Journal of neurosurgery最新文献

{"title":"Extent of resection as an independent predictor of survival for patients with glioblastoma as defined by the new WHO 2021 classification.","authors":"Michael P Catalino, Dima Suki, Leomar Ballester, Clark R Andersen, Preeti Ramadoss, Sujit S Prabhu, Jeffrey S Weinberg, Candice C Poon, Phillip Cem Cezayirli, Bledi Brahimaj, Ian E McCutcheon, Sherise D Ferguson, Chibawanye I Ene, Betty Y S Kim, Shaan M Raza, Franco Demonte, Frederick F Lang","doi":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS25467","DOIUrl":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS25467","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Extent of resection (EOR) has previously been demonstrated to have an impact on survival in patients with glioblastoma (GBM). However, with the World Health Organization (WHO) 2021 reclassification of GBMs based on IDH-mutation status, patients with \"IDH-mutant GBMs,\" who typically survive long term, were reclassified as WHO grade 4 IDH-mutant astrocytomas and removed from the GBM taxonomy. Therefore, it is unknown whether the previously reported impact of resection on survival was a false-positive result due to the inclusion of the less aggressive IDH-mutant tumors in previous datasets. This study aimed to determine the extent to which EOR remains an independent predictor of survival in patients with WHO 2021 GBM after the reclassification of IDH-mutant grade 4 astrocytomas.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>All cases of GBM tumors (based on the pre-2021 GBM classification) that were newly diagnosed between 2005 and 2021 were identified in our institutional database and subsequently reclassified based on the updated WHO 2021 criteria using IDH status. Multivariable statistical analyses of demographic information, survival time, and EOR based on volumetric MRI were performed to determine the independent predictors of survival for the whole group of patients and for IDH-wildtype GBM patients exclusively. Additional analyses were performed to identify an EOR threshold for improvement in survival.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 523 tumors classified as GBM based on the pre-2021 taxonomy, 52 (9.9%) cases were reclassified as WHO grade 4 IDH-mutant astrocytomas, and the median survival of patients in this group was 7.9 years, whereas median survival of the IDH-wildtype GBM patients was 1.4 years. Multivariate analyses of the whole group demonstrated that IDH-mutant astrocytomas were associated with reduced hazard of death. In both the whole group (n = 523) and in IDH-wildtype GBMs (n = 471), higher EOR of the contrast-enhancing (CE) tumor was associated with reduced hazard of death, whereas older age or male sex was associated with increased hazard of death. Because most patients (90%) had high EOR values (> 81%), a statistically meaningful EOR threshold could not be established.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These analyses demonstrated that EOR of the CE tumor is an independent predictor of survival and that greater EOR is associated with improved survival in WHO 2021 IDH-wildtype GBMs even after excluding grade 4 IDH-mutant astrocytomas. However, an absolute EOR threshold below which resection did not improve survival could not be established, raising concerns about prior cutoff assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"634-644"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Partial or full preservation of the pituitary stalk in craniopharyngioma surgery: improving endocrinological outcomes without an increased risk of recurrence.","authors":"Anis Mansourt, Thomas Cuny, Nicolo Norri, Anis Choucha, Kaissar Farah, Romain Appay, Emeline Tabouret, Thierry Brue, Nicolas Sahakian, Thomas Graillon, Henry Dufour","doi":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS251501","DOIUrl":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS251501","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The risk-benefit balance of pituitary stalk (PS) preservation during craniopharyngioma (CP) surgery remains insufficiently investigated. Although preservation requires meticulous microsurgical dissection, frequent invasion of the PS by the CP also raises the question of the feasibility of preservation. Herein, the authors assessed the impact of preserving the PS in a large consecutive series of adult patients who underwent endoscopic endonasal surgery for CP.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The authors performed a retrospective single-center study of adult, surgery-naive patients with supradiaphragmatic CP treated via the extended transsphenoidal transtubercular approach between 2002 and 2023. The following variables were analyzed: PS status (fully preserved, partially preserved, and sacrificed or not identified), extent of CP resection (gross-total, near-total, or partial resection), CP size, postoperative endocrine outcomes, recurrence, and use of adjuvant radiotherapy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eighty-three patients were included in the study. The PS was fully preserved in 18% of patients, partially preserved in 17%, and sacrificed or not identified in 65%. PS preservation, either partially or fully, was associated with significantly lower rates of anterior pituitary deficiencies (p < 0.001), vasopressin deficiency (p = 0.001), and significantly lower postoperative weight gain (p = 0.033). When the maximal tumor diameter exceeded 24 mm, the risk of PS sacrifice increased threefold (p = 0.027).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Partial or complete preservation of the PS during surgery for CP is associated with improved postoperative endocrine outcomes without compromising the tumor resection or increasing the risk of recurrence. When anatomically feasible, PS preservation should be considered as a key surgical objective in the management of CP.