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Çalışmada 38 yazar bulunmaktadır. Bu yazarlardan sadece Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi mensuplarının girişleri yapılmıştır. Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the presence and prognostic impact of early seizures in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis patients (CVST). Method: VENOST is a retrospective and prospective national multicenter observational study. CVST patients with or without epileptic seizures (ES) were analyzed and compared in terms of demographic and imaging data, causative factors, clinical variables, and prognosis in a total of 1126 patients. Results: The mean age of the patients in the ES group was 39.73 +/- 12.64 and 40.17 +/- 14.02 years in the non-ES group (p > 0.05). Epileptic seizures were more common (76.6 %) in females (p < 0.001). Early ES occurred in 269 of 1126 patients (23.9 %). Epileptic seizures mainly presented in the acute phase (71.4 %) of the disease (p < 0.001). Majority of these (60.5 %) were in the first 24 h of the CVST. The most common neurological signs were focal neurologic deficits (29.9 %) and altered consciousness (31.4 %) in the ES group. Superior sagittal sinus (SSS) and cortical veins (CV) involvement were the most common sites of thrombosis and the mostly related etiology were found puerperium in seizure group (30.3 % vs 13.9 %). Patients with seizures had worse outcome in the first month of the disease (p < 0.001) but these did not have any influence thereafter. Conclusions: In this largest CVST cohort (VENOST) reported female sex, presence of focal neurological deficits and altered consciousness, thrombosis of the SSS and CVs, hemorrhagic infarction were risk factors for ES occurrence in patients with CVST.

Ankarali, Handan Camdeviren/0000-0002-3613-0523; Tascilar, Nida/0000-0003-0780-0783 WOS: 000427844400006 PubMed: 28456888 It is known that quality of life in myasthenia gravis is positively correlated with subjective sleep quality, still no data is available regarding the relationship between QOL and polysomnographically detected sleep parameters and disorders. In this study, we tried to highlighten this relationship, by performing polysomnography. Sleep-related complaints were evaluated in face-to-face interviews with 19 clinically stable MG patients and 26 healthy controls. During the interviews questionnaires assessing sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and Turkish version of the MG-QOL 15-item scale [(MG-QOL15(T)] were administered and then an overnight polysomnography was performed. Sleep disorders, especially obstructive sleep apnea and fatigue were higher, whereas subjective sleep duration was significantly lower, in patients than controls. Excessive daytime sleepiness and poor sleep quality were not different between patients and controls. Other than percentage of sleep stage III, which was negatively correlated with MG-QOL15(T) scores, neither other sleep parameters nor sleep disorders were correlated with MG-QOL15(T) scores. MG composite, subjective sleep duration, fatigue severity and Hamilton depression rating scale scores were found to be positively correlated with MG-QOL15(T) scores. It was shown that decreasing disease severity and enhancing psychological well-being will improve patients' quality of life. We recommend that our findings should be repeated in a large prospective cohort of MG patients.

Objectives: Headache is the most common complaint in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and it may sometimes bethe only symptom in these patients. This retrospective and prospective study was an investigation of any differences in termsof clinical risk factors, radiological findings, or prognosis in patients with CVST who presented with isolated headache (IH) andcases with other concomitant findings (non-isolated headache [NIH]).Methods: A total of 1144 patients from a multicenter study of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (VENOST study) were enrolled inthis research. The demographic, biochemical, clinical, and radiological aspects of 287 IH cases and 857 NIH cases were compared.Results: There were twice as many women as men in the study group. In the IH group, when gender distribution was evaluated byage group, no statistically significant difference was found. The onset of headache was frequently subacute and chronic in the IHgroup, but an acute onset was more common in the NIH group. Other neurological findings were observed in 29% of the IH groupduring follow-up. A previous history of deep, cerebral, or other venous thromboembolism was less common in the IH group thanin the NIH group. Transverse sinus involvement was greater in the IH group, whereas sagittal sinus involvement was greater in theNIH group. The presence of a plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) mutation was significantly greater in the IH group.Conclusion: IH and CVST should be kept in mind if a patient has subacute or chronic headache. PAI, which has an importantrole in thrombolytic events, may be a risk factor in CVST. Detailed hematological investigations should be considered. Additional studies are needed. Amaç: Baş ağrısı serebral venöz sinüs trombozunda (SVST) en sık görülen şikayettir ve bazen CVST ile başvuran hastalarda görülen tek semptom olabilir. Bu retrospektif ve prospektif çalışmada, izole başağrısı (IB) ile başvuran SVST olgularında ve baş ağrısı ile ilişkili diğer bulguları olan (izole olmayan başağrısı-İOBA) olgularda klinik risk faktörleri, radyoloji ve prognoz açısından herhangi bir farklılık olup olmadığını araştırdık. Gereç ve Yöntem: Serebral venöz sinüs trombozu (VENOST) çok merkezli çalışmasından 1144 hasta çalışmamıza alındı. Tüm demografik, biyokimyasal, klinik ve radyolojik yönler 287 IBA vakası ve 857 İOBA vakası için karşılaştırılmıştır. Bulgular: Toplam grup içinde kadın oranı iki kat daha yüksekti. İBA grubunda cinsiyet dağılımını yaş gruplarına göre değerlendirildiğinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark bulunmadı. İBA grubunda, baş ağrısının başlangıcı sıklıkla subakut ve kronikti, ancak akut başlangıç, İOBA grubunda daha yaygındı. İBA grubunda% 29’luk takip sırasında diğer nörolojik bulgular eklenmiştir. Daha önce serebral, derin ve diğer venöz tromboembolizm öyküsü İBA grubunda İOBA grubuna göre daha azdı. Transvers sinüs tutulumu İBA grubunda daha yüksek iken sagital sinüs tutulumu İOBA grubunda daha fazlaydı. Plazminojen aktivatör inhibitörü (PAI) mutasyonu IBA grubunda anlamlı olarak daha yüksekti. Sonuç: Hastaların subakut veya kronik baş ağrısı varsa SVST tanısı için IBA akılda tutulmalıdır. Trombolitik olaylar için önemli bir role sahip olan PAI, SVST’da bir risk faktörü olabilir, bu nedenle ayrıntılı hematolojik araştırmalar düşünülmelidir. Daha ileri çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır WOS:000644197800002 2-s2.0-85105266958

