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Objective: According to data of epidemiological and clinical studies, migraine with aura (MA) is associated with cardiovascular disorders, and migraine without aura (M0) is linked to carotid artery dissection. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate and compare arterial wall parameters – intima-media thickness, distensibility and stiffness of common carotid artery (CCA), augmentation index and pulse wave velocity – in female patients with two types of migraine: MA and M0. Methods: Arterial wall structural and functional properties were measured using echo-tracking method (Art.Lab system) and applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor device) in 63 patients with M0 (age 35.32±7.83 years, migraine duration 17.25±8.44 years), 37 with MA (age 36.57±9.10 years, migraine duration 19.62±9.17 years) and 50 age-matched controls. Groups were compared using one-way ANOVA test. To explore the relationship between arterial wall parameters and type of migraine stepwise linear regression was applied. Results: MA patients had highest values of augmentation index (16.65±13.23 %), comparing with M0 patients (15.41±10.62 %) and controls (12.42±13.32 %). Distensibility of CCA was lowest in M0 patients (443.78±106.99 μm), comparing with MA patients (449.99±113.50 μm) and controls (465.78±112.36 μm). Differences of these parameters did not reach the level of significance. In regression analysis distensibility of CCA had inverse correlation with M0 (β=– 0.172, p=0.015). Other arterial wall parameters were similar between groups. Conclusions: Distensibility of common carotid artery is impaired in migraine without aura.

Background and Purpose— According to the European license, alteplase can be given no sooner than 3 months after previous stroke. However, it is not known whether past history of stroke influences the effect of treatment. Our aim was to evaluate safety and functional outcome after intravenous thrombolysis administered in everyday practice to patients with previous stroke ≤3 months compared with those with first-ever stroke. Methods— We analyzed consecutive cases treated with alteplase between October 2003 and July 2014 contributed to the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis for Stroke–Eastern Europe registry from 12 countries. Odds ratios were calculated using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression. Results— Of 13 007 patients, 11 221 (86%) had no history of stroke and 249 (2%) experienced previous stroke ≤3 months before admission. Patients with previous stroke ≤3 months had a higher proportion of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. There were no significant differences in outcome, including symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage according to European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (unadjusted odds ratio 1.27, 95% confidence interval: 0.74–2.15), and being alive and independent at 3 months (odds ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.61–1.09). Conclusions— Patients currently treated with alteplase, despite a history of previous stroke ≤3 months, do not seem to achieve worse outcome than those with first-ever stroke. Although careful patient selection was probably of major importance, our findings provide reassurance that this group of patients may safely benefit from thrombolysis and should not be arbitrarily excluded as a whole. Further studies are needed to identify the shortest safe time lapse from the previous event to treatment with alteplase.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. The diagnosis of PD can be difficult, especially in its early stage since there are no existing specific biomarkers. Most biomechanical data characterizing human movement is shown as time series or temporal waveforms representing different joint measures. Principal component analysis (PCA) can be used as a tool to identify differences in gait between healthy persons and those diagnosed with PD. The purpose of this study is to compare hip and knee kinematics during walking in PD group and control (CO) group using PCA, and to identify the specific PCA variables that can be used for differentiating Parkinsonian gait from normal gait. The subjects were divided into two groups: PD group n = 15, control group n = 12. Each subject performed a gait task and kinematics of limbs was measured using nine degrees of freedom inertial measurement unit (IMU). PCA was performed on the angular velocity of right and left side hip and knee joints in the sagittal plane of the gait cycle. Different numbers of principal components (PC) are needed to describe important information from hip (PC - 3) and knee (PC - 4) joints in sagittal plane. Statistically significant differences were found between PD and CO groups: right hip PC3 (p=0.0026); left hip PC3 (p=0.0262); right knee PC3 (p=0.0286). The PCA applied in this paper identified differences in gait features between PD and CO groups. Identification of these differences between PD and CO groups could clarify PD progress.