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Background/aim: Current clinical guidelines recommend to use both clinical and self-reported measurements for evaluation of chronic neck pain. Among the self-reported outcomes, Neck disability index and patient-specific functional scale are the most widely used and recommended instruments. The purpose of our study was to determine the test-retest reliability and validity of patient-specific functional scale which was not validated in Turkish language previously., Materials and Methods: Translation and adaptation process had conducted according to the Beaton et al. Sociodemographic data, Turkish version of patient-specific functional scale and neck disability index were recorded at the initial assessment. Retest assessment was produced for reliability analyses and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC3,2) was determined. The correlations between patient- specific functional scale and neck disability index and hypothesis testing were examined for the convergent and construct validity analysis., Results: The final form was completed by 110 chronic neck pain patients (Male: 33; mean ages: 43.13 ± 13.75 years, Female: 77; mean ages: 44.45 ± 14.38). Test-retest reliability of patient-specific functional scale was found good level (ICC: 0.85). The relationship between patient-specific functional scale and neck disability index was found moderate level (P < 0.05, rho: –0.578). The median score of PSFS-T in the low disability group was significantly higher than the high disability group in the hypothesis testing of construct validity (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The Turkish version of the patient-specific functional scale is a valid and reliable scale for evaluating functional status in patients with chronic neck pain., Competing Interests: All authors declare that there is no conflicts of interest., (This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.)

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) associated with a contralateral neurological deficit is sometimes encountered by surgeons. Compression against the opposite pedicle in case of a large discal herniation and prominent stenotic changes of contralateral side are held responsible for contralateral symptoms and findings. In this study, we report a case of LDH associated with a painless contralateral neurological deficit. Prominent venous engorgement and congestion at the contralateral side of discal herniation were detected during the operation. It's treatment with bipolar coagulation and significant improvement was seen after the operation.

Aim: It is well known that head trauma results in damage in hippocampal and cortical areas of the brain and impairs cognitive functions. The aim of this study is to explore the neuroprotective effect of combination therapy with magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) and progesterone in the 7-days-old rat pups subjected to contusion injury., Material and Methods: Progesterone (8 mg/kg) and MgSO4 (150 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally immediately after induction of traumatic brain injury. Half of groups were evaluated 24 hours later, the remaining animals 3 weeks after trauma or sham surgery. Anxiety levels were assessed with open field activity and elevated plus maze; learning and memory performance were evaluated with Morris Water maze in postnatal 27 days., Results: Combined therapy with progesterone and magnesium sulfate significantly attenuated trauma-induced neuronal death, increased brain VEGF levels and improved spatial memory deficits that appear later in life. Brain VEGF levels were higher in rats that received combined therapy compared to rats that received either medication alone. Moreover, rats that received combined therapy had reduced hipocampus and prefrontal cortex apoptosis in the acute period., Conclusion: These results demonstrate that combination of drugs with different mechanisms of action may be preferred in the treatment of head trauma.

Aim: To investigate physical activity level in patients with chronic low back and neck pain., Material and Methods: 32 preoperative patients, 32 outpatients with low back or neck pain and 32 healthy controls were included in study. The physical activity level of the participants was evaluated with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The Oswestry Disability Index and Neck Pain Disability Index, Short Form-36, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Beck Depression Inventory were used for assessment of disability, quality of life, sleep quality and depression., Results: Statistical significant differences was found in disability, sleep quality, depression, physical activity level and quality of life scores between three groups (p < 0.05). All scores of preoperative patients were significantly lower than outpatients except sleep parameter (p < 0.05). Sleep quality, disability and depression scores of patients with chronic neck pain were significantly lower and physical activity level and quality of life scores were significantly higher than patients' with chronic low back pain (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Physical activity modification was found in patients with chronic low back and neck pain. Physical activity level, disability, sleep, depression and quality of life scores of preoperative patients with low back pain more affected than neck patients.

Aim: Obstruction of superior sagittal sinus (SSS) and collateral bridging veins is a well-known reason of postoperative brain edema and brain infarct, however, morphometric anatomic studies done in the light of surgical landmarks aren't sufficient in number. Object of this study is to describe venous structures related to SSS with silicon injected cadaveric models., Material and Methods: This study was on 6 silicon injected cadaveric heads at Anatomy Department. Duramater was removed and veins on parasagittal area were examined. SSS morphology, veins draining into SSS, their size, number and distance were evaluated., Results: Mean vein number draining into SSS is 2.9±1.5 at anterior to coronal suture (CS), between CS and vertex is 3.2±0.8, between vertex and lambdoid suture (LS) is 2.3±0.9, between LS and confluens sinuum 0.3±0.5. There was no statically difference between right and left sides (p=0.140, p > 0.05). Diameter of veins was 2.4±1.0 mm at anterior to CS, 3.0±1.2 mm at between CS and vertex, 2.4±0.7 mm at between vertex and LS, and 2.2±0.5 mm at between LS and confluens sinuum., Conclusion: Knowing details of anatomic structures of SSS and venous structures draining into it may protect the patients from many surgical complications. SSS and related structures with surgical landmarks are valuable for neurosurgeons.

