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Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience :... Sep 2020Several neuroablative procedures are available for severe and treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but limited knowledge about their relative... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Several neuroablative procedures are available for severe and treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but limited knowledge about their relative clinical advantages and disadvantages poses obstacles for treatment decision-making.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Knowledge and the Cochrane Library for reports up to February 2019. We reviewed the literature on the effectiveness (assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale [Y-BOCS]) and safety of various neuroablative interventions for severe and treatment-resistant OCD.
RESULTS
We included 23 studies involving 487 patients in the systematic review; 21 studies with 459 patients entered meta-analysis. Overall, neuroablation achieved a response rate (proportion of patients with ≥ 35% reduction in Y-BOCS) of 55%. Most of the adverse events (88.4%) were mild and transient. The top 3 adverse events were headache (14.9%), cognitive deficits (9.1%) and behaviour problems (8.1%). Severe or permanent adverse events included personality changes (2.3%) and brain edema or brain cyst (1.5%). The response rates associated with capsulotomy, limbic leucotomy and cingulotomy were 59% (95% confidence interval [CI] 54-65), 47% (95% CI 23-72) and 36% (95% CI 23-50), respectively. Interventions with different coverages of the dorsal part of the internal capsule were associated with different adverse-event profiles but were unlikely to modify clinical effectiveness.
LIMITATIONS
The level of evidence of most included studies was relatively low.
CONCLUSION
Ablative surgeries are safe and effective for a large proportion of patients with severe and treatment-resistant OCD. Among the available procedures, capsulotomy seemed to be the most effective. Further research is needed to improve clinical effectiveness and minimize risks.
Topics: Humans; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Psychosurgery; Radiofrequency Ablation
PubMed: 32549057
DOI: 10.1503/jpn.190079 -
Child's Nervous System : ChNS :... Jan 2021Atonic seizures are associated with a particularly poor response to medical treatment. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
Atonic seizures are associated with a particularly poor response to medical treatment. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of corpus callosotomy (CC) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in the management of atonic seizures in the pediatric population.
METHODS
A literature search was performed in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and recommendations, focusing on atonic seizures, CC, and VNS in pediatric populations. Pertinent clinical data were extracted and analyzed. Pooled effects between groups were calculated as standardized error (SE) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). To assess for statistical significance, the Z-test was performed, using the pooled effect size (ES) and 95% CI for each intervention.
RESULTS
A total of 31 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 24 studies encompassing 425 children treated with CC and 7 studies encompassing 108 children treated with VNS. Twenty-four studies were included in a meta-analysis. There was a statistically significant difference in the primary outcome of atonic seizure control in favor of CC (overall effect size (ES) 0.73, 95% CI 0.69-0.77 for CC, ES 0.4, 95% CI 0.28-0.51 for VNS, p = 0.003). There was a higher rate of complications requiring reoperation in the CC cohort (6.6% vs. 3.8%) and a 14% rate of symptomatic disconnection syndrome.
CONCLUSIONS
While both techniques are safe, CC provides a much higher chance of effectively managing this morbid seizure type albeit with a higher risk of re-operation and disconnection syndrome.
Topics: Child; Cohort Studies; Corpus Callosum; Humans; Psychosurgery; Seizures; Treatment Outcome; Vagus Nerve Stimulation
PubMed: 32529546
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-020-04698-0 -
Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience :... Nov 2020Psychiatric surgery, including deep brain stimulation and stereotactic ablation, is an important treatment option in severe refractory psychiatric illness. Several large...
BACKGROUND
Psychiatric surgery, including deep brain stimulation and stereotactic ablation, is an important treatment option in severe refractory psychiatric illness. Several large trials have demonstrated response rates of approximately 50%, underscoring the need to identify and select responders preoperatively. Recent advances in neuroimaging have brought this possibility into focus. We systematically reviewed the psychiatric surgery neuroimaging literature to assess the current state of evidence for preoperative imaging predictors of response.
METHODS
We performed this study in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) frameworks, and preregistered it using PROSPERO. We systematically searched the Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases for studies reporting preoperative neuroimaging analyses correlated with clinical outcomes in patients who underwent psychiatric surgery. We recorded and synthesized the methodological details, imaging results and clinical correlations from these studies.
RESULTS
After removing duplicates, the search yielded 8388 unique articles, of which 7 met the inclusion criteria. The included articles were published between 2001 and 2018 and reported on the outcomes of 101 unique patients. Of the 6 studies that reported significant findings, all identified clusters of hypermetabolism, hyperconnectivity or increased size in the frontostriatal limbic circuitry.
