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The complications anticipated in the postoperative period after surgical resection of lateral ventricular neoplasms (LVN) are hemorrhage, hydrocephalus. At the N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgery Center, 48 patients with LVN underwent surgical resection. We focused on the correlation between approaches to the ventricular system on one hand and the extent of resection and incidence of complications on the other based on anatomical and perfusion characteristics estimated via preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with arterial spin labeling perfusion. By eliminating the surgical approach as a potential risk factor, we were able to demonstrate the correlation between the frequency of postoperative hemorrhage, the Evans index value, patient's gender, tumor blood flow (nTBF) and the location of the mass in the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle. The risk of hemorrhage depends on the patient's gender, presence of hydrocephalus, location of the mass and tumor blood flow values. The risk increases along with increase in Evance index and nTBF values.

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In 1783, Alexander Monro secundus maintained that because the brain is enclosed in a case of bone and its substance is nearly incompressible, the quantity of blood within the head must be the same, or very nearly the same, at all times. Years later, this hypothesis was experimentally supported by George Kellie, and became known as the Monro-Kellie doctrine. However, this doctrine encountered resistance. Its reviewers have agreed to point out the historically understandable error of not having considered the CSF as a normal intracranial volume. Yet, almost nothing has been published about some of the physiological, pathophysiological, and therapeutic ideas prevailing at that time that may have influenced Monro's hypothesis. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it is not clear why Monro, who knew the ventricular system in detail, did not include it as a potential compensatory compartment for changes in the intracranial blood volume.

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In vivo estimation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) velocity is crucial for understanding the glymphatic system and its potential role in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Current cardiac or respiratory-gated approaches, such as 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cannot capture CSF movement in real time because of limited temporal resolution and, in addition, deteriorate in accuracy at low fluid velocities. Other techniques like real-time phase-contrast-MRI or time-spatial labeling inversion pulse are not limited by temporal averaging but have limited availability, even in research settings. This study aims to quantify the inflow effect of dynamic CSF motion on functional MRI (fMRI) for in vivo, real-time measurement of CSF flow velocity. We considered linear and nonlinear models of velocity waveforms and empirically fit them to fMRI data from a controlled flow experiment. To assess the utility of this methodology in human data, CSF flow velocities were computed from fMRI data acquired in eight healthy volunteers. Breath-holding regimens were used to amplify CSF flow oscillations. Our experimental flow study revealed that CSF velocity is nonlinearly related to inflow effect-mediated signal increase and well estimated using an extension of a previous nonlinear framework. Using this relationship, we recovered velocity from in vivo fMRI signal, demonstrating the potential of our approach for estimating CSF flow velocity in the human brain. This novel method could serve as an alternative approach to quantifying slow flow velocities in real time, such as CSF flow in the ventricular system, thereby providing valuable insights into the glymphatic system's function and its implications for neurological disorders.

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The European Choroid plexus Scientific Forum (ECSF), held in Heidelberg, Germany between the 7th and 9th of November 2023, involved 21 speakers from eight countries. ECSF focused on discussing cutting-edge fundamental and medical research related to the development and functions of the choroid plexus and its implications for health, aging, and disease, including choroid plexus tumors. In addition to new findings in this expanding field, innovative approaches, animal models and 3D in vitro models were showcased to encourage further investigation into choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid roles.

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AIMS: To determine the prevalence of dilated ventricles and concomitant high blood glucose measures. METHODS: We retrieved blood glucose measures from the emergency department database and selected a subgroup of individuals having both the radiological marker Evans' index (EI) values and blood glucose measures. RESULTS: Out of 1221 consecutive patients submitted to axial Computed Tomography scans, a blood glucose measure was detected in 841 individuals. 176 scans (21 %) showed an EI > 0.30. According to the blood glucose categorization, diabetic patients were 104 (12 %), 25 of them (24 %) were dilated (mean EI 0.33). The age difference between dilated and not-dilated ventricles is about ten years in not-diabetic participants, whereas it is five years in diabetic participants. The age difference between dilated and not-dilated ventricles is about 10 years in diabetic men, whereas it zero in diabetic women. CONCLUSIONS: Pathological ventricular enlargement is more frequent in men and in the elderly. In diabetic patients (especially women), the cerebral ventricles enlarge faster than in non-diabetic individuals. Age, sex, and diabetes may interact in determining how cerebral ventricle size changes over time, especially in diabetic women, making routine brain imaging advisable in these patients after the age of 70 years.

