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A variant of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) involves the subjective report of vertigo without the coinciding nystagmus. This presentation includes truncal retropulsion when sitting up from the ipsilesional provocative test (ie, Dix-Hallpike), which we term type 2 BPPV. The primary objective of this study is to prospectively determine the prevalence and describe the clinical course of type 2 BPPV. We offer a theoretical explanation for the absence of nystagmus.Prospective, observational study carried out in 2 tertiary hospitals. One hundred eighty patients (134 women, 46 men) met the inclusion criteria and were included between January 10, 2018, and October 30, 2019. Efficacy of physical therapy maneuvers was determined at 1-week follow-up. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the planes of the semicircular canal cupula from histological preparations are offered as evidence for the theoretical explanation.One-third of the patients met the criteria for type 2 BPPV; the remainder had typical posterior or horizontal semicircular canal involvement. Symptoms from type 2 BPPV were longer in duration yet responded favorably to physical therapy maneuvers. Upon repeat testing, 19 patients treated for posterior canalithiasis developed a slight, persistent positional downbeat nystagmus in the Dix-Hallpike position that we propose as evidence the otoconia entered the short arm of the posterior semicircular canal.Our data and 3-dimensional rendering suggest the report of vertigo, yet absent nystagmus in type 2 BPPV is from otoconia aligning with the gravitoinertial vector during provocative testing that precludes cupular stimulation. Type 2 BPPV appears to be a common and treatable form of vertigo.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1 available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A372).

Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a rare, immune-mediated illness attacking ex-clusively motor nerves. It is known that oxidative stress is present in peripheral neuropathies, but it has not been investigated MMN.We measured in our prospective study the L-arginine, symmetric and asymmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA, ADMA) serum concentrations of 10 patients and 10 controls before and after intravenous immunoglobulin treatment (IVIG), as markers of the L-arginine/NO pathway involved in chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. The functions of motor nerves were tested in all patients and the serum antiganglioside antibody levels were de-tec-ted, as well.MMN patients showed significantly higher ADMA (p = 0.0048; 0.98 and 0.63, respectively) and SDMA le-vels (p = 0.001; 0.88 and 0.51, respectively) than healthy controls, while L-arginine was not different. Controlling for the covariant age, ADMA (B = -0.474; p = 0.041) or SDMA (B = -0.896; p0.0005) serum levels proved to be the significant predictors of the presence of MMN. IVIG therapy decreased significantly ADMA concentrations (p = 0.025; 0.98 and 0.84, respectively) and showed a trend to reduce SDMA levels (p = 0.1; 0.88 and 0.74, respectively). The dimethylamine levels did not correlate with the number of affected nerves, disease duration, or the presence of ganglioside antibodies. The conduction block-related peripheral motor dysfunction improved right after the IVIG treatment.Dimethylamine levels are elevated in the serum and are responsive to IVIG therapy in MMN. These findings support the presence of oxidative stress in MMN.A multifokális motoros neuropathia (MMN) ritka, immunmediált progresszív betegség, ami kizárólag a motoros idegeket érinti. Habár számos tanulmány leírta az oxidatív stressz szerepét a perifériás neuropathiákban, MMN-ben még nem vizsgálták ennek a patomechamizmusnak a szerepét.Tanulmányunkban prospektíven meg­ha­tá­roztuk 10 beteg L-arginin-, valamint szimmetrikus és aszimmetrikus dimetil-arginin- (SDMA- és ADMA-) szintjét, melyek az L-arginin/NO útvonal résztvevői, és szerepet játszanak mind a krónikus gyulladásban, mind az oxidatív stresszben. Az L-arginin, az ADMA és az SDMA szérum­koncentrációját HPLC-vel mértük az intravénás immunglobulin- (IVIG-) kezelés előtt és után 10 MMN-es és 10 egészséges kontrollbetegben. Minden betegnél végez­tünk elektrofiziológiai mérést és vizsgáltuk az antiganglio­zid antitestek jelenlétét a szérumban.Az MMN-es betegeknél szignifikánsan magasabb az ADMA (p = 0,0048; 0,98 és 0,63) és az SDMA szérumszintje (p = 0,001; 0,88 és 0,51), mint az egészséges kontrolloknál, míg az L-arginin szintjében változást nem találtunk. Az életkorra mint kovariánsra kontrollálva (többszörös lineáris regresszióval) az ADMA- (B = –0,474; p = 0,041) és az SDMA- (B = –0,896; p0,0005) szérumszintek az MMN szignifikáns prediktorainak bizonyultak. Az IVIG-terápia szignifikánsan csökkentette az ADMA szérumkoncentrációját (p = 0,025; 0,98 és 0,84) és tendenciát mutatott az SDMA szintjének csökkentésére (p = 0,1; 0,88 és 0,74). Nem találtunk összefüggést a dimetil-aminok szintje és az antigangliozid antitestek jelenléte között. A motoros idegek kondukciós blokkhoz köthető motoros funkciózavara javult közvetlenül az IVIG-kezelést követően.A dimetil-aminok szintje emelkedett az MMN-betegek szérumában, és csökken IVIG-kezelés hatására. Ezek az eredmények támogatják az oxidatív stressz jelenlétét.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: A myasthenia gravis javallatával végzett csecsemőmirigy-eltávolítás sebésztechnikai szempontból lényegesen megváltozott az elmúlt közel 30 évben. A standard műtétnek számító transsternalis és transcervicalis thymectomia mellett elterjedt a videoasszisztált thoracoscopos sebészeti (VATS), később pedig a robot sebészeti megoldás is. Két intézetünkben 2011–2012-ben vezettük be a VATS thymectomiát. Módszer: A többféle technikai megoldás közül a mediastinumot a jobb mellüreg felől megközelítő utat választottuk. Eleinte 3, később 2 pontos perimammaris portot készítettünk a thymus elérésére a beteg háton fekvő helyzetében. Minden esetben ultrahangos vágóeszközt alkalmaztunk. Kiterjesztett thymectomiára törekedve a perithymikus zsírszövetet is eltávolítottuk, szélesen megnyitva a bal oldali mellüreget is. A betegek kiválasztásában az átlagos testsúlyú vagy soványabb betegeket részesítettük előnyben. Eredmények: 8 év és 4 hónap alatt 92 beteget műtöttünk a fenti módszerrel thymoma nélküli myasthenia gravis alapbetegséggel. 20 férfi és 72 nő. Átlagéletkor 33,1 év (19–75 év). A műtéti idő 35–160 percig terjedt, átlagosan 82,3 perc volt. A tömegesebb mediastinalis zsírszövet néhány betegnél nehezítette a tájékozódást és a maradéktalan eltávolítást. Műtét alatt 4 esetben érsérülés és 3 ellenoldali tüdősérülés következett be. Két konverziót végeztünk (1-1 sternotomia és thoracotomia). Idegsérülés nem történt. Tíz beteg igényelt néhány órás művi lélegeztetést a műtét után, a többi beteget a műtőasztalon extubáltuk. Reintubáció, tracheostomia, légzési elégtelenség, műtéti halálozás nem volt. Az intenzív ápolási idő átlaga: 1,1 (0–11) nap. A teljes kórházi ápolási idő átlaga: 4,8 (3–15) nap. A drenázsidő 1–4 nap, átlagosan 1,16 nap. Két beteg (2,41%) halt meg a műtétet követően 1 és 5 éven belül. További 81 beteg 12–108 (átlag: 48) hónapos követése során a myastheniás állapotban 21 (25,3%) betegnél komplett, 4 (4,82%) betegnél gyógyszeres remisszió, 20 (24,1%) betegnél minimális manifesztáció, 28 (33,73%) betegnél egyéb javulás volt megállapítható. 4 (4,82%) beteg állapota változatlan maradt, 4 (4,82%) betegé pedig romlott. Következtetés: A VATS thymectomia teljesen új utat jelent a transsternalis módszerben járatos sebészek számára. A tömegesebb mediastinalis zsírszövet nagyon megnehezíti a műtétet. A perioperatív szak nagyon kedvező a betegek számára, és a késői eredmények is elfogadhatóak. Kérdéses, hogy a thymus minden esetben maradéktalanul eltávolítható-e ezzel a módszerrel. Summary. Introduction: Surgical technique of thymectomy performed for treatment of myasthenia gravis has considerably changed in the last almost 30 years. In addition to standard interventions – transsternal and transcervical thymectomy –, video-assisted thoracoscopic interventions (VATS), later on robotic surgery came into general use. In our two institutions, we apply VATS thymectomy since 2011. Methods: There are several different surgical techniques for this purpose; we approached the mediastinum through the right thoracic cavity. We prepared initially 3, later on 2 perimammal ports for the access of the thymus; the patients were in supine position during surgery. We used an ultrasonic cutting device in all cases. In order to perform extended thymectomy, we removed the fatty tissue around the thymus and opened widely the left thoracic cavity, too. During patient enrollment, we preferred patients with normal or lower body weight. Results: During 8 years and 4 months, we operated on 92 patients using this method for myasthenia gravis without thymoma; there were 20 male and 72 female patients at the age of 33 years on average (19–75 years). Duration of surgery was 35–160 minutes, 82.3 minutes on average. The bulky fatty tissue around the thymus made the orientation and the complete removal more difficult in a few patients. We experienced vascular injury in 4 cases and injury of the contralateral lung in 3 cases. Conversion was necessary in 2 cases (1 sternotomy and 1 thoracotomy), there were no nerve injuries. Assisted ventilation was necessary in case of ten patients in the postoperative period for a few hours; all other patients were extubated on the operating table. There was no need for repeated intubation and tracheostomy; there was no respiratory insufficiency and perioperative mortality. Duration of ICU care was 1.1 days on the average (0–11 days), that of the total hospital care 4.8 days on average (3–15 days). Duration of thoracic drainage was 1.16 days on average (1–4 days). Two patients (2.41%) died within one and five years after surgery. During 12–108 months (48 months on average) follow-up of 81 patients, 21 patients (25.3%) suffering from myasthenia total recovery was observed, pharmacologic remission was achieved in 4 patients (5.3%), minimal manifestation remained in 23 patients (24.1%), while in 28 patients (33.73%) other improvement was observed. The status of 4 patients (4.82%) remained unchanged and that of 4 patients (5.3%) worsened. Conclusion: VATS thymectomy represents a completely new surgical method for surgeons having experience in transsternal surgical technique. Bulky mediastinal fatty tissue makes surgery very difficult. The perioperative period is advantageous for the patients and also the long term follow-up results are acceptable. It is questionable that the thymus can be completely removed with this method in all cases.

