A Serious Game for Cognitive Stimulation of Older People With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Design and Pilot Usability Study.

Background: Cognitive stimulation of older people helps prevent, and even treat, age-related diseases, such as mild cognitive impairment. Playing games reduces the probability of experiencing this pathology, which is related to the loss of the ability to carry out some instrumental activities of daily living. Objective: This work describes the design and development of a serious game for the cognitive stimulation of older people, with exercises related to the daily life task of shopping. A pilot study for its preliminary usability validation is also presented. Methods: The designed serious game includes 4 exercises consisting of shopping in a hypermarket, ordering products, making payments, and organizing the purchase, thus dealing with the most frequent cognitive problems of older people associated with episodic declarative memory, naming, calculation, and organization, respectively. Results: A total of 19 older people participated in the pilot study for the usability validation of the serious game. They indicated that they like the aesthetic and interesting topic of the game. They reported that it provides a high level of entertainment and could be useful in daily life for mental stimulation. The participants found the serious game to be intuitive, but the ease of use and readability of the instructions could be improved. Conclusions: This study suggests that the innovative serious game developed could be accepted by older people for their cognitive stimulation to prevent or treat mild cognitive impairment, although a long-term intervention study should be performed as future work. Its ecological validity design, with everyday tasks, adaptable levels of difficulty, and motivational mechanisms, is a differentiating factor compared to similar serious games.

Neurophysiological monitoring during endovascular treatment of brain arteriovenous malformations: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of brain arteriovenous malformations (b-AVM) carries a risk of iatrogenic injury to eloquent brain regions. Intraoperative neuro-monitoring (IONM) has increasingly been used to monitor spontaneous or evoked neural activity during neurosurgery, but its use is not as well characterized in the endovascular treatment (EVT) of b-AVMs. We aimed to provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting any neurological deficit after b-AVM embolization with IONM, with or without provocative test (PT), and no-IONM. METHODS: This systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines. Medline, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched from conception until March 1, 2022 for studies evaluating EVT with IONM and PT. Primary outcome was the rate of postoperative neurological deficits in EVT with IONM versus no-IONM, while secondary outcome was the subanalysis of IONM with or without PT. Meta-analysis was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel method and random effects modeling. RESULTS: Six studies reached synthesis. Out of a total of 192 EVT, 14 events occurred. Results demonstrated a nonsignificant trend favoring IONM compared to no-IONM to prevent neurological deficits (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0-4.68). Among the EVT with IONM, PT was done in 411 branches with 10 events (0.2%) despite a negative PT. There was a nonsignificant trend favoring IONM plus PT compared to IONM without PT (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.02-1.07). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that b-AVM EVT with IONM plus PT might reduce rates of postprocedural neurological deficits compared with EVT without IONM. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.

Combined technique as first approach in mechanical thrombectomy: Efficacy and safety of REACT catheter combined with stent retriever.

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) with combined treatment including both a stent retriever and distal aspiration catheter may improve recanalization rates in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). Here, we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of the REACT aspiration catheter used with a stent retriever. METHODS: This prospective study included consecutive adult patients who underwent MT with a combined technique using REACT 68 and/or 71 between June 2020 and July 2021. The primary endpoints were final and first pass mTICI 2b-3 and mTICI 2c-3 recanalization. Analysis was performed after first pass and after each attempt. Secondary safety outcomes included procedural complications, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) at 24 h, in-hospital mortality, and 90-day functional independence (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 0-2). RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were included (median age 78; IQR: 73-87; 50.0% female). At baseline, median NIHSS score was 19 (IQR: 11-21), and ASPECTS was 9 (IQR: 8-10). Final mTICI 2b-3 recanalization was achieved in 91 (89.2%) patients and mTICI 2c-3 was achieved in 66 (64.7%). At first pass, mTICI 2b-3 was achieved in 55 (53.9%) patients, and mTICI 2c-3 in 37 (36.3%). The rate of procedural complications was 3.9% (4/102), sICH was 6.8% (7/102), in-hospital mortality was 12.7% (13/102), and 90-day functional independence was 35.6% (36/102). CONCLUSION: A combined MT technique using a stent retriever and REACT catheter resulted in a high rate of successful recanalization and first pass recanalization in a sample of consecutive patients with AIS due to LVO in clinical use.

