USC Department of Neurological Surgery
Keck School of Medicine
Annual Report
2007

Under the leadership of Dr. Steven Giannotta, the department continues the tradition of strong clinical and basic research, dedicated teaching, and clinical expertise that characterized the vision and momentum set by the previous Chairman, Dr. Martin Weiss.

RESIDENT EDUCATION
The Department attracted over 120 applications for its 2 residency positions in the Fall of 2006.  Approximately 50 applicants, all from leading US Medical Schools, were interviewed.  A psychomotor skills lab has been instituted within the Department and supported by a number of our vendors.  This facility will provide for not only skills acquisition but also for the development of anatomically based surgical research.  The neurosurgical training program has been on a perennial five-year cycle by the RRC.  Our training program serves as a model for other ACGME programs in that it has incorporated the Six Clinical Competencies into the fabric of teaching and evaluation. The web based Verinform System facilitates duty hour tracking and program, faculty, and resident evaluation.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the USC Keck School of Medicine Neurosurgical Training Program is the ability to experience the PGY-7 year as a resident supervisor and thereby experience the benefits of being a faculty member within the Department.  The resident supervisor is expected to run his/her own service, teach and mentor residents, interns and medical students; manage his/her own operating room schedule; and for six months act as administrative chief of the Los Angeles County service.  This includes designing and scheduling all educational activities within the Department. 

FACULTY
Our faculty continues to distinguish themselves clinically, educationally, and in the laboratory.  Many of the faculty exert leadership roles in international and national organizations.   Dr. Martin Weiss continues as Associate Editor of the Journal of Neurosurgery.  He was recently bestowed the Cloward Award by the Western Neurosurgical Society.  This is the inaugural award from this Society and is given to a Neurosurgeon with an international reputation who has advanced the specialty through innovation.   Dr. Michael Apuzzo remains as Editor of the Journal Neurosurgery.  One of the highlights of the annual Congress of Neurological Surgeons meeting is the Michael L. J. Apuzzo Lecture on Creativity and Innovation, this year given by Michael Tilson Thomas.  Dr. Gordon McComb continues to serve as a Director of the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.  He serves on the Senior Advisory Board and the Editorial Board of the Journal Pediatric Neurosurgery as well as on the Editorial Board of the Journal Neurosurgery.  Locally Dr. McComb serves on the Board of Directors of the University Childrens Medical Group.  Dr. Steven Giannotta continues to serve on the Advisory Committee of the American Board of Neurological Surgeons, having been a past Chairman.  He is also the Chairman of the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Neurosurgery.  Dr. Peter Gruen has just recently completed his tenure as the interim Chief Medical Officer for the LAC+USC Medical Center.  Dr. George Teitelbaum continues to serve on the Editorial Review Panels of a number of peer reviewed journals including Radiology, American Journal of Roentgenology, Journal of Vascular Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology.  He was recently granted his fourth patent on formable orthopedic fixation system with cross linking.  Dr. Thomas Chen achieved the rank of Associate Professor with Tenure in 2003.  Along with his vigorous clinical and research activities, he organized the various interest groups related to Neuro-oncology on the medical campus to form a more effective research and educational unit.  He and his collaborators have patented a retrovirus that will become a powerful adjunct in gene therapy for malignant tumors.  Dr. Donald Larsen has served as President of the Medical Faculty Assembly at the USC Keck School of Medicine.  He has functioned as Chairman of the Data Safety Monitoring Board for the Onyx Embolization Randomized Trial and as Chairman of the Clinical Events Committee of the Onyx trial for brain aneurysm embolization.  Dr. Larsen was named Medical Director for USC Care which is the umbrella group for the USC faculty practicing at both the USC University Hospital and Norris Cancer Hospitals.  Dr. Mark Krieger and his collaborative group at Childrens Hospital have made a number of innovative observations on imaging characteristics of malignant tumors in children.  Dr. Charles Liu is a member ot the Executive Committee of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.  He received the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Young Clinician Investigator Award.  He has established a collaborative research effort with the protein chemists at CalTech.  This has allowed several of our residents to get involved in stem cell research centered around the signaling characteristics that allow stem cells to form either glia or neurons.  Dr. Mark Liker has successfully inaugurated a program for the surgical management of movement disorders at USC Keck School of Medicine.  He has performed a large number of deep brain stimulation surgical procedures for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and supplements this work with a vigorous basic science research program using a primate model of Parkinson’s Disease. 