LIMITATIONS
The included studies were few and highly varied, spanning 2 decades.
CONCLUSION
Although few studies have analyzed preoperative imaging for predictors of response to psychiatric surgery, we found consistency among the reported results: most studies implicated overactivity in the frontostriatal limbic network as being correlated with clinical response. Larger prospective studies are needed.
REGISTRATION
www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=131151.
Topics: Deep Brain Stimulation; Humans; Mental Disorders; Neuroimaging; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Preoperative Care; Psychosurgery; Radiofrequency Ablation; Stereotaxic Techniques
PubMed: 32293838
DOI: 10.1503/jpn.190208 -
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B Nov 2019Temporal lobectomy with amygdalohippocampectomy is the standard surgical treatment for appropriate candidates with medically-intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. More...
OBJECT
Temporal lobectomy with amygdalohippocampectomy is the standard surgical treatment for appropriate candidates with medically-intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. More recently, because of the risk of postoperative language/memory decline in a subset of patients with intact memory, a multiple hippocampal transection (MHT) approach has been proposed to preserve function.
METHODS
Studies of MHT reporting both Engel and verbal memory outcome measures were included in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for reporting of systematic reviews. Data were extracted on verbal memory function pre- and postoperatively, seizure outcome, and demographic factors. A random effects model was used to determine overall verbal memory function after MHT, and a meta-regression model was applied to identify factors associated with outcome.
RESULTS
A total of 114 patients across five studies were included. Engel class I seizure outcome across all studies ranged from 64.7% to 94.7%, with 84 of the 114 patients achieving this outcome. Preoperative verbal memory score was most strongly associated with postoperative verbal memory preservation (p = 0.003). Of 59 patients with full verbal memory outcome scores, 86.8% (95% CI [confidence interval]: 77.6%-96%) had complete preservation of verbal memory relative to preoperative functional baseline.
CONCLUSION
Multiple hippocampal transection is an evolving surgical technique. Although the present data are limited, the current systematic review suggests that this approach is effective at preserving verbal memory in patients with good baseline function. Although reasonable seizure outcomes have been reported with MHT, comparison to a well-established procedure such as temporal lobectomy and amydalohippocampectomy must be guided by further evidence.
Topics: Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; Hemispherectomy; Hippocampus; Humans; Memory Disorders; Neurosurgical Procedures; Postoperative Complications; Psychosurgery; Seizures; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 31654940
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.106496 -
Epilepsy Research Aug 2019RCTs are the gold standard in determining intervention efficacy with journal impact factor assumed to index research quality. Flint et al's (2017) systematic review...
PURPOSE
RCTs are the gold standard in determining intervention efficacy with journal impact factor assumed to index research quality. Flint et al's (2017) systematic review examined neurocognitive outcomes following paediatric temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. Retrieved evidence was restricted to non-RCTs, which pose greater risk of bias and thus diminish research quality. The current study evaluated risk of bias in sources retrieved by Flint et al. and explored whether impact factor related to research quality within this selected field.
METHODS
Methodological and reporting bias was evaluated using categories of bias specified by Cochrane. The relationship between the identified number of biases and journal impact factors of retrieved sources was examined.
RESULTS
All studies carried substantial risk for bias. Methodology bias included low sample size (76.71%; 56/73), risk of confounding cognitive outcomes due to failure to report pre-surgery neurocognitive data (21.92%; 16/73) and to determine whether patients were prescribed antiepileptic drugs at follow-up (53.42%; 39/73). Reporting bias included overstating claims based on findings (53.42%; 39/73), failure to report individual patient characteristics (66%; 33/50) and omitting the nature of surgical interventions (15.07%; 11/73). The number of sources of common bias within studies was not associated significantly with journal impact factor (p = .878).
CONCLUSION
This evaluation highlights risk of bias when sources are predominantly uncontrolled non-RCTs and provides evidence that journal impact factor is not a reliable indicator of quality within this field. Authors should limit bias in their methods and reporting of results, to ensure the highest quality evidence possible is used to inform treatment decisions and prognosis.
Topics: Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; Humans; Mental Status and Dementia Tests; Neurocognitive Disorders; Psychosurgery; Qualitative Research; Retrospective Studies; Temporal Lobe; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 31125839
DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2019.03.013 -
Neurosurgery Mar 2019Surgical site infections (SSIs) after spine and brain surgery present a major burden to patients and hospitals by increasing morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Surgical site infections (SSIs) after spine and brain surgery present a major burden to patients and hospitals by increasing morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.