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BACKGROUND/AIM: Intraventricular cerebral metastases (IVCM) are a rare but clinically significant subset of brain metastases. This systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of IVCM by synthesizing current literature on epidemiology, clinical presentation, imaging features, pathophysiology, and treatment options. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted, identifying 11 relevant studies encompassing 11 studies encompassing 842 IVCM cases. Data regarding primary tumor origins, patient demographics, presenting symptoms, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: IVCM cases displayed a diverse range of primary tumor origins, with the kidney (27.4%), thyroid (21.6%), lung (19.8%), colon (11.7%), melanoma (8.4%), and breast ductal carcinoma (7.9%) being common sources. Patients presented with a wide spectrum of symptoms, including headaches (42.3%), nausea (31.5%), altered mental status (25.7%), neurological deficits (18.2%), and others. Treatment approaches varied, encompassing surgical resection (41.2%), radiation therapy (32.5%), chemotherapy (15.3%), and immunotherapy (7.9%). Overall survival was generally limited, with a mean duration of approximately 10.3 months (±8.7 months). The time to recurrence after treatment exhibited considerable variability. CONCLUSION: IVCM represents a challenging and underexplored metastatic disease. This systematic review underscores the need for further research to enhance our understanding of IVCM's pathophysiology and develop tailored diagnostic and treatment approaches. Such efforts are crucial to improving outcomes and the overall quality of life for patients facing this complex condition. The multidisciplinary nature of IVCM management, involving neurologists, neurosurgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and other healthcare professionals, is emphasized as essential for individualized patient care.

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Point-of-care brain ultrasound and transcranial doppler or color-coded doppler is being increasingly used as an essential diagnostic and monitoring tool at the bedside of critically ill neonates and children. Brain ultrasound has already established as a cornerstone of daily practice in the management of the critically ill newborn for diagnosis and follow-up of the most common brain diseases, considering the easiness to insonate the brain through transfontanellar window. In critically ill children, doppler based techniques are used to assess cerebral hemodynamics in acute brain injury and recommended for screening patients suffering from sickle cell disease at risk for stroke. However, more evidence is needed regarding the accuracy of doppler based techniques for non-invasive estimation of cerebral perfusion pressure and intracranial pressure, as well as regarding the accuracy of brain ultrasound for diagnosis and monitoring of acute brain parenchyma alterations in children. This review is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview for clinicians of the technical, anatomical, and physiological basics for brain ultrasonography and transcranial doppler or color-coded doppler, and of the current status and future perspectives of their clinical applications in critically ill neonates and children. CONCLUSION: In critically ill neonates, brain ultrasound for diagnosis and follow-up of the most common cerebral pathologies of the neonatal period may be considered the standard of care. Data are needed about the possible role of doppler techniques for the assessment of cerebral perfusion and vasoreactivity of the critically ill neonate with open fontanelles. In pediatric critical care, doppler based techniques should be routinely adopted to assess and monitor cerebral hemodynamics. New technologies and more evidence are needed to improve the accuracy of brain ultrasound for the assessment of brain parenchyma of critically ill children with fibrous fontanelles. WHAT IS KNOWN: • In critically ill neonates, brain ultrasound for early diagnosis and follow-up of the most common cerebral and neurovascular pathologies of the neonatal period is a cornerstone of daily practice. In critically ill children, doppler-based techniques are more routinely used to assess cerebral hemodynamics and autoregulation after acute brain injury and to screen patients at risk for vasospasm or stroke (e.g., sickle cell diseases, right-to-left shunts). WHAT IS NEW: • In critically ill neonates, research is currently focusing on the use of novel high frequency probes, even higher than 10 MHz, especially for extremely preterm babies. Furthermore, data are needed about the role of doppler based techniques for the assessment of cerebral perfusion and vasoreactivity of the critically ill neonate with open fontanelles, also integrated with a non-invasive assessment of brain oxygenation. In pediatric critical care, new technologies should be developed to improve the accuracy of brain ultrasound for the assessment of brain parenchyma of critically ill children with fibrous fontanelles. Furthermore, large multicenter studies are needed to clarify role and accuracy of doppler-based techniques to assess cerebral perfusion pressure and its changes after treatment interventions.

