Neurosurgical Focus Call for Papers
New submissions should be prepared following the Instructions for Authors.
The subject matter of your manuscript must fit the monthly topic; if it does not fit the topic, your manuscript will not be processed for peer review.
Information concerning Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis
Please note that systematic reviews (summary of scholarly literature related to a particular research topic or question) and meta-analyses (statistical techniques to combine data from the examined individual research studies) will only be considered for publication if they represent a contribution to the existing literature, and provide insights that help guide practice. Similarly, reviews of national databases should not be submitted if they do not add substantially to our previous knowledge from previously published studies citing novel primary data.
Please submit your manuscript through Neurosurgical Focus submission site.
When you have logged in, click “Submit a Manuscript” and continue on with your submission. Please select the correct monthly topic from the pulldown menu choices. Complete all steps as directed, through to the Submit button.
Please note: submission deadlines are firm (midnight E.T. on the date listed each month) and no late submissions will be considered.
2021 Issues
December 2021 – Anesthetic and monitoring techniques in awake spinal surgery
Submission Deadline: August 1, 2021
Topic Editors: Wilson Zach Ray (lead), Asdrubal Falavigna, Praveen Mummaneni, Robert Bucelli
Awake spinal surgery is emerging as a new and innovative technique to further facilitate outpatient spine surgery. As we continue to trend to rapid recovery protocols and ERAS pathways awake spine surgery is going to soon be at the forefront and would be of significant interest of JNSPG readership.
2022 Issues
January 2022 - Robotics in neurosurgery
Submission Deadline: September 1, 2021
Topic Editors: Nick Theodore (lead), Lola Chambless, Roger Hartl, Corinna Zygourakis, Bowen Jiang, Themistocles S. Protopsaltis
The field of neurosurgery has been one of the most technologically dependent specialties in medicine. Advanced imaging, computer assisted surgery, lasers, microscopes and deep brain electrodes are all currently part of our armamentarium. The introduction of robotics in neurosurgery has held out the promise of improving our accuracy and automating even the most complex procedures. This issue seeks submissions on the usage of robotics in neurosurgery including applications in the brain, spine and for endovascular procedures. Topics of interest include outcomes assessment of these technologies, issues of cost, learning curves, training paradigms and novel techniques.
February 2022 - Update on neuroimmunology
Submission Deadline: October 1, 2021
Topic Editors: Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa (lead), Michael Lim, Emilie Le Rhun, Maryam Rahman
Recent advances in molecular medicine and neuroimmunology have yielded significant data that has reshaped the outlook of numerous central nervous system (CNS) disorders. For several years, the CNS was thought to be “immunologically privileged”, nonetheless, current evidence has disproved this idea. Technological advances have revealed the intricate mechanisms by which the immune system influences CNS disease, regeneration, and repair. This issue is seeking original translational and clinical research studies, and manuscripts focused on the progress in the understanding and translational applications of neuroimmunology regarding neurosurgical pathology.
March 2022 - Update on cerebrovasospasm
Submission Deadline: November 1, 2021
Topic Editors: Sander Connolly (lead), Stephan Mayer, R. Loch Macdonald, Jean Marc Simard
Cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury continues to pose a challenge for patients and practitioners alike. Management is complex and interdisciplinary. Recent studies have expanded our understanding of the pathophysiology and therapeutic options. It is the intent of this focus issue to provide a contemporary update including clinical algorithms to guide evaluation and management with a focus on the strength of the current evidence.
April 2022 - Big data and new technologies in neurosurgical decision-making
Submission Deadline: December 1, 2021
Topic Editors: Michael Wang (lead), Jang Yoon, Gelareh Zadeh, Paul Park, Erica Bisson
The proliferation of data in all areas of medical care is providing neurosurgeons with unique opportunities to improve patient care. Novel technologies and data analytics are currently evolving to allow surgeons to predict outcomes in an increasingly refined manner. To address this fast-changing field, this issue of Neurosurgical Focus is dedicated to the burgeoning field of new methods to validate procedural efficacy, measure clinical effects, and guide a neurosurgeon's decision-making, whether this occurs in real-time for the operative environment, through nuanced phenotyping of disease entities, or for clinical research. Original papers exploring this exciting field are encouraged for peer-review.
May 2022 - Neurocutaneous disorders
Submission Deadline: January 1, 2022
June 2022 - Best practice with telemedicine for optimizing patient care
Submission Deadline: February 1, 2022
July 2022 - Arteriovenous malformations
Submission Deadline: March 1, 2022
August 2022 - Education methodology and metrics in the training of neurosurgical residents
Submission Deadline: April 1, 2022
Upcoming Issues (no longer accepting submissions)
August 2021 – Virtual and Augmented Reality
Topic Editors: Walter Jean (lead), Gavin Britz, Adrian Elmi-Terander, Francesco DiMeco, Cameron McIntyre
September 2021 – Translational research advances in the evaluation and management of Moyamoya disease
Topic Editors: Edward Smith (lead), Giuseppe Lanzino, Gary Steinberg, Bin Xu
October 2021 – Ankylosing Spondylitis
Topic Editors: Doniel Drazin (lead), J Patrick Johnson, Michael Wang, Jens Chapman, Bernhard Meyer
November 2021 – Innovations in neurosurgical quality and safety< br/> Topic Editors: Albert Telfeian (lead), Ziya Gokaslan, Zoher Ghogawala, Hyeun-Sung Kim, Tom Santarius