OBJECTIVE
To review available literature investigating the role of intrawound powdered vancomycin against SSIs after neurosurgical operations.
METHODS
All randomized and observational English language studies of intrawound powdered vancomycin use in spinal and cranial surgery were included and analyzed using random-effects modeling.
RESULTS
In spine surgery (25 studies with 16 369 patients), patients in the vancomycin group had a significantly lower risk for any SSI (odds ratio [OR]: 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.30-0.57; P < .001; I2 = 47%). However, when separate analyses were conducted for superficial and deep SSIs, a significant difference was found only for deep (OR: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.22-0.45; P < .001; I2 = 29%). Subgroup analyses for different vancomycin powder dosages (1 g vs 2 g vs composite dose) did not point to any dose-related effect of vancomycin. In cranial surgery (6 studies with 1777 patients), use of vancomycin was associated with a significantly lower risk for SSIs (OR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.18-0.60; P = .0003; I2 = 45%). In meta-regression analysis, trial-level variability of diabetes had no influence on the association of vancomycin powder use with SSIs.
CONCLUSION
Use of vancomycin powder in spinal and cranial surgery might be protective against SSIs, especially against deep SSIs. No dose-related effect of vancomycin powder was identified. However, caution is needed in the clinical interpretation of these results, owing to the observational design of the included studies in this meta-analysis.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Humans; Neurosurgical Procedures; Observational Studies as Topic; Powders; Psychosurgery; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Spine; Stereotaxic Techniques; Surgical Wound Infection; Vancomycin
PubMed: 29982615
DOI: 10.1093/neuros/nyy288 -
Journal of Neurosurgery Jan 2016OBJECT The object of this study was to perform a systematic review, according to Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Agency... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECT The object of this study was to perform a systematic review, according to Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) guidelines, of the clinical efficacy and adverse effect profile of dorsal anterior cingulotomy compared with anterior capsulotomy for the treatment of severe, refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHODS The authors included studies comparing objective clinical measures before and after cingulotomy or capsulotomy (surgical and radiosurgical) in patients with OCD. Only papers reporting the most current follow-up data for each group of investigators were included. Studies reporting results on patients undergoing one or more procedures other than cingulotomy or capsulotomy were excluded. Case reports and studies with a mean follow-up shorter than 12 months were excluded. Clinical response was defined in terms of a change in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score. The authors searched MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge through October 2013. English and non-English articles and abstracts were reviewed. RESULTS Ten studies involving 193 participants evaluated the length of follow-up, change in the Y-BOCS score, and postoperative adverse events (AEs) after cingulotomy (n = 2 studies, n = 81 participants) or capsulotomy (n = 8 studies, n = 112 participants). The average time to the last follow-up was 47 months for cingulotomy and 60 months for capsulotomy. The mean reduction in the Y-BOCS score at 12 months' follow-up was 37% for cingulotomy and 55% for capsulotomy. At the last follow-up, the mean reduction in Y-BOCS score was 37% for cingulotomy and 57% for capsulotomy. The average full response rate to cingulotomy at the last follow-up was 41% (range 38%-47%, n = 2 studies, n = 51 participants), and to capsulotomy was 54% (range 37%-80%, n = 5 studies, n = 50 participants). The rate of transient AEs was 14.3% across cingulotomy studies (n = 116 procedures) and 56.2% across capsulotomy studies (n = 112 procedures). The rate of serious or permanent AEs was 5.2% across cingulotomy studies and 21.4% across capsulotomy studies. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review of the literature supports the efficacy of both dorsal anterior cingulotomy and anterior capsulotomy in this highly treatment-refractory population. The observational nature of available data limits the ability to directly compare these procedures. Controlled or head-to-head studies are necessary to identify differences in efficacy or AEs and may lead to the individualization of treatment recommendations.
Topics: Drug Resistance; Gyrus Cinguli; Humans; Internal Capsule; Neurosurgical Procedures; Observational Studies as Topic; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Psychosurgery
PubMed: 26252455
DOI: 10.3171/2015.1.JNS14681 -
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B Oct 2015Atonic seizures are debilitating and poorly controlled with antiepileptic medications. Two surgical options are primarily used to treat medically refractory atonic... (Review)
Review
Atonic seizures are debilitating and poorly controlled with antiepileptic medications. Two surgical options are primarily used to treat medically refractory atonic seizures: corpus callosotomy (CC) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). However, given the uncertainty regarding relative efficacy and surgical complications, the best approach for affected patients is unclear. The PubMed database was queried for all articles describing the treatment of atonic seizures and drop attacks with either corpus callosotomy or VNS. Rates of seizure freedom, >50% reduction in seizure frequency, and complications were compared across the two patient groups. Patients were significantly more likely to achieve a >50% reduction in seizure frequency with CC versus VNS (85.6% versus 57.6%; RR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.1). Adverse events were more common with VNS, though typically mild (e.g., 22% hoarseness and voice changes), compared with CC, where the most common complication was the disconnection syndrome (13.2%). Both CC and VNS are well tolerated for the treatment of refractory atonic seizures. Existing studies suggest that CC is potentially more effective than VNS in reducing seizure frequency, though a direct study comparing these techniques is required before a definitive conclusion can be reached.
