Do We Know the Long-Term Effects of the Most Popular Traditional Swallow Maneuvers on the Submental Muscles?

Background: Various trainings focus on the submental muscles (SMs) for dysphagia rehabilitation because of their importance for swallowing safety and efficiency. According to the current literature, swallow-specific tasks may be optimal exercises for dysphagia. The effortful swallow (ES) and the Masako maneuver (MM) are the most commonly used swallow-specific tasks in the clinical settings for dysphagia for years, but long-term effects for these trainings is insufficient.

Infliximab-induced retrobulbar optic neuritis in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: To present a case with infliximab-induced retrobulbar optic neuritis.

Case Description: A 58-year-old woman presented to our clinic with a two-day history of blurred vision in her right eye. She had numerous uveitis attacks previously, and she was on infliximab treatment for ankylosing spondylitis.

Retrospective analysis of effectiveness of fingolimod in real life setting in Turkey (REFINE).

Background: During multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment different modes of action such as lateral (interferon beta to glatiramer acetate or glatiramer acetate to interferon beta) or vertical (interferon beta/glatiramer acetate to fingolimod) drug switch can be performed. This study aims to investigate the clinical effectiveness of switching from the first-line injectable disease modifying treatments (iDMTs) to fingolimod (FNG) compared to switching between first-line iDMTs.

Methods: This is a multicenter, observational and retrospective study of patients with relapsing-remitting MS who had lateral and vertical switch.

Surface electromyographic activity of submental muscles during different types of swallow-specific tasks: A comparative study.

Background: Repetitive performance of a motor task has been proposed to increase the ability to perform that motor task. Therefore, exercise training including swallow-specific task may be an optimal training to improve swallowing function.

Objectives: To determine the submental muscles activity during different types of swallow-specific tasks (effortful swallow, ES; tongue-hold swallow, THS; swallow with Kinesio taping, SwKT; and head extension swallowing exercise, HESE) compared to normal swallow (NS), and also compare these tasks within themselves.

The comparative effectiveness of fingolimod, natalizumab, and ocrelizumab in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Background: Fingolimod, natalizumab, and ocrelizumab are commonly used in the second-line treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). However, these have only been compared in observational studies, not in controlled trials, with limited and inconclusive results being reported. A comparison of their effect on relapse and disability in a real-world setting is therefore needed.

A Custom-made Pupillometer System for Characterizing Pupillary Light Response.

Objectives: This paper presents the design and construction of a viable pupillometer system and demonstrates its merits with extensive validation tests.

Materials And Methods: A web camera was modified by removing its infrared filter and mounted on a chin rest. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) operating at infrared and visible spectra were integrated to provide background and light stimulus, respectively.

Insomnia and dementia: is agomelatine treatment helpful? Case report and review of the literature.

The treatment of sleep disorders in Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be quite challenging in elderly patients because of drug side effects or interactions and comorbid local or systemic diseases. Here, we report a patient with AD, who was suffering from severe insomnia and depression. We ordered agomelatine for the treatment of insomnia in this patient, and it was quite helpful not only for insomnia but also for depression and for the cognitive symptoms related with dementia.

Evoked potentials and disability in multiple sclerosis: A different perspective to a neglected method.

Unlabelled: Evoked potentials and disability in multiple sclerosis: a different perspective to a neglected method.

Objective: Because evoked potentials (EP) are reflections of the functional integrity of sensory-motor systems, they are expected to reflect the abnormality in patients with disabilities and handicaps and also be in correlation with scales. This assumption was tested.

Diagnostic value of "dysphagia limit" for neurogenic dysphagia: 17 years of experience in 1278 adults.

Objective: Neurogenic dysphagia (ND) is a prevalent condition that accounts for significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. Screening and follow-up are critical for early diagnosis and management which can mitigate its complications and be cost-saving. The aims of this study are to provide a comprehensive investigation of the dysphagia limit (DL) in a large diverse cohort and to provide a longitudinal assessment of dysphagia in a subset of subjects.

Carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuropathy at the wrist: comorbid disease or not?

