Clinical Research Directory

Real Time Craniotomy Planning Using Mixed Reality

This study is a prospective observational study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Brainlab's Mixed Reality Viewer in enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of preoperative craniotomy planning. The study will be conducted at a single site with two enrollment groups. Group 1 has a target enrollment of 38 subjects. Group 2 has a target enrollment of 16 subjects. By observing the device's use during standard surgical procedures, we can accurately measure its impact on incision planning accuracy, time efficiency, and overall ease of use compared to traditional neuronavigation systems. This design allows for the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data, providing a robust assessment of the Mixed Reality Viewer's potential to enhance surgical outcome

DEXmedetomidine for Postoperative Analgesia and Delirium Prevention After NEUROsurgery (DEX-NEURO Trial)

Post-craniotomy pain is common and often undertreated. Inadequate analgesia can lead to patient discomfort and higher opioid consumption, which may result in respiratory depression, sedation risks and impaired neurological assessment in the early postoperative period. The incidence of post-operative delirium after intracranial surgery was 19%, ranging from 12 to 26% caused by variation in clinical features and delirium assessment methods1. It is associated with increased morbidity, longer length of hospital stay, and harm to self or staffs. Dexmedetomidine (Precedex) is a highly selective α2-adrenergic agonist with the properties of analgesia, sedative, anxiolytic and neuroprotection without significant respiratory depression. Most of the trials administered a loading dose of 0.5-1.0 μg/kg intravenous dexmedetomidine over 10 minutes followed by infusion dose 0.2-0.7 μg/kg/hour. The use of intraoperative dexmedetomidine is believed to reduce the usage of postoperative opioids where frequent neurological assessment is often required in neurosurgical patients. Beyond the benefit of analgesia, perioperative dexmedetomidine has been studied for prevention of postoperative delirium. Randomized trials in mixed noncardiac surgical populations reported that low-dose perioperative dexmedetomidine may reduce the incidence of delirium. Dexmedetomidine produces dose-dependent bradycardia and hypotension, which should be carefully monitored to maintain the cerebral perfusion pressure in brain surgery. However, most trials and meta-analyses have focused on general surgical or cardiac cohorts; the evidence remains limited in neurosurgical (craniotomy) patients. Although it showed promising benefits of analgesia and neuroprotection in non-neurosurgical patients, recent meta-analyses of intraoperative dexmedetomidine reported high degree of heterogeneity due to the inclusion of varied procedures (elective vs emergent craniotomy), dosing regimes (loading dose only versus loading dose + infusion versus infusion only) and varied primary endpoints (postoperative pain scores, cumulative opioid consumption or incidence of delirium). Therefore, this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is designed to examine the use of intravenous dexmedetomidine in the reduction of postoperative pain score and delirium in neurosurgical patients. We hypothesised that intravenous dexmedetomidine reduces postoperative pain score and delirium with lower need of rescue analgesia and amount of morphine consumption in patients undergoing craniotomy.

Study of Post-anesthesia Management in Patients Undergoing Neurosurgery

The postoperative complications of neurosurgery are various and complex, which brings heavy economic and social burden to families. Timely detection and early intervention can help reduce the incidence of adverse events and mortality. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the possible factors related to postoperative complications of Neurosurgery, so as to achieve the prospective prevention and treatment of postoperative complications of neurosurgery.

Remimazolam and Emergence Delirium in Pediatrics

Emergence delirium is a common complication in pediatrics undergoing neurosurgery. Previous study showed that a single bolus of remimazolam was associated with lower incidence of postoperative agitation. Present study was designed to investigate if remimazolam supplemented to sevoflurane anesthesia could decrease the risk of emergence delirium in pediatrics undergoing neurosurgery.

Electroencephalogram Predicts Post-operative Delirium

The goal of this observational study is to investigate the predictive value of sub-hairline electroencephalography (EEG) during anesthesia recovery for postoperative delirium (POD). The main question to be answered is: * Can sub-hairline EEG measured during anesthesia recovery serve as a reliable predictor of POD? Adult patients undergoing elective craniotomy and admitted to the ICU will be enrolled. Sub-hairline EEG will be monitored until ICU discharge.

Perioperative Morbidity in Adult Scoliotic Surgery: Analysis of a Series From Brest (MOSCA-B)

Scoliosis surgery is an invasive procedure essential for alleviating significant pain and improving the physical, psychological, aesthetic, professional, and social well-being of patients. However, it carries a considerable risk of perioperative complications. This retrospective study, conducted at Brest University Hospital since 2017, aims to analyze these complications to provide a detailed assessment, particularly since the introduction of the OARM (intraoperative CT navigation), with the goal of optimizing the safety and effectiveness of surgical interventions. The complications studied include neurological, infectious, mechanical, and cardiopulmonary complications, along with an additional "other" category for rare complications. The period analyzed extends from the immediate postoperative phase to the most recent follow-up consultation with the referring surgeon, which varies depending on the duration of follow-up for each patient.

Testing the Feasibility of Using Ropivacaine in Spinal Anesthesia for Patients With Lower Back Surgery

The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to test the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial that will examine the use of ropivacaine in the spinal anesthesia for patients undergoing elective 1- or 2-level lower spine surgery. This study aims to: * Determine the rates of eligibility, recruitment, consent, and attrition * Determine the acceptability among patients, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses of doing spine surgery under spinal anesthesia * Gather preliminary data on outcomes relevant to a future dose-finding study Participants will be randomized to one of three treatment groups: * General anesthesia with endotracheal tube * Spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine * Spinal anesthesia with ropivacaine

Electrocorticographic Monitoring of Brain Retraction Injury (EMBRI)

A single centre IDEAL Stage 1 feasibility study using novel electrophysiological recording techniques in adult participants undergoing neurosurgery. This is a first in human study, building upon previous preclinical mice experiments. Participants will undergo their planned neurosurgical procedure as normal. In addition to their standard treatment neurophysiological monitoring including an electrocorticography electrode placed on the brain deep to the retractor will be used to monitor for signs of brain retraction injury.

Post-neurosurgical Respiratory Muscle Dysfunction

Respiratory muscle dysfunction may contribute to the development of postoperative pulmonary complications. However, it prevalence in patients receiving neurosurgery is largely unknown. Therefore, in present study, respiratory muscle function (measured by the ultrasound) and their correlation with the post-operative pulmonary complications will be analyzed.