Neurosurgery Commons^™

Imaging In Acute Neurovascular Emergencies: Optimizing Outcomes In Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke, Chandu Goli, Rohit Patel, Elliott Beard, Anna Liles, Saeed Saleh, Aleeza Namit, Alissa Ongaco, Kevin Steed Ph.D.

Annual Research Symposium

Purpose:

Large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, and patient outcomes are strongly influenced by rapid identification and timely reperfusion. Advances in acute neurovascular imaging have transformed stroke care by enabling precise patient selection, extending treatment windows, and accelerating clinical workflows. The purpose of this project is to evaluate how modern neurovascular imaging strategies influence treatment selection, workflow efficiency, and clinical outcomes in patients with acute LVO stroke.

Methods:

A narrative review of peer-reviewed literature published within the past decade was conducted. The review focused on CT-based imaging (non-contrast CT, CT angiography, CT …

Spatiotemporal Histogenesis Of The Developing Human Cerebellum Reveals Dynamic Layering Of Bergmann Glia, Guanyi He, Simon Du, Henry Tan, Sri Yellampally, Anders W Erickson, Virginia Fernandez, Ferechte Encha-Razavi, Kimberley A Phillips, Christine Haberler, Nicole Amberg, Victor Borrell, Paul A Northcott, Michael D Taylor, Kathleen J Millen, Parthiv Haldipur

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Bergmann glia (BG) are a specialized glial population essential for cerebellar development, yet their developmental timeline and molecular identity in the human cerebellum remain poorly understood. Here, we combined detailed histopathological analysis with spatial transcriptomics and single-nucleus RNA sequencing to generate a developmental atlas of human cerebellar BG. Histology revealed that BG emerge around 11 post-conception weeks (PCW), initially serving as a scaffold for Purkinje cells (PCs) migrating into the PC layer of the cerebellar cortex. Following the establishment of a multilayered PC arrangement, BG form a distinct parallel layer separated from the PCs by the lamina dissecans (LD), with …

Author Correction: Intracranial Directed Connectivity Links Subregions Of The Prefrontal Cortex To Major Depression, John Myers, Jiayang Xiao, Raissa K Mathura, Ben Shofty, Victoria Gates, Joshua Adkinson, Anusha B Allawala, Adrish Anand, Ron Gadot, Ricardo Najera, Hernan G Rey, Sanjay J Mathew, Kelly Bijanki, Garrett Banks, Andrew Watrous, Eleonora Bartoli, Sarah R Heilbronner, Nicole Provenza, Wayne K Goodman, Nader Pouratian, Benjamin Y Hayden, Sameer A Sheth

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Safety Of Carotid Endarterectomy In The Elderly And Octogenarian Population: A Nationwide Study Including 80,000 Patients, Victor Gabriel El-Hajj, Joanna Roy, Basel Musmar, Wi Jin Kim, Michael Rizzuto, Nathaniel Ellens, Rabab Alshahrani, Victor Staartjes, Adrian Elmi-Terander, Ramachandra Tummala, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Michael Gooch, Robert Rosenwasswer, Ziad Khabbaz, Pascal Jabbour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is an established procedure for stroke prevention in patients with carotid artery stenosis. While CEA is considered safe in younger patients, perioperative risks in octogenarians remain debated, with current guidelines classifying the procedure as "high-risk" in this patient population. This study aimed to evaluate short-term outcomes of CEA across age groups and to assess whether comorbidity burden better predicts outcomes than chronological age.