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In vivo estimation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) velocity is crucial for understanding the glymphatic system and its potential role in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Current cardiac or respiratory gated approaches, such as 4D flow MRI, cannot capture CSF movement in real time due to limited temporal resolution and in addition deteriorate in accuracy at low fluid velocities. Other techniques like real-time PC-MRI or time-spatial labeling inversion pulse are not limited by temporal averaging but have limited availability even in research settings. This study aims to quantify the inflow effect of dynamic CSF motion on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for in vivo, real-time measurement of CSF flow velocity. We considered linear and nonlinear models of velocity waveforms and empirically fit them to fMRI data from a controlled flow experiment. To assess the utility of this methodology in human data, CSF flow velocities were computed from fMRI data acquired in eight healthy volunteers. Breath holding regimens were used to amplify CSF flow oscillations. Our experimental flow study revealed that CSF velocity is nonlinearly related to inflow effect-mediated signal increase and well estimated using an extension of a previous nonlinear framework. Using this relationship, we recovered velocity from in vivo fMRI signal, demonstrating the potential of our approach for estimating CSF flow velocity in the human brain. This novel method could serve as an alternative approach to quantifying slow flow velocities in real time, such as CSF flow in the ventricular system, thereby providing valuable insights into the glymphatic system's function and its implications for neurological disorders.

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Introduction: The automatic segmentation of brain parenchyma and cerebrospinal fluid-filled spaces such as the ventricular system is the first step for quantitative and qualitative analysis of brain CT data. For clinical practice and especially for diagnostics, it is crucial that such a method is robust to anatomical variability and pathological changes such as (hemorrhagic or neoplastic) lesions and chronic defects. This study investigates the increase in overall robustness of a deep learning algorithm that is gained by adding hemorrhage training data to an otherwise normal training cohort. Methods: A 2D U-Net is trained on subjects with normal appearing brain anatomy. In a second experiment the training data includes additional subjects with brain hemorrhage on image data of the RSNA Brain CT Hemorrhage Challenge with custom reference segmentations. The resulting networks are evaluated on normal and hemorrhage test casesseparately, and on an independent test set of patients with brain tumors of the publicly available GLIS-RT dataset. Results: Adding data with hemorrhage to the training set significantly improves the segmentation performance over an algorithm trained exclusively on normally appearing data, not only in the hemorrhage test set but also in the tumor test set. The performance on normally appearing data is stable. Overall, the improved algorithm achieves median Dice scores of 0.98 (parenchyma), 0.91 (left ventricle), 0.90 (right ventricle), 0.81 (third ventricle), and 0.80 (fourth ventricle) on the hemorrhage test set. On the tumor test set, the median Dice scores are 0.96 (parenchyma), 0.90 (left ventricle), 0.90 (right ventricle), 0.75 (third ventricle), and 0.73 (fourth ventricle). Conclusion: Training on an extended data set that includes pathologies is crucial and significantly increases the overall robustness of a segmentation algorithm for brain parenchyma and ventricular system in CT data, also for anomalies completely unseen during training. Extension of the training set to include other diseases may further improve the generalizability of the algorithm.

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Background: For patients of primary brainstem hemorrhage (PBH), it is crucial to find a method that can quickly and accurately predict the correlation between status of consciousness and PBH. Objective: To analyze the value of computer tomography (CT) signs in combination with artificial intelligence (AI) technique in predicting the correlation between status of consciousness and PBH. Methods: A total of 120 patients with PBH were enrolled from August 2011 to March 2021 according to the criteria. Patients were divided into three groups [consciousness, minimally conscious state (MCS) and coma] based on the status of consciousness. Then, first, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation test were used on the factors: gender, age, stages of intracerebral hemorrhage, CT signs with AI or radiology physicians, hemorrhage involving the midbrain or ventricular system. We collected hemorrhage volumes and mean CT values with AI. Second, those significant factors were screened out by the Mann-Whitney U test and those highly or moderately correlated by Spearman's rank correlation test, and a further ordinal multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to find independent predictors of the status of consciousness. At last, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to calculate the hemorrhage volume for predictively assessing the status of consciousness. Results: Preliminary meaningful variables include hemorrhage involving the midbrain or ventricular system, hemorrhage volume, grade of hematoma shape and density, and CT value from Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation test. It is further shown by ordinal multinomial logistic regression analysis that hemorrhage volume and hemorrhage involving the ventricular system are two major predictors of the status of consciousness. It showed from ROC that the hemorrhage volumes of <3.040 mL, 3.040 ~ 6.225 mL and >6.225 mL correspond to consciousness, MCS or coma, respectively. If the hemorrhage volume is the same, hemorrhage involving the ventricular system should be correlated with more severe disorders of consciousness (DOC). Conclusion: CT signs combined with AI can predict the correlation between status of consciousness and PBH. Hemorrhage volume and hemorrhage involving the ventricular system are two independent factors, with hemorrhage volume in particular reaching quantitative predictions.

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Ring-shaped lateral ventricular nodules (RSLVN) are small and round nodules attached on the ependyma of lateral ventricles with unknown nature. They are considered "leave me alone lesions" and differential diagnosis includes subependymal grey matter heterotopia, subependymomas, subependymal hamartomas, and subependymal giant cell astrocytomas. In this short article, we report imaging findings of RSLNVs discovered in five patients, underlining the pivotal role of neuroimaging in the diagnostic path.