DEPARTMENT DEMOGRAPHICS 
Total faculty:   15
            Tenured Professor: 4
            Tenured Associate Professor: 1
            Tenure Track Assistant Professor: 2
            Clinical Professor: 1
            Clinical Associate Professor: 3
            Clinical Assistant Professor: 4

RESEARCH PROGRAM
In conjunction with Florence Hofman, Professor of Pathology, Dr. Thomas Chen has established an active laboratory studying the nature of endothelial cells in malignant brain tumors.  This work has generated some strategies that may soon be the subject of a clinical trial.  A viral vector has been created to deliver molecular biologically active anti tumor moieties.  Drs. Liu, Hofman and Giannotta have a vigorous program studying the angiogenic properties of human endothelial cells from brain arteriovenous malformations.  USC Medical students and Neurosurgery residents have taken important roles in these activities generating posters, podium presentations, abstracts and manuscripts.  Stefan Lee, PhD has joined the faculty, bringing with him an NIH funded project on neuronal function in traumatic brain injury.  Dr Lee has developed a curriculum specifically for neurosurgery residents to facilitate their acquisition of basic research skills.  He has formed a coalition of USC researchers to attract research funding from the Department of Defense for TBI and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Dr Charles Liu, in conjunction with David Tirrel, PhD has an active protein chemistry lab at California Institute of Technology.  They are actively studying the ability to manipulate matrix proteins to determine the physiologic and morphologic fate of neural stem cells.  Dr Yvette Marquez, currently a PGY-2 in the USC neurosurgery residency, took a leadership role in these activities during her medical school years.  Dr Brad Elder, PGY-6 in the USC residency, was awarded the prestigious CNS Resident Research Award for basic studies by virtue of his work in this laboratory.   Dr Mark Liker has joined the USC Engineering Research Center, a National Science Foundation supported ERC established by among others Dr Mark Humayan, USC Retinal Surgeon.  The Biomimetic Microelectronic Systems Center is part of the ERC and is the only Center currently focusing on biomedical implanted devices.

RESEARCH GRANTS: Current and Recently completed

Apuzzo: Radiosurgical Treatment of Temporal Epilepsy, Award # 29985C

Chen: Survivin:  Target for Breast Cancer Metastasis Therapy
California Breast Cancer Research Program, co-PI

Chen: Potent enhancement of conventional multiple myeloma chemotherapy by DMC, a novel drug with multifunctional molecular applications.
Multiple Myeloma Foundation. co-PI

Chen: Applying COX-2 independent molecules:  independent effect of celebrex to the treatment of glioblastoma., ABC2, Co-PI

Chen: Evaluation of the bone matrix protein (Kronos) for in-situ lumbar fusions, Synthes     

Chen: Use of ER Stress in the Treatment of Malignant Gliomas, Whittier Foundation

Chen: Use of noscapine in the Treatment of Malignant Gliomas, Cougar Pharmaceuticals

Giannotta: Cerebral Aneurysm Rerupture Study.  UCSF

Giannotta: Familial Intracranial Aneurysm. University of Cincinnati

Giannotta: Hypothermia during Intracranial Aneurysm Surgery. Univ. of Iowa

Gruen:  Bactiseal catheter study with Codman.  Antibiotic impregnated ventricular
catheters versus plain catheters comparison of infection rates.

Gruen: MRI-DTI Tractography to Quantify Brain Connectivity in Traumatic Brain Injury.  Department of Defense.