Increased Number of Passes and Double Stent Retriever Technique Induces Cumulative Injury on Arterial Wall After Mechanical Thrombectomy in a Swine Model.

The number of stentriever passes during endovascular thrombectomy impacts clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke. Previous studies suggest that the simultaneous double stent retriever technique (DSRT) could improve the efficacy and reduce the number of passes. We aim to analyze the degree of vessel wall injury according to the number of passes and technique (single vs. simultaneous devices). Histological changes were evaluated in renal arteries (RAs) of swine models after thrombectomy (1, 2, or 3 passes) with single stent (SSRT) and DSRT. Thrombectomy passes were performed in 12 RA: 3 samples from each artery were studied by optical microscopy to assess a vascular damage score. All thirty-six samples showed endothelial denudation and different degrees of damage in the deepest layers of the arterial wall; however, all arteries remained patent by the time of assessment. In all cases, the degree of vascular injury increased with the number of passes. Compared with a SSRT, DSRT showed a higher severity of histological damage corresponding to the damage caused by 1.4 SSRT passes. However, in distal arteries, vascular damage was relatively similar when comparing SSRT with multiple passes and DSRT with one pass. The degree of vessel injury increases with the number of passes. Even though histological damage per pass was 1.4 higher with DSRT than SSRT, short-term vessel patency was not compromised after up to 3 DSRT passes. Further studies are needed to characterize the risk-benefit ratio of the DSRT in routine clinical practice.

Impact of Automated Blood Culture Systems on the Management of Bloodstream Infections: Results from a Crossover Diagnostic Clinical Trial.

Bloodstream infections are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Blood culture remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of BSIs. We report a prospective crossover diagnostic clinical trial comparing the performances of two blood culture incubation systems: Virtuo and Bactec FX. The primary outcome was the time to detection (TTD) (from the loading of the sample into the incubator to the positivity signal). Patients over 16 years old suspected of having bacteremia/fungemia were included. They were divided into two strata with a total of 9,957 blood extractions. Initially, each stratum was randomly assigned to one of the incubators and then alternated every 2 weeks for 6 months. Each sample was inoculated into an aerobic bottle and an anaerobic bottle. All bottles were processed equally according to the laboratory's standard procedures after they were flagged positive. We analyzed 4,797 samples in the Virtuo system and 5,160 in the Bactec FX system. The median TTD was significantly lower for the Virtuo group (Virtuo, 15.2 h; Bactec FX, 16.3 h [P < 0.0001]). The turnaround time (TAT) (from sample loading to the Gram stain report) was also reduced with Virtuo (Virtuo, 26.2 h; Bactec FX, 28.3 h [P < 0.004]). When considering only samples from patients with antimicrobial treatment prior to blood culture extraction, the TTD was shorter for Virtuo (median differences in the TTD of 4.5 h for all bottles and 8.7 h for aerobic bottles only [P = 0.0001]). In conclusion, virtuo provided shorter TTD and TAT than Bactec FX. The difference in the median TTD was increased when considering samples incubated in aerobic bottles from patients with antimicrobial treatment. This could have an important effect on the faster diagnosis of BSIs. IMPORTANCE Bloodstream infections are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Blood culture remains the gold standard for its diagnosis. While the identification of the pathogen and its antibiotic susceptibility is required to confirm the optimal antimicrobial regimen, reductions in the times to the detection of positivity and reporting of Gram stain results may be important and time-saving to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use, improve patient outcomes, and decrease health care costs. We report the first clinical diagnostic study of this scale in a "real-world" setting with a crossover design, comparing two automatic blood culture incubators using samples from patients with a suspected diagnosis of bacteremia/sepsis, as opposed to spiked vials. Our study design mimics that of clinical trials performed for drug marketing authorization, but patient randomization was replaced with the crossover design. A shorter time to detection could have an important effect on the faster identification of causative microorganisms of BSIs and antimicrobial stewardship.