</p>","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"1013-1022"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and internal validation of the Meningioma Functional Outcome Risk and Counseling Estimator 6 score, a point-based prognostic tool for predicting 6-week functional independence after intracranial meningioma resection.","authors":"Rafael Martinez-Perez, Santiago Cepeda, Muaz Ahmad, Sina Hemmer, Peter Erickson, Edward A Monaco, Philip S Lee, Andrew R Conger, Clemens M Schirmer","doi":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS252588","DOIUrl":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS252588","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Accurate prognostic assessment is crucial for guiding clinical decisions in meningioma patients. Traditional prognostic indexes have been limited by subjectivity, oversimplification, or lack of specific validation for meningiomas, leading to inaccuracies from misaligned scaling objectives. This study aimed to create a refined weighting system, integrating variables from prior indexes to better reflect prognostic significance in meningioma patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The authors retrospectively analyzed the data of 592 patients who underwent intracranial meningioma resection at a single institution (2009-2024). The primary endpoint was lack of functional independence at 6 weeks (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score ≥ 3). Univariable screening and multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors, which were translated into a simplified point-based system: Meningioma Functional Outcome Risk and Counseling Estimator (M-FORCE) 6 score. Internal validation was performed using 10,000 bootstrap resamples. Discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility (decision curve analysis) were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Skull base origin (OR 2.21), infratentorial location (OR 2.12), preoperative dependence (mRS score > 2, OR 2.27), tumor size ≥ 40 mm (OR 3.06), and comorbidity burden (Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] score > 2, OR 2.41; CCI score > 6, OR 2.46) independently predicted functional dependence at 6 weeks. These variables were incorporated into the M-FORCE 6 score. Patients were stratified into four risk groups: low (0-3 points, 6.2% risk), intermediate (4-6 points, 26.5% risk), high (7-9 points, 46.9% risk), and very high (10-13 points, 71.4% risk). The optimism-corrected areas under the curve of the multivariable model and the score were both 0.76, with excellent calibration and favorable net benefit on decision curve analysis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The M-FORCE 6 score provides a transparent, meningioma-specific tool for preoperative risk stratification, integrating demographic, clinical, and radiological features into a simple and reproducible model. External validation is warranted to confirm its generalizability.</p>","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"1174-1183"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An institutional review of clinical outcomes for skull base chordoma: an analysis of 269 cases over 19 years.","authors":"Nallammai Muthiah, Zachary C Gersey, Hussein Abdallah, David T Fernandes Cabral, Hussam Abou-Al-Shaar, Garret Choby, Eric W Wang, Carl H Snyderman, Paul A Gardner, Georgios A Zenonos","doi":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS251263","DOIUrl":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS251263","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of the present study was to review the surgical outcomes of endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS) for the treatment of skull base chordoma (SBC) at the authors' institution over the past 2 decades.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The electronic medical records of patients who underwent resection of primary SBC at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2001 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were split into two groups: primary or recurrent tumor. The primary outcome in this analysis was extent of resection. Secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS) and complications.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This analysis included 194 individual patients on whom 269 total resections were performed. Within the authors' sample, 95 resections were for primary tumors and 174 resections were for recurrent tumors. The mean PFS among tumor patients who received gross-total resection (GTR) was 103.5 months, near-total resection (NTR) was 27.1 months, and subtotal resection (STR) was 12.2 months. Not accounting for adjuvant radiation, GTR allowed for significantly longer PFS than NTR (p < 0.001) or STR (p < 0.001). For tumors that did not receive adjuvant radiation, GTR allowed for significantly longer PFS than non-GTR (p = 0.013). The factors that were associated with GTR were prior radiation (OR 0.302) and institutional experience (OR 1.225). The percentage of GTRs among all tumors in our sample increased significantly and incrementally from 2001 to 2020 (7.7% to 78%, p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>GTR is an important factor influencing PFS in patients with SBC. Experience with ESBS has a significant effect on outcomes. GTR rates (especially for recurrent tumors) and incidence of complications have improved at the authors' institution, which may be correlated to institutional experience.