Lee (Active) - Title: Energy requirement of neurons after brain injury
Role on Project: Principal Investigator
Source: National Institutes of Health/NINDS
Dates: 5/1/98-4/30/09

Lee (Pending) - Title: Stem Cell-Based Therapy for the Treatment of Diffuse Axonal Injury
Role on Project: Principal Investigator
Source: Department of Defense/CDMRP
Dates: 7/1/08-12/31/09

Lee (Pending) - Title: Comparison of Blast-Induced Acute Neurophysiological Changes to Traditional Experimental Models of TBI
Role on Project: Principal Investigator
Source: Department of Defense/CDMRP
Dates: 7/1/08-12/31/09

Lee (Pending) - Title: Smart Combat Helmet for "On the Battlefield" Diagnosis of TBI
Role on Project: Principal Investigator
Source: Department of Defense/CDMRP
Dates: 7/1/08-12/31/09

Lee (Pending) - Title: Metabolic markers of recovery following mild traumatic brain injury
Role on Project: Principal Investigator
Source: Department of Defense/CDMRP
Dates: 7/1/08-6/30/11

Lee (Pending) - Title: Antidepressant Modulation of Neural Plasticity after TBI
Role on Project: Investigator (Thomas McNeill, P.I)
Source: Department of Defense/CDMRP
Dates: 7/1/08-6/30/11

Lee (Pending) - Title: Los Angeles County+University of Southern California Medical Center (LAC+USC) Clinical Consortium Study Site
Role on Project: Co-Principal Investigator (Helena Chui, P.I.)
Source: Department of Defense/CDMRP
Dates: 7/1/08-6/30/13

Krieger:  “Retrospective Review: Head Circumference Progression Following Surgical Treatment of Craniosynostosis.” (Continuing review, 2006- 2007)

Krieger: “Retrospective Review and Classification of Chiari I Malformations Associated with Scoliosis.”

Krieger:  “Treatment and Management of Rathke’s Cleft Cyst in a Pediatric Population.” With Dr. Gabriel Zada.

Krieger:  “Intramedullary Spinal Cord Astrocytomas.” With Dr. Ruth Bristol.

Krieger:  “Retrospective Review of Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Ependymomas in the Pediatric Population.” With Dr. Sergei Terterov.

Krieger:  “Retrospective Review of Pediatric Anaplastic Astrocytomas.” With Dr. Tedi Vlahu.

Larsen:  CREST – Carotid endarterectomy vs. Carotid angioplasty and stenting: A randomized multicenter national trial.

Liker: Co-PI in Northstar cortical stimulation project for stroke rehabilitation

Liker: Co-PI on upcoming study on DBS for obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression

Liker:  Co-Investigator (IRB submitted and pilot initiated) Monitoring the visual axis during posterior spine surgery. Impetus for the study is the rare instance of blindness (Posterior ischemic optic neuropathy - PION) during extensive posterior spinal surgery.

Liker: Co-Investigator with the Cortical Prosthesis Testbed component of the Biomimetic Microelectronic Systems (BMES) Engineering Research Center (ERC) at USC sponsored by the NSF. The goal of the Cortical Prosthesis Testbed is to develop next-generation biomimetic neural prostheses that communicate bi-directionally with cortical brain regions to replace the function of brain areas lost due to damage or disease.

Liker: Role of dopamine agonist versus carbidopa/levodopa in glutamine release in the basal ganglia of MPTP lesioned murine and primate models of Parkinson's disease.

Liker: Role of exercise in plasticity of the basal ganglia. Using microdialysis to assess dopamine changes in the basal ganglia following a vigorous exercies regimen in murine models of Parkinson’s disease.

Liu: Artificial Niches for Neural Stem Cells, American Association of Neurological Surgeons – Neurosurgical Research and Education Foundation, Role: PI, Duration: 7/1/04-6/30/05

McComb, Krieger: “Retrospective Review and Classification of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS)
Date from Patients with Intracranial Tumors.”  