Evaluation of Rapid Polymyxin Pseudomonas test in clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates with various degrees of multidrug resistance.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is of great concern among MDR bacteria and rapid and reliable in vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing methods are extremely necessary. Colistin is, in many cases, among the limited useful alternatives for these isolates. Unfortunately, only a few reliable in vitro methods are validated for testing susceptibility to colistin. Although EUCAST and CLSI recommend broth microdilution (BMD) as the standard method for antibiotic susceptibility testing, this method is not routinely performed in microbiology laboratories. However, some commercial products based upon BMD have tested well and offer consistent results. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of the colorimetric Rapid Polymyxin Pseudomonas Test (RPPT) (ELITech Microbiology, France). METHODS: Eighty-seven clinical P. aeruginosa strains, prospectively collected in two microbiology laboratories exhibiting either susceptibility or various degrees of multidrug resistance, including to colistin, were used. Different susceptibility testing methods were simultaneously performed and compared with reference BMD and interpreted using 2020 EUCAST criteria. RESULTS: Results indicate an essential agreement (EA) of 97.7% for RPPT while the other tests did not reach 90% of EA [66.7% MicroScan, 63.2% Etest (bioMérieux, France) and 60.9% other MIC Test Strips (MTS, Liofilchem, Italy)]. The categorical agreement was 98.9% for RPPT, 87.4% for MTS, 85.1% for Etest and 64.4% for MicroScan. CONCLUSIONS: The RPPT was able to accurately detect both colistin-susceptible and -resistant isolates within 4 h, offering a rapid alternative for a prompt decision about the inclusion of this antibiotic in a patient's treatment.

Microsurgical clipping of multiple cerebral aneurysms in the acute phase of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage through a minipterional approach: The Chilean experience.

OBJECTIVE: The minipterional craniotomy (MPTc) has been widely accepted as a minimally invasive alternative to the pterional approach for the treatment of certain small non-ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of the MPTc in the context of a complex and potentially harmful scenario: acute onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in patients harboring multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIA). METHODS: Patients harboring MIA clipped through a unilateral MPTc were selected from four retrospective databases of four high-volume neurosurgical centers. Patients with a Hunt & Hess score 4 or 5 were not considered candidates for clipping through a MPTc. Medical records and radiological images were retrospectively reviewed. Epidemiological, clinical and radiological data, as well as short-term outcome (modified Rankin scale at 6 month-follow-up) were analyzed. RESULTS: 16 patients harboring 33 aneurysms (16 ruptured, 17 non ruptured) met the inclusion criteria. Each aneurysm size was 5.7 ± 2.1 mm (range 3-11). 12 out of 33 aneurysms were located in the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Anterior communicating (ACom) and MCA aneurysms were the aneurysm locations most commonly ruptured (5 each, 62 %). Complete occlusion was achieved in 32 aneurysms (97 %) and near-complete occlusion in 1 (3%). 13 patients (93 %) were independent at 6 month-follow-up. Mortality rate was 0%. Complications included 1 cerebrospinal-fluid leakage. CONCLUSION: When indicated (Hunt Hess < 4), performing a MPTc is safe and effective in aSAH cases with multiple aneurysms.

Sample pooling for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR screening.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of sample pooling compared to the individual analysis for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by using different commercial platforms for nucleic acid extraction and amplification. METHODS: A total of 3519 nasopharyngeal samples received at nine Spanish clinical microbiology laboratories were processed individually and in pools (342 pools of ten samples and 11 pools of nine samples) according to the existing methodology in place at each centre. RESULTS: We found that 253 pools (2519 samples) were negative and 99 pools (990 samples) were positive; with 241 positive samples (6.85%), our pooling strategy would have saved 2167 PCR tests. For 29 pools (made out of 290 samples), we found discordant results when compared to their correspondent individual samples, as follows: in 22 of 29 pools (28 samples), minor discordances were found; for seven pools (7 samples), we found major discordances. Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for pooling were 97.10% (95% confidence interval (CI), 94.11-98.82), 100%, 100% and 99.79% (95% CI, 99.56-99.90) respectively; accuracy was 99.80% (95% CI, 99.59-99.92), and the kappa concordant coefficient was 0.984. The dilution of samples in our pooling strategy resulted in a median loss of 2.87 (95% CI, 2.46-3.28) cycle threshold (Ct) for E gene, 3.36 (95% CI, 2.89-3.85) Ct for the RdRP gene and 2.99 (95% CI, 2.56-3.43) Ct for the N gene. CONCLUSIONS: We found a high efficiency of pooling strategies for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA testing across different RNA extraction and amplification platforms, with excellent performance in terms of sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values.

Estimation of the diagnostic accuracy of clinical parameters for monitoring peri-implantitis progression: An experimental canine study.

