Interfacing with the Brain: How Nanotechnology Can Contribute.

Interfacing artificial devices with the human brain is the central goal of neurotechnology. Yet, our imaginations are often limited by currently available paradigms and technologies. Suggestions for brain-machine interfaces have changed over time, along with the available technology.

Safety of intravenous thrombolysis in central retinal artery occlusion patients with concomitant acute cerebral infarctions.

Background And Objectives: Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) results in severe visual impairment. Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is a potential treatment for CRAO, but ambiguous data regarding efficacy and the possibility that the presence of cerebral infarctions may increase the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) raise concerns. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the safety of IVT in patients with CRAO.

Treatment persistence and clinical outcomes in patients starting B cell depleting therapies within the Swiss MS Cohort.

Background: Persistence to B cell depleting therapies (BCDT) like ocrelizumab and rituximab may be higher compared with other disease-modifying therapies (DMT) in multiple sclerosis (MS). Clinical trials directly comparing these treatments are lacking.

Objective: To compare the risk of treatment discontinuation, relapse, and confirmed disability worsening in patients starting BCDT vs other DMT within real-world settings.

Efficacy and tolerability of low versus standard daily doses of antiseizure medications in newly diagnosed focal epilepsy. A multicenter, randomized, single-blind, non-inferiority trial (STANDLOW).

Objective: The STANDLOW trial investigated whether first-line antiseizure monotherapy with low doses has a similar efficacy to standard doses, but with fewer adverse events, improved quality of life, and reduced costs for the National Health System.

Methods: Multicenter, randomized, parallel-arm, single-blind, non-inferiority trial, comparing low dose versus standard dose of antiseizure medications (carbamazepine, levetiracetam, valproate, zonisamide, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, lamotrigine, gabapentin, lacosamide) in adults with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy.

Results: The intention-to-treat (ITT) population consisted of 58 randomized patients, 29 in the low dose arm and 29 in the standard dose arm, 27 (46.

Tubular retractor-assisted minimally invasive parafascicular approach for dermoid cyst.

Intracranial dermoid cysts are benign lesions that may be diagnosed incidentally or present symptomatically due to mass effect-focal neurological deficits, seizures and/or hydrocephalus-or chemical meningitis secondary to spontaneous rupture. The use of tubular retractors in minimally invasive parafascicular surgery (tsMIPS) has been described extensively as a technique to preserve neurological function whilst safely maximizing the extent of resection. The authors present the first use of the tsMIPS approach for removal of a dermoid cyst in a 68-year-old female who presented with abulia and seizures due to a large Sylvian fissure dermoid cyst.

Ultra-High Contrast (UHC) MRI of the Brain, Spinal Cord and Optic Nerves in Multiple Sclerosis Using Directly Acquired and Synthetic Bipolar Filter (BLAIR) Images.

In this educational review, the basic physics underlying the use of ultra-high contrast (UHC) bipolar filter (BLAIR) sequences, including divided subtracted inversion recovery (dSIR), is explained. These sequences can increase the contrast produced by small changes in T by a factor of ten or more compared with conventional IR sequences. In illustrative cases, the sequences were used in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients during relapse and remission and were compared with positionally matched conventional (T-weighted spin echo, T-FLAIR) images.

The Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment on Plasma BDNF Concentration and Executive Functions in Parkinson's Disease: A Theoretical Translational Medicine Approach.

Parkinson's disease (PD) neuropathology is marked by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, accompanied by the widespread involvement of central and peripheral structures. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin crucial for the survival of dopaminergic neurons, plays a pivotal role in neuronal and glial development, neuroprotection, and the modulation of synaptic plasticity. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive technique, enhances neurotransmitter release, trans-synaptic efficacy, signaling pathways, gene transcription, neuroplasticity, and neurotrophism.

Genotype and phenotype spectrum of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease due to mutations in SORD.

Biallelic loss-of-function mutations in the sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD) gene cause the most common recessive type of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), CMT-SORD. However, the full genotype-phenotype spectrum and progression of the disease remain to be defined. Notably, a multicenter phase 2/3 study to test the efficacy of govorestat (NCT05397665), a new aldose reductase inhibitor, is currently ongoing.

Three-Objects-Three-Places Episodic Memory Test to Screen Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Dementia: Validation in a Memory Clinic Population.

Background: The Three-Objects-Three-Places (3O3P) test is a 5-min screen for episodic memory impairment due to Alzheimer's disease, known for its briefness and easy administration, culture- and language-free nature, and the absence of specific equipment. However, no studies have validated its potential in memory clinic cohorts. The aim of this study was to test its convergent, discriminant, and known-group validities and to define thresholds for its clinical use.

First ischemic stroke in young adults: Sex and age-related differences in stroke rates, risk factors, and etiologies.

Introduction: Sex differences in stroke incidence, vascular risk factors (VRFs), and etiologies among young adults remain underexplored, particularly regarding age-related patterns.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed young adults (18-55 years) with first-ever ischemic stroke treated at certified acute stroke units/centers between 2014 and 2022, using Swiss Stroke Registry data. Stroke rates (per 100,000 person-years), VRFs, and etiologies were assessed by age and sex.

The stent-screw assisted internal fixation (SAIF) technique: A treatment option for OF5, the three-column unstable osteoporotic vertebral fractures - A case series.

