Validity and Reliability Study of Online Cognitive Tracking Software (BEYNEX).

Background: Detecting cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease early and tracking it over time is essential for individuals at risk of cognitive decline. Objective: This research aimed to validate the Beynex app's gamified assessment tests and the Beynex Performance Index (BPI) score, which monitor cognitive performance across seven categories, considering age and education data. Methods: Beynex test cut-off scores of participants (n = 91) were derived from the optimization function and compared to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. Validation and reliability analyses were carried out with data collected from an additional 214 participants. Results: Beynex categorization scores showed a moderate agreement with MoCA ratings (weighted Cohen's Kappa = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.38-0.60). Calculated Cronbach's Alpha indicates good internal consistency. Test-retest reliability analysis using a linear regression line fitted to results yielded R∧2 of 0.65 with a 95% CI: 0.58, 0.71. Discussion: Beynex's ability to reliably detect and track cognitive impairment could significantly impact public health, early intervention strategies and improve patient outcomes.

Turkish adaptation, reliability, and validity of the detection test for language impairments in adults and the aged.

There is no quick, valid, and reliable screening tool in Turkish that can be used for screening language disorders associated with major neurocognitive disorders (MND). To fill this gap, we designed three distinct studies. In the first study, we adapted the Detection Test for Language Impairments in Adults and the Aged into the Turkish language (DTLA-Tr). In the second study, we collected data from 175 Turkish individuals to determine the normative data of the DTLA-Tr. In the last study, we investigated the psychometric properties of the DLTA-Tr by comparing 17 healthy individuals with 17 patients with Alzheimer's disease and determining its test-retest reliability. As a result of Study 1, the DTLA was adapted to the Turkish adult population. In Study 2, the normative data of the DTLA-Tr were provided. The results of this study indicated a positive correlation between educational level and DTLA-Tr total score. The results of Study 3 showed that the DTLA-Tr has high predictive validity and good test-retest reliability. The DTLA-Tr is a valid and reliable tool for assessing language abilities in both adults and the elderly. The findings of this study have significant implications for the evaluation of language in Turkish-speaking patients with MND.

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.

Validation and reliability study of the Turkish version of the everyday cognition - 12 (T- ECog) scale.

OBJECTIVE: Assessing the activities of daily living (ADL) is important in cognitive impairment. The everyday cognition scale includes 12 items (ECog-12). It evaluates complex ADLs and executive functions. This scale can differentiate healthy elderly people from patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as MCI from dementia patients. Our aim is to validate a Turkish version of ECog-12. METHODS: The study group consisted of 40 healthy elders, 40 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 40 patients with MCI. In addition to T-ECog-12, test - your memory- Turkish version (TYM-TR), Geriatric Dementia Scale (GDS), the Blessed orientation-memory-concentration (BOMC), and Katz ADL tests were administered to all participants for concurrent validity. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha test showed excellent internal consistency (0.93). When T-ECog-12 was compared to the other tests, strong positive correlations were found between the GDS and BOMC; in addition, strong negative correlations were found between Katz ADL and TYM-TR scale. ECog-12 was found to be sensitive in differentiating healthy individuals from individuals with dementia (AD and MCI) (Area under the curve [AUC]=0.82, Cl=0.74-0.89). It was found to have low sensitivity in discriminating between MCI and healthy individuals (AUC=0.52, Cl=0.42-0.63). CONCLUSION: T-ECog-12 was found to be reliable and valid for Turkish population. This scale is reliable and effective in diagnostic distinguishing healthy individuals from dementia.

Isolated Oral Mucosal Zoster With Facial Palsy: A Case Report.

Herpes zoster (HZ) is an infection characterized by the appearance of unilateral painful vesicular lesions on the skin and mucous membranes. Facial paralysis is one of the complications of HZ. The diagnosis of HZ can be easily missed when there is no lesion on the skin. We present a rare case with isolated oral mucosal lesions accompanied by facial palsy.