BACKGROUND: Lack of consensus on the clinical parameters of peri-implantitis may complicate accurate diagnosis of the disorder. Furthermore, the lack of reliable estimates of the diagnostic capacity of the clinical endpoints precludes the definition of an effective treatment protocol for peri-implantitis. The present canine study assesses the diagnostic accuracy of the clinical parameters for monitoring the peri-implant tissues in a controlled ligature-induced peri-implantitis model followed by a spontaneous progression phase. METHODS: Six beagle dogs were followed-up on during three episodes of ligature-induced peri-implantitis and a further episode of spontaneous progression. Probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), mucosal recession (MR), and suppuration (SUP) were recorded at four sites per implant and at four study timepoints. Moreover, the implant mucosal index (IMI) was calculated at implant level. Marginal bone loss (MBL) was determined using computed tomography at four sites per implant. A linear regression model was used to estimate clinical and radiological parameters during peri-implantitis progression. RESULTS: Progressive peri-implant bone loss is characterized by an increase in PD, more profuse BOP, MR, and SUP in advanced cases (p < 0.001). However, even in the presence of severe bone loss, SUP was not a common finding, with an incidence of approximately 10% at the last timepoint. These clinical parameters were significantly correlated to MBL at most of the timepoints. The IMI, in turn, showed a positive correlation to MBL and the peri-implant inflammatory signs (r = 0.39; p < 0.001), with a tendency to exhibit higher scores during ligature-induced peri-implantitis, followed by a slight decrease during the spontaneous progression period. CONCLUSION: The clinical features of peri-implantitis and spontaneous progression of the disorder may facilitate an accurate monitoring of peri-implant pathologic bone loss.

Absceso hepático a Klebsiella pneumoniae

Se presenta caso de varón, diabético, con fiebre prolongada, ictericia y hepatoesplenomegalia. Por ecografía se constata absceso hepático y esplénico. Fue tratado exitosamente con antibiótico y drenaje percutáneo del absceso hepático. Se aisló Klebsiella pneumoniae en sangre y líquido drenado del hígado.

This is the case of a diabetic man with prolonged fever, ictericia and hepatosplenomegaly. Ultrasonography confirms hepatic and splenic abscesses. Patient was successfully treated with antibiotics and percutaneous drainage of the hepatic abcess. Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from blood and liquid drained from liver.

[Vestibular schwannomas: Surgical treatment of 67 cases in 10 years]. / Schwannomas vestibulares: experiencia en el tratamiento quirúrgico de 67 casos en 10 años.

INTRODUCTION: Vestibular Schwannomas (VS) are benign intracranial tumors, for which their current management is a matter of debate, although microsurgical treatment remains the mode of choice in the majority of cases. OBJECTIVE: To describe the surgical outcome of patients operated on for a VS in a Chilean Public Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A series of 67 patients treated surgically between 2002 and 2012, in the Institute of Neurosurgery Asenjo is presented. RESULTS: Sixty-five cases (97%) corresponded to Koos III and IV tumors, of which 52% were large (3-4 cm) or Giant (>4 cm). Forty-one cases were operated on using a retrosigmoid transmeatalapproach (61%). Total resection was achieved in 97% of the cases and subtotal in the remaining 3%. A mean six months follow-up showed that good facial function (House-Brackmann I or II) was obtained in 32.7% of the patients, and moderate function (House-Brackmann III or IV) in 42.3%. Cardiopulmonary complications were the most frequent (28%), and mortality was 1.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The VS are tumors that can cause significant neurological deficit in advanced stages, despite their benign nature. Surgical treatment is very complex, and must be performed by specialized teams to ensure optimal functional results.

Use of superior thyroid artery as a donor vessel in extracranial-intracranial revascularization procedures: a novel technique.

