Pinar Kuru Bektasoglu

Turkish Ministry of Health, Sivas Numune Hospital · Neurosurgery

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is the main inhibitor of plasminogen activators, such as tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), and a major regulator of the fibrinolytic system. PAI-1 plays a pivotal role in acute thrombotic events such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and myocardial infarct...

Central poststroke pain (CPSP) is one of the most common central neuropathic pain syndromes seen after stroke. It is mainly related with vascular damage at certain brain territory and pain related to corresponding body areas. In the past, it was described as one of the definitive symptoms of thalamic lesion. However, recent findings suggest that it...

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of hypovitaminosis D on pain, quality of life (QoL) and nerve conduction studies (NCSs) in patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP). We randomly selected 83 female patients with CWP according to their vitamin D levels in this cross-sectional study. Patients were divided into two groups as suffi...

Introduction: Mildronate is a useful anti-ischemic agent and has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective activities. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of mildronate in the experimental rabbit spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury (SCIRI) model. Methods: Rabbits were randomized into five g...

There is a broad range of alternatives in terms of cerebral palsy treatment (intrathecal baclofen (ITB), selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), and deep brain stimulation (DBS)). In order to reduce dystonia and spasticity, ITB bump insertion, SDR, and DBS are the main neurosurgical treatment approaches. In ITB treatment, a baclofen pump is implanted in...

Trauma-induced primary damage is followed by secondary damage, exacerbating traumatic brain injury (TBI). Dexpanthenol has been shown to protect tissues against oxidative damage in various inflammation models. This study aimed to investigate possible antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of dexpanthenol in TBI. Wistar albino male rats were random...

Hydatid cyst disease as a zoonosis usually infests the liver and lungs, and it rarely affects muscles. Here, we presented a 36-year-old female patient with low back pain. Radiological evaluation revealed a soft tissue lesion located at the left paravertebral region without vertebral invasion. Surgical exploration and removal of the cyst were perfor...

Background: The sulci and gyri found across the cerebrum differ in morphology interindividually. The cingulate sulcus is an important landmark for deciding the surgical approach for neighboring pathological lesions. Identifying the anatomical variations of anterior cingulate cortex morphology would help to determine the safe-entry route through ne...

Objective: Apigenin is a plant flavone proven with biological properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects. This study, it was aimed to examine the possible anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of apigenin in the setting of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) model. Methods: Wistar albino male...

Objective Dexpanthenol (DXP) reportedly protects tissues against oxidative damage in various inflammation models. This study aimed to evaluate its effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and neurological recovery in an experimental rabbit spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury (SCIRI) model. Methods Rabbits were randomized into five...

Cerebrospinal fluid is an essential, clear, and colorless liquid for the homeostasis of the brain and neuronal functioning. It circulates in the brain ventricles, the cranial and spinal subarachnoid spaces. The mean cerebrospinal fluid volume is 150 ml, with 125 ml in subarachnoid spaces and 25 ml in the ventricles. Cerebrospinal fluid is mainly se...

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antagonists are known for their neuroprotective effects. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the possible protective effects of PAI-1 antagonists in a rat mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) model. Sprague-Dawley male rats were grouped as sham (n = 7), TBI (n = 9), and TBI + PAI-1 antagonist (5 and 10...

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible neuroprotective effects of Cinnamaldehyde (CA) on the secondary brain injury seen after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a rat model. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control (n=9), TBI (n=9), vehicle (0.1% Tween 80; n=8), and CA (100 mg/kg) (n=9). TBI was induced by the...

Background: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antagonists are known for their neuroprotective effects. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the possible protective effects of PAI-1 antagonists in a rat mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) model. Method: Sprague Dawley male rats were grouped as sham (n=7), TBI (n=9), TBI + PAI-1 antagonis...

Cervicothoracic junction pathologies (i.e. paravertebral tumors and infections) extending into the thoracic cavity that requires surgical intervention is a challenge. The reason is that the regional anatomy is complex, the patologies in this region is rarely encountered, their biological behaviour is not fully understood, and scarcity of experience...

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a condition related with neurovascular compression at the structures passing from the thoracic outlet to the axilla. The exact pathophysiology is still not clear because there is no definitive diagnostic tool and the patient report wide range of different symptoms. It is mainly divided into two categories: neurogen...

Objectives: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of disability and mortality that induces oxidative stress and apoptosis causing cellular damage. Several animal models have shown paeonol to be a powerful antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and neuroprotective substance. This study aimed to investigate possible neuroprotective effects of paeonol in...

