[Multiple system atrophy]

The article presents a progressive neurodegenerative disease - multisystem atrophy, characterized by a combination of autonomic failure and various motor disorders, including parkinsonism and/or cerebellar ataxia; etiopathogenetic factors and variants of the clinical picture are described. We describe own clinical observation of a 59-old patient with cerebellar and bulbar syndromes, parkinsonism, pyramidal insufficiency, cognitive deficits, and autonomic dysfunction. The differential diagnosis included a whole range of neurodegenerative and hereditary diseases: Parkinson's disease, vascular parkinsonism, progressive supranuclear palsy, spinocerebellar ataxia, FXTAS, mitochondrial encephalopathies. The moderate severity of parkinsonism and the significant predominance of cerebellar symptoms and autonomic dysfunction make this clinical case difficult to diagnose. However, based on the life and disease history, clinical picture and research methods, a diagnosis of multiple system atrophy, cerebellar type (cerebellar, autonomic, bulbar syndrome, parkinsonism, pyramidal insufficiency and moderate cognitive impairment) was established. Differential search in such patients is a difficult task and includes a whole range of neurodegenerative and hereditary diseases due to the similarity of individual clinical and neuroimaging features and, unfortunately, the limited availability of molecular genetic diagnostic methods. However, earlier diagnosis is necessary to focus in time on the development of a personalized approach to the management of each such patient, taking into account the rate of symptoms development and steady progression, in order to ensure the longest possible survival time with an acceptable level of quality of life.

[Serum brain damage biomarkers as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in ischemic stroke]

OBJECTIVE

To study serum quantities of neuron specific enolase (NSE), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and NR2-antibodies (NR2-ab) in various cerebrovascular pathology and assess their value as a panel used as a diagnostic and predictive tool for stroke.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

NSE, GFAP and NR2-ab serum levels were measured twice for 84 patients with ischemic stroke (IS) and 8 patients with hemorrhagic stroke (HI), once for 8 patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA), 26 patients with chronic brain ischemia (CBI), 27 healthy volunteers (HV).

RESULTS

NSE and GFAP levels were significantly higher in IS than in CBI and HV patients, and NR2-ab levels in IS were higher than in TIA and lower than in HV. In patients with more pronounced neurological deficiency and less favorable functional outcome by day 10-14 of IS, the levels of NSE, GFAP and NR2-ab were higher. Sensitivity and specificity of biomarker panel was higher than with their separate application.

CONCLUSION

The NSE, GFAP and NR2-ab biomarkers have a diagnostic and predictive value for IS.

[Comparative analysis of clinical and neurophysiological indices in patients with multiple sclerosis and acute demyelinating polyneuropathy]

A comparison study of some clinical and neuropsychological indices in two demyelinating disorders--multiple sclerosis (17 patients, mean age 31.6 years) and inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (7 patients, mean age 49.5 years) was conducted, using electromyography with registration of impulse velocity conduction along the nerve and M-responses as well as of the parameters of movement units potentials. The data obtained suggest the presence of demyelinating lesions of central and peripheral nervous systems, namely, symptoms of axonal demyelinating polyneuropathy with the prevalence of demyelinating process, its dissemination and generalization, in both disorders.

[Efficacy of cytoflavin in spondylogenic radiculomyeloischemia]

The efficacy of cytoflavin in the treatment of 60 patients (39 women, 21 men, age 32-64 year) with spondylogenic cervical and lumbosacral radiculomyeloischemia due to degenerative dystrophic spinal lesions was studied in a randomized double-blind placebo controlled study according to GCP rules. During 10 days 40 patients received intravenous cytoflavin dropper injections once daily; 20 patients (control group) received 5% glucose solution as a placebo. Considerable improvement was observed in 70% patients with radiculomyeloischemia of cervical localization and in 65%--with radiculomyeloischemia of lumbosacral segments. In the control group, positive dynamics of neurologic symptoms was 25-30% lower. Cytoflavin significantly reduced cognitive disturbances, improved reparative processes both in the central and peripheral neurons, and may be recommended in ischemic neuronal spinal lesions.

[Diagnostic possibilities of neurophysiological methods in multiple sclerosis and acute demyelinating polyneuropathy]

Electromyographic diagnostical possibilities are not limited within a sphere of beiromusclers damages. It is widely spread for estimation of neuromotoric apparatus functional conditions with segmentary and oversegnebtary damages of spinal cord. In this connection an analysis of clinical and neurophysiological parameters of patients with demyelinisational damages of the nervoys system has been carried out.