Absztrakt: A status epilepticus a második leggyakoribb, sürgősségi kezelést igénylő neurológiai állapot. Halálozása 15–25%. A „time is brain” elve a status epilepticus kezelésére is igaz: minél korábban kezdjük a megfelelő kezelést, annál nagyobb valószínűséggel tudjuk megállítani a progressziót. Magas szintű evidenciákon alapuló kezelési protokollal a status epilepticus progressziója az esetek 75–90%-ában megelőzhető, az indukált kóma és a halálos kimenetel elkerülhető. A status epilepticus kezelése akkor a legsikeresebb, ha már a korai szakban megkezdjük a parenteralis benzodiazepinterápiát: im. midazolám (0,2 mg/tskg, max. 10 mg). Szabad véna esetén lehet vénásan is adni a benzodiazepint (10 mg diazepám iv). Ha az első benzodiazepinbolusra nem reagál a status epilepticus, állandósult (benzodiazepinrefrakter) status epilepticusról beszélünk. Ilyenkor a benzodiazepin ismétlésével párhuzamosan nem benzodiazepin típusú, gyorsan ható vénás antiepileptikumot is adni kell: iv. valproát (40 mg/kg, max. 3000 mg, 10 perc alatt) vagy levetiracetám (60 mg/kg, max. 4500 mg, 10 perc alatt) javasolt. Az 1 órán túl is tartó, sem benzodiazepinre, sem antiepileptikumra nem reagáló, refrakter status epilepticust neurointenzív osztályon, teljes narcosissal (indukált kómával) kell kezelni. Az indukált kómát gyors hatású anesztetikummal lehet elérni, elsősorban propofol–midazolám kombinációval. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(42): 1779–1786.

Small fiber neuropathy develops due to the selective damage of the thin fibers of peripheral nerves. Many common diseases can cause this condition, including diabetes, infections, autoimmune and endocrine disorders, but it can occur due to genetic alterations, as well. Eighty-five skin biopsy-proven small-fiber neuropathy cases were analyzed. Forty-one (48%) cases were idiopathic; among secondary types, hypothyreosis (9.4%), diabetes mellitus (7%), cryoglobulinemia (7%), monoclonal gammopathy with unproved significance (4.7%), Sjögren’s disease (3%), and paraneoplastic neuropathy (3%) were the most common causes. Two-thirds (68%) of the patients were female, and the secondary type started 8 years later than the idiopathic one. In a vast majority of the cases (85%), the distribution followed a length-dependent pattern. Intraepidermal fiber density was comparable in idiopathic and secondary forms. Of note, we found significantly more severe pathology in men and in diabetes. Weak correlation was found between patient-reported measures and pathology, as well as with neuropathic pain-related scores. Our study confirmed the significance of small fiber damage-caused neuropathic symptoms in many clinical conditions, the gender differences in clinical settings, and pathological alterations, as well as the presence of severe small fiber pathology in diabetes mellitus, one of the most common causes of peripheral neuropathy.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly heterogeneous and aggressive brain tumor. Comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that GBM segregates into three subgroups with characteristic signaling pathways. The Wnt pathway recently received increasing attention with the recognition of its importance in tumor development and recurrence through the promotion of glioma stem cells. As an extension of our previous translational studies, here we tested the possible interactions between key subgroup markers (IDH-1 R132H, EGFRvIII and both cytoplasmic and nuclear loss [c-/n-] of NF-1 expression) and the canonical (Wnt3a and beta-catenin) and non-canonical (Wnt5a and Fzd2) Wnt pathway markers by immunohistochemistry. These analyses revealed increased expression levels of both Wnt pathway markers with significant quantitative differences within, but not among subgroups. Wnt5a and Fzd2 levels were higher than the canonical marker levels in all subgroups. The strongest evidence for correlation between expression levels of the EGFRvIII subgroup marker and the Fzd2 Wnt marker was found, but weaker correlations also could be noted for IDH-1 R132H and NF-1 and some Wnt markers. The correlations detected between markers of the canonical and non-canonical pathways raised the possibility of cross-talk between the two pathways. Analyses of tumors with various NF-1 expression patterns (c+/n-; c-/n+ combined with c+/n+, and c-/n-) revealed that aberrant nuclear accumulation of NF-1 is accompanied by nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin, suggesting that they may act synergistically to define the tumor's biology. Altogether, our study presents expression characteristics of Wnt ligands and receptors, and suggests complex molecular interactions in subgroups of GBM.

Background Population-based clinical studies in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and epidemiological and clinical comparisons of White ethnicities are missing. In a large population-based international cohort, we extensively characterized aquaporin-4 antibody seropositive (AQP4-Ab+) NMOSD, and also compared the clinical, radiological and epidemiological features between two European populations residing in different areas. Methods Between self-reported Danish and Hungarian ethnicities, we compared the population-based clinical features, disability outcomes, and death of 134 AQP4-Ab+ NMOSD cases fulfilling the 2015 International Panel for NMO Diagnosis (IPND) criteria. For precise comparison of epidemiology, we conducted a population-based head-to-head comparative study of the age-standardized prevalence (January 1, 2014) and incidence (2007–2013) of AQP4-Ab+ NMO/NMOSD among adults (≥16 years) in Denmark (4.6 million) and Hungary (6.4 million) by applying 2015 IPND (NMOSD) criteria and 2006 Wingerchuk (NMO). Results Danes were more likely to present with transverse myelitis and were more affected by spinal cord damage on long-term disability. Hungarians presented most often with optic neuritis, although visual outcome was similar in the groups. No differences were observed in sex, disease course, relapse rate, autoimmune comorbidity, mortality, brain MRI, and treatment strategies. The age-standardized prevalence estimates of AQP4-Ab+ NMOSD (2015 IPND criteria) in Denmark vs. Hungary were 0.66 vs. 1.43 (/100,000) while incidence rates were 0.04 vs. 0.11 (/100,000 person-years); similar differences were found based on the 2006 NMO criteria. Conclusions This head-to-head comparative study indicates different disease characteristics and epidemiology among White populations in Europe, and substantiates the need for population-based genetic and environmental studies in NMOSD.

The absence of nigral hyperintensity is a promising MR marker for Parkinson’s disease (PD), but its small size imposes limitations on its routine use. Our aim was to compare Multi Echo Data Image Combination (MEDIC), segmented echo-planar imaging (EPISEG) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences, as well as both magnitude (MAG) and susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) reconstructions of single-echo gradient echo for nigral hyperintensity imaging. Twenty-five healthy and twenty PD subjects were included. Sensitivity to motion artefacts, confidence of the radiologist in interpretation, rate of nondiagnostic scans and diagnostic accuracy were assessed. EPISEG was less motion-sensitive than MEDIC, MAG, and SWI, while FLAIR was less motion-sensitive than MAG and SWI. The reviewers were more confident when using EPISEG compared to any other techniques and MEDIC was superior to FLAIR. The proportions of nondiagnostic scans were lower for EPISEG than for other sequences. The best diagnostic performance was achieved for EPISEG (sensitivity = 65%, specificity = 96%). Using EPISEG, the absence of nigral hyperintensity in PD was associated with higher Hoehn-Yahr stage and MDS-UPDRS II + III. Nigral hyperintensity may be intact at the very early stages of PD. The promising properties of EPISEG may help the transfer of nigral hyperintensity imaging into daily clinical practice.