Aim: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may cause neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorder which has negative effects on cognitive functions and behavior. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of TBI on anxiety and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) immunoreactivity on the prefrontal cortex of immature rats, which is one of the anxiety-related regions of the brain in 7-day-old immature rats subjected to contusion injury. MATERIAL and, Methods: Rats were divided into three groups: Control (n=7), Sham (n=7) and TBI (n=7). Anxiety levels were assessed with open field activity and elevated plus maze in postnatal 27 days. Prefrontal cortex damage related to TBI was examined by cresyl violet staining and VEGF immunostaining. Prefrontal cortex neuronal density was calculated. Serum corticosterone levels were determined., Results: The anxiety level in the TBI group was significantly greater than the control and sham groups. The prefrontal cortex VEGF immunostaining score and neuron density were decreased in the TBI group compared to control and sham group. Serum corticosterone levels were significantly increased in the TBI group., Conclusion: These results indicate that TBI decreases VEGF immunoreactivity in prefrontal cortex neurons and increases the anxiety levels of immature rats.

Allodynia is the sensation of pain due to non-painful stimuli. It usually occurs due to destructive lesions of the spinal cord or peripheral nerves. Allodynia following intradural lipoma surgery has been reported previously. We herein report a case of allodynia developed after microsurgical caudal lipoma excision without associated spinal cord injury.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between health locus of control and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain., Material and Methods: Pain intensity by visual analog scale, quality of life related to health by the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) assessment and disability level by Turkish version of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were evaluated. Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) for the perception to responsibility and control of the individual over his/her own health was used., Results: Patients were separated into two groups according to the scores of ODI as group with Low Disability [0-40 minimal/moderate disability; n=53] and group with High Disability [40-100 severe disability /crippled/bedbound/ exaggerating; n=60]. Scores of chance health locus of control (CHLC) in the subscale of MHLC were significantly higher in the patients who had high disability (p < 0.05). Negative correlation between CHLC scores and all domains of WHOQOL, positive correlation between CHLC scores and disability level and pain severity was found (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Quality of life was negatively influenced in the patients with low back pain who had chance health locus of control. LOC is an important parameter in evaluation and treatment of patients with LBP.

Objective: The current progress in diagnostic and screening methods and surgical equipment technologies facilitates the accessibility to numerous anatomic structures through various interventional approaches. Consequently, the exact knowledge of the anatomic locations of neurovascular structures and their interactions may ensure that the surgical intervention is planned in the most appropriate way and the structures are accessed with the least complication risk during the intervention., Material and Methods: A decapitated and formalin fixated whole-head of a male human cadaver kept for educational and research purposes in the Dokuz Eylul University Department of Anatomy was used in this study. Two separate reservoirs (for the arterial and the venous system) were connected to the Truno System 3 labeled perfusion pump. The reservoirs were filled with blue and red warm tap water. Colored tap water pumped on the right was emptied from the left. Continuous flow of the water in the closed-circuit arterial and venous systems was achieved. As the circulation was continuing, pterional craniotomy was performed and the dura mater was accessed and lifted under the Zeiss dissecting microscope., Conclusion: We believe that this model may contribute to neuroanatomy education and provide experience for the safe and ethical performance of surgical interventions during the intraoperative period.

Objective: The purpose is to evaluate the functional recoveries obtained through the physiotherapy program started in the early postoperative period with the patients with SAH, and then advanced after being discharged., Material and Methods: Home Exercise (HE) (n=54) was Group I, and the Regular Supervised Exercise (RSE) (n=18) group by the physiotherapist was determined to be Group II. The patients in both groups were treated as outpatients for six months after being discharged. The functional independent measure was used. The measurement were done at the beginning, on the day of discharge, and on the first and sixth months., Results: In the FIM measurements taken on the first and the sixth months, there is a significant difference in the groups doing the RSE compared to the group doing the home exercises (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: The exercises done regularly and under observation for the patients with aneurysmal SAH is important from the viewpoint of obtaining functional recoveries during both the early and late periods.

In this case report, a thoracic extradural metastatic pheochromocytoma without bony invasion, is presented. The disease which has been identified with its symptoms, bio-chemical features, radiological appearance, histological diagnosis has been discussed in comparison with malignant pheochromocytoma metastases in the literature. The origin of this tumor is the adrenal glands. Our review of the literature shows that tumor has primary metastasis in bony structures of the spine and then demonstrates secondary intraspinal invasion. This is the first case report of an epidural metastasis from malignant pheochromocytoma without a bony invasion.