In Alzheimer's disease (AD), structural and functional changes in the brain may give rise to disruption of specific cognitive functions. The aim of this study is to investigate the functional connectivity alterations in the pulvinar's subdivisions and total pulvinar voxel-based morphometry (VBM) changes in individuals with AD and healthy controls.A seed-based functional connectivity analysis was applied to the anterior, inferior, lateral, and medial pulvinar in each hemisphere. Furthermore, VBM analysis was carried out to compare gray matter (GM) volume differences in the pulvinar and thalamus between the two groups. Connectivity analysis revealed that the pulvinar subdivisions had decreased connectivity in individuals with AD. In addition, the pulvinar and thalamus in each hemisphere were significantly smaller in the AD group. The pulvinar may have a role in AD-related cognitive impairments and the intrinsic connectivity network changes and GM loss in pulvinar subdivisions suggest the cognitive deterioration occurring in those with AD.

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The claustrum is a sheet‐like of telencephalic gray matter structure whose function is poorly understood. The claustrum is considered a multimodal computing network due to its reciprocal connections with almost all cortical areas as well as subcortical structures. Although the claustrum has been involved in several neurodegenerative diseases, specific changes in connections of the claustrum remain unclear in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). Resting‐state fMRI and T1‐weighted structural 3D images from healthy elderly ( n = 15), AD ( n = 16), and PD ( n = 12) subjects were analyzed. Seed‐based FC analysis was performed using CONN FC toolbox and T1‐weighted images were analyzed with the Computational Anatomy Toolbox for voxel‐based morphometry analysis. While we observed a decreased FC between the left claustrum and sensorimotor cortex, auditory association cortex, and cortical regions associated with social cognition in PD compared with the healthy control group (HC), no significant difference was found in alterations in the FC of both claustrum comparing the HC and AD groups. In the AD group, high FC of claustrum with regions of sensorimotor cortex and cortical regions related to cognitive control, including cingulate gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and insular cortex were demonstrated. In addition, the structural results show significantly decreased volume in bilateral claustrum in AD and PD compared with HC. There were no significant differences in the claustrum volumes between PD and AD groups so the FC may offer more precise findings in distinguishing changes for claustrum in AD and PD.

Objectives: Until recently, distance education at universities has supplemented face-to-face education in blended programs that combine the two. But during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of the 2019–2020 academic year, many universities were forced to conduct distance education exclusively. The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions, thoughts, and experiences of university students regarding the completely online process of distance education during this period. Methods: In this process, all theoretical lessons and exams were conducted on the advance learning management system (ALMS) for distance education at İstinye University. The present study used the original form of WEBLEI to survey 324 students from medicine, pharmacy and health science departments at İstinye University. Results: WEBLEI measures students’ perceptions using four scales: access, interaction, response and results. Though students did not experience problems accessing online lessons or interacting with their teachers and other students, they did not find online distance education alone more effective and satisfying than combined with face-to-face education. Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of the pros and cons of distance education by evaluating the attitudes and perceptions of university students.

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Objective: It was aimed to evaluate the effects of distance education on medical students during the Covid-19 pandemic together with its qualitative and quantitative reflections. Material and Method: The study has been conducted among a total of 217 medical students. In this study, the "Distance Education Satisfaction Survey", developed for distance education modelling and included 35 questions, was used. Through this questionnaire, the opinions and experiences of students at Istinye University Medical School about the registration procedures, technical support and education regarding the ALMS-based distance education system were obtained. Findings: 63,1% of all students who participate in this study were women, and 36,9% of them were men. 86,6% of participants stated they follow distance education courses by computer. It was observed that the majority of the participants (54,2%) followed the distance learning techniques closely, and 70,6% of them were able to access the course contents quickly. 50,7% of the students stated that the necessary information could be accessed more quickly via distance education, and 47,9% of them stated that they could turn their time to other interests by saving time. The idea that virtual classroom application is equivalent to face-toface education was negatively welcomed by 66,4% of students. Conclusion:The students have generally approved the method, however, they expressed their dissatisfaction as well, about the instructor or technique-related inadequacies. It was obviously understood as a result of our study that online learning platforms cannot be improved or be effective without considering the needs and choices of students.

Intramedullary headless screw fixation has come to the fore in the treatment of metacarpal fractures in recent years with its advantages. Our aim was to evaluate the metacarpal morphometry for retrograde intramedullary entrance and to determine the optimal entry point. Computed tomography images of 105 patients including 64 men and 41 women, were examined. Distal and proximal metacarpal widths, medullary cavity width, cortex thickness and the measurements of the optimal entry site in volar-dorsal and radio-ulnar directions were measured in both coronal and sagittal planes. In the sagittal plane, the second metacarpal had the widest proximal width (16.29 mm), distal width was greatest in the third metacarpal (14.34 mm) which was significantly different between the sexes (p<0.001). Third metacarpal had the widest medullary cavity width in the sagittal plane (4.12 mm). In the coronal plane, it was the second metarcarpal with the widest proximal (16.14 mm) and distal width (13.92 mm) and was also the longest (66.32 mm). Unlike the sagittal plane, the medullary cavity width in the coronal plane was at the widest (4.06 mm) in fifth metacarpal. The points determined for optimal entry were respectively (4.60 mm; 4.97 mm; 4.55 mm; 4.36 mm) in the dorsal-volar plane, close to the dorsal side. There was no significant difference between the sexes for optimal insertion point in the sagittal planes in all the measured metacarpals. Considering its three dimensional structure, metacarpal bones have irregular morphometric properties and these features differ in sagittal and coronal planes. The optimal entry site is located in the midline in the coronal plane, while it is located in the sagittal plane close to the dorsal part. Knowing these properties can reduce the complication rate by reducing entry attempts and help select the correct material.