Objective To describe the use of the superior thyroid artery as a donor vessel in extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) revascularization when a "low-flow" bypass is required and the superficial temporal artery is not available. Design Case report. Setting University hospital. Participants Four cases. Main Outcome Measures Postoperative course after EC-IC bypass surgery. Results In case 1, the parent vessel was occluded postoperatively. The radial bypass was sufficient to replace the internal carotid artery (ICA) flow, and a prophylactic was turned into a definitive bypass. In case 2, the superior thyroid artery was used because the radial artery was not long enough to reach the external carotid artery. The recipient vessel was modified from the middle cerebral artery to the ophthalmic segment of the ICA. In case 3, the graft was occluded after surgery because of carotid artery reconstruction. In case 4, after surgery/radiotherapy for meningioma, the patient developed wound dehiscence and was reoperated for bypass occlusion. The graft was weak and bled intraoperatively, without infarction. The three first patients are intact, and the fourth remains disabled (Glasgow Outcome Scale: 3; Rankin Scale: 5). Conclusion The superior thyroid artery was adequate for proximal anastomosis in EC-IC procedures in the situations described.

Migración intracraneal de derivativa ventrículoperitoneal en paciente con hidranencefalia: reporte de un caso / Intracraneal migration of ventriculoperitoneal shunt in a patient with hydranecephaly: case report

La migración intracraneal de una derivativa ventrículo peritoneal (DVP) es una rara causa de disfunción valvular. Se presenta el caso de un paciente portador de hidranencefalia congénita con DVP desde el mes de vida, quien fue referido a neurocirugía a la edad de dos años y un mes por somnolencia, vómitos y bradicardia. El estudio con TC de encéfalo y radiografía de trayecto valvular revelaron migración intracraneal de su sistema derivativo, por lo que requirió cirugía de urgencia para retiro del sistema y reemplazo valvular. Inmediatamente posterior a la cirugía el paciente tuvo remisión completa de sus síntomas. A continuación se discuten los posibles mecanismos involucrados en su génesis y las medidas para evitar esta complicación

Intracranial migration of ventriculoperitoneal shunt is an extremely rare complication of hydrocephalus surgery. We present the case of a patient with congenital hydranencephaly treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt installed elsewhere in the first month of life. He was referred to our center when he was 2 years old. The consulting symptoms were somnolency, vomiting and bradycardia. The image study consisted in a brain CT and chest x-ray that revealed the intracranial migration of his ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The patient was operated with the remotion of his shunting system and a complete new ventriculoperitoneal shunt was installed. Inmediately after surgery the patient had a complete remission of his symptoms. We reviewed the case due to the unusual of the complication and we discussed the possible mechanisms involved in its genesis and the measures to avoid it.

[Visual outcome in patients with macroprolactinoma treated with dopamine agonists]. / Resultados visuales en pacientes con macroprolactinoma tratados con agonistas de dopamina.

BACKGROUND: Dopamine agonists (DA) effectively reduce tumor size of macroprolactinomas, with the consequent improvement of eventual visual impairment. AIM: To study the visual outcomes in patients with macroprolactinoma treated with DA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study which included patients with macroprolactinoma controlled at a Neuro-endocrinology and Neuro-ophthalmology Department between 1997 and 2011, and treated exclusively with DA (bromocriptine or cabergoline). Patients who were operated or had previous radiotherapy and those with an incomplete follow up, were excluded. We analyzed and compared the visual status before and after the beginning of DA treatment. RESULTS: Thirty one patients aged 8 to 59 years, were included. Eighteen patients (58%) had visual impairment at the moment of diagnosis (group 1) and 13 had no alterations (group 2). Mean follow up was 36.5 months. Fifteen patients from group 1 (83%) had visual improvement, two remained stable (11 %) and one had a visual deterioration (6%). In group 2, only one non-compliant patient had a visual deterioration. CONCLUSIONS: DAs are effective in the management of neuro-ophthalmic complications associated to macroprolactinomas and should be considered as first choice therapy in these tumors.

Resultados visuales en pacientes con macroprolactinoma tratados con agonistas de dopamina / Visual outcome in patients with macroprolactinoma treated with dopamine agonists

Background: Dopamine agonists (DA) effectively reduce tumor size of macroprolactinomas, with the consequent improvement of eventual visual impairment. Aim: To study the visual outcomes in patients with macroprolactinoma treated with DA. Material and Methods: Retrospective cohort study which included patients with macroprolactinoma controlled at a Neuro-endocrinology and Neuro-ophthalmology Department between 1997'and2011, and treated exclusively with DA (bromocriptine or cabergoline). Patients who were operated or had previous radiotherapy and those with an incomplete follow up, were excluded. We analyzed and compared the visual status before and after the beginning of DA treatment. Results: Thirty one patients aged 8 to 59years, were included. Eighteen patients (58%) had visual impairment at the moment of diagnosis (group 1) and 13 had no alterations (group 2). Mean follow up was 36.5 months. Fifteen patients from group 1 (83%) had visual improvement, two remained stable (11 %) and one had a visual deterioration (6%). In group 2, only one non-compliant patient had a visual deterioration. Conclusions: DAs are effective in the management of neuro-ophthalmic complications associated to macroprolactinomas and should be considered asfirst choice therapy in these tumors.

