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INTRAOPERATIVE NEUROMONITORING IN POSTERIOR FOSSA TUMORS AND SPINAL CORD SURGERY: ENHANCING SURGICAL PRECISION AND PATIENT SAFETY

Ovidiu C. Banea, MD, PhD

Clinical Neurophysiology

Hospital Sant Rafael Barcelona

HM Nou Delfos Barcelona

2024 © NEUROPHYSIOLOGY PLUS

PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGERY SYMPOSIUM

Marie Curie Children´s Hospital Bucharest, Romania

May 19th, 2024

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SUMMARY

  • IONM Basis, Modalities, Anaesthesia
  • IONM in Romania
  • Posterior Fossa tumours, multimodal approach: TRIGEMINO-VAGAL Reflex (NOT PUBLISHED)
  • Spinal cord tumours, phase reversal *Mirela Simon, D-wave

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IONM BASIS

  • Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) describes a variety of procedures that are used to monitor the integrity of neural pathways during high-risk neurosurgical, orthopedic, vascular and other surgeries that may place the nervous system at risk for injury.

  • MONITORING = continuously measuring of certain parameters by using a medical monitor, the medical staff being continuously informed of the changes in neurophysiological condition of a patient.

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IONM BASIS

IONM is safe!

  • The montage of electrodes lasts 10-20 minutes
  • DIFFERENT ALARM CRITERIA DEPENDING ON SURGERY TYPE
  • Contralateral

TEAM: Surgeon, Clinical Neurophysiologist and Anesthesiologist

  • Monitoring should commence by obtaining impedance measures prior to baselines before any surgical manipulation of the central or peripheral nervous system begins
  • Report of every patient (time of each surgical manipulation, the names, doses and time of administration of anesthetics and drugs

Deletis V , 2007

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METHODS OF IONM

MONITORING TECHNIQUES (continuous surveillance of neurophysiological status)

  1. SSEP
  2. MEP
  3. BAEPs
  4. VEP
  5. Spontaneous EMG

MAPPING TECHNIQUES (identifying of structures)

  1. LANGUAGE MAPPING
  2. MOTOR CORTEX MAPPING
  3. MOTOR NERVES ROOTS Triggered EMG
  4. CRANIAL NERVES MAPPING

e.g. Hypoglossal mapping

Duque et al. 2013 http://www.wjso.com/content/11/1/225

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SSEP

SOMATOSENSORY SYSTEM

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TC MEP

Motor Pathways

STIMULATION site

Cortical

(debate, experience):

C1, C2

Upper extremities

C3,C4

Lower extremities

Recording: Muscles

Stecker et al, 2012

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METHODS OF IONM

Spontaneous Electromyography

Provides information on the state of the peripheral nerve that innervates the muscle

To differentiate new activity and acute injuries as fibrillations and fasciculations of muscle fibers is important to registered and be aware to previous activity (before surgery).

ROMSTOCK has classified spontaneous activity in trains A, B, C.

The high frequency activity A is suggestive of acute nerve injury (in Stecker et al 2013).

ADVANTAGE shows spontaneous damage

LIMITS

  • May provide information only from a side of the muscle (very important the needle location)
  • Spontaneous activity is very sensitive to the neuromuscular blockade, is dependent on anaesthesia
  • Spontaneous activity do not appear if the nerve was completely sectioned

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METHODS OF IONM

Triggered Electromyography

Its main use is to check if a screw already placed is correctly located

Deletis V, 2007

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METHODS OF IONM

Triggered Electromyography

MONOPOLAR ELECTRODE (PROBE) MORE sensible, less specific

- WIDER spreading electric field

- LOWER motor threshold at the same distance

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METHODS OF IONM

Triggered Electromyography

BIPOLAR ELECTRODE (PROBE) less sensible, more specific

-FOCAL

-HIGHER motor threshold at same distance (<2mA probably over nerve)

BRAINSTEM 0.16 mA

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BAEPS AND VEPS

SENSORY SYSTEMS

  • Acoustic (VIII)

  • Visual (II)

Visual cortex N70, P100

Intraoperative recordings from the optic nerve shows an early positive deflection with a latency of 75 ms, followed by a broad negative potential with a latency of approx. 55 ms in response to short light flashes

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IONM AND ANAESTHESIA

Mechanism

The major target of anaesthetic agents is GABA and NMDA receptors mediating electrolyte channels (Na, Cl, Ca) at synapses, with consequent synapses transmission loss.

Halogenated inhalational agents and ketamine appear to decrease axonal conduction

D response recorded from the epidural space is highly resistant

  • Single pulse transcranial stimulation recorded in muscles abolished
  • Multiple pulse with 1-5 ms ISI may overcome the effect of Inh Ag

INHALATIONAL AGENTS

EFFECT

Synaptic Inhibition on alpha motoneuron until EEG electrocerebral silence

  • Desflurane
  • Enflurane
  • Halothane (least potent)
  • Isoflurane (most potent)
  • Sevoflurane (similar to isoflurane at steady state)

Case: During a surgery on cervical myelopathy anaesthesia with Sevoflurane set by anaesthesist produced abolition of all potentials during 15 minutes with consequent unmonitored time.

