Retinal microvascular complexity as a putative biomarker of biological age: a pilot study.

Physiological changes associated with aging increase the risk for the development of age-related diseases. This increase is non-specific to the type of age-related disease, although each disease develops through a unique pathophysiologic mechanism. People who age at a faster rate develop age-related diseases earlier in their life. They have an older "biological age" compared to their "chronological age". Early detection of individuals with accelerated aging would allow timely intervention to postpone the onset of age-related diseases. This would increase their life expectancy and their length of good quality life. The goal of this study was to investigate whether retinal microvascular complexity could be used as a biomarker of biological age. Retinal images of 68 participants ages ranging from 19 to 82 years were collected in an observational cross-sectional study. Twenty of the old participants had age-related diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and/or Alzheimer's dementia. The rest of the participants were healthy. Retinal images were captured by a hand-held, non-mydriatic fundus camera and quantification of the microvascular complexity was performed by using Sholl's, box-counting fractal, and lacunarity analysis. In the healthy subjects, increasing chronological age was associated with lower retinal microvascular complexity measured by Sholl's analysis. Decreased box-counting fractal dimension was present in old patients, and this decrease was 2.1 times faster in participants who had age-related diseases (p = 0.047). Retinal microvascular complexity could be a promising new biomarker of biological age. The data from this study is the first of this kind collected in Montenegro. It is freely available for use.

VALIDATION OF THE BRIEF INTERNATIONAL COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (BICAMS) IN A LARGE COHORT OF RELAPSING-REMITTING MS PATIENTS.

Cognitive impairment is one of the most frequently reported symptoms in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) has been recommended as a standardized international screening and monitoring tool for brief cognitive assessment. The aim of our study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Serbian version of the BICAMS. A total of 500 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 69 age-, gender- and education-matched healthy control (HC) subjects were examined. All participants performed the BICAMS test battery, which includes the oral version of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), California Verbal Learning Test second edition (CVLT-II), and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Revised (BVMTR). A randomly selected subset of patients were retested one to three weeks after baseline. Statistically significant differences between patients and HCs were evident on the SDMT and BVMTR (p<0.001). HCs had higher CVLT-II scores but this difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.063). Cognitive impairment, defined as an abnormal test score on ≥1 subtest, was found in 62.9% of MS patients. There were statistically significant correlations between BICAMS scores and age, education, EDSS and disease duration in patient sample. Test-retest reliability was confirmed with Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.70 in all measures. This study supported the reliability and validity of the Serbian BICAMS, although the CVLT-II version tested here lacked sensitivity to detect MS compared to healthy volunteers.

Screening of dysphagia in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients in Montenegro.

OBJECTIVES: To perform screening of dysphagia in Montenegrin multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Dysphagia is often neglected problem in patients with MS. METHODS: We included 104 patients with relapsing-remitting MS who completed 3 questionnaires: dysphagia in multiple sclerosis (DYMUS), eating assessment tool-10 (EAT-10) and swallowing disturbance questionnaire (SDQ). Our study was performed in the clinic for neurology of the Clinical Center of Montenegro (Podgorica, Montenegro) and Polyclinic Neuron (Bijelo Polje, Montenegro) between November 2020 and December 2020. RESULTS: Self-reported prevalence of this symptom in our group was simmilar to previously reported results. We did not find correlation between DYMUS and expanded disability status scale (EDSS), as it was reported before. Time spent from disease onset to diagnosis is strongly correlated with reported SDQ results. The population of dysphagia-patients is statistically significantly older compared to the non-dysphagia patients, and statistically higher mean values in this population of our subjects were proven on all 3 questionnaires used. CONCLUSION: The importance of this issue is not just because it warns of potientially malnutrion in MS patients, but also important factor in therapy choosing algorithm in the era of orally used immunomodulatory drugs.

Plasma exchange in neurology patients-experience from single center in Montenegro.

INTRODUCTION: Plasma exchange (PE) is widely used in many immune-based neurological diseases. Our aim is to analyze characteristics of PE in neurological patients at the Clinical Center of Montenegro. METHODS: Our study involved neurological patients treated with PE between January 2020 and April 2022. RESULTS: In total, 246 PEs were performed in 43 patients. We divided patients into 4 groups according to indications. In 8/9 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients a decrease of Expanded Dysability Status Scale at least 0.5 was verified. In 14/20 Guillain Barre syndrome patients reduction of Hughes was observed. Four patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) were treated with PE. The most heterogeneous group (4) consisted of patients in whom the mechanism of disease development is assumed to be immune system dysregulation. Fourteen patients had any adverse event. CONCLUSION: Our results show that PE is widely used and safe in the treatment of neurological diseases.

Montenegrin Digital Academic Innovation Hub: Experience in Supporting Digital Health Innovations.

Montenegrin Digital Academic Innovation Hub established within Erasmus+ project DigNEST is essential institutional support for developing innovations in the field of health in academic-business cooperation and partnership. Experience of 18 months in running Hub service provides preliminary results in analysis received innovation ideas, provided support and potentials/capacities in medical informatics advancements at national, regional and global level.

Digital Entrepreneurial Nest: Supporting Digitization of Healthcare at National Level in Montenegro.