METHODS: The ACS-NSQIP database (2013-2020), was used to identify patients eligible for inclusion. The cohort was stratified based on age <  60, 60-80, and > 80 years. Propensity score matching and multivariable logistic regression were used to compare …

Fractionated Radiotherapy Adjuvant To Surgery Of Who-2 Meningioma With And Without Gross Total Resection: A Multicenter, Retrospective Cohort Study Of 1,452 Patients, Christian Mirian, Lasse Rehné Jensen, Adam Gorm Hoffmann, Tareq A Juratli, Andrea Daniela Maier, Pernilla Lindner, Anders Broechner, Sverre H Torp, Helen A Shih, Ramin A Morshed, Jacob S Young, Stephen T Magill, Walter Stummer, Dorothee Cäcilia Spille, Benjamin Brokinkel, Martin Proescholdt, Yasuhiro Kuroi, Konstantinos Gousias, Matthias Simon, Ricardo Prat-Acin, Stéphane Goutagny, Johannes Wach, Erdem Güresir, Junkoh Yamamoto, Young Zoon Kim, Joo Ho Lee, Daniel W Kim, Matthew Koshy, Donald M Cannon, Dennis C Shrieve, Chang-Ok Suh, Jong Hee Chang, Maria Kamenova, Sven Straumann, Jehuda Soleman, Ilker Y Eyüpoglu, Tony Catalan, Austin Lui, Philip V Theodosopoulos, Michael W Mcdermott, Pedro Góes, Fang Wang, Luis Souhami, Marie-Christine Guiot, Tamás Csonka, Toshiki Endo, Tejpal Gupta, Akash J Patel, Tiemo J Klisch, Jun Won Kim, Francesco Maiuri, Valeria Barresi, María Dolores Tabernero, Simon Skyrman, Mechthild Krause, Ian Law, Bjarne Winther Kristensen, Tina Nørgaard Munch, Torstein Meling, Kåre Fugleholm, Paul Blanche, Tiit Mathiesen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose

The role of adjuvant fractionated radiotherapy (aFRT) after gross total resection (GTR) of WHO-2 meningiomas remains unclear. We aimed to estimate the effect of aFRT on recurrence risk and survival following GTR and subtotal resection (STR).

Methods

We analyzed 1452 patients with WHO-2 from our international, multicenter database (followed between 1989 and 2019). Outcomes were recurrence (10-year follow-up) and death (5-year follow-up). Risk estimates were obtained using competing risks and survival analysis. Average treatment effects were estimated by G-computation, adjusted for potential confounding by age, sex, Simpson grade, Ki-67 proliferation index, location, country group (universal healthcare or not), …

Interrelationship Between Body Mass Index, Venous Sinus Pressures, Craniospinal Elastance, And Intracranial Pressure In Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, Rachel Wang, Ba, Bs, Scott W. Keith, Phd, Pascal M. Jabbour, Md, Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris, Md, Michael J. Marmura, Md, Michael R. Gooch, Md, Hsiangkuo Yuan, Md, Phd

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: To investigate the interrelationship between body mass index (BMI), venous sinus pressure (VSP), and craniospinal elastance in determining lumbar puncture opening pressure (LP OP) in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).

Methods: A single-center retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients who received venous manometry (8/2021-11/2025) followed by LP within 7 days before stenting. VSPs were measured at standardized locations, including the torcula (TP) and sigmoid/jugular (SIJ) sinuses. Elastance was calculated as (OP – closing pressure)/volume of CSF removed. Statistical analysis (JASP 0.19.3) was performed using generalized linear model (Gaussian identity; scaled center) to assess relationships between LP OP, BMI, …

Rethinking The Centrality Of Brain Areas In Understanding Functional Organization, Benjamin Yost Hayden, Sarah R Heilbronner, Seng Bum Michael Yoo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Parcellation of the cerebral cortex into functionally modular brain areas is foundational to cognitive and systems neuroscience. Here, we question the central status of brain areas from the perspectives of neuroanatomy and electrophysiology. We argue that the major ostensible determinants of brain function, such as cytoarchitecture and connectivity, seldom produce convergent parcellations. Brain areas themselves are just one of several equally important organizing principles; others include macroscale gradients, distributed networks, layers, columns and patches. We further argue that the evidence for a close correspondence between areal parcellation and cognitive function is weaker than is generally supposed. Indeed, many important cognitive …

Deep Brain Stimulation Response Circuits In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Andreas Horn, Ningfei Li, Garance M Meyer, Ron Gadot, Nicole R Provenza, Sameer A Sheth

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In the field of deep brain stimulation (DBS), two major themes are currently making significant progress. First, the framework of connectomic DBS, in which circuits that are associated with improvements of specific symptoms are described and targeted to improve and potentially personalize treatment. Second, the concept of brain sensing and adaptive DBS, which aims at identifying neural biomarkers that may guide stimulation in a closed-loop fashion.