Introduction: To estimate the value of interventions in multiple sclerosis (MS) – where lifetime costs and outcomes cannot be observed – outcome data have to be combined with costs. This requires that cost data be regularly updated. Objectives and methods: This study is part of a cross-sectional retrospective study in 16 countries collecting data on resource consumption, work capacity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and prevalent symptoms for patients with MS. Descriptive analyses are presented by level of disability, from the societal perspective, in HUF 2015. Results: A total of 521 patients (mean age 47 years) participated; 85% were below retirement age, and of these, 47% were employed. Employment was related to disability and MS affected productivity at work for 82% of those working. Overall, 94% and 66% of patients experienced fatigue and cognitive difficulties as a problem, respectively. The mean utility and annual costs were 0.691 and 3,432,000HUF at Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 0–3, 0.491 and 5,262,000HUF at EDSS 4–6.5 and 0.076 and 6,235,000HUF at EDSS 7–9, respectively. The average cost of a relapse was estimated at 240,500HUF. Conclusion: This study illustrates the burden of MS on Hungarian patients and provides current data that are important for the development of health policies.

Background and purpose: The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in Hungary based on the 2015 International Panel of NMO Diagnosis (IPND) criteria. Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted of 6.4 million Hungarians (age ≥ 16 years) between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2016. Possible NMOSD patients were selected via multistage re-evaluation from multiple sources. Crude and sex- and serostatus-specific prevalence (per 100 000 persons) and incidence rates (per 1 000 000 person-years) from 2006 to 2015 were estimated and age-adjusted rates were determined. Results: Of 2262 study candidates, 154 NMOSD patients (age ≥ 16 years) with onset until 31 December 2016 were identified based on 2015 IPND criteria. The prevalence analysis on 1 January 2016 included 123 NMOSD living cases, resulting in a prevalence of 1.91 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52–2.28] per 100 000 persons. The 101 incident cases emerging from the observed 76 394 288 person-years provided an incidence rate of 1.32 (95% CI 1.08–1.61) per 1 000 000 person-years. Age-adjusted prevalence was 1.87 (95% CI 1.56–2.23) per 100 000 persons and incidence was 1.20 (95% CI 0.98–1.46) per 1 000 000 person-years. Conclusions: In this first report of a large population-based epidemiological study from an Eastern European Caucasian population using robust case validation, a greater prevalence and incidence of NMOSD was found compared to previous large studies in Caucasian populations.

Absztrakt

Orofacial pain is the common name of a variety of disorders from inflammatory diseases to neuropathic pain syndromes. This condition is quite common, it may involve 7% of the whole population. Patients (and doctors) are not aware of the origin of their complaints, therefore initial management falls among the variety of healthcare professionals. The aim of our review was to summarize the current evidence of chronic orofacial pain including diagnosis, management and pitfalls. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(27): 1047-1056.Absztrakt: Az orofacialis fájdalom egy gyűjtőszó, mely sokféle kórképet takarhat a gyulladásos kórképektől kezdve a neuropathiás fájdalomig. Maga a kórkép nem ritka, akár a populáció 7%-át érintheti. Sokszor maguk a betegek sem tudják, hogy panaszokkal fogászhoz vagy más szakemberhez forduljanak. A régió sok szakma határterületét képezi (fogászat, fülészet, szemészet, neurológia stb.), így nem meglepő, hogy egy-egy beteg akár 6–7 specialistánál megfordul. Összefoglaló közleményünk célja, hogy áttekintést adjunk a krónikus orofacialis fájdalommal járó kórképek diagnózisáról, az esetleges differenciáldiagnosztikai lehetőségekről és kezelési módokról. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(27): 1047–1056.

Megalencephaly-polymicrogyria-polydactyly-hydrocephalus (MPPH) syndrome is a developmental brain disorder characterized by an enlarged brain size with bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria and a variable degree of ventriculomegaly. MPPH syndrome is associated with oromotor dysfunction, epilepsy, intellectual disability and postaxial hexadactyly. The molecular diagnosis of this disorder is established by the identification of a pathogenic variant in either AKT3, CCND2 or PIK3R2. Previously reported AKT3 variants are associated with various brain abnormalities and may lead to megalencephaly. MPPH syndrome is usually due to germline pathogenic AKT3 variants. Somatic mosaic pathogenic variants associated with hemimegalencephaly, which is similar to MPPH, have also been observed. A Hungarian Roma family with two half-siblings, which present with intellectual disability, dysmorphic features, epilepsy, brain malformations, and megalencephaly was studied. Whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis was performed. WES analysis revealed a heterozygous c.1393C > T p.(Arg465Trp) pathogenic missense AKT3 variant in both affected half-siblings. The variant was verified via Sanger sequencing and was not present in the DNA sample from the healthy mother, which was derived from peripheral blood, suggesting maternal germline mosaicism. In conclusion, this is the first report in which maternal germline mosaicism of a rare pathogenic AKT3 variant leads to autosomal dominantly inherited MPPH syndrome.

Epilepsy as a chronic, severe neurologic disease significantly influences the quality of life of the epileptic patients. In candidates well selected for surgery, the seizure freedom is realistically achievable, and the quality of life can be further improved with complex individual rehabilitation.We aimed to evaluate the postoperative outcome of patients who underwent epilepsy surgery between 2005 and 2016 at the Epilepsy Center at Pécs.We evaluated seizure status at regular follow-up visits after surgery and the quality of life using questionnaires focusing on employment and social status.76% of the 72 patients who underwent surgical resection for epilepsy were free from disabling seizures , and 10% had rare disabling seizures (almost seizure-free), 7% experienced worthwhile improvement and 7% had no worthwhile improvement. Comparing the employment status of patients free from disabling seizures to patients not free from disabling seizures, we found that the employment status is significantly influenced by seizure freedom (p0.01, Fisher's exact test). While 67% of seizure-free patients were employed, only 19% of patients not free from disabling seizures were hired.Our results resemble the international tendencies and success rate, proving epilepsy surgery as an available, valid and effective treatment in well selected patients. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(7): 270-278.Absztrakt: Bevezetés: Az epilepszia krónikus, súlyos neurológiai betegség, mely jelentősen befolyásolja az életminőséget. A megfelelő indikációval végzett epilepsziasebészeti beavatkozás rohammentességet eredményezhet, mely önmagában vagy rehabilitációt követően jelentősen javíthatja az életminőséget. Célkitűzés: Jelen tanulmányunk célkitűzése a Pécsi Epilepszia Centrumban 2005 és 2016 között epilepsziasebészeti beavatkozáson átesett betegek posztoperatív eredményeinek felmérése. Módszer: Az adatgyűjtés a betegek klinikai anyagának áttekintésén túlmenően kérdőívek alkalmazásával történt, a rohamállapot értékelésén kívül a foglalkoztatottsági státuszra mint az életminőség egyik fontos indikátorára is fókuszálva. Eredmények: Reszektív epilepsziasebészeti beavatkozás 72 esetben történt. A betegek 76%-a tartósan rohammentessé vált. A betegek 10%-ánál műtét után csak igen ritkán lépett fel roham, 7%-uknak jelentősen csökkent a rohamszáma, míg 7%-ban nem változott érdemben a rohamállapot. A rohammentes és a nem rohammentes betegek csoportjainak foglalkoztatottsági adatait vizsgálva azt találtuk, hogy a rohammentesség befolyásolja a páciensek elhelyezkedési lehetőségeit. A rohammentes betegek 67%-a állt foglalkoztatottság alatt, míg a nem rohammenteseknek mindössze a 19%-a (p0,01, Fisher-féle egzakt teszt). Következtetés: Eredményeink a nemzetközi adatoknak megfelelve alátámasztják az epilepszia reszektív sebészi kezelésének klinikai és szociális eredményességét. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(7): 270–278.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) involves placing electrodes within specific deep brain nuclei. For movement disorders the most common indications are tremors, Parkinsons disease and dystonias. Surgeons mostly employ MR imaging for preoperative target selection. MR field geometrical distortion may contribute to target-selection error in the MR scan which can contribute to error in electrode placement.In this paper we compared the STN target planning coordinates in six parkinsonian DBS patients. Each patient underwent target planning in 1T and 3T MRI. We statistically compared and analysed the target-, and the fiducial coordinates in two different magnetic fileds.The target coordinates showed no significant differences (Mann-Whitney test, p0.05), however we found significant difference in fiducial coordinates (p0.01), in 3T MRI it was more pronounced (mean ± SD: 0.8 ± 0.3 mm) comparing to 1T (mean ± SD: 0.4 ± 0.2 mm).Preliminary results showed no significant differences in planning of target coordinates comparing 1T to 3T magnetic fields.A mély agyi stimuláció a gyógyszeres kezeléssel nem befolyásolható mozgászavarok műtéti kezelésének rutinszerűen alkalmazott módszere. A műtétet a klinikai gyakorlatban elsősorban Parkinson-kór, essentialis tremorok, és dystoniák kezelésére alkalmazzuk. A célterületek többsége MR morfológiai vizsgálatokkal jól láthatóvá tehető. A mágneses erőterek növelésével azonban a képi információ torzulása következik be, ami oda vezethet, hogy az MR-képen látott anatómiai struktúrák a valóságban nem ugyanott helyezkednek el. Arra keres­tük a választ, hogy az 1 T, és 3 T mágneses erőterekben kijelölt célkoordinátákban, valamint az MR lokalizációs keret referenciapontjainak koordinátáiban (rodmarking accuracy) kimutatható-e eltérés.Hat, Parkinson-kórban szenvedő beteg mély agyi stimulációs műtéti tervezése kapcsán a subthalamicus magokat jelöltük ki célpontként. A két különböző mágneses térben nyert koordinátaadatokat statisztikai módszerekkel hasonlítottuk össze.Az 1 T és a 3 T erőterekben végzett cél­koordináta összehasonlító eredményeink matematikailag ugyan mutattak eltérést, azonban ez nem volt szignifikáns (Mann-Whitney-próba, p0,05). Ugyanakkor az MR-lokalizáló keret referenciapont koordinátáinak (accuracy) összehasonlítása során szignifikáns (p0,01) különbséget találtunk. Ez az érték az erősebb mágneses térben nagyobb számadatot mutatott (3T accuracy átlag ± SD: 0,8 ± 0,3 mm), mint a gyengébb mágneses térben (1T accuracy átlag ± SD: 0,4 ± 0,2 mm).Előzetes eredményeink nem igazoltak matematikailag szignifikáns eltérést a célkoordinátákban az 1 T és 3 T erősségű mágneses terek összehasonlítása során.

