Introduction: Frame-based stereotactic biopsy is well-established to play an essential role in neurosurgery. In recent years, different robotic devices have been introduced in neurosurgery centers. This study aimed to compare the SINO surgical robot-assisted frameless brain biopsy with standard frame-based stereotactic biopsy in terms of efficacy, accuracy and complications.Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 151 consecutive patients who underwent stereotactic biopsy at Chongqing Sanbo Jiangling Hospital between August 2017 and December 2021. All patients were divided into the frame-based group (n = 47) and the SINO surgical robot-assisted group (n = 104). The data collected included clinical characteristics, diagnostic yield, operation times, accuracy, and postoperative complications.Results: There was no significant difference in diagnostic yield between the frame-based group and the SINO surgical robot-assisted group (95.74 vs. 98.08%, p > 0.05). The mean operation time in the SINO surgical robot-assisted group was significantly shorter than in the frame-based group (29.36 ± 13.64 vs. 50.57 ± 41.08 min). The entry point error in the frame-based group was significantly higher than in the robot-assisted group [1.33 ± 0.40 mm (0.47–2.30) vs. 0.92 ± 0.27 mm (0.35–1.65), P < 0.001]. The target point error in the frame-based group was also significantly higher than in the robot-assisted group [1.63 ± 0.41 mm (0.74–2.65) vs. 1.10 ± 0.30 mm (0.69–2.03), P < 0.001]. Finally, there was no significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups.Conclusion: Robot-assisted brain biopsy becomes an increasingly mainstream tool in the neurosurgical procedure. The SINO surgical robot-assisted platform is as efficient, accurate and safe as standard frame-based stereotactic biopsy and provides a reasonable alternative to stereotactic biopsy in neurosurgery.

Objectives: This retrospective cohort study investigated the clinical characteristics and seizure outcomes of patients aged 1–14 years with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) who were treated by different typologies of therapy. Methods: Four hundred and eighteen children with DRE were recruited from Sanbo Brain Hospital of Capital Medical University from April 2008 to February 2015. The patients were divided into three groups: medication (n = 134, 32.06%), resection surgery (n = 185, 44.26%), and palliative surgery (n = 99, 23.68%) groups. Demographic characteristics were attained from medical records. All patients were followed up for at least 5 years, with seizure outcomes classified according to International League Against Epilepsy criteria. The psychological outcome was evaluated with the development quotient and Wechsler Intelligence Quotient Scale for children (Chinese version). Results: The most frequent seizure type was generalized tonic seizure in 53.83% of patients. Age at seizure onset in 54.55% of patients was <3 years. The most frequent etiologies were focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). West syndrome was the most common epilepsy syndrome. Favorable seizure outcomes at the 5-year follow-up in the medication, resection surgery, and palliative surgery groups were 5.22%, 77.30%, and 14.14%, respectively. The patients showed varying degrees of improvement in terms of developmental and intellectual outcomes post-treatment. Conclusions: Pediatric patients with DRE were characterized by frequent seizures, a variety of seizure types, and complex etiology. Recurrent seizures severely affected the cognitive function and development of children. Early surgical intervention would be beneficial for seizure control and prevention of mental retardation. Palliative surgery was also a reasonable option for patients who were not suitable candidates for resection surgery.

Objective: To determine the predictors and the long-term outcomes of patients with seizures following surgery for dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNTs); Methods: Clinical data were collected from medical records of consecutive patients of the Department of Neurosurgery of Sanbo Brain Hospital of Capital Medical University with a pathological diagnosis of DNT and who underwent surgery from January 2008 to July 2021. All patients were followed up after surgery for at least one year. We estimated the cumulative rate of seizure recurrence-free and generated survival curves. A log-rank (Mantel–Cox) test and a Cox proportional hazard model were performed for univariate and multivariate analysis to analyze influential predictors; Results: 63 patients (33 males and 30 females) were included in this study. At the final follow-up, 49 patients (77.8%) were seizure-free. The cumulative rate of seizure recurrence-free was 82.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 71.8–91.3%), 79.0% (95% CI 67.8–88.6%) and 76.5% (95% CI 64.8–87.0%) at 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively. The mean time for seizure recurrence-free was 6.892 ± 0.501 years (95% CI 5.91–7.87). Gross total removal of the tumor and a short epilepsy duration were significant predictors of seizure freedom. Younger age of seizure onset, bilateral interictal epileptiform discharges, and MRI type 3 tumors were risk factors for poor prognosis; Conclusions: A favorable long-term seizure outcome was observed for patients with DNT after surgical resection. Predictor analysis could effectively guide the clinical work and evaluate the prognosis of patients with DNT associated with epilepsy.

This study analyzes the global burden of primary liver cancer among young adults (15-49 years) from 1990 to 2021, revealing a 46.0% rise in incidence and 59.0% increase in prevalence, yet declining age-standardized mortality (Estimated Annual Percentage Change-EAPC = -1.27). Middle-SDI regions faced the highest burden, with East Asia accounting for 66,472 prevalent cases and stark national disparities (e.g., Mongolia ASR = 1846.83/100,000 vs. Morocco ASR = 16.73). Population growth drove 42.8-47.8% of case increases, while metabolic risks and alcohol use (surpassing smoking in 2021) emerged as dominant factors. Males showed a 3.5-fold higher smoking-related risk than females. Deaths rose notably among those ≥30 years, with a 20.6% increase in 30-34-year-olds, signaling earlier onset. A shift from hepatitis B to metabolic/behavioral risks underscores evolving etiology. Projections suggest 133,561 cases by 2050, urging prioritized early screening and equitable resource allocation beyond traditional viral hepatitis frameworks.

Invasive vagus nerve stimulation paired with rehabilitation improves upper-limb recovery after ischemic stroke, but clinical evidence after intracerebral hemorrhage remains limited. We evaluated the feasibility, safety, and descriptive functional signal of invasive vagus nerve stimulation-paired rehabilitation in chronic intracerebral hemorrhage. Twelve participants with chronic upper-limb motor dysfunction after intracerebral hemorrhage underwent left cervical invasive vagus nerve stimulation implantation followed by 6 weeks of supervised in-clinic rehabilitation and 90 days of home-based rehabilitation. The primary outcome was change in Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity from baseline to day 1 after inclinic rehabilitation. Secondary and exploratory outcomes included Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity change on day 90, Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity subscores, modified Ashworth scale scores, quality of life, safety, and exploratory positron emission tomography/computed tomography and arterial spin labeling findings. All participants completed follow-up. Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity increased from 23.50 ± 15.63 points at baseline to 27.58 ± 17.15 on day 1, with a mean change of 4.08 ± 3.48 points ( P = 0.002). On day 90, Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity was 27.75 ± 17.23 points, with a mean change of 4.25 ± 3.60 points from baseline. Six participants reached the minimal clinically important difference threshold on days 1 and 90. No serious perioperative complications were observed in this small cohort. Exploratory imaging in two participants showed postoperative changes in metabolic and perfusion ratios within cortical-subcortical motor-network regions. Invasive vagus nerve stimulation-paired rehabilitation was feasible and had an acceptable safety profile in this pilot intracerebral hemorrhage cohort, with a descriptive signal of upper-limb functional improvement. This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT07736573).