In DBS for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), substantial progress has been made on both ends, over the last five years. Together, results begin to draw a picture of exactly which circuit is …

Integrated Transcriptomic Landscape Of Medulloblastoma And Ependymoma Reveals Novel Tumor Subtype-Specific Biology, Sonali Arora, Nicholas Nuechterlein, Matt Jensen, Gregory Glatzer, Philipp Sievers, Srinidhi Varadharajan, Andrey Korshunov, Felix Sahm, Stephen C Mack, Michael D Taylor, Taranjit S Gujral, Eric C Holland

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Medulloblastoma and ependymoma are common pediatric central nervous system tumors with significant molecular and clinical heterogeneity. While molecular subgrouping has enabled classification into molecular subtypes, the extent of heterogeneity within these subgroups remains poorly defined.

Methods: We collected bulk RNA sequencing data from 888 medulloblastoma and 370 ependymoma tumors to establish a comprehensive reference landscape. After rigorous batch effect correction, normalization, and dimensionality reduction, we generated a unified landscape to explore gene expression, signaling pathways, RNA fusions, and copy number variations.

Results: Our transcriptional analysis revealed distinct clustering patterns, including two primary ependymoma compartments, EPN-E1 and EPN-E2, each with …

Can Tanzanian Neurosurgeons Access Tanzanian Neurosurgical Literature? A Systematic Review And Survey Of Neurosurgical Publications, Romani R. Sabas, Julie Woodfield, Chibuikem Anthony Ikwuegbuenyi, Magalie Cadieux, Consolata Shayo, Zarina Shabhay, Happiness Rabiel, Beverly Cheserem, Joel Bwemelo, Drew N. Wright

General Surgery, East Africa

Background and Objectives: Free and open access to research data and findings promotes equity in access to healthcare knowledge and equity in patient care and treatment. To benefit the health care of the population studied, research findings must be accessible to clinicians, academics, and policymakers serving those populations. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of published Tanzanian neurosurgical data and its accessibility to those practicing within the country.

Methods: A systematic review of all published neurosurgical studies from Tanzania was conducted. Authorship, funding, and open-access status were recorded. Tanzanian neurosurgeons were surveyed by telephone or in …

What Needs To Be Standardized For Reliable, Reproducible, And Robust Tractography?, Jon Haitz Legarreta, Simona Schiavi, Wei Tang, Garrett Banks, Matthew Cieslak, Kurt Schilling, Alberto De Luca, Jacques-Donald Tournier, John Kruper, Francois Rheault, Stamatios N Sotiropoulos, Franco Pestilli, Jelle Veraart, Joseph Yuan-Mou Yang, Maxime Descoteaux, Sarah Heilbronner, Ariel Rokem

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Tractography is a key component of efforts to map brain connectivity. As a rapidly evolving field of neuroscience, current tractography methods are diverse, often varying across research laboratories and different software pipelines. Therefore, it suffers from a lack of standardization, leading to inconsistencies in results, which can limit reproducibility and affect the robustness needed for research and clinical applications of these methods. Variability in data acquisition procedures, inconsistencies in spatial referencing schemes and implementations, and anatomical heterogeneity-at the individual level, across the lifespan, and across species-hinder comparative analyses. Additionally, the lack of consensus on best practices complicates the development of …

Teriparatide Use In Osteopenic Patients Undergoing Single-Level Lumbar Fusion Associated With Decreased 2-Year Revision Rates, Mitchell K. Ng, Ariel N. Rodriguez, Abigail Razi, Ahmed K. Emara, Brian T. Ford, Ameer Tabbaa, Divya Gouni, Jacquelyn J. Xu, Paul G. Mastrokostas, Jad Bou Monsef, Afshin E. Razi

Rothman Institute Papers

Context:  Low bone density is common among lumbar fusion patients and increases the risks of pseudarthrosis, hardware failure, and revision. Teriparatide improves bone mass and fusion in osteoporosis, but its benefit in osteopenia or normal bone remains uncertain.