PURPOSE: To comprehensively analyze ictal piloerection (IP) in a large number of subjects.METHODS: We performed a systematic review on case report studies of patients diagnosed with IP (1929-2017) with additional cases included from the Department of Neurology of University of Pécs, the National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, and Odense University Hospital. Each included case was characterized regarding patient history, IP seizure characteristics, diagnostic work-up, and therapy. Comparative analyses were also carried out based on sex and pathology.RESULTS: Altogether, 109 cases were included. We observed a strong male predominance (p CONCLUSION: IP was particularly associated with autoimmune encephalitis and high-grade glioma, suggesting IP's particular clinical importance in directing diagnostic work-up.

We describe sequence analysis of the mitochondrial DNA of five Hungarian patients diagnosed with probable LHON, who do not carry any of the three primary point mutations. We report three novel mutations, one of which might have a pathogenic role.

The combination of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and vascular malformation within the head and neck region is a rare condition, and interestingly, only a few cases have recently been published. Propagation of the vascular mass to the larynx and pharynx can cause breathing and swallowing difficulties. Due to these sypmtoms, examination and initiation of appropriate therapy for such patients are indeed challenging. We reviewed the literature available and present our case of a 64 year old woman emphasizing the complaints of sleep apnea syndrome and vascular malformation of the face and neck region. Polygraphic examination detected severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The MR examination of the neck revealed extensive vascular mass narrowing the pharyngo-laryngeal region, thereby causing temporal bone destruction on the right side with intracranial propagation. ENT examination demonstrated significant narrowing of the pharyngeal lumen and the laryngeal aditus caused by multiple hemangiomas. CPAP titration showed the minimalization of the apnea-hypopnea index on the effective pressure level. Regular CPAP usage resulted in diminishing a majority of the patient's complaints. Our examination clearly demonstrates, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome coupled with significantly obstructing vascular malformation in the head and neck region can be effectively treated safely with a CPAP device, if surgical therapy is not possible. We summarized our findings and the data available in the literature to set up recommendations for the appropriate examination and therapy (including mask fit, etc.) of vascular malformations and hemangiomas causing pharyngo-laryngeal obstruction.Az obstruktív alvási apnoe betegség kialakulásában funkcionális és alkati okok mellett számos strukturális eltérés is szerepet játszik. Ilyenek például a nyakra és fejre lokalizálódó vascularis malformációk, melyek ritka kórállapotok, csak néhány esettanulmány található a szakirodalomban. A garat és gége irányába történő propagációjuk jelentős légzési nehezítettséget, esetenként alvásfüggő légzészavart eredményezhet. Tekintettel a szűkös ismeretanyagra, ilyen esetekben az alvásfüggő légzészavar kivizsgálása és megfelelő kezelése nagy kihívást jelent. Az irodalmi adatok áttekintése mellett bemutatjuk egy 64 éves nőbeteg esetét, akinél a kifejezett nappali aluszékonyság mögött obstruktív alvási apnoe betegség igazolódott. Kialakulásában a fej-nyak régió vascularis malformációja játszik kulcsszerepet. Fül-orr-gégészeti és kontrasztos koponya-MR az arcon látható elváltozás mellett a vascularis malformáció kiterjedt pharingealis és laringealis szűkületét okozó propagációját jelezte, jobb temporalisan intracranialis terjedéssel. A CPAP-légsínterápia alkalmazása során az alvásfüggő légzészavar normalizálódását és a beteg panaszainak csökkenését tapasztaltuk. Vizsgálataink azt bizonyították, hogy a fej-nyak régió vascularis malformációjával kombinálódott obstruktív alvási apnoe betegség biztonságosan kezelhető CPAP-légsínterá-piával, amennyiben sebészeti megoldás nem lehetséges. Az irodalmi adatok és saját esetünk kapcsán kivizsgálási és terápiás ajánlást fogalmazunk meg, mely tartalmazza a szükséges diagnosztikai eljárások mellett a hatékony CPAP és maszkhasználat lehetőségeit is.

Background: A recent evidence-based guideline demonstrated that bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the motor cortex (M1) can improve motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the impact of bilateral M1 rTMS on depression in PD. Methods: Forty-six patients with PD and mild-to-moderate depression were randomly assigned to active (n = 23) and sham (n = 23) rTMS. Two patients in the sham group did not complete the protocol because of reasons unrelated to the study. High-frequency rTMS was applied over the primary motor cortex bilaterally for 10 days. An investigator blinded to the treatment performed three video-taped examinations on each patient: before stimulation (baseline), and 1 day (short-term effect) and 30 days after the treatment session ended (long-term effect). The primary end point was the changes in depression, while secondary end points included health-related quality of life scales and Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Results: In the actively treated group, not only did the severity of depression improve (from 17 to 7 points, Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, median values, p < 0.001), but also the health-related quality of life (from 25.4 to 16.9 points, PDQ-39 summary index, median values, p < 0.001). Besides, we could also demonstrate an improvement in MDS-UPDRS Motor Examination (from 26 to 20 points, median values, p < 0.05). In the sham-treated group, none of the examined tests and scales improved significantly after treatment. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the beneficial effects of high-frequency bilateral M1 rTMS on depression and health-related quality of life in PD. However, this effect of rTMS should also be confirmed in patients with severe depression by further clinical trials.

Neuroimaging findings suggest that excessive Internet use shows functional and structural brain changes similar to substance addiction. Even though it is still under debate whether there are gender differences in case of problematic use, previous studies by-passed this question by focusing on males only or by using gender matched approach without controlling for potential gender effects. We designed our study to find out whether there are structural correlates in the brain reward system of problematic Internet use in habitual Internet user females. T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance (MR) images were collected in 82 healthy habitual Internet user females. Structural brain measures were investigated using both automated MR volumetry and voxel based morphometry (VBM). Self-reported measures of problematic Internet use and hours spent online were also assessed. According to MR volumetry, problematic Internet use was associated with increased grey matter volume of bilateral putamen and right nucleus accumbens while decreased grey matter volume of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Similarly, VBM analysis revealed a significant negative association between the absolute amount of grey matter OFC and problematic Internet use. Our findings suggest structural brain alterations in the reward system usually related to addictions are present in problematic Internet use.

Bilateral paramedian thalamic stroke is characterized by hypersomnia, vertical gaze palsy, amnestic alteration, and apathic state. Combined lesion of the paramedian thalamus and mesencephalon bilaterally is extremely rare. Little is known about the breathing disturbances of the particular region due to the lesion. The following describes the specific case of a woman, age 62, with bilateral paramedian thalamic and mesencephalic stroke. Initially, the patient’s complaints exhibited altered vigilance and vertical gaze palsy. Notably, following the acute phase, fluctuating hypersomnia was detected. The MRI (brain) revealed an ischemic lesion in the medial part of the mesencephalon and paramedian thalamus, bilaterally. The aim of the present study is to elucidate the involvement and characteristics of sleep-related breathing abnormalities in the clinical manifestation of the combined paramedian thalamic and mesencephalic stroke. Polysomnographic recordings were accomplished seven times with 1-week interval between the consecutive recordings, toward investigating the early changes of sleep and sleep-related breathing abnormalities. Sleep structure examination featured a decrease in N3 and REM ratio and an increase in N1 and N2 ratio with minimal improvement during the recovery period. In contrast, significant changes were found in the breathing pattern: the initial central apnea dominance was followed by obstructive apneas with a gradual decrease of the total pathological respiratory events. In addition to the structural abnormality of the sleep regulating network, sleep-disordered breathing is another possible cause of hypersomnia in patients afflicted with the present localization of the lesion.

