Neuromyelitis optica and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: The evaluation of 86 patients followed by Istanbul Bilim University, department of neurology

WOS: 000354258600097Background and objectives: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and its spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are relatively rare disorders. We aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics and disease course of the NMOSD patients followed at our department. Patients and methods: All the patients with the diagnosis of NMO/ NMOSD followed since the establishment of our multipl sclerosis clinic in April 2011, were evaluated. Results: There were 86 patients (66 female, 20 male) with NMO/ NMOSD followed at our MS unit; 24 had NMO, 42 had recurrent optic neuritis (RON); and 20 had longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM). The disease course was relapsing in 70 patients e296 Abstracts / Journal of the Neurological Sciences 357 (2015) e295–e323 (81%). The first attack was bilateral ON (BON) and TM in 3 patients, ON and TM in 1 patient, ON in 50 patients (bilateral in 6) and TM in 26 patients. NMO IgG was positive in 12 patients with NMO (55%), 4 patients with LETM (25%), and 8 patients with RON (25%). Oligoclonal band was positive in 15 out of 44 patients (34%). In NMO/NMOSD patients, cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no abnormality in 48; nonspecific lesions in 37; and 1 patient had hypothalamic lesion. In spinal MRIs, 41 patients had LETM; six had suspected hyperintense T2 lesion in C5. Conclusion: This is one of the largest single center series collected over 4 years. NMO/NMOSD seems to be over-represented in our center since it is one of the few where NMO IgG testing is available. In NMO/NMOSD, early diagnosis and treatment is important to prevent the patient from the permanent disability

Neuromyelitis optica and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: the evaluation of 86 patients followed by Istanbul Bilim University

Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting -- SEP 10-13, 2014 -- Boston, MAWOS: 000354441300815…ACTRIMSECTRIM

The effects of cognitive rehabilitation on relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients

İstanbul Bilim Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi.Introduction: The aims of this study were to determine the severity of cognitive impairment with Brief Repeatable Battery Neuropsychology (BRB-N) and to show the benefits of cognitive rehabilitation programs to develop coping strategies for the retardation of cognitive losses in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. Methods: The cognitive screening with BRB-N was performed in RRMS patients who had applied to the MS outpatient clinic of Bakırköy Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases Hospital, had an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score between 1.0 and 5.5, and had no other cognitive disease or used drugs that effected the cognitive status. Thirty two patients with cognitive impairment underwent consecutive computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation program once a week for 8 weeks conducted by psychologists. The effects of the program were evaluated with the tests repeated every 4 weeks.Amaç: Relaps ve remisyonla seyreden multipl skleroz (RRMS) olgularında Brief Repeatable Battery Neuropsychology (BRB-N) ile kognitif bozukluk şiddetinin belirlenerek, bilişsel kayıpların yavaşlatılması ve başa çıkma stratejileri geliştirilmesi için yürütülen kognitif rehabilitasyon programlarının faydalarının gösterilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: Bakırköy Ruh ve Sinir Hastalıkları Hastanesi MS polikliniğine başvuran RRMS tanısı almış, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 1,0-5,5 arasında, kognitif durumunu etkileyecek hastalığı ya da ilaç kullanımı olmayan hastalara BRB-N ile kognitif tarama yapılmıştır. Kognitif bozukluk saptanan 32 hasta, ardışık 8 hafta süresince haftada 1 kez psikolog eşliğinde bilgisayar destekli kognitif rehabilitasyon programına alınmış; 4 hafta arayla tekrarlanan testlerle kognitif rehabilitasyon programının etkileri değerlendirilmiştir

Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings of HIV-Negative patients with neurosyphilis

There have been no serial studies about neuroradiological findings of neurosyphilis in the literature. There have been only case reports concerning HIV negative patients with neurosyphilis. We present 8 HIV negative neurosyphilis patients two of whom are women. The mean age of the patients was 48 years±12.37. Five of the 8 patients had general paresis, two optic atrophy and one multiple cranial neuropathies. The CSF findings were quite similar in 6 of 8 patients. In half of the patients cranial MRI showed mild cerebral atrophy. Nonspecific hyperintense small foci in 3 patients are thought to be related to syphilis. Hyperintensity involving bilateral medial and anterior temporal regions more prominent on the left side was seen in one of the patients with general paresis. This finding may be due to cytotoxic edema associated with status epilepticus and may mimic herpes simplex and other limbic encephalitides. Though not typical, certain MRI findings guides for the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. © 2007 Steinkopff Verlag