Effectiveness of motor-cognitive dual-task exercise via telerehabilitation in Alzheimer's disease: An online pilot randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: It is important to investigate the effectiveness of delivering the rehabilitation service using remote communication technologies, for conditions that face-to-face treatment is not possible. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of exercise treatment via home-based telerehabilitation (TR) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Twenty participants who were diagnosed as having the early-middle stage of AD were randomized into a TR group and control group. The TR group received real-time motor-cognitive dual-task exercise treatment via video conferencing, and the control group received no intervention for 6 weeks. The primary outcomes were Mini-Mental State Examination, Timed Up&Go Test, and the 5 Times Sit&Stand Test, and the secondary outcomes were One-leg Stance Test (OLST), Katz Activities of Daily Living Scale (Katz-ADL), Functional Independence Measure, Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form, Beck Anxiety Scale, Zarit Caregiver Burden Inventory (ZCBI) and the Warwick Edinburgh Well-being Scale. Outcomes were measured at baseline and post-treatment. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the mean change between the groups in favor of the TR group in all primary and secondary outcomes (p < .05), except for the ZCBI and OLST(p > .05). There was no significant difference in the comparison of the primary outcome measures between the groups in post-treatment results (p > .05); significant differences in all secondary outcome measures were observed in favor of the TR group (p < .05), except for the OLST, Katz-ADL, and ZCBI (p > .05). CONCLUSION: TR may provide a significant change in cognition and mobility, improve functional independence, and caregiver's well-being, and reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms in people with AD.

Decreased levels of cytokines implicate altered immune response in plasma of moderate-stage Alzheimer's disease patients.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. However, increasing evidence suggests that the pathogenesis of the disease is associated with peripheral inflammation. Here, we aimed to determine plasma concentrations of multiple cytokines and chemokines from moderate-stage AD and age-matched controls. Changes in a total of 20 cytokines and chemokines in plasma of moderate-stage AD were evaluated by using quantitative microarray. Six of them, namely MCP-1, MIP-1a, MIP-1b, MMP-9, RANTES, and VEGF, were found to be significantly reduced in moderate-stage AD patients (n = 25) in comparison to age-matched and non-demented controls (n = 25). However, GM-CSF, GRO-α/ß/γ, IFN- γ, IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-10, IL-12 p70, IL-13, IL-2, IL- 4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α showed no significant differences between the patient and control groups. On the contrary to previous early-stage AD studies that show increased plasma cytokine/chemokine levels, our results indicate that inflammatory plasma molecules are reduced in moderate-stage AD. This finding points out the reduced immune responsiveness, which is known to be directly correlated to the degree of AD.

Kappa/Lambda light-chain typing in Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss and cognitive impairment. The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease according to symptomatic events is still a puzzling task. Developing a biomarker-based, low-cost, and high-throughput test, readily applicable in clinical laboratories, dramatically impacts the rapid and reliable detection of the disease. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop an accurate, sensitive, and reliable screening tool for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, which can significantly reduce the cost and time of existing methods. METHODS: We have employed a MALDI-TOF-MS-based methodology combined with a microaffinity chromatography enrichment approach using affinity capture resins to determine serum kappa (κ) and lambda (λ) light chain levels in control and patients with AD. RESULTS: We observed a statistically significant difference in the kappa light chain over lambda light chain (κLC/λLC) ratios between patients with AD and controls (mean difference -0,409; % 95 CI:- 0.547 to -0.269; p<0.001). Our method demonstrated higher sensitivity (100.00%) and specificity (71.43%) for discrimination between AD and controls. CONCLUSION: We have developed a high-throughput screening test with a novel sample enrichment method for determining κLC/λLC ratios associated with AD diagnosis. Following further validation, we believe our test has the potential for clinical laboratories.

Neuropsychiatric Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparative Study of Total and Partial Lockdown.

Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related lockdown may have a negative effect on the neuropsychiatric status of Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases. In this study, it was aimed to find future implications by evaluating the neuropsychiatric conditions of AD cases during total and partial lockdown periods. Methods: It is a prospective, cross-sectional, and multicenter study that includes AD cases which have been followed for at least 1 year by outpatient clinics from different regions of Turkey. Sociodemographic data, comorbidities, mobility, existence of social interactions, clinical dementia rating (CDR) scale, and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI) for total and partial lockdown were questioned by the caregivers with the help of case files of the patients. Results: A total of 302 AD cases were enrolled to the study (mean age: 78±8 years, mean duration of education: 5.8±9 years). The total comorbidity ratio was found to be 84%, with the most frequent comorbidity being hypertension. The mean NPI score was 22.9±21 in total lockdown and 17.7±15 in partial lockdown, which is statistically significantly different. When lockdown periods were compared with the total scores of NPI scores according to gender, existence of social interactions, mobility, and comorbidities were found higher in the total lockdown than the partial lockdown. When switching from total lockdown to partial lockdown, the presence of comorbidities, mobility, and CDR were found to be factors that had a significant effect on NPI scores. In regression analysis, CDR score was found as the most effective parameter on the neuropsychiatric status of AD cases for both lockdown periods. Conclusion: When lockdown-related restrictions were reduced, the neuropsychological conditions of AD cases were significantly improved. Lockdown rules should be considered with these data in mind.

Effectiveness of home-based telerehabilitation in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: A randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has made it necessity that rehabilitation services are provided remotely to patients. These process required a transformation in healthcare. The aim of this study was investigate the effectiveness of the home-based online supervised exercise program in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the results of real-time supervised physical exercise telerehabilitation program in AD. METHOD: Eighteen subjects with early-middle stage of AD were randomised into 2 group as telerehabilitation group (TG; mean age: 77.7 ± 5.29 years; 7 Female, 3 Male) and control group (CG; mean age: 78.5 ± 7.07 years; 5 Female, 3 Male). Our primary outcome was Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), seconder outcomes were Timed Up&Go (TUG), One-leg Balance Test (OLBT), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS). The 6-week motor-cognitive dual-task exercise training was performed online and under the supervision of physiotherapist through videoconference. No physical or cognitive intervention was applied to the control group for 6 weeks. Subjects were assessed before and after the treatment. In statistical analysis, the change in the outcome scores was calculated (∆ = last measurement-first measurement), the difference between the groups was performed with the Mann Whitney-U Test in SPSS 22.0. Trial's protocol is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov under number NCT04606251. RESULT: There was a significant difference between TG and CG in favor of TG in MMSE, TUG, FIM and GDS (p<0,05); There was no significant difference between groups in OLBT (p>0,05). Statistical results have been showed in Table 1. No safety problem was observed during the treatment. All subjects were completed the study, there was a high adherence to treatment. CONCLUSION: Physical exercise treatment with telerehabilitation was feasible, safe and well-accepted by people with early-middle stage of AD. Online-supervised exercise program can improve cognitive function, functional mobility, independence and reduce depressive symptoms.

Demyelinating Disease of the Central Nervous System Concurrent With COVID-19.

Neurological diseases related to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) are increasingly reported. We report here three cases that presented with subtle neurologic findings manifesting within a range of 15 days to four months after their COVID-19 diagnoses. Magnetic resonance imaging showed acute multifocal periventricular and subcortical demyelinating lesions. Some of the lesions showed contrast enhancement and diffusion restriction. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) PCR was found in the cerebrospinal fluid of just one patient. All patients received intravenous methylprednisolone therapy. In this report, we aim to discuss the aspects of possible COVID-19-related demyelination that support a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM).

The Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Quality of Life in Chronic Neurological Diseases: The Results of a COVQoL-CND Study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and lockdown period may induce an impairment in quality of life (QoL), disruption in treatment (DIT), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in chronic neurological diseases (CNDs). To reach this information, a multicenter, cross-sectional study (COVQoL-CND) was planned. Parkinson's disease (PD), headache (HA), multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy (EP), polyneuropathy (PNP), and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) were selected as the CND. METHODS: The COVQoL-CND study includes demographic data, the World Health Organization Quality of Life short form (WHOQOL-BREF), and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) forms. RESULTS: The mean age of a total of 577 patients was 49 ± 17 (19-87 years), and the ratio of female/male was 352/225. The mean age of patients with PD, HA, MS, EP, PNP, and CVD were 65 ± 11, 39 ± 12, 38 ± 10, 47 ± 17, 61 ± 12, and 60 ± 15 years, respectively. The IES-R scores were found to be higher in the younger group, those with comorbid disease, contacted with CO-VID-19 patients, or diagnosed with COVID-19. In the group with a high IES-R score, the rate of DIT was found to be high. IES-R scores were negatively correlated with QoL. IES-R total scores were found highest in the CVD group and lowest in the PD group. The ratio of DIT was found highest in the PNP group and the lowest in the EP group. Contact with CO-VID-19 patients was high in the EP and HA group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the COVQoL-CND study showed that lockdown causes posttraumatic stress and deterioration in the QoL in CND.

Headache as the sole presenting symptom of cerebral venous sinuses thrombosis: Subgroup analysis of data from the VENOST study.

OBJECTIVES: Headache is the most common complaint in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and it may sometimes be the only symptom in these patients. This retrospective and prospective study was an investigation of any differences in terms of clinical risk factors, radiological findings, or prognosis in patients with CVST who presented with isolated headache (IH) and cases with other concomitant findings (non-isolated headache [NIH]). METHODS: A total of 1144 patients from a multicenter study of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (VENOST study) were enrolled in this research. The demographic, biochemical, clinical, and radiological aspects of 287 IH cases and 857 NIH cases were compared. RESULTS: There were twice as many women as men in the study group. In the IH group, when gender distribution was evaluated by age group, no statistically significant difference was found. The onset of headache was frequently subacute and chronic in the IH group, but an acute onset was more common in the NIH group. Other neurological findings were observed in 29% of the IH group during follow-up. A previous history of deep, cerebral, or other venous thromboembolism was less common in the IH group than in the NIH group. Transverse sinus involvement was greater in the IH group, whereas sagittal sinus involvement was greater in the NIH group. The presence of a plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) mutation was significantly greater in the IH group. CONCLUSION: IH and CVST should be kept in mind if a patient has subacute or chronic headache. PAI, which has an important role in thrombolytic events, may be a risk factor in CVST. Detailed hematological investigations should be considered. Additional studies are needed.

Assessment of Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage or Hemorrhagic Transformation in the VENOST Study.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST) may lead to cerebral edema and increased intracranial pressure; besides, ischemic or hemorrhagic lesions may develop. Intracerebral hemorrhages occur in approximately one-third of CVST patients. We assessed and compared the findings of the cerebral hemorrhage (CH) group and the CVST group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the VENOST study, medical records of 1,193 patients with CVST, aged over 18 years, were obtained from 35 national stroke centers. Demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, signs at the admission, radiological findings, etiologic factors, acute and maintenance treatment, and outcome results were reported. The number of involved sinuses or veins, localizations of thrombus, and lesions on CT and MRI scans were recorded. RESULTS: CH was detected in the brain imaging of 241 (21.1%) patients, as hemorrhagic infarction in 198 patients and intracerebral hemorrhage in 43 patients. Gynecologic causes comprised the largest percentage (41.7%) of etiology and risk factors in the CVST group. In the CH group, headache associated with other neurological symptoms was more frequent. These neurological symptoms were epileptic seizures (46.9%), nausea and/or vomiting (36.5%), altered consciousness (36.5%), and focal neurological deficits (33.6%). mRS was ≥3 in 23.1% of the patients in the CH group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: CVST, an important cause of stroke in the young, should be monitored closely if the patients have additional symptoms of headache, multiple sinus involvement, and CH. Older age and parenchymal lesion, either hemorrhagic infarction or intracerebral hemorrhage, imply poor outcome.