McComb, Krieger: “Retrospective Review and Classification of Pediatric Astrocytomas.” 

McComb: “Scoliosis with Cervical Lipoma and Tethered Cord.”

McComb: “CSF Drainage Project.” With Mike Harrington, co-investigator from Huntington Medical Research Institute.

McComb: “Non-invasive Assessment of Intracranial Pressure with MR Imaging.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Peer Reviewed Manuscripts with Resident Participation (Resident name underlined, faculty bolded)

Davidson L: Current diagnosis & treatment in neurology. Neurosurgery
61:E662, 2007

Davidson L, Liu CY, Zelman V. Alexander N. Konovalov: neurosurgeon, leader,
mentor. Neurosurgery (in press).

Davidson L, Fishback D, Russin JJ, Weiss MH, Yu C, Pagnini PG, Zelman V,
Apuzzo MLJ, Giannotta SL: Postoperative gamma knife surgery for benign
meningiomas of the cranial base. Neurosurgical Focus (in press).

Davidson L, McComb JG.  Epidural-cutaneous fistula in association with the Pott puffy tumor in an adolescent.  J Neurosurg Pediatrics 105:235-237, 2006.

Elder JB. Berry C. Gonzalez-Gomez I. Kreger MD. McComb JG. Giant cell tumor of the skull in pediatric patients. Report of two cases. Journal of Neurosurgery. 107(1 Suppl):69-74, 2007 Jul.

Anderson RC. Anderson DE. Elder JB. Brown MD. Mandigo CE. Parsa AT. Goodman RR. McKhann GM. Sisti MB. Bruce JN. Lack of B7 expression, not human leukocyte antigen expression, facilitates immune evasion by human malignant gliomas.  Neurosurgery. 60(6):1129-36; discussion 1136, 2007 Jun.

Elder JB. Chen TC. Surgical interventions for primary central nervous system lymphoma. Neurosurgical Focus. 21(5):E13, 2006.

Holley SL. Rajagopal R. Hoban PR. Deakin M. Fawole AS. Elder JB. Elder J. Smith V. Strange RC. Fryer AA. Polymorphisms in the glutathione S-transferase mu cluster are associated with tumour progression and patient outcome in colorectal cancer.  International Journal of Oncology. 28(1):231-6, 2006 Jan.

Elder JB, Hoh DJ, Wang MY.  Post-operative continuous paravertebral anesthetic infusion for pain control in lumbar spinal fusion surgery.  Spine.  Accepted for publication.

Lypka M. Pham D. Farin A. Le B. Yamashita DD. Epidural hemorrhage after removal of a rigid external distraction device. Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. 65(6):1244-6, 2007 Jun.

Farin A. Aryan HE. Ozgur BM. Parsa AT. Levy ML. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy. [Comparative Study. Journal Article. Technical Report] Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 13(7):763-70, 2006 Aug.

Farin A. Suzuki SO. Weiker M. Goldman JE. Bruce JN. Canoll P. Transplanted glioma cells migrate and proliferate on host brain vasculature: a dynamic analysis. GLIA. 53(8):799-808, 2006 Jun.

Heller AC, Amar AP, Liu CY, Apuzzo MLJ.  Surgery of the Mind and Mood: A Mosaic of Issues in Time and Evolution. Neurosurgery 59(4), October 2006

Hoh DJ, Liu CY, Chen JC, Pagnini PG, Yu C, Wang MY, Apuzzo MLJ.  Chained Lightning :  Part II - Neurosurgical principles, radiosurgical technology, and the manipulation of energy beam delivery.  Neurosurgery,Neurosurgery 61 (3) September 2007.

Hoh DJ, Liu CY, Pagnini PG, Yu C, Wang MY, Apuzzo MLJ.  Chained Lightning :  Part III – Novel therapeutic strategies and exploration of new energy modalities for radiosurgery.  Accepted for publication.