Topics: Corpus Callosum; Epilepsy, Generalized; Humans; Psychosurgery; Syncope; Vagus Nerve Stimulation
PubMed: 26247311
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.06.001 -
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry Jul 2015Surgical therapies for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), such as deep brain stimulation or psychosurgery, remain unattainable for many patients.... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Surgical therapies for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), such as deep brain stimulation or psychosurgery, remain unattainable for many patients. Despite the long-held view that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an ineffective treatment for OCD, there is no systematic review to support or refute this claim, which is the basis of the current review.
DATA SOURCES
A systematic search of MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and LILACS databases was conducted on December 22, 2013, using the terms obsessive-compulsive disorder and electroconvulsive therapy. Reference lists, specific journals, and clinical trial registries were also scrutinized. No date or language limitation was imposed on the search.
STUDY SELECTION
After irrelevant and redundant records from the 500 identified titles were excluded, the 50 articles reporting the acute treatment effects of ECT in OCD and related constructs (involving a total of 279 patients) were analyzed for this study.
DATA EXTRACTION
The relevant sociodemographic, clinical, and outcome data of individual cases were extracted. Data from individual cases were used to compare the characteristics of responders versus nonresponders to ECT.
RESULTS
Most selected records were case reports/series; there were no randomized controlled trials. A positive response was reported in 60.4% of the 265 cases in which individual responses to ECT were available. ECT responders exhibited a significantly later onset of OCD symptoms (P = .003), were more frequently nondepressed (P = .009), more commonly reported being treated with ECT for severe OCD (P = .01), and received a fewer number of ECT sessions (P = .03). ECT responders were also less frequently previously treated with adequate trials of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (P = .05) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (P = .005).
CONCLUSIONS
Although 60% of the reported cases reviewed exhibited some form of a positive response to ECT, it cannot be stated that this provides evidence that ECT is indeed effective for OCD.
Topics: Electroconvulsive Therapy; Humans; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 25844888
DOI: 10.4088/JCP.14r09129 -
Acta Neurochirurgica Jan 2015We reported our experience in the surgical treatment of a relatively large cohort of patients with occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE). We also carried out a systematic review... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
We reported our experience in the surgical treatment of a relatively large cohort of patients with occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE). We also carried out a systematic review of the literature on OLE.
METHODS
Thirty-five consecutive patients who underwent occipital resection for epilepsy were included. Diagnoses were made following presurgical evaluations, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), scalp video-electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring, and intracranial EEG monitoring. At last follow-up, seizure outcome was classified using the Engel classification scheme.
RESULTS
Twenty-five of 35 patients experienced/had experienced ≥1 type of aura before the seizure. Invasive recordings were used to define the epileptogenic area in 30 of 35 patients (85.7 %). All patients underwent occipital lesionectomies or topectomies. Histopathology revealed: cortical dysplasias, gliosis, dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor, ganglioglioma, and tuberous sclerosis. After a mean follow-up of 44 months, 25 patients (71.4 %) were seizure free (Engel class I), 3 (8.6 %) rarely had seizures (Engel class II), 5 (14.3 %) improved more than 75 % (Engel class III), and 2 (5.7 %) had no significant improvement (Engel class IV). Preoperatively, 12 of 33 patients (36.4 %) had visual field deficits. Postoperatively, 25 patients (75.8 %) had new or aggravated visual field deficits.
CONCLUSIONS
The management of OLE has been aided greatly by the availability of high-resolution diagnosis. Postoperative visual field deficits occur in a significant proportion of patients. Comprehensive intracranial EEG coverage of all occipital surfaces helps to define the epileptogenic area and preserve visual function, especially in cases of focal cortical dysplasia undetectable by MRI.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Brain Neoplasms; Child; Child, Preschool; Electroencephalography; Epilepsies, Partial; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Ganglioglioma; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Malformations of Cortical Development; Middle Aged; Positron-Emission Tomography; Psychosurgery; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 25278241
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-014-2217-3