Effect of botulinum toxin on improving quality of life in patients with chronic migraine

Introduction and purpose: Migraine is a chronic condition affecting up to 10% of the adult population in Poland. Migraine pain is severe and may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting, as well as hypersensitivity to light, sounds or smells. Chronic form of migraine means the occurrence of headache a minimum of 15 days per month, for a period of at least three months, of which eight days or more of pain meet the criteria for migraine pain. The chronic form of migraine is targeted for treatment with botulinum toxin, a neurotoxin secreted by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Brief description of the state of knowledge: The pathogenesis of migraine is still unknown. There are many hypotheses explaining the origin of migraine pain, of which the most plausible seems to be the theory involving the trigeminal nerve system, as well as trigger points in the head and neck area. Their activation leads to the triggering of pain. Botulinum toxin has been used to treat migraine for several years. The only registered drug is Botox, the effectiveness of which has been confirmed in clinical studies. The preparation is administered by injection into the muscles of the head and neck region in cycles with an interval of 12 weeks. Botulinum toxin works by blocking the release of inflammatory and pain mediators from the trigeminal nerve endings. Summary: Chronic migraine refers to the occurrence of headache for more than half of the month, which significantly reduces the quality of life of people worldwide. Migraine headaches often refractory to pharmacological treatment may respond well to botulinum toxin type A. Therapy should be under the supervision of a neurologist, who will familiarise the patient with the expected effects of botulinum toxin treatment before starting treatment

Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy as a significant social problem in modern neurology

Along with the increasing number of reported cases, multiple sclerosis, one of the main causes of disability among young adults, is nowadays an increasingly common health problem. Considering the fact that it occurs mainly between 20 and 40 years and affects women more often, the question of the impact of the disease on pregnancy becomes obvious. In view of the wide selection of drugs for various purposes and often highly individualized forms of therapy, it seems also important to determine the safety profile of these agents in relation to the health of the pregnant woman and the fetus. All of this is a significant challenge for neurologists and obstetricians and is the subject of many research and studies. The awareness of society, especially women, in the face of the growing problem seems to be equally important. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge on these issues

Colloidal topological insulators

Topological insulators insulate in the bulk but exhibit robust conducting edge states protected by the topology of the bulk material. Here, we design a colloidal topological insulator and demonstrate experimentally the occurrence of edge states in a classical particle system. Magnetic colloidal particles travel along the edge of two distinct magnetic lattices. We drive the colloids with a uniform external magnetic field that performs a topologically non-trivial modulation loop. The loop induces closed orbits in the bulk of the magnetic lattices. At the edge, where both lattices merge, the colloids perform skipping orbits trajectories and hence edge-transport. We also observe paramagnetic and diamagnetic colloids moving in opposite directions along the edge between two inverted patterns; the analogue of a quantum spin Hall effect in topological insulators. We present a new, robust, and versatile way of transporting colloidal particles, enabling new pathways towards lab on a chip applications

Zapadalność i wskaźniki śmiertelności dla pierwszego w¿yciu udaru mózgu – porównanie dwóch warszawskich badań populacyjnych

