The influence of retrobulbar adipose tissue volume upon intraocular pressure in obesity

Background/Aim. It is known that glaucoma is associated with elevated intraocular pressure and obesity, yet the precise etiology remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a potential causality between the volume of retrobulbar adipose tissue and the level of intraocular pressure in obese subjects compared with non-obese. Methods. A total of 100 subjects were divided according to the body mass index (BMI), into two groups: normal weight (n = 50, BMI = 18-24.9 kg/m2) and obese (n = 50, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) subjects. Anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis, measurement of intraocular pressure, as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head at the level of the optic nerve, and the derived retrobulbar adipose tissue volume, were undertaken in all subjects. Results. The obese subjects, as compared with normal weight ones, had a significantly higher mean retrobulbar adipose tissue volume (6.23 cm3 vs 4.85 cm3, p < 0.01) and intraocular pressure (15.96 mmHg vs 12.99 mmHg, p < 0.01). Furthermore, intraocular pressure correlated positively with retrobulbar adipose tissue volume. Conclusion. In obese people, elevated intraocular pressure may be caused by changes in ocular blood flow, affected by the physical pressure exerted by higher retrobulbar adiposity, and/or by internal vascular changes secondary to complications of obesity. These findings indicate the need for more frequent measurement of intraocular pressure in obese individuals to earlier detect glaucoma, and in so doing prevent irreversible blindness

The quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients under conservative treatment

Background/Aim. The quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients conditioned by their health status is a result of both their subjective perception of the disease and their objective health status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients under conservative treatment by means of generic and another lumbar syndrome specific questionnaires. Methods. A total of 50 patients (33 males, 17 females average age 46.1 years,) under conservative treatment in a hospital over four weeks were included in the study. They were interviewed using two questionnaires: the SF36 (Short form (36) Health Survey) generic questionnaire measuring eight domains of their quality of life summarized into two main ones (i.e. overall physical and overall mental health), and the lumbar syndrome specific North American Spine Society - Low Back Pain Outcome Instrument (NASS LBP), a questionnaire measuring four domains (functional limitations, motor and sensitive neurological symptoms, expectations from the treatment and satisfaction with it). Results. The values of physical health domain was low as 31.1 at the beginning of the treatment, were rising over the following six months and dropped insignificantly after four years (42.1/48.7 /47.0) The mental health values (47.2) did not alter as compared to that of the general population. A values of the quality of life stabilized within six months. The neurological symptoms domain did not correlate with other value scales and domains. Conclusion. The quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients was impaired only from its physical aspect, but after conservative treatment it improved over the following six months. After four years there is an insignificant drop of all quality of life values, indicating a need for a longer term monitoring of there patients

Ultrasound assessment of the effect of fetal position on supine to prone righting reflex in the guinea pig fetus

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of guinea pig fetal position on the righting reflex from a supine to prone position using ultrasound examination. Experimental and control group were formed, each encompassing 20 pregnant females with 50 fetuses from the 31st to 66th day of gestation. During ultrasound examination, the fetuses from the experimental group were brought into a supine position relative to gravity by placing the dams in the appropriate position. In the control group fetuses were examined for changes in position irrespective of gravity as well as for changes in position after having been brought into a prone position relative to gravity. Comparison of the experimental and the control group showed that experimental group fetuses in the oldest bracket rotated successfully to a prone position more frequently than at other ages. The observed fetal movements indicate that the fetus changes its position using the contact-righting reflex

Vitamin E-Bonded Membranes Do Not Influence Markers of Oxidative Stress in Hemodialysis Patients with Homozygous Glutathione Transferase M1 Gene Deletion

Background: Increased oxidative stress is a hallmark of end-stage renal disease. Hemodialysis (HD) patients lacking glutathione transferase M1 (GSTM1) enzyme activity exhibit enhanced oxidative DNA damage and higher mortality rate than those with active GSTM1 enzyme. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use the vitamin E-bonded membranes (VEM) in patients with homozygousGSTM1gene deletion, and we aimed to determine the effect of VEM on oxidative and inflammatory status in HD patients with homozygousGSTM1gene deletion. Methods:GSTM1genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 170 chronic HD patients. Those withGSTM1-nullgenotype were randomized and 80 were included in the study. Forty of them were dialyzed for three months with VEM, while the other forty were dialyzed with high-flux same-surface polysulfone dialyzers. Markers of protein and lipid oxidative damage and inflammation (thiol groups, malondialdehyde (MDA), Interleukin-6 (IL-6)), together with plasma antioxidant activity (glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were determined. Results: Seventy-five patients finished the study. There were no differences at baseline in markers of protein and lipid oxidative damage, inflammation and plasma antioxidant activity. After three months of therapy, GPX, MDA, and thiol groups increased significantly in both groups, but without statistical significance between groups. SOD and C reactive protein (CRP) did not change significantly during the three-month period. IL-6 increased in the control group, and at the same time, decreased in the VEM group, but without statistical significance. Hemoglobin (Hb) value, red blood cells, erythropoiesis resistance index (ERI), serum ferritin and iron did not change significantly within or between groups. Regarding other laboratory parameters, proteins, albumins, triglycerides, serum phosphorus, serum bicarbonate and Kt/V showed significant improvements within groups but with no significant difference between groups. Conclusions: Our data shows that therapy with VEM over three months had no benefit over standard polysulfone membrane in decreasing by-products of oxidative stress and inflammation in dialysis patients lacking GSTM1 enzyme activity

