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Objective: Perioperative Large Vessel Occlusions (LVOs) occurring during and following surgery are of immense clinical importance. As such, we aim to present risk factors and test if the Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) mortality and stroke risk scores can be used to assess operative risk., Methods: Using data containing 7 index cardiac operations at a single tertiary referral center from 2010 to 2022, logistic and multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify factors that correlate to higher operative LVO and stroke rate. Odds ratios and confidence intervals were also obtained to test if the STS-Predicted Risk of Mortality (PROM) and -Predicted Risk of Stroke (PROS) scores were positively correlated to operative LVO and stroke rate., Results: Multivariate modeling showed primary risk factors for an operative LVO were diabetes (OR: 1.727 [95 % CI: 1.060-2.815]), intracranial or extracranial carotid stenosis (OR: 3.661 [95 % CI: 2.126-6.305]), and heart failure as defined by NYHA class (Class 4, OR: 3.951 [95 % CI: 2.092-7.461]; compared to Class 1). As the STS-PROM increased, the relative rate of LVO occurrence increased (very high risk, OR: 6.576 [95 % CI: 2.92-14.812], high risk, OR: 2.667 [1.125-6.322], medium risk, OR: 2.858 [1.594-5.125]; all compared to low risk). STS-PROS quartiles showed a similar relation with LVO risk (quartile 4, OR: 7.768 [95 % CI: 2.740-22.027], quartile 3, OR: 5.249 [1.800-15.306], quartile 2, OR:2.980 [0.960-9.248]; all compared to quartile 1)., Conclusions: Patients with diabetes, carotid disease and heart failure are at high risk for operative LVO. Both STS-PROM and -PROS can be useful metrics for preoperative measuring of LVO risks., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest IBS reports research and grant support from Abbott, Artivion, Atricure, Medtronic, Edwards Lifesciences and Terumo Aortic. RGN reports consulting fees for advisory roles with Anaconda, Biogen, Cerenovus, Genentech, Philips, Hybernia, Imperative Care, Medtronic, Phenox, Philips, Prolong Pharmaceuticals, Stryker Neurovascular, Shanghai Wallaby, Synchron, and stock options for advisory roles with Astrocyte, Brainomix, Cerebrotech, Ceretrieve, Corindus Vascular Robotics, Vesalio, Viz-AI, RapidPulse and Perfuze. RGN is one of the Principal Investigators of the “Endovascular Therapy for Low NIHSS Ischemic Strokes (ENDOLOW)” trial. RGN is the Principal Investigator of the “Combined Thrombectomy for Distal MediUm Vessel Occlusion StroKe (DUSK)” trial. RGN is an investor in Viz-AI, Perfuze, Cerebrotech, Reist/Q'Apel Medical, Truvic, Vastrax, and Viseon., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of electroencephalography (EEG) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) as modalities of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) in predicting postoperative delirium (POD) in patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) surgery., Methods: A total cohort of 425 patients was included in this study. Medical record data were reviewed retrospectively and their documented significant IONM data were analyzed and integrated into the study for each patient. The study cohort was assessed for POD with the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC), and a score of >4 was positive for delirium., Results: Of the 425 patients who underwent CEA for carotid stenosis, 65 (15.29%) had documented significant IONM changes. Of those 65 patients with significant changes, 16 (24.61%) had POD. On the other hand, of the 360 patients without changes, 31 (8.61%) had POD. Utilizing logistic regression while adjusting for possible confounders, IONM changes were still significantly associated with POD (p value: <0.001; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.91-7.98; adjusted odds ratio (ORadj): 3.94). Specifically, SSEP changes alone were significantly associated with POD (p value: <0.001; 95% CI: 2.36-11.08; ORadj: 5.15)., Conclusion: Significant IONM changes increase the risk of developing POD in patients undergoing CEA. Despite the low overall risk of POD after CEA in our study, it is imperative to conclude that patients with POD are twice as likely to exhibit IONM changes., (© 2024 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: To determine the utility of electroencephalography (EEG) in predicting postoperative delirium (POD) in patients who underwent cardiovascular surgeries with EEG monitoring., Methods: A total of 1161 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgeries with EEG monitoring were included in the study, and their data were retrospectively reviewed. POD assessment was done utilizing Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC). Patients with a score of > 4 on ICDSC were diagnosed with POD., Results: Of 1161 patients, 131 patients had EEG changes and 56 (42.74%) of 131 patients experienced POD. Of 1030 patients without EEG changes, 219 (21.26%) experienced POD. EEG showed specificity of 91.5% and negative predictive value of 78.7% in detecting POD. On multivariable analysis, EEG changes showed a strong association with POD (OR adj 1.97 CI (1.30-2.99), p = 0.001) with persistent EEG changes showing even a higher risk of developing POD (OR adj 2.65 (1.43-4.92), p = 0.002)., Conclusion: EEG change has specificity of 91.5% emphasizing the need for its implementation as a diagnostic tool for predicting POD. Patients with POD are two times more likely to experience significant EEG changes, especially persistent EEG changes when undergoing cardiovascular surgeries., Significance: Intraoperative EEG can detect POD, and EEG changes based therapeutic interventions can mitigate POD., (Copyright © 2024 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis., Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether transcranial motor evoked potential (TcMEP) alarms can predict postoperative neurologic complications in patients undergoing cervical spine decompression surgery., Methods: A meta-analysis of the literature was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase to retrieve published reports on intraoperative TcMEP monitoring for patients undergoing cervical spine decompression surgery. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), of overall, reversible, and irreversible TcMEP changes for predicting postoperative neurological deficit were calculated. A subgroup analysis was performed to compare anterior vs posterior approaches., Results: Nineteen studies consisting of 4608 patients were analyzed. The overall incidence of postoperative neurological deficits was 2.58% (119/4608). Overall TcMEP changes had a sensitivity of 56%, specificity of 94%, and DOR of 19.26 for predicting deficit. Reversible and irreversible changes had sensitivities of 16% and 49%, specificities of 95% and 98%, and DORs of 3.54 and 71.74, respectively. In anterior procedures, TcMEP changes had a DOR of 17.57, sensitivity of 49%, and specificity of 94%. In posterior procedures, TcMEP changes had a DOR of 21.01, sensitivity of 55%, and specificity of 94%., Conclusion: TcMEP monitoring has high specificity but low sensitivity for predicting postoperative neurological deficit in cervical spine decompression surgery. Patients with new postoperative neurological deficits were 19 times more likely to have experienced intraoperative TcMEP changes than those without new deficits, with irreversible TcMEP changes indicating a much higher risk of deficit than reversible TcMEP changes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) during endovascular treatment (EVT) of ruptured intracranial aneurysms (rIA)., Methods: IONM and clinical data from 323 patients who underwent EVT for rIA from 2014-2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Significant IONM changes and outcomes were evaluated based on visual review of data and clinical documentation., Results: Of the 323 patients undergoing EVT, significant IONM changes were noted in 30 patients (9.29%) and 46 (14.24%) experienced postprocedural neurological deficits (PPND). 22 out of 30 (73.33%) patients who had significant IONM changes experienced PPND. Univariable analysis showed changes in somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) and electroencephalogram (EEG) were associated with PPND (p-values: <0.001 and <0.001, retrospectively). Multivariable analysis showed that IONM changes were significantly associated with PPND (Odd ratio (OR) 20.18 (95%CI:7.40-55.03, p-value: <0.001)). Simultaneous changes in both IONM modalities had specificity of 98.9% (95% CI: 97.1%-99.7%). While sensitivity when either modality had a change was 47.8% (95% CI: 33.9%-62.0%) to predict PPND., Conclusions: Significant IONM changes during EVT for rIA are associated with an increased risk of PPND., Significance: IONM can be used confidently as a real time neurophysiological diagnostic guide for impending neurological deficits during EVT treatment of rIA., (Copyright © 2024 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Perioperative transient ischemic attacks (PTIAs) are associated with significantly increased rates of postoperative complications such as low cardiac output, atrial fibrillation, and significantly higher mortality in cardiac procedures. The current literature on PTIAs is sparse and understudied. Therefore, we aim to understand the effects of PTIA on hospital utilization, readmission, and morbidity. Using data on all the cardiac procedures at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2011 to 2019, fine and gray analysis was performed to identify whether PTIAs and covariables correlate with increased hospital utilization, stroke, all-cause readmission, Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events (MACCE), MI, and all-cause mortality. Logistic regression for longer hospitalization showed that PTIA (HR: 2.199 [95% CI: 1.416-3.416] increased utilization rates. Fine and gray modeling indicated that PTIA (HR: 1.444 [95% CI: 1.096-1.902], p < 0.01) increased the rates of follow-up all-cause readmission. However, PTIA (HR: 1.643 [95% CI: 0.913-2.956] was not statistically significant for stroke readmission modeling. Multivariate modeling for MACCE events within 30 days of surgery (HR: 0.524 [95% CI: 0.171-1.605], p > 0.25) and anytime during the follow-up period (HR: 1.116 [95% CI: 0.825-1.509], p > 0.45) showed no significant correlation with PTIA. As a result of PTIA's significant burden on the healthcare system due to increased utilization, it is critical to better define and recognize PTIA for timely management to improve perioperative outcomes.

