The aetiopathogenesis of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) is not clear. It could be associated with structural changes of the central nervous system, but also with mood and sleep disorders. The purpose of the study was to evaluate frequency of fatigue and its association with sleep and mood disorders in MS patients. The examined group consisted of 122 MS patients (mean age 37.7 ± 10.8 years). The following questionnaires were used: Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Fatigue was present in 75 MS patients (61.5%). Excessive daytime sleepiness was observed in 25 (20.5%), insomnia in 73 patients (59.8%). According to MADRS, depressive symptoms were present in 33 (27%), according to HADS in 15 people (12.3%). Anxiety was present in 32 patients (26.2%). We observed an association between fatigue (FSS) and sleep disorders (ESS, AIS) and also between fatigue and either depression (MADRS, HADS-D) or anxiety (HADS-A). The FSS score was not associated with age, sex, disease course and duration, Expanded Disability Status Stage (EDSS), treatment or level of education in MS patients. In inactive professionally people we noted significantly higher FSS scores (44.8 ± 13.8) in comparison with active individuals (37.2 ± 14.9; p = 0.0053). Fatigue is a very common symptom in MS, sometimes associated with sleep disorders, depressive symptoms or anxiety. The treatable causes of fatigue in MS such as sleep and mood disturbances should be identified and treated.

Background and Objectives Declines in stroke admission, IV thrombolysis (IVT), and mechanical thrombectomy volumes were reported during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a paucity of data on the longer-term effect of the pandemic on stroke volumes over the course of a year and through the second wave of the pandemic. We sought to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes of stroke admissions, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), IVT, and mechanical thrombectomy over a 1-year period at the onset of the pandemic (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021) compared with the immediately preceding year (March 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020). Methods We conducted a longitudinal retrospective study across 6 continents, 56 countries, and 275 stroke centers. We collected volume data for COVID-19 admissions and 4 stroke metrics: ischemic stroke admissions, ICH admissions, IVT treatments, and mechanical thrombectomy procedures. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases. Results There were 148,895 stroke admissions in the 1 year immediately before compared with 138,453 admissions during the 1-year pandemic, representing a 7% decline (95% CI [95% CI 7.1–6.9]; p < 0.0001). ICH volumes declined from 29,585 to 28,156 (4.8% [5.1–4.6]; p < 0.0001) and IVT volume from 24,584 to 23,077 (6.1% [6.4–5.8]; p < 0.0001). Larger declines were observed at high-volume compared with low-volume centers (all p < 0.0001). There was no significant change in mechanical thrombectomy volumes (0.7% [0.6–0.9]; p = 0.49). Stroke was diagnosed in 1.3% [1.31–1.38] of 406,792 COVID-19 hospitalizations. SARS-CoV-2 infection was present in 2.9% ([2.82–2.97], 5,656/195,539) of all stroke hospitalizations. Discussion There was a global decline and shift to lower-volume centers of stroke admission volumes, ICH volumes, and IVT volumes during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prior year. Mechanical thrombectomy volumes were preserved. These results suggest preservation in the stroke care of higher severity of disease through the first pandemic year. Trial Registration Information This study is registered under NCT04934020.

Encephalitis is a condition with a variety of etiologies, clinical presentations, and degrees of severity. The causes of these disorders include both neuroinfections and autoimmune diseases in which host antibodies are pathologically directed against self-antigens. In autoimmune encephalitis, autoantibodies are expressed in the central nervous system. The incidence of this disease is approximately 4% of all reported cases of encephalitis. Autoimmune encephalitis can be induced by antibodies against neuronal surface antigens such as N-methyl-D-aspartate-activated glutamate receptors (NMDAR), α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptors (AMPAR) or gangliosides GQ1b, DPPX, CASPR2, LGI1, as well as by antibodies against neuronal intracellular antigens. The paper presents a number of both mental and neurological symptoms of autoimmune encephalitis. Moreover, the coexistence of psychoses, neoplastic diseases, and the methods of diagnosing autoimmune encephalitis are discussed. Attention was also drawn to the fact that early diagnosis, as well as early initiation of targeted treatment, increases the chance of a successful course of the therapeutic process. Strategy and Methodology: The articles on which the following paper was based were searched using search engines such as PubMed and Medline. Considering that anti-NMDAR antibodies were first described in 2007, the articles were from 2007 to 2023. The selection of papers was made by entering the phrases “autoimmune encephalitis and psychosis/paraneplastic syndromes or cancer”. The total number of articles that could be searched was 747, of which 100 items were selected, the most recent reports illustrating the presented topic. Thirty-four of them were rejected in connection with case reports or papers that could not be accessed.