Objective Vigabatrin, an antiepileptic drug, increases the level of gamma aminobutyric acid in the brain via inhibiting its catabolism. As gamma aminobutyric acid has been proved to have vasodilatory effect, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of Vigabatrin, in experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) induced vasospasm. Mate...

http://www.intechopen.com/books/vascular-malformations-of-the-central-nervous-system

The neuroprotective and vasodilatory effects of cinnamaldehyde have been widely studied and documented. On the basis of these findings, we hypothesized that cinnamaldehyde exhibits therapeutic effects on subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced early brain injury and cerebral vasospasm. Thirty-two adult male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided i...

Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common preventable causes of mortality and morbidity. Inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and ischemia are some of the important pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neuronal loss after TBI. Mildronate is demonstrated to be beneficial in various experimental models of ischemic d...

Background Hibernomas are rare tumors histologically originate from the fetal brown adipose tissue. Here, we reported the first hibernoma case located in posterior fossa radiologically mimicking arteriovenous malformation (AVM), presenting with abrupt onset of dizziness, and hiccups. This is the first case of hibernoma location in the posterior fos...

NEUROPATHIC PAIN (NP) HAS A COMPLEX, severe, and persistent character with varying intensity and duration. It may accompany many diseases but can also be related to an injury. This chapter provides an overview of NP, including the definition, history, epidemiology, and pathophysiology. Also, clinical manifestations, assessment methods, screening te...

Background Meningiomas are heterogenous with differences in anatomical, histopathological and clinical characteristics. Such spatial variability in meningioma biology is thought to be due to differences in expression of critical developmental regulators. We hypothesized that variability in meningioma biology follows gradients as in embryology and t...

Background Epidural fibrosis is a major problem after spine surgery, with some patients having recurrent symptoms secondary to excessive formation of scar tissue resulting in neurologic compression. We used a rat laminectomy model to determine if topical application of boric acid could be helpful in the prevention of epidural fibrosis. Methods Rat...

Introduction: Liponeurocytomas are mostly localized in cerebellar hemispheres and the second most common location is the vermis. It is rarely observed within the intracranial ventricles. Here, we present a case of liponeurocytoma located in the right lateral ventricle and the systematic review of the literature. State of the art: We searched Pub...

Background and Aim Posterior cervical transpedicular screw fixation has the strongest resistance to pullout forces compared with other posterior fixation systems. Here, we present a case on the use of this technique combined with a mini-laminotomy technique, which serves as a guide for accurate insertion of posterior cervical transpedicular screws....

Aim: To investigate the effects of an anti-ischemic agent, mildronate, on subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced vasospasm. Material and methods: Rabbits were randomly divided into four groups: control, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), vehicle, and mildronate (n=8 animals per group). In the treatment group, 200 mg/kg of mildronate were intraperitoneally...

Recently, robotic surgery has been widely used in numerous surgical operations. Last two decades were the milestones of robotic spinal surgery. Many spinal procedures such as transpedicular screw fixation, vertebroplasty, etc., can easily be managed by robot-assisted systems. In this review, we had a look at the role of robotic systems in spinal su...

Background Acute bilateral foot drop is a rare clinical presentation. Case Description A 77-year-old male presented with acute bilateral weakness of the foot and ankle dorsiflexion. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, as well as a mass lesion that appeared hyperintense on T1-weighted images and hy...

Introduction: Recent studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol), but no previous study has examined these effects on spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate whether calcitriol protects the spinal cord from I/R injury. Met...

Objective: Obstruction of the internal thoracic arteries (ITAs) by the Nuss bars in minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) has been documented in the literature. In this study, we aim to investigate the patency of ITAs before and after repair of the pectus excavatum with the Nuss procedure, by using color Doppler ultrasonography (US)...

Background/aim: Pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum are the most commonly seen anterior chest wall deformities. Recent studies reveal that minimal invasive repair of pectus deformities improves the quality of life. Our aim is to assess the psychosocial functioning and sociodemographic characteristics of pediatric patients with pectus deformities...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on pain, quality of life, and nerve conduction studies (NCSs) in women with chronic widespread pain (CWP) diagnosed with Vitamin D insufficiency. Thirty-three female participants with CWP and vitamin D insufficiency were included in this open-label trial. They were ev...

