This series has already become a classic. In general, one volume is published per year. The advances section presents fields of neurosurgery and related areas in which important recent progress has been made. The technical standards section features detailed descriptions of standard procedures to assist young neurosurgeons in their post-graduate training. The contributions are written by experienced clinicians and are reviewed by all members of the editorial board.

This volume of Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery is devoted entirely to the spine. Like other volumes in the series, it presents important recent progress in the field and offers detailed descriptions of standard procedures to assist young neurosurgeons. Among the advances considered are approaches to spinal navigation, including intraoperative imaging based navigation, and concepts of spinal robotics. The value of sagittal balance as a parameter for the neurosurgeon is examined, and a novel surgical approach to longitudinal pathologies within the spinal canal is presented. Developments in surgery for kyphosis are also discussed, with a focus on pedicle subtraction osteotomy. The technical standards section critically reviews the latest evidence regarding cervical disc arthroplasty and pedicle-based non-fusion stabilization devices. The book concludes by discussing the treatment of craniovertebral junction instability as a result of juvenile chronic arthritis.

This series, sponsored by the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies, has already become a classic. In general, one volume is published per year. The advances section presents fields of neurosurgery and related areas in which important recent progress has been made. The technical standards section features detailed descriptions of standard procedures to assist young neurosurgeons in their post-graduate training. The contributions are written by experienced clinicians and are reviewed by all members of the editorial board.

S. Price: Advances in imaging low grade gliomas - M.J. Riemenschneider, G. Riefenberger: Molecular neuropathology of low grade gliomas and its clinical impact - I . Whittle: What is the place of conservative management for adult supratentorial low grade glioma - D. Kurzwelly, U. Herrlinger, M. Simon: Seizures in patients with low grade gliomas -- incidence, pathogenesis, surgical management, and pharmacotherapy - L. Bello et al: Present day's standards in microsurgery of low grade gliomas - B. Baumert: Is there a place for radiotherapy in low grade gliomas - F.W. Kreth, N. Thon, J.-C. Tonn

This series has already become a classic. In general, one volume is published per year. The advances section presents fields of neurosurgery and related areas in which important recent progress has been made. The technical standards section features detailed descriptions of standard procedures to assist young neurosurgeons in their post-graduate training. The contributions are written by experienced clinicians and are reviewed by all members of the editorial board.

No special field of surgery dealing with the cranial nerves exists today. This is not surprising in view of the characteristics of this group of morphologically and topo graphically heterogenous nerves. Morphologically we must differentiate between central nerves (I, II and VIII) and the so-called peripheral nerves (nn. III to VII and IX to XII), in which post-lesion rgeneration is quite different. Anatomo-topographi cally we must consider an intracranial and an extracranial part of each cranial nerve. For practical reasons at operation, further subdivisions of the intracranial course of cranial nerves are to be distinguished in the anterior, middle and posterior cranial fossae as well as within the petrous bone. This underscores the extensive tasks awaiting surgeons operating in the ventral part of the brain and facial skull as well as in the more dorsal part of the skull and neck. This very wide field cannot be covered by a single surgical discipline alone. In our opinion, considerable progress has been made in surgery of the cranial nerves only in recent years. This may be explained by the increased mastery of microsurgical techniques by all surgeons in terested in the surgery of the base of the skull as well as with the initiation of more interdisciplinary consultation and jointly performed operations. Possibilities of fu ture development can be discerned in the text. The base of the skull separating the extra-and intracranial part of cranial nerves should not be a barrier but a connect ing link.

As an addition to the European postgraduate training system for young neurosurgeons, we began to publish in 1974 this series of Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery which was later sponsored by the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies. This series was first discussed in 1972 at a combined meeting of the Italian and German Neurosurgical Societies in Taormina, the founding fathers of the series being Jean Brihaye, Bernard Pertuiset, Fritz Loew and Hugo Krayenbuhl. Thus were established the principles of European co operation which have been born from the European spirit, flourished in the European Association, and have been associated throughout with this senes. The fact that the English language is now the international medium for communication at European scientific conferences is a great asset in terms of mutual understanding. Therefore we have decided to publish all contri butions in English, regardless of the native language of the authors. All contributions are submitted to the entire editorial board before publication of any volume for scrutiny and suggestions for revision. Our series is not intended to compete with the publications of original scientific papers in other neurosurgical journals. Our intention is, rather, to present fields of neurosurgery and related areas in which important recent advances have been made. The contributions are written by specialists in the given fields and constitute the first part of each volume.

As an addition to the European postgraduate training system for young neurosurgeons we began to publish in 1974 this series of Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery which was later sponsored by the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies. This series was first discussed in 1972 at a combined meeting of the Italian and German Neurosurgical Societies in Taormina, the founding fathers of the series being Jean Brihaye, Bernard Pertuiset, Fritz Loew and Hugo KrayenbtihI. Thus were established the principles of European co operation which have been born from the European spirit, flourished in the European Association, and have throughout been associated with this series. The fact that the English language is well on the way to becoming the international medium at European scientific conferences is a great asset in terms of mutual understanding. Therefore we have decided to publish all contributions in English, regardless of the native language of the authors. All contributions are submitted to the entire editorial board before publi cation of any volume. Our series is not intended to compete with the publications of original scientific papers in other neurosurgical journals. Our intention is, rather, to present fields of neurosurgery and related areas in which important recent advances have been made. The contributions are written by specialists in the given fields and constitute the first part of each volume.

The contributions in this volume cover recent advances and changing concepts on diagnosis and treatment of resistant epilepsy in children. Topics treated are new insights on mechanisms of epileptogenesis in developing brain, multimodality imaging in pediatric intractable epilepsy, pediatric intractable epilepsy syndromes, pediatric temporal lobe epilepsy surgery, critical review of palliative surgical techniques for intractable epilepsy, treatment modalities for intractable epilepsy in hypothalamic hamartomas, contemporary management of epilepsy in tuberous sclerosis.