The 4th Advanced Seminar in Neurosurgical Research was held on May 17th-18th, 1989 in the Abbey of Praglia, a XIIth century Benedictine Monastery, near Padua, Italy, and was devoted to "Neurosurgical Aspects of Epilepsy". The general aim of these Advanced Seminars is to bring together European Neurosurgeons interested or involved in research, either clinically, experimentally or both, in a given field in order to achieve in-depth informal discussions not possible in the more conventional large congress. In particular, these Advanced Seminars seek to provide high level teaching by experienced...

25 years have passed since a small group met for the First International Symposia on Brain Edema in Vienna. Subsequent Symposia were held in Mainz, Montreal, Berlin, Groningen, Tokyo and Baltimore. During this time we have witnessed a virtual explosion of the number of publications in this field and our basic and clinical understanding of this disease process has increased tremendously. Our meetings have always been a landmark to take stock of our experience so far and to provide perspectives toward future developments. In addition, it always was a good opportunity to renew old friendship and...

A multidisciplinary overview of techniques for monitoring acute head trauma patients is given in this book. It includes neuroimaging procedures (TCD, MRI, SPECT) and multiple neurophysiological approaches: EEG, videomonitoring and integrated computer systems with clinical applications. Results that have been obtained by using new drugs to protect the brain as well as progress made in recovering techniques are emphasized. The long-term consequences of acute lesions are also discussed. The relationship between acute and long-term seizures is studied in posttraumatic epilepsy cases, and the...

Language and Speech has been selected for the Fifth Convention of the Academia Eurasiana Neurochirurgica as a topic closely related to neurosurgery but also to philosophy, art, culture and humanity and treated by various experts of the field of this interdisciplinary subject. The volume has a certain structure: Language is evaluated as a tool of the Homo Artis in the introduction, which is followed by chapters focusing the language in history, in linguistics, as well as in music and that of the animals. In the next part speech is dealt with as a physiological process. It is followed by...

Great progress has been made in the understanding and prevention of secondary brain damage from acute cerebral disorders, such as trauma and ischemia. Advances may be concerned in particular with better organization and logistics of preclinical emergency care, including rapid arrival of well-trained medical staff on the scene of an accident and of transportation to a competent hospital. Nevertheless, it is a safe assumption that development of secondary brain damage from both intra- and extracranial causes still represents a major factor for the final outcome in severe head injury. Thus,...

Until recently, monitoring of cerebral blood flow and metabolism was an unattained goal. Determination of cerebral blood flow was limited to intermittent measurements and particularly difficult to perform in critically ill patients. Meanwhile there are techniques available, however, to monitor cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygenation, both globally and regionally. Therefore we thought it worthwhile to discuss these new continuous techniques and to compare them with well-known techniques which discontinuously measure CBF. For that purpose, an international workshop with some leading...

This volume is an up-to-date report on progress in the understanding of brain edema, with a spectrum reaching from most recent molecularbiological findings to respective clinical developments. Major topics deal with (a) the blood-parenchymal cell border under normal and pathological conditions causing brain edema, (b) neuron-glial interactions and their disturbances in tissue damage, (c) formation, propagation and resolution of brain edema, and finally (d) treatment of vasogenic and cytotoxic brain edema. In the basic science approaches emphasis is given to newly discovered molecules, such as...

Radiosurgery is a rapidly developing form of minimally invasive neurosurgery. Selected papers from the first meeting of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society in Stockholm, June 1993, reflect current multidisciplinary approaches to difficult intracranial neurosurgical problems. Neurosurgeons, radiotherapists, oncologists, radiobiologists, physicists and representatives of several other clinical disciplines inform about the state-of-the-art of radiosurgical treatment of a multitude of intracranial problems such as arteriovenous malformations, pituitary and pineal tumors,...

During the last few years stereotactic radiosurgery has become a partner of equal rank within the discipline of neurosurgery. Today it is regarded as being of the same importance as microsurgery and endovascular neurosurgery, branches which have also progressed rapidly in recent years. Breakthrough success, however, requires a combined effort of all partners involved. The editors have brought together leading experts in the fields of neurosurgery, neuroradiology, neurology, neuropathology, neuroanatomy, radiation oncology, and biophysics to discuss indications and therapeutic strategies in...

"Modem Neurosurgery of Meningiomas and Pituitary Adenomas" presents the state-of-the-art of neurosurgery for these two types of tumors. Following a classification of the pituitary adenomas according to pathology, molecular biological factors are presented and their effects evaluated as these aspects deepen our understanding of the growth and further expansion of these tumors. The diagnosis is made not only by a study of the hormonal status, but also by neuroradiology. A number of authors have devoted their efforts to the special problem groups such as the elderly patients and those with huge...