INTRODUCTION: Flow of internal thoracic arteries (ITAs) could be blocked in some patients who had minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPEx). Aim of this study is to investigate the patency of the ITAs in patients operated with MIRPEx with specially designed bars which had indentations for the area superposing on ITAs. METHODS: 22 patie...

Background and aims Hypovitaminosis D is related with musculoskeletal and nervous system disorders. It has been shown that patients with lower vitamin D levels exhibited more pain, decreased quality of life and impaired nerve conduction velocity parameters. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation for 8 weeks...

Sternal cleft is a rare chest wall deformity. It can be diagnosed in the intrauterine stage with ultrasonography. Newborn period is the optimal time for the surgical correction of sternal cleft, due to the elasticity of the sternum and minimal compression of underlying structures. Here we reported a newborn patient with sternal cleft which has been...

Background: Pectus excavatum (PE) and pectus carinatum (PC) are the most common chest wall deformities. In this study, we aimed to characterize how patients obtained information about these deformities, as well as patients' family history, associated medical problems, and postoperative satisfaction after the Nuss and Abramson procedures. Methods:...

Aims: In the present study we aimed to see the effect of minimal invasive repair of Pectus Excavatum (MIRPE) on pulmonary function and quality of life in patients with Pectus Excavatum (PE) patients. Methods: 80 patients with PE operated with MIRPE and their families included. Patients and their parents filled the Nuss Questionnaire modified for Ad...

Visualization of peripheral nervous system axons and cell bodies is important to understand their development, target recognition, and integration into complex circuitries. Numerous studies have used protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 [a.k.a. ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1)] expression as a marker to label sensory neurons and their axon...

Introduction: The goal of this study is to investigate the link between genes, proteins, and networks in an effort to understand the cellular and molecular basis of selective vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases. To identify the networks and cellular pathways that are affected we focus on the binding partners of the proteins that are encoded...

Background: Pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common chest wall deformity. The Nuss Questionnaire modified for Adults (NQmA) is a disease-specific health-related quality of life assessment tool for patients with pectus deformities. The aim of this study is to adapt the NQmA into Turkish. Methods: Two hundred and sixty-five patients with PE were...

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main leading cause of mortality. Approximately, 80% of cardiovascular death occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Current guidelines which are based on randomized controlled trials direct the cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment. Yet, such guidelines do not benefit every patient. Recent studies q...

Fractures are one of the main outcomes in osteoporosis and have an important effect on the general health status. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of major fracture history on quality of life. We also investigated the important risk factors and their effect on bone mineral density and fracture history. Cross-sectional study. We...

Background: Pectus excavatum is the most common chest wall deformity. This deformity may cause physical limitations and psychosocial problems. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum on the quality of life. Methods: This study included 88 patients, aged 18.44 ± 3.93 years (85.2% male), w...

Introduction: Physical activity has been found to be related with many health benefits. Our aim was to investigate the effect of chronic moderate exercise from acute stress on nicotine and cigarette smoke exposed rats. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats (200-250g, n = 48) were divided into 6 groups as non-exercised, exercised, smoke exposed, smok...

Sternal cleft is a rare chest wall deformity associated with various malformations. Primary closure is the gold standard in the newborn period. Alternative techniques are possible for older patients. A 23-year-old woman with a partial sternal cleft and no additional deformity, underwent reconstruction using costal cartilage grafts. Postoperative ph...

Tamarindus [Tamarindus indica L. (T. indica)], belongs to the family Leguminosae (Fabaceae), commonly known as Tamarind tree, is one of the fruit tree species that is used as traditional medicine. The aim of this article is to review the current literatue on health related effect of T. indica. Literature review about this plant was conducted betwee...

Toxic honey, containing grayanotoxin, is obtained from nectar and polen of rhododendron. Consumed in excess it produces seizures and convulsions. In order to investigate whether the toxic honey extract can be used as a seizure model, we examined the electroencephalographic (EEG) and motor effects of intracerebroventricular (icv) or intraperitoneal...

Objective: Previous studies have demonstrated a higher incidence of ulcerative colitis in non-smokers. We investigated the beneficial effects of nicotine treatment on colitis-induced anxiety and oxidative colonic damage on rats. Materials and Methods: Wistar Albino (250-300 g) rats (n=40) were randomly divided into 5 groups as saline-treated coliti...

Aim: As the population ages, it is important to recognize the health problems of the elderly in relation to individual and public health issues. Our aim was to determine the daily habits and health-related behaviours of an aging population concerning factors such as nutritional status, physical and social activity levels and chronic health problems...