Background: Sleep problems are among the most common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The PD Sleep Scale 2nd version (PDSS-2) improved the original PDSS by adding more items on different aspects of sleep problems, making it a more robust tool to evaluate the severity of sleep disturbances. However, previous studies on deep brain stimulation (DBS) have not used the PDSS-2. Objective: To determine if the PDSS-2 could detect improvement reliably in sleep problems after bilateral subthalamic nucleus DBS for PD. Methods: In this prospective study, 25 consecutive patients undergoing DBS implantation were enrolled. Patients were examined twice: 1 week prior to the DBS implantation (baseline) and 12 months postoperatively. Severity of PD symptoms were assessed by the Movement Disorders Society Unified PD Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS). Presence and severity of sleep disturbances were specifically measured by PDSS-2. Results: Total score of MDS-UPDRS improved from 81 (median, interquartile-range: 63–103) to 55 points (median, IQR: 46–75, p < 0.001). Health-related quality of life, measured by PDQ-39, also improved from 29 (IQR: 18–40) to 15 (IQR: 9–28) points (p = 0.002). Most domains of NMSS also improved. At baseline 13 patients reported sleep problems, but 1 year after DBS implantation only 3 did (p = 0.012). Although only 6 out of 15 items showed a significant decrease after DBS implantation, the total score of PDSS-2 decreased from 24 (IQR: 17–32) to 10 (IQR: 7–18) points (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Based on our results, PDSS-2 can detect improvements in sleep quality reliably after DBS implantation.

Background. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by numerous motor and nonmotor symptoms. Neurocognitive disorders (NCD) are one of the most troublesome problems and their diagnosis is often challenging. Methods. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of several versions of Addenbrooke Cognitive Examination (ACE, ACE-III, and Mini-ACE) on 552 subjects with PD. Normal cognition, mild and major NCD were judged in accordance with the respective criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition. Subsequently, we applied the receiver operation characteristic (ROC) analysis in comparison of different education levels. Results. For subjects with education level 0–8 and 9–12 years, the ACE-III had the best discriminating capabilities for mild NCD (cut-off scores: 83.5 and 85.5 points, respectively), while Mini-ACE was the best for subjects having education > 12 years (cut-off score: 25.5 points). For detecting major NCD, ACE-III had the best diagnostic accuracy in all levels of education (cut-off scores: 70.5, 77.5, and 78.5 points for subjects having education level 0–8, 9–12, and >12 years, respectively). Conclusion. ACE-III and its nested version, the Mini-ACE, had the best screening abilities for detecting mild and major NCD in PD.

Wide variety of the movements (from the physiologic body position changes to different pathologic events) can be seen during the sleep period. The most important types of these movements are the sleep related events (from the parasomnias to the restless leg related movements), the movement disorders and the epilepsy related events. To differentiate between these events is required special skill, which is based on appropriate characterisation of the events (for example timing, repetition, pattern), the polysomnographic and video-EEG examination and validated questionnaires (FLEP scale). The appropriate differential diagnostics and therapy must be based on the knowledge of the relationship of the sleep architecture and movement events. This review would like to provide guideline for the understanding and recognizing the nature of the sleep related movements.

Background: Patients with minor acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack are at high risk for subsequent stroke, and more potent antiplatelet therapy in the acute setting is needed. However, the potential benefit of more intense antiplatelet therapy must be assessed in relation to the risk for major bleeding. The SOCRATES trial (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes) was the first trial with ticagrelor in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack in which the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor were compared with those of aspirin. The main safety objective was assessment of PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes)–defined major bleeds on treatment, with special focus on intracranial hemorrhage (ICrH). Methods: An independent adjudication committee blinded to study treatment classified bleeds according to the PLATO, TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction), and GUSTO (Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Coronary Arteries) definitions. The definitions of ICrH and major bleeding excluded cerebral microbleeds and asymptomatic hemorrhagic transformations of cerebral infarctions so that the definitions better discriminated important events in the acute stroke population. Results: A total of 13 130 of 13 199 randomized patients received at least 1 dose of study drug and were included in the safety analysis set. PLATO major bleeds occurred in 31 patients (0.5%) on ticagrelor and 38 patients (0.6%) on aspirin (hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.52–1.34). The most common locations of major bleeds were intracranial and gastrointestinal. ICrH was reported in 12 patients (0.2%) on ticagrelor and 18 patients (0.3%) on aspirin. Thirteen of all 30 ICrHs (4 on ticagrelor and 9 on aspirin) were hemorrhagic strokes, and 4 (2 in each group) were symptomatic hemorrhagic transformations of brain infarctions. The ICrHs were spontaneous in 6 and 13, traumatic in 3 and 3, and procedural in 3 and 2 patients on ticagrelor and aspirin, respectively. In total, 9 fatal bleeds occurred on ticagrelor and 4 on aspirin. The composite of ICrH or fatal bleeding included 15 patients on ticagrelor and 18 on aspirin. Independently of bleeding classification, PLATO, TIMI, or GUSTO, the relative difference between treatments for major/severe bleeds was similar. Nonmajor bleeds were more common on ticagrelor. Conclusions: Antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack showed a bleeding profile similar to that of aspirin for major bleeds. There were few ICrHs. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01994720.

Abnormally high deposition of iron can contribute to neurodegenerative disorders with cognitive impairment. Since previous studies investigating cognition-brain iron accumulation relationships focused on elderly people, our aim was to explore the association between iron concentration in subcortical nuclei and two types of memory performances in a healthy young population. Gender difference was found only in the globus pallidus. Our results showed that iron load characterized by R2* value on the MRI in the caudate and putamen was related to visual memory, while verbal memory was unrelated to iron concentration.

Asymmetry is one of the unique and mysterious features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Motor symptoms develop unilaterally either on the left (LPD) or the right side (RPD). Incongruent data are available whether the side of onset has an impact on cognition in PD. The objective of this study is to compare the visuospatial performance of RPD and LPD patients. Seventy-one non-demented, non-depressive and right-handed patients were categorized into RBD (n = 36) and LPD (n = 35) groups. Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF) was evaluated by both the Taylor's and Loring's scoring systems. Subsequently, we also performed subgroup analyses on patients having short disease duration (≤5 years, 15 RBD and 15 LPD patients). The standard analysis of ROCF (Taylor's system) did not reveal any differences; however, the utilization of the Loring's system demonstrated that LPD patients had significantly worse visuospatial performance than the RPD subjects (3.0 vs. 2.0 points, median, p = 0.002). Correlation between the number of spatial errors and the degree of asymmetry was significant (r = -0.437, p = 0.001). However, this difference could not be observed in PD patients with short disease duration. LPD patients had worse visuospatial performance than the RPD subjects and the number of errors tightly correlated with the degree of asymmetry and long disease duration.

Schizophrenic patients have Theory of Mind (ToM) deficits even during remission, but it is yet unknown whether this could be influenced. We examined the neural correlates of irony understanding in schizophrenic patients, as an indicator of ToM capacity, and evaluated how linguistic help inserted into the context phase could affect irony comprehension. Schizophrenic patients in remission and healthy controls were subjected to event-related functional MRI scanning while performing irony, 'irony with linguistic help', and control tasks. Patients understood irony significantly worse than healthy controls. The patients showed stronger brain activity in the parietal and frontal areas in the early phase of irony task, however the healthy controls exhibited higher activation in frontal, temporal and parietal regions in the latter phase of the irony task. Interestingly the linguistic help not only improved the patients' ToM performance, but it also evoked similar activation pattern to healthy controls.

Introduction: Changes in human behaviour and lifestyle over the last century have resulted in a dramatic increase in the incidence of diabetes worldwide. Neuropathy is a common and costly complication of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of neuropathy is estimated to be about 8% in newly diagnosed patients and greater than 50% in patients with long-standing disease. There are two main types of diabetic neuropathies, named as sensorimotor and autonomic neuropathies. Sensorimotor neuropathy is marked by pain, paraesthesia and sensory loss, and autonomic neuropathy may contribute to myocardial infarction, malignant arrhythmia and sudden death. Methods: In this article we reviewed the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations diagnosis and treatment of diabetic neuropathies. Conclusion: Sensorimotor and autonomic neuropathies (cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and genitourinary autonomic neuropathies) are common in diabetic patients. Apart from strict glycaemic control, no further therapeutic approach exists in the prevention of this phenomenon. Intensive diabetes therapy, intensive multifactorial cardiovascular risk reduction and lifestyle intervention are recommended in patients with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy. Gastroparesis is the most debilitating complication of gastrointestinal autonomic neuropathy and genitourinary autonomic neuropathy can cause sexual dysfunction and neurogenic bladder; these conditions are hard to manage. The symptomatic treatment of sensory symptoms includes tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, gabapentin, pregabalin and opioids. Other treatment strategies are not so effective.

