Catecholamine neurotransmitters, psychoactive drugs, and biological clocks

1981 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 669-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julius Axelrod
Keyword(s):  
Nobel Laureate ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Psychoactive Drugs ◽  
Biological Clocks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chemical Agents ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Experimental History ◽  
Fine Print

✓ In his Cushing oration, the 1970 Nobel Laureate reviews the experimental history of the vital role which chemical agents play in the transmission of nerve impulses and the important functions of the brain. He reveals the intriguing steps in his own early involvement in the field of neurotransmitters. A beacon for neuroscientists of the future is his unique talent for not only looking, but seeing potentially significant clues.

Production of experimental brain abscess in the rat

1979 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 685-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Richard Winn ◽  
Michael Mendes ◽  
Paul Moore ◽  
Clarabelle Wheeler ◽  
George Rodeheaver
Keyword(s):  
Brain Abscess ◽  
Clinical Situation ◽  
Small Animals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
Slow Infusion ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Number Of Bacteria ◽  
Experimental Brain Abscess ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Experimental evaluation of brain abscess has been inhibited by the lack of a simple and reproducible model in small animals. A stereotaxic headholder and slow infusion of 1 µl of saline, containing a known number of bacteria, were used to produce brain abscess consistently in the rat. The natural history of the brain abscess produced by this technique closely simulated that found in the human clinical situation.

William Macewen and the treatment of brain abscesses: revisited after one hundred years

1996 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dee J. Canale
Keyword(s):  
Brain Abscess ◽  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Brain Diseases ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Harvey Cushing ◽  
Relevant Today ◽  
Clinical Observations ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The year 1993 marked the centennial of the publication of Sir William Macewen's monograph, Pyogenic Infective Diseases of the Brain and Spinal Cord, and its accompanying volume, Atlas of Head Sections. As Harvey Cushing noted, the text on pyogenic diseases of the brain was a landmark in surgery of the nervous system. At the time of its publication, Macewen's work was the most comprehensive study of pyogenic brain diseases. In this paper the author reviews the state of knowledge of brain abscess existing in the 19th and 20th centuries, with particular emphasis on the late 19th century, and elucidates factors contributing to Macewen's remarkable success. His thorough knowledge of the natural history of pyogenic diseases of the temporal bone and nasal sinuses, in addition to his clear description of cranial anatomy, as illustrated in his Atlas of Head Sections, were especially important in developing his successful treatment of brain abscess. The x-ray had not yet been discovered; Macewen's diagnosis was based on clinical findings superbly illustrated by his three clinical stages of brain abscess development. His clinical observations are as relevant today as when he described them 100 years ago. Macewen recorded 25 cases of brain abscess. Nineteen of these patients came to his attention in time to undergo surgery, resulting in 18 recoveries. All five of his patients with extradural abscess recovered. These results were achieved in the era known as “the most glorious period in British surgery.” Neurosurgery was in its infancy; nevertheless, even as the 20th century closes, Macewen's results still have not been surpassed.

The intriguing encounters of Pavlov and Cushing

2004 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 568-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiarash Shahlaie ◽  
Joseph C. Watson ◽  
Daniel R. Benson
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Era ◽  
History Of Neuroscience ◽  
The Us ◽  
History Of ◽  
Journal Entries ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Ivan Petrovich Pavlov and Harvey William Cushing were two of the most prominent neuroscientists of the early 20th century. Their contributions helped advance the understanding of the brain and its disorders, and propelled neuroscience into a new era of research and treatment. Although separated geographically and culturally, Pavlov and Cushing exchanged letters and followed one another's careers from afar. They met only a few times, during international scientific gatherings in the US and abroad. These encounters were captured in journal entries, letters, and photographs, and provide a glimpse into the lives of these two great men and the history of neuroscience at the turn of the last century.

The treatment of penetrating wounds of the brain sustained in warfare

1974 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Stephen Gurdjian
Keyword(s):  
Head Injuries ◽  
Penetrating Wounds ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The author reviews the history of the management of head injuries with particular emphasis on penetrating wounds from antiquity to modern times. He traces the influence of gunpowder weaponry and early instrumentation on the development of treatments.

