Shift in electrocorticography electrode locations after surgical implantation in children

Interpreting electrocorticography (ECoG) in the context of neuroimaging requires that multimodal information be integrated accurately. However, the implantation of ECoG electrodes can shift the brain impacting the spatial interpretation of electrode locations in the context of pre-implant imaging. We characterized the amount of shift in ECoG electrode locations immediately after implant in a pediatric population. Electrode-shift was quantified as the difference in the electrode locations immediately after surgery (via post-operation CT) compared to the brain surface before the operation (pre-implant T1 MRI). A total of 1140 ECoG contracts were assessed across 18 patients ranging from 3 to 19 (12.1 ± 4.8) years of age who underwent intracranial monitoring in preparation for epilepsy resection surgery. Patients had an average of 63 channels assessed with an average of 5.64 ± 3.27 mm shift from the pre-implant brain surface within 24 h of implant. This shift significantly increased with estimated intracranial volume, but not age. Shift also varied significantly depending of the lobe the contact was over; where contacts on the temporal and frontal lobe had less shift than the parietal. Furthermore, contacts on strips had significantly less shift than those on grids. The shift in the brain surface due to ECoG implantation could lead to a misinterpretation of contact location particularly in patients with larger intracranial volume and for grid contacts over the parietal lobes

Biomechanical And Endplate Effects On Nutrient Transport In The Intervertebral Disc

Background Physical data are lacking on nutrient transport in human intervertebral discs (IVDs), which support regeneration. Our objective was to study nutrient transport in porcine IVDs to determine the effects of biomechanical and physiological factors. Methods In vitro testing of whole porcine IVDs was performed under different loading conditions. Fifty cervical, thoracic, and lumbar discs with attached end plates were removed from 4 Yorkshire pigs (90–150 lbs). Discs were placed in Safranin O or Fast Green FCF histological stains in diffusion or diurnal compression-tested groups. The end plate was studied by the use of polyurethane to block it. Traction was studied with a mechanical testing frame. Discs were cut transversely and photographed. Images were analyzed for depth of annulus fibrosus (AF) stained. The nucleus pulposus (NP) was assigned a staining score. Results Results showed no difference in AF staining between the 2 stains (P = 0.60). The depth of AF staining did not increase (P = 0.60) due to convection or disc height change via diurnal loading. The NP in all open end plate samples was stained completely by day 3. NP staining was decreased in blocked end plate samples (P = 0.07) and AF staining was significantly less in traction samples than in diffusion-only samples (P = 0.04). Conclusions This method showed that most small molecule nutrient transport occurs via the end plate. Compressive load was a negligible benefit or hindrance to transport. Traction hindered transport in the short term. This method can be used to study strategies for increasing nutrient transport in IVDs