About

Prakash Sampath is a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Brown University. He holds an MD degree from Columbia University, obtained in 1992, and a BA from The Johns Hopkins University, earned in 1987. His professional role involves teaching and research within the field of neurosurgery at Brown University. The information provided indicates his academic background and current affiliation but does not include specific details about his research focus or key contributions.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Surgery
• Immunology
• Pathology
• Emergency medicine
• Virology
• Environmental health
• Physical therapy

Selected publications

• Robotic-Assisted Single-Position Lateral Mini-Open Upper Lumbar Corpectomy with Posterior Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation: A Technical Note with Illustrative Case Series

  Applied Sciences · 2026-04-03

  articleOpen access

  Management of unstable upper lumbar fractures with corpectomy and posterior fixation is technically demanding, and conventional workflows may require intraoperative repositioning, increasing operative complexity. Lateral mini-open upper lumbar corpectomy (LMULC) paired with robotic-assisted (RA) posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPPSF) can be performed in a single position to facilitate ventral spinal decompression and stabilization in the anatomically constrained upper lumbar spine. In this study, we describe the operative technique and report four illustrative cases of unstable L1 or L2 fractures treated with single-position LMULC, RA-PPPSF, and short-segment fusion. Clinical, radiological, intraoperative variables and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. The mean age was 52.3 ± 17.7 years. The median operation time was 314 min (range 268–361 min); the median estimated blood loss (EBL) was 225 mL (range 100–400 mL). The median preoperative kyphosis was 10.15° (range 8.4–14.6°), the median postoperative kyphosis measured 6.65° (range 1.7–10.8°) and the median correction achieved was 3.5° (range −2.4–12.9°). The median visual analog scale (VAS) pain score reduced from 7 (range 7–9) preoperatively to 4.5 (range 2–6) postoperatively at discharge. At a median follow-up of 12 months (range 6–15 months), all patients had uncomplicated recoveries, demonstrated solid fusion on imaging, and reported favorable MacNab outcomes. Single-position LMULC with RA-PPPSF was technically feasible in this preliminary illustrative series and resulted in favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes. However, further studies in larger cohorts are warranted to help confirm these findings and better define the potential advantages and limitations of this technique.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Tumor antigen only (TAO) vaccine platforms for glioblastoma therapeutics: a systematic review of evidence from clinical trials

  EClinicalMedicine · 2026-02-26

  articleOpen access

  Glioblastoma is the most common form of primary brain tumor in adults, characterized by rapid progression and poor prognosis-despite the standard of care treatment including maximal safe resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Cancer vaccination has emerged as a promising strategy to harness the patient's immune system against glioblastoma. Cancer vaccination strategies can broadly be divided into cell-based or tumor antigen only (TAO), depending on whether they incorporate the use of viable immune cells. Here, we reviewed data from clinical trials that tested TAO cancer vaccination strategies for glioblastoma treatment, including personalized vaccines. Clinical safety and efficacy profiles for each vaccination strategy are summarized. Insights gained from these clinical trials are reviewed to identify opportunities for future therapeutic advancement.

  PublisherDOI

• IGV-001 cellular immunotherapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma: overcoming the logistic challenge

  Frontiers in Oncology · 2025-03-18 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background: IGV-001 is a type of cellular immunotherapy currently being investigated for treating glioblastoma (NCT04485949). It uses the patient's tumor to elicit an autologous immune response. Methods: treatment of the tumor with an anti-sense oligodeoxynucleotide against insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor followed by irradiation, (iii) placement of the treated tumor in multiple bio-diffusion chambers, which are implanted into the patient's abdominal sheath to elicit an immune response, and (iv) explantation of the chambers 48 hours later. The clinical trial was open at 32 sites in the United States, and eligible subjects were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive bio-diffusion chambers containing either conditioned glioblastoma tissue or a placebo. Patients subsequently proceeded to standard-of-care treatment with concomitant radiation-temozolomide, followed by 6 cycles of adjuvant temozolomide. Results: The execution of the IGV-001 protocol procedure is complicated and involves a multi-step process requiring mobilization of multiple services within the cancer center of a tertiary care hospital, including neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, neuroradiology, cancer clinical trial office, and operating room personnel to fulfill the pre-specified protocol requirements in a timely fashion. Conclusions: We have learned a great deal in the process of developing and executing our internal procedures for this clinical trial. Our description of the IGV-001 protocol workflow may serve as a "blueprint" for future implementation of this type of cellular immunotherapy at other centers. We further discuss some of the lessons we have learned during the trial.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Robot-assisted trigeminal nerve rhizotomy with radiofrequency ablation using Globus ExcelsiusGPS: illustrative case