Background: Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is the smallest change in an outcome, which a patient identifies as meaningful. Although the 2 most frequently applied Parkinson's disease (PD) “quality of life” questionnaires (the PDQ-39 and PDQ-8) provide encouragingly similar results, their MCID thresholds appear to be vastly different. Our aim was to calculate the MCID estimates for both PDQ-39 and PDQ-8 Summary Indices (PDQ-39-SI and PDQ-8-SI) by the utilization of both anchor- and distribution-based techniques. Methods: Nine hundred eighty-five paired investigations of 365 patients were included. Three different techniques were used simultaneously to calculate the MCID values. Results: First, we replicated the previously published results demonstrating how both PDQ-39-SI and PDQ-8-SI provide similar values and respond in a similar way to changes. Subsequently, we calculated the MCID thresholds. The most optimal estimates for MCID thresholds for PDQ-39-SI were -4.72 and +4.22 for detecting minimal clinically important improvement and worsening. For PDQ-8-SI, these estimates were -5.94 and +4.91 points for detecting minimal clinically important improvement and worsening respectively. Conclusions: Our study is the first one that directly compared the MCID estimates for both PDQ-39-SI and PDQ-8-SI on a large pool of patients including all disease severity stages. These MICD estimates varied across PD severity.

Background: Dyskinesia is among the most troublesome symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). The recently developed Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS) can simultaneously measure several subjective and objective aspects of dyskinesia, irrespective of the other motor symptoms of PD. Despite the advantages of deep brain stimulation (DBS), previous studies on DBS have not used the UDysRS yet. Methods: In this prospective study, 71 consecutive patients undergoing DBS implantation were enrolled. Patients were examined twice: 1 week prior to the DBS implantation (baseline) and 12 months postoperatively. The severity of PD-related symptoms was assessed by the Movement Disorders Society Unified PD Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). The presence and severity of dyskinesia were specifically measured by the UDysRS and patient diaries. Results: At baseline, all 71 patients had dyskinesia, but 1 year after DBS implantation, 25 patients were dyskinesia-free, and an additional 19 had only mild dyskinesia. The total score on the UDysRS decreased from 38.0 ± 17.8 to 10.8 ± 13.0 (p < 0.001). Besides this, all parts of the UDysRS showed significant improvement after STN DBS treatment, and the magnitude of these changes had a large effect size. The total score of MDS-UPDRS improved from 76.5 ± 24.3 to 60.4 ± 21.4 points (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Based on our results, UDysRS can reliably detect improvements in dyskinesia after DBS implantation.

Background Levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel therapy (LCIG) can efficiently improve several motor and non-motor symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). The recently developed Movement Disorder Society-sponsored Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) improved the original UPDRS making it a more robust tool to evaluate therapeutic changes. However, previous studies have not used the MDS-UPDRS and the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS) to assess the efficacy of LCIG. Objectives Our aim was to determine if the MDS-UPDRS and UDysRS could detect improvement in the experiences of daily living following 1-year LCIG treatment. Methods In this prospective, multicenter, open-label study, 34 consecutive patients undergoing LCIG treatment were enrolled. Patients were examined twice: prior to LCIG initiation and 12 months later. Impact of PD-related symptoms and dyskinesia was assessed by the MDS-UPDRS and UDysRS. Results Non-motor Experiences of Daily Living part of MDS-UPDRS improved from 20 (median, interquartile-range, IQR:14–23) to 16 points (median, IQR:12–20, p = 0.044) and the Motor Experiences of Daily Living ameliorated from 24 (median, IQR:20–29) to 18 points (median, IQR:13–25, p = 0.025). Health-related quality of life, measured by PDQ-39, also improved from 35.4 (median, IQR:26.9–50.3) to 27.0 (median, IQR:21.3–31.4) points (p = 0.003). The total score of UDysRS decreased from 47 (median, IQR:36–54) to 34 (median, IQR:21–45) points (p = 0.003). Conclusions As far as the authors are aware of, our paper is the first to evaluate the impact of LCIG on dyskinesia by the means of UDysRS. Changes in MDS-UPDRS and UDysRS confirm that LCIG treatment can efficiently improve experiences of daily living in advanced PD.

The minimal clinically important difference is the smallest change of scores clinically meaningful to patients.We aimed to calculate these threshold values in association with the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society UPDRS (MDS-UPDRS) Parts I and II and to evaluate the feasibility of the composite score of Part I and II (MDS-UPDRS I+II) as an outcome.Nine hundred eighty-five paired investigations of 365 patients were reviewed, implementing three different techniques simultaneously.Based on the ordinal regression modeling, the MDS-UPDRS I+II score is an applicable outcome measure. Any improvement greater than 2.64 points or any worsening more than 2.45 points on MDS-UPDRS Part I represent a minimal, yet clinically meaningful change. In reference to Part II, the smallest changes considered clinically relevant were 3.05 and 2.51 points for improvement and deterioration, respectively. The thresholds for MDS-UPDRS I+II were 5.73 points for improvement and 4.70 points for worsening.Our minimal clinically important difference thresholds can be utilized in clinical practice in judging clinical relevance. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine chronic brain white matter hyperintensities in migraine and to gain data on the characteristics of the lesions. BACKGROUND Migraine associates with a higher incidence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible white matter signal abnormalities. Several attack-related pathomechanisms have been proposed in the lesion development, including the effect of repeated intracerebral hemodynamic changes. METHODS Supratentorial white matter hyperintensities of 17 migraine patients were investigated interictally with quantitative MRI, including quantitative single voxel spectroscopy, diffusion, and perfusion MRI at 3.0-Tesla. The findings were compared with data measured in the contralateral, normal-appearing white matter of migraineurs and in the white matter of 17 healthy subjects. RESULTS Significantly higher apparent diffusion coefficient values, prolonged T2 relaxation times, and decreased N-acetyl-aspartate and creatine/phosphocreatine concentrations were found in the white matter hyperintensities. The cerebral blood flow and blood volume values were mildly decreased inside the hyperintensities. Differences were not present between the migraine patients' normal-appearing white matter and the white matter of healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS The MRI measurements denote tissue damage with axonal loss, low glial cell density, and an enlarged extracellular space with an increased extracellular water fraction. These radiological features might be the consequences of microvascular ischemic changes during migraine attacks.

Background: The placebo-controlled phase of the PreCISe study showed that glatiramer acetate delayed onset of clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS) in patients with clinically isolated syndrome and brain lesions on MRI. Objective: To compare the effects of early versus delayed glatiramer acetate treatment in the open-label phase of PreCISe. Methods: Patients with a clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of MS with unifocal manifestation and ≥2 T2-weighted brain lesions were randomized to receive glatiramer acetate 20 mg/d (early-treatment, n=198) or placebo (delayed-treatment, n=211) for 36 months or until conversion to CDMS, followed by open-label glatiramer acetate treatment for two years. Results: Early glatiramer acetate treatment reduced CDMS conversion risk by 41% (hazard ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.44–0.80; p=0.0005) versus delayed-treatment, and was associated with a 972-day delay (185%) in conversion to CDMS, less brain atrophy (−28%, p=0.0209), fewer new T2 lesions/year (−42%, Conclusions: Effects of early glatiramer acetate treatment on the rate of conversion to CDMS and on MRI measures of disease activity and lesion burden support initiating glatiramer acetate treatment soon after the first clinical symptoms suggestive of MS and continuing treatment to sustain benefits.

Introduction: Among the non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease (PD), cognitive impairment is one of the most troublesome problems. Highly sensitive and specific screening instruments for detecting dementia in PD (PDD) are required in the clinical practice. Methods: In our study we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of different neuropsychological tests (Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination, ACE; Frontal Assessment Battery, FAB and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, MDRS) in 73 Parkinson’s disease patients without depression. By receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, these screening instruments were tested against the recently established clinical diagnostic criteria of PDD. Results: Best cut-off score for ACE to identify PDD was 80 points (sensitivity ¼ 74.0%, specificity ¼ 78.1%). For FAB the most optimal cut-off value was 12 points (sensitivity ¼ 66.3%, specificity ¼ 72.2%); whereas for MDRS it was 125 points (sensitivity ¼ 89.8%, specificity ¼ 98.3%). Among the examined test batteries, MDRS had the best clinicometric profile for detecting PDD. Conclusion: Although the types of applied screening instruments might differ from movement disorder clinic to clinic within a country, determination of the most specific and sensitive test for the given population remains to be an important task. Our results demonstrated that the specificity and sensitivity of MDRS was better than those of ACE, FAB and MMSE in Hungary. However, further studies with larger sample size and more uniform criteria for participation are required to determine the most suitable screening instrument for cognitive impairment.

To perform a pilot study assessing possible efficacy, safety, and optimal dosage of pramipexole in essential tremor.Twenty-nine patients with essential tremor were enrolled into this 16-week-long study. After recording baseline condition, 2 different dosages of immediate-release formulation of pramipexole were evaluated (1.05 mg/d and 2.1 mg/d in 3 identical dosages). Subsequently, immediate- and extended-release formulations were compared. The Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale, Activities of Daily Living, the EuroQol instrument for detecting health-related outcome, and Clinical Global Impression of Improvement Scale were obtained. After completing the study, a rater blinded to the treatment reassessed the tremor rating scales based on video recordings.Twenty-four patients (82.6%) completed the study. Causes for discontinuation were adverse effects of pramipexole: intolerable nausea (n = 3), daytime sleepiness (n = 1), and anxiety (n = 1). Twenty-one patients had a score of less than 3 on the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement Scale (treatment responders, 72.4%). All the major outcome values demonstrated significant improvement. The severity of tremor was reduced by 52.0% (43.7 vs 20.8 points, Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale), and the EuroQol instrument for detecting health-related outcome score improved from 0.69 to 0.91 (P0.01). The dose of 2.1 mg was more effective than that of 1.05 mg; however, both the immediate- and extended-release formulations were equally efficacious. After completion of the study, 15 patients (51.7% of the enrolled patients) wanted to remain on pramipexole treatment.This pilot study suggests that pramipexole may be effective in the treatment of essential tremor. However, further controlled studies are required.