The aim of this study was to elucidate the possible association between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and ulnar neuropathy at the wrist because of the contradictory results of previous studies. Thus, a retrospective case-control study was arranged with an electromyographic database including patients between 2003 and 2009. Patients were selected according to initial diagnosis and the examiner's criteria, and data were plotted by computer.

Microscopic polyangiitis presenting with medullary infarct.

Microscopic polyangiitis is a small vessel vasculitis which is rarely associated with ischemic stroke. Cerebrovascular disease has rarely been reported in connection with this disease. It may cause fatal hemorrhage, hemorrhagic conversion and multiple lacunar infarcts.

The relationship between insulin resistance and hypercoagulability in acute ischemic stroke.

Aim: Insulin resistance has effects on the coagulation system, which is important in the acute phase of infarct. We examined the relationships between insulin resistance, hemostatic markers and stroke severity in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Methods: Protein C (PC), protein S (PS), fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor and antithrombin III (AT III) were studied in 75 acute ischemic stroke patients with and without insulin resistance.

Natural course and treatment efficacy: one-year observation in diabetic and idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome.

Our aims were to observe the effects of rehabilitation and surgery on idiopathic and diabetic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and compare them with the natural course of the disease. Forty-two patients aged 33 to 74 years with clinically diagnosed, electrophysiologically confirmed, and laboratory screened hands with CTS (46 idiopathic and 34 diabetic) were enrolled in the study. Improvement of symptom severity and functional status after treatment using the Boston questionnaire (scales), changes of nerve conduction parameters (NCPs), and correlations between NCP and Boston questionnaires were outcome measures.

Anorexia nervosa and Wernicke Korsakoff's syndrome: atypical presentation by acute psychosis.

A 16-year-old girl was admitted to the emergency department because of acute changes in mental state such as paranoid and nihilistic delusions, confabulations, and distortions of body schema perception. Her history was compatible with anorexia nervosa in that she had lost more than 17 kg in weight over one and a half years. Her body mass index was 14.

Hereditary thrombophilic factors in stroke due to cerebral infarct.

Background: The stroke is the third most common cause of all deaths. In new studies, the importance of hereditary thrombophilic factors on stroke is emphasized. The aim of this study is to determine the role of hereditary thrombophilic factors including factor V Leiden A1691G (FVL), prothrombin G20210A, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T gene mutations in patients with stroke because of cerebral infarct.

Oxidative stress in acute ischemic stroke.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in acute ischemic stroke pathogenesis. Free radical formation and subsequent oxidative damage may be a factor in stroke severity. Serum levels of nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were measured within the first 48 h of stroke in 70 patients.

Association of central pontin myelinolysis and extra-pontin myelinolysis in diabetic patient.

Central pontin myelinolysis and extra-pontin myelinolysis (CPM/EPM) implies the clinical picture after rapid recovery of hyponatremia or hyponatremia alone. SPM/EPM picture can occur without hyponatremia. Findings such as dysarthria, dysphagia, tetraparesia/plegy accompanies the clinical table.

Proximal femoral conductions in patients with lumbosacral radiculoplexus neuropathy.

Objectives: Lumbosacral radiculoplexus neuropathy (DLRPN) is a rare form of neuropathy observed in diabetic and rarely non-diabetic patients. Pathophysiology and lesion location are not clearly understood. Our aim was to analyze proximal and distal femoral conductions in patients with DLRPN.

The relationship between protein C, protein S and cytokines in acute ischemic stroke.

Objective: The role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of acute ischemic stroke is well known, but its association with the clinical picture is as yet unclear.

Material And Methods: In our study, we measured the serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) within the first 50 h of stroke in 60 acute stroke patients, and examined the association with the natural anticoagulants protein C and free protein S. We compared the results with a control group that consisted of 30 volunteers.

Epilepsy and seropositivity rates of Toxocara canis and Toxoplasma gondii.

Purpose: Increased seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara canis have been observed in epileptic patients. Our aim is to determine whether there is any relationship between these agents and epilepsy in our cryptogenic epilepsy group.

Material And Methods: We studied specific IgG antibodies against T.