Use of Virtual Reality Techniques to Rehabilitate Military Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Review).

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder developing after a traumatic event like participation in combat activities. Objective diagnosis of combat PTSD and effective rehabilitation of war veterans is a current multifaceted problem with particularly high social costs. This review aims to evaluate the potential of virtual reality technique used as exposure therapy tool (VRET) to rehabilitate combat veterans and service members with PTSD. The review was written following the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The final analysis includes 75 articles published in 2017-2022. VRET therapeutic effect mechanisms were examined along with protocols and scenarios of VRET combined with other interventions influencing PTSD treatment like pharmacotherapy, motion-assisted multi-modular memory desensitization and reconsolidation (3MDR), transcranial magnetic stimulation. The necessity is substantiated of psychophysiological measurements for objectification of PTSD clinical criteria and its dynamics during treatment. It was shown that inclusion of VRET to the package of PTSD rehabilitation interventions positively affects the results due to the enhanced effect of presence and greater experience personalization. Thus, VRET may be an effective, controlled, and cost-effective alternative for PTSD treatment in combatants, including those not responding to conventional therapy.

Effect of Bone Marrow Allotransplantation on Neuron-Specific (NSE) and Histamine-Containing Cells of Lymph Nodes.

The histamine content in bioamine-containing cells and the content of NSE+ cells of the lymph nodes were studied in rats in 40 min and in 2 and 4 h after bone marrow allotransplantation by using the cross luminescence-histochemical method and immunohistochemical method, respectively. Within 2 h after allotransplantation of the bone marrow, a significant increase in histamine content in bioamine-containing cells and an increase in the number of NSE+ cells in the period were observed. Both APUD and NSE+ cells were found to be heterogeneous by staining and luminescence.

Effect of Bone Marrow Autotransplantation on the Numerical Population of Tryptase-Positive Mast Cells, Heparin Sulfation Degree, and Histamine Content.

We studied the effect of bone marrow autotransplantation on the morphofunctional properties and numerical population of mast cells. The experiments were performed on 4-monthold male mice. The animals received an injection of a suspension of bone marrow obtained from the femoral epiphyses of these animals into the caudal vein. In 40 min and 2 h after autotransplantation, the number of tryptase-positive mast cells increased by 1.1 times. The formation of groups of mast cells near erythroid-neutrophil islets and near blood vessels was observed. The proportion of metachromatic mast cells significantly increased. By the degree of mast cells degranulation, we detected non-degranulated up to 48.0±1.4% (vs 55.2±1.2% in intact mice) and moderately degranulated mast cells 22.0±1.2% (vs 18.2±0.9% in intact mice); the percentage of actively degranulated cells was 10.0±0.8% (vs 3.6±0.9% in intact mice; p<0.05). Morphometric parameters of mast cells were changed, with a slight increase in their diameter and distance between the cells. The number of histamine-containing mast cells increased significantly (by 3.2 times in 40 min and by 5.9 times in 2 h) and histamine content in these cells also increased. Thus, bone marrow autotransplantation led to intensification of degranulation and sulfation of mast cells and the release of histamine from them.

[An influence of interictal anxiety on coping and self-control strategies for epileptic seizures in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy]. / Vliianie interiktal'noi trevogi na koping-strategii i strategii samokontrolia épilepticheskikh pristupov u bol'nykh visochnoi épilepsiei.

AIM: A comparative analysis of coping and self-control strategies for epileptic seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy patients with and without interictal anxiety. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Authors evaluated interictal anxiety (IA) with HADS, strategies for seizure control with CBES-SC, coping-style with BriefCOPE scale and quality of life with QOLIE-31-P scale in 45 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The control group consisted of 86 healthy individuals. RESULTS: In 35% of patients with TLE, the anxiety (HADS) was higher compared to the normal level. TLE patients with IA had a lower quality of life compared to patients without IA (51.19±12.39% vs. 65.43±18.11%, p=0.008). A comparative analysis of coping strategies in TLE patients with and without IA showed that patients with IA used such strategies as 'venting' and 'behavioral disengagement' more often. Patients with IA had a higher emotional coping style score (р<0.05) and used strategies for seizure control more often (71% of patients with IA vs. 32% of patients without IA, χ2=6.282, р<0.05), but there were no significant differences in the effectiveness of seizure control between groups. CONCLUSION: Associative interactions between interictal anxiety, emotional coping style and low quality of life were shown. This gives grounds for regarding anxiety as a target for treatment. At the same time, anxiety motivates patients to a wider use of self-management strategies, but has no impact on the effectiveness of seizure control.

[Nitric oxide: from the mechanism of action to pharmacological effects in cerebrovascular diseases]. / Oksid azota: ot mekhanizma deistviia k farmakologicheskim éffektam pri tserebrovaskuliarnykh zabolevaniiakh.

The article presents the data of studies of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular diseases. It is emphasized that endothelial dysfunction contributes to the formation of cerebrovascular diseases. Generalized data on preparations with endothelioprotective effect, as well as own data on the use of the preparation 'Divaza' in patients of middle and advanced age with chronic cerebrovascular disease are given.