</p>","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"1117-1127"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Erratum. Rapid response system and outcomes in patients who underwent cranial neurosurgery: a nationwide cohort study.","authors":"In-Ae Song","doi":"10.3171/2026.6.JNS24984a","DOIUrl":"10.3171/2026.6.JNS24984a","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"850"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Same-day asleep deep brain stimulation with single-session lead and pulse generator implantation: a high-efficiency approach for movement disorders.","authors":"Dhanunjaya Rao Ginjupally, Prabhat Suman, Kommula Lakshman Kumar, Nannam Spandana","doi":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS251681","DOIUrl":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS251681","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Asleep deep brain stimulation (DBS) has gained acceptance as an alternative to traditional awake microelectrode recording-guided surgery. However, true same-day bilateral DBS with simultaneous implantable pulse generator (IPG) placement remains sparsely reported. This study presents a large single-center experience of same-day asleep DBS, evaluating feasibility, accuracy, safety, and perioperative outcomes in comparison with a traditional inpatient DBS workflow.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective data analysis was performed for 125 consecutive patients evaluated for DBS between August 2024 and June 2025. Eighty-three patients met predefined eligibility criteria and underwent bilateral asleep DBS with same-day discharge, while 42 patients were managed under a traditional inpatient pathway based on medical, anatomical, anesthetic, or social factors. High-resolution MRI-CT fusion was used for stereotactic targeting without microelectrode recording. Demographics, comorbidities, operative duration, lead placement accuracy, perioperative complications, hospital utilization, and 30-day readmissions were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The same-day cohort had a mean age of 55.8 years (range 4-76 years), and the majority underwent globus pallidus internus DBS (92.8%). The mean operative duration for same-day DBS with single-session lead and IPG implantation was 2 hours 35 minutes. The mean hospital utilization time was 8.48 ± 1.14 hours. Postoperative imaging demonstrated high targeting precision, with a mean lead deviation of 0.7 ± 0.14 mm and all electrodes positioned within 1 mm of the intended target. No intracranial hemorrhage, surgical site infection, hardware-related complication, or new neurological deficit occurred. One patient (1.2%) was readmitted on postoperative day 3 for atrial fibrillation, which was medically managed and unrelated to DBS. Patients managed under the traditional inpatient pathway had a higher comorbidity burden and a longer mean hospital length of stay of 51.0 ± 9.7 hours.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Same-day asleep DBS with single-session bilateral lead and IPG implantation can be performed safely and accurately within a structured workflow and appropriate patient selection framework. This approach substantially reduces hospital utilization while maintaining a low perioperative complication rate, supporting the feasibility and scalability of same-day DBS in high-volume functional neurosurgery programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"880-889"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Connectional anatomy of the cerebellum: dentate nucleus and cerebellar peduncles from a surgical perspective.","authors":"Ozan Barut, Ferdi Afşin, Muhammed Bayındır, Tufan Agah Kartum, Şevki Serhat Baydın, Kaan Yağmurlu, Necmettin Tanriover","doi":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS251779","DOIUrl":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS251779","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The neuron-rich cerebellum and the fourth ventricle are the primary surgical targets in the infratentorial space, and irreversible neurological morbidities resulting from damage to the cerebellar nuclei and peduncles continue to pose a significant surgical risk. The aim of this study was to elucidate the connectional anatomy of the cerebellum from a surgical perspective.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fiber microdissections of the cerebellum and the lower brainstem (BS) were performed in 10 postmortem human brains to disclose the deep nuclei and peduncles. Novel fiber dissection results were compared to those of tractography.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study revealed two distinct pathways of pontocerebellar fibers-deep and superficial-based on their relationship with the corticospinal tract. A deep course of pontocerebellar fibers typically surrounded the inferior surface of the dentate nucleus (DN). A fiber-dense and delicate surgical area-the peduncular mass-was defined at the junction of the three cerebellar peduncles along the superolateral recess of the fourth ventricle. A constant dentate tubercle, formed by the inferomedial extension of the ventral surface of the DN, was defined at the intersection between the superior cerebellar peduncle and inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP) near the peduncular mass at the superolateral recess. The upper medial part of the tonsillar peduncle (TP) covered the inferior part of the ventral surface of the DN, and any manipulation at this point may carry the risk of injury to the nucleus. The floccular peduncle (FP), located just medial to the TP at the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle, was intimately related to the ICP. During a possible FP transgression to access BS lesions, the ICP, inferior part of the ventral DN, and cochlear nuclei may be compromised.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Surgical approaches to the cerebellum or the fourth ventricle should take into account its white matter connections and the DN. Gaining a clear 3D understanding of the DN and the cerebellar peduncles from a surgical perspective, and recognizing key surgical landmarks around the fourth ventricle in relation to the connectional anatomy of the cerebellum and BS, may prove valuable during surgeries in the infratentorial space.