Naoto Kunii

BACKGROUND: Temporal encephaloceles (TEs) are increasingly recognized as epileptogenic lesions in drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. However, endoscopic endonasal surgery performed primarily to resect epileptogenic lesions remains extremely rare, largely because defining the optimal extent of resection is challenging without direct electrophysiological confirmation. OBSERVATIONS: A 41-year-old right-handed man presented with drug-resistant focal impaired consciousness seizures. MRI revealed a right TE herniating into the lateral recess of the sphenoid sinus. Scalp EEG suggested seizure onset in the right anterior temporal region with no evidence of a widespread temporal epileptogenic network. Through an endoscopic endonasal transpterygoid approach, the encephalocele and adjacent temporal dura mater were exposed. Depth electrodes placed into the encephalocele and adjacent cortex demonstrated frequent spikes in both sites, confirming epileptogenicity. The encephalocele and a 7-mm margin of adjacent cortex were resected, followed by multilayer skull base reconstruction. The patient experienced no complications and remained seizure free for 48 months. LESSONS: Endonasal depth EEG enables direct confirmation of epileptogenicity in encephalocele-associated epilepsy and supports minimally invasive, tailored lesionectomy. In appropriately selected patients, particularly those without evidence of a widespread mesial temporal epileptogenic network, use of an endoscopic endonasal approach may avoid craniotomy while achieving durable seizure freedom. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE25965

BACKGROUND: The incidence of cerebral aneurysms in polyarteritis nodosa (PN) is low, and reports of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in patients with PN are even rarer. The necessity of head imaging may be underestimated, particularly when the patient is in remission. OBSERVATIONS: A 20-year-old female with PN, who had been in remission following anti–interleukin-6 receptor antibody therapy, developed SAH and was admitted to the authors’ department. Cerebral angiography revealed multiple beaded changes in both carotid and vertebral arterial systems, along with several small aneurysms. These findings posed substantial difficulty in identifying the bleeding source and proceeding with surgical intervention. Therefore, the authors intensified the immunosuppressive therapy targeting the underlying PN. The patient remained free from rebleeding, her headaches and other symptoms resolved, and she was discharged in ambulatory condition. Follow-up MR angiography 3 months after discharge confirmed resolution of the small aneurysms. LESSONS: This case suggests that enhanced immunosuppressive therapy may be effective in treating both extracranial and intracranial vascular lesions in PN. In patients with PN, early and serial head imaging may be beneficial. The appearance of de novo aneurysms in the context of disease progression may indicate the need for more aggressive treatment. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE25617

BACKGROUND: Redo awake surgery is ideal for recurrent malignant gliomas in the language-dominant hemisphere, but it may not always be optimal because of inadequate awake mapping. In this report, the authors describe a case of recurrent language-dominant frontal glioma in which a super-selective Wada (ssWada) test and super-selective cone-beam CT angiography (ssCBCTA) enabled successful tumor removal under general anesthesia after awake surgery. OBSERVATIONS: A woman in her 30s underwent awake surgery for left frontal glioma recurrence 2 years after the initial resection. Three years after another recurrence, the ssWada test and ssCBCTA revealed that the tumor-supplying artery did not perfuse the functional cortex, allowing safe and maximal resection under general anesthesia. Postoperatively, she had mild motor aphasia but recovered quickly with minimal sequelae. LESSONS: The combined use of the ssWada test and ssCBCTA enables precise preoperative language mapping and safe tumor resection. Originally developed for epilepsy surgery, the ssWada test is valuable for functional mapping and, when paired with ssCBCTA, provides a 3D understanding of the lesions. This combination serves as a critical preoperative tool for tumors in the language-dominant hemisphere. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE25384

Sound frequency and duration are essential auditory components. The brain perceives deviations from the preceding sound context as prediction errors, allowing efficient reactions to the environment. Additionally, prediction error response to duration change is reduced in the initial stages of psychotic disorders. To compare the spatiotemporal profiles of responses to prediction errors, we conducted a human electrocorticography study with special attention to high gamma power in 13 participants who completed both frequency and duration oddball tasks. Remarkable activation in the bilateral superior temporal gyri in both the frequency and duration oddball tasks were observed, suggesting their association with prediction errors. However, the response to deviant stimuli in duration oddball task exhibited a second peak, which resulted in a bimodal response. Furthermore, deviant stimuli in frequency oddball task elicited a significant response in the inferior frontal gyrus that was not observed in duration oddball task. These spatiotemporal differences within the Parasylvian cortical network could account for our efficient reactions to changes in sound properties. The findings of this study may contribute to unveiling auditory processing and elucidating the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders.

