The effect of sleep disorders on quality of life in patients with epilepsy: A multicenter study from Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate sleep disorders in patients with epilepsy (PWE) and to investigate the effects of sleep disorders on quality of life. METHODS: In our multicenter study conducted in Turkey, 1358 PWE were evaluated. The demographic and clinical data of the patients were recorded. The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-10 (QOLIE-10) were administered. RESULTS: The mean age of 1358 patients was 35.92 ±â€¯14.11 (range, 18-89) years. Seven hundred fifty-one (55.30 %) were women. Some 12.7 % of the patients had insomnia (ISI > 14), 9.6 % had excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS > 10), 46.5 % had poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5), and 354 patients (26.1 %) had depressive symptoms (BDI > 16). The mean QOLIE-10 score was 22.82 ±â€¯8.14 (10-48). Resistant epilepsy was evaluated as the parameter with the highest risk affecting quality of life Adjusted odds ratio (AOR = 3.714; 95 % confidence interval (CI): [2.440-5.652] < 0.001)). ISI (AOR = 1.184; 95 % CI: [1.128-1.243]; p < 0.001), ESS (AOR = 1.081; 95 % CI: [1.034-1.130]; p < 0.001), PSQI (AOR = 0.928; 95 % CI: [0.867 - 0.994]; p = 0.034), BDI (AOR = 1.106; 95 % CI: [1.084-1.129]; p < 0.001), epilepsy duration (AOR = 1.023; 95 % CI: [1.004-1.041]; p = 0.014), were determined as factors affecting quality of life. SIGNIFICANCE: Sleep disorders are common in PWE and impair their quality of life. Quality of life can be improved by controlling the factors that may cause sleep disorders such as good seizure control, avoiding polypharmacy, and correcting the underlying mood disorders in patients with epilepsy.

Assessment of orofacial dysfunction using the NOT-S method in a group of Turkish children with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVES: A healthy determination of orofacial findings of children with cerebral palsy is important as this will lead us to utilize perfect multidisciplinary therapies of orofacial dysfunctions (OFD). Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) is a comprehensive screening method of OFD which consists of a structured interview and clinical examination. The aim of our study was to evaluate the orofacial dysfunctions in a group of Turkish children with cerebral palsy using Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) and find out the factors associated with OFD comparatively with a healthy group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NOT-S was applied to 84 children aged 3-16 years. Forty-two children with cerebral palsy were included in the study group and 42 healthy children were randomly selected for the control group. Two trained and calibrated examiners who were experienced on NOT-S interview and examination of the validity and reliability of the Turkish version performed screening and interpreted the results. RESULTS: NOT-S interview and clinical examination subscale scores of children with cerebral palsy were higher and found to be statistically significant (Mann-Whitney U test; p < 0.001). The total scale score of the cerebral palsy group was also statistically significant (p < 0.001). The most common dysfunctions were in the facial expression area (55.9%) and in the chewing and swallowing area (52.4%) following in sensory function area (47.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that the NOT-S protocol was an effective and valuable tool for the comprehensive screening of orofacial dysfunctions in a group of Turkish children with cerebral palsy.

Potent anti-tumor response by targeting B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) in a mouse model of multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an aggressive incurable plasma cell malignancy with a median life expectancy of less than seven years. Antibody-based therapies have demonstrated substantial clinical benefit for patients with hematological malignancies, particular in B cell Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The lack of immunotherapies specifically targeting MM cells led us to develop a human-mouse chimeric antibody directed against the B cell maturation antigen (BCMA), which is almost exclusively expressed on plasma cells and multiple myeloma cells. The high affinity antibody blocks the binding of the native ligands APRIL and BAFF to BCMA. This finding is rationalized by the high resolution crystal structure of the Fab fragment in complex with the extracellular domain of BCMA. Most importantly, the antibody effectively depletes MM cells in vitro and in vivo and substantially prolongs tumor-free survival under therapeutic conditions in a xenograft mouse model. A BCMA-antibody-based therapy is therefore a promising option for the effective treatment of multiple myeloma and autoimmune diseases.