Mount Sinai Neurosurgery

Mindfulness meditation has long been associated with stress reduction and improved emotional well-being, but how does it actually change brain activity? 🧘♂️🧠 Epilepsy affects millions worldwide, with seizures often linked to abnormal brain activity in the mesial temporal lobe (MTL). Recent research published in Epilepsy & Behavior, by neurosurgery resident, Dr. Daniel Cummins, epilepsy neurosurgeon Dr. Fedor Panov, epileptologist Dr. Lara Marcuse, neuroscience researcher Christina Maher, neurosurgery pre-residency fellow Dr. Lea Tortolero, clinical neuropsychologist, Adam Saad, neuroscientists Richard Davidson, and Ignacio Saez, and researchers Zac Schulman and Lizabeth Nunez Martinez, explores how mindfulness meditation could potentially influence brain function and seizure activity in individuals with epilepsy. During this study, people with epilepsy who had electrodes in their brain for part of their surgical work-up were asked to meditate. The study found that mindfulness meditation caused changes in the oscillations of the brain in the mesial temporal lobe.  Further, the changes were different if that mesial temporal lobe was also the seizure onset zone in the person meditating. Key Findings: * Mindfulness meditation decreases gamma power in non-epileptic MTL. * Epileptic MTL shows changes in aperiodic components rather than gamma power during meditation. * Different brain mechanisms may support mindfulness effects in epileptic vs non-epileptic regions. These findings could pave the way for new treatments for epilepsy and other neuropsychiatric conditions by helping us understand how different brain states influence seizure risk and emotional regulation. 🌟 👉 Read the full study: https://lnkd.in/ecm3uuti #InternationalEpilepsyDay #Epilepsy #Neurosurgery #Meditation

J Mocco, MD, MS, Senior Vice Chair of Neurosurgery and Director of the Cerebrovascular Center at Mount Sinai Health System, was invited by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) to discuss the ESCAPE-MeVO and DISTAL trials, which evaluated thrombectomy, a procedure where a clot is physically removed from the brain using a clot grabbing technology, for medium and distal vessel occlusions (smaller strokes).   Both trials showed thrombectomy did not provide additional clinical benefits over standard medical management in the patient populations studied.   Key points from Dr. Mocco:   - Patients were older than prior trials, and enrollment included subjects with higher baseline disabilities, and lower acute deficits… all of which may have contributed to the negative outcome. It may be that more severe cases were treated outside the trials, which may have skewed results.   - ESCAPE-MeVO used stent retrievers as the first-line device, while DISTAL used them in 80% of cases.    - Thrombectomy for distal vessel occlusions should not be automatic, calling for a tailored approach to stroke treatment.   Dr. Mocco emphasizes that while thrombectomy has proven effective for large vessel occlusions (LVOs), smaller strokes may require a different approach. Future research will be key to determining the best treatment for various ischemic strokes.🔬#WeFindAWay #ISC #ISC25

🧠 Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Mount Sinai Health System’s Department of Neurosurgery operating room! Neurosurgery Chief Resident, Trevor Hardigan, MD, PhD, teamed up with System Chair of Neurosurgery at Mount Sinai, Joshua Bederson, MD, to successfully resect a complex left orbital meningioma.

🌍 LAST CHANCE! Calling all international #neurosurgery trainees! Apply now for the 2025 Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) International Brain & Spine Tumors Observership & learn from neuro-oncology expert Dr. Isabelle Germano from Mount Sinai Neurosurgery. Deadline: Jan 31, 2025! More info: http://bit.ly/4a7e0k8

Take a journey through 2024 with Mount Sinai’s Department of Neurosurgery residents as we reflect on the incredible moments both in and outside the operating room (OR) this year! 🧠 1. Dan Cummins, MD (PGY-2), and J Mocco, MD, MS. 2. Ansley Unterberger, MD (PGY-2), and Ziad Rifi, MD (PGY-1), got engaged in July! 3. Chief resident Rui Feng, MD, MS, alongside Mount Sinai neurosurgery residency program leadership, Raj Shrivastava, MD, and Peter Morgenstern, MD. 4. Welcoming PGY-1 neurosurgery residents Ziad Rifi, MD, and Maikerly Reyes, MD, to our fantastic residency program. 5. Neurosurgery chief resident Trevor Hardigan, MD, PhD, and Halima Tabani, MD (PGY-5), with Mount Sinai faculty and residency alumni Raj Shrivastava, MD, and Meg Pain, MD. 6. A bittersweet residency graduation, celebrating the achievements of our neurosurgery chief resident alumnus Alejandro Carrasquilla, MD, and Jeff Zimering, MD. 7. Chief resident Trevor Hardigan, MD, PhD, assisting Chris Kellner, MD, in the OR. 8. The 2024 residency program at the Leonard I. Malis, MD Memorial Lecture, featuring Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD, Harvey W. Cushing Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. 9. Abhi Bhimani, MD (PGY-6), and Brandon Philbrick, MD (PGY-4), scrubbed in to assist Mount Sinai Health System Neurosurgery Chair Joshua Bederson, MD, on a transsphenoidal resection/fenestration of a craniopharyngioma. Want to see more residency highlights from 2024? Comment below! ⬇️⬇️

