Newswise — Winner of the ThinkFirst Injury Prevention Award, Brian D. Sindelar, MD, presented his research, Internal Jugular Vein Compression: A Novel Approach to Mitigate Blast-induced Hearing Injury, during the 2017 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting.

 

In previous studies, internal jugular vein compression (IJVC) has demonstrated a reduction in axonal and vascular injury associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) when used as a prophylactic measure. IJVC's effect on not only intracranial, but also intracochlear pressure, was hypothesized to potentiate blast-induced hearing injury (BIHI), and therefore would preclude its use as a prophylactic therapy for TBI.

 

To test this theory, the authors exposed 20 Sprague-Dawley rats to a right-sided shock wave in which 10 had application of a custom IJVC collar prior to injury. All rodents received baseline and post-blast injury tympanic membrane examination, otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and cochlear histology.

 

Interestingly, IJVC was shown to significantly reduce tympanic membrane rupture, immediate temporary threshold shifts, permanent threshold shifts at one month from injury and cochlear hair cell destruction in those rats that had application prior to injury exposure.

 

In this study, IJVC prior to BIHI reduced both functional and structural inner ear pathology in a rodent model. This fascinating study proposes a new prophylactic mechanism that not only provides benefits for TBI mitigation, but also may revolutionize the approach to traumatic hearing injury in both the military and civilian population.

 

Author Block: Michael Shinners, MD; Julian Bailes, MD; Sydney Sherman, BS; Kevin Novak, PhD; Kristine Erickson, AUD; and Vimal Patel, PhD

 

Disclosure: The author reported no conflicts of interest.

 

Media Representatives: The 2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting press section will include releases on highlighted scientific research, AANS officers and award winners, Neurosurgery Awareness Month and other relevant information about the 2017 program. Releases will be posted under the “Media” area on the 2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting website. If you have interest in a topic related to neurosurgery or would like to interview a neurosurgeon — either onsite or via telephone — during the event, please contact Alice Kelsey, AANS associate executive director, via email at [email protected].

 

About the 2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting: Attended by neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, neuroscience nurses, clinical specialists, physician assistants, allied health professionals and other medical professionals, the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting is the largest gathering of neurosurgeons in the nation, with an emphasis on the field’s latest research and technological advances. The scientific presentations accepted for the 2017 event will represent cutting-edge examples of the incredible developments taking place within the field of neurosurgery. Find additional information about the 2017 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting and the meeting program here.

 

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 10,000 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. Fellows of the AANS are board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, A.C. Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the spinal column, spinal cord, brain, nervous system and peripheral nerves.

 

For more information, visit www.AANS.org.