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IONM AND ANAESTHESIA

NITROUS OXIDE

Produces depression of myogenic

TC MEP

INTRAVENOUS ANALGESIC AGENTS

Most favourable for IONM

  • Opioid Agents (amplitudes decrease and latency increases, registration of potentials being possible) The effects on SSEP could be minimized with drug infusion instead of bolus
  • Ketamine (enhances synaptic space rather than depress it)

Barbiturates and BDZ similar to INH AG

ETOMIDATE

  • enhance synaptic activity at low doses
  • may produce seizures at low doses in epileptic patients
  • myoclonic activity
  • rapid metabolization
  • Excellent for induction and monitoring of TCMEP
  • The least degree of amplitude decrease

THIOPENTAL, MIDAZOLAM & PROPOFOL produce marked depression in bolus doses.

MUSCLE RELAXANTS

  • May improve or be essential for some types of recordings
  • For recording epidural or neurogenic responses complete or near complete blockade is desirable

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PROBLEM ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIST vs CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

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PROBLEM ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIST vs CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

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Dr Martin U Schuhmann

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IONM in Romania

Multimodal approach

23rd of November 2013 Dr Claudiu Matei invited H del Mar / 3 LECTURES

Dr Jesús Lafuente Baraza (Neurosurgery)

Dr Alba Leon Jorba (Clinical Neurophysiology)

Dr Ovidiu Banea (Clinical Neurophysiology Resident) “General Aspects of IONM”

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IONM

Sibiu EXPERIENCE

Dr. Claudiu Matei Dr. Dan Filip

Since 2014:

330 cases with IONM at the beginning selective cases, now almost all pediatric patients

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IONM

Marie Curie Children’s Hospital

Photo: Dr Sorin Târnoveanu

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POSTERIOR FOSSA TUMORS

multimodal approach

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CPA TUMOR

MEP AND COMEP CORTICOGENICULATE OR CORTICOBULBAR CZ-C3 AND CZ-C4

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CPA TUMOR

MEP AND COMEP CORTICOGENICULATE OR CORTICOBULBAR CZ-C3 AND CZ-C4

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MAPPING EMG UP TO 0.4-06 MA

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IONM BRAINSTEAM TUMOR REFLEX V-VII

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BLINK V-VII AND TRIGEMINO-TRIGEMINAL (MASS) V-V REFLEXES

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V-VII and TRIGEMINO-VAGAL V-X REFLEX ?

PREOPERATIVE very important even if no apparent deficits

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V-VII and TRIGEMINO-VAGAL V-X REFLEX ?

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TRIGEMINO-VAGAL REFLEX TO ASSESS PALATOGLOSSAL STATUS?

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DELAYED R1 right Orbicularis oculi

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TRIGEMINO-VAGAL REFLEX not published

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Spontaneous EMG with “A TRAINS”

VIDEO HERE

National University Hospital of Iceland

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SURGICAL INSTRUMENT ARTIFACT

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SPINAL CORD phase reversal

Mirela Simon (Massachusets General Hospital)

Mirela Simon, 2012

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SPINAL CORD phase reversal

Moritz Ueberschaer et al, 2023

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SPINAL CORD TUMOR C6-T8

Ingvar Hákon Ólafsson & Haldor Skúlasson

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SPINAL CORD TUMOR C6-T8 CASE HERE

208 © Neurophysiology Plus

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**Proposed and performed M.I.O.N. methods:**

1. **Motor Evoked Potentials (TcMEP):** Indirect electrical transcranial stimulation using 4 electrodes (C1-C2 and/or C3-C4) applied to the scalp with the usual 10-20 EEG montage. Stimulation: Train of five at > 200 Hz. Recording at the level of APB (right), bilateral anal sphincter, bilateral VM, bilateral TA, bilateral GM, and bilateral AH.

2. **Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEP):** Stimulation at the level of the bilateral posterior tibial nerve and the right median nerve. Recording at Cz’-FPz for lower limbs and C3’-FPz for the median nerve. Control was done at the popliteal fossa and spinal C7.

3. **Pudendo-Anal Reflex (direct evaluation of S2-S4):** Squared stimuli applied to the clitoral area with amplification from both anal sphincter muscles. Double stimuli of 0.2 ms duration and a stimulation rate of 0.5-2 Hz.

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. **Direct Electromyography:** Continuous recording from all myotomes described in "1".

5. **Proximity topological mapping method for all nerve roots at the tumor level (bilateral, levels L3, L4, L5, S1, S2):** Two types of probes were used for this purpose: Monopolar with stimulation up to 20 mA and specific bipolar with reduced stimulation of 0.1-3 mA.

6. **"TIVA" anesthesia control with 3 EEG channels and repetitive stimulation for the neuromuscular block (TOF).**

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VA MULTUMESC PENTRU ATENTIE!

Thank you!