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis in Women: Subgroup Analysis of the VENOST Study.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) associated with reproductive health-related risk factors (RHRF) including pregnancy, puerperium, and oral contraceptive (OC) use can prevent severe neurological sequelae; thus, the symptoms must be documented in detail for each group. METHODS: Out of 1144 patients with CVST, a total of 777 women were enrolled from a multicenter for the study of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (VENOST). Demographic, biochemical, clinical, and radiological aspects were compared for 324 cases with RHRF and 453 cases without RHRF. RESULTS: The mean age of the RHRF (-) group (43.2 ± 13 years) was significantly higher than of the RHRF (+) group (34 ± 9 years). A previous history of deep venous thrombosis (3%), isolated cavernous sinus involvement (1%), cranial neuropathy (13%), comorbid malignancy (7%), and its disability scores after 12 months (9%) were significantly higher in the RHRF (-) group. The RHRF (+) group consisted of 44% cases of puerperium, 33% cases of OC users and 23% of pregnant women. The mean age was found to be higher in OC users (38 ± 9 years). A previous history of deep venous thrombosis was slightly higher in the pregnancy subgroup (4%). Epileptic seizures were more common in the puerperium group (44%). CONCLUSION: The results of our study indicate that the risk of CSVT increases parallel to age, OC use, and puerperium period. In addition, when considering the frequency of findings and symptoms, epileptic seizures in the puerperium subgroup of the RHRF (+) group and malignancies in the RHRF (-) group may accompany the CSVT. In daily practice, predicting these risks for the CSVT and early recognition of the symptoms will provide significant benefits to patients.

Effects of the online computerized cognitive training program BEYNEX on the cognitive tests of individuals with subjective cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease on rivastigmine therapy

Background/aim: Clinical trials conducted on the efficacy of computerized cognitive training (CCT) programs have not led to any important breakthroughs. CCT is a safe and inexpensive approach, but its efficacy in patients on rivastigmine therapy has not been evaluated. This study aims to compare effects of CCT and examines rivastigmine to determine whether CCT has any further contributions to make. Materials and methods: Sixty individuals with subjective memory complaint (SCI) and 60 individuals with early stage Alzheimer's dementia (AD) were subjected to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Cambridge Cognition (CANTAB tests: MOT, PRM, DMS, SWM, PAL, RTI), and Bayer-ADL. After screening patients who were diagnosed with AD, we started rivastigmine patch treatment (10 cm2 = 9.5 mg). The SCI and AD groups were randomly divided, and one each of the SCI and AD groups were accessed using BEYNEX, a web-based program. After a minimum of at least 1200 min of use, the diagnostic tests were repeated. Results: The AD groups' MoCA scores of the BEYNEX-practicing group demonstrated meaningfully increase, whereas they decreased in the control group, and the Bayer-ADL scores indicated improvement in ADL. The CANTAB tests both in SCI and AD and in groups using BEYNEX showed positive improvement in MOT, DMS, and PAL data. Conclusion: This study is a rare example that focuses on both groups with SCI and AD. The efficacy of CCT varies across cognitive domains and shows significant efficacy for AD but small improvements in cognitively healthy older adults. In future studies, integration with a smart learning algorithm may lead to interesting observations on which parameters are more sensitive to change under long-term use of CCT in a large number of subjects.

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis as a Rare Complication of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Subgroup Analysis of the VENOST Study.

