Patients with Parkinsonism have a progressive disorder requiring substantial expertise to manage effectively.

Over a six-year period we evaluated physician utilization and related costs for a large, unselected cohort of 15,304 Parkinsonian patients from the general population, comparing them to 30,608 age- and sex-matched controls within a universal health care system in Ontario, Canada.

On average, 45% of Parkinsonian patients saw neurologists annually. The cumulative rate of at least one neurological consultation was only 59.5% over the six years. Patients aged <65 had a much greater likelihood of consulting a neurologist (73.3%) compared to those ≥65 (37.2%). Most Parkinsonian patients (97.2%), regardless of age, saw family physicians/general practitioners each year; 50.4% saw internal medicine consultants.

Parkinsonian patients had increased likelihood of utilizing neurologists, primary care physicians and internists compared to controls; related costs of physicians’ services were higher. Further research is necessary to evaluate differences in outcomes and costs between neurologists and other physician service providers.

A systematic review of the evidence pertaining to methylprednisolone infusion following acute spinal cord injury was conducted in order to address the persistent confusion about the utility of this treatment.

A committee of neurosurgical and orthopedic spine specialists, emergency physicians and physiatrists engaged in active clinical practice conducted an electronic database search for articles about acute spinal cord injuries and steroids, from January 1, 1966 to April 2001, that was supplemented by a manual search of reference lists, requests for unpublished additional information, translations of foreign language references and study protocols from the author of a Cochrane systematic review and Pharmacia Inc. The evidence was graded and recommendations were developed by consensus.

One hundred and fifty-seven citations that specifically addressed spinal cord injuries and methylprednisolone were retrieved and 64 reviewed. Recommendations were based on one Cochrane systematic review, six Level I clinical studies and seven Level II clinical studies that addressed changes in neurological function and complications following methylprednisolone therapy.

There is insufficient evidence to support the use of high-dose methylprednisolone within eight hours following an acute closed spinal cord injury as a treatment standard or as a guideline for treatment. Methylprednisolone, prescribed as a bolus intravenous infusion of 30 mg per kilogram of body weight over fifteen minutes within eight hours of closed spinal cord injury, followed 45 minutes later by an infusion of 5.4 mg per kilogram of bodyweight per hour for 23 hours, is only a treatment option for which there is weak clinical evidence (Level I- to II-1). There is insufficient evidence to support extending methylprednisolone infusion beyond 23 hours if chosen as a treatment option.

To determine the practice patterns for methylprednisolone administration for patients with acute spinal cord injury (SCI) within the spinal surgery community across Canada, and the reasons behind these patterns.

Canadian neurological and orthopedic spine surgeons were surveyed at their respective annual meetings with a questionnaire asking seven questions with respect to their practice standards.

Sixty surgeons completed the survey representing approximately two-thirds of surgeons treating acute SCI within Canada. The NASCIS III dosing regimen is the most commonly prescribed steroid protocol. However, one-quarter of surgeons do not administer steroids at all. Of those who administer methylprednisolone, most do so because of peer pressure or out of fear of litigation.

The vast majority of spine surgeons in Canada either do not prescribe methylprednisolone for acute SCI, or do so for what might be considered the wrong reasons. These results demonstrate the need for an evidence-based practice guideline. The Candian Spine Society and the Canadian Neurosurgical Society fully endorse the recommendations of the steroid task force (see preceding paper).

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) compared to fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (FSRT) for meningiomas treated over a seven year period.

Of the 53 patients (15 male and 38 female) with 63 meningiomas, 35 were treated with SRS and the 18 patients with tumors adjacent to critical structures or with large tumors were treated with FSRT. The median doses for the SRS and the FSRT groups were 1400 cGy (500- 4500 cGy) and 5400 cGy (4000-6000 cGy) respectively. Median target volumes for SRS and FSRT were 6.8 ml and 8.8 ml respectively. The median follow-up for the SRS and FSRT groups were 38 months (4.1-97 months) and 30.5 months (6.0-63 months) respectively.

The five-year tumor control probability (TC) for benign versus atypical meningiomas were 92.7% vs. 31% (P=.006). The three-year TC were 92.7% vs. 93.3% for SRS vs. FSRT groups respectively (P=.62). For benign meningiomas, the three-year TC were 92.9% vs. 92.3% for the SRS group (29 patients) vs. FSRT group (14 patients) respectively (P=.77). Two patients in the SRS group and one in the FSRT group developed late complications.

Preliminary data suggest that SRS is a safe and effective treatment for patients with benign meningiomas. Fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy with conventional fractionation appeared to be an effective and safe treatment alternative for patients not appropriate for SRS. A longer follow-up is required to determine the long-term efficacy and the toxicity of these treatment modalities.

Outpatient surgery saves the risk of nosocomial complications and health care dollars. Patients undergoing lumbar microsurgical discectomy are excellent candidates for outpatient surgery. The object of this study was to examine the feasibility of performing lumbar microdiscectomy on an outpatient protocol and to examine the potential savings associated with such a protocol.

From February 1997 to September, 2001, 122 consecutive patients of the senior author were entered into a protocol of outpatient lumbar microdiscectomy. Only elective cases were considered for this study. Patients were excluded if they had significant co-morbidities, lived a significant distance out of town, or if their surgery was scheduled too late in the day. Success was defined as discharge home from the day-surgery unit approximately four hours after surgery.

During the study period, 150 elective lumbar microdiscectomies were performed. Twenty-four patients were excluded based on the above criteria and four patients requested not to participate in the study. Of the remaining 122, 116 successfully completed the protocol (95.1%). Six patients were admitted from the day surgery unit; two patients with dural tears and four patients with anaesthetic side-effects. No patient was readmitted to hospital after discharge and no complications of early discharge were observed. There was a total reduction in hospitalization of 1.2 nights per elective procedure considering the 150 patients, when compared with the hospitalization times prior to outpatient lumbar microdiscectomy.

Lumbar microdiscectomy can be performed safely as an outpatient procedure, resulting in a substantial reduction in hospitalization times.

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a neurologic syndrome of unknown etiology, characterized by features of low cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) pressure, postural headache and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities.

Four symptomatic cases of SIH presented to our institution over a six-month period. Magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed in all four cases. Diagnostic lumbar puncture was done in all except one case.

All of the patients on whom lumbar punctures were performed demonstrated low CSF pressure and CSF protein elevation with negative cultures and cytology. Three out of the four patients exhibited MRI findings of diffuse spinal and intracranial pachymeningeal gadolinium enhancement and extradural or subdural fluid collections. One patient had no MRI abnormalities despite prominent postural headache and reduced CSF pressure at lumbar puncture. All patients recovered with intravenous fluids and conservative treatment.

Magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities are found in most, but not all patients, with SIH. Cerebral spinal fluid abnormalities can be detected even in patients with normal MRI studies. It is important to recognize the variability of imaging results in this usually benign disorder.

For the conduct of controlled clinical trials, epidemiologic surveys or even of medical practice of varieties of peripheral neuropathy, the usefulness, error rate and cost-effectiveness of scannable case-report forms has not been studied. Materials and

The overall performance, the frequency of the problems identified and corrected, and the time saved from use of a standard paper case report form was evaluated in multicenter treatment trials, single center epidemiologic surveys and in our neurologic practice. The paper case report form (Clinical Neuropathy Assessment [CNA]) for pen entry at study medical centers for patient, disease and demographic information (Lower Limb Function [LLF] and Neuropathy Impairment Score [NIS]) can be faxed to a core Reading and Quality Assurance Center where the form and data is electronically and interactively evaluated and corrected, if needed, by participating medical centers before electronic entry into database.

1) The approach provides a standard, scannable paper case report form for pen entry of neuropathy symptoms, impairments and disability at the bedside or in the office which is retained as a source document at the participating medical center but a facsimile can be transferred instantaneously, its data can be programmed, interactively evaluated, modified and stored while maintaining an audit trail; 2) it allowed efficient and accurate reading, transfer, analysis, and storage of data of more than 15,000 forms used in multicenter trials; 3) in 500 consecutive CNA evaluations, software programs identified and facilitated interactive corrections of omissions, discrepancies, and disease and study inconsistencies, introducing only a few readily identified and corrected entry errors; and 4) use of programmed, as compared to non-programmed assessment, was more accurate than double keyboard entry of data and was approximately five times faster.

Cancer immunogene therapy is based on vaccination with radiated, autologous tumor cells transduced with immunostimulatory genes. To help determine an optimal glioma immunogene therapy strategy, we stimulated lymphocytes with autologous human glioma cells transduced with B7-2 (CD86), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and/or interleukin-12 (IL12).

A human glioma-derived cell culture (Ed147.BT) was transduced with B7-2, GM-CSF, and/or IL12 using retroviral vectors. Autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were co-cultured with irradiated gene-transduced tumor alone or a combination of radiated wild type and gene-transduced cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells proliferation was determined by serial cell counts. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells phenotype was assessed by flow cytometry for CD4, CD8, and CD16. Anti-tumor cytotoxicity was determined by chromium-51 (51Cr) release assay.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells cell numbers all decreased during primary stimulation but tumor cells expressing B7-2 or GM-CSF consistently caused secondary proliferation. Tumors expressing B7-2 and GM-CSF or B7-2, GM-CSF, and IL12 consistently increased PBMC CD8+ (cytotoxic T) and CD16+ (natural killer) percentages. Interestingly, anti-tumor cytotoxicity only exceeded that of PBMC stimulated with wild type tumor alone when peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with both wild type tumor and B7-2/GM-CSF- (but not IL12) transduced cells.

PBMC proliferation and phenotype is altered as expected by exposure to immunostimulatory gene-transduced tumor. However, transduced tumor cells alone do not stimulate greater anti-tumor cytotoxicity than wild type tumor. Only B7-2/GM-CSF-transduced cells combined with wild type produced increased cytotoxicity. This may reflect selection of tumor subclones with limited antigenic spectra during retrovirus-mediated gene transfer.

Pneumocephalus can be a cause of headache, but is easily overlooked in some clinical circumstances.

A 35-year-old woman developed severe headache of abrupt onset during an epidural blood patch procedure done for a post-lumbar puncture headache. A brain CT scan showed subarachnoid air even though there was no evidence of a dural puncture having occurred during the procedure.

The experience of our patient, and a review of the literature suggests that air injected into the epidural space during use of the “loss of resistance” technique can enter the subarachnoid space if a dural puncture site from a previous lumbar puncture is present.

Pneumocephalus should be considered as a potential cause for a severe headache occurring in association with epidural procedures, and also in a number of other clinical settings. Use of a high inspired air oxygen concentration can hasten absorption of an intracranial air collection.