Background and purpose According to official statistics, the stroke mortality rate has remained high in Eastern European countries for a few decades. It has been shown that also in Poland stroke mortality failed to decline in the period 1984 to 1992. Since that time, stroke management in our country has changed, especially in the cities, where stroke units have been developed. The aim of the present study was to compare incidence and case fatality rates, estimated on the basis of two prospective population-based studies performed in Warsaw in 1991/1992 and 2005. Material and methods Incidence rates and case fatality rates for the first-ever-in-a-lifetime stroke have been estimated on the basis of two population-based studies: the Warsaw Stroke Registry (population 182 649) conducted in 1991 and 1992, and the European Register of Stroke (population 120 186) – registration in 2005. In both studies data were standardized to the European population by the direct methods. Results Contrary to the incidence rates, which did not change significantly between 1991/1992 and 2005, 30-day and 1-year case fatality rates decreased significantly from 43% to 14.9% and from 59.7% to 33.1%, respectively. Conclusions Comparison of data from two population-based prospective stroke registries showed that stroke case fatality and mortality significantly decreased. This may be associated with the better management of patients in the acute phase of stroke and implementation of secondary prevention strategies for stroke.Wstęp i cel pracy Zgodnie z oficjalnymi statystykami, w Europie Wschodniej od kilku dziesięcioleci wskaźniki umieralności i śmiertelności z powodu udaru mózgu są bardzo wysokie. We wcześniejszych badaniach epidemiologicznych prowadzonych w Polsce w latach 1984–1992 nie stwierdzono spadku umieralności z powodu udaru. Od tamtego czasu istotnie zmieniła się jednak opieka nad chorymi na udar mózgu, szczególnie w miastach, gdzie stworzone zostały oddziały udarowe. Celem tej pracy jest porównanie wskaźników zapadalności i śmiertelności z powodu udaru mózgu na podstawie dwóch badań populacyjnych prowadzonych w Warszawie w latach 1991/1992 i 2005 r. Materiał i metody Na podstawie dwóch badań populacyjnych: Warszawskiego Rejestru Udarów (liczebność populacji – 182 649), prowadzonego w latach 1991/1992, i badania populacyjnego prowadzonego w ramach projektu European Registers of Stroke (liczebność populacji – 120 186) w roku 2005, porównywano wskaźniki zapadalności i śmiertelności z powodu pierwszego w życiu udaru mózgu. W obu badaniach wskaźniki standaryzowano do populacji europejskiej metodą bezpośrednią. Wyniki Wskaźniki zapadalności nie zmieniły się istotnie pomiędzy latami 1991–1992 a 2005 r., natomiast wskaźniki śmiertelności 30-dniowej i rocznej znamiennie zmniejszyły się odpowiednio z 43% do 14,9% i z 59,7% do 33,1%. Wnioski Porównanie danych z dwóch populacyjnych rejestrów pierwszego w życiu udaru mózgu pokazało wyraźne zmniejszenie wskaźników śmiertelności. Może to wynikać z poprawy opieki nad pacjentami z udarem mózgu w fazie ostrej, jak również z wdrażania zasad profilaktyki wtórnej udaru mózgu

Ocena częstości występowania zespołu Wolframa w populacji dzieci z cukrzycą

Introduction: Wolfram syndrome (WFS) is the most frequent syndromic form of monogenic diabetes coexisting with optic atrophy and many other disorders. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Wolfram syndrome among children with diabetes in Poland.Material and methods: These calculations were performed among Polish diabetic children, aged 0–18 years, from three administrative regions between January 2005 and December 2011. Epidemiological data was obtained by matching the results from the EURO-WABBPoland Project and the PolPeDiab Registry.Results: Throughout the study period, we confirmed genetic diagnosis of Wolfram syndrome in 13 patients from Poland. Three patients originated from the studied regions with complete epidemiological data on paediatric diabetes. The total number of patients with diagnosed diabetes in the study equalled 2,568 cases. The prevalence of Wolfram syndrome among Polish children with diabetes is 0.12% (95% Confidence Interval 0.04–0.34%).Conclusions: We estimate that Wolfram syndrome is 26 to 35 times less frequent than monogenic diabetes (MODY and neonatal diabetes) in the Polish paediatric population. (Endokrynol Pol 2014; 65 (4): 295–297)Wstęp: Zespół Wolframa (WFS) jest najczęstszą syndromiczną formą cukrzycy monogenowej, gdzie oprócz cukrzycy występuje zanik nerwów wzrokowych oraz wiele innych zaburzeń. Celem pracy była ocena częstości występowania zespołu Wolframa na tle innych rodzajów cukrzycy w populacji pediatrycznej.Materiał i metody: Ocena chorobowości została przeprowadzona wśród dzieci chorych na cukrzycę, pochodzących z trzech polskich województw (łódzkie, pomorskie i śląskie) w wieku 0–18 lat, w okresie czasu pomiędzy styczniem 2005 roku i grudniem 2011. Dane epidemiologiczne uzyskano poprzez połączenie danych pochodzących z Rejestru EURO-WABB dla Polski oraz Rejestru PolPeDiab.Wyniki: W badanym okresie czasu potwierdzono genetycznie rozpoznanie zespołu Wolframa u 13 pacjentów na terenie Polski. Do niniejszej analizy włączono 3 pacjentów z zespołem Wolframa pochodzących z badanego regionu. Całkowita liczba przypadków cukrzycy zdiagnozowanych w tym okresie czasu wyniosła 2568. Prewalencję zespołu Wolframa wśród pacjentów pediatrycznych z cukrzycą oszacowano na 0.12% (95% Przedział Ufności 0.04–0.34%).Wnioski: Oceniono, że zespół Wolframa występuje w polskiej populacji pediatrycznej 26- do 35-krotnie rzadziej niż pozostałe typy cukrzycy monogenowej (MODY i cukrzyca noworodkowa). (Endokrynol Pol 2014; 65 (4): 295–297

