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David W Roberts

Publications and source records attributed to David W Roberts.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Displacement estimation with co-registered ultrasound for image guided neurosurgery: a quantitative in vivo porcine study.

Brain shift during open cranial surgery presents a challenge for maintaining registration with image-guidance systems. Ultrasound (US) is a convenient intraoperative imaging modality that may be a useful tool in detecting tissue shift and updating preoperative images based on intraoperative measurements of brain deformation. We have quantitatively evaluated the ability of spatially tracked freehand US to detect displacement of implanted markers in a series of three in vivo porcine experiments, where both US and computed tomography (CT) image acquisitions were obtained before and after deforming the brain. Marker displacements ranged from 0.5 to 8.5 mm. Comparisons between CT and US measurements showed a mean target localization error of 1.5 mm, and a mean vector error for displacement of 1.1 mm. Mean error in the magnitude of displacement was 0.6 mm. For one of the animals studied, the US data was used in conjunction with a biomechanical model to nonrigidly re-register a baseline CT to the deformed brain. The mean error between the actual and deformed CT's was found to be on average 1.2 and 1.9 mm at the marker locations depending on the extent of the deformation induced. These findings indicate the potential accuracy in coregistered freehand US displacement tracking in brain tissue and suggest that the resulting information can be used to drive a modeling re-registration strategy to comparable levels of agreement.

Algorithms↗

Effect of high-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on subthalamic neurons: an intracellular study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The precise mechanism of action of deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and epilepsy is unknown. In the present study, the intracellular effects on STN neurons following high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of STN were examined to test the hypothesis that HFS results in either an increase or a decrease in neuronal action potential generation. METHODS: Intracellular electrophysiological recordings were made in the rat STN neurons in in vitro slice preparations. A concentric bipolar stimulating electrode was placed in the STN, and electrical stimulation (duration, 100-2000 ms; amplitude, 10-500 microA, and frequency, 10-200 Hz) was delivered while simultaneously recording intracellularly from a STN neuron using a sharp electrode. RESULTS: HFS of STN resulted in the generation of excitatory postsynaptic potentials and an increase in action potential firing during the stimulation period followed by a period of poststimulation inhibition of firing in STN neurons. The degree of increase in action potentials from HFS was critically dependent on the frequency of electrical stimulation, i.e. at approximately 100-140 Hz, maximal increase was obtained, but at 200 Hz, the activity was blocked. Interestingly, the duration of poststimulation inhibition of firing was dependent on the duration of stimulation, i.e. the longer the HFS, the longer the inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the mechanism of action of deep brain stimulation involves initial excitation followed by later inhibition of STN neurons at a cellular level rather than primary inhibition, as previously hypothesized.

Action Potentials↗

A noncontacting 3-D digitizer for use in image-guided neurosurgery.

Current neuronavigational systems face two primary challenges: (1) automatic and robust registration between preoperative images and the operating room space, and (2) compensation for brain deformations that compromise the accuracy of the initial registration. To contend with these difficulties, we firstly estimate the three-dimensional (3-D) structure of the cortical surface using a noncontacting 3-D digitizer. This 3-D structure is then used to establish the initial registration, and to update the preoperative MR volume as the brain deforms. We show that this approach improves the accuracy of registration in a phantom study, and demonstrate the ability to capture cortical motion in six clinical cases.

Cerebral Cortex↗

Does asymmetric basal ganglia or thalamic activation aid in seizure foci lateralization on ictal SPECT studies?

UNLABELLED: Basal ganglia or thalamic activation has been reported in ictal SPECT studies of patients with intractable epilepsy. We hypothesized that lateralization of activation of these subcortical structures may aid in the lateralization of seizure foci in patients in whom the cortical focus is subtle or equivocal. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 72 ictal (99m)Tc-ethylcysteinate dimer SPECT studies in 43 patients with intractable epilepsy in whom seizure laterality could be eventually determined. All patients underwent video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring, MRI, and one or more ictal SPECT scans as well as an interictal SPECT scan. Intracranial electrode EEG monitoring and surgery were performed as clinically indicated. Ictal and interictal studies were coregistered with patients' MRI scans using automated software, and ictal minus interictal subtraction images were obtained. The presence of asymmetric basal ganglia or thalamic activation was determined by 2 experienced observers who were unaware of clinical information. The final seizure focus was determined by surgical cure in 37 patients. In patients in whom surgery was not indicated or initial surgery was performed at another institution (n = 6), a consistent focus detected by intracranial electrode monitoring or repeated stereotypical seizures all originating from the same site on video-surface EEG monitoring was considered to indicate the final seizure focus. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients had neocortical seizures and 8 had mesial temporal lobe seizures. Asymmetric basal ganglia activation was seen in 22 (30.6%) studies. This activation was ipsilateral to the final determined seizure focus in 17 of 22 of these studies (77.3%) and contralateral in 5 of 22 (21.7%). Asymmetric thalamic activation was seen in 15 studies (20.8%), of which 12 of 15 (80%) were ipsilateral to the final seizure focus, whereas 3 of 15 (20%) were contralateral. In 3 of 5 studies with contralateral basal ganglia activation and 1 of 3 studies with contralateral thalamic activation, the SPECT study as a whole was found to be falsely localizing. In another 2 cases of contralateral subcortical activation, the SPECT study as a whole was considered nonlocalizing. Worse outcome was not observed in patients with false ictal SPECT subcortical lateralization; however, the presence of asymmetric subcortical uptake, regardless of relationship to seizure focus, was associated with decreased incidence of seizures at 1 y after surgery. CONCLUSION: Although asymmetric basal ganglia or thalamic activation is common, it is rarely the sole indicator of seizure localization. However, it may be a useful confirmatory sign in subtle cases of cortical localization. In cases of false ictal SPECT subcortical lateralization, the basal ganglia appear to follow cortical activation pattern. Furthermore, there appears to be a correlation between lateralizing uptake in subcortical structures on ictal SPECT and postsurgical outcome in intractable epilepsy patients.

Adult↗

A validated liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry assay for cis-amminedichloro(2-methylpyridine)platinum(II) in human plasma ultrafiltrate.

The clinical use of platinum drugs as anticancer agents has encountered problems when relating pharmacokinetic profiles with efficacy and toxicity is attempted. This has been mainly due to the lack of specific and sensitive analytical methodology to examine concentrations of the unbound drug in plasma. The presence of a carbocyclic ring on the new drug, cis-amminedichloro(2-methylpyridine)platinum(II) (ZD0473) suggested that it would be possible to develop the first stable isotope dilution LC/MS assay for a platinum drug in human plasma ultrafiltrate samples. The dichloro form of the drug exists in equilibrium with at least two aquated forms in plasma. The molecular form of the drug, therefore, depends on the length of time that the plasma sample is maintained at room temperature before freezing. Therefore, we have developed a method that quantitatively converts the aquated species back to the dichloro form of the parent drug so that a single molecular species can be analyzed. Selected reaction monitoring was performed on the transition of m/z 393 [M + NH4]+ to m/z 304 [M + NH4 -NH3 - 2 x HCl]- for ZD0473, and m/z 400 [M + NH4]+ to m/z 310 [M + NH4 - NH3 - HCl - 2HCl]+ for [2H7]ZD0473. The standard curves were fitted to a quadratic regression over the range from 10 to 5000 ng/mL in human plasma ultrafiltrate. The lower limit of quantitation for ZD0473 was 10 ng/mL for 100 microL of plasma ultrafiltrate. This simple, rapid, reliable, and sensitive method of quantitation had excellent accuracy and precision. The method provided adequate sensitivity for the analysis of plasma ultrafiltrate samples from a phase II study in which ZD0473 was administered to patients as an intravenous infusion at a dose of 150 mg/m2.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

In vivo quantification of retraction deformation modeling for updated image-guidance during neurosurgery.

The use of coregistered preoperative anatomical scans to provide navigational information in the operating room has greatly benefited the field of neurosurgery. Nonetheless, it has been widely acknowledged that significant errors between the operating field and the preoperative images are generated as surgery progresses. Quantification of tissue shift can be accomplished with volumetric intraoperative imaging; however, more functional, lower cost alternative solutions to this challenge are desirable. We are developing the strategy of exploiting a computational model driven by sparse data obtained from intraoperative ultrasound and cortical surface tracking to warp preoperative images to reflect the current state of the operating field. This paper presents an initial quantification of the predictive capability of the current model to computationally capture tissue deformation during retraction in the porcine brain. Performance validation is achieved through comparisons of displacement and pressure predictions to experimental measurements obtained from computed tomographic images and pressure sensor recordings. Group results are based upon a generalized set of boundary conditions for four subjects that, on average, account for at least 75% of tissue motion generated during interhemispheric retraction. Individualized boundary conditions can improve the degree of data-model match by 10% or more but warrant further study. Overall, the level of quantitative agreement achieved in these experiments is encouraging for updating preoperative images to reflect tissue deformation resulting from retraction, especially since model improvements are likely as a result of the intraoperative constraints that can be applied through sparse data collection.

Animals↗