Objective: Recovery of abducens nerve palsy (ANP) after endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (ESBS) has been shown to be potentially predicted by postoperative ophthalmological examination. Triggered electromyography (t-EMG) and free-run electromyography (f-EMG) activity provide an intraoperative assessment of abducens nerve function, but associations with long-term ANP outcomes have not been explored. The objective of this study was to describe intraoperative abducens EMG characteristics and determine whether these electrophysiological profiles are associated with immediately postoperative and long-term ANP outcomes after ESBS., Methods: The authors conducted a 5-year (2011-2016) retrospective case-control study of patients who underwent ESBS in whom the abducens nerve was stimulated (t-EMG). Electrophysiological metrics were compared between patients with a new postoperative ANP (cases) and those without ANP (controls). Pathologies included chordoma, pituitary adenoma, meningioma, cholesterol granuloma, and chondrosarcoma. Electrophysiological data included the presence of abnormal f-EMG activity, t-EMG stimulation voltage, stimulation threshold, evoked compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude, onset latency, peak latency, and CMAP duration at various stages of the dissection. Controls were selected such that pathologies were similarly distributed between cases and controls., Results: Fifty-six patients were included, 26 with new postoperative ANP and 30 controls without ANP. Abnormal f-EMG activity (28.0% vs 3.3%, p = 0.02) and lack of response to stimulation (27% vs 0%, p = 0.006) were more frequent in patients with immediately postoperative ANP than in controls. Patients with immediately postoperative ANP also had a lower median CMAP amplitude (35.0 vs 71.2 μV, p = 0.02) and longer onset latency (5.2 vs 2.8 msec, p = 0.04). Comparing patients with transient versus persistent ANP on follow-up, those with persistent ANP tended to have a lower CMAP amplitude (12.8 vs 57 μV, p = 0.07) and higher likelihood of not responding to stimulation at the end of the case (45.5% vs 7.1%, p = 0.06). Abnormal f-EMG was not associated with long-term ANP outcomes., Conclusions: The presence of f-EMG activity, lack of CMAP response to stimulation, decreased CMAP amplitude, and increased CMAP onset latency were associated with immediately postoperative ANP. Long-term ANP outcomes may be associated with t-EMG parameters, including whether the nerve is able to be stimulated once identified and CMAP amplitude. Future prospective studies may be designed to standardize abducens nerve electrophysiological monitoring protocols to further refine operative and prognostic utility.

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether TcMEP alarms can predict the occurrence of postoperative neurological deficit in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. The secondary aim was to determine whether the various types of TcMEP alarms including transient and persistent changes portend varying degrees of injury risk., Methods: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature from PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase regarding outcomes of transcranial motor-evoked potential (TcMEP) monitoring during lumbar decompression and fusion surgery. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of TcMEP alarms for predicting postoperative deficit were calculated and presented with forest plots and a summary receiver operating characteristic curve., Results: Eight studies were included, consisting of 4923 patients. The incidence of postoperative neurological deficit was 0.73% (36/4923). The incidence of deficits in patients with significant TcMEP changes was 11.79% (27/229), while the incidence in those without changes was 0.19% (9/4694). All TcMEP alarms had a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 63 and 95% with a DOR of 34.92 (95% CI 7.95-153.42). Transient and persistent changes had sensitivities of 29% and 47%, specificities of 96% and 98%, and DORs of 8.04 and 66.06, respectively., Conclusion: TcMEP monitoring has high specificity but low sensitivity for predicting postoperative neurological deficit in lumbar decompression and fusion surgery. Patients who awoke with new postoperative deficits were 35 times more likely to have experienced TcMEP changes intraoperatively, with persistent changes indicating higher risk of deficit than transient changes., Level of Evidence Ii: Diagnostic Systematic Review., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Endovascular treatment (EVT) of unruptured cerebral aneurysms (UCA) offers a safer alternative to clipping. However, it is still associated with an increased risk for Postprocedural Neurological deficit (PPND). Prompt recognition using intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) and intervention can reduce the incidence and impact of new postoperative neurological complications. We aim to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of IONM in predicting PPND after EVT of UCA., Methods: We included 414 patients who underwent EVT for UCA from 2014 to 2019. The sensitivities, specificities, and diagnostic odds ratio of somatosensory evoked potentials and electroencephalography monitoring methods were calculated. We also determined their diagnostic accuracy using receiver operating characteristic plots., Results: The highest sensitivity of 67.7% (95% confidence interval {CI}, 34.9%-90.1%) was obtained when either modality had a change. Simultaneous changes in both modalities have the highest specificity of 97.8% (95% CI, 95.8%-99.0%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.795 (95% CI, 0.655-0.935) for changes in either modality., Conclusions: IONM with somatosensory evoked potentials alone or in combination with electroencephalography has high diagnostic accuracy in detecting periprocedural complications and resultant PPND during EVT of UCA., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the ability of intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) during aortic arch reconstruction with hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) to predict early (<48 hours) adverse neurologic events (ANE; stroke or transient ischemic attack) and operative mortality., Methods: This was an observational study of aortic arch surgeries requiring HCA from 2010 to 2018. Patients were monitored with electroencephalogram (EEG) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). Baseline characteristics and postoperative outcomes were compared according to presence or absence of IONM changes, which were defined as any acute variation in SSEP or EEG, compared with baseline. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of IONM changes with operative mortality and early ANE., Results: A total of 563 patients underwent aortic arch reconstruction with HCA and IONM. Of these, 119 (21.1%) patients had an IONM change, whereas 444 (78.9%) did not. Patients with IONM changes had increased operative mortality (22.7% vs 4.3%) and increased early ANE (10.9% vs 2.9%). In multivariable analysis, SSEP changes were correlated with early ANE (odds ratio [OR], 4.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51-14.56; P = .008), whereas EEG changes were not (P = .532). Permanent SSEP changes were correlated with early ANE (OR, 4.56; 95% CI, 1.51-13.77; P = .007), whereas temperature-related SSEP changes were not (P = .997). Finally, any IONM change (either SSEP or EEG) was correlated with operative mortality (OR, 5.82; 95% CI, 2.72-12.49; P < .001)., Conclusions: Abnormal IONM events during aortic arch reconstruction with HCA portend worse neurologic outcomes and operative mortality and have a negative predictive value of 97.1%. SSEP might be more sensitive than EEG for predicting early ANE, especially when SSEP changes are permanent., (Copyright © 2021 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: A reluctance to monitor extraocular cranial nerve (EOCN) function has restricted skull base surgery worldwide. Spontaneous and triggered electromyography (EMG) monitoring can be recorded intraoperatively to identify and assess potential cranial nerve injury. Determining the conductive function of EOCNs requires the collection of clear, reliable, and repeatable compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) secondary to stimulation. EOCN EMG needle electrodes can, although infrequently, cause ocular morbidity including hematoma, edema, and scleral laceration. The aim of this study was to ascertain if minimally invasive 7-mm superficial needle electrodes would record CMAPs as well as standard 13-mm intraorbital electrodes., Methods: Conventionally, the authors have monitored EOCN function with intraorbital placement of paired 13-mm needle electrodes into three extraocular muscles: medial rectus, superior oblique, and lateral rectus. A prospective case-control study was performed using shorter (7-mm) needle electrodes. A single minimally invasive electrode was placed superficially near each extraocular muscle and coupled with a common reference. CMAPs were recorded from the minimally invasive electrodes and compared with CMAPs recorded from the paired intraorbital electrodes. The presence or absence of CMAPs was analyzed and compared among EMG recording techniques., Results: A total of 429 CMAPs were analyzed from 71 EOCNs in 25 patients. The experimental setup yielded 167 true-positive (39%), 106 false-positive (25%), 17 false-negative (4%), and 139 true-negative (32%) responses. These values were used to calculate the sensitivity (91%), specificity (57%), positive predictive value (61%), and negative predictive value (89%). EOCN electrodes were placed in 82 total eyes in 58 patients (CMAPs were obtained in 25 patients). Twenty-six eyes showed some degree of edema, bruising, or bleeding, which was transient and self-resolving. Three eyes in different patients had complications from needle placement or extraction including conjunctival hemorrhage, periorbital ecchymosis, and corneal abrasion, ptosis, and upper eyelid edema., Conclusions: Because of artifact contamination, 106 false-positive responses (25%), and 17 false-negative responses (4%), the minimally invasive EMG technique cannot reliably record CMAP responses intraoperatively as well as the intraorbital technique. Less-invasive techniques can lead to an inaccurate EOCN assessment and potential postoperative morbidity. EOCN palsies can be debilitating and lifelong; therefore, the benefits of preserving EOCN function outweigh the potential risks of morbidity from electrode placement. EMG monitoring with intraorbital electrodes remains the most reliable method of intraoperative EOCN assessment.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the ability of multimodality intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring, including somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) and EEG, to predict perioperative clinical stroke and stroke-related mortality after open-heart surgery in high-risk patients., Methods: The records of all consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, and cardiac valve repair/replacement with high risk for stroke who underwent both SSEP and EEG recording at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 2009 and 2015 were reviewed. Sensitivity and specificity of these modalities to predict in-hospital clinical strokes and stroke-related mortality were calculated., Results: A total of 531 patients underwent open cardiac procedures monitored using SSEP and EEG. One hundred thirty-one patients (24.67%) experienced significant changes in either modality. Fourteen patients (2.64%) suffered clinical strokes within 24 hours after surgery, and eight patients (1.50%) died during their hospitalization. The incidence of in-hospital clinical stroke and stroke-related mortality among patients who experienced a significant change in monitoring compared with those with no significant change was 11.45% versus 1.75%. The sensitivity and specificity of significant changes in either SSEP or EEG to predict in-hospital major stroke and stroke-related mortality were 0.93 and 0.77, respectively., Conclusions: Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring with SSEP and EEG has high sensitivity and specificity in predicting perioperative stroke and stroke-related mortality after open cardiac procedures. These results support the benefits of multimodality neuromonitoring during cardiac surgery., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.)

Objectives: There has been controversy over whether ketamine affects intracranial pressure (ICP) in children. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) is a validated technique used to assess ICP changes noninvasively. Gosling pulsatility index (PI) directly correlates with ICP changes. The objective of this study was to quantify PI changes as a surrogate marker for ICP changes in previously healthy children receiving intravenous ketamine for procedural sedation., Methods: We performed a prospective, observational study of patients 5-18 years old who underwent sedation with intravenous ketamine as monotherapy. ICP changes were assessed by surrogate PI at baseline, immediately after ketamine administration, and every 5 minutes until completion of the procedure. The primary outcome measure was PI change after ketamine administration compared to baseline (denoted ΔPI)., Results: We enrolled 15 participants. Mean age was 9.9 ± 3.4 years. Most participants underwent sedation for fracture reduction (87%). Mean initial ketamine dose was 1.4 ± 0.3 mg/kg. PI decreased at all time points after ketamine administration. Mean ΔPI at sedation onset was -0.23 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.30 to -0.15), at 5 minutes was -0.23 (95% CI = -0.28 to -0.18), at 10 minutes was -0.14 (95% CI = -0.21 to -0.08), at 15 minutes was -0.18 (95% CI = -0.25 to -0.12), and at 20 minutes was -0.19 (95% CI = -0.26 to -0.12). Using a clinically relevant threshold of ΔPI set at +1 (+8 cm H 2 O), no elevation in ICP, based on the PI surrogate marker, was demonstrated with 95% confidence at all time points after ketamine administration., Conclusions: Ketamine did not significantly increase PI, which was used as a surrogate marker for ICP in this sample of previously healthy children. This pilot study demonstrates a model for evaluating ICP changes noninvasively in the emergency department., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. JACEP Open published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Emergency Physicians.)

Objective: We examined significant intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) changes and perioperative stroke as independent risk factors of long-term cardiovascular-related mortality in patients who have undergone carotid endarterectomy (CEA)., Methods: Records of patients who underwent CEA with IONM at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Cardiovascular-related mortality was compared between the significant IONM change group and no IONM change group and between the perioperative stroke group and no perioperative stroke group., Results: Our final cohort consisted of 2,090 patients. Patients with significant IONM changes showed nearly twice the rate of cardiovascular-related mortality up to 10 years post-CEA (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.98; 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.20 - 3.26]). Patients with perioperative stroke were four times more likely than patients without perioperative stroke to experience cardiovascular-related mortality (HR = 4.09; 95% CI [2.13 - 7.86])., Conclusions: Among CEA patients who underwent CEA and who experienced significant IONM changes or perioperative stroke, we observed long-term increased and sustained risk of cardiovascular-related mortality., Significance: Significant IONM changes are valuable in predicting the risk of long-term outcomes following CEA., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis., Objectives: Malposition of pedicle screws during instrumentation in the lumbar spine is associated with complications secondary to spinal cord or nerve root injury. Intraoperative triggered electromyographic monitoring (t-EMG) may be used during instrumentation for early detection of malposition. The association between lumbar pedicle screws stimulated at low EMG thresholds and postoperative neurological deficits, however, remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to assess whether a low threshold t-EMG response to lumbar pedicle screw stimulation can serve as a predictive tool for postoperative neurological deficit., Methods: The present study is a meta-analysis of the literature from PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase identifying prospective/retrospective studies with outcomes of patients who underwent lumbar spinal fusion with t-EMG testing., Results: The total study cohort consisted of 2,236 patients and the total postoperative neurological deficit rate was 3.04%. 10.78% of the patients incurred at least 1 pedicle screw that was stimulated below the respective EMG alarm threshold intraoperatively. The incidence of postoperative neurological deficits in patients with a lumbar pedicle screw stimulated below EMG alarm threshold during placement was 13.28%, while only 1.80% in the patients without. The pooled DOR was 10.14. Sensitivity was 49% while specificity was 88%., Conclusions: Electrically activated lumbar pedicle screws resulting in low t-EMG alarm thresholds are highly specific but weakly sensitive for new postoperative neurological deficits. Patients with new postoperative neurological deficits after lumbar spine surgery were 10 times more likely to have had a lumbar pedicle screw stimulated at a low EMG threshold.

A misconception in the field of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is that continuous, multi-nerve (four-limb), interleaved somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) stimulation, while advantageous, is not universally utilized due to variety of misunderstandings regarding this approach to SSEP stimulation. This article addresses the rationale for this misconception. We find that continuous, multi-nerve, interleaved SSEP stimulation is superior to all other stimulation paradigms in most operative scenarios, allowing the fastest acquisition of SSEPs at low stimulation repetition rates, which generate the highest amplitude cortical responses.

Study Design: This study is a meta-analysis of prospective and retrospective studies identified in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase with outcomes of patients who received intraoperative somatosensory-evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring during lumbar spine surgery., Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative lower extremity SSEP changes for predicting postoperative neurological deficit. As a secondary analysis, we evaluated three subtypes of intraoperative SSEP changes: reversible, irreversible, and total signal loss., Summary of Background Data: Lumbar decompression and fusion surgery can treat lumbar spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis but carry a risk for nerve root injury. Published neurophysiological monitoring guidelines provide no conclusive evidence for the clinical utility of intraoperative SSEP monitoring during lumbar spine surgery., Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify studies with outcomes of patients who underwent lumbar spine surgeries with intraoperative SSEP monitoring. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated and presented with forest plots and a summary receiver operating characteristic curve., Results: The study cohort consisted of 5607 patients. All significant intraoperative SSEP changes had a sensitivity of 44% and specificity of 97% with a DOR of 22.13 (95% CI, 11.30-43.34). Reversible and irreversible SSEP changes had sensitivities of 28% and 33% and specificities of 97% and 97%, respectively. The DORs for reversible and irreversible SSEP changes were 13.93 (95% CI, 4.60-40.44) and 57.84 (95% CI, 15.95-209.84), respectively. Total loss of SSEPs had a sensitivity of 9% and specificity of 99% with a DOR of 23.91 (95% CI, 7.18-79.65)., Conclusion: SSEP changes during lumbar spine surgery are highly specific but moderately sensitive for new postoperative neurological deficits. Patients who had postoperative neurological deficit were 22 times more likely to have exhibited intraoperative SSEP changes.Level of Evidence: 2., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Previous studies have shown that pedicle screw stimulation thresholds ≤6-8 mA yield a high diagnostic accuracy of detecting misplaced screws. Our objective was to determine the optimal "low" stimulation threshold to predict new postoperative neurologic deficits and identify additional risk factors associated with deficits., Methods: We included patients with complete pedicle screw stimulation testing who underwent posterior lumbar spinal fusion surgeries from 2010-2012. We calculated the diagnostic accuracy of pedicle screw responses of ≤4 mA, ≤6 mA, ≤8 mA, ≤10 mA, ≤12 mA, and ≤20 mA to predict new postoperative lower-extremity (LE) neurologic deficits. We used multivariate modeling to determine the best logistic regression model to predict LE deficits and identify additional risk factors. Statistics software packages used were Python3.8.5, NumPy 1.19.1, Pandas 1.1.1, and SPSS26., Results: We studied 1179 patients who underwent 8584 pedicle screw stimulations with somatosensory evoked potential and free-run electromyographic monitoring for posterior lumbar spinal fusion. Twenty-five (2.1%) patients had new LE neurologic deficits. A stimulation threshold of ≤8 mA had a sensitivity/specificity of 32%/90% and a diagnostic odds ratio/area under the curve of 4.34 [95% confidence interval: 1.83, 10.27]/0.61 [0.49, 0.74] in predicting postoperative deficit. Multivariate analysis showed that patients who had pedicle screws with stimulation thresholds ≤8 mA are 3.15 [1.26, 7.83]× more likely to have postoperative LE deficits while patients who have undergone a revision lumbar spinal fusion surgery are 3.64 [1.38, 9.61]× more likely., Conclusions: Our results show that low thresholds are indicative of not only screw proximity to the nerve but also an increased likelihood of postoperative neurologic deficit. Thresholds ≤8 mA prove to be the optimal "low" threshold to help guide a correctly positioned pedicle screw placement and detect postoperative deficits., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective  This study proposes to present reference parameters for trigeminal (V) and facial (VII) cranial nerves (CNs)-triggered electromyography (tEMG) during endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) skull base surgeries to allow more precise and accurate mapping of these CNs. Study Design  We retrospectively reviewed EEA procedures performed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 2009 and 2015. tEMG recorded in response to stimulation of CN V and VII was analyzed. Analysis of tEMG waveforms included latencies and amplitudes. Medical records were reviewed to determine the presence of perioperative neurologic deficits. Results  A total of 28 patients were included. tEMG from 34 CNs (22 V and 12 VII) were analyzed. For CN V, the average onset latency was 2.9 ± 1.1 ms and peak-to-peak amplitude was 525 ± 436.94 μV ( n  = 22). For CN VII, the average onset latency and peak-to-peak amplitude were 5.1 ± 1.43 ms and 315 ± 352.58 μV for the orbicularis oculi distribution ( n  = 09), 5.9 ± 0.67 ms and 517 ± 489.07 μV on orbicularis oris ( n  = 08), and 5.3 ± 0.98 ms 303.1 ± 215.3 μV on mentalis ( n  = 07), respectively. Conclusion  Our data support the notion that onset latency may be a feasible parameter in the differentiation between the CN V and VII during the crosstalk phenomenon in EEA surgeries but the particularities of this type of procedure should be taken into consideration. A prospective analysis with a larger data set is necessary., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background Context: Cervical decompression and fusion surgery remains a mainstay of treatment for a variety of cervical pathologies. Potential intraoperative injury to the spinal cord and nerve roots poses nontrivial risk for consequent postoperative neurologic deficits. Although neuromonitoring with intraoperative somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) is often used in cervical spine surgery, its therapeutic value remains controversial., Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether significant SSEP changes can predict postoperative neurologic complications in cervical spine surgery. A subgroup analysis was performed to compare the predictive power of SSEP changes in both anterior and posterior approaches., Study Design: The present study was a meta-analysis of the literature from PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase to identify prospective/retrospective studies with outcomes of patients who underwent cervical spine surgeries with intraoperative SSEP monitoring., Patient Sample: The total cohort consisted of 7,747 patients who underwent cervical spine surgery with intraoperative SSEP monitoring., Methods: Inclusion criteria for study selection were as follows: (1) prospective or retrospective cohort studies, (2) studies conducted in patients undergoing elective cervical spine surgery not due to aneurysm, tumor, or trauma with intraoperative SSEP monitoring, (3) studies that reported postoperative neurologic outcomes, (4) studies conducted with a sample size ≥20 patients, (5) studies with only adult patients ≥18 years of age, (6) studies published in English, (7) studies inclusive of an abstract., Outcome Measures: The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and likelihood ratios of overall SSEP changes, reversible SSEP changes, irreversible SSEP changes, and SSEP loss for predicting postoperative neurological deficit were calculated., Results: The total rate of postoperative neurological deficits was 2.50% (194/7,747) and the total rate of SSEP changes was 7.36% (570/7,747). The incidence of postoperative neurological deficit in patients with intraoperative SSEP changes was 16.49% (94/570) while only 1.39% (100/7,177) in patients without. All significant intraoperative SSEP changes had a sensitivity of 46.0% and specificity of 96.7% with a DOR of 27.32. Reversible and irreversible SSEP changes had sensitivities of 17.7% and 37.1% and specificities of 97.5% and 99.5%, respectively. The DORs for reversible and irreversible SSEP changes were 9.01 and 167.90, respectively. SSEP loss had a DOR of 51.39, sensitivity of 17.3% and specificity 99.6%. In anterior procedures, SSEP changes had a DOR of 9.60, sensitivity of 34.2%, and specificity of 94.7%. In posterior procedures, SSEP changes had a DOR of 13.27, sensitivity of 42.6%, and specificity of 94.0%., Conclusions: SSEP monitoring is highly specific but weakly sensitive for postoperative neurological deficit following cervical spine surgery. The analysis found that patients with new postoperative neurological deficits were nearly 27 times more likely to have had significant intraoperative SSEP change. Loss of SSEP signals and irreversible SSEP changes seem to indicate a much higher risk of injury than reversible SSEP changes., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: In the present study, we investigated the role of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) in internal carotid artery (ICA) injury during endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (EESBS)., Methods: The study group included all 13 patients who had experienced an ICA injury during EESBS with IONM from 2004 to 2017. The medical records were reviewed for the perioperative data. The IONM reports were reviewed to evaluate the baseline somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), electroencephalography (EEG), and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and their significant changes related to ICA injury and/or the subsequent surgical/endovascular interventions., Results: All 13 patients had undergone SSEP and 7 patients had BAEP monitoring during surgery. EEG was added during emergent angiography following the surgery for 5 patients. Two patients showed significant SSEP changes, and one showed significant SSEP and EEG changes, indicating cerebral hypoperfusion. Of these 3 patients, patient 1 had experienced irreversible SSEP loss with postoperative stroke. Patients 2 and 3 had SSEP and/or EEG changes that had recovered to baseline after interventions without postoperative deficits. Despite ICA injury, 10 patients showed no significant SSEP and/or EEG changes, and all 7 patients with BAEP monitoring showed no significant BAEP changes, indicating adequate cerebral and brainstem perfusion, respectively. The injured ICA was sacrificed in 4 patients, of whom 3 showed stable SSEP and 1 had experienced irreversible SSEP loss. IONM correlated with the postoperative neurologic examination findings in all cases, adequately predicting the neurologic outcomes after ICA injury., Conclusion: SSEP and EEG monitoring can accurately detect cerebral hypoperfusion and provide real-time feedback during surgery. SSEP and EEG changes predicted for neurologic outcomes and guide surgical decisions regarding the preservation or sacrifice of the ICA. Comprehensive multimodality monitoring according to the surgical risks can serve to detect and guide the management of ICA injury in EESBS., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: Retrospective observational study., Objective: It has been shown that pedicle screw stimulation thresholds less than or equal to 8 mA yield a very high diagnostic accuracy of detecting misplaced screws in spinal surgery. In our study, we determined clinical implications of low stimulation thresholds., Summary of Background Data: Posterior lumbar spinal fusions (PSF), using pedicle screws, are performed to treat many spinal pathologies, but misplaced pedicle screws can result in new postoperative neurological deficits., Methods: Patients with pedicle screw stimulation testing who underwent PSF between 2010 and 2012 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) were included in the study. We evaluated the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) to determine how effectively low pedicle screw responses predict new postoperative lower extremity neurological deficits., Results: One thousand one hundred seventy nine eligible patients underwent 8584 pedicle screw stimulations with lower extremity somatosensory evoked potentials (LE SSEP) monitoring for lumbar fusion surgery. One hundred twenty one of these patients had 187 pedicle screws with a stimulation response at a threshold less than or equal to 8 mA. Smoking had a significant correlation to pedicle screw stimulation less than or equal to 8 mA (P = 0.012). A threshold of less than or equal to 8 mA had a sensitivity/specificity of 0.32/0.90 with DOR of 4.34 [1.83, 10.27] and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.61 [0.49, 0.74]. Patients with screw thresholds less than or equal to 8 mA and abnormal baselines had a DOR of 9.8 [95% CI: 2.13-45.17] and an AUC of 0.73 [95% CI: 0.50-0.95]., Conclusion: Patients with pedicle screw stimulation thresholds less than or equal to 8 mA are 4.34 times more likely to have neurological clinical manifestations. Smoking and LE deficits were shown to be significantly correlated with pedicle screw stimulation thresholds less than or equal to 8 mA. Low stimulation thresholds result in a high specificity of 90%. Pedicle screw stimulation less than or equal to 8 mA can serve as an accurate rule in test for postoperative neurological deficit, warranting reevaluation of screw placement and/or replacement intraoperatively.Level of Evidence: 3., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Intra-operative stroke (IOS) is associated with poor clinical outcome as detection is often delayed and time of symptom onset or patient's last known well (LKW) is uncertain. Intra-operative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is uniquely capable of detecting onset of neurological dysfunction in anesthetized patients, thereby precisely defining time last electrically well (LEW). This novel parameter may aid in the detection of large vessel occlusion (LVO) and prompt treatment with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT)., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained AIS and LVO database from May 2018-August 2019. Inclusion criteria required any surgical procedure under general anesthesia (GA) utilizing EEG (electroencephalography) and/or SSEP (somatosensory evoked potentials) monitoring with development of intraoperative focal persistent changes using predefined alarm criteria and who were considered for EVT., Result: Five cases were identified. LKW to closure time ranged from 66 to 321 minutes, while LEW to closure time ranged from 43 to 174 min. All LVOs were in the anterior circulation. Angiography was not pursued in two cases due to large established infarct (both patients expired in the hospital). EVT was pursued in two cases with successful recanalization and spontaneous recanalization was noted in one patient (mRS 0-3 at 90 days was achieved in all 3 cases)., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that significant IONM changes can accurately identify patients with an acute LVO in the operative setting. Given the challenges of recognizing peri-operative stroke, LEW may be an appropriate surrogate to quickly identify and treat IOS., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest BAG: Consultant: Microvention., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Microvascular decompression (MVD) is the surgical treatment of choice for hemifacial spasm (HFS). During MVD, monitoring of the abnormal lateral spread response (LSR), an evoked response to facial nerve stimulation, has been traditionally used to monitor adequacy of cranial nerve (CN) VII decompression., Objective: To assess the utility of LSR monitoring in predicting spasm-free status after MVD postoperatively., Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for relevant publications. We included studies reporting on intraoperative LSR monitoring during MVD for HFS and spasm-free status following the procedure. Sensitivity of LSR, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and positive predictive value were calculated., Results: From 148 studies, 26 studies with 7479 patients were ultimately included in this meta-analysis. The final intraoperative LSR status predicted the clinical outcome of MVD with the following specificities and sensitivities: 89% (0.83- 0.93) and 40% (0.30- 0.51) at discharge, 90% (0.84-0.94) and 41% (0.29-0.53) at 3 mo, 89% (0.83-0.93) and 40% (0.30-0.51) at 1 yr. When LSR persisted after MVD, the probability (95% CI) for HFS persistence was 47.8% (0.33-0.63) at discharge, 40.8% (0.23-0.61) at 3 mo, and 24.4% (0.13-0.41) at 1 yr. However, when LSR resolved, the probability for HFS persistence was 7.3% at discharge, 4.2% at 3 mo, and 4.0% at 1 yr., Conclusion: Intraoperative LSR monitoring has high specificity but modest sensitivity in predicting the spasm-free status following MVD. Persistence of LSR carries high risk for immediate and long-term facial spasm persistence. Therefore, adequacy of decompression should be thoroughly investigated before closing in cases where intraoperative LSR persists., (Copyright © 2020 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.)

Objective: Posterior thoracic fusion (PTF) is used as a surgical treatment for a wide range of pathologies. The monitoring of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) is used to detect and prevent injury during many neurological surgeries. The authors conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of SSEPs in predicting perioperative lower-extremity (LE) neurological deficits during spinal thoracic fusion surgery., Methods: The authors included patients who underwent PTF with SSEP monitoring performed throughout the entire surgery from 2010 to 2015 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The sensitivity, specificity, odds ratio, and receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of SSEP changes in predicting postoperative deficits. Univariate analysis was completed to determine the impact of age exceeding 65 years, sex, obesity, abnormal baseline testing, surgery type, and neurological deficits on the development of intraoperative changes., Results: From 2010 to 2015, 771 eligible patients underwent SSEP monitoring during PTF at UPMC. Univariate and linear regression analyses showed that LE SSEP changes significantly predicted LE neurological deficits. Significant changes in LE SSEPs had a sensitivity and specificity of 19% and 96%, respectively, in predicting LE neurological deficits. The diagnostic odds ratio for patients with new LE neurological deficits who had significant changes in LE SSEPs was 5.86 (95% CI 2.74-12.5). However, the results showed that a loss of LE waveforms had a poor predictive value for perioperative LE deficits (diagnostic OR 1.58 [95% CI 0.19-12.83])., Conclusions: Patients with new postoperative LE neurological deficits are 5.9 times more likely to have significant changes in LE SSEPs during PTF. Surgeon awareness of an LE SSEP loss may alter surgical strategy and positively impact rates of postoperative LE neurological deficit status. The relatively poor sensitivity of LE SSEP monitoring may indicate a need for multimodal neurophysiological monitoring, including motor evoked potentials, in thoracic fusion surgery.

Purpose: Previous research suggests that prolonged sitting may acutely reduce cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of alternating standing and sitting vs prolonged sitting on CBFv., Methods: This randomized crossover study enrolled working adults (N=25) with pre-to-stage 1 hypertension not using antihypertensive medications, and a body mass index from 25 to < 40 kg/m 2 . Subjects participated in two simulated workday conditions: 1) sitting continuously (SIT), and 2) alternating standing and sitting every 30 min (SS). Beat-to-beat systolic, mean and diastolic CBFv were recorded bilaterally for 1 min via insonation of the middle cerebral artery using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography before (morning), between (midday) and following (afternoon) two 3-hr 40 min work periods., Results: Mean±SD age was 42±12 years, blood pressure (BP) was 132±9/83±8 mmHg, and BMI was 32±5 kg/m 2 . Cerebrovascular hemodynamics did not differ across condition (P>0.05). There were, however, significant nonlinear effects of time (decrease from morning to midday; increase from midday to afternoon) on systolic CBFv (P=0.014), mean CBFv (P=0.001), diastolic CBFv (P=0.002), and pulsatility index (P=0.038). When overall time effects were evaluated during each time interval, mean and diastolic CBFv significantly decreased morning to midday and all CBFv increased from midday to afternoon. When separated by condition, significant time effects were observed for all CBFv during SIT (P<0.02) but not SS (P>0.05)., Conclusions: In individuals with elevated BP and BMI, CBFv significantly decreased by midday and increased by afternoon, especially during a workday of prolonged sitting. Future studies should evaluate the combination of frequent walks and a sit-stand desk to break up prolonged sitting., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Dr. Gibbs discloses funding from Humanscale. Drs. Perdomo, Kowalsky, Balzer and Mr. Taormina disclose no conflicts of interest.

Aim: Predicting recovery in comatose post-cardiac arrest patients requires multiple modalities of prognostic assessment. In isolation, absent N20 cortical responses in somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) are a specific predictor of poor outcome. It is unknown whether SSEP results, when assessed in the context of prior knowledge (demographic and clinical information), change the pretest predicted probability of recovery., Methods: In a single center retrospective study, a cohort of 323 patients admitted to post-cardiac arrest service at a tertiary care center were classified into a group based on SSEP testing. We built adjusted logistic regression models including clinical examination findings on the day SSEPs were recorded to generate a pre-test outcome probability for awakening, withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST) and survival to discharge. We then added the upper extremity N20 cortical response results to the model to obtain updated outcome probabilities. ROC curve was used to determine the additive effect of using SSEPs to the model. Survival to discharge, awakening, and WLST due to neurological reasons were designated as primary, secondary and tertiary outcomes, respectively., Results: Analyses showed that evoked potentials are ordered in sicker patients. Adding SSEP to the model increased the proportion of patients with less than 1% and 5% chance of survival, as well as the proportion of patients with over 95% chance of WLST. AUC for survival increased from 0.85 to 0.93 when SSEP was included (p = 0.006)., Conclusion: Adding the N20 SSEP response results to prior knowledge changed the predicted probability of WLST and survival to discharge in comatose post-arrest patients., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring (ASNM) was founded in 1989 as the American Society of Evoked Potential Monitoring. From the beginning, the Society has been made up of physicians, doctoral degree holders, Technologists, and all those interested in furthering the profession. The Society changed its name to the ASNM and held its first Annual Meeting in 1990. It remains the largest worldwide organization dedicated solely to the scientifically-based advancement of intraoperative neurophysiology. The primary goal of the ASNM is to assure the quality of patient care during procedures monitoring the nervous system. This goal is accomplished primarily through programs in education, advocacy of basic and clinical research, and publication of guidelines, among other endeavors. The ASNM is committed to the development of medically sound and clinically relevant guidelines for the performance of intraoperative neurophysiology. Guidelines are formulated based on exhaustive literature review, recruitment of expert opinion, and broad consensus among ASNM membership. Input is likewise sought from sister societies and related constituencies. Adherence to a literature-based, formalized process characterizes the construction of all ASNM guidelines. The guidelines covering the Professional Practice of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring were initially published January 24th, 2013, and subsequently that document has undergone review and revision to accommodate broad inter- and intra-societal feedback. This current version of the ASNM Professional Practice Guideline was fully approved for publication according to ASNM bylaws on February 22nd, 2018, and thus overwrites and supersedes the initial guideline.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with positioning-related SSEP changes (PRSC). The study investigated the association between 18 plausible risk factors and the occurrence of intraoperative PRSC. Risk factors investigated included demographic variables, comorbidities, and procedure related variables. All patients were treated by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2010 to 2012. We used univariate and multivariate statistical methods. 69 out of the 3946 (1.75%) spinal surgeries resulted in PRSC changes. The risk of PRSC was increased for women (p < 0.001), patients older than 65 years of age (p = 0.01), higher BMI (p < 0.001) patients, smokers (p < 0.001), and patients with hypertension (p < 0.001). No associations were found between PRSC and age greater than 80 years, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease. Three surgical situations were associated with PRSC including abnormal baselines (p < 0.001), patients in the "superman" position (p < 0.001), and patients in surgical procedures that extended over 200 min (p = 0.03). Patients with higher BMIs and who are undergoing spinal surgery longer than 200 min, with abnormal baselines, must be positioned with meticulous attention. Gender, hypertension, and smoking were also found to be risk factors from their odds ratios.

Background: Lumbar interbody spinal fusion (LIF) surgeries are performed to treat or prevent back pain in patients with degenerated intervertebral discs and a variety of spinal diseases. However, post-operative neurological complications may ensue. Intraoperative monitoring techniques have been used to predict and potentially reduce the risk of complications., Methods: This study examined the diagnostic accuracy of significant changes of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) to evaluate and predict post-operative neurological deficits after LIF. All patients underwent LIF at UPMC from 2010 to 2012. One thousand fifty-seven patients had pre-operative baseline and continuous intraoperative SSEP monitoring. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS version 22. No relevant disclosure., Results: Patient outcomes were not significantly affected by age over 65, gender, obesity, and abnormal baselines. Lower extremity (LE) significant changes in SSEPs and LE loss of responses resulted in a sensitivity/specificity of 0.03/0.99 and 0.03/0.99; they had an AUC of 0.54/0.73 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of [0.34, 0.74]/[0.29, 1.00]., Conclusions: Significant SSEP changes during LIF are a very specific but poorly sensitive indicator of perioperative neurological deficits. The odds ratio for LE loss of responses was 29.14 with a 95% CI of 1.79-475.5, so LE SSEP loss of responses can serve as a biomarker of perioperative neurological deficits after LIF., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Limited research examines the influence of sit-stand desks on ratings of discomfort, sleepiness, and fatigue. This study evaluated the time course of these outcomes over 1 day., Methods: Adults (N = 25) completed a randomized cross-over study in a laboratory with two 8-hour workday conditions: (1) prolonged sitting (SIT) and (2) alternating sitting and standing every 30 minutes (SIT-STAND). Sleepiness was assessed hourly. Discomfort, physical fatigue, and mental fatigue were measured every other hour. Linear mixed models evaluated whether these measures differed across conditions and the workday. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d., Results: Participants were primarily white (84%) males (64%), with mean (SD) body mass index of 31.9 (5.0) kg/m 2 and age 42 (12) years. SIT-STAND resulted in decreased odds of discomfort (OR = 0.37, P = .01) and lower overall discomfort (β = -0.19, P < .001, d = 0.42) versus SIT. Discomfort during SIT-STAND was lower in the lower and upper back, but higher in the legs (all Ps< .01, d = 0.26-0.42). Sleepiness (β = -0.09, P = .01, d = 0.15) and physical fatigue (β = -0.34, P = .002, d = 0.34) were significantly lower in SIT-STAND. Mental fatigue was similar across conditions., Conclusions: Sit-stand desks may reduce acute levels of sleepiness, physical fatigue, and both overall and back discomfort. However, levels of lower extremity discomfort may be increased with acute exposure.

Microsurgical procedures, such as petroclival meningioma resection, require careful surgical actions in order to remove tumor tissue, while avoiding brain and vessel damaging. Such procedures are currently performed under microscope magnification. Robotic tools are emerging in order to filter surgeons' unintended movements and prevent tools from entering forbidden regions such as vascular structures. The present work investigates the use of a handheld robotic tool (Micron) to automate vessel avoidance in microsurgery. In particular, we focused on vessel segmentation, implementing a deep-learning-based segmentation strategy in microscopy images, and its integration with a feature-based passive 3D reconstruction algorithm to obtain accurate and robust vessel position. We then implemented a virtual-fixture-based strategy to control the handheld robotic tool and perform vessel avoidance. Clay vascular phantoms, lying on a background obtained from microscopy images recorded during petroclival meningioma surgery, were used for testing the segmentation and control algorithms. When testing the segmentation algorithm on 100 different phantom images, a median Dice similarity coefficient equal to 0.96 was achieved. A set of 25 Micron trials of 80 s in duration, each involving the interaction of Micron with a different vascular phantom, were recorded, with a safety distance equal to 2 mm, which was comparable to the median vessel diameter. Micron's tip entered the forbidden region 24% of the time when the control algorithm was active. However, the median penetration depth was 16.9 μm, which was two orders of magnitude lower than median vessel diameter. Results suggest the system can assist surgeons in performing safe vessel avoidance during neurosurgical procedures.

Objectives: Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) have proven useful as an intraoperative modality to predict perioperative stroke during carotid endarterectomy (CEA). However, the predictive value of SSEPs for predicting stroke 30 days postoperatively remains unclear. The primary objective is to evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative SSEP change in predicting the risk of stroke in the postoperative period beyond 24 h but within 30 days. Our secondary aim is to evaluate the predictive value of each subcategory of SSEP change., Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of 25 prospective/retrospective studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase regarding SSEP monitoring for postoperative outcomes in symptomatic and asymptomatic CEA patients., Results: A 8307-patient cohort composed the total sample population, of which 54.17% had symptomatic CS. For SSEP change and stroke greater than 24 h but within 30 days, the diagnostic odds ratio was 8.68. The diagnostic odds ratio was 3.88 for transient SSEP change and stroke; 49.29 for persistent SSEP change and stroke; 36.45 for transient SSEP loss and stroke; and 281.35 for persistent SSEP loss and stroke., Conclusions: Patients with SSEP changes are at increased risk of perioperative stroke within the entire 30-day period. There is a noticeable step-wise increase in the predicted risk of stroke with the severity of SSEP changes., Significance: SSEP changes can serve as a predictor for 30-day perioperative stroke during CEA., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: Vasopressors are commonly used after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) to sustain cerebral pressure gradients. Yet, the relationship between vasopressors and the degree of cerebral microcirculatory support achieved remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the changes in cerebral and peripheral regional tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2) as well as blood pressure (BP) before and after vasopressor infusion in patients with aSAH., Methods: Continuous noninvasive cerebral and peripheral rSO2 was obtained using near-infrared spectroscopy for up to 14 days after aSAH. Within-subject differences in rSO2 before and after the commencement of vasopressor infusion were analyzed controlling for Hunt and Hess grade and vasospasm., Results: Of 45 patients with continuous rSO2 monitoring, 19 (42%) received vasopressor infusion (all 19 on norepinephrine, plus epinephrine in 2 patients, phenylephrine in 4 patients, and vasopressin in 2 patients). In these 19 patients, their vasopressor infusion times were associated with higher BP (systolic [b = 15.1], diastolic [b = 7.3], and mean [b = 10.1]; P = .001) but lower cerebral rSO2 (left cerebral rSO2 decreased by 4.4% [b = -4.4, P < .0001]; right cerebral rSO2 decreased by 5.5% [b = -5.5, P = .0002])., Conclusions: Despite elevation in systemic BP during vasopressor infusion times, cerebral rSO2 was concurrently diminished. These findings warrant further investigation for the effect of induced hypertension on cerebral microcirculation.