Health and health systems are not excluded from the influence of digitalization. In Montenegro, regarding the digitization process, when compared to other sectors, the health sector is lagging. In this poster presentation, we present an ambitious Erasmus+ DigN€ST project aimed on modernization of digitalization of healthcare system in Montenegro, as one of priority fields at national level.

Attitudes of patients with relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis using disease-modifying drugs in Montenegro regarding COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: In the days of the reorganization of healthcare systems due to SARS-Cov2 pandemic, patients suffering from chronic diseases are being often neglected. The aim of our study was to examine the attitudes and behaviors of patient suffering from relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis using disease-modifying drugs in Montenegro in relation to the current pandemic. METHODS: The research was conducted through an online-generated questionnaire during the peak of the pandemic. RESULTS: There is a high level of concern about COVID-19 (3.22±1.23), especially about safety behavior intensification (3.80±1.29). Possibility of relapse during pandemic was considered as moderate (2.06±1.42), but relapse symptoms would be reported by the majority of subjects (1.55±1.23). Our unemployed patients statistically more often reported that they had more frequent mood changes, but also that they felt more energy loss. Surprisingly, there was no difference among the subjects according to smoking status. According therapy groups there was significant difference between the groups regarding some variables: patients using ocrelizumab are most concerned about COVID-19; patients using interferon beta 1a i.m. statistically more often have frequent changes in their mood, memory problems, poor appetite, feeling of nausea or upset stomach and patients on fingolimod have bigger afraid of coming to regular visits. CONCLUSION: Our patients showed concern about their disease future status in the current epidemic era, but also showed a high degree of trust in physicians and the overall health system.

Model Driven Approach for Development of Person-Centred Care in Stroke Rehabilitation.

Person-centred care is known as a novel approach which contributes to wellbeing, prevention, care and support of patients. There is little evidence about practising PCC in stroke rehabilitation. In this paper, we develop a novel framework for creation of person-centred services for stroke rehabilitation which supports service configuration adapted to the requirements of each patient. The framework is elaborated over evidence from neurology department of Clinical Centre in Montenegro.

Reorganization of multiple sclerosis health care system in Clinical Centre of Montenegro during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 epidemic has brought a number of changes to health systems, including the provision of health services to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Work in the Clinic for Neurology of the Clinical Center of Montenegro (CN-CCM) with MS patients continued as much as possible during the epidemic. The administration of the already started disease-modifying therapy (DMT) continued, and the introduction of the new one was postponed until the moment when the epidemic started to slow down. During the epidemic period, plasmapheresis treatment was performed in CN-CCM without any complications. New ways of communications (special e-mail address and phone line) with MS patients during epidemic were realized. During epidemic, smaller number of relapses were reported compared to same period in 2019. There were not MS patients in Montenegro suffering from SARS-Cov2 virus infection.

The impact of betaplus program on patient treatment satisfaction with interferon beta-1b in multiple sclerosis: Multicentric cross-sectional survey in the western Balkan countries.

BACKGROUND: Long-term treatment adherence to disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) may have significant impact on clinical outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS). It has been recently emphasized that low treatment satisfaction (TS) may be an important factor for achieving high rates of treatment adherence. Interferon (IFN) beta-1b was the first DMD approved for the treatment of MS. The aims of our study were to assess TS in subjects with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS treated with IFN beta-1b in Serbia, Montenegro and the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), and additionally, to evaluate the impact of patient support program on TS and adherence. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey performed in order to examine TS and adherence with IFN beta-1b in seven MS centers across three countries (Serbia, Montenegro and B&H). Included in the study were 296 adult patients with RRMS treated with IFN beta-1b for at least 6 months. They were invited to complete the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM). Additional two treatment adherence questions were also asked. Patient support program (Betaplus®) was available exclusively for patients in Serbia and not for those in Montenegro and the Republika Srpska, B&H. In order to assess the potential impact of this program on TSQM, we combined two groups of patients from Montenegro and B&H and compared their results with those from patients in Serbia. Statistical analysis includes multivariable linear regression analysis in order to assess the differences between three MS patients groups in terms of the TSQM scores, adjusted for potential confounders. For the evaluation of the effects of Betaplus® program, multivariable logistic regression was used, controlling for the same confounding factors. RESULTS: Each of the TSQM summary scores in all three countries implicated high level of patients' satisfaction. There was statistically significant group difference on the Effectiveness summary score (p=0.001) and the Side effects summary score (p=0.006) between the group of subjects from Serbia and the combined group of subjects from Montenegro and B&H, in favor of the former cohort. There was statistically significant group difference neither on the Convenience summary score nor on the Overall satisfaction summary score. Results of adjusted logistic regression analysis based on the availability of patient support program (dependent variable) implicate that it had the most significant impact on the Effectiveness summary score (p=0.008). According to the correlation coefficients in the total patient cohort, all TSMQ summary scores except Effectiveness significantly correlated with the decreased adherence (Side effects: p=0.037; Convenience: p=0.016; Overall satisfaction: p=0.046). CONCLUSION: TS with IFN beta-1b was high in our MS patients. Additionally, these results have demonstrated that patient support program have significant impact on TS with IFN beta-1b in the Balkan cohort of RRMS patients.