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Letter 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 20-21 PubMed PMID: 17558369 Citation  Keywords:  Aminoglycosides:therapeutic use, Anti-Bacterial Agents:therapeutic use, Carbapenems:therapeutic use, Child, Child, Preschool, Cross Infection:drug therapy, Drug Therapy, Combination, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Meningitis, Bacterial:drug therapy, Ret.   

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 15-16 PubMed PMID: 17558367 Citation  Keywords:  Acinetobacter Infections:drug therapy, Acinetobacter baumannii:immunology, Anti-Bacterial Agents:therapeutic use, Central Nervous System:abnormalities, Child, Child, Preschool, Cross Infection:drug therapy, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Very Low Birth .   

: Twenty five (25) cases of nosocomial postsurgical meningitis due to Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis were compared to other 146 cases of meningitis after surgery caused by other pathogens. Prior neurosurgical ventriculo-peritoneal shunt insertion and CNS abnormality as well as very low birth weight were significant risk factors for acquisition of Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis. Mortality - 40% among children with nosocomial meningitis was unacceptably high and significantly higher than among meningitis caused by microorganisms other than Acinetobacter baumannii....

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Comparative Study 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 11-14 PubMed PMID: 17558366 Citation  Keywords:  Child, Child, Preschool, Cross Infection:epidemiology, Data Collection, Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections:epidemiology, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Meningitis, Bacterial:epidemiology, Risk Factors, Slovakia:epidemiology, Staphylococcal Infections:ep.   

: In 1993-1998 and in 1999-2004 we have performed two surveys of pediatric bacterial meningitis in all 8 neurosurgery/pediatrics and infectious diseases departments in Slovakia. We have detected 101 and another 54 cases with attributable mortality of 15% and sequellae in 18%....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 7-10 PubMed PMID: 17558365 Citation  Keywords:  Anti-Infective Agents:therapeutic use, Cerebrovascular Disorders:etiology, Cross Infection:etiology, Humans, Meningitis:etiology, Postoperative Complications:etiology, Risk Factors,.   

: Nosocomial cerebrovacsular infections are substantial cause of mortality and morbidity in patients after neurosurgery. Risk factors, etiology, treatment strategies and outcome of nosocomial meningitis and brain abscess are briefly reviewed....

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Editorial 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 5-6 PubMed PMID: 17558364 Citation  Keywords:  Central Nervous System Infections:epidemiology, Developing Countries, Humans, Prognosis, Public Health, Risk Factors,.   

: In recent supplement of neuroendocrinology letters, first time the authors from West and East, North and South of EU and the "Third World" present data on neuroinfections in high technology society - on nosocomial meningitis and vice versa in low technology and income countries of sub-Saharan Africa. 14 years survey of 171 cases of nosocomial paediatric meningitis is presented by Rudinsky et al. [1] and subpopulations of Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [1,2] within last 20 years are briefly analyzed by Huttova et al. [2] and Ondrusova et al. [3]. All cases were complicating high technology procedures, such as neurosurgery, very low birth weight neonates after shunt implants etc. Current problems of management of nosocomial meningitis are reviewed by Bauer et al. [4] and consequence of inappropriate therapy by Huttova et al. [5]. Another high technology associated infection is septic embolisation followed by brain abscess and meningitis in patients with endocarditis after cardiac surgery (Kovac et al.) [6]. Experience from more than 600 cases is discussed in the article by Karvaj et al. [7] who outlines extremely high mortality in patients with endocarditis embolizing to central nervous system - up to 60%. The rest of papers are in contrary to problems of neuroinfections in EU and US focused on meningitis and cerebral malaria as commonest neuroinfections in the third world: 261 cases of cerebral malaria are discussed in a brief research note by Sudanese team of tropical programme in area of famine and civil war in southern Sudan (Bartkovjak and Ianetti et al.) [8]. Fungal neuroinfections complicating AIDS are of decreasing trend as reported by Njambi et al. from Kenya [9] and data from 497 cases from Uganda, Ethiopia and Burundi are presented by Benca et al. [10]. Finally an outbreak of meningococcal meningitis is reported by Benca et al. [11] from meningitis belt in Darfur and southern Sudan. We hope that the supplement may show difference in etiology, risk factors, therapy and outcome of neuroinfections (which is a burning public health and social problem in tropics) in other third world countries versus developed high-tech medical settings of US, EU and other high income countries, as presented by Benca et al. [12]....