Aims:  To evaluate the association between teriparatide exposure and (1) postoperative complications, (2) 90-day readmission, and (3) 2-year reoperation, stratified by bone health status (osteoporotic, osteopenic, and normal) in patients undergoing single-level lumbar fusion.

Setting and Design:  A retrospective cohort study using the PearlDiver database from 2010 to 2021 identified patients undergoing single-level lumbar fusion.

Subjects and Methods:  Patients on teriparatide were …

Safety And Effectiveness Of Bolt-Mounted Versus Tunnelled External Ventricular Drains: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis And Trial-Sequential Analysis, Shaan Patel, Shiva A. Nischal, Ayush Sinha, Kush Kale, Pious D. Patel, Jack Jallo, Srinivas K. Prasad

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: External ventricular drains (EVDs) are fundamental to neurocritical care, yet substantial procedural heterogeneity persists, particularly regarding bolt-mounted versus tunnelled catheter fixation. The relative safety and effectiveness of these approaches remain unclear, with conflicting data from observational studies and a lack of trial-level evidence.

OBJECTIVE: To compare bolt-mounted and tunnelled EVDs across accuracy, reoperation, and key safety outcomes using systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial-sequential analysis.

METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched (November 2025) for randomised or observational studies comparing bolt-mounted with tunnelled EVDs in adults. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk …

Does Adding An Interbody Cage In L4–L5 Posterolateral Fusion For Degenerative Spondylolisthesis And Stenosis Improve Clinical Outcome?, Enrico Aimar, Lucrezia Di Stefano, Federico Longhitano, Alberto Bona, Marco Meloni, Tommaso Alfiero, Federica Valente, Roberta Bonomo, Giulio Bonomo, Flavio Tancioni, Guglielmo Iess

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: As the population ages, L4-L5 degenerative spondylolisthesis is increasingly common. Posterolateral fusion was long standard; interbody cages are widely used for perceived higher fusion rates.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Does adding an interbody cage to posterolateral fusion improve outcomes or reduce complications in elderly patients with grade I spondylolisthesis and severe stenosis?

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 319 adults aged 60-85 who underwent single-level L4-L5 fusion (2011-2018) after failed conservative care. Patients received posterior lumbar fusion (PLIF, n = 155) or posterolateral lumbar fusion (PLF, n = 164). Primary outcomes were Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) change and complications over a …

Turnover Time In Neuroangiography Suites: Comparison Between Cases Performed At An Ambulatory Neurosurgery Center Versus A Tertiary Hospital, Pui Man Rosalind Lai, Vinay Jaikumar, Erika L. Leasher, Varun Sridhar, Gustavo M. Cortez, Aimee C. Degaetano, Elad I. Levy

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Background:

Efficient turnover time (TOT) and adherence to first-start time (FST) in operating and angiography suites are critical for optimizing workflow, reducing costs, and maximizing patient satisfaction. Hospitals face challenges in maintaining these metrics due to operational constraints and unexpected emergent cases. Our goal was to compare TOT, FST, and total admission time for elective cases performed in angiography suites at an ambulatory neurosurgery center (ANSC) versus a tertiary hospital (TH).