Hoh DJ, Larsen DW, Elder JB, Kim PE, Giannotta SL, Liu CY.  Novel use of an endovascular embolectomy device for retrograde suction-decompression assisted clip ligation of a large paraclinoid aneurysm:  Technical case report.  Neurosurgery.  Accepted for publication.

Hoh DJ, Liu CY, Pagnini PG, Yu C, Wang MY, Apuzzo MLJ.  Chained Lightning :  Part I - The exploitation of energy and radiobiologic principles for therapeutic purpose.  Neurosurgery.  2007 Jul;61(1):14-27; discussion 27-8.

Hoh D, Berry C, Gonzalez I, McComb JG.  A case of rudimentary lateral parietal cephalocele: extracranial meningothelial and glial tissue without intracranial communication or bony defect.  Pediatric Neurosurgery 42(4):264-7, 2006

Kim KY, Wang MY. Magnetic resonance image-based morphological pedictors of single photon emission computed tomography-postive facet athropathy in patients with axial back pain.  Neurosurgery 59(1):147-56, July 2006

Leary SP, Liu CY, Apuzzo MLJ.  Toward the emergence of nanoneurosurgery: part III--nanomedicine: targeted nanotherapy, nanosurgery, and progress toward the realization of nanoneurosurgery.  Neurosurgery 58(6):1009-26, June 2006

Leary SP, Liu CY, Apuzzo MLJ.  Toward the emergence of nanoneurosurgery: part II--nanomedicine: diagnostics and imaging at the nanoscale level.  Neurosurgery 58(5):805-23, May 2006

Oh BC. Liu CY. Wang MY. Pagnini PG. Yu C. Apuzzo ML. Stereotactic radiosurgery: adjacent tissue injury and response after high-dose single fraction radiation. Part II: Strategies for therapeutic enhancement, brain injury mitigation, and brain injury repair. Neurosurgery. 60(5):799-814; discussion 799-814, 2007 May.

Oh BC. Pagnini PG. Wang MY. Liu CY. Kim PE. Yu C. Apuzzo ML. Stereotactic radiosurgery: adjacent tissue injury and response after high-dose single fraction radiation: Part I--Histology, imaging, and molecular events. Neurosurgery. 60(1):31-44; discussion 44-5, 2007 Jan.

Parkinson RJ. Bendok BR. Getch CC. Yashar P. Shaibani A. Ankenbrandt W. Awad IA. Batjer HH. Retrograde suction decompression of giant paraclinoid aneurysms using a No. 7 French balloon-containing guide catheter. Technical note. Journal of Neurosurgery. 105(3):479-81, 2006 Sep.

Zada G. Liu CY. Fishback D. Singer PA. Weiss MH. Recognition and management of delayed hyponatremia following transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. Journal of Neurosurgery. 106(1):66-71, 2007 Jan.

Zada G. Pezeshkian P. Giannotta SL. Spontaneous intracranial hypotension and immediate improvement following epidural blood patch placement demonstrated by intracranial pressure monitoring. Case report. Journal of Neurosurgery. 106(6):1089-90, 2007 Jun.

Zada G, Krieger MD, McNatt SA, Bowen I, McComb JG.  Pathogenesis and treatment of intracranial arachnoid cysts in pediatric patients younger than 2 years of age.  Neurosurgical Focus. 22(2):E1, 2007.

Wu A, McCairn K, Zada G, Wu T, Turner RS. Motor Cortex Stimulation: Only Mild Transient Benefit in Primate Models of  Parkinson’s Disease (Accepted for publication, The Journal of Neurosurgery)

Peer Reviewed Manuscripts- Faculty (USC Faculty bolded)

Apuzzo MLJ
New Horizons, Crossing the Rubicon, and a Requiem for the Conventional.
NEUROSURGERY. 59 (5) (Supplement) 3-1, November 2006.

