by Isabella Colonna
Each month the EANpages editorial team reviews the scientific press for recently published papers of outstanding interest to neurologists. Below we present our selection for May 2024.
1. Trial of Early Minimally Invasive Removal of Intracerebral Hemorrhage
This multicentre, randomised trial evaluated early minimally invasive surgical removal of haematoma in 300 patients with acute intracerebral haemorrhage (lobar or anterior basal ganglia haemorrhage; volume ranged between 30 and 80 ml). Patients were randomised in a ratio of 1:1 to undergo minimally invasive surgery plus guideline-based medical care or to receive guideline-based medical management alone (control group) within 24 hours after the time that they were last known to be well. This study showed a functional benefit at 180 days in the intervention group compared to controls; moreover, at 30 days, the percentage of deaths was significantly lower in the group of patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery than in the control group.
2. Intraventricular CARv3-TEAM-E T Cells in Recurrent Glioblastoma
In this investigator-initiated and open-label study three patients with recurrent glioblastoma received intraventricular treatment with CARv3-TEAM-E T cells, consisting of engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells that target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) variant III tumour-specific antigen, as well as the wild-type ECGR protein, which is almost always expressed in glioblastoma but not in normal brains. This treatment was associated with radiographic tumour regression, which was dramatic and rapid, as occurred in the first days after a single intraventricular infusion; however, these effects were transient in two of three patients. No adverse events greater than grade three or dose-limiting toxic effects were detected.
3.Trends in Intracranial and Cerebral Volumes of Framingham Heart Study Participants Born 1930 to 1970
This cross-sectional study aimed to assess whether time-dependent changes occurred in cranial and brain volumes, as well cortical thickness, over birth decades spanning from 1930 to 1970. The study included 3226 participants from the community-based Framingham Heart Study, born in the decades from 1930 and 1970, who underwent MRI from 1999 to 2019. The results showed that intracranial, hippocampal, and white matter volumes, as well as cortical surface area increased over decades of birth spanning from 1930 to 1970. The authors hypothesise that these findings reflect the improvements in early life environmental influences, such as health, social-cultural factors, and education, along with changes in modifiable dementia risk factors, which contribute to better brain health.