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective analysis of data for patients who underwent elective diagnostic or interventional neuroendovascular procedures at the TH or ANSC from January 2024 through October 2024. …

Autologous Peripheral Nerve Tissue Grafts Implanted Into The Nucleus Basalis Of Meynert And Substantia Nigra At The Time Of Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation In Parkinson Disease: A Report Of 2 Cases, Samuel R. Daly, Jorge E. Quintero, Lisa M. Koehl, Elizabeth Roslyn Wallace, Zain Guduru, Julie A. Gurwell, Tripp Hines, Jaimie Hixson, Saad Hulou, John T. Slevin, Frederick A. Schmitt, Greg A. Gerhardt, Craig G. Van Horne

Neurosurgery Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Cholinergic degeneration in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) is implicated in the cognitive impairment seen in Parkinson disease (PD) and is being examined as a potential therapeutic target. We have previously shown the safety of delivering investigational autologous cell-based therapy, ie, peripheral nerve tissue (PNT), to the substantia nigra (SN) at the time of deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in PD (DBS-Plus). In this study, we assessed the safety and feasibility of simultaneously delivering that PNT to both the NBM and SN at the time of DBS.

Methods: Two patients with idiopathic PD and mild cognitive …

Advancing Cns Tumor Management: Novel Modalities In Surgery, Radiation, And Chemotherapy, Armin David Tavakkoli

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Most tumors affecting the brain and spine are managed through a combination of surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy; however, operative morbidity from invasive surgery, the narrow therapeutic window of conventional radiotherapy, and poor blood-brain barrier penetration of systemic agents are critical barriers that hinder long term tumor control. This thesis presents three complementary strategies to advance brain and spine tumor therapy. First, we investigate laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) in the treatment of spinal tumors with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression, replacing “separation surgery” with a minimally invasive, image-guided approach that maximizes tumor ablation while preserving neurologic function. Second, we …

Association Between Perioperative Patient-Reported Outcomes And Upper Extremity Functional Performance In Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, Harshit Arora, Hassan Darabi, Vishwajeet Singh, Aysha Alsahlawi, Jared T. Wilcox, Francis Farhadi

Neurosurgery Faculty Publications

Background: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is caused by chronic compression of the cervical spinal cord. Individuals usually present with a combination of upper extremity dysfunction, imbalance, and bladder dysfunction, which impact overall quality of life. Various questionnaires like mJOA, Nurick, NDI, and DCM-72 have been used for disease stratification. Our study aims to evaluate the clinical correlation between self-reported measures and objective upper extremity assessments and to derive the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for individuals with DCM.

Methods: A prospective two-center study of consecutive patients diagnosed with DCM was undertaken. A comprehensive assessment of upper extremity functioning including dexterity, …

A Narrative Review Of Bertolotti's Syndrome: Etiology, Classification, Diagnosis, And Treatment, Matyas Abel Tsegaye, Andrea Muffly

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Bertolotti's syndrome is a congenital condition characterized by chronic low back pain stemming from a lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV). Because the condition is frequently overlooked, patients often face years of delayed diagnosis before the true source of their pain is identified. Furthermore, current information regarding the biological origins and clinical management of the condition remain scattered. To address this knowledge gap, this narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Bertolotti’s syndrome by consolidating these disparate sources and suggesting new connections. We synthesize the latest understanding of this condition, ranging from its genetic origins to modern clinical management. We …

Astrocytic Sox9 Overexpression In Alzheimer’S Disease Mouse Models Promotes Aβ Plaque Phagocytosis And Preserves Cognitive Function, Dong-Joo Choi, Sanjana Murali, Wookbong Kwon, Junsung Woo, Eun-Ah Christine Song, Yeunjung Ko, Debosmita Sardar, Brittney Lozzi, Yi-Ting Cheng, Michael R Williamson, Teng-Wei Huang, Kaitlyn Sanchez, Joanna Jankowsky, Benjamin Deneen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Astrocytes play essential roles in the brain, and their dysfunction is associated with nearly every form of neurological disease. Despite their ubiquity, knowledge of how astrocytes contribute to disease pathogenesis is incomplete; accordingly, harnessing their biology toward therapeutics remains a major challenge. Here we show that the transcription factor Sox9 plays a context-specific role in maintaining astrocyte function and circuit activity in the aging hippocampus and Alzheimer's disease (AD) models. We found that Sox9 overexpression in astrocytes in AD models clears existing amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and preserves cognitive function. Mechanistically, Sox9 promotes the phagocytosis of Aβ plaques by astrocytes …