  Journal of Neurosurgery Case Lessons · 2025-06-16

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a disorder of chronic facial pain and can be treated by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) rhizotomy of the trigeminal nerve. The use of robotic systems like the Globus ExcelsiusGPS may enhance precision and safety in intracranial procedures. OBSERVATIONS: A 58-year-old male with a history of TN unresponsive to multiple treatments, including microvascular decompression (MVD) and Gamma Knife radiosurgery, underwent robot-assisted RFA rhizotomy. The Globus ExcelsiusGPS robot was used to guide a needle precisely to the gasserian ganglion through the foramen ovale. The needle's trajectory was confirmed via intraoperative CT, and RFA was performed at 70°C for 90 seconds. The procedure was well tolerated with no complications. The patient reported immediate improvement in left-sided facial pain postoperatively and was discharged the following day. At the 2-week follow-up, the patient showed resolution of preoperative symptoms. The successful implementation of robot-assisted RFA rhizotomy using the Globus ExcelsiusGPS robot for TN resulted in significant pain relief and minimal complications. LESSONS: This report demonstrates the potential of robot-assisted RFA in improving surgical precision, control, and patient outcomes in TN treatment. Further investigation into the long-term efficacy and safety of this innovative approach is warranted to fully understand its benefits and accuracy. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE2510.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Extra-axial small cell prostate carcinoma intracranial metastasis: illustrative case

  Journal of Neurosurgery Case Lessons · 2025-04-28

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Prostate carcinoma, despite being the most common cancer in men, rarely metastasizes to the brain. Small cell prostate carcinoma represents a small percentage of cases, and few cases of intracranial small cell prostate metastases have been reported. Here, the authors report a unique case of an operatively managed extra-axial small cell prostate carcinoma. OBSERVATIONS: A 63-year-old male with a history of small cell prostate carcinoma presented asymptomatically with abnormal brain imaging. MRI and prostate-specific membrane antigen PET imaging revealed a 2.8-cm mass in the right frontal lobe and a smaller right thalamic lesion. The mass was resected through a frontotemporal approach, and gross-total resection was achieved. The patient will receive adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy. LESSONS: Intracranial prostate metastases tend to be slow growing and can have indolent clinical courses, although they can become symptomatic at large sizes. Small cell prostate metastases are more aggressive than adenocarcinoma and have a higher propensity for dural rather than intraparenchymal localization. The standard of care, which is derived from the management of metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma, involves maximal safe resection and adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy, although intracranial small cell prostate metastases are a poor prognosticator. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24705.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Tandem Detethering: A Novel One-Stage Approach Combining Cervicothoracic Cord Release Followed by Filum Terminale Sectioning

  Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2025-10-11

  articleOpen access

  Background/Objectives: We report a prospective series of five patients with symptomatic cervicothoracic spinal cord tethering from prior surgical interventions for acquired and congenital spinal pathologies. Each patient demonstrated incidental radiographic evidence of a low-lying conus or a fatty/thickened filum terminale (FT), suggesting concomitant symptomatic conus tethering as a potential contributor. Therefore, all underwent single-stage “tandem detethering”, consisting of microsurgical release of the cervicothoracic pathology followed by FT resection. Methods: Patients’ charts were reviewed for preoperative presentation, imaging, intraoperative findings, surgical details, FT pathology, and six-month outcomes. Results: Preoperative tethering occurred at sites of prior interventions: (i) thoracic arachnoid cyst decompression after Chiari surgery, (ii) cervical lipomyelomeningocele repair, (iii) thoracic ependymoma resection, (iv) syringosubarachnoid shunt placement, and (v) laminectomies for recurrent syrinx. Lumbar MRI demonstrated a low-lying conus in two patients and a fatty/thickened FT in four patients. Intraoperatively, all patients exhibited an abnormal FT (tight, fat-infiltrated, thickened, or dysplastic). No intraoperative complications or neuromonitoring abnormalities were observed. At six months, all patients demonstrated improvement in motor, sensory, pain, and urinary/bowel symptoms. Complications included two pseudomeningoceles requiring repair and one case of recurrent cauda tethering following FT resection. Conclusions: In patients with symptomatic cervicothoracic tethering, a concomitant low-lying conus or pathological FT may contribute to symptomatology by perpetuating biomechanical stress and, if not surgically addressed, may limit neurological recovery. This concept provides a rationale for considering tandem detethering under such circumstances.