Comparison of the established definition criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome between overweight and obese children in Vojvodina

Background/Aim. Metabolic syndrome is a clinical term which encompasses obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, as well as an increased risk of the development of diabetes mellitus type 2 and cardiovascular disorders in early adulthood. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing and directly related to the obesity rate among children. The aim of the research was to compare the established definition of the criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome in a sample group consisting of overweight and obese children in Vojvodina. Methods. The research was performed as a cross study analysis of 206 examinees. In terms of the sample group (25% children and 75% adolescents), 74% were obese and 26% overweight according to the body mass index (BMI). Two sets of criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome were applied in the sample of adolescents: the criteria for adults, specifically adapted for children, and the criteria defined by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) for children and adolescents. The research included the analysis of the following criteria: BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, glycemia and insulinemia during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Results. By applying the specific criteria for diagnosing the metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents on the whole sample, it was established that the metabolic syndrome was present in 41% of the examinees, while the application of the criteria defined by the IDF confirmed the diagnosis in 22% of the examinees. An analysis of the metabolic syndrome risk factors established that among the defined specific criteria the most frequent factors present were elevated BMI and the pathological results of the OGTT, while the least frequent was low HDL cholesterol. Among the criteria listed by the IDF, the most frequent metabolic syndrome factors were waist circumference and increased blood pressure, while the least frequent was elevated fasting glucose. Conclusion. Metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese children in Vojvodina was diagnosed much more often when the specific criteria for children and adolescents were applied than it was the case when the criteria defined by the International Diabetes Federation were applied

Historical retrospective of the Neurophysiological Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad

Over the course of several decades at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, fundamental studies in the field of neurosciences were of great importance and were continually kept up-to-date with global scientific achievements. These studies were applied by using the stereotactic method, single-unit recording, and electroencephalography. The Laboratory of Neurophysiology was established in 1965 and since 1978 microelectrode and microiontophoretic techniques important for the registration and analysis of the activity of individual neurons were fully developed. Under the great influence of Russian neurophysiological school (P.K. Anokhin, K.V. Sudakov), the emphasis was on the study of Anokhin’s theory of functional systems. Recently, epilepsy, brain ischemia and the influence of different medications, auxiliary medicinal products, and physical agents (electromagnetic radiation) on the central nervous system, behaviour, learning and investigated pathological conditions have been studied. Scientific collaboration with renowned institutions in the country and abroad has been established, numerous scientific projects have been carried out, expert international meetings have been organized, and numerous significant studies have been published. These results have often been the basis for further clinical investigations and the improvement of preventive or curative treatment of patients. Researchers from the Laboratory participated in the education of new generations of neurophysiologists, encouraging their scientific curiosity and love for fascinating mechanisms of the nervous system

Effect of kinesitherapy on improving the functions of walking in patients with hemiparesis

Hemiparesis is a syndrome of brain damage leading to motor weakness of one half of the body accompanied by changes in sensibility , as well as speech and psychological and other changes in the patient. Medical gymnastics-kinesiotherapy (KTH) enhances sensory and motor recovery of the patient . The study was conducted on 148 patients (88 men and 60 women) aged 45-87 years who have been at the rehabilitation treatment in ZZFMR ,,Dr. M. Zotović' in Banja Luka. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of KTH in improving walking function in patients with hemiparesis. Measurements of functional ability Motoricity Index, and Test UP & Go were performed in all patients on admission and at the end kinesiotherapeutic treatment, which lasted an average of 4 weeks. We followed the effect of kth program and questioned the degree of recovery of patients with hemiparesis in relation to sex and age. For statistical analyzes, we used the median test and the Wilcoxon rank test. The research results have identified a statistically significant increase in recent side - the motor index at discharge in relation to the receipt of all observed parameters. Test UP & GO showed a statistically significant increase in the release of results in relation to the admission of patients except for patients females and older than 75 years