Brain and Spine Surgery in the Elderly

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxi

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2. Generalities

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Rapid Growth in the Elderly Population of the World

      • Louis G. Pol

      Pages 3-15

   3. A Brief Physiology of the Aging

      • Moncef Berhouma

      Pages 17-22

   4. Neurological Assessment and Neurocognitive Evaluation of the Elderly

      • Pierre Krolak-Salmon

      Pages 23-29

3. Neuroanesthesia and Critical Care

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 31-31

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   2. Neurosurgical Anesthesia for the Elderly: Is Age Really Just a Number?

      • David A. Wyler, Elizabeth M. Gabrielli, W. Andrew Kofke

      Pages 33-64

   3. Perioperative Neurotoxicity in the Elderly

      • Elizabeth M. Gabrielli, Roderic G. Eckenhoff

      Pages 65-80

   4. Central Nervous System Infections in the Elderly

      • Rodrigo Hasbun, Allan R. Tunkel

      Pages 81-94

4. Intracranial Tumors

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 95-95

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   2. Intracranial Meningiomas in the Elderly

      • David B. Schul, Chochlidakis Nikos, Chirstianto B. Lumenta

      Pages 97-117

   3. Brain Gliomas in the Elderly

      • Cristina Izquierdo Gracia, Francois Ducray

      Pages 119-140

   4. Pituitary Adenomas

      • Paolo Cappabianca, Chiara Caggiano, Domenico Solari, Karol Migliorati, Waleed A. Azab, Elia Guadagno et al.

      Pages 141-151

   5. Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery in the Elderly

      • Philip Y. Sun, Marina L. Castner, Kathryn M. Van Abel, Colin L. W. Driscoll, Michael J. Link

      Pages 153-163

   6. Management of Primary CNS Lymphoma in Elderly Patients

      • Andreas F. Hottinger, Bianca Moura, Francesco Grandoni, Rita De Micheli

      Pages 165-180

   7. Management of Brain Metastases: Distinctive Features in the Elderly

      • Moncef Berhouma

      Pages 181-188

5. Spinal Diseases

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 189-189

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   2. Degenerative Spine Disease

      • Christian Ewald, Albrecht Waschke

      Pages 191-222

   3. Spinal Injuries of the Elderly

      • Christopher D. Witiw, Laureen D. Hachem, Michael G. Fehlings

      Pages 223-245

   4. Extradural Vertebral Tumors in the Elderly

      • Ryan J. Filler, Timothy T. Roberts, Edward C. Benzel

      Pages 247-276

This unique and richly illustrated volume presents the state of the art in the comprehensive management of major neurosurgical diseases in the elderly (aged 65 and over). It explores all of the common neurosurgical pathologies affecting elderly patients, and emphasizes the paramount importance of tailored management strategies for quality of life. It highlights updated techniques for anaesthesia and critical care, as well as minimally invasive neurosurgical methods intended for this specific group of patients. Radiosurgery treatment is also discussed, in particular for brain tumours.


In western societies, the proportion of elderly citizens has nearly reached 20%, and shows no signs of slowing down. The management of neurosurgical conditions in this particular population requires specific multidisciplinary strategies. To address this situation, a team of internationally respected contributors accurately describe degenerative and traumatic spinal diseases, which account for the majority of admissions among the elderly, as well as brain tumours and intracranial haemorrhages, aspects that are raising new ethical issues. 


The book mainly addresses the needs of neurosurgeons and geriatric neurologists, but also neuro-oncologists and neuro-anaesthesists working with elderly patients, as well as students in these disciplines.

• Geriatric neurosurgery
• Geriatric neurology
• Brain tumors
• Pituitary tumors
• Degenerative spine diseases
• Spinal and head injuries
• Neuroanesthesia
• Radiosurgery
• Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery
• Hydrocephalus
• Ethics

“This text is written primarily for neurosurgeons and, to a lesser extent, neurologists, neurointensivists, and neuroanesthesiologists. It is appropriate for trainees of these disciplines at all levels. … This is a timely and visionary text that can augment the practice of neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroanesthesiologists, and neurointensivists … .” (Ryan M. Naylor and William E. Krausss, Neurosurgery, Vol. 81 (6), December, 2017)

• Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Lyon, Lyon, France

  Moncef Berhouma

• Hôpital des Charpennes, Hospices civils de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France

  Pierre Krolak-Salmon

Moncef Berhouma MD, MSc is a consultant neurosurgeon at the University Hospital of Lyon (France). He is an associate professor of neurosurgery and surgical instructor at the European association of neurosurgical societies (EANS). He holds a Master of science in philosophy of neuroscience. He performed his research fellowship in the skull base surgery laboratory at Ohio University in USA (2011). He is the author of more than 50 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, more than 7 book chapters and 2 books. His main interests are minimally-invasive skull base surgery and geriatric neurosurgery.  Pierre Krolak-Salmon, MD, PhD is a neurologist and geriatrician at the University Hospital of Lyon (France), Director of Clinical Research Memory Centre of Lyon and of the Clinical Research Centre “Elderly, Brain and Frailty”, head of the Social Cognition and Cognitive Disorders research group at Neuroscience Center of Lyon. He completed his Neurosciences Master in 1999 and his PhD on brain dynamics of facial emotional expression recognition in 2004. He also studied at the Welcome Trust in London, UK and Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA. He currently has an active teaching role at the University Claude Bernard in Lyon, in the fields of geriatrics, neurology, neuroscience and neuropsychology. His main areas of research interest include biomarkers (CSF and neuroimaging) and predictors of autonomy loss in dementia; social cognition and emotion recognition; clinical neurology and geriatrics. 

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