Objective: Inflammation in ischemic brain tissue is the primary factor contributing to the pathogenesis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study aimed to investigate the role of new inflammatory parameters-immature granulocyte count (IGc) and the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII)-in determining the presence of inflammation and the subtype, severity, and prognosis of AIS. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted using data from 124 patients with AIS and 126 healthy controls. The severity at stroke onset and the functional outcome after at least 3 months of followup were determined. Patients with AIS were subdivided into subgroups according to aetiology. The following haemogram parameters were compared between the AIS and control groups: haemogram volume (MPV), platelet count (PLT), PCT (plateletcrit), lymphocyte and neutrophil count, RDW-CV (red cell distribution width coefficient of variation), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), MPV/PLT ratio, PLT/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), WBC/MPV ratio (WMR), IGc and IG percentage (IG%), and SII values. Results: The parameters WBC, IGc, IG%, RDWCV, neutrophil count, NLR, WMR, and SII values were significantly higher in the AIS group than in the control group. We found significant correlations between high SII value and high clinical NIHSS scores at stroke onset, mRS obtained after at least a 3-month follow-up period. Conclusion: IGc and SII may be new parameters to evaluate the presence of inflammation in patients with AIS. A higher SII was associated with higher stroke severity, and it may be useful for predicting adverse clinical outcomes.

Objective: Recently, non-motor symptoms are increasingly recognized in patients with essential tremors.This study evaluates essential tremor (ET) patients' olfactory dysfunction, a notable non-motor symptom.Method: This study included 34 patients with ET and 25 healthy controls.Participants underwent nasal examinations and the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center (CCCRC) odor test. Results:The ET patients had significantly lower CCCRC odor total scores (p=0.044) and odor threshold scores than the control group (p=0.007).However, both groups had similar CCCRC odor discrimination scores (p>0.05).While not statistically significant, a positive correlation was observed between the tremor duration and odor scores (p>0.05). Conclusion:Our study demonstrates the impairment of olfactory functions in ET patients, reinforcing the notion of a neurodegenerative process.Further large-scale studies examining additional non-motor symptoms could provide deeper insights into the disease's pathogenesis.

Introduction: Vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH) is a common variation; however, its role in posterior circulation stroke (PCS) has not been fully elucidated. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between VAH and PCS with clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: Between January 2016 and June 2020, 178 patients with PCS who were hospitalized in the neurology department were included. The demographic characteristics, vascular risk factors, stroke patterns, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores of patients were recorded. Patients with VA diameter of <= 2.0 mm or 1:1.7 ratio difference in computed tomography angiography were included in the VAH group. Results: This study included 115 females and 63 males. The mean age of patients was 65.8 +/- 12 years. VAH was determined in 74 (41.6%) patients, whereas none in 104 patients (58.4%). No significant difference was determined in terms of gender and age in patients with and without VAH (p=0.310 and p=0.676, respectively). No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of vascular risk factors (p>0.05). Lacunar stroke pattern was less frequently found in patients with VAH (p=0.045). Other stroke patterns were similar in both groups (p>0.05). The NIHSS (p=0.01) and mRS (p=0.018) scores were significantly higher in patients with VAH than those without. Conclusion: The presence of VAH in PCS may adversely affect the clinical severity.

The role of the cerebellum on cognitive functions have been well-defined; however, the information related to the progress in time process is limited. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the cognitive function of patients with isolated cerebellar infarction in both the acute stage and the follow-up period. Twenty-three patients with isolated cerebellar infarction and 22 healthy control were examined through an extensive neuropsychological assessment battery. The patients were evaluated in the acute stage and at least six months after the stroke in the follow-up period. There were no significant differences between the patients and the controls regarding age (52.2 ± 7.0 and 54.9 ± 6.6, p = 0.184) and gender (Female/Male: 6/17 and 7/15, p = 0.672). There was no statistically significant difference between patients with right cerebellar infarction and left cerebellar infarction in terms of cognitive functions. Verbal fluency, attention, and verbal and non-verbal episodic memory scores were significantly lower in patient group in the acute stage when compared to the control group. When the follow-up evaluation was compared to acute stage, it was revealed that patients had recovered in all areas; however, less improvement was seen in word reading time. Our results support that lesions of the cerebellum affect cognitive functions in the acute stage. However, the improvement was demonstrated in all cognitive functions in the follow-up period.

Although different neuroanatomical structures and pathways are emphasized as possible explanations for essential tremor (ET), there is still an ongoing debate. This study aimed to assess the role of brainstem and reflex pathways with cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) in patients with ET. This prospective study included 34 patients with ET and 25 healthy controls. Cervical VEMP was performed in both groups and latencies, inter-peak latency intervals, peak-to-peak amplitudes and asymmetry ratios were recorded. There was statistically no significant difference between the groups in terms of age (38.9 +/- 14.9 years vs. 38.9 +/- 14.9 years, p = 0.673) and gender (female to male ratio: 14/11 vs. 20/14, p = 0.828). Right N1 latency and right N1-P1 interval were significantly longer in the patient group (p < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the duration of disease and the right N1-P1 interval (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the patient and control groups in terms of bilateral P1 latency, left N1 latency, left N1-P1 interval, and bilateral N1 and P1 amplitudes (p>0.05). Cervical VEMP may reveal the involvement of brainstem and associated reflex pathways in ET. (c) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Siringomyeli, spinal kord içinde kistik kavitasyonla karakterize progresif, nadir bir hastalıktır. Travma, sirinks gelişiminde önemli bir etyolojik nedendir. Bu yazıda, geç dönem nörolojik bulgularla başvuran bir post-travmatik siringomyeli olgusu sunulmuştur.

Syringomyelia is a rare and progressive disorder characterized by cystic cavitation within the spinal cord. Trauma is one of the important etiological causes for syringomyelia. In this article, we presented a patient with post-traumatic syringomyelia who applied with late period neurological findings.