Brainstem auditory evoked potentials following head injury.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) were examined in 40 patients with subjective disorders following closed head injury (CHI), with the established degree of recovery and performed CT-scan of the head. For all BAEP parameters the interval of normality was defined as 3 SD above and below mean value in the control group comprised of 20 healthy subjects. The upper limits of thus defined intervals of normality enabled the formation of four types of findings: type 1--normal finding that was registered in 23 (57.5%) patients; type 2 was a sum of individual findings with the prolonged interpeak latencies, but without the change of relative amplitude V:I--7 (17.5%) recordings; type 3--the findings where the fall of relative amplitude V:I was registered together with the prolongation of interpeak latency. It comprised of 4 (10%) recordings and the type 4 included 6 (15%) individual recordings with registered low RA V:I (0.8 or lower). The explanation of the most probable genesis of registered changes was presented.

[Subjective complaints in patients after a closed head injury]. / Subjektivne smetnje bolesnika koji su pretrpeli zatvorenu povredu glave.

Patients who suffered a closed head injury (CHI) are frequently with various subjective complaints: headache, forgetfulness, irritability, poor concentration, etc. Such complaints were observed in patients with both severe and mild CHI. The aim of this study was to establish the degree of the subjective complaints in the group of 40 patients who continuously expressed the complaints even in the follow-up period from 6 to 47 months after the injury. Special questionnaire adopted for this category of patients was used for the registration of their complaints. The severity of CHI was estimated upon the classification of the initial impaired consciousness by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and upon the duration of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), while the recovery was estimated upon the five-levels scale of return to work (RTW). The most frequent disturbances were: forgetfulness (4%), irritability (40%) and poor concentration (35%). The analyses indicated the occurrence of two groups of symptoms, and the explanation for their most probable genesis was given.

[The neurohumoral status in depression]. / Neurohumoralni status depresija.

In 66 patients with endogenous depression (34 males and 32 females) the concentrations of biogene amine metabolites (vanilmandelic acid (VMA), 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIIA), adrenaline and noradrenaline) were examined in 24-hrs urine and hormone in the serum: iodothyronine (T-3), thyroxine (T-4), thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, prolactin and growth hormones. The examination was performed prior to the initiation of antidepressant therapy and 30 days after its application. The biogene amine metabolites were in reference values before initiation of the therapy, although values of 5-HIIA in women and were closer to the lower limit. Thirty days after the initiation of the antidepressant therapy the statistically significant difference was found at the level of p < 0.05 for adrenalin in men and for VMA and 5-HIIA in women. The hormone values before initiation of the therapy showed increased values of growth hormone, cortisol in men and of thyroglobulin, growth hormone and cortisol in women. At the end of the antidepressant therapy the statistically significant difference was found at the level of p < 0.05 for thyroglobulin and TSH in men and for thyroglobulin, growth hormone and cortisol in women. By comparing the results obtained before and after the antidepressant therapy, the statistically significant difference was found at the level of p < 0.05 for Tg in men and for Tg, T-3, prolactin and growth hormone compared to the women. It has been concluded that in patients with endogenous depression the important role in pathogenesis of the disease have some neurobiogenic disorders.

[The most frequent neurologic manifestations of Lyme disease]. / Najcesce neuroloske manifestacije lajmske bolesti.

The group of ten patients with Lyme disease, with neurological manifestation, was presented. Most of them were treated as patients with different neurological diseases until Lyme disease was confirmed. The evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi infection, specific blood immunoreactivity and cerebrospinal fluid were considered. Most of the patients were with meningoencephalitis. Neuroborreliosis clinical manifestations were heterogenous and atypical, making it difficult to diagnose.