Reade De Leacy, MD, neuroendovascular surgeon in the Department of Neurosurgery, Co-Director of the Neuroendovascular Surgery Fellowship, and Director of the Neurointerventional Spine Program at Mount Sinai, was the first in the United States to implant a stent ideal for large #FusiformAneurysms (a type of aneurysm that bulges out on all sides of a blood vessel, or circumferentially) greater than 7mm in diameter. This self-expanding stent is designed to treat complex intracranial aneurysms using embolization materials, providing hope for patients with difficult-to-treat cases. Dr. De Leacy used this stent on a patient with an intracranial aneurysm, which a condition that has traditionally had a poor prognosis and high mortality and morbidity rates. Given the aneurysm’s location and size, traditional treatments were risky for this complex aneurysm. The procedure using the stent was successful and, the patient is doing well! #WeFindAWay #Neurosurgery #aneurysms

Mount Sinai Health System’s Department of Neurosurgery is excited to announce that Hazem Shoirah, MD, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurology, & Radiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has been awarded The Bee Foundation For Brain Aneurysm Prevention’s (TBF) First Brain Aneurysm Best Practices Research Grant. This grant supports research on brain aneurysm identification, treatment, and recovery. 🧠 Dr. Shoirah, the Principal Investigator of the research, focused on health equity in the management of brain aneurysms, with an emphasis on socioeconomic status, race, and access to care. The research will explore disparities in care and outcomes between two distinct hospitals in New York City— Mount Sinai Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital, a sister hospital in the city’s Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) network. This study was done in collaboration with Co-investigator, Kerstyn Perlman, BA, Clinical Research Coordinator at Elmhurst Hospital. Ruptured intracranial aneurysms (aSAH) remain a significant public health concern, with many patients suffering from devastating outcomes. The study, called “Impact of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Healthcare Accessibility on Presentation and Outcome of Patients with Ruptured and Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms in the Boroughs of Manhattan and Queens", investigates the impact of pre-rupture care, transportation systems, and post-rupture recovery on patient outcomes. The aim is to identify gaps in care that lead to inequities and create actionable, targeted interventions to improve care delivery. 🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Shoirah and Kerstyn for winning the TBF Research Grant! 🎉 This important step forward in advancing both health equity and the best practices for treating brain aneurysms. The insights gained from this study are sure to have a impact on the future of aneurysm care, not only in New York City but across the globe. Learn more 🔗: https://lnkd.in/exr235Ge

Join The Hive NYC for Snow Sips & Social at the healthcare #networking event, supporting Mount Sinai Neurosurgery Chief Physician Assistant Leslie Schlachter PA-C! 🧠❄️ JAN 23 | 6-8 PM. Ft Stan Kachnowski PHD MPA from Columbia Business School. 🔗https://lnkd.in/eKsuycEu

Mount Sinai Health System has been recognized on Becker's Hospital Review's prestigious "100 Great Neuro & Spine Programs" list for 2024!🎉   This recognition highlights our leadership in patient care, research, and innovation in neurosurgery and spine care, including: - Ranked No. 1 in New York for NIH funding and No. 16 nationally for neurosurgery and neurology by U.S. News & World Report. - Performing over 3,300 open neurosurgeries, 2,200 endovascular procedures, and 300 stroke thrombectomies annually. - Leading the charge in brain-computer interface development, with faculty founding companies like Precision Neuroscience and Synchron. - Achieving the first United States brain-computer interface implantation in 2022. - Driving medtech innovation through the Mount Sinai BioDesign Center, supported by a recent $11.6 million grant. - Managing over 240 clinical trials through our internal research organization. - Recognized for our cutting-edge technologies like integrated biplane angiography and robotic-assisted spine surgery.   This recognition reflects our dedication to improving lives and pushing the boundaries of healthcare. A huge thank you to Becker's Hospital Review for considering rankings and awards from esteemed organizations like U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, and Healthgrades in compiling this list.🌟🥳🥳

🎉 We are proud to celebrate J Mocco, MD, MS, Senior System Vice Chair and Director of the Cerebrovascular Center, on his 10-year milestone with Mount Sinai Health System’s Department of Neurosurgery! 🎉   Dr. Mocco’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and patient care has led to incredible accomplishments, including:   - Publishing 646 peer-reviewed articles that have advanced the field. - Becoming the first to be elected to both the AANS/CNS CV Section Chair and SNIS President. - Building a clinical trials research organization with over $14.5 million in trial funding. - Serving as Dual-PI on the PCORI award-winning TESTED study. - Leading high-impact ARO projects as National PI, including COAST, COMPASS, POSITIVE, INVEST, & Registry TNK. - Serving a MPI for the $53.7 million STEP NIH Platform Trial and securing major research grants like the $2.23M NIH StrokeNet NYC-RCC and $9.75M TESTED award. - Developing the first thrombectomy-capable stroke center in Queens at Mount Sinai Queens. - Earning editorial roles at top journals like Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, Stroke, and Neurosurgery. - Reappointed to the Joint Commission Technical Advisory Panel for Stroke Center Certification and other national committees.   Dr. Mocco’s contributions continue to shape the future of neurosurgery. Here's to many more decades of success, impact, and leadership in neurosurgery! 🧠💙