Cel pracy: Ból jest jednym z najczęściej zgłaszanych objawów stwardnienia rozsianego (SR). Wpływa na codzienne funkcjonowanie chorych, ogranicza zdolność do pracy, zmniejsza radość życia. Celem pracy była analiza wpływu dolegliwości bólowych na jakość życia oraz występowanie objawów lękowych i depresyjnych u chorych na SR.Metoda: Badaniem objęto 144 osoby (110 kobiet i 34 mężczyzn) z rozpoznanym na podstawie kryteriów Mc Donalda (2005) SR. Badanie przeprowadzono na podstawie autorskiej ankiety dotyczącej aktualnych i przebytych dolegliwości bólowych, kwestionariusza EuroQol 5D samooceny jakości życia chorych oraz szpitalnej skali oceny lęku i depresji (HADS).Wyniki: Wśród wszystkich badanych, aktualne dolegliwości bólowe zgłaszało 117 osób (81,3%), natomiast 120 osób (83,3%) deklarowało występowanie dolegliwości bólowych w przeszłości. Aktualnie chorzy zgłaszali: bóle kończyn –79 osób (54,9%), bóle głowy i twarzy –72 (50%), bóle kręgosłupa –72 (50%), bolesne kurcze mięśni –54 (38,6%), ból w gałce ocznej –37 (25,7%), objaw Lhermitte’a –32 (22,2%). Nasilenie objawów lękowych i depresyjnych było istotnie statystycznie wyższe u osób zgłaszających dolegliwości bólowe w porównaniu z chorymi bez tego typu dolegliwości (HADS-L: 8,0±4,3 vs 5,1±4,3; p<0,01; HADS-D: 6,0±4,2 vs 3,4±3,7; p<0,01), zaś jakość życia była istotnie niższa (EQ 5D: 8,1±1,9 vs 6,3±1,4; p<0,0001). Stwierdzono związek pomiędzy występowaniem bólu a płcią (p<0,01), wiekiem (p<0,05), stopniem niesprawności (p<0,05), wykształceniem (p<0,001) i pracą zawodową (p<0,01).Wnioski: Ból u chorych na SR wiąże się z wyższym nasileniem objawów lęku i depresji oraz niższą jakością życia. Płeć żeńska, starszy wiek, niższe wykształcenie, większa niesprawność oraz brak pracy zawodowej predysponują do występowania dolegliwości bólowych u chorych na SR.

In Poland, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is increasing. This might be associated with the constantly growing proportion of elderly people and inappropriate cardiovascular prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of use of oral antiplatelet (OAP) and oral anticoagulant (OAC) drugs among older people in Poland and to assess their association with cardiovascular risk factors.

Background. The phenomenon of burnout among healthcare workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic is a widespread problem with several negative consequences for the healthcare system. The many stressors of the pandemic have led to an increased development of anxiety and depressive disorders in many healthcare workers. In addition, some manifested symptoms of the so‐called postpandemic stress syndrome and the emergence of occupational burnout syndrome, commonly referred to as “COVID‐19 burnout.” The aim of this study was to assess the burnout and life satisfaction of healthcare workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted in 2020‐2022 among medical staff working in hospitals in Silesia, Poland. The instruments used to assess life satisfaction and burnout were the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which assesses three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DEP), and sense of reduced professional accomplishment (SRPA). Results. The study group included 900 participants. There were 300 physicians (mean age 38 ± 7 years), 300 nurses (mean age 35 ± 6 years), and 300 paramedics (mean age 31 ± 5 years). Life satisfaction as measured by the SWLS was lowest among nurses and paramedics in 2021 and among doctors in 2022. Male respondents and those with fewer years of work had higher levels of life satisfaction. People with more years of work had higher scores in EE and DEP and lower scores in SRPA (p = 0.001). We found a negative correlation between life satisfaction and EE (p = 0.001), DEP (p = 0.001), and SRPA (p = 0.002). Conclusions. The results highlight the need for further research into the causes of burnout among medical professionals and the need for effective interventions to promote well‐being and prevent burnout in this group.