Search

To review the prevalence of depression among adolescents and young adults after moderate to severe TBI. A systematic literature search was conducted on literature published up to December 2018 in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane and PsychInfo. A systematic review of the identified literature was based on PRISMA guidelines. Risk of Bias was evaluated based on the aspects of Risk of Bias assessment described by the Agency of Health Research and Quality. Seven studies were deemed eligible and information on the prevalence of depression among adolescents and young adults (age 13–35) after moderate to severe TBI was extracted. Depression was assessed at 12 months (n = 2), >12 months (n = 2) or at varying times (n = 3) after TBI. The identified studies reported a prevalence proportion of depression from 1.6% to 60%. The Risk of Bias assessment showed a range of study quality with the selection of subjects and analysis of attrition being problematic. Although literature is sparse and of varying quality, depression was found to be common among adolescents and young adults with moderate to severe TBI which implies a need to focus on depression in the rehabilitation process and calls for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positron emission tomography (PET) can, when used with appropriate radioligands, non-invasively generate temporal and spatial information about acute changes in brain neurotransmitter systems. We for the first time evaluate the novel 5-HT2A receptor agonist PET radioligand, [11C]Cimbi-36, for its sensitivity to detect changes in endogenous cerebral 5-HT levels, as induced by different pharmacological challenges. To enable a direct translation of PET imaging data to changes in brain 5-HT levels, we calibrated the [11C]Cimbi-36 PET signal in the pig brain by simultaneous measurements of extracellular 5-HT levels with microdialysis and [11C]Cimbi-36 PET after various acute interventions (saline, citalopram, citalopram + pindolol, fenfluramine). In a subset of pigs, para-chlorophenylalanine pretreatment was given to deplete cerebral 5-HT. The interventions increased the cerebral extracellular 5-HT levels to 2–11 times baseline, with fenfluramine being the most potent pharmacological enhancer of 5-HT release, and induced a varying degree of decline in [11C]Cimbi-36 binding in the brain, consistent with the occupancy competition model. The observed correlation between changes in the extracellular 5-HT level in the pig brain and the 5-HT2A receptor occupancy indicates that [11C]Cimbi-36 binding is sensitive to changes in endogenous 5-HT levels, although only detectable with PET when the 5-HT release is sufficiently high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A new intracerebral microinjection instrument (IMI) allowing multiple electrophysiologically guided microvolume injections from a single proximal injection path in rats has been adapted to clinical use by coupling the IMI to an FHC microTargeting Manual Drive, designed to be used with standard stereotactic frame-based systems and FHC frameless microTargeting Platforms. Methods: The function and safety of the device was tested by conducting bilateral electrophysiologically guided microinjections of fluorescent microspheres in the substantia nigra of 4 Göttingen minipigs. Results: The device was easy to handle and enabled accurate electrophysiologically guided targeting of the substantia nigra with minimal local tissue damage. Conclusion: The IMI is suitable for clinical use and may prove useful for various stereotactic procedures that require high levels of precision and/or three-dimensional distribution of therapeutics within the brain. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The authors present an easily applicable deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode anchoring technique for use in human and experimental animals. The anchoring technique combines the use of fibrin glue, a two-component surgical adhesive (BioGlue®), a protective electrode covering, and a titanium microplate. The BioGlue® (CryoLife International, Inc., Kennesaw, GA, USA) hinders unwanted electrode movement during the electrode fixation step and seals the burr hole, while the protective electrode covering protects the electrode under the titanium microplate which keeps the electrode in a permanent position. The described technique further has the advantage of being cosmetically acceptable to the human patient, and furthermore it perfectly adapts to the smaller and irregular-shaped skull in experimental animals. The described technique has clinically been used to implant DBS-electrodes in the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson disease and is the preferred DBS-electrode anchoring technique for our experimental DBS-studies in the Göttingen minipig. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]