Altered serum cytokines in patients with symptomatic disk herniation and depressive symptoms.

Purpose: An increasing number of studies have indicated the important role of cytokines in the development of depressive disturbances (DD). In medically ill patients, cytokines can provoked sickness behavior, the signs of which resemble DD. This results in alterations in behavior to limit energy expenditure and redirect it to cope with particular diseases.

Metalloproteinase-2 in failed back surgery syndrome caused by epidural fibrosis: can it play a role in persistent pain?

Purpose: Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) occurs in 10-40% of patients treated surgically due to disk herniation (DH). There are several factors that can cause a predisposition to FBSS, but the exact pathomechanism has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) activities in a homogeneous group of FBSS patients with epidural fibrosis in comparison to its activity in patients with surgically treated DH.

VAS and NRS, Same or Different? Are Visual Analog Scale Values and Numerical Rating Scale Equally Viable Tools for Assessing Patients after Microdiscectomy?

Objectives: To compare the viability of the numerical rating scale (NRS) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) as a pain assessment tools among a large cohort of patients who underwent microdiscectomy. . The pain intensity (PI) reduction is a parameter of surgical treatment efficacy.

Significance of the Diagnosis of Executive Functions in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive chronic disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Cognitive decline occurs rather rarely in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) compared to other types. The present study aimed to assess executive functions (EF) in relation to clinical and demographic variables in patients with RRMS.

IFN- Correlations with Pain Assessment, Radiological Findings, and Clinical Intercourse in Patient after Lumbar Microdiscectomy: Preliminary Study.

Objectives: We investigated the influence of pain decrease after lumbar microdiscectomy on the interferon gamma (IFN-) serum level in patients with lumbar disc herniations. The study challenges the mechanism of sciatica pain and the role of IFN- in radicular pain development. .

Clinical and biochemical predictors of late-outcome in patients after ischemic stroke.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate neurological scales, as well as biochemical and radiological parameters measured on day 10 after ischemic stroke (IS), according to their value as predictors of the long-term outcome.

Material And Methods: 45 patients were assessed according to the Barthel Index (BI) and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) on day 10, and according to Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3 months after the onset of IS. On day 10 of IS, the serum level of C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, D-dimers (DD), S100BB and Tau proteins was measured and the volume of ischemic focus assessed with the use of Computed Tomography (CT).

Pragmatic aspects of verbal communication in elderly people: A study of Polish seniors.

Background: Behavioural and neuropsychological studies on elderly populations concentrate on many aspects of cognitive functioning, but significantly less research concerns communication processes, including aspects of verbal communication skills, pragmatic issues that are important for performing social tasks at every age.

Aims: To characterize the variability in changes that occur with age in the domain of pragmatic aspects of verbal communication skills in a group of individuals aged > 65 years and to define their determinants.

Methods & Procedures: A group of 109 normally ageing individuals (aged 64.

The impact of changes in serum levels of metalloproteinase-2 and metalloproteinase-9 on pain perception in patients with disc herniation before and after surgery.

The aim of our research was to investigate the link between serum levels of metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9, and the degree of pain experienced before and 1 and 3 months after microdiscectomy in 70 patients with disc herniation (DH). The control group (group C) consisted of 70 healthy subjects and the DH group consisted of 70 patients with sciatica pain caused by lumbar DH. Before (DH0) and 1 and 3 months after surgery, the patients were assessed in terms of the following biochemical parameters: MMP-2, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2), MMP-2/TIMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and MMP-9/TIMP1, and the following clinical parameters: Numeric Rating Scale for the back (NRS-B) and the leg (NRS-L) and the Pain Rating Index (PRI) and Present Pain Intensity (PPI) of the McGill Pain Questionnaire.

The Elevated Serum Level of IFN- in Patients with Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Remains Unchanged after Spinal Cord Stimulation.

Objectives: We investigated the influence of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on IFN-, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-, IL-10, and TGF- serum levels in failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) patients. The study will try to give new insights into the mechanism of SCS action and the role of IFN- and other cytokines in neuropathic pain (NP) development.

Materials And Methods: Clinical and biochemical assessment was conducted in four groups of patients: consisted of 24 FBSS patients qualified to SCS therapy, included 17 patients who were one month after implantation, featured 12 patients who were 3 months after the implantation, and (the control group) with no NP.

Serum Level of Metalloproteinase-2 but not Metalloproteinase-9 Rises in Patients With Failed Back Surgery Syndrome After Spinal Cord Stimulation.

Objectives: The impact of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on serum levels of metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) was assessed in a group of patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). The study was to give new insights into the SCS mechanism of action and the role of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the development of NP.

Material And Methods: Clinical assessments were performed and biochemical markers were determined in two groups of patients: the control group (24 individuals) and the FBSS group (24 patients).

Worse Neurological State During Acute Ischemic Stroke is Associated with a Decrease in Serum Albumin Levels.

High serum albumin levels during ischemic stroke (IS) decrease the risk of a poor outcome. This study aimed to determine whether serum albumin levels within the first days after IS correlate with radiological and biochemical markers of brain tissue damage. Fifty-six IS patients were enrolled into the study.

Assessment of explicit and implicit linguistic impairments in patients with aphasia after resection of tumour of the left cerebral hemisphere. Preliminary results.

Background And Purpose: Classical definitions of aphasia des-cribe deficits of different language levels (syntactic, semantic, phonologic) hindering the ability to communicate. Recent studies indicate, however, that impairment of particular aspects of linguistic competencies in aphasia differs in severity. Contemporary approach to the aphasic symptoms presents them as disturbed access of linguistic representations to the awareness system.

[Selected aspects of social cognition in patient with total agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) and Arnold-Chiari desease--case study].

Aim: The goal of the research was a characteristic of emotional-social competencies and communicative abilities in a 16-years old patient with ACC and Arnold-Chiari disease and higher than average intelligence.

Method: RHLB-PL was applied.

Results: Total score in RHLB-PL suggested language and communication impairment.