Microalbuminuria, assessed by measuring immunoreactive albumin, is common in patients with cerebrovascular disease and is associated with increased risk of stroke. Total urinary albumin (t-uAlb) comprises both immunoreactive albumin (ir-uAlb) and nonimmunoreactive albumin (nir-uAlb). We hypothesized that t-uAlb is a more sensitive indicator of microalbuminuria than ir-uAlb, and that measurement of t-uAlb will increase the prevalence of microalbuminuria in ischemic stroke patients compared with measurement of ir-uAlb and will show a stronger correlation with the severity of stroke and oxidative stress. In urine samples from 98 patients with ischemic stroke, the albumin-to-creatinine ratios t-uAlb/uCreat and ir-uAlb/uCreat were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and immunoturbidimetry (IT), and the nir-uAlb/uCreat ratio was calculated. Urinary ortho-tyrosine (o-Tyr/uCreat), an indicator of oxidative stress, was measured by HPLC. The severity of stroke was scored based on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The prevalence of microalbuminuria detected by HPLC was significantly higher than that detetcted by IT (66.3 vs 36.7%). Although all forms of albumin showed significant correlation with stroke severity (t-uAlb: r = 0.24, P.05 ir-uAlb: r = 0.25, P.05 nir-uAlb: r = 0.29, P.05), only nir-uAlb was found to be an independent predictor of stroke severity (B = 0.20, β = 0.35, P.05). In addition, t-uAlb/uCreat and nir-uAlb/uCreat had a significant correlation with o-Tyr/uCreat (r = 0.336, P.05 and r = 0.358, P.05 respectively), whereas ir-uAlb/uCreat did not (r = 0.22, P.05). Our data suggest that in acute ischemic stroke patients, t-uAlb is a more sensitive indicator of microalbuminuria than the presently used ir-uAlb. Future studies should aim to elucidate the underlying mechanisms for the relationship among urinary albumins and cerebrovascular diseases and the role of urinary albumins in risk stratification for stroke.

There are contradictory results on lateralisation and localisation of rhythm processing. Our aim was to test whether there is a hemispheric dissociation of metric and non-metric rhythm processing. We created a non-metric rhythm stimulus without a sense of metre and we measured brain activities during passive rhythm perception. A total of 11 healthy, right-handed, native female Hungarian speakers aged 21.3 ± 1.1 were investigated by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using a 3T MR scanner. The experimental acoustic stimulus consisted of comprehensive sentences transformed to Morse code, which represent a non-metric rhythm with irregular perceptual accent structure. Activations were found in the right hemisphere, in the posterior parts of the right-sided superior and middle temporal gyri and temporal pole as well as in the orbital part of the right inferior frontal gyrus. Additional activation appeared in the left-sided superior temporal region. Our study suggests that non-metric rhythm with irregular perceptual accents structure is confined to the right hemisphere. Furthermore, a right-lateralised fronto-temporal network extracts the continuously altering temporal structure of the non-metric rhythm.

Caffeine is the most often used psychoactive substance. Caffeine may influence neuroplasticity in animals. We investigated the relationship between caffeine intake (coffee consumption) and brain morphology. Forty-five healthy, non-smoking women aged 19-30 were included in the present study. We used semi-automatic user-independent MR volumetry and voxel-based morphometry. We investigated the relationship between caffeine intake (coffee consumption) and the volumes of the cortical brain structures where caffeine is supposed to act. We found that high-level and low-level caffeine intake was associated with a larger hippocampus compared to moderate-level caffeine intake. The other brain structures showed no association with coffee consumption or caffeine intake. The U-shape association between caffeine concentration and its effect has already been described in some experimental studies. To our knowledge this is one of the very first studies, which tries to find an association between brain morphology and coffee consumption or caffeine intake in humans using MR imaging.

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nuclei (STN) is a well established treatment in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Based on the clinical efficacy and elicited side-effects, both unipolar and bipolar stimulation modes may be applied. Bipolar stimulation usually produces a more focused and therefore thinner area of tissue activated during stimulation than unipolar stimulation does. The primary aim of our clinical study was to quantify the different clinical efficacy between these two stimulation modes. Twenty-one patients with PD previously underwent bilateral STN DBS implantation were involved in the study. Approximately three years after the implantation, we evaluated rigidity, tremor and bradykinesia according to the Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale in a practically off condition. Keeping the cathode of the chronic stimulation setting constant, the amplitude of stimulation was changed between 0 and 3.6 V by 0.2 V steps. Subsequently, the improvements in rigidity, tremor and bradykinesia were compared between unipolar and bipolar modes using 60 μs pulse-width and 130 Hz frequency. Within the examined amplitude range, unipolar stimulation usually had a significantly higher efficacy than bipolar stimulation; however, also with a higher rate of side-effects (19% vs. 0%). Depending on the evaluated parkinsonian symptoms, the efficacy of uni- and bipolar stimulation was different. To achieve the same level of improvement during bipolar stimulation, approximately 0.4-0.5 V higher amplitude was required than in unipolar mode. However in some cases, the efficacy of bipolar stimulation was unable the reach that of unipolar stimulation within the examined amplitude range.

Background/Aims: We investigated adaptive reorganization in Parkinson’s disease (PD) by fMRI using a passive movement task and compared the brain activation patterns of 10 patients with left- versus right-sided dominant symptoms. Five healthy controls were also investigated with the same settings. Methods: We grouped patients according to the predominant side of symptoms; thus, a right-sided dominant and a left-sided dominant group was formed. The paradigm consisted of a 4-finger passive movement task, which altered with resting states. For each subject, this examination was performed twice: on the left and on the right hand separately. Results: In healthy controls, motor-related areas contralateral to the moving fingers showed activation on fMRI. Concerning PD patients, motor-related areas of the ipsilateral hemisphere – including the primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area, and basal ganglia – seemed to be involved in the motor reorganization in PD. However, we could only demonstrate this reorganization in patients with right-sided dominant symptoms. Conclusions: We suggest that the human brain in PD tries to compensate for the failure of the basal ganglia motor loop by employing alternative (ipsilateral) motor pathways, indicating that a complex reorganization can also take place in disorders like PD which affect the whole motor-related network.

Az osszefoglalo kozlemenyben a szerzők attekintest nyujtanak a neuromyelitis optica (NMO) epidemiologiajarol, klinikai jellegzetessegeiről. A kozelmultban leirt anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) antitest a betegseget az ellenanyag-medialt csatornabetegsegek koze sorolja, es kimutatasa a diagnosztika fontos elemet kepezi. A szerzők hangsulyozzak a betegseg multidiszciplinaris jelleget: az NMO spektrumbetegsegkent definialt relapszalo latoideg-gyulladas (RION) az NMO-hoz hasonlo terapiat igenyelhet es szemeszeti diagnozisa alapvető, mig a szisztemas autoimmun korkepekhez tarsulo myelitisek es az NMO-val gyakran asszocialodo szisztemas autoimmun betegsegek a klinikai immunologusok es reumatologusok figyelmet igenylik. Alapvető a sclerosis multiplextől valo elkulonites az elterő terapias protokollok miatt. A kriteriumrendszer valtozasa, az NMO-spektrum-betegsegek definialasa, az NMO-specifikus IgG (anti-AQP-4) azonositasa, valamint megbizhato diagnosztikus tesztek a betegseg korai diagnozisat es igy adekvat terapiat e...

Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) is characterized by severe and frequent daily pain attacks causing transient physical disability for the patients during the headache period. Currently there is no option for abortive treatment of the attacks, mainly due to the short-lived nature and frequency of the repeated headaches, while highly efficacious therapy is also unavailable for short-term prevention. We report rapidly suppressed headache attacks with orally administered methylprednisolone in eight headache periods of three patients with idiopathic, episodic SUNCT syndrome. The remission was maintained until the period was over in all cases. Although the mechanism of methylprednisolone action is unclear, it is probably based on the anti-inflammatory effects of the drug.

This review summarizes protein biomarkers in mild and severe traumatic brain injury in adults and children and presents a strategy for conducting rationally designed clinical studies on biomarkers in head trauma.We performed an electronic search of the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE and Biomedical Library of University of Pennsylvania database in March 2008 using a search heading of traumatic head injury and protein biomarkers. The search was focused especially on protein degradation products (spectrin breakdown product, c-tau, amyloid-beta(1-42)) in the last 10 years, but recent data on "classical" markers (S-100B, neuron-specific enolase, etc.) were also examined.We identified 85 articles focusing on clinical use of biomarkers; 58 articles were prospective cohort studies with injury and/or outcome assessment.We conclude that only S-100B in severe traumatic brain injury has consistently demonstrated the ability to predict injury and outcome in adults. The number of studies with protein degradation products is insufficient especially in the pediatric care. Cohort studies with well-defined end points and further neuroproteomic search for biomarkers in mild injury should be triggered. After critically reviewing the study designs, we found that large homogenous patient populations, consistent injury, and outcome measures prospectively determined cutoff values, and a combined use of different predictors should be considered in future studies.