Background. Early diagnosis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) associated with reproductive health-related risk factors (RHRF) including pregnancy, puerperium, and oral contraceptive (OC) use can prevent severe neurological sequelae; thus, the symptoms must be documented in detail for each group. Methods. Out of 1144 patients with CVST, a total of 777 women were enrolled from a multicenter for the study of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (VENOST). Demographic, biochemical, clinical, and radiological aspects were compared for 324 cases with RHRF and 453 cases without RHRF. Results. The mean age of the RHRF (-) group (43.2 ± 13 years) was significantly higher than of the RHRF (+) group (34±9 years). A previous history of deep venous thrombosis (3%), isolated cavernous sinus involvement (1%), cranial neuropathy (13%), comorbid malignancy (7%), and its disability scores after 12 months (9%) were significantly higher in the RHRF (-) group. The RHRF (+) group consisted of 44% cases of puerperium, 33% cases of OC users and 23% of pregnant women. The mean age was found to be higher in OC users (38±9 years). A previous history of deep venous thrombosis was slightly higher in the pregnancy subgroup (4%). Epileptic seizures were more common in the puerperium group (44%). Conclusion. The results of our study indicate that the risk of CSVT increases parallel to age, OC use, and puerperium period. In addition, when considering the frequency of findings and symptoms, epileptic seizures in the puerperium subgroup of the RHRF (+) group and malignancies in the RHRF (-) group may accompany the CSVT. In daily practice, predicting these risks for the CSVT and early recognition of the symptoms will provide significant benefits to patients.

WOS: 000465130500010, PubMed: 29992235, Objective This study was performed to determine the rate of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) among cases of Behcet's disease (BD) included in a multicentre study of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (VENOST). Methods VENOST was a retrospective and prospective national multicentre observational study that included 1144 patients with CVST. The patients were classified according to aetiologic factors, time of CVST symptom onset, sinus involvement, treatment approach and prognosis. Results BD was shown to be a causative factor of CVST in 108 (9.4%) of 1144 patients. The mean age of patients in the BD group was 35.27 years and 68.5% were men, whereas in the non-BD CVST group, the mean age was 40.57 years and 28.3% were men (P < 0.001). Among the aetiologic factors for patients aged 18-36 years, BD was predominant for men, and puerperium was predominant for women. The onset of symptoms in the BD group was consistent with the subacute form. The transverse sinuses were the most common sites of thrombosis, followed by the superior sagittal sinuses. The most common symptom was headache (96.2%), followed by visual field defects (38%). Conclusions BD was found in 9.4% of patients in our VENOST series. Patients with BD were younger and showed a male predominance. The functional outcome of CVST in patients with BD was good; only 12% of patients presenting with cranial nerve involvement and altered consciousness at the beginning had a poor outcome (modified Rankin Score 2).

