AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that imposes heavy financial burden on governments and families of affected children. It is considered a multifactorial condition, where trace elements are among environmental factors that may contribute to ASD. Meanwhile, the between-study variance is high. The present systematic review was designed to investigate the difference in trace element measures between patients with ASD and control subjects. Meta-analyses showed that the hair concentrations of chromium (p=0.024), cobalt (p=0.012), iodine (p=0.000), iron (p=0.017), and magnesium (p=0.007) in ASD patients were significantly lower than those of control subjects, while there were higher magnesium levels in the hair of ASD patients compared to that of controls (p=0.010). Patients with ASD had higher blood levels of copper (p=0.000) and lower levels of zinc compared to controls (p=0.021). Further urinary iodine levels in patients with ASD were decreased in comparison with controls (p=0.026). Sensitivity analyses showed that ASD patients in non-Asian but not in Asian countries had lower hair concentrations of chromium compared to controls. Also, such analyses indicated that ASD patients in Asian countries had lower hair zinc concentrations, whereas ASD patients in non-Asian countries had higher hair zinc concentrations in comparison with control subjects. This study found significant differences in the content of trace elements between patients with ASD compared to controls. The findings help highlighting the role of trace elements as environmental factors in the etiology of ASD.

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BACKGROUND: Awake craniotomy (AC) enables real-time monitoring of cortical and subcortical functions when lesions are in eloquent brain areas. AC patients are exposed to various preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative stressors, which might affect their mental health. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review to better understand stress, anxiety, and depression in AC patients. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched from January 1, 2000, to April 20, 2022, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline. RESULTS: Four hundred forty-seven records were identified that fit our inclusion and exclusion criteria for screening. Overall, 24 articles consisting of 1450 patients from 13 countries were included. Sixteen studies (66.7%) were prospective, whereas 8 articles (33.3%) were retrospective. Studies evaluated stress, anxiety, and depression during different phases of AC. Twenty-two studies (91.7%) were conducted on adults, and 2 studies were on pediatrics (8.3 %). Glioma was the most common AC treatment with 615 patients (42.4%). Awake-awakeawake and asleep-awake-asleep were the most common protocols, each used in 4 studies, respectively (16.7%). Anxiety was the most common psychological outcome evaluated in 19 studies (79.2%). The visual analog scale and self-developed questionnaire by the authors (each n = 5, 20.8%) were the most frequently tools used. Twenty-three studies (95.8%) concluded that AC does not increase stress, anxiety, and/or depression in AC patients. One study (4.2%) identified younger age associated with panic attack. CONCLUSION: In experienced hands, AC does not cause an increase in stress, anxiety, and depression; however, the psychiatric impact of AC should not be underestimated.

Background: Dominant-hemisphere tumors, especially gliomas, as infiltrative tumors, frequently affect cognitive functioning. Establishing a balance between extensive resection, which is proven to result in longer survival, and less extensive resection, in order to maintain more cognitive abilities, is challenging.Objective: To evaluate changes in cognitive functioning before and after surgical resection of language-related, eloquent-area, high-grade gliomas under awake craniotomy.Method: We provided individuals with newly diagnosed highgrade gliomas of the language-related eloquent areas with the same standard of care, including surgical resection of the glioma using intraoperative sensory-motor and cognitive mapping under awake craniotomy, and the same protocol for chemoradiotherapy. Cognitive functioning was assessed using Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) at four time points (preoperatively, early after surgery, and 3 and 6 months postoperatively). Results:The preoperative evaluation revealed a range of cognitive impairments in 70.7% of the individuals, affecting all of the cognitive subdomains (mostly attention and visuospatial abilities). Overall cognitive functioning (ie, ACE-R score) dropped by 13.5% (P = 0.169) early postoperatively. At the 3-month evaluation, an average of 15.3% (P = 0.182) recovery in cognitive functioning was observed (mostly in verbal fluency: 39.1%). This recovery improved further, reaching 29% (P < 0.001) at the 6-month evaluation. The greatest improvement occurred in verbal fluency: 68.8%, P = 0.001. Conclusion:Extensive resection of eloquent-area gliomas with the aid of modern neuroimaging and neuromonitoring techniques under awake craniotomy is possible without significant long-term cognitive sequela.

• Juvenile psammomatoid ossifying fibroma (JPOF) is a rare bone tumor characterized by a predilection for the sinonasal region. • It usually presents as a punched-out lesion with sharp borders. It may have an aggressive course with a high local recurrence rate. Novel Insights • JPOF may rarely involve the orbital roof and cause proptosis in a child. It should be suspected as a rare cause of persistent/progressive proptosis in childhood. • The radiological appearance of a ground glass mass, which is typical of the less aggressive trabecular form, may be present in JPOF as well. A high index of suspicion is needed, and radical surgical resection is mandatory when JPOF is suspected.