Apuzzo MLJ
Editor’s Letter: The Kaleidoscope Turns
NEUROSURGERY 60 (1), January 2007

Apuzzo, MLJ
Editor’s Letter: The Reinvention of Neurosurgery
NEUROSURGERY 61 (1) July 2007 (30th Year Anniversary Supplement)

Apuzzo, MLJ
Surgery of the Human Cerebrum Part 1
History-Surgery of the Human Cerebrum: A Collective Modernity
NEUROSURGERY 61 (1) July 2007 (30th Year Anniversary Supplement)

Apuzzo, MLJ
Editor’s Letter: Are We “Ishmael”?
NEUROSURGERY 61 (3) September 2007 (30th Year Anniversary Supplement)

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 59 (4), October 2006

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 59 (5), November 2006

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 59 (6), December 2006

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 60 (1), January 2007

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 60 (1), January 2007

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 60  (Supplement) (1), January 2007

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 60 (2), February 2007

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 60  (Supplement) (2), February 2007

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 60 (3), March 2007

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 60 (4), April 2007

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 60  (Supplement) (4), April 2007

Apuzzo MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 60 (5), May 2007

Apuzzo MLJ      
NEUROSURGERY 60 (6) June 2007

Apuzzo, MLJ
NEUROSURGERY 61 (1) July 2007 (Celebrating 30 years of Neurosurgery)

Apuzzo MLJ      
NEUROSURGERY 61 (2) August 2007

Apuzzo MLJ      
NEUROSURGERY 61 (3) September 2007

Apuzzo MLJ      
NEUROSURGERY 61 (3) September 2007

Apuzzo MLJ      
NEUROSURGERY 61 (4) October 2007

Pyrko P. Kardosh A. Liu YT. Soriano N. Xiong W. Chow RH. Uddin J. Petasis NA. Mircheff AK. Farley RA. Louie SG. Chen TC. Schonthal AH. Calcium-activated endoplasmic reticulum stress as a major component of tumor cell death induced by 2,5-dimethyl-celecoxib, a non-coxib analogue of celecoxib. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. 6(4):1262-75, 2007 Apr.

Charalambous C. Virrey J. Kardosh A. Jabbour MN. Qazi-Abdullah L. Pen L. Zidovetzki R. Schonthal AH. Chen TC. Hofman FM. Glioma-associated endothelial cells show evidence of replicative senescence. Experimental Cell Research. 313(6):1192-202, 2007 Apr 1.

Gupta V. Su YS. Samuelson CG. Liebes LF. Chamberlain MC. Hofman FM. Schonthal AH. Chen TC.  Irinotecan: a potential new chemotherapeutic agent for atypical or malignant meningiomas. Journal of Neurosurgery. 106(3):455-62, 2007 Mar.

Charalambous C, Chen TC, Hofman FM.  Characteristics of tumor-associated endothelial cells derived from glioblastoma multiforme.  Neurosurgical Focus. 20(4):E22, 2006

Gupta V, Su YS, Wang W, Kardosh A, Liebes LF, Hofman FM, Schonthal AH, Chen TC.  Enhancement of glioblastoma cell killing by combination treatment with temozolomide and tamoxifen or hypericin.  Neurosurgical Focus 20(4):E20, 2006

Milan J, Charalambous C, Elhag R, Chen TC, Li W, Guan S, Hofman FM, Zidovetzki R.  Multiple signaling pathways are involved in endothelin-1-induced brain endothelial cell migration.  Americal Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology 291(1):C155-64, July 2006

Gupta V, Wang W, Sosnowski BA, Hofman FM, Chen TC.  Fibroblast growth factor-2-retargeted adenoviral vector for selective transduction of primary glioblastoma multiforme endothelial cells.  Neurosurgical Focus. 20(4): E26, 2006

Wang W, Tai CK, Kershaw AD, Solly SK, Klatzmann D, Kasahara N, Chen TC.  Use of replication-competent retroviral vectors in an immunocompetent intracranial glioma model.  Neurosurgical Focus 20(4):E25, 2006

Watridge CB. Solomon RA. Grady MS. Popp AJ. Quest DO. Kondziolka D. Giannotta SL. Access to emergency care. [Letter] Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons. 92(4):44; author reply 44-5, 2007 Apr.

