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Aim: To analyze prevalence and type of psychic changes in primary and secondary brain tumors consideringage, gender, location of the tumor, neurologic status and treatment of patients.Patients and method: In this retrospective study medical records of 101 patients with brain tumor treatedat the Department of Neurology, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo in the period 2000 – 2005were analyzed: 58 males and 43 females with age mean of 62.60 ± 1.28 years; the number of patientsaccording to neoplasm origin was equal (51 primary and 50 secondary tumors).Results: Psychic changes appeared more often in patients with primary tumors (54.2%) as comparedto patients with metastases (45.8%), but the difference was not significant. Mental status changes werealmost equally distributed according to gender. Significantly more often disturbances occurred amongolder patients as compared to the younger and middle age patients (p=0.0074). The most frequent tumorlocation was in the right hemisphere in patients with altered mental state (40.7%). Leading mental statusabnormality in patients with primary tumors was bradyphrenia, and disorientation in patients withmetastases (p=0.0038).Conclusion: Psychic changes in cases of brain tumors are unspecific and mostly manifest in elderly patients.Detailed examination of the psychic status is indispensable for all the suspect cases to neoplasmin order for timely diagnosis of the disease.

Aim In hemodialysis patients renal disease may cause an impairment of central and peripheral nervous system. In most cases of the peripheral nervous system polyneuropathy is reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the function of small A-delta nerve fibres, whose function is often overlooked. Methods The function of large diameter nerve fibers was performed by standard routine neurophysiological examination. Cutaneous silent period (CSP) was elicited by single electrical stimulations at the tip of digit II by the bipolar electrodes. The superficial electrodes were placed on the muscle belly of m. abductor pollicis brevis. The onset latency (L1) was recorded at the beginning of voluntary muscle activity suppression, the late latency (L2) at the start of new muscle activity. The difference between two latencies indicates the duration of CSP. Results The study included 38 consecutive patients (male/female - 21/17, median age 56.6±10.9 years) treated with hemodialysis (one month to 30 years) and 35 healthy subjects (male/female 23/17, age 47.4±10.1 years). The results of the conduction study demonstrated a significant prolongation of F-waves of the median and ulnar nerves, decreased motor and sensory velocities of both nervesin patients on hemodialysis (p<0.001). In patients with A-V fistulas a significant prolongation of the onset CSP latency L1 was obtained (p<0.001), whereas duration of CSP was not changed. Conclusion In hemodialysis patients the significant impairment of small nerve fibers was recorded. The evaluation of small nerve fibers contributes to the assessment of the whole peripheral nerve function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]