Kozak, Hasan Huseyin/0000-0001-6904-8545; Sahin, Sevki/0000-0003-2016-9965; Batur Caglayan, Hale/0000-0002-3279-1842; GUNES, TASKIN/0000-0002-9343-0573; Afsar, Nazire/0000-0001-8123-8560; Uzuner, Nevzat/0000-0002-4961-4332 WOS: 000498868800011 PubMed: 31562041 Aim: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an unusual risk factor for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). As few CVST patients with SLE have been reported, little is known regarding its frequency as an underlying etiology, clinical characteristics, or long-term outcome. We evaluated a large cohort of CVST patients with SLE in a multicenter study of cerebral venous thrombosis, the VENOST study, and their clinical characteristics. Material and Method: Among the 1144 CVST patients in the VENOST cohort, patients diagnosed with SLE were studied. Their demographic and clinical characteristics, etiological risk factors, venous involvement status, and outcomes were recorded. Results: In total, 15 (1.31%) of 1144 CVST patients had SLE. The mean age of these patients was 39.9 +/- 12.1 years and 13 (86.7%) were female. Presenting symptoms included headache (73.3%), visual field defects (40.0%), and altered consciousness (26.7%). The main sinuses involved were the transverse (60.0%), sagittal (40.0%), and sigmoid (20.0%) sinuses. Parenchymal involvement was not seen in 73.3% of the patients. On the modified Rankin scale, 92.9% of the patients scored 0-1 at the 1-month follow-up and 90.9% scored 0-1 at the 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: SLE was found in 1.31% of the CVST patients, most frequently in young women. Headache was the most common symptom and the CVST onset was chronic in the majority of cases. The patient outcomes were favorable. CVST should be suspected in SLE patients, even in those with isolated chronic headache symptoms with or without other neurological findings.

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and headaches are common public health problems in whole world. The relationship between headaches and the MetS isn't understood clearly. Purpose - The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and types of headaches, and evaluate the relationship between headache characteristics and clinical and laboratory parameters analyzed in patients diagnosed with MetS.Of the patients diagnosed with MetS in Endocrinology outpatient clinics between July 2011 and July 2012, 202 patients were included in the study. Hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL cholesterol, thyroid function tests and HbA1c values of all patients were recorded. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were applied to all patients. The headache severity was assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS).The prevalence of headache in patients with MetS was found to be 61.4%. The incidence of headache was higher in female patients (F: 86.4%, M: 13.6%). The distribution of the subtypes of headaches was as follows: Episodic Tension-Type Headaches (ETTH) 24.8%, Episodic Migraine 14.4%, Chronic Tension-Type Headaches (CTTH) 11.3%, Episodic Tension-Type Headaches (ETTH) and Episodic Migraine 7.9%, and other types of headaches (Cervicogenic Headache and Cluster Headache) 3%. No statistically significant relationship was found between headache and non-headache groups in terms of body mass index, waist circumference, and the laboratory parameters (p0.05). The mean BDI and BAI scores were higher in the headache group (p0.001 and p0.001). No significant difference was found between the mean MIDAS scores in the subtypes of headaches (p=0.35). In the headache group, there was a significant relationship only between triglyceride levels and attack frequency, duration and severity.Prevalence of headache in patients with MetS was 61.4%. The incidence of subtypes of headaches was similar to those in the general population. A relationship was found between triglyceride levels and attack frequency and severity. The result may be important to draw attention to the evaluation of triglyceride levels for reducing the frequency and severity of attacks in patients with headaches.A metabolikus szindróma (MetS) és a különböző fejfájások gyakori egészszégügyi problémák szerte a világon. A köztük levő kapcsolat mind ez idáig nem tisztázott. Célkitűzés - A jelen tanulmány célja, hogy vizsgálja a különféle fejfájások prevalenciáját és megvizsgálja azok kapcsolatát a klinikai laboratóriumi paraméterekkel metabolikus szindrómában.A 2011 júniusa és 2012 júliusa között az endokrinológiai ambulancián diagnosztizált MetSbetegek közül 202 vett részt a vizsgálatban. Hemoglobin-, éhomi vércukor- (FBG-), összkoleszterin-, trigliceridértékek, HDL- és LDL-koleszterinek, pajzsmirigyteszt és HbA1c-értékek kerültek feljegyzésre mindenkiről. Beck depresszió kérdőív (BDI) és Beck szorongás kérdőív (BAI) felvétele is történt. A fejfájás súlyosságát Vizuális Analóg Skálával (VAS) nézték.A fejfájás prevalenciája a MetS-betegek körében 61,4% volt. A fejfájás incidenciája a nők körében magasabb volt (nők: 86,4%, férfiak: 13,6%). A fejfájás típusainak megoszlása az alábbi volt: epizodikus tenziós típusú fejfájás (ETTH) 24,8%, epizodikus migrén 14,4%, krónikus tenziós típusú fejfájás (CTTH) 11,3%, egyéb típusú fejfájás (cervicogenicus fejfájás és claster fejfájás) 3%. Statisztikai összefüggés nincsen az egyes fejfájásokkal küzdő és nem fejfájós csoport között a BMI, a derékkörfogat és laboratóriumi paraméterekre nézve (p0,05). Az átlag BDI- és BAI-eredmények magasabbak voltak a fejfájós csoportban (p0,001 és p0,001). Nincs szignifikáns különbség az átlag-MIDAS-értékek és a fejfájás típusai között (p=0,35). A fejfájással küzdő csoportban szignifikáns kapcsolat volt a trigliceridszintek és a fájdalom megjelenési gyakorisága, időtartama és súlyossága között.A fejfájás prevalenciája a MetS-betegek körében 61,4%. A különféle fejfájástípusok incidenciája hasonló volt az átlagpopulációhoz. Összefüggést találtunk a trigliceridszintek és a fájdalom megjelenésének gyakorisága és súlyossága között. Az eredmények felhívják a figyelmet az emelkedett trigliceridszintre, annak érdekében, hogy ezáltal csökkenteni lehessen a fejfájással küzdő betegek esetében a fájdalom gyakoriságát és intenzitását.