Ab-initio study of anisotropic and chemical surface modifications of ß-SiC nanowires.

The electronic band structure and electronic density of states of cubic SiC nanowires (SiCNWs) in the directions [001], [111], and [112] were studied by means of Density Functional Theory (DFT) based on the generalized gradient approximation and the supercell technique. The surface dangling bonds were passivated using hydrogen (H) atoms and OH radicals in order to study the effects of this passivation on the electronic states of the SiCNWs. The calculations show a clear dependence of the electronic properties of the SiCNWs on the quantum confinement, orientation, and chemical passivation of the surface. In general, surface passivation with either H or OH radicals removes the dangling bond states from the band gap, and OH saturation appears to produce a smaller band gap than H passivation. An analysis of the atom-resolved density of states showed that there is substantial charge transfer between the Si and O atoms in the OH-terminated case, which reduces the band gap compared to the H-terminated case, in which charge transfer mainly occurs between the Si and C atoms.

Simplified azygos anterior cerebral bypass: y-shaped superficial temporal artery interposition graft from A2 with double reimplantation of pericallosal arteries: technical case report.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Trapping with distal revascularization is a therapeutic option for giant aneurysms that cannot be clipped or coiled. In skull base lesions such as meningiomas, arterial encasement is often present, requiring, in some cases, revascularization procedures: extracranial-to-intracranial bypass and more recently intracranial-to-intracranial techniques. These techniques are used only in exceptional cases of tumors in other localizations. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We report a case of a recurrent malignant frontal falx meningioma with encasement of both pericallosal arteries (PcaAs). During resection of the lesion, the left PcaA was sectioned and the right PcaA was occluded for manipulation and coagulation of the tumor. The occlusion was diagnosed with indocyanine green videoangiography. A Y-shaped superficial temporal artery graft was obtained in the right side, and the anterior cerebral artery circulation was reconstructed using an intracranial-to-intracranial bypass in the following fashion: right A2 to superficial temporal artery Y-shaped graft for both PcaAs. The patient's postoperative period was uneventful with no deficit, and the computed tomography angiography showed the preservation of both PcaAs. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this microsurgical reconstruction of the PcaAs has not been performed before in a meningioma or a complex aneurysm case. We think the use of a superficial temporal artery as an in situ graft is more straightforward compared with other interposition grafts such as the radial artery graft or saphenous vein graft. The use of intracranial-to-intracranial techniques is the proper evolution of the use of classic extracranial-to-intracranial cerebral revascularization techniques.

Construct and face validity of SINERGIA laparoscopic virtual reality simulator.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic techniques have nowadays become a gold standard in many surgical procedures, but they imply a more difficult learning skills process. Simulators have a fundamental role in the formative stage of new surgeons. This paper presents the construct and face validity of SINERGIA laparoscopic virtual reality simulator in order to decide whether it can be considered as an assessment tool. METHODS: Twenty people participated in this study, 14 were novices and 6 were experts. Five tasks of SINERGIA were included in the study: coordination, navigation, navigation and touch, precise grasping and coordinate traction. For each one of these tasks, a certain number of metrics are automatically recorded. All subjects accomplished each task only once and filled in two questionnaires. A statistical analysis was made and results from both groups were compared with the Mann-Whitney U-test, considering significant differences when P < or = 0.05. Internal consistency of the system has been analyzed with the Cronbach's alpha test. RESULTS: Novices and experts positively rated SINERGIA characteristics. At least one of the evaluated metrics of each exercise presented significant differences between both groups. Nevertheless, all metrics under study gave a better punctuation to the executions accomplished by experts (lower time, higher efficiency, fewer errors. . .) than to those made by novices. CONCLUSION: SINERGIA laparoscopic virtual reality simulator is able to discriminate subjects according to their level of experience in laparoscopic surgery; therefore, it can be used within a training program as an assessment tool.