  PublisherDOI

• DDEL-32. An atlas of ex vivo drug sensitivity profiles in 666 clinical glioblastoma samples revealed distinct survival-associated networks

  Neuro-Oncology · 2025-11-01

  article

  Abstract Ex vivo drug testing enables direct assessment of glioblastoma physiology by evaluating cellular responses to therapeutic agents. In this study, we analyzed the ex vivo drug sensitivity of 666 clinical glioblastoma samples (isocitrate dehydrogenase wild-type) to construct a comprehensive atlas and identify survival-associated network clustering. The study population included samples from 146 patients in the 3D-PREDICT Registry Clinical Study (NCT03561207), which provided both ex vivo drug sensitivity profiles and survival outcomes, and 520 patients who underwent 3D Predict™ Glioma clinical testing (drug sensitivity profiles only), representing study and commercial cohorts, respectively. Eleven drugs were tested, including DNA-damaging agents (lomustine, carboplatin, temozolomide, procarbazine, irinotecan, etoposide) and targeted agents (abemaciclib, dabrafenib, osimertinib, rucaparib, trametinib). The study cohort included 90 newly diagnosed glioblastomas (n-glioblastoma) and 56 recurrent glioblastomas (r-glioblastoma), and their drug sensitivity profiles were largely similar. Both n- and r-glioblastomas were highly refractory to lomustine, with fewer than 4% of samples exhibiting sensitivity, whereas over 90% of samples were sensitive to procarbazine and rucaparib. Temozolomide-sensitive tumors showed broader drug sensitivity compared to temozolomide-resistant tumors. Distinct clustering of drug sensitivity profiles emerged within both the study and commercial cohorts, with temozolomide, irinotecan, and carboplatin forming central nodes in the network. Notably, co-clustering of sensitivity was associated with survival outcomes; for instance, patients whose tumors exhibited co-sensitivity to temozolomide and carboplatin had significantly improved survival compared to those sensitive only to temozolomide (median overall survival 16.4 vs. 11.8 months, p=0.025). Longitudinal sampling revealed dynamic changes in drug sensitivity, reflecting evolutionary tumor biology. This ex vivo drug sensitivity atlas reveals distinct, non-random survival-associated clustering patterns that reflect underlying glioblastoma cellular physiologies and may inform future clinical trial designs.

  PublisherDOI

• The literacy barrier in clinical trial consents: a retrospective analysis

  EClinicalMedicine · 2024-09-01 · 15 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background: Historically, the readability of consent forms in medicine have been above the average reading level of patients. This can create challenges in obtaining truly informed consent, but the implications on clinical trial participant retention are not fully explored. To address this gap, we seek to analyze clinical trial consent forms by determining their readability and relationship with the associated trial's participant dropout rate. Additionally, we explore a potential method for simplifying these forms. Methods: We analyzed the readability of consent forms of federally funded interventional clinical trials, which were completed in the United States on or before January 1, 2023, and were posted online and made accessible on ClinicalTrials.gov. We correlated their readability with trial dropout rates. As an exploratory analysis, a subset of these forms was simplified using a large language model, with expert medicolegal review. Findings: Across 798 included federally funded trials, the mean (±SD) Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of their consent forms was 12.0 ± 1.3, equivalent to a high school graduate reading level and significantly higher than the 8th grade average reading level of adults in the United States (U.S.) (P < 0.001). In risk-adjusted analyses, each additional Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level increase in a clinical trial's consent form was associated with a 16% higher dropout rate (incidence rate ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-1.22; P < 0.001). Our exploratory analysis of a simplification method showed promising results in lowering the reading level while preserving medicolegal content. Interpretation: The average readability of informed consent forms of federally funded clinical trials exceeds the reading comprehension skills of the majority of adults in the U.S., potentially undermining clinical trial participant retention rates. Future work should explore the use of large language models and other tools as possible means to close this literacy barrier and potentially enhancing clinical trial participation. Funding: This research received no sources of funding. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

