Neurosurgery, “neurospine,” and neuroscience: a vital synergy?

2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-325
Author(s):  
Adrian Nowitzke

A fundamental dilemma that faces both neurosurgery in general and the subspecialty field of spine surgery is the question of whether those who trained in the former and now work in the latter should maintain their links with their origins and remain under the broader umbrella of neurosurgery, or whether they should develop their own organizational structure and identity separate from organized neurosurgery. This challenge raises many questions with respect to future potential for growth and development, professional identity, and collegiality. This paper is an edited version of an invited speech to the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves. It uses the concept of synergy to review relevant history and explore possible future options for neurosurgery, neurospine, and neuroscience. An example from medical politics is used to illustrate the importance of perspective in approaching these questions, and examples of current therapeutic cutting-edge endeavors highlight the need for team-based behavior that takes a broad view. The premise of the paper is that while individual and specialty aspirations need to be acknowledged, considered, and managed, the results from truly working together will be greater than the sum of the individual efforts—synergy.

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. A1-A109
Author(s):  
_ _

Abstracts of the 2018 AANS/CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves Annual Meeting


The functional properties of marine invertebrate larvae represent the sum of the physiological activities of the individual, the interdependence among cells making up the whole, and the correct positioning of cells within the larval body. This chapter examines physiological aspects of nutrient acquisition, digestion, assimilation, and distribution within invertebrate larvae from an organismic and comparative perspective. Growth and development of larvae obviously require the acquisition of “food.” Yet the mechanisms where particulate or dissolved organic materials are converted into biomass and promote development of larvae differ and are variably known among groups. Differences in the physiology of the digestive system (secreted enzymes, gut transit time, and assimilation) within and among feeding larvae suggest the possibility of an underappreciated plasticity of digestive physiology. How the ingestion of seawater by and the existence of a circulatory system within larvae contribute to larval growth and development represent important topics for future research.


2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 317-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven De Weerdt ◽  
René Bouwen ◽  
Felix Corthouts ◽  
Hilda Martens

Societal and organizational change requires people to change their professional identity continuously. Starting from two theoretical traditions that address identity and learning, the authors analysed the learning narratives of two sets of learners – participants in a two-year experiential learning programme and student interns, both in the domain of organizational behaviour. They then developed a model of transformational learning for two aspects of a learner's professional identity: (1) the change in concepts and images that relate to who we consider ourselves to be; and (2) the development of a healthy self-worth and self-confidence. This differentiation of transformational learning into two distinct and complementary processes constitutes the contribution of this research to the theoretical understanding of identity transformation. By means of the notion of ‘intercontextuality’, the authors also describe the process that integrates the individual sense-making perspective and the relational–participatory perspective on identity learning.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 703-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy D Farr ◽  
Susanne Wegener

Despite promising results in preclinical stroke research, translation of experimental data into clinical therapy has been difficult. One reason is the heterogeneity of the disease with outcomes ranging from complete recovery to continued decline. A successful treatment in one situation may be ineffective, or even harmful, in another. To overcome this, treatment must be tailored according to the individual based on identification of the risk of damage and estimation of potential recovery. Neuroimaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), could be the tool for a rapid comprehensive assessment in acute stroke with the potential to guide treatment decisions for a better clinical outcome. This review describes current MRI techniques used to characterize stroke in a preclinical research setting, as well as in the clinic. Furthermore, we will discuss current developments and the future potential of neuroimaging for stroke outcome prediction.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document