DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGY DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGY FIELD SUBJECTS: Headache Polyclinic: The headaches with an underlying cause, are known as secondary head aches and the cause for them can be sinusitis, infections, vascular and metabolic diseases, tumours in the head. If the head ache is periodic or continuous, first or extreme, new and different, gradually increasing, has started after the age of 50, developed after a head trauma, becomes evident after exercise or sexual activity, and do not decrease after treatment, you must visit a doctor without losing time. Migraine is a common type of headache in our country as it is in all the world. It continues with attacks. The headache generally shoots and is on one half of the head. Migraine patients generally have complaints of nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and noise. With proper treatment, the severity and frequency of the attacks is decreased for migraine patients. Botulinum toxin is a new type of treatment for migraine and can be applied to suitable patients. The headache polyclinic is operated by the academics in the neurology polyclinic every week day within the working hours. Patients with severe or gradually increasing, and anomalous pain, shall go to the emergency service immediately. Epilepsy Polyclinic: Although, great advancements have been made in the diagnosis and evaluation with the help of the devices, which have developed in parallel with the technology, still, the attacks of the 25% of the epilepsy patients cannot be controlled even though they use proper drugs. As it is necessary to monitor epilepsy privately and it requires a multidisciplinary approach, in our hospital, we serve for these patients in their special department polyclinic. In our hospital, we have the Electroencephalography (EEG) device, which has a very important role in the diagnosis of the epilepsy. Also, the patient is treated in an environment that has Video EEG device, which monitors the patient and that has an EEG technician and a nurse for 24 hours. Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital Neurophysiology Laboratory Video EEG Unit: Video-EEG monitoring is a diagnosis method, which aims to determine the definitive diagnosis of the patients with frequent fainting complaints, by continuously keeping the patient at the hospital and recording the video EEG (day and night) without interruption. The classifications of the fainting’s of the patient can be made by evaluating the recorded videos and the simultaneous brain activities of the patient. The duration of the patients visit depends on when the cause of the fainting is determined. Electromyography (EEG) is not only used for the definitive diagnosis of fainting but also used for the advanced diagnosis of the patients with refractory epilepsy to determine the epilepsy surgery candidates. In addition, it has a supportive role for the diagnosis of some movement disorders (periodic leg movements, restless leg syndrome, etc.), which can cause sleeping disorders. EMG basically is a diagnosis method for the evaluation of the electrical activities in the muscles and peripheral nerves. It is a supportive method for the diagnosis of peripheral nerve injuries, nerve compressions, muscle diseases, muscular junction diseases. In our hospital, we also apply the single fibre EMG method, which is very valuable for the muscular junction diseases and has a very high sensitivity. Stroke Unit and Stroke Polyclinic: The key to be successful in treatment is to know the symptoms. Suddenly, loss of strength or senses at the same side of the body, vision loss (unable to see or double vision), speech disorder (lisping, unable to speak or unable to understand what is being told), inability to walk, imbalance and unconsciousness can be seen. Currently, the proven treatment for early period strokes is the application of thrombolytic (clot busting) treatment within the first 4-5 hours. This treatment is also applied in Cyprus for early period strokes since 2011 successfully. Studies show that the efficiency of this treatment is based on how early it is applied. The patients that visit the emergency service after realising the paralysis symptoms are quickly examined by a neurology specialist. At the same time the blood tests, heart examinations are applied and the patient will be examined with brain tomography, MRI and angiography to determine the blocked vein and its effects on the brain. The brain tissue that can be saved will be evaluated. The thrombolytic treatment will be applied to the suitable patients and their blood pressure is closely monitored. The application of clot busting and blood vessel dilating treatments to the suitable patients, can give the opportunity to get really successful results in situation that can cause fatal and serious inabilities. Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital, Department of Neurology, and Stroke Unit applies the thrombