We aimed to investigate possible associations between systemic iron metabolism deficiency and Parkinson's disease, and also to research any possible correlations between stage of the disease and vitamin B12 and folic acid levels. 33 male and 27 female patients diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and 22 male and 20 female age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled in the study. Having the diagnosis of secondary Parkinsonism or Parkinson plus syndromes, and for the females, not being in the menopausal stage were considered as exclusion criteria. Recordings of blood samples of both groups collected after 8 h fasts were assessed in terms of serum iron, ferritin levels and iron-binding capacity, vitamin B12 and folic acid levels. The Hoehn and Yahr scale was used to determine the stage of the disease. No statistically significant difference was found with respect to mean serum iron, median serum ferritin levels and median serum iron-binding capacity between the groups. A statistically significant but inverse correlation was found between symptoms' duration and serum iron and ferritin levels. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups with respect to vitamin B12 and folic acid levels. However, a statistically significant but inverse correlation was determined between the patients' vitamin B12 levels and the Hoehn and Yahr scores. As Parkinson's disease progresses, serum iron, ferritin and vitamin B12 levels may decrease. The lower levels of these parameters may be the cause of the progression or may be the result of it.

Aim. This study compares the effectiveness of Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), neurothesiometer, and electromyography (EMG) in detecting diabetic peripheral neuropathy in patients with diabetes type 2. Materials and Methods. 106 patients with diabetes type 2 treated at the outpatient clinic of Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital Department of Endocrinology between September 2008 and May 2009 were included in this study. Patients were evaluated by glycemic regulation tests, MNSI (questionnaire and physical examination), EMG (for detecting sensorial and motor defects in right median, ulnar, posterior tibial, and bilateral sural nerves), and neurothesiometer (for detecting alterations in cold and warm sensations as well as vibratory sensations). Results. According to the MNSI score, there was diabetic peripheral neuropathy in 34 (32.1%) patients (score ≥2.5). However, when the patients were evaluated by EMG and neurothesiometer, neurological impairments were detected in 49 (46.2%) and 79 (74.5%) patients, respectively. Conclusion. According to our findings, questionnaires and physical examination often present lower diabetic peripheral neuropathy prevalence. Hence, we recommend that in the evaluation of diabetic patients neurological tests should be used for more accurate results and thus early treatment options to prevent neuropathic complications.

Although many polymorphism studies have focused on patients with MS, there is no polymorphism study about the fractalkine receptor which is a chemokine and plays an important role in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Our results provide information about disease progression and may also be beneficial in developing new strategies for the treatment of the disease.

By comparing neurocognitive test results from patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and those from patients with simple snoring, we aimed to establish whether OSAS negatively influences cognition. Patients with mild-to-severe OSAS (n = 29) and nonhypoxic simple-snoring patients (n = 30) were admitted to the study. All participants in both groups were evaluated with polysomnography and neurocognitive tests, including the Stroop Test, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Judgment of Line Orientation, Trail-Making Test, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Significant differences were identified between the groups for test scores on the Rey 1, SDMT, and Stroop tests. We propose that accurate OSAS diagnosis and treatment might help to prevent cognitive decline.

Current study shows that the Turkish version of the Dan-PSS questionnaire is an internally consistent, reliable, and valid scale for patients with PD. Therefore, it can be used to evaluate frequency and severity of LUTS in PD. LUTS are commonly seen in patients with PD in both sexes. It is suggested that all patients with PD should be referred for urological assessment.