</p>","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"1184-1198"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Letter to the Editor. Transcranial Doppler utility or protocolized surveillance.","authors":"Ross Moseley, Benjamin Vipler","doi":"10.3171/2026.2.JNS26341","DOIUrl":"10.3171/2026.2.JNS26341","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"856-858"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direct targeting for focused ultrasound thalamotomy in the treatment of movement disorders.","authors":"James Cahill, Nemanja Useinovic, Andrew Toader, Hanna E Minns, Beck Shafie, Matthew C Henn, Adam Lipson, Daniel R Cleary","doi":"10.3171/2026.2.JNS252280","DOIUrl":"10.3171/2026.2.JNS252280","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Accurate targeting of the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) remains a critical challenge in thalamotomy for essential tremor (ET) and tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease (TDPD). Indirect atlas-based methods suffer from anatomical variability and poor visualization of thalamic substructures. Here, the authors evaluated the clinical impact of a direct targeting strategy enabled by fast gray matter acquisition T1 inversion recovery (FGATIR) imaging in MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients who underwent first-time MRgFUS thalamotomy for ET or TDPD at the Oregon Health & Science University between August 2023 and January 2025. Patients treated with FGATIR-guided direct targeting (n = 64, 40 males) were matched to a cohort treated using indirect targeting combined with physiological mapping (n = 52, 36 males). Data were collected from intraoperative recordings and postprocedural imaging, as well as at 1-day, 1-month, and 3-month follow-up evaluations. Procedural efficiency, lesion and edema characteristics, tract involvement, clinical outcomes, and adverse events were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>FGATIR-guided direct targeting significantly reduced the number of sonications (-22%), total sonication time (-32%), and overall procedural duration (-33%) compared with indirect targeting. Lesion volumes (-21%) and perilesional edema (-28%) were smaller in the direct targeting group with less impingement on the internal capsule and medial lemniscus. Direct targeting resulted in a lower incidence of acute balance (-31%), weakness (-25%), sensory (-34%), and speech (-12%) deficits while producing a 14% greater quantitative tremor reduction. Both groups achieved similar subjective tremor control.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>FGATIR-based direct targeting improves the safety, precision, and efficiency of MRgFUS thalamotomy without compromising clinical benefit. The FGATIR sequence is widely available on 1.5T and 3T Siemens MRI systems, and this method may be adapted for use with other targets for stereotactic ablation. This direct targeting technique would also be applicable to other forms of thalamotomy, such as Gamma Knife radiosurgery and radiofrequency, further expanding its utility. Direct targeting represents a scalable and patient-centered advancement for stereotactic thalamotomy.</p>","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"867-879"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Press releases in neurosurgery: is scientific accuracy compromised in public reporting of neurosurgery research?","authors":"Lauren R Sugarmann, Jacob Sternberg-Sher, Joshua R Feler, Christian Schroeder, Madison J Michles, Ziya L Gokaslan, Patricia L Zadnik Sullivan","doi":"10.3171/2026.1.JNS251863","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3171/2026.1.JNS251863","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Press releases describing medical research are commonly used by academic medical centers to present their research to public audiences. Press releases may be written by public relations teams who lack formal scientific training and aim to generate publicity surrounding new research. To the authors' knowledge, press releases on neurosurgery have not been assessed for their presentation and potential misrepresentation of scientific findings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using the search term <Neurosurgery>, the authors identified the 100 most recent press releases published on EurekAlert! (eurekalert.org) between October 2022 and October 2024 that met inclusion criteria. Each was evaluated using a validated spin classification model to assess for misleading reporting, claims, or inappropriate extrapolation. Titles, article authors, quotations, and study limitations were also reviewed. Three members of the research team independently extracted data on predefined variables and resolved discrepancies by consensus.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The authors identified 100 eligible neurosurgery-related press releases. Functional neurosurgery was the most frequently represented subspecialty (43%), followed by brain tumor (14%), vascular (9%), spine (6%), pediatrics (6%), and technology/AI (6%). About one-third of press release titles (37%) were misleading, often exaggerating findings or implying clinical implications beyond the scope of the research. Among press releases describing in vitro or animal studies, 50% inappropriately extrapolated results to humans. Quotations from article authors appeared in 93% of press releases. Overall, 73% of press releases contained at least one form of spin-most commonly misleading reporting (44%), misleading claims (29%), and inappropriate extrapolation (22%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Press releases may misrepresent scientific research for the sake of generating publicity. Patients may rely on press releases for a simplified summary of research. Misleading press releases could give patients and their families false hope and/or cause patients to make adverse decisions about their health. The authors hope that these results will increase awareness among researchers in neurosurgery about the way their work is communicated to the public and inspire the release of more accurate neurosurgery press releases in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":16505,"journal":{"name":"Journal of neurosurgery","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}