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Introducción: Debido a la necesidad de un diagnóstico precoz de los trastornos neurodegenerativos, se ha intentado armonizar los criterios diagnósticos mediante métodos morfométricos basados en técnicas de neuroimagen, pero aún no se han obtenido resultados concluyentes. Objetivo: Determinar el volumen ventricular debido a su amplio uso como marcador de atrofia cerebral e identificar el efecto del sexo sobre estas estructuras, según el tipo de cráneo, estimado a partir de técnicas de imagen de tomografía computarizada multicorte. Métodos: Se desarrolló un estudio observacional y descriptivo en 30 sujetos con funciones neurocognitivas y exploración neuropsiquiátrica normales, con edades comprendidas entre 45 y 54 años, a los que se les realizó una tomografía computarizada multicorte simple de cráneo. Se utilizó un método de segmentación de imágenes basado en la homogeneidad. Resultados: Los volúmenes ventriculares mostraron una correlación significativa y positiva entre ellos, excepto entre el tercer y cuarto ventrículo y el tercero y el volumen ventricular derecho. Los estadísticos del modelo lineal multivariante aplicado mostraron que sólo eran significativos en función del sexo y del tipo de cráneo. No se encontraron diferencias significativas con respecto al sexo en ningún volumen, excepto en el tercer ventrículo (p= 0,01). Lo mismo ocurrió por tipo de cráneo (p= 0,005). Conclusiones: El método de morfometría del sistema ventricular encefálico a partir de imágenes de Tomografía Computarizada / Segmentación por homogeneidad, permitió cuantificar los cambios volumétricos cerebrales asociados al envejecimiento normal y puede ser utilizado como biomarcador de la relación entre la estructura cerebral y las funciones cognitivas(AU)

Introduction: Due to the need for an early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders, attempts have been made to harmonize diagnostic criteria using morphometric methods based on neuroimaging techniques, but conclusive results have not yet been obtained. Objective: To determine the ventricular volume due to its wide use as a marker of cerebral atrophy and to identify the effect of sex on these structures, according to the type of skull, estimated from multislice computed tomography imaging techniques. Methods: An observational and descriptive study was developed in 30 subjects with normal neurocognitive functions and neuropsychiatric examination, aged between 45 and 54 years, who underwent a simple multislice CT scan of the skull. An image segmentation method based on homogeneity was used. Results: The ventricular volumes showed a significant and positive correlation between them, except between the third and fourth ventricles and the third and the right ventricular volume. The statistics in the multivariate linear model applied showed that they were only significant in terms of sex and type of skull. No significant differences were found regarding sex in any volume except in the third ventricle (p= 0.01). The same occurred by type of skull (p= 0.005). Conclusions: The morphometry method of the encephalic ventricular system from Computed Tomography images / Segmentation by homogeneity, allowed to quantify the cerebral volumetric changes associated with normal aging and can be used as a biomarker of the relationship between brain structure and cognitive functions(AU)

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The history of research concerning ependymal cells is reviewed. Cilia were identified along the surface of the cerebral ventricles c1835. Numerous anatomical and histopathological studies in the late 1800's showed irregularities in the ependymal surface that were thought to be indicative of specific pathologies such as syphilis; this was subsequently disproven. The evolution of thoughts about functions of cilia, the possible role of ependyma in the brain-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, and the relationship of ependyma to the subventricular zone germinal cells is discussed. How advances in light and electron microscopy and cell culture contributed to our understanding of the ependyma is described. Discoveries of the supraependymal serotoninergic axon network and supraependymal macrophages are recounted. Finally, the consequences of loss of ependymal cells from different regions of the central nervous system are considered.

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Foxl2 plays conserved central function in ovarian differentiation and maintenance in several fish species. However, its expression pattern and function in fish embryogenesis are still largely unknown. In this study, we first presented a sequential expression pattern of zebrafish foxl2a and foxl2b during embryo development. They were predominantly expressed in the cranial paraxial mesoderm (CPM) and cranial venous vasculature (CVV) during somitogenesis and subsequently expressed in the pharyngeal arches after 48 h post-fertilization (hpf). Then, we compared the brain structures among zebrafish wildtype (WT) and three homozygous foxl2 mutants (foxl2a-/-, foxl2b-/- and foxl2a-/-;foxl2b-/-) and found the reduction of the fourth ventricle in the three foxl2 mutants, especially in foxl2a-/-;foxl2b-/- mutant. Finally, we detected several key transcription factors involved in the gene regulatory network of midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB) patterning, such as wnt1, en1b and pax2a. Their expression levels were obviously downregulated in MHB of foxl2a-/- and foxl2a-/-;foxl2b-/- mutants. Thus, we suggest that Foxl2a and Foxl2b are involved in MHB and the fourth ventricle development in zebrafish. The current study provides insights into the molecular mechanism underlying development of brain ventricular system.