Purpose: The OF5 type of vertebral osteoporotic fracture (AO Spine-DGOU classification) represents a three-column lesion and as such is considered as highly unstable. These lesions, however, tend to affect elderly, frail patients, in whom invasive management options are limited. The stent-screw-assisted internal fixation (SAIF) technique has previously been reported as a minimally invasive treatment for osteoporotic and neoplastic vertebral fractures.

Towards contrast-agnostic soft segmentation of the spinal cord.

Spinal cord segmentation is clinically relevant and is notably used to compute spinal cord cross-sectional area (CSA) for the diagnosis and monitoring of cord compression or neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis. While several semi and automatic methods exist, one key limitation remains: the segmentation depends on the MRI contrast, resulting in different CSA across contrasts. This is partly due to the varying appearance of the boundary between the spinal cord and the cerebrospinal fluid that depends on the sequence and acquisition parameters.

The Multicentre Acute ischemic stroke imaGIng and Clinical data (MAGIC) repository: rationale and blueprint.

Purpose: The Multicentre Acute ischemic stroke imaGIng and Clinical data (MAGIC) repository is a collaboration established in 2024 by seven stroke centres in Europe. MAGIC consolidates clinical and radiological data from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who underwent endovascular therapy, intravenous thrombolysis, a combination of both, or conservative management.

Participants: All centres ensure accuracy and completeness of the data.

The Italian version of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire: validation of its measurement properties.

Background: Surgical fear is present in many patients awaiting surgery. However, a validated Italian version of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) was not available yet. Therefore, the aim of this study was to translate the SFQ into Italian and to test its reliability and validity.

In Situ Light-Source Delivery During 5-Aminulevulinic Acid-Guided High-Grade Glioma Resection: Spatial, Functional and Oncological Informed Surgery.

Background/objectives: 5-aminulevulinic acid (5-ALA)-guided surgery for high-grade gliomas remains a challenge in neuro-oncological surgery. Inconsistent fluorescence visualisation, subjective quantification and false negatives due to blood, haemostatic agents or optical impediments from the external light source are some of the limitations of the present technology.

Methods: The preliminary results from this single-centre retrospective study are presented from the first 35 patients operated upon with the novel Nico Myriad Spectra System©.

Lumbar Facet Joint Radiofrequency Ablation With a 3-Tined Cannula: A Technical Report and Observational Study.

Lumbar facet joints are the source of pain in 15%-41% of individuals experiencing low back pain (LBP). Conventional lumbar facet radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has Level II evidence for improving pain and function. The best proven technique, the parallel technique, is technically challenging, time-consuming, and often uncomfortable for the patient.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) in Neurosurgery: Unexplored Path Towards Personalized Brain Surgery.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) is a non-operative technique that allows for magnetic cortical stimulation (TMS) and analysis of the electrical currents generated in the brain (EEG). Despite the regular utilization of both techniques independently, little is known about the potential impact of their combination in neurosurgical practice. This scoping review, conducted following PRISMA guidelines, focused on TMS-EEG in epilepsy, neuro-oncology, and general neurosurgery.

Corrigendum: Social cognition in adult ADHD: a systematic review.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.

Psychopathology and NREM sleep parasomnias: A systematic review.

Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep parasomnias are abnormal motor and/or emotional behaviors originating from "deep" slow-wave sleep and with a multifactorial origin. The relationship between NREM parasomnias and psychopathology has been a topic of ongoing debate, but a comprehensive and systematic perspective has been lacking. This systematic review, conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA-P) guidelines, aims to fill this gap in the literature.

Neurostatus-SMARTCARE clinical trial: Enabling health care professionals to assess EDSS for decentralized trials in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Neurostatus-Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is the standard measure used to assess impairment and disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) trials but requires trained expert neurologists.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the concordance of Neurostatus-EDSS assessments from specially trained health care professionals (HCPs) and standardized trained neurologists.

Methods: A Swiss multicenter, randomized, cross-over study with 100 people with MS.

Age- and sex-related variations in extracellular vesicle profiling for the assessment of cardiovascular risk: the EVaging index.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) offer valuable diagnostic and prognostic insights for cardiovascular (CV) diseases, but the influence of age-related chronic inflammation ("inflammaging") and sex differences on EV profiles linked to CV risk remains unclear. This study aimed to use EV profiling to predict age and stratify patients by CV risk. We developed an EVaging index by analyzing surface antigen profiles of serum EVs from 625 participants, aged 20 to 94 years, across varying CV risk groups.

Association of the Cervical Canal Area With Disability and Progression in People With Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: In multiple sclerosis (MS), brain reserve serves as a protective factor against cognitive impairment. Previous research has suggested a structural counterpart in the spine-spinal cord reserve-seemed to be associated with physical disability. This study aimed to investigate the potential of the cervical canal area (CCaA) as a proxy for spinal cord reserve in a multicentric cohort of people with MS (PwMS).

Intravenous thrombolysis in young adults with ischemic stroke: A cohort study from the international TRISP collaboration.

Background And Aims: Previous observational data indicate that young adults treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for acute ischemic stroke have more favorable outcomes and less complications when compared to older adults. Given the limited data on this topic, we aimed to provide more evidence on clinical outcomes and safety in such patients, using a large international thrombolysis registry.

Methods: In this prospective multicenter study, we used data from the Thrombolysis in Ischemic Stroke Patients (TRISP) registry from 1998 to 2020.