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PurposeTo evaluate the effect of vitamin D on severity of restless legs syndrome in patients with idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS).MethodsPatients with idiopathic RLS completed questionnaires including the International Restless Legs Severity Scale (IRLSS) and were evaluated for vitamin D deficiency. Patients with deficiency of vitamin D were treated with 50,000 units per week for 2 months. At the end of the 2 months, vitamin D levels were re-measured and disease severity was re-evaluated in patients who reached adequate vitamin D level. Subgroups of IRLSS questionnaire were also analyzed.ResultsOf 35 patients enrolled, 21 (60%) had vitamin D deficiency and received vitamin D therapy. In 2 patients, vitamin D levels did not rise to sufficient levels with supplementation and these 2 patients were excluded from analysis. The remaining 19 patients showed vitamin D levels increased from 13.2 ± 4.0 to 42.8 ± 9.6 ng/mL while IRLSS improved from 24.9 ± 5.1 to 21.1 ± 2.9 points (p <0.001). Selected subscores of the IRLSS were also improved including symptom severity (p <0.001), impact on sleep (p <0.001), symptom measures (p =0.002), and disease impact measures (p <0.001). There were trends toward improvement in subscores of frequency (p =0.11) and mood (p =0.051).ConclusionsThe findings suggest that vitamin D levels should be evaluated in patients with RLS and if vitamin D deficiency is revealed, consideration should be given to replacement therapy.u

AimThe aim of this study was to investigate possible differences (in terms of demographic structure, disease history, complaints, clinical findings, early and late treatment outcomes, and complications) between patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) and trigeminal neuralgia (TN) secondary to multiple sclerosis (MS) who were admitted to our clinic and underwent radiofrequency (RF) thermocoagulation procedure.Materials and methodsPatients who underwent percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation with a diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia by a single neurosurgeon in a single neurosurgery clinic between January 2005 and January 2020 were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups: idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia secondary to multiple sclerosis (MSTN) according to their diagnosis. In our study, 215 TN patients who underwent 286 procedures were included. These patients were categorized according to age, sex, involved side, pain localization, and pain history. Postoperative complications were determined after each intervention. The early and late results of all interventions were evaluated, and the results were compared between both groups. All results were statistically analyzed.ResultsConsidering the age of the patients, the mean age of the idiopathic group was higher than the multiple sclerosis group (58.18>49.46). In terms of the side of pain, bilateral involvement was significantly more common in the MS secondary group (1.48%<30.77%). There was no significant difference between the early results of both groups. In terms of remission periods, the pain-free period in the MS secondary group was significantly shorter than in the idiopathic group (mean value in months, 30.87>23.81).ConclusionThe radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the trigeminal nerve is a highly effective, low-complication, reproducible procedure for trigeminal neuralgia, but the search for ways to improve the efficacy of treatment in MS patients should continue.

ABSTRACT Objective: Fatigue is a common symptom in diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to determine the factors leading to fatigue and to investigate the effect of insulin use on fatigue among the diabetic population. Material and Methods: Onehundred diabetic patients attending the diabetes clinic of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty between October 2017-January 2018 and 42 healthy controls were evaluated in this cross-sectional study. Questionnaires including demographic and disease characteristics, Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), quality of life scale (SF-36), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used. Results: Ages (47.6±14.8 and 45.7±14.1 years; p=0.47) and body mass indices (26.6±4.1 and 25.3±3.5 kg/m2; p=0.08) of 100 patients with diabetes (Type 1 Diabetes/Type 2 Diabetes= 29/71) and 42 healthy volunteers were similar. The diabetic group had worse FIS total (p=0.05), FIS psychological (p=0.04) scores and SF–36 scores compared to the healthy controls. When the patients with diabetes were divided into two groups according to insulin use and compared with healthy controls, the ESS and PSQI were similar but all FIS parameters (total p=0.005, cognitive p=0.007, physical p=0.01, psychological p=0.009) and BDI (p=0.05) were significantly worse in patients with insulin use than non-insulin and control groups. The relationship between fatigue and insulin use was independent of glycemic control and duration of diabetes but was affected by the BDI (p=0.001). Conclusion: Insulin use leads to fatigue in patients with diabetes, regardless of diabetes type, and this effect is influenced by depressive mood. Psychotherapeutic approaches prior to insulin treatment might yield fruitful results.