Auditory sensory processing is assumed to occur in a hierarchical structure including the primary auditory cortex (A1), superior temporal gyrus, and frontal areas. These areas are postulated to generate predictions for incoming stimuli, creating an internal model of the surrounding environment. Previous studies on mismatch negativity have indicated the involvement of the superior temporal gyrus in this processing, whereas reports have been mixed regarding the contribution of the frontal cortex. We designed a novel auditory paradigm, the “cascade roving” paradigm, which incorporated complex structures (cascade sequences) into a roving paradigm. We analyzed electrocorticography data from six patients with refractory epilepsy who passively listened to this novel auditory paradigm and detected responses to deviants mainly in the superior temporal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus. Notably, the inferior frontal gyrus exhibited broader distribution and sustained duration of deviant-elicited responses, seemingly differing in spatio-temporal characteristics from the prediction error responses observed in the superior temporal gyrus, compared with conventional oddball paradigms performed on the same participants. Moreover, we observed that the deviant responses were enhanced through stimulus repetition in the high-gamma range mainly in the superior temporal gyrus. These features of the novel paradigm may aid in our understanding of auditory predictive coding.

Neurofeedback (NF) shows promise in enhancing memory, but its application to the medial temporal lobe (MTL) still needs to be studied. Therefore, we aimed to develop an NF system for the memory function of the MTL and examine neural activity changes and memory task score changes through NF training. We created a memory NF system using intracranial electrodes to acquire and visualise the neural activity of the MTL during memory encoding. Twenty trials of a tug-of-war game per session were employed for NF and designed to control neural activity bidirectionally (Up/Down condition). NF training was conducted with three patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, and we observed an increasing difference in NF signal between conditions (Up–Down) as NF training progressed. Similarities and negative correlation tendencies between the transition of neural activity and the transition of memory function were also observed. Our findings demonstrate NF’s potential to modulate MTL activity and memory encoding. Future research needs further improvements to the NF system to validate its effects on memory functions. Nonetheless, this study represents a crucial step in understanding NF’s application to memory and provides valuable insights into developing more efficient memory enhancement strategies.

Removal of the mesial temporal lobe (MTL) is an established surgical procedure that leads to seizure freedom in patients with intractable MTL epilepsy; however, it carries the potential risk of memory damage. Neurofeedback (NF), which regulates brain function by converting brain activity into perceptible information and providing feedback, has attracted considerable attention in recent years for its potential as a novel complementary treatment for many neurological disorders. However, no research has attempted to artificially reorganize memory functions by applying NF before resective surgery to preserve memory functions. Thus, this study aimed (1) to construct a memory NF system that used intracranial electrodes to feedback neural activity on the language-dominant side of the MTL during memory encoding and (2) to verify whether neural activity and memory function in the MTL change with NF training. Two intractable epilepsy patients with implanted intracranial electrodes underwent at least five sessions of memory NF training to increase the theta power in the MTL. There was an increase in theta power and a decrease in fast beta and gamma powers in one of the patients in the late stage of memory NF sessions. NF signals were not correlated with memory function. Despite its limitations as a pilot study, to our best knowledge, this study is the first to report that intracranial NF may modulate neural activity in the MTL, which is involved in memory encoding. The findings provide important insights into the future development of NF systems for the artificial reorganization of memory functions.

Neurofeedback (NF) shows promise in enhancing memory, but its application to the medial temporal lobe (MTL) still needs to be studied. Therefore, we aimed to develop an NF system for the memory function of the MTL and examine neural activity changes, and memory task score changes through NF training. We created a memory NF system using intracranial electrodes to acquire and visualise the neural activity of the MTL during memory encoding. Twenty trials of a tug-of-war game per session were employed for NF and designed to control neural activity bidirectionally (Up/Down condition). NF training was conducted with three patients with intractable epilepsy, and we observed an increasing difference in NF signal between conditions (Up−Down) as NF training progressed. Similarities and negative correlation tendencies between the transition of neural activity and the transition of memory function were also observed. Our findings demonstrate NF's potential to modulate MTL activity and memory encoding. Future research needs further improvements to the NF system to validate its effects on memory functions. Nonetheless, this study represents a crucial step in understanding NF's application to memory and provides valuable insights for developing more efficient memory enhancement strategies.