Background and purpose Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and headaches are common public health problems in whole world. The relationship between headaches and the MetS isn't understood clearly. Purpose - The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and types of headaches, and evaluate the relationship between headache characteristics and clinical and laboratory parameters analyzed in patients diagnosed with MetS. Methods Of the patients diagnosed with MetS in Endocrinology outpatient clinics between July 2011 and July 2012, 202 patients were included in the study. Hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL cholesterol, thyroid function tests and HbA1c values of all patients were recorded. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were applied to all patients. The headache severity was assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results The prevalence of headache in patients with MetS was found to be 61.4%. The incidence of headache was higher in female patients (F: 86.4%, M: 13.6%). The distribution of the subtypes of headaches was as follows: Episodic Tension-Type Headaches (ETTH) 24.8%, Episodic Migraine 14.4%, Chronic Tension-Type Headaches (CTTH) 11.3%, Episodic Tension-Type Headaches (ETTH) and Episodic Migraine 7.9%, and other types of headaches (Cervicogenic Headache and Cluster Headache) 3%. No statistically significant relationship was found between headache and non-headache groups in terms of body mass index, waist circumference, and the laboratory parameters (p>0.05). The mean BDI and BAI scores were higher in the headache group (p

WOS: 000407019200036, PubMed ID: 28583818, Background: Based on a number of small observational studies, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis has diverse clinical and imaging features, risk factors, and variable outcome. In a large, multicenter cerebral venous thrombosis (VENOST) study, we sought to more precisely characterize the clinical characteristics of Caucasian patients. Methods: All data for the VENOST study were collected between the years 2000 and 2015 from the clinical follow-up files. Clinical and radiological characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes were compared in terms of age and sex distribution. Results: Among 1144 patients 68% were women, and in older age group (>50 years) male patients were more prevalent (16.6% versus 27.8%). The most frequent symptoms were headache (89.4%) and visual field defects (28.9%) in men, and headache (86.1%) and epileptic seizures (26.8%) in women. Gynecological factors comprised the largest group in women, in particular puerperium (18.3%). Prothrombotic conditions (26.4%), mainly methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase mutation (6.3%) and Factor V Leiden mutation (5.1%), were the most common etiologies in both genders. 8.1% of patients had infection-associated and 5.2% had malignancy-related etiology that was significantly higher in men and older age group. Parenchymal involvement constitutively hemorrhagic infarcts, malignancy, and older age was associated with higher Rankin score. Epileptic seizures had no effect on prognosis. Conclusions: Clinical and radiological findings were consistent with previous larger studies but predisposing factors were different with a higher incidence of puerperium. Oral contraceptive use was not a prevalent risk factor in our cohort. Malignancy, older age, and hemorrhagic infarcts had worse outcome. (c) 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction This study investigated the frequency of forgetfulness in elderly individuals over 55 years of age and examined the association of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) with objective cognitive functions,, depression and other risk factors. Methods We recruited 405 patients over 55 years of age who were referred to Neurology, Cardiology, or Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation outpatient clinics. All subjects were questioned regarding forgetfulness and then were administered the Subjective Memory Complaint (SMC) Scale, Mini Mental Test (MMT), Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Subjects with SMC were compared with those without SMC in terms of cognition, depression and some laboratory parameters. Results Of the patients, 42.5% complained of forgetfulness. None of these patients had been admitted to hospital for this complaint. Women and patients with low education had more forgetfulness as well as poorer results on the SMC Scale, MMT, VFT, and GDS. Patients with SMC had lower hemoglobin, ferritin and free T4 levels. Female gender and depression was found to be a risk factor for SMCs. Conclusion SMCs are common in people over 55 years of age. Being a woman as well as depression was found to be a risk factor for SMC. Since depression is a treatable condition, these people should be assessed carefully in terms of depressive symptoms. Laboratory parameters, such as hemoglobin, ferritin and free T4 levels should be investigated in patients with SMC. Unlike the other cognitive tests, CDT performance is independent of subjective memory complaints. Elderly patients rarely visit hospital with complaint of SMC, therefore, clinicians should be watchful for this problem.