The natural history of symptomatic arteriovenous malformations of the brain: a 24-year follow-up assessment

1990 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen L. Ondra ◽  
Henry Troupp ◽  
Eugene D. George ◽  
Karen Schwab
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Arteriovenous Malformations ◽  
Original Population ◽  
Major Morbidity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors have updated a series of 166 prospectively followed unoperated symptomatic patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVM's) of the brain. Follow-up data were obtained for 160 (96%) of the original population, with a mean follow-up period of 23.7 years. The rate of major rebleeding was 4.0% per year, and the mortality rate was 1.0% per year. At follow-up review, 23% of the series were dead from AVM hemorrhage. The combined rate of major morbidity and mortality was 2.7% per year. These annual rates remained essentially constant over the entire period of the study. There was no difference in the incidence of rebleeding or death regardless of presentation with or without evidence of hemorrhage. The mean interval between initial presentation and subsequent hemorrhage was 7.7 years.

Radiosurgery for patients with recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastatic to the brain: outcomes and prognostic factors

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (Special_Supplement) ◽  
pp. 247-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Sheehan ◽  
Douglas Kondziolka ◽  
John Flickinger ◽  
L. Dade Lunsford
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
Small Cell Lung ◽  
Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Lung carcinoma is the leading cause of death from cancer. More than 50% of those with small cell lung cancer develop a brain metastasis. Corticosteroid agents, radiotherapy, and resection have been the mainstays of treatment. Nonetheless, median survival for patients with small cell lung carcinoma metastasis is approximately 4 to 5 months after cranial irradiation. In this study the authors examine the efficacy of gamma knife surgery for treating recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastases to the brain following tumor growth in patients who have previously undergone radiation therapy, and they evaluate factors affecting survival. Methods. A retrospective review of 27 patients (47 recurrent small cell lung cancer brain metastases) undergoing radiosurgery was performed. Clinical and radiographic data obtained during a 14-year treatment period were collected. Multivariate analysis was utilized to determine significant prognostic factors influencing survival. The overall median survival was 18 months after the diagnosis of brain metastases. In multivariate analysis, factors significantly affecting survival included: 1) tumor volume (p = 0.0042); 2) preoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale score (p = 0.0035); and 3) time between initial lung cancer diagnosis and development of brain metastasis (p = 0.0127). Postradiosurgical imaging of the brain metastases revealed that 62% decreased, 19% remained stable, and 19% eventually increased in size. One patient later underwent a craniotomy and tumor resection for a tumor refractory to radiosurgery and radiation therapy. In three patients new brain metastases were demonstrating on follow-up imaging. Conclusions. Stereotactic radiosurgery for recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastases provided effective local tumor control in the majority of patients. Early detection of brain metastases, aggressive treatment of systemic disease, and a therapeutic strategy including radiosurgery can extend survival.

Relief of facial pain after combined removal of precentral and postcentral cortex

1971 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Lende ◽  
Wolff M. Kirsch ◽  
Ralph Druckman
Keyword(s):  
Facial Pain ◽  
The Other ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Nerve Section ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Burning Pain ◽  
Cortical Localization ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print ◽  
Frontal Lobotomy

✓ Cortical removals which included precentral and postcentral facial representations resulted in relief of facial pain in two patients. Because of known failures following only postcentral (SmI) ablations, these operations were designed to eliminate also the cutaneous afferent projection to the precentral gyrus (MsI) and the second somatic sensory area (SmII). In one case burning pain developed after a stroke involving the brain stem and was not improved by total fifth nerve section; prompt relief followed corticectomy and lasted until death from heart disease 20 months later. In the other case persistent steady pain that developed after fifth rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia proved refractory to frontal lobotomy; relief after corticectomy was immediate and has lasted 14 months. Cortical localization was established by stimulation under local anesthesia. Each removal extended up to the border of the arm representation and down to the upper border of the insula. Such a resection necessarily included SmII, and in one case responses presumably from SmII were obtained before removal. The suggestions of Biemond (1956) and Poggio and Mountcastle (1960) that SmII might be concerned with pain sensibility may be pertinent in these cases.