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In order for our complex nervous system to develop normally, both precise spatial and temporal regulation of a number of different signaling pathways is critical. During both early embryogenesis and in organ development, one pathway that has been repeatedly implicated is the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway. The paralogs YAP and TAZ are transcriptional co-activators that play an important role in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and organ growth. Regulation of these proteins by the Hippo kinase cascade is therefore important for normal development. In this article, we review the growing field of research surrounding the role of Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling in normal and atypical brain development. Starting from the development of the neural tube to the development and refinement of the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and ventricular system, we address the typical role of these transcriptional co-activators, the functional consequences that manipulation of YAP/TAZ and their upstream regulators have on brain development, and where further research may be of benefit.

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The aim of this study was to identify early radiological signs of secondary hydrocephalus. We retrieved neuroradiological data from scans performed at various times in patients who underwent surgery for secondary hydrocephalus due to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), or brain tumour (BT). Baseline measurements, performed on the earliest images acquired after the neurological event (T0), included Evans' index, the distance between frontal horns, and the widths of both temporal horns. The next neuroimage that showed an increase in at least one of these four parameters­and that lead the surgeon to act­was selected as an indication of ventricular enlargement (T1). Comparisons of T0 and T1 neuroimages showed increases in Evans' index, in the mean frontal horn distance, and in the mean right and left temporal horn widths. Interestingly, in T1 scans, mean Evans' index scores > 0.30 were only observed in patients with BT. However, the temporal horn widths increased up to ten-fold in most patients, independent of Evans' index scores. In conclusion temporal horn enlargements were the earliest, most sensitive findings in predicting ventricular enlargement secondary to TBI, SAH, or BT. To anticipate a secondary hydrocephalus radiological diagnosis, clinicians should measure both Evans' index and the temporal horn widths, to avoid severe disability and poor outcome related to temporal lobe damage.

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Brain tumor location is an important factor determining the functional state after brain tumor surgery. We assessed the functional state and course of rehabilitation of patients undergoing surgery for brain tumors and assessed the location-dependent risk of loss of basic motor skills and the time needed for improvement after surgery. There were 835 patients who underwent operations, and 139 (16.6%) required rehabilitation during the inpatient stay. Karnofsky Performance Scale, Barthel Index, and the modified Rankin scale were used to assess functional status, whereas Gait Index was used to assess gait efficiency. Motor skills, overall length of stay (LOS) in hospital, and LOS after surgery were recorded. Patients were classified into four groups: cerebral hemisphere (CH), ventricular system (VS), and cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors; and a control group not requiring rehabilitation. VS tumor patients had the lowest scores in all domains compared with the other groups before surgery (p < 0.001). Their performance further deteriorated after surgery and by the day of discharge. They most often required long-lasting postoperative rehabilitation and had the longest LOS (35 days). Operation was most often required for CH tumors (77.7%), and all metrics and LOS parameters were better in these patients (p < 0.001). Patients with CPA tumors had the best outcomes (p < 0.001). Most patients (83.4%) with brain tumors did not require specialized rehabilitation, and LOS after surgery in the control group was on average 5.1 days after surgery. VS tumor patients represent a rehabilitation challenge. Postoperative rehabilitation planning must take the tumor site and preoperative condition into account.

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A metronomic mechanism for the duration control of ontogenetic cycle periods of an animal is proposed. The components of the proposed metronomic system include the ventricular system of the brain, planet Earth as a generator of metronomic signals, and temporal DNA (tDNA) as a substrate that is epigenetically marked to measure elapsed time of ontogenesis. The metronomic system generates repetitive signals in the form of hydrodynamic disturbances in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The metronomic effect arises due to the superposition of two processes - the near-wall unidirectional flow of CSF and oscillations in the movement of the planet. Hydrodynamic impacts of the metronome are transformed into nerve impulses that initiate epigenetic modification of tDNA in neurons, changing the content of factors expressed by this DNA for innervated targets of the body. The duration of ontogenetic cycle periods, including duration of the adult life, depends on the rate of addition of epigenetic marks to tDNA. This rate depends mainly on the frequency of the metronomic signals used by each particular species. But epigenetic modifications can also be influenced by factors that modulate metabolism and the rate of chromatin modifications, such as a calorie-restricted diet.

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