The utility of extraocular cranial nerve electrophysiologic recordings lies primarily in the operating room during skull base surgeries. Surgical manipulation during skull base surgeries poses a risk of injury to multiple cranial nerves, including those innervating extraocular muscles. Because tumors distort normal anatomic relationships, it becomes particularly challenging to identify cranial nerve structures. Studies have reported the benefits of using intraoperative spontaneous electromyographic recordings and compound muscle action potentials evoked by electrical stimulation in preventing postoperative neurologic deficits. Apart from surgical applications, electromyography of extraocular muscles has also been used to guide botulinum toxin injections in patients with strabismus and as an adjuvant diagnostic test in myasthenia gravis. In this article, we briefly review the rationale, current available techniques to monitor extraocular cranial nerves, technical difficulties, clinical and surgical applications, as well as future directions for research.

Objective: Reducing prolonged sitting at work has been recommended by an expert panel, but whether intermittent standing improves vascular health is unclear. We aimed to test whether using a sit-stand desk could reduce blood pressure (BP) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) during a simulated workday., Methods: Overweight/obese adults with pre-to-Stage 1 hypertension completed a randomized crossover study with two simulated workday conditions: STAND-SIT (alternating standing and sitting condition every 30 min) and SIT (continuous sitting condition). Oscillometric BP was measured hourly. Carotid-femoral, carotid-radial, and carotid-ankle PWV were measured in the morning, mid-day, and late afternoon using tonometry., Results: Participants [n = 25, 64% male, 84% white, mean (SD) age: 42 (12) years] had average resting SBP of 132 (9) mmHg and DBP of 83 (8) mmHg. In linear mixed models, STAND-SIT resulted in a significantly lower DBP (mean ± SE: -1.0 ± 0.4 mmHg, P = 0.020) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (-1.0 ± 0.4 mmHg, P = 0.029) compared with SIT. SBP (-0.9 ± 0.7 mmHg, P = 0.176) was not different across conditions. Carotid-ankle PWV was significantly lower during the STAND-SIT vs. SIT condition (-0.27 ± 0.13 m/s, P = 0.047), whereas carotid-femoral PWV (-0.03 ± 0.13 m/s, P = 0.831) and carotid-radial PWV (-0.30 ± 0.18 m/s, P = 0.098) were not. Changes in MAP partially explained changes in PWV., Conclusion: Interrupting prolonged sitting during deskwork with intermittent standing was a sufficient stimulus to slightly, but statistically significantly, decrease DBP, MAP, and carotid-ankle PWV. Though the clinical significance of the observed effects is modest, regular use of a sit-stand desk may be a practical way to lower BP and PWV while performing deskwork.

Background: The goal of this study is to assess the sensitivity and specificity of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) in predicting perioperative neurological deficits during posterior spinal fusions (PSF)., Methods: This study examined the diagnostic accuracy of significant changes of SSEPs and multimodal monitoring to evaluate and predict post-operative neurological deficits after PSF. All 1036 patients underwent PSF at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2010 to 2012. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS version 22., Results: Of the 1036 patients included in the study, 35 (3.38%) patients had significant SSEP changes. Out of the 35 patients with significant SSEP changes, 22 (62.86%) patients had significant lower extremity (LE) SSEP changes. Ten (45.5%) of LE SSEP changes were loss of responses. Gender, obesity, and abnormal baselines did not significantly affect patient outcomes. Significant LE changes had an odds ratio of 13.18, 95% CI [3.44, 50.56], and LE loss of waveforms had an odds ratio of 19.48, 95% CI [3.76, 100.75]., Conclusions: Patients with perioperative neurological deficits are 13 times more likely to have LE significant changes, and 19 times more likely to have a LE loss of SSEP responses. Our study results indicate that LE significant changes or LE loss of waveforms in SSEPs can serve as a marker of perioperative neurological deficits.

Background: Temporary arterial occlusion (TAO) is valuable for minimizing intraoperative rupture risk during intracranial aneurysm microsurgery; however, it may be associated with ischemic injury. This study aims to identify surgical and intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring factors that predict perioperative stroke risk after TAO., Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 177 intracranial aneurysm surgeries at our institution in which TAO was performed before placement of a permanent clip under monitoring with somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and electroencephalography. Perioperative stroke was defined as a new-onset neurologic deficit that developed within 24 hours postoperatively that was correlated with hypodensity on postoperative computed tomography., Results: Ten (6%) patients developed perioperative stroke in the vascular territory of TAO. SSEP changes were observed in 50% (5/10) of patients with perioperative stroke and in 14% (24/167) of patients without stroke (P = 0.003). Mean maximum single-episode TAO duration for patients who developed perioperative stroke was 12.6 minutes (95% confidence interval 8.1-17.1) and TAO duration for patients without stroke was 8.0 minutes (95% confidence interval 7.3-8.7; P = 0.026). In patients with SSEP changes, risk of stroke was particularly elevated with unruptured aneurysms (P = 0.013) compared with patients with ruptured aneurysms. Temporary clip location, number of occlusive episodes, onset and duration of intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring changes, and rupture status were not predictive of perioperative stroke., Conclusions: SSEP changes and increased single-episode TAO duration are independently associated with increased perioperative stroke risk. SSEP changes are most predictive for perioperative stroke in unruptured cases., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: This study examined the diagnostic accuracy of significant changes of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) to evaluate and predict postoperative neurological deficits after posterior cervical fusions (PCF). Eight hundred forty six eligible patients underwent PCF at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), from 2010 to 2012., Objective: To assess the specificity and sensitivity of intraoperative monitoring in predicting postoperative neurological deficits during PCF., Summary of Background Data: We calculated the predictive value, including sensitivity and specificity, of changes in SSEPs to identify neurological deficits postoperatively. We used a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with SSEP categories as cutoff values to further evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of change in SSEPs and postoperative neurological deficit., Methods: All patients had preposition baselines and continuous SSEP monitoring throughout the surgery. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY)., Results: Age and sex did not influence outcomes. Obesity affected patient outcome. The SSEP categories of significant changes and loss of responses resulted in a sensitivity/specificity of 0.30/0.96 and 0.16/0.98, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic curve has an area under the curve for significant change in/loss of SSEPs of 0.62/0.65 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.525 to 0.714/0.509 to 0.797., Conclusion: Significant SSEP changes during PCF are a very specific but poorly sensitive indicator of postoperative neurological deficits. The odds ratio for significant changes in SSEPs and loss of waveforms was 9.80 and 11.82, respectively, with a 95% confidence interval of 4.695 to 20.46 and 4.45 to 31.41, respectively., Level of Evidence: 1.