Behcet's disease, a systemic vasculitis, can cause varying degrees of activity limitation, fatigue and quality of life impairment. To date, there have been no studies regarding sleep disturbance and its relationship with fatigue and life quality in Behcet's disease. We aimed to evaluate sleep disorders and polysomnographic parameters, and to determine their relationship with fatigue and quality of life in Behcet's disease. Fifty-one patients with Behcet's disease without any neurological involvement were interviewed regarding sleep disorders. Twenty-one subjects with no sleep complaints were included as the control group. Sleep-related complaints were evaluated in a face-to-face interview. Sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, depression, anxiety, disease activity/severity, and quality of life questionnaires and an overnight polysomnography were performed. Prevalences of restless legs syndrome (35.3%) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with/without other sleep disorders (32.5%) were higher than in the control group and the general population. Fatigue was higher in patients with restless legs syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and in those with lower minimum oxygen saturation; hence, only patients with restless legs syndrome had quality of life impairment. Sleep efficiency index and sleep continuity index were lower, and wake after sleep onset, respiratory disturbance index and apnea-hypopnea index were higher than in controls (P < 0.01). Neither sleep disorders nor polysomnographic parameters were related to disease activity and severity. In conclusion, it is important to question sleep disorder followed by a polysomnography, if necessary, in order to improve quality of life and fatigue in Behcet's disease.

Amaç: Tipik antipsikotikler ve klozapin EEG anormalliklerine ve epileptik nöbetlere neden olabilir. Yeni kuşak antipsikotiklerin EEG üzerindeki etkileri çok fazla bilinmemektedir. Yapılan bu çalış- mada klozapin, ketiapin, risperidon ve olanzapin gibi atipik antipsikotikler, amisülpirid, aripiprazol, paliperidon gibi yeni diğer atipik antipsikotikler ve klorpromazin, haloperidol, zuklopentiksol, pimozid gibi tipik antipsikotiklerin EEG anormallikleri üzerine etkileri araştırılmıştır.Gereç ve Yöntemler: Şizofreni veya şizoaffektif bozukluk tanılı 102 hasta prospektif olarak de- ğerlendirilerek EEG’leri çekildi. Bunların 82’si atipik [klozapin (n:16), risperidon (n:20), ketiapin (n:10), olanzapin (n:14), diğer yeni atipik antipsikotikler (n:10)] ve tipik [haloperidol (n:5), klorpromazin (n:2), zuklopentiksol (n:3), pimozid (n:2)] antipsikotik kullanıyordu, 20’si ise ilaç kullanmıyordu. Bu üç alt grup; cinsiyet ve yaş uyumlu sağlıklı kontrol grubunun (n=29) EEG’leri ile karşılaştırıldı.Bulgular: Gruplar arasında demografik özellikler bakımından istatiksel olarak anlamlı fark saptanmadı. Hem ilaç kullanmayan hastaların hem de sağlıklı kontrollerin EEG’leri normaldi. Klozapin kullanan hastaların % 31,3’ünde (p < 0,05), ketiapin kullananların da %10’unda (p > 0,05) epileptik aktivite gözlendi. Epileptik aktivite dışındaki EEG anormallikleri tipik antipsikotik kullananların %58,3’ünde (p < 0,01), risperidon kullananlarında %35’inde (p < 0,01) saptandı. EEG ketiapin ve yeni atipik antipsikotik kullananların %80’inde normalken, tipik antipsikotik kullananların %33,3’ünde normaldi (p=0,012).Tartışma ve Sonuç: Burada klozapinin en epileptojen antipsikotik olduğunu ve tipik antipsikotiklerin EEG’yi en fazla bozduğunu bulduk. Ancak klozapin tedavisi alan psikotik hastalarda EEG bir gerekliliktir. Epilepsinin eklendiği psikotik hastalara yeni atipik antipsikotikler verilebilir, çünkü EEG üzerine en az istenmeyen etkiler bu ilaçlarla gözlenmiştir. Buna ilaveten antipsikotik ilaçlar ve epilepsi eşiği arasındaki kompleks ilişkileri açığa çıkarmak için daha fazla bilimsel araştırmaya ihtiyaç olduğunu da vurgulanmamız lazımdır., Aim: Typical antipsychotics and clozapine could cause EEG abnormalities and risk of epileptic seizures. Little is known about the effects of newer antipsychotics on EEG. The present study therefore examined the risk of EEG abnormalities associated with the use of atypical antipsychotics [clozapine, quetiapine, risperidone, olanzapine and new atypical antipsychotics (amisulpride, aripiprazole, paliperidone)] and of the typical antipsychotics (chlorpromazine, haloperidol, zuclopenthixol, pimozide).Materials and Methods: EEG patterns were prospectively investigated in 102 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders. While 82 out of the 102 patients were under atypical [clozapine (n=16), risperidone (n=20), quetiapine (n=10), olanzapine (n=14), and new atypical antipsychotics (n=10)] and typical [haloperidol (n=5), chlorpromazine (n=2), zuclopenthixol (n=3), pimozide (n=2)] antipsychotic treatment, 20 of them were not under any treatment. These three groups were compared with a sex- and aged- matched control group of healthy volunteers(n=29).Results: No statistically significant difference regarding demographic characteristics was found between the groups. Both the patients who were not on any medication and the healthy volunteers had normal EEG’s. Epileptic activity was observed in 31.3% of the patients under clozapine treatment (p0.05). EEG abnormalities other than epileptic activity were observed in 58.3% of the patients under typical antipsychotics (p