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Evaluation Studies 2007; 28(2): 191-198 PubMed PMID: 17435681 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Depression:diagnosis, Dissociative Disorders:diagnosis, Epilepsy:diagnosis, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Theoretical, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychological Tests, Reproducibility of Results, Surveys and Que.   

OBJECTIVE: Dissociation is often defined as partial or total disconnection between memories of the past, awareness of identity and of immediate sensations, and control of bodily movements, often resulting from traumatic experiences, intolerable problems, or disturbed relationships. This type of reaction to a psychological and/or physical trauma has often various neurobiological consequences and its clinical assessment has received enormous interest in recent psychological and neuroscience research.

METHODS: Psychometric parameters of the Czech version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale were tested from the viewpoints of internal consistency, validity and factor structure, using data from a sample of n=783 adults, divided into three groups (epilepsy n=243, depression n=357, norm n=183), average age 39 years, SD=13.5.

RESULTS: Findings of this study demonstrated that reliability, validity and factor structure of the Czech version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale correspond to those of the original English version.

CONCLUSIONS: The Czech version of the questionnaire may be considered a suitable tool for estimating subjectively experienced dissociative symptoms....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(2): 77-105 PubMed PMID: 17435680 Citation  Keywords:  Carcinoma:etiology, Cell Transformation, Neoplastic:genetics, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3, GTP-Binding Proteins:genetics, Genes, Suppressor, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Models, Biological, Proto-Oncogene Proteins:genetics, Receptors, Thyrotr.   

: The process of carcinogenesis is permanently one of the most interesting and significant issues for researchers in different fields of medicine. Therefore, we attempted to bring closer the problem of neoplastic transformation in the thyroid gland. This article covers the latest data about genetic factors, involved in thyroid carcinogenesis. We have presented results of the most recent studies referred to molecular biology of thyroid neoplasms. We have demonstrated not only the genetic background of cancers, derived from the thyroid follicular cell, but also genetic aspects related to medullary thyroid carcinoma and some benign thyroid lesions. The review describes DNA methylation disturbances and the mutations in thyrotropin receptor and G protein genes. Furthermore, we introduce the results of studies performed at our laboratory, concerning mutations in the following protooncogenes: RAS, RET, Trk, MET, and BRAF. Also, we present our data, regarding the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the short arm of chromosome 3. Additionally, we discuss overexpression of cyclin D1 gene in benign and malignant thyroid lesions. Previous studies performed at our laboratory indicate the role of IGF-I in the pathogenesis and invasiveness of thyroid cancers. The review indicates that progress in genetics of the thyroid cancer is extremely rapid....

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Clinical Trial 2007; 28(2): 106-109 PubMed PMID: 17435679 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Cognition:physiology, Depressive Disorder:blood, Electrocardiography, Female, Gyrus Cinguli:physiopathology, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Task Performance and Analysis,.   

OBJECTIVE: According to recent findings detecting a cognitive conflict is related to activation of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and central autonomic network. Several recent findings also suggest the hypothesis that the cognitive conflict is related to specific nonlinear chaotic changes of the neural signal. This conflict related activation elicits autonomic responses which can be assessed by psychophysiological measures such as heart rate variability calculated as beat to beat R-R intervals (RRI).

METHOD: The present study used Stroop word-colour test as an experimental approach to psychophysiological study of cognitive conflict in connection with RRI measurement, assessment of serum cortisol and calculation of largest Lyapunov exponents in nonlinear data analysis of RRI time series in 30 patients with unipolar depression.

RESULTS: Significant correlation -0.45 (p<0.01) between largest Lyapunov exponents during conflicting Stroop task and serum cortisol levels has been found.

CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that a defect of neural inhibition during conflicting Stroop task is closely related to decreased serum cortisol levels which probably reflect defense psychological mechanisms....

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