Aryan HE, Giannotta SL, Fukushima T, Park MS, Ozgur BM, Levy ML.  Aneurysms in children: review of 15 years experience.  Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 13(2): 188-92. Feb 2006

Panigrahy A, Kreiger MD, Gonzalez-Gomez I, et al.  Quantitative short echo time 1H-MR spectroscopy of untreated pediatric brain tumors: preoperative diagnosis and characterization.  Am J Neuroradiol 27(3):560-572, 2006

Panigrahy A. Krieger MD. Gonzalez-Gomez I. Liu X. McComb JG. Finlay JL. Nelson MD Jr. Gilles FH. Bluml S. Quantitative short echo time 1H-MR spectroscopy of untreated pediatric brain tumors: preoperative diagnosis and characterization. Ajnr: American Journal of Neuroradiology. 27(3):560-72, 2006 Mar.

Krieger MD, What Do We Really Know About Arachnoid Cysts?  Neurosurgical Focus.  22(2) Intro, 2007.

Liker M: Neural interface technologies: applications of biomedical engineering to neurosurgery.  Neurosurg Focus 20 (5): Intro, 2006

Liker M: Topic Editor Neural Interface Technologies.  Neurosurgical Focus.  May 2006, Volume 20, Issue 5

Kuo JS, Gonzalez-Gomez I, McComb JG.  Unexpected Myxopapillary Ependymoma within a Filum Terminale Tethering the Spinal Cord.  Pediatr Neurosurg 43:309-311, 2007.

Yamada S, Bu X, Khankaldyyan V, Gonzales-Gomez I, McComb JG, Laug W.  Effect of the Angiogenesis Inhibitor Cilengitide (EMD 121974) on Glioblastoma Growth in Nude Mice.  Neurosurgery 59:1304-1312, 2006.

Amar AP. Teitelbaum GP. Larsen DW. A novel technique and new grading scale for the embolization of cerebral vascular malformations. Neurosurgery. 59(5 Suppl 3):S158-62; discussion S3-13, 2006 Nov.

Weiss MH. Couldwell WT. Gamma Knife surgery for Cushing disease.[comment]. [Comment. Editorial] Journal of Neurosurgery. 106(6):976-7; discussion 977-9, 2007 Jun.

Grunberg SM. Weiss MH. Russell CA. Spitz IM. Ahmadi J. Sadun A. Sitruk-Ware R. Long-term administration of mifepristone (RU486): clinical tolerance during extended treatment of meningioma. Cancer Investigation. 24(8):727-33, 2006 Dec.

Couldwell WT. Kan P. Weiss MH. Simple closure following transsphenoidal surgery. Technical note. Neurosurgical Focus. 20(3):E11, 2006.

Book Chapters

Heller AC, Yu C, Apuzzo MLJ:  “Techniques of Stereotactic Radiosurgery” in Principles and Practice of Stereotactic Radiosurgery.  Chin and Regine, eds. (In Press)

McComb JG:  Excision of a Spinal Congenital Dermal Sinus/Dermoid.
Atlas of Neurosurgical Techniques:  Spine and Peripheral Nerves.  New York,
Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. 2006, 715-722.

Krieger MD, Bowen IE, McComb JG. Penetrating Craniocerebral Injuries in Albright AL, Pollack, Adelson PD (eds). Principles and Practice of Pediatric Neurosurgery. 2nd Edition, New York, Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. 2006, 808-821.

May JA, Krieger MD, Bowen I, Geffner ME.  Craniopharyngioma in Childhood.  Advances in Pediatrics.  53:183-209, 2006.

McComb, JG. Spinal Meningoceles in Albright AL, Pollack IF, Adelson PD (eds). Principles and Practice of Pediatric Neurosurgery. 2nd Edition, New York, Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. 2008, 323-337.