Background/aim: The myasthenia gravis-quality of life questionnaire 15 item (MG-QOL15) is a validated, short, and easy to use disease-specific quality of life (QOL) tool in myasthenia gravis. Other than Turkish, a lot of versions of the MG-QOL15 have been used in different languages in different cultures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to translate and construct a validated and adapted Turkish version of the MG-QOL15 [MG-QOL15(T)]. Materials and methods: After translation, back-translation, and comparison of the 2 English versions of the MG-QOL15, it was tested by 22 monolingual healthy individuals and then 23 patients with clinically stable MG. Afterwards, 11 voluntary patients out of these 23 patients were interviewed for a second time. During the second interview, the MG-QOL15(T) and the 36-item short-form health survey (Turkish version) were administered simultaneously. Results: The MG-QOL15(T) was found to have high internal consistency (1st and 2nd evaluation Cronbach’s alphas were 0.958 and 0.928, respectively), test–retest reliability, and concurrent validity. The MG-QOL15(T) was negatively correlated with physical functioning, general health, vitality, and social functioning domains and with the physical and mental composite scores of the SF-36. Conclusion: The MG-QOL15(T) is accepted to be a valid, reliable, valuable tool for measuring disease-specific QOL in Turkish patients with MG. Background/aim: The myasthenia gravis-quality of life questionnaire 15 item (MG-QOL15) is a validated, short, and easy to use disease-specific quality of life (QOL) tool in myasthenia gravis. Other than Turkish, a lot of versions of the MG-QOL15 have been used in different languages in different cultures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to translate and construct a validated and adapted Turkish version of the MG-QOL15 [MG-QOL15(T)]. Materials and methods: After translation, back-translation, and comparison of the 2 English versions of the MG-QOL15, it was tested by 22 monolingual healthy individuals and then 23 patients with clinically stable MG. Afterwards, 11 voluntary patients out of these 23 patients were interviewed for a second time. During the second interview, the MG-QOL15(T) and the 36-item short-form health survey (Turkish version) were administered simultaneously. Results: The MG-QOL15(T) was found to have high internal consistency (1st and 2nd evaluation Cronbach’s alphas were 0.958 and 0.928, respectively), test–retest reliability, and concurrent validity. The MG-QOL15(T) was negatively correlated with physical functioning, general health, vitality, and social functioning domains and with the physical and mental composite scores of the SF-36. Conclusion: The MG-QOL15(T) is accepted to be a valid, reliable, valuable tool for measuring disease-specific QOL in Turkish patients with MG.

Harlequin sign and harlequin syndrome, which are used interchangeably in the literature, are characterized by sudden onset of hemifacial sweating and flushing, induced by exercise and heat. Hemifacial sweating and flushing with normal ocular sympathetic innervation, known as harlequin syndrome, is rarely associated with tonic pupils, parasympathetic oculomotor lesion and pre- or postganglionic sudomotor sympathetic deficit. In the literature, hemifacial sweating and flushing in patients with apparently abnormal ocular sympathetic innervation has been defined as harlequin sign. To date, a few reports of excessive hemifacial sweating and flushing in structural lesion have been documented. Herein, we report five patients with excessive hemifacial sweating and flushing, two of whom had a syrinx. In presenting the patients, we have attempted to distinguish harlequin syndrome from harlequin sign. With this in mind, Case 1 can be described as harlequin syndrome resembling Ross syndrome, Case 2 as harlequin syndrome with normal ocular sympathetic innervation, Case 3 as harlequin sign with congenital Horner syndrome, Case 4 as harlequin sign with sympathetic and parasympathetic denervation sensitivity, and Case 5 as harlequin syndrome associated with occult sympathetic denervation sensitivity. These cases are discussed together with a review of the literature.

