The prognostic value of retinal vessel analysis in primary open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose: To analyse a prognostic value of initial retinal vessel flicker response for the 3-year development of functional (visual field) and morphological (nerve fibre layer thickness) damage progression in primary open-angle glaucoma patients.

Patients And Methods: Initially, 70 patients were recruited, and flicker response was measured by standardized procedure with the retinal vessel analyser (RVA). Ocular coherence tomography of retinal nerve fibre layer (OCT RNFL) and a visual field testing were performed at beginning and every 6 months for 3 years; 56 patients completed the study.

Cognitive dysfunction after on-pump operations: neuropsychological characteristics and optimal core battery of tests.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a mild form of perioperative ischemic brain injury, which emerges as memory decline, decreased attention, and decreased concentration during several months, or even years, after surgery. Here we present results of our three neuropsychological studies, which overall included 145 patients after on-pump operations. We found that the auditory memory span test (digit span) was more effective as a tool for registration of POCD, in comparison with the word-list learning and story-learning tests.

[Influence of cytoflavin on symptoms of asthenia, emotional disorders and autonomic regulation in patients with organic asthenic disorder].

The present observational study addressed effects of cytoflavine on symptoms of asthenia and emotional and autonomic regulation in patients with organic emotional-labile (asthenic) disorder (F06.6). Fifty one females and 49 males (mean age 36.

[Investigation of the effects of cytoflavin on symptoms of depression and autonomic dysfunction in patients with organic depressive disorder].

The present observational study addressed effects of cytoflavin as an adjunctive nootropic therapy in patients with organic depressive disorder (F06.36). 54 female and 46 male in-patients were included into the study.

Steroid myopathy in patients with chronic respiratory diseases.

Background: Corticosteroid-induced myopathy is a well known clinical entity, and experimental studies showed decreased rate of protein synthesis and increased rate of protein breakdown in muscles of chronically treated animals.

Objective: The present observational study was aimed to evaluate skeletal muscle functions in asthmatics and patients with other chronic respiratory diseases treated by inhaled or oral corticosteroids.

Methods: Thirty six patients with respiratory diseases were included into the study.

[Analysis of retinal vein motion in glaucoma patients].

Background: Analysis of retinal vein amplitude in eyes of glaucoma patients.

Patients And Methods: Motion of retinal veins was captured by Retinal Vessel Analyzer in duration of 30 seconds. Inferotemporal vein segments of 500 micrometers length in the immediate vicinity of, as well as away from the optic disc were chosen.

Effect of ageing on the retinal vascular responsiveness to flicker light in glaucoma patients and in ocular hypertension.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of ageing on the retinal vascular responsiveness to flicker light in glaucoma and ocular hypertension (OHT).

Methods: Retinal vascular response to flicker was measured with the retinal vessel analyser in 56 healthy subjects (59 ± 9 years), 50 primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) (60 ± 10 years) and 46 OHT patients (62 ± 9 years). In the glaucoma group, the less damaged eye; in the OHT group, the eye with the higher intraocular pressure; and in healthy controls, one randomly selected eye was considered.

Retinal neurovascular coupling in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension and its association with the level of glaucomatous damage.

Purpose: To analyze neurovascular coupling in the retina of untreated primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT) patients.

Patients And Methods: Maximal vessel dilation in response to flicker light was analyzed with Retinal Vessel Analyzer (RVA) in temporal superior/inferior arterioles and veins in 51 POAG patients, 46 OHT and 59 control subjects. RVA parameters were compared between groups, between contralateral POAG eyes, and correlated to intraocular pressure, visual field mean defect and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness.

Neuropsychological Functions of μ- and δ-Opioid Systems.

Brain opioid innervation is involved in many pathophysiological processes related to drug addiction. The main idea of the present review is that μ-/δ-opioid innervation is an intrinsic component of the motor/approach behavior network, which is activated synergetically with dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic network. Contribution of opioid innervation to the motor/approach behavior processing includes generation of positive emotions and inhibition of pain and stress reactions in order that the individual would be able to reach the vital goal.

[Steroid-induced myopathy].

Physiological effects of glucocorticoids include the inhibition of protein synthesis and the increase in catabolic processes in muscles. Consequently, a long-term intake of steroids in high doses causes myopathy. Myopathic effects of glucocorticoids are observed during systemic as well as inhallatory use.

Function and morphology in macular retinoschisis associated with optic disc pit in a child before and after its spontaneous resolution.