Hemorheological factors play an important role in the pathomechanism of ischemic cerebrovascular disorders. Abnormal rheological conditions in patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease predispose for recurrent strokes. Vinpocetine (VP), a synthetic ethyl esther of apovincamine, has successfully been used in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, in part because of its favourable rheological effects.The study investigates the hemorheological changes in 40 patients in the chronic stage of ischemic cardiovascular disease after administration of vinpocetine. All patients received a high dose of intravenous VP in doses gradually increased to l mg/kg/day. In addition, 20 patients (mean age: 61+/-8 years) received 30 mg VP orally for 3 months. The other 20 patients (mean age: 59+/-6 years), who received placebo tablets, served as controls. Hemorheological parameters (hematocrit, plasma fibrinogen, whole blood viscosity, red blood cell aggregation and deformability) were evaluated at 1 and 3 months.The high-dose parenteral VP significantly decreased red blood cell aggregation, plasma and whole blood viscosity (p0.05) compared to the initial values. In patients with additional oral treatment, plasma and whole blood viscosities were significantly lower compared to the placebo patients at 3 months (p0.05).Our results confirmed the beneficial rheological effects of high-dose parenteral VP (partially caused by hemodilution) observed previously, and also warrant its long-term oral admission to maintain the beneficial rheological changes.

A carotisstent beültetése a szignifikáns carotis stenosis kezelésének egyik lehetséges módszere. A beavatkozás során észlelhető kóros rheologiai viszonyok, fokozódó thrombocytaaggregáció és szabadgyök-képződés a stenttrombózis és a korai restenosis rizikóját növelhetik. Célkitűzés: Jelen tanulmányunk célja az volt, hogy megvizsgáljuk, hogyan változnak a haemorheologiai viszonyok, a thrombocytaaggregáció és az oxidatív stressz carotis stenosis endovascularis kezelése során és az azt követő napokban. Módszer: 18 (12 férfi, 6 nő, 66 ± 9 év) szignifikáns carotis stenosis miatt endovascularis úton kezelt beteg vizsgálatát végeztük el. Értékeltük a haemorheologiai paraméterek, valamint a thrombocytaaggregáció alakulását. Az oxidatív stressz jellemzésére a katalázaktivitást mértük. A méréseket közvetlenül a beavatkozás előtt, illetve után, majd 1, 2, 5 nappal és 1 hónappal később végeztük el. A beavatkozás előtt betegeink telítő dózisú (300 mg) clopidogrelkezelésben részesültek. Eredmények: A hematokrit, a plazmafibrinogén-koncentráció (Pfc), a teljesvér- (Tvv) és plazmaviszkozitás (Pv) a stentelést követően azonnal szignifikánsan csökkent ( p < 0,001). A beavatkozás 5. napjára a Tvv, a Pfc, a Pv, a vörösvértest és a thrombocytaaggregáció szignifikánsan ( p < 0,0001) fokozódott a stentelés után mért értékekhez képest. Az 1 hónapos kontrollnál ugyanezen paraméterek, kivéve a Tvv, szignifikáns csökkenést mutattak az 5. napi értékekhez képest. A katalázaktivitás beavatkozás utáni napon mért értéke az 1 hónapos kontrollra szignifikánsan emelkedett. Konklúzió: A haemorheologiai paraméterek és a thrombocytaaggregáció a carotisstent-beültetés kapcsán specifikus változást mutatnak. A vér áramlási viszonyainak kóros megváltozása és a thrombocyták fokozódó aktivációja a beavatkozás első hetében a legkifejezettebbek, a stent thromboticus elzáródását indukálhatják. A beavatkozás kapcsán indukálódó oxidatív stressz mértéke 1 hónap után csökken szignifikánsan.

Background:Patients with stroke are more susceptible to infections, suggesting possible deficiencies of early immune responses, particularly of leucocytes.Aims:To serially examine leucocyte antisedimentation rate (LAR), a simple test to detect activation of leucocytes, and correlate it with S100β, procalcitonin and outcome in patients with acute ischaemic events.Methods:Venous blood samples were taken from 61 healthy volunteers and 49 patients with acute ischaemic events (acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), n = 38; transient ischaemic attack (TIA), n = 11) within 6 hours, at 24 and 72 hours after onset of symptoms.Results:LAR was significantly higher in acute ischaemic events compared to controls within 6 hours after onset of stroke regardless of post-stroke infections. In addition, the increase of LAR was delayed and attenuated in TIA in contrast to AIS. A deficiency in early increase of LAR was associated with post-stroke infections and a poor outcome, measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale in AIS. There was a positive correlation between LAR and S100β at 72 hours after the onset of ischaemic stroke. Increased levels of S100β at 24 and 72 hours after stroke were associated with poor outcome.Conclusions:An early activation of leucocytes indicated by an increase of LAR is characteristic of acute ischaemic cerebrovascular events. A delayed and ameliorated leucocyte activation represented by LAR is characteristic of TIA in contrast to stroke. Deficient early activation predisposes to post-stroke infections related to poor outcome. In addition, the extent of tissue injury correlates with the magnitude of innate immune responses.

We aimed to determine the functional localisation of right-left discrimination (RLD) by functional MRI (fMRI). In this study, 16 male volunteers were examined. There were three task sessions: one active and two baseline tasks. During the baseline tasks participants were instructed to show numbers with their fingers. The first baseline task was performed with the right hand, the second one with the left hand. During the active (RLD) task participants were also instructed to show numbers. The difference between baseline and active tasks was that during the active task the hand with which the participant should perform the instruction was assigned randomly. Thus, participants were unaware which hand should be used before the instruction command. During RLD, activations occurred in the right-sided frontal, precuneus, postcentral, angular, lingual, and superior temporal gyri. Activations also appeared in the left-sided temporal gyri and precuneus. Of the activations, 76.7% appeared in the right hemisphere, 23.3% in the left hemisphere. Conclusively, we found that RLD is mainly related to the right hemisphere, and requires activation of the parieto-temporo-occipital junction and the visual system including cuneus, precuneus, and gyrus lingualis.

Cerebrovascularis betegekben gyakoriak a haemorrheologiai és haemostaseologiai paraméterek kóros eltérései. A statinok az ischaemiás stroke prevenciójában hatékonyan alkalmazható szerek, kedvező hatásuk hátterében a lipidszint csökkentése mellett egyéb tényezők is igazolhatók. Célok: Tanulmányukban a szerzők áttekintik az atorvastatin stroke-prevencióval, haemorrheologiai és haemostaseologiai hatásaival kapcsolatos irodalmi adatokat, hivatkozva egy korábbi vizsgálatuk eredményeire, mely kis dózisú atorvastatinkezelés rövid távú haemorrheologiai, valamint endothel-diszfunkcióra és a thrombocytaaggregációra gyakorolt effektusait vizsgálta. Módszerek: 27 krónikus, hyperlipidaemiás agyérbetegnél (átlagéletkor: 61 ± 8 év) meghatározták a szérumlipidszinteket, a haemorrheologiai paramétereket (haematocrit, plazmafibrinogén-koncentráció, plazma- és teljesvér-viszkozitás, vörösvértest-aggregáció és -deformabilitás), a thrombocytaaggregációt kiinduláskor, majd 1 és 3 hónappal napi 10 mg atorvastatinkezelést követően. Az endothel-diszfunkciót jelző von Willebrand-faktor aktivitását a kezelés előtt, majd 1 hónap múlva mérték meg. Eredmények: A plazmakoleszterin-szint átlagos csökkenése 1, illetve 3 hónap múlva egyaránt 28% volt ( p < 0,001), az LDL-koleszterin-szint 40%-kal, illetve 38%-kal ( p < 0,001) csökkent a kiindulási értékhez képest. Az atorvastatinkezelés a teljesvér-viszkozitást a 3. hónap végére, míg a vvt-deformabilitást már az első hónap végére szignifikánsan csökkentette ( p < 0,05). A kollagén indukálta thrombocytaaggregáció a kiindulási értékhez képest szignifikánsan csökkent ( p < 0,001) változatlan antiaggregációs kezelés mellett. Szintén szignifikánsan javult a von Willebrand-faktor-aktivitás már 1 hónapos kezelést követően ( p < 0,05). Következtetések: Mind az irodalmi, mind a szerzők saját eredményei az atorvastatin komplex, kedvező hatására utalnak. A lipidcsökkentő effektus mellett a kis dózisban és rövid ideig alkalmazott atorvastatin javítja a haemorrheologiai paramétereket, a thrombocytaaggregációt és az endothel-diszfunkciót.