The aim of this study was to determine which variables should be the predictors for clinical outcome at discharge and sixth month after acute ischemic stroke. Methods– Two hundred and sixty-six consecutive patients, each with an acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease, were evaluated within 24 h of symptom onset. We divided our patients into two groups; 1 – Independent (Rankin scale RS ≤ 2) and, 2 – Dependent (RS>3) and death. Baseline characteristics, clinical variables, risk factors, infarct subtypes and radiologic parameters were analyzed. Results– Canadian Neurological Scale (CNS) on admission

WOS: 000294350400019, PubMed: 21935841, Soccer, one of the most popular sports worldwide among young men, can result in a wide range of orthopedic injuries. Although vascular injuries such as dissection occur rarely, they can cause significant mortality if left undiagnosed. We report herein a 31-year-old male who suffered a large middle cerebral artery infarction due to traumatic internal carotid artery dissection after a ball struck his head and neck. He recovered with mild neurologic deficit after decompressive surgery.

Objectives : Sudomotor efferent nerve fiber function was studied in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods : Bilateral median and ulnar sympathetic skin response (SSR) were recorded by sternal stimulation in 22 bilateral and 9 unilateral patients and compared with 21 healthy volunteers. Results : There was no significant difference between median and ulnar nerve SSR latency, amplitude or area. The median nerve SSR was not different from that of the controls. The median-to-ulnar ratios of SSR parameters were not different in patients and controls. However, the median-to-ulnar ratios of SSR amplitude and area were lower than normal in 3 out of 7 patients with normal nerve conduction whereas this abnormality was found in only 4 out of 46 patients with abnormal nerve conduction. Conclusions : Normal SSR results, even in patients with complaints related to sudomotor sympathetic dysfunction, indicate that the SSR does not seem to be a sensitive diagnostic method in CTS.

Carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) is an abnormal communication between cavernous sinus and carotid arterial system. Diagnosis depends on clinical manifestations and MRI findings and angiography. Clinical presentation of CCFs is characterized with chemosis, orbital bruit and pulsatile proptosis. Cranial nerve dysfunction and orbital pain might accompany these symptoms. Although spontaneous remission might occur, sometimes CCF might develop life threatening complications. Here in this case we presented a patient with CCF who afterwards developed bilateral thalamic infarct. Cerebral ischemia in CCF is a rare complication and CCF together with bilateral thalamic infarct has not been reported before.

WOS: 000320363800029, PubMed: 22661102, Non-parenchymal neuro-Behcet disease generally affects cerebral venous sinuses, whereas intracranial intracerebral arterial involvement has been rarely reported. But co-involvement of both intracranial intracerebral artery and venous vascular systems in a patient at the same time has not been mentioned before. To the best of our knowledge, this case involving a 25-year-old male with a 7-year history of Behcet disease is the first reported of this type of involvement. He developed occlusion of the basilar artery together with thrombosis of the left sigmoid sinus, distal internal jugular vein, and straight sinus. He was successfully treated with a combination of high-dose steroid and cyclophosphamide. Cranial magnetic resonance angiography demonstrated the resolution of these abnormalities.

The reasons of post-stroke infections are still incompletely understood. Bacterial translocation (BT), the passage of viable microbes across an even anatomically intact intestinal barrier, has been described in many critical illnesses. To date, it has not been studied as a source of infection in an animal stroke model. To address this, a permanent left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in rats was used. After 24, 48, and 72 hours (h), sham and experimental groups were sacrificed and samples were taken for BT. Similarity between bacteria detected in tissues (blood, mesenteric lymph node, liver, spleen, and lung) and intestinal microflora was shown with phenotypic methods and antibiotyping. Possible ileum tissue injuries were shown by histopathologic examination (including morphometric analysis). Although there was no bacterial proliferation in the sham groups, 55.5%, 45.4%, and 30% bacterial proliferation was detected in MCAO groups at postoperative hour 24, 48, and 72, respectively. In MCAO groups the bacterial proliferation in tissues and ileum tissue injury scores were higher over time compared to sham groups (p0.05). Our findings support the view that stroke, itself leads to mucosal damage and bacterial translocation (Tab. 5, Fig. 2, Ref. 27).

Homocysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, is an intermediate during the conversion of methionine to cysteine. Homocysteine can cause vascular injury and atherosclerotic plaque instability. In addition, homocysteine may be directly correlated with hyperlipidemia and lipoprotein(a) and inversely with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, the results regarding the association of homocysteine level with subtypes of stroke and traditional risk factors for stroke have been inconsistent, perhaps due to ethnic differences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of serum homocysteine levels in Turkish patients diagnosed with atherosclerotic stroke and those with cardioembolic stroke. We measured homocysteine levels, traditional risk factors for stroke (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and smoking) and lipoprotein(a) levels in 103 patients with large-vessel atherosclerotic stroke, 37 patients with cardioembolic stroke, and 37 controls with normal cranial magnetic resonance imaging. Only hypertension was found to be a risk factor in all patient groups (p = 0.001). Hyperhomocysteinemia (homocysteine level ? 15.90 µmol/L) was more common in patients with large-vessel atherosclerotic stroke and cardioembolic stroke (p = 0.0435 and p = 0.007, respectively); nevertheless, it was found to be a risk factor only in patients with cardioembolic stroke (p = 0.023; odds ratio (OR): 5.745). Furthermore, in the patients with large-vessel atherosclerotic stroke, hyperhomocysteinemia was positively correlated with the lipoprotein(a) level (r = 0.227, p = 0.035). In conclusion, hyperhomocysteinemia is common in patients with large-vessel atherosclerotic stroke and cardioembolic stroke. More importantly, hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor only for cardioembolic stroke in the Turkish population. © 2009 Tohoku University Medical Press.

