (690 nm and 565 nm). An open-source software for PDT planning, PDT-SPACE, is used to evaluate different configurations of light diffusers (cut-end and cylindrical) fibres with optimized power allocation in order to minimize the damage to spinal cord or maximize tumour destruction. The work is simulated on three CT images of metastatically involved vertebrae acquired from three patients with spinal metastases secondary to colorectal or lung cancer. Simulation results show that PDT at a 565 nm wavelength has the ability to treat 90% of the metastatic lesion with less than 17% damage to the spinal cord. However, the energy required, and hence treatment time, to achieve this outcome with the 565 nm is infeasible. The energy required and treatment time for the longer wavelength of 690 nm is feasible ([Formula: see text] min), but treatment aimed at 90% of the metastatic lesion would severely damage the proximal spinal cord. PDT-SPACE provides a simulation platform that can be used to optimize PDT delivery in the metastatic spine. While this work serves as a prospective methodology to analyze the feasibility of PDT for tumour ablation in the spine, preclinical studies in an animal model are ongoing to elucidate the spinal cord damage extent as a function of PDT dose, and the resulting short and long term functional impairments. These will be required before there can be any consideration of clinical trials.

Clinical effectiveness of and family experience with telephone consultation in a regional pediatric neurosurgery center in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric neurosurgery outpatient consultation is conducted face-to-face (FTF) conventionally. Reasons for not using telemedicine include the perceived difficulty with obtaining a reliable history and an inability to perform a physical examination. However, FTF consultation can cause distress and inconvenience to the child and family. In 2018, the authors' department piloted a clinical nurse specialist-led telephone consultation (TC) for follow-up appointments. This was extended to the routine neurosurgery clinics in 2020. In this study, the authors evaluate 1) the effectiveness of TC, 2) families' experience with TC compared with traditional FTF appointments, and 3) the factors associated with their preferences. METHODS: In this prospective study using a survey methodology, TCs carried out by 2 consultant neurosurgeons and 1 nurse specialist over 8 weeks were evaluated. Based on clinical background, each patient was assigned to a TC or FTF appointment. Clinical and surgical details and home postal code were recorded. At the end of each TC, the clinician recorded whether the child required an FTF appointment within 3 months. In addition, patients/families answered 1) how the current TC compared with FTF consultation, and 2) their preference of TC or FTF for the next consultation. RESULTS: A total of 114 TCs were included. No child required an FTF appointment within 3 months. Overall, compared with an FTF appointment, the TC was the "same/better/much better" for 101 families (89%), and "worse/much worse" for 13 (11%). Two-thirds of families preferred the next appointment to be a TC. Families attending a TC for new appointments preferred the next appointment to be FTF compared with those attending a follow-up TC (6/8 [75%] vs 31/106 [29%], p = 0.006). A high rating of the current TC was associated with a preference for a TC as the next appointment (p < 0.0001). Families preferring TC over FTF lived farther from the hospital (mean 38 vs 27 km) (p = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: From the clinicians' perspective, TC is adequate in appropriately selected patients as either the primary mode of consultation or as a triage system. From a service users' perspective, the majority of families felt that the appointment was the same/better than traditional FTF appointments. The findings suggested that 1) new patients should be offered FTF appointments; 2) follow-up TCs should be offered to families when possible; and 3) clinicians should develop their skills in conducting TCs. The authors' results have led to a modification of our algorithm in delivering traditional outpatient service and telemedicine with telephone.