Background Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are a group of antibody‐mediated chronic inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody that leads to a reduction in disease activity. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of rituximab as monotherapy in NMOSD and to determine whether the efficacy varies depending on the presence of antibodies in this cohort. Method This multicentre national retrospective study included patients with NMOSD treated with rituximab at least for 12 months from Turkey. The primary outcomes were the change in the annualised relapse rate, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), the number of relapse and radiological activity‐free patients. Results A total of 85 patients with NMOSD were included in the study. Of 85 patients, 58 (68.2%) were seropositive for anti‐Aquaporin4‐IgG (antI‐AQP4‐IgG). All patients were Anti‐Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein IgG (anti‐MOG‐IgG) negative. The median follow‐up for rituximab treatment was 21 months (Q1 16‐Q3 34.5). During rituximab treatment, the mean annualised relapse rate (ARR) significantly decreased from 1.45 ± 1.53 to 0.15 ± 0.34 (P < .001). In subgroup analyses, the mean ARR decreased from 1.61 ± 1.65 to 0.20 ± 0.39 in the seropositive group and 1.10 ± 1.19 to 0.05 ± 0.13 in the seronegative group. The mean EDSS improved from 3.98 ± 2.04 (prior to treatment onset) to 2.71 ± 1.59 (at follow‐up) (P < .001). In the seropositive group, mean EDSS decreased from 3.94 ± 1.98 to 2.67 ± 1.54, and in the seronegative group, mean EDSS decreased from 4.07 ± 2.21 to 2.79 ± 1.73. There was no significant difference between anti‐AQP4‐IgG (+) and (‐) groups in terms of ARR and EDSS. Sixty‐four patients (75.2%) were relapse‐free after the initiation of treatment. Seventy patients (82.3%) were radiological activity‐free in the optic nerve, area postrema and brainstem. Additionally, 78 patients (91.7%) showed no spinal cord involvement after the treatment. Conclusion Rituximab therapy is efficacious in the treatment of Turkish NMOSD patients independent of the presence of the anti‐AQP4‐IgG antibody.

To describe the clinical and socio-demographic profiles of the patients with the progressive onset Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and to explore the determinants of disability. This is a retrospective study, which was conducted in a university hospital. Patients with a progressive clinical course at onset were included in the study. In the first analysis, the clinical and demographic properties of the cohort were defined. In the second analysis the effects of age, sex, clinical activity during course, initial clinical symptoms and cerebrospinal fluid analyses on the course were evaluated. Clinical activity during the course, older age, male gender, medulla spinalis involvement at onset and detection of paraparesis at initial neurological examination was found as a poor prognostic factor. This research confirms previous findings of the studies conducted in populations of Europe and America. Further studies are needed to confirm and validate these findings and to provide greater insight into the effects of ethnic or geographical differences on the course.

Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating/degenerative disease of the central nervous system that causes disability in young adults. Complementary medicine (CM) and alternative medicine (AM) as a concept is outside the scope of traditional medicine and generally includes all diagnostic and treatment methods for which scientific data are insufficient. Facilitating access to alternative-complementary therapies makes their use widespread. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge level of patients with MS by using a questionnaire and the knowledge of the perception of AM. Materials and Methods: Patients who were definitively diagnosed as having MS-clinically isolated syndrome in the clinic of our hospital were included on a voluntary basis. Sociodemographic characteristics, type of MS, date of diagnosis, number of attacks, and MS disability scale were recorded. The questionnaire, which was prepared for alternative or complementary therapies used, was completed by the same researcher. Data were analysed using SPSS 21 program. Results: Two hundred ten patients with MS were included in our study. It was determined that all patients were aware of AM/CM treatments, the highest rate of information was obtained from the internet (76%), 1.4% AM, 49% CM was used. Ninety-seven % of the patients received TT for the purpose of relieving their symptoms (p≤0.005). Mostly garlic (83.4%), caper (79.6%), ginger (69.9%), and goat’s milk (60%) was used. CM was statistically significantly higher in the first decade (p≤0.005). It was observed that 32% of the patients used TT after the 2nd MS attack without any significance. Conclusion: Our study showed that patients with MS used CM temporarily and with high rates. In contrast to the literature, the rate of use in the first period of the disease was found to be significantly higher. This condition was interpreted as the fact that at the beginning of the disease it could be made with the hope of fighting MS and fully recovering, but after the understanding of the nature of the disease, the use of AM/CM decreased.