Background and purpose: Stroke is a heterogeneous multifactorial disease. Hence, a large number of candidate genes are involved in stroke pathophysiology, such as blood pressure regulation and atherosclerosis. Although angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE I/D) polymorphism is considered to have a role in hypertension, coronary artery disease, and myocardial infarction, its relationship with cerebrovascular disease and hypertension in stroke in different ethnic populations is still inconsistent. Methods: ACE I/D polymorphism, detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was studied in 97 patients with large-vessel and 60 patients with small-vessel atherosclerotic stroke (44 asymptomatic, 16 symptomatic lacunes) and 85 healthy subjects with normal brain imaging. The demographic data, lipid profile and risk factors of patients and controls were obtained retrospectively. Results: ACE genotypes were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both patients and controls. Prevalences of DD, ID and II genotype were 41%, 40%, and 19%, respectively, in the stroke group. Differences in ACE I/D polymorphism distribution were statistically insignificant between the groups. This lack of association between stroke and ACE I/D polymorphism did not change in the presence of traditional risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and dyslipidemia). Although hypertension was significantly more common in the patient groups, ACE I/D polymorphism showed no effect on hypertension risk. This lack of association also did not change according to groups or in the presence of diabetes mellitus, male gender or smoking. Conclusion: ACE I/D polymorphism did not predict the risk of stroke or hypertension in our population living in the western Black Sea region of Turkey. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved., 106S235-SBAG-HD-158, Most of the controls were taken from another study sponsored by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (STRCT) (no. 106S235-SBAG-HD-158). Hence, we wish to thank STRCT.

Purpose: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system characterized by multiple areas of inflammation and demyelination in the white matter of the brain and spinal cord. MEFV gene, which is the main factor in familial Mediterranean fever, is an intracellular regulator of inflammation. This study was designed to determine if known mutations in pyrin domain of MEFV gene are involved in MS and associated with MS morbidity. Methods: Fifty-three patients with MS and 66 healthy subjects, who were all Turkish, were included in this study. Five pyrin gene mutations (E148Q, M680I, M694V, M694I and V726A) were detected in the patients and controls by using the PRONTO™ FMF Basic Kit according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results: Pyrin gene mutations were found in 20 of the 53 MS patients (38%) and in seven of the 66 healthy subjects (11%). The frequency of total pyrin domain mutations was significantly higher in the MS patients than in the healthy subjects (p < 0.0001). The frequencies of M694V, E148Q and V726A mutations were significantly higher in the patients than in the healthy subjects (p = 0.02, p = 0.013, p = 0.004 respectively). The mean time to reach EDSS score 3.0 was earlier in the patients with MEFV gene mutation (p = 0.02) and the relapse rate was slightly higher among the MS patients carrying MEFV gene mutation (p = 0.04). Conclusion: The results of this study supported the hypothesis that MS patients with MEFV mutation seem to have the susceptibility to develop a more progressive disease. Moreover, these data suggest that MEFV mutations may increase the risk of MS development. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background and purpose: Apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism is suggested to be a risk factor in stroke in some populations, either by affecting lipid parameters or independently. Its effect on lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is not known. The roles of apoE polymorphism and of high Lp(a) levels in atherosclerotic stroke (AS) in the Turkish population are unclear. Our aim was to investigate the relationship of apoE alleles and Lp(a) level with AS and the relationship of apoE alleles with Lp(a) and other lipid parameters. Methods: ApoE polymorphisms and lipid parameters were prospectively evaluated in 85 patients and 77 controls with normal brain imaging. Results: Only hypertension, diabetes mellitus, associated vascular diseases and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were found to be independent risk factors for stroke. However, in the presence of apoE/E4 allele, increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-chol), apolipoprotein B (apoB) and Lp(a) levels and in the presence of apo E/E3 allele, only Lp(a) levels were determined as risk factors. Conclusion: This study showed that while apoE polymorphism was not a risk factor itself, high Lp(a), LDL-chol and apoB were determined to be risk factors in E3 or E4 carriers. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[No abstract available]

A 24 year old patient with acute double vision and headache was admitted to our clinic. A diagnosis of orbital myositis was confirmed after magnetic resonance imaging and orbital echogram. No other clinical manifestations were observed on general examination. Since orbital myositis cases with only neurological symptoms and without typical visual impairment are not frequent, we decided to present this case.