The role of hypothermia coordinator : a case of hypothermic cardiac arrest treated with ECMO

Darocha, Tomasz, Sylweriusz Kosinski, Maciej Moskwa, Anna Jarosz, Dorota Sobczyk, Robert Galazkowski, Marcin Slowik, and Rafal Drwila. The role of hypothermia coordinator: A case of hypothermic cardiac arrest treated with ECMO. High Alt Biol Med 16:352-355, 2015.—We present a description of emergency medical rescue procedures in a patient suffering from severe hypothermia who was found in the Babia Gora mountain range (Poland). After diagnosing the symptoms of II/III stage hypothermia according to the Swiss Staging System, the Mountain Rescue Service notified the coordinator from the Severe Accidental Hypothermia Center (CLHG) Coordinator in Krakow and then kept in constant touch with him. In accordance with the protocol for managing such situations, the coordinator started the procedure for patients in severe hypothermia with the option of extracorporeal warming and secured access to a device for continuous mechanical chest compression. After reaching the hospital, extracorporeal warming with ECMO support in the arteriovenuous configuration was started. The total duration of circulatory arrest was 150 minutes. The rescue procedures were supervised by the coordinator, who was on 24-hour duty and was reached by means of an alarm phone. The task of the coordinator is to consult the management of hypothermia cases, use his knowledge and experience to help in the diagnosis and treatment. and if the need arises refer the patient for ECMO at CLHG. Good coordination, planning, predicting possible problems, and acting in accordance with the agreed procedures in the scheme, make it possible to shorten the time of reaching the destination hospital and implement effective treatment

Iron inactivation by Sporobolomyces ruberrimus and its potential role in plant metal stress protection : an in vitro study

The endophytic Basidiomycete Sporobolomyces ruberrimus protects its host Arabidopsis arenosa against metal toxicity. Plants inoculated with the fungus yielded more biomass and exhibited significantly fewer stress symptoms in medium mimicking mine dump conditions (medium supplemented with excess of Fe, Zn and Cd). Aside from fine-tuning plant metal homeostasis, the fungus was capable of precipitating Fe in the medium, most likely limiting host exposure to metal toxicity. The precipitated residue was identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) with energy dispersive X-Ray analysis (EDX/SAED) techniques. The performed analyses revealed that the fungus transforms iron into amorphous (oxy)hydroxides and phosphates and immobilizes them in the form of a precipitate changing Fe behaviour in the MSR medium. Moreover, the complexation of free Fe ions by fungi could be obtained by biomolecules such as lipids, proteins, or biosynthesized redox-active molecules