  PublisherDOI

• GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Beyond Diabetes—What the Neurosurgeon Needs to Know

  Neurosurgery Open · 2024-06-27 · 2 citations

  reviewOpen access

  BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have gained increasing popularity since the approval of semaglutide by the United States Food and Drug Administration for chronic weight management. Significant benefits have been noted in glycemic control and cardiovascular health. However, as increasing numbers of patients are started on these medications, it is important for neurosurgeons to have knowledge of any perioperative considerations and side effects related to this class of drugs. METHODS: We performed a qualitative literature review using the PubMed and Embase databases, using the following key words: GLP-1 RAs adverse events; GLP-1 RAs and anesthesia; substance use disorders; and addiction, functional neurosurgery, nervous system rehabilitation, and spinal cord injury. Articles of relevance to perioperative management of these medications and specific benefits in the neurosurgical field were discussed. RESULTS: Recent guidance from the American Society of Anesthesiologists demonstrates the importance of tailored management of GLP-RA drugs for surgical patients. In addition, certain positive effects have been noted with relation to substance use disorders, neural protection and rehabilitation, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSION: In this article, we review what the neurosurgeon needs to know about the perioperative management of GLP-1 RAs and discuss existing literature in clinical and preclinical studies for potential indications and benefits of these medications, which can influence the management of conditions treated by neurosurgeons.

  PublisherDOI

• Neuro-oncology application of next-generation, optically tracked robotic stereotaxis with intraoperative computed tomography: a pilot experience

  Neurosurgical FOCUS · 2024-12-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: Innovations in robotics continue to reshape the landscape of neurosurgery. Here, the authors evaluated the safety and efficacy of the ExcelsiusGPS robot in the treatment of neuro-oncological, intracranial lesions. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 19 consecutive adult patients with a neuro-oncological diagnosis who underwent intracranial biopsy and/or laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) with the assistance of the ExcelsiusGPS robot and intraoperative CT. Demographic and clinical data were collected from the electronic medical record and the robot software. RESULTS: All 19 patients harbored lesions that were deep seated, involving the eloquent cortex, or subcentimeter. Definitive tissue diagnosis was achieved in all cases involving stereotactic biopsy (n = 16), with glioblastoma as the most common diagnosis. The mean ± SD time for setting up the robotic stereotaxis system was 57.4 ± 10.7 minutes. The mean procedural time after that was 71.6 ± 41.0 minutes for stereotactic needle biopsy and 188.4 ± 61.2 minutes for procedures involving LITT. The mean radial errors of the actual trajectory relative to the planned trajectory at the entry and target points were 0.625 ± 0.443 mm and 0.745 ± 0.472 mm, respectively. There were no procedural complications or new postoperative deficits, although routine postoperative CT showed new hyperdensity at the target site in 3/19 patients (15.7%). All patients who underwent elective procedures were discharged by postoperative day 3 (mean 1.38 ± 0.619 days). There were two 30-day readmissions (pulmonary embolus and general weakness), and neither was attributable to the surgical procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' pilot experience with the ExcelsiusGPS robot in neuro-oncology procedures indicates a favorable efficacy and safety profile.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Sadhak Sengupta

  133 shared

• Henry Brem

  Johns Hopkins Medicine

  124 shared

• Betty Tyler

  87 shared

• Francesco DiMeco

  Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta

  72 shared

• Laurence D. Rhines

  The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

  65 shared

• Alessandro Olivi

  63 shared

• Ziya L. Gokaslan

  54 shared

• H. Christopher Lawson

  Reading Hospital

  53 shared

Education

• M.D.

  Columbia University

  1992

• B.A.

  The Johns Hopkins University

  1987