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P Reinacher

Publications and source records attributed to P Reinacher.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Combined motor and somatosensory evoked potentials for intraoperative monitoring: intra- and postoperative data in a series of 69 operations.

The primary objective of neurophysiologic monitoring during surgery is to avoid permanent neurological injury resulting from surgical manipulation. To prevent motor deficits, either somatosensory (SSEP) or transcranial motor evoked potentials (MEP) are applied. This prospective study was conducted to evaluate if the combined use of SSEP and MEP might be beneficial. Combined SSEP/MEP monitoring was attempted in 100 consecutive procedures, including intracranial and spinal operations. Repetitive transcranial electric motor cortex stimulation was used to elicit MEP from muscles of the upper and lower limb. Stimulation of the tibial and median nerves was performed to record SSEP. Critical SSEP/MEP changes were defined as decreases in amplitude of more than 50% or increases in latency of more than 10% of baseline values. The operation was paused or the surgical strategy was modified in every case of SSEP/MEP changes. Combined SSEP/MEP monitoring was possible in 69 out of 100 operations. In 49 of the 69 operations (71%), SSEP/ MEP were stable, and the patients remained neurologically intact. Critical SSEP/ MEP changes were seen in six operations. Critical MEP changes with stable SSEP occurred in 12 operations. Overall, critical MEP changes were recorded in 18 operations (26%). In 12 of the 18 operations, MEP recovered to some extent after modification of the surgical strategy, and the patients either showed no (n = 10) or only a transient motor deficit (n = 2). In the remaining six operations, MEP did not recover and the patients either had a transient (n = 3) or a permanent (n = 3) motor deficit. Critical SSEP changes with stable MEP were observed in two operations; both patients did not show a new motor deficit. Our data again confirm that MEP monitoring is superior to SSEP monitoring in detecting impending impairment of the functional integrity of cerebral and spinal cord motor pathways during surgery. Detection of MEP changes and adjustment of the surgical strategy might allow to prevent irreversible pyramidal tract damage. Stable SSEP/MEP recordings reassure the surgeon that motor function is still intact and surgery can be continued safely. The combined SSEP/ MEP monitoring becomes advantageous, if one modality is not recordable.

Adolescent↗

Magnetic versus manual guidewire manipulation in neuroradiology: in vitro results.

INTRODUCTION: Standard microguidewires used in interventional neuroradiology have a predefined shape of the tip that cannot be changed while the guidewire is in the vessel. We evaluated a novel magnetic navigation system (MNS) that generates a magnetic field to control the deflection of a microguidewire that can be used to reshape the guidewire tip in vivo without removing the wire from the body, thereby potentially facilitating navigation along tortuous paths or multiple acute curves. METHOD: The MNS consists of two permanent magnets positioned on either side of the fluoroscopy table that create a constant precisely controlled magnetic field in the defined region of interest. This field enables omnidirectional rotation of a 0.014-inch magnetic microguidewire (MG). Speed of navigation, accuracy in a tortuous vessel anatomy and the potential for navigating into in vitro aneurysms were tested by four investigators with differing experience in neurointervention and compared to navigation with a standard, manually controlled microguidewire (SG). RESULTS: Navigation using MG was faster (P=0.0056) and more accurate (0.2 mistakes per trial vs. 2.6 mistakes per trial) only in less-experienced investigators. There were no statistically significant differences between the MG and the SG in the hands of experienced investigators. One aneurysm with an acute angulation from the carrier vessel could be navigated only with the MG while the SG failed, even after multiple reshaping manoeuvres. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that magnetic navigation seems to be easier, more accurate and faster in the hands of less-experienced investigators. We consider that the features of the MNS may improve the efficacy and safety of challenging neurointerventional procedures.

Catheterization↗

Motor evoked potentials following highly frequent transcranial magnetoelectrical motor cortex stimulation: normal data and potential modulation by stimulation-dependent inhibitory and activating mechanisms.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the normal values (latency, amplitude) of motor evoked potentials (MEP) of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscle after high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex (rTCMS), and to evaluate stimulation-dependent MEP modulations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 29 healthy volunteers underwent rTCMS with 2 and 4 stimuli. The interstimulus interval (ISI) was 2, 3, and 4 ms respectively, which corresponded to frequencies between 250 and 500 stimuli/s. The evoked potentials of the relaxed and voluntarily contracted APB and TA were registered. RESULTS: Depending on the frequency and number of stimuli, the mean corticomuscular latency to the relaxed APB varied between 22.2 and 22.9 ms, and to the relaxed TA between 30.4 and 32.0 ms. The intra- and interindividual variability of the amplitudes was substantial. Voluntary contraction of the target muscle always led to a decrease in latency and increase in amplitude (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The high variability of the amplitudes does not allow the computation of meaningful normal values. The latencies after rTCMS are close to those of normal data after single TCMS, which indicates that in awake humans identical cortical and spinal structures are similarly activated. The discrete variations of latency and amplitude after changing the frequency and stimulus number suggest that inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms on the cortical and/or spinal level modulate the muscle response.

Adult↗

Clinical applications of 2-D dynamic contrast-enhanced MR subtraction angiography in neurosurgery -- preliminary results.

OBJECTIVES: Advances in MR hardware performance and imaging techniques have enabled us to perform sub-second frame rate contrast enhanced MR angiographies as a clinical routine, resulting in subtraction angiographies with temporal resolutions similar to those obtained by conventional DSA. In this manuscript, we describe the technique of 2-D dynamic contrast-enhanced MR subtraction angiography and its possible applications in neurosurgery. METHODS: A T (1)-weighted gradient-echo sequence with short TR and TE values was performed during the intravenous bolus application of MR contrast media. This sequence had a temporal resolution of up to 0.34 seconds per image and was performed in 28 patients harbouring arteriovenous malformations (n = 12), dural AV fistulas (n = 3), meningiomas (n = 8), glomus tympanicum or jugulare tumours (n = 3), and haemangioperizytomas (n = 2). Arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed in all patients and compared to the MRA sequences with respect to differentiation into early, late arterial and venous phases, detectability of normal vessels, detection of the pathology, feeding arteries, capillary blush, early draining veins, and hyper-vascularization. RESULTS: In all 28 investigated cases and all pathological entities separation of early and late arterial phases, capillary phases, early and late venous phases was possible. The proximal portions of the major cerebral arteries, the capillary blush and the venous anatomy including the tributaries to the large sinuses could be well defined and correlated well with the gold standard, i. e. DSA. CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic contrast enhanced MR angiography will prove helpful in 1) the follow-up of AVMs since early venous drainage can be visualised; 2) the demonstration of dural AVF, which can be recognised as an early filling of a dural sinus during the early arterial phase; and 3) the characterisation of the degree of vascularisation of brain tumours.

Adult↗

[Spinal cord compression by a cervical oseteocartilaginous exostosis: surgical strategy aspects].

AIM: The authors present the therapeutic management of a 12-year-old boy with known hereditary multiple exostosis syndrome (HME), who developed spinal cord compression symptoms caused by an exostosis of the C2 lamina. A perinatal brain lesion with tetraparesis delayed the recognition of the spinal cord compression substantially, which resulted in an extensive spur-like growth of the exostosis. METHOD: In comparison with already published cases, this growth pattern was rather unique and required consideration on the best surgical management. We decided to monitor the spinal cord function from positioning of the patient to skin closure and to modify the surgical steps of the laminectomy with initial lateral cutting of both hemilaminae. RESULTS: Electrophysiological monitoring helped to avoid spinal cord compression by inadequate head anteflexion during positioning. Lateral cutting of the hemilaminae C2 resulted in spontaneous extrusion of the exostosis with immediate improvement of the electrophysiological findings. The boy experienced a prompt improvement of his neurological deficits. CONCLUSION: The good surgical and clinical result confirm the value of the applied management concept.

Cervical Vertebrae↗