Chapters authored
Management of Patients with Brain Injury Using Noninvasive Methods
In the last decades, the development of new noninvasive technologies in critical care allowed physicians to continuously monitor clinical parameters, aggregating important information that has been previously inaccessible or restricted due to the invasiveness of the existing techniques. The aim of this chapter is to present noninvasive methods in use on intensive care units (ICU) for brain injured patients monitoring, collaborating to the diagnosis and follow-up, aiding medical teams to achieve better outcomes.
Part of the book: Advancement and New Understanding in Brain Injury
Intracranial Pressure Waveform: History, Fundamentals and Applications in Brain Injuries
Intracranial pressure (ICP) can be analyzed for its absolute value, usually in mmHg or cmH2O, its tendency over time and the waveform of its pulse. This chapter will focus on the waveform of the ICP pulse (ICPwf), already observed since 1881, and for a long time not understood. Studies conducted in recent decades show the correlation between the ICPwf and intracranial compliance (ICC), another important clinical parameter added to the practice in the second half of the last century. ICC allows physicians early analyzing patients’ neurological conditions related to disorders resulting from variations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood and intracranial tissue volumes. This chapter is an invitation to dive into the history and development of ICPwf analysis, clinical uses already adopted and others still under study.
Part of the book: Advancement and New Understanding in Brain Injury
Zika Virus for Brain Cancer Treatment?
Malignant brain tumors are among the most aggressive cancers with poor prognosis and no effective treatment despite all available therapies and technologies. The search for treatments for gliomas allowed the discovery that the Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus, has a tropism for brain tumor cells and acts with an oncolytic effect, reaching brain tumors, in addition to stimulating the antitumor immunity of the host. Thus, it provides long-term immunity against cancer remission, reduces tumor burden, less metastasis and complete remission in some animals, consequently increases survival. There has been support that treatment with ZIKV against glioblastoma can be effective, suggesting a new future therapy that could revolutionize the prognosis of patients with brain tumors.
Part of the book: Central Nervous System Tumors