AIM: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an unusual risk factor for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). As few CVST patients with SLE have been reported, little is known regarding its frequency as an underlying etiology, clinical characteristics, or long-term outcome. We evaluated a large cohort of CVST patients with SLE in a multicenter study of cerebral venous thrombosis, the VENOST study, and their clinical characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Among the 1144 CVST patients in the VENOST cohort, patients diagnosed with SLE were studied. Their demographic and clinical characteristics, etiological risk factors, venous involvement status, and outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: In total, 15 (1.31%) of 1144 CVST patients had SLE. The mean age of these patients was 39.9 ± 12.1 years and 13 (86.7%) were female. Presenting symptoms included headache (73.3%), visual field defects (40.0%), and altered consciousness (26.7%). The main sinuses involved were the transverse (60.0%), sagittal (40.0%), and sigmoid (20.0%) sinuses. Parenchymal involvement was not seen in 73.3% of the patients. On the modified Rankin scale, 92.9% of the patients scored 0-1 at the 1-month follow-up and 90.9% scored 0-1 at the 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: SLE was found in 1.31% of the CVST patients, most frequently in young women. Headache was the most common symptom and the CVST onset was chronic in the majority of cases. The patient outcomes were favorable. CVST should be suspected in SLE patients, even in those with isolated chronic headache symptoms with or without other neurological findings.

Validation and reliability study of the Turkish version of the Neuroquality of Life (Neuro-QoL)-Stigma Scale for neurological disorders

Background/aim: Stigma can be defined as a negative perception of chronically ill patients by their relatives or by society, or a similar self-perception by the patients themselves. We aimed to validate the Turkish version of the Neuroquality of Life (Neuro-QoL)-Stigma Scale for neurologic diseases. Materials and methods: Forms were filled out by a total of 152 randomized patients under regular follow-up in the outpatient clinic (29 polyneuropathy, 25 epilepsy, 23 stroke, 24 tension-type headache, 28 multiple sclerosis, 27 Parkinson disease). The forms consisted of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), WHOQOL-BREF quality of life scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale, and the Neuro-QoL-Stigma scale. Results: The internal consistency of the Neuro-QoL-Stigma scale showed Cronbach's α coefficients of 0.95 for all groups. The mean scores of the stigma scales were 33.42 ± 13.91 (min­max: 24­87). There were strong negative correlations between high stigma scores and GSE-T, MSPSS-T, and WHOQOL-BREF, and a positive correlation with the BDI and BAI. Conclusion: The Turkish version of Neuro-QoL-Stigma has satisfactory content validity and high internal consistency. Neuro-QoL-Stigma is suitable for understanding stigmatization in different neurological disorders in the Turkish population. The scale is available for use at http://www.healthmeasures.net/explore-measurement-systems/neuro-qol.

Behçet's disease as a causative factor of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: subgroup analysis of data from the VENOST study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine the rate of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) among cases of Behçet's disease (BD) included in a multicentre study of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (VENOST). METHODS: VENOST was a retrospective and prospective national multicentre observational study that included 1144 patients with CVST. The patients were classified according to aetiologic factors, time of CVST symptom onset, sinus involvement, treatment approach and prognosis. RESULTS: BD was shown to be a causative factor of CVST in 108 (9.4%) of 1144 patients. The mean age of patients in the BD group was 35.27 years and 68.5% were men, whereas in the non-BD CVST group, the mean age was 40.57 years and 28.3% were men (P < 0.001). Among the aetiologic factors for patients aged 18-36 years, BD was predominant for men, and puerperium was predominant for women. The onset of symptoms in the BD group was consistent with the subacute form. The transverse sinuses were the most common sites of thrombosis, followed by the superior sagittal sinuses. The most common symptom was headache (96.2%), followed by visual field defects (38%). CONCLUSIONS: BD was found in 9.4% of patients in our VENOST series. Patients with BD were younger and showed a male predominance. The functional outcome of CVST in patients with BD was good; only 12% of patients presenting with cranial nerve involvement and altered consciousness at the beginning had a poor outcome (modified Rankin Score ⩾2).