Soluble CD40 ligand and prolactin levels in migraine patients during interictal period

The relationship of migraine with cardiovascular diseases has been clarified by many studies, and currently, migraine is suggested to be a systematic vasculopathy. Inflammation, thrombosis and impaired vascular reactivity are the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the vasculopathy. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between prolactin levels and subclinical atherosclerosis risk factors such as soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) in migraine patients during interictal period. Fifty female migraine patients and age-matched 25 female control cases were enrolled in the study. Migraine diagnosis was settled according to the ICHD-II diagnostic criteria. A questionnaire was completed about the existence of vascular risk factors. Serum samples were used to measure sCD40L, hsCRP and prolactin levels. No difference was found between the prolactin levels of the migraine patients and the controls. The sCD40L levels were significantly higher in migraine patients (p < 0.001). High-sensitivity CRP levels showed no difference between the groups. There was no correlation between prolactin, sCD40L, and hs-CRP levels in migraine patients. We consider that the migraine patients are prone to subclinical atherosclerosis, but this tendency is independent of prolactin levels

Latency of epileptic and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

Background Due to their semiological similarities, psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) can occasionally hardly be differentiated from epileptic seizures (ESs), and long-term video-electroencephalographic monitoring (VEM) is needed for the differential diagnosis

Factors affecting long-term prognosis in adult patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

Background and purpose – Among epileptic patients who are monitored using the video-electroencephalography monitoring (VEM) technique, in some patients a psychogenic non-epileptic seizure (PNES) can be identified as a definitive diagnosis. The longterm prognosis of these patients is not well known. In this study, we aimed to determine the factors that affect the prognosis of PNES. Methods – Forty-one PNES patients diagnosed using VEM between 2012 and 2022 were questioned about their PNES frequencies in the last 12 months. According to their semiological characteristics, PNES types were divided into motor and non-motor seizures. The effects of clinical characteristics (e.g. age, gender, marital status, education level and PNES type) on the prognoses were identified. Results – Twenty-one PNES patients (51.2%) had long-term seizure freedom after VEM. Thirteen of them (31.7%) entered the seizure-free period immediately after VEM, and the other eight (19.5%) continued suffering from PNES for several years and became seizure free in the last 12 months. In the poor-prognosis group, female cases showed worse prognoses than male cases. The prognoses of motor and non-motor PNES types did not show significant differences. Conclusion – This study showed that 51.2% of the PNES patients examined had long-term seizure freedom and that female patients had worse prognoses than male patients

The Evaluation of The Agreements of Different Epilepsy Classifications in Seizures Recorded With Video EEG Monitoring

Objective: The main purpose of the epilepsy classifications is to guide physicians to get the correct diagnosis and subsequently select the appropriate treatment. When using the daily classifications, the diagnosis and treatment of some patients sometimes remain unsatisfying, and video EEG monitoring (VEM) is the alternatively applied diagnostic tool in such patients. In the present study, the agreement of different classifications before and after short term VEM is investigated

Migraine in Metabolic Syndrome

Objectives: Recent studies suggest that insulin resistance is In ore common in patients with migraine. Insulin resistance underlies the pathogenesis of obesity, diabetes. and hypertension that are components of metabolic syndrome. As migraine is associated with an increased risk of vascular disorders, such as stroke. and migraine patients have higher diastolic blood pressure than healthy individuals, we aimed to investigate the I-year prevalence of migraine in metabolic syndrome

Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide Gene Polymorphism in Migraine Patients

Objective: Calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), which has a vasodilator effect, is held responsible for neurogenic inflammation and vasodilatation of the cranial vessels in migraine pathophysiology. In this study, we investigated the association between alpha CGRP gene polymorphism (CALCA T-692C) and migraine. Material and Methods: One hundred and thirty-four female migraineurs and 96 healthy female cases were enrolled in the study. The patient group was further subdivided into migraine with and without aura groups. The CALCA T-692C gene polymorphism was identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results: The genotype and allele frequencies of CALCA T-692C gene polymorphism did not differ between the migraine and control groups. Between the migraine with and without aura subgroups, there was no difference. No association was seen between the CALCA T-692C gene polymorphisms and migraine attack severity and frequency. Conclusion: Our study did not show any association between CALCA T-692C gene polymorphism and migraine

Calcitonin related polypeptide alpha gene polymorphisms according to plasma total homocysteine levels in ischemic stroke patients of Trakya Region

<p>The aim of this study was to determine the genotype distributions of calcitonin related polypeptide alpha (CALCA) gene polymorphisms according to the plasma total homocysteine levels in ischemic stroke patients and patient subtypes selected from Trakya Region. The study included 82 patients and 92 healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were used to determine the genotype distributions of CALCA gene polymorphisms. The plasma total homocysteine levels were measured by Immulite 2000XPi homocysteine kits. Significant differences were not found between the group of patients and the control group in terms of CALCA gene polymorphisms genotype distributions (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Significant differences were not found between ischemic stroke patients and healthy controls, in the patient subtypes with ischemic stroke in respect to the CALCA gene polymorphisms genotype distributions according to the plasma total homocysteine levels (<i>p</i> > 0.05). This suggests that the CALCA gene polymorphisms genotype distributions studied according to the plasma total homocysteine levels could not likely be considered a genetic risk factor for ischemic stroke development.</p

Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis in the Metropolitan Area of Edirne City, Turkey

Objective: The prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis may vary according to the influence of the altitude of a geographical area as well as the genetic and environmental factors. This study ained to determine the incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Edirne population