Thymidine kinase-mediated killing of rat brain tumors

1993 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 729-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Barba ◽  
Joseph Hardin ◽  
Jasodhara Ray ◽  
Fred H. Gage
Keyword(s):  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Brain Tumors ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Cns Disorders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Ganciclovir Treatment ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Gene therapy has many potential applications in central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including the selective killing of tumor cells in the brain. A rat brain tumor model was used to test the herpes simplex virus (HSV)-thymidine kinase (TK) gene for its ability to selectively kill C6 and 9L tumor cells in the brain following systemic administration of the nucleoside analog ganciclovir. The HSV-TK gene was introduced in vitro into tumor cells (C6-TK and 9L-TK), then these modified tumor cells were evaluated for their sensitivity to cell killing by ganciclovir. In a dose-response assay, both C6-TK and 9L-TK cells were 100 times more sensitive to killing by ganciclovir (median lethal dose: C6-TK, 0.1 µg ganciclovir/ml; C6, 5.0 µg ganciclovir/ml) than unmodified wild-type tumor cells or cultured fibroblasts. In vivo studies confirmed the ability of intraperitoneal ganciclovir administration to kill established brain tumors in rats as quantified by both stereological assessment of brain tumor volumes and studies of animal survival over 90 days. Rats with brain tumors established by intracerebral injection of wild-type or HSV-TK modified tumor cells or by a combination of wild-type and HSV-TK-modified cells were studied with and without ganciclovir treatments. Stereological methods determined that ganciclovir treatment eliminated tumors composed of HSV-TK-modified cells while control tumors grew as expected (p < 0.001). In survival studies, all 10 rats with 9L-TK tumors treated with ganciclovir survived 90 days while all untreated rats died within 25 days. Curiously, tumors composed of combinations of 9L and 9L-TK cells could be eliminated by ganciclovir treatments even when only one-half of the tumor cells carried the HSV-TK gene. While not completely understood, this additional tumor cell killing appears to be both tumor selective and local in nature. It is concluded that HSV-TK gene therapy with ganciclovir treatment does selectively kill tumor cells in the brain and has many potential applications in CNS disorders, including the treatment of cancer.

Arteriovenous malformations in the posterior fossa

1977 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Matsumura ◽  
Yasumasa Makita ◽  
Kuniyuki Someda ◽  
Akinori Kondo
Keyword(s):  
Arteriovenous Malformation ◽  
Brain Stem ◽  
Posterior Fossa ◽  
Arteriovenous Malformations ◽  
Cerebellopontine Angle ◽  
Anterior Part ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

✓ We have operated on 12 of 14 cases of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the posterior fossa since 1968, with one death. The lesions were in the cerebellum in 10 cases (three anteromedial, one central, three lateral, and three posteromedial), and in the cerebellopontine angle in two; in two cases the lesions were directly related to the brain stem. The AVM's in the anterior part of the cerebellum were operated on through a transtentorial occipital approach.

Craniopharyngioma arising de novo in middle age

1997 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 1046-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc S. Arginteanu ◽  
Karin Hague ◽  
Robert Zimmerman ◽  
Mark J. Kupersmith ◽  
John H. Shaiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Image ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Benign Tumors ◽  
Fetal Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Steady Growth ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sixth Decade ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors report the case of a 55-year-old woman who developed a symptomatic craniopharyngioma within 2 years of obtaining a normal magnetic resonance image of her brain. Craniopharyngiomas are histologically benign tumors. They are thought to arise from embryonic remnants of Rathke's pouch and sac and to manifest themselves clinically after a steady growth that commences in fetal life. To the authors' knowlege, this is the first report that documents a tumor arising de novo in the sixth decade of life. This report appears to challenge the concept of the origin and natural history of craniopharyngiomas.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document