UW Neurological Surgery Recent PubMed Publications

Craniopharyngioma is a rare pediatric brain tumor that is often treated with surgical resection and radiation therapy, all of which can have significant impacts on cognitive abilities. The objectives of the current study were to characterize the neurocognitive functioning of pediatric patients that have been treated for craniopharyngioma and examine the impact of medical, demographic, and treatment variables on neurocognitive outcomes. We completed retrospective chart reviews to collect medical,...

UVR drives keratinocyte clonal expansion and cutaneous field damage, yet the assessment of early UV-induced field damage remains subjective and lacks an objective, non-invasive method. Reflectance confocal microscopy provides near-histologic imaging of the epidermis and may enable the detection of subclinical UV-induced changes before overt lesion development. Using SKH1 hairless mice, reflectance confocal microscopy images were analyzed during an early post-UV period at weeks 12 and 14 and a...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in permanent paralysis, leading to substantial long-term disability and loss of quality-adjusted life years. Strategies to preserve neural function in the hyperacute phase are needed. Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) improves neurological function in chronic SCI. Earlier implementation in acute SCI may preserve or restore function and improve recovery.

CONCLUSIONS: The combination of systemic octofluo administration and locally applied CAR-T cells is a promising strategy for future clinical development for patients with refractory meningiomas.

CONCLUSIONS: Cognard type V dAVFs carry a high risk of neurological morbidity. However, favorable functional outcomes are achievable with timely, multimodal intervention. Complication rates remain low, with most being transient. These data support aggressive but tailored management to prevent permanent disability in this high-risk population.

Synapse formation and function are coordinated spatially and temporally by a host of synaptic proteins that regulate neuronal signaling, synapse specificity, and plasticity, many of which are implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders. Many members of the C1q/TNF superfamily function as synaptic organizers, shaping synapse assembly and maintenance. Among them, C1QL3 plays a putative role in trans-synaptic adhesion and modulation of synaptic strength, but the lack of a reliable antibody to detect...

CONCLUSIONS: Although agreement was reached on key safety, transport, and training principles, uncertainties remain on how best to weigh clinical priorities to manage an eUXO patient to reduce the risk of detonation without available EOD assets in low-resource settings.

The mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 inhibitor (mIDHi) vorasidenib was recently incorporated into clinical treatment guidelines for IDH-mutant gliomas, although its impact on chemoradiation is unclear. Specifically, it is unknown whether upfront mIDHi exposure alters subsequent chemoradiation efficacy. Addressing this critical question has been challenging because of limited clinical data and a paucity of mIDHi-responsive preclinical glioma models. We first established that a genetic mouse...

CONCLUSION: This technique was feasible, provided visualization of the anconeal process, and allowed accurate drilling of the anconeal process in a cadaveric model. Clinical feasibility and safety require validation in a clinical study.

CONCLUSIONS: Parent artery plaque enhancement and aneurysm wall enhancement are correlated with an elevated risk of microembolic events after endovascular treatment of UIAs.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to β cell death in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes (T1D and T2D). However, the molecular mechanisms driving β cell death during ER stress remain insufficiently defined, limiting development of protective therapies. GRP78, an ER chaperone, is the master regulator of unfolded protein response (UPR), suppressing UPR initiators during the unstressed state and releasing them to allow UPR activation during stress. To dissect the pathways leading to...

OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a locking proximal femoral anatomic bone plate in the management of periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFFs) and greater trochanteric osteotomies (GTOs) in dogs undergoing total hip replacement (THR).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Multiple diffusion MRI metrics are differentially sensitive to distinct neuroinflammatory states in the subacute period after adolescent concussion. These findings suggest that diffusion imaging could serve as a non-invasive tool for inflammatory phenotyping, with potential implications for identifying patients who may benefit from targeted immunomodulatory intervention.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and long-term disability in children, with many experiencing persistent symptoms even after mild TBIs. Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have physiological effects that may alter how the brain responds to injury, yet the effects of ACEs on white matter injury and recovery processes remain unclear. This study examined whether a history of ACEs is associated with patterns of longitudinal change in white matter...

Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria, are transmitted at high levels in endemic areas and sequential infections are common. Using a mouse model of infection we discovered liver burden was suppressed in blood-stage experienced, compared to naïve, animals, independently of adaptive responses and inflammation. We observed greater chromatin accessibility of a subset of interferon stimulated genes in blood-stage experienced animals, and a rapid increase in transcription of these...

Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics have revolutionized our understanding of cardiac development and maturation by resolving cellular heterogeneity, delineating lineage trajectories, and uncovering gene regulatory networks and intercellular signaling at unprecedented resolution. The heart develops through a tightly coordinated spatiotemporal process that extends from early organogenesis through postnatal maturation. Despite major progress, key questions remain unresolved, including...

Sleep fragmentation disrupts physiological homeostasis, including thermoregulation, metabolism, and immune signaling; however, cellular mechanisms that stabilize core body temperature and sleep architecture during disrupted sleep remain poorly understood. Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system and play a central role in integrating neuroimmune signaling with hypothalamic regulation of thermoregulation and sleep-wake control. We tested the hypothesis that microglia...

Much of biology focuses on how genetic changes mediate new functions, but less attention is given to adaptations within the ancient molecular machines that execute the central dogma. Octopuses exhibit complex nervous systems and sophisticated behaviors that rival vertebrates but via an entirely divergent evolutionary history. Here, we serendipitously discovered that octopus ribosomes contain a structural break in the core ribosomal RNA that is unique among all animals. This break site enhances...

BackgroundSurgery is considered definitive management for acute uncomplicated appendicitis, with non-operative management an acceptable alternative, but its role in complicated appendicitis remains controversial. Despite guideline recommendations favoring surgery in complicated appendicitis, there remains a trend toward non-operative management due to concern for greater postoperative complications. We aimed to compare in-hospital outcomes with surgical intervention for uncomplicated and...

CONCLUSIONS: The ability of our FUS protocol to reduce Aβ burden and alter the eNOS distribution depends critically upon the age of the AD mice (more Aβ plaques for a comparable number of microglia for older mice relative to younger mice) and duration of the treatment. The observed decrease in extra-neuronal eNOS distribution in older AD mice caused by FUS raises the concern that our protocol may increase ischemia, while the increase in intra-neuronal eNOS may counteract that effect via...