We compared white-black (WB), white-red (WR), and black-red (BR) checkerboard stimulated visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and aimed to evaluate if redcolored VEP is more sensitive than WB VEP for the diagnosis of optic neuritis (ON). Twenty-nine MS patients (21 females [72.4%]) and 35 healthy control subjects (24 females [68.6%]) were included in the study. Neurological and ophthalmological examinations were conducted for all subjects and VEP and optical coherence tomography (OCT) investigations were performed. A significant difference was found between MS patients and the control group for WB, WR, BR stimulated VEP P100 latencies and retinal nerve fiber length (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thicknesses, but there was no difference for WB, WR, and rb stimulated VEP amplitude values between the groups. There was no significant pathological difference between the eyes with an ON history in MS and eyes without an ON history in MS and control subjects after WB, WR, and BR stimulation (p=). The WB checkerboard stimulated VEP is an ample test for routine use; further studies are necessary regarding the utility of rb stimulated VEP in detecting subclinical ON.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the biggest health challenge of recent times. Studies so far reveal that vaccination is the only way to prevent this pandemic. There may be factors that decrease or increase vaccine effectiveness. In multiple sclerosis (MS), some of these factors may cause changes in the effectiveness of the vaccine, depending on the nature of the disease and disease-modifying treatments (DMT). In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between antibody titer and smoking in non-treated and DMT-treated MS patients who received inactivated vaccine (Sinovac) and messenger RNA BNT162b2 (BioNTech) mRNA vaccines. Method: Vaccine antibody responses were measured between 4-12 weeks after two doses of inactivated vaccine and mRNA vaccines. Patients were separated into 6 groups as: patients with MS without treatment PwMS w/o T, ocrelizumab, fingolimod, interferons (interferon beta-1a and interferon beta-1b), dimethyl fumarate, and teriflunomide. Antibody titers of smokers and non-smokers were compared for both vaccines and for each group. Results: The study included 798 patients. In the mRNA vaccine group, smokers (n=148; 2982[+ or -]326 AU/mL) had lower antibody titers compared to the non-smokers (n=244; 5903[+ or -]545 AU/mL) in total (p=0.020). In the inactivated vaccine group, no significant difference was detected between smokers (n=136; 383[+ or -]51 AU/mL) and non-smokers (n=270; 388[+ or -]49 AU/mL) in total (p=0.149). In both vaccine groups, patients receiving ocrelizumab and fingolimod had lower antibody titers than those receiving other DMTs or PwMS w/o T. In untreated MS patients, antibody levels in smokers were lower than in non-smokers in the mRNA vaccine group. No difference was found between antibody levels of smokers and non-smokers in any of the inactivated vaccine groups. Conclusion: Ocrelizumab and fingolimod have lower antibody levels than PwMS w/o T or other DMTs in both mRNA and inactivated vaccine groups. Smoking decreases antibody levels in the mRNA vaccine group, while it has no effect in the inactivated vaccine group. Keywords: COVID-19, disease modifying therapy, multiple sclerosis, smoking, vaccine

Introduction: Various restrictions due to the coronavirus infection have affected working life globally. People with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) have several difficulties in social life, patient follow-up, and receiving treatments. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the experiences of pwMS during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: We developed a 50-question survey aiming to determine fears, anxieties, and the problems experienced by patients regarding their diseases and social lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire was released online via the Turkish MS Society website, local MS societies websites, and social media accounts. Only the answers of the patients who filled out the questionnaire completely were evaluated. Results: In total, 6008 patients took the survey, and 3255 of them completed the questionnaire. Among all, 378 patients (11.6%) were positive for COVID-19. The most common COVID-19-related symptom was fatigue (48.4%). The routine medical follow-up was interrupted in 61.4% and the medication was discontinued in 14% of the patients. Approximately 25% of the patients reported different symptoms related to relapse activity. The main concern of the patients related to the COVID-19 pandemic was the disruption of the health of the ones they loved. Among all the patients, 4.4% lost their jobs. Conclusion: Our data showed that the COVID-19 pandemic strongly affected the working lives of pwMS. Also, the pandemic changed the attitudes of patients and neurologists. Therefore, the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on disease approach, patient follow-up, social conditions, and working life should be monitored. Keywords: Multiple sclerosis; pandemic; psychological effects; socioeconomic effects

Background: Fear of falling (FOF) is a serious problem in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (IPD) which increases mortality and affects Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Objective: To evaluate the effect of FOF on HRQoL in IPD. Methods: 84 controls and 87 IPD patients were compared by means of Fall Efficacy Scale (FES), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC Scale), Impact Of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Parkinson Disease Specific Quality of Life Scale (PDQ-39). Then, patients were divided into two subgroups such as patients with FOF (Group 2a) and patients without FOF (Group 2b) by FES. Groups were compared in terms of BBS, ABC Scale, IES-R, BDI, BAI, PDQ-39. Independent factors affecting HRQoL were measured. Results: FOF was higher in IPD patients than controls. Female sex, previous falls, off periods, hallucinations, urge incontinence were significantly higher in Group 2a. However, RBD, dyskinesia, daytime somnolence and FOG were not different in IPD patients whether they have FOF or not. FOF was mostly correlated to disability level and disease severity. In addition, UPDRS and FOF were found to be independent factors affecting HRQoL in IPD. Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware that FOF can be detected in IPD patients, who are female, depressed or anxious, who had more severe disease with off periods, urge incontinence, hallucinations and previous falls. FOF should be questioned in every IPD patients because it is an independent factor which affects HRQoL of IPD patients.