Optic disc pit (ODP) is a rare congenital defect within the optic nerve head. Macula elevation associated with ODP develops in 75-93% of the adult patients. Macular involvement in children with optic disc pit is rare, and only a few cases have been published to date.

Association between risk factors and glaucomatous damage in untreated primary open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose: To analyze an association between the presumed risk factors for glaucoma and the actual extent of glaucomatous damage in untreated primary open-angle glaucoma.

Patients And Methods: In 50 untreated open-angle glaucoma patients, we analyzed an association between the level of glaucomatous damage and presumed glaucoma risk factors: mean untreated intraocular pressure (IOP) and short-term IOP variability, ocular pulse amplitude, corneal thickness, acral and corneal temperature, retinal arterial diameter and retinal venous diameter, choroidal blood flow (laser Doppler flowmetry flow, velocity, volume), heart rate, and ocular perfusion pressure. Morphologic damage (mean retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, measured by ocular coherence tomography) and functional damage (visual field mean defect) were evaluated separately in 2 forward-stepwise multiple regression models.

Dynamics of retinal vessel response to flicker light in glaucoma patients and ocular hypertensives.

Purpose: To analyze dynamics of retinal vessel dilation response to flicker light in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

Patients And Methods: Response to flicker light was measured in retinal vessels by means of Retinal Vessel Analyzer. After the baseline 50 seconds long diameter recording of inferior and superior temporal artery and vein, three flicker stimulations of 20 seconds duration was applied, with a 80 seconds break in between.

Choroidal blood flow response to isometric exercise in glaucoma patients and patients with ocular hypertension.

Purpose: To analyze submacular choroidal blood flow (ChBF) response to isometric exercise in untreated patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

Methods: ChBF was examined by means of confocal laser Doppler flowmetry during 5 minutes of baseline, during 90 seconds of isometric exercise with a Martin's vigorimeter and during 15 minutes of recovery. Values from one randomly chosen eye of 45 healthy subjects, the eye with more advanced damage in 45 primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients, and the eye with higher native intraocular pressure in 45 patients with ocular hypertension (OHT) were acquired, and parameters of ChBF as well as blood pressure response were analyzed.

Electroencephalography as a tool for assessment of brain ischemic alterations after open heart operations.

Cardiac surgery is commonly associated with brain ischemia. Few studies addressed brain electric activity changes after on-pump operations. Eyes closed EEG was performed in 22 patients (mean age: 45.

Relationship between peripheral blood flow in extremities and choroidal circulation.

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between subjectively estimated and objectively measured finger temperature on the one, and choroidal blood flow on the other side.

Patients And Methods: We measured submacular choroidal blood flow (CBF) in 73 healthy subjects. Based on the history of cold hands and feet, they were divided in three groups, reporting "never", "sometimes" and "always" having cold extremities.

[Changes of spectral EEG parameters in normals at two week follow-up].

Computer EEG is commonly used in longitudinal clinical studies though physiological changes of electrical brain activity during repeated EEG recordings are poorly known. Resting eyes-closed EEG was recorded twice in two weeks in 14 healthy subjects (13 women, aged 25-69 years). At follow-up, the significant decrease of alpha and theta-2 power, along with changes of alpha-1 and alpha-2 mean frequencies in the right hemisphere, was observed.

Size of left cardiac chambers correlates with cerebral microembolic load in open heart operations.

Background. Microemboli are a widely recognized etiological factor of cerebral complications in cardiac surgery patients. The present study was aimed to determine if size of left cardiac chambers relates to cerebral microembolic load in open heart operations.

[Involvement of lacrimal organs in Wegener's granulomatosis].

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a primary systemic vasculitis characterized by the development of granulomatous inflammation and necrotizing vasculitis of small- and middle-sized vessels. The clinical symptoms of the involvement of lacrimal organs in WG are of no specificity. Lacrimal tract lesion is encountered in prolonged Wegener's granulomatosis.

[Microemboli as a cause of postoperative deliria and cognitive disorders in surgical practice].

Analysis of contemporary clinical and experimental studies evidences that intraoperative microemboli considerably contribute to the development of postoperative deliria and cognitive disorders. A number of studies have shown that left temporal and occipital structures are especially vulnerable to intraoperative ischemia. It is important that neurological cases of ischemia of the former brain regions are frequently characterized by transient psychoses and hypomnesia.