Neurosurgery Research
Neurosurgery research at Allegheny General is conducted under the auspice of the Neurosciences Center, the Comprehensive Center for the Management of Epilepsy, the Center for Cranial Nerve Disorders, the AGH Shock/Trauma Program, and the Western Pennsylvania Institute for Cerebrovascular Disease.
Research initiatives include:
Cranial Nerve Disorders
- Relationship of left cranial nerve and brainstem compression to essential hypertension
- Relationship of right cranial nerve and brainstem compression to Type II diabetes
- Sympathetically Mediated Cardiomyopathy and Cranial Nerve Compression
- The Hypoplastic Posterior Fossa Syndrome
Trama/Critical Care
- Timing of survical decompression after spinal cord injury
- Comparison of MRI and CT in determining the degree of spinal cord narrowing and spinal cord compression after spinal cord injury
- Megadose steroids for severe head injury
- Effects of hypothermia on the cerebral microcirculation
- Cervical spine clearance in multitraumatized patients
- Efficacy and safety of an NMDA subunit antagonist in patients with severe head injury
- Decompressive craniectomy and outcome after severe head injury
- Pafase in the treatment of severe sepsis
- The Allegheny County Head and Spinal Cord Injury Surveillance Project in Children
- Lifetime followup head and spinal cord injured patients
Spine Research
- Disc rejuvenation
- Disc replacement
- Percutaneous disc treatments
- Promotion of spinal fusion with bone morphogenic protein and external stimulators
- Anterior laparoscopic lumbar interbody fusion
- Biomechanics and properties of new bioabsorbable spine implants
- Endoscopic vs. open posterior cervical foraminotomy
Cerebrovascular Research
- Noninvasive determination of cerebral blood flow using brain pH, PO2, PCO2, GLU probes
- Pharmacologic strategies for cerebral protection from ischemic neuronal injury
- Mechanism of cellular derangement in ischemia
- MRI spectroscopy and sodium shyts related to alterations in cerebral blood flow
Critical Care Research
- PTFASE effects on motality from severe sepsis
- Prophylactic antiobiotics for the insertion of ventriculostomy catheters
- Treatment of ARDS
Outcome Studies
- Effects of standardization of management of severe head injury on outcomes and costs of care
- Efficacy of THINK FIRST for Kids program, a national injury prevention program
- Treatment of spinal stenosis
- Treatment of lumbar disc disease
Electrophysiology Research
- Unity of somatosensory evoked potential monitoring during intracranial aneurysm surgery
- Prognostic value of evoked potentials in cervical myelopathy
- Utility of evoked EMGs in placement of pedicle screws
Neurosciences Research
- Sound bridge implantable hearing devices
- Clinical and cost utility of temporal bone scans in head trauma
- Hearing results of intratympanic steroids in endolymphatic hydrops
- Brainstem implant for hearing restoration in NF2 patients
- Effects of hypoclycemia on cerebral blood flow and cognitive function in children and young adults with diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis patient database
- Safety and efficacy of gabitril as adjunctive treatment to non-hepatic, enzyme-producing, anti-epileptic drugs for partial seizures
- Safety, efficacy and tolerability of several medications to treat migraine headaches
- Efficacy and safety of IV clomethizole in patients with acute ischemic stroke or acute intracerebral hemorrhage
- Photosensitization model of intractable epilepsy
Functional Research
- The effect of deep brain stimulation on morbid obesity
- Vagal nerve stimulation for depression
- Vagal nerve stimulation for migraine headaches
- Deep brain stimulation in a model of obsessive-compulsive disorders
Neurogenetics Research
- The genetic substrates of craniofacial disorders
- Genetic up-and-down regulations after neurotrauma and ischemia
- Genetic substrates of tumor malignancy and survival
Cranial nerve Disorders
General Research
- Endoscopy for the treatment of posterior fossa vascular compression syndrome
- Transcillary approach to the anterior cranial fossa
- Quantification of pituitary dysfunction after subarachnoid hemorrhage and head injury
- Bioactive shunt system
- Wireless web-based information systems and image transfer
- Wireless web-based registry/database management
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