1 years). General anesthesia was induced in all cases before placement of a magnetic resonance imaging-compatible stereotactic frame. Electrode implantation was done under radioscopic control via a rigid immobile cannula using a single cerebral perforation. No perioperative microelectrode recording or neurostimulation testing was used. Systematic postoperative magnetic resonance Dinaciclib order imaging was performed before frame removal.
RESULTS: A total of 478 electrodes were implanted in 220 procedures: 426 for dystonic-dyskinetic syndromes and 52 for Parkinson disease. The mean number of parenchymal penetrations
per patient was 2.5 for the dystonic-dyskinetic syndrome group and 2.08 for the Parkinson disease group. Postimplantation magnetic resonance imaging detected no perioperative intraparenchymal hemorrhages.
CONCLUSION: We consider that the risk of hemorrhagic complication
is multifactorial but closely related to the chosen technique.”
“OBJECTIVE: Deep brain stimulation has been used in the treatment of refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Our principal objective was to determine the safety and effectiveness of deep brain stimulation of the inferior thalamic peduncle in the treatment of refractory OCD.
METHODS: Selleck Dorsomorphin An open protocol was performed from March 2003 to April 2007 in 5 patients with OCD refractory to conventional treatments. Bilateral stereotactic implantation of tetrapolar electrodes was aimed at the inferior thalamic peduncle and corroborated by electrophysiological responses and magnetic resonance imaging. All patients were off stimulation for 1 month after implantation. In the Sitaxentan on-stimulation period, parameters were set at 5 V, 450 microseconds, 130 Hz in bipolar and continuous mode. Clinical changes were evaluated every 3 months for 12 months by means of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and the Global Assessment of Functioning scale. Statistical significance
was assessed by the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests.
RESULTS: The mean Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score decreased from 35 to 17.8 (P < 0.001), and the mean Global Assessment of Functioning scale score improved from 20% to 70% (P < 0.0001). The neuropsychological battery did riot show significant changes, and there were no side effects related to electrical stimulation in the chronic period.
CONCLUSION: We conclude that inferior thalamic peduncle stimulation is a safe procedure and may be an effective alternative in the treatment of those OCD cases refractory to conventional treatments.”
“The present study aimed to construct a 1.5X hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication system in vitro that could generate high level of HBV viruses. This system would help compare the replication capacity among the virus strains associated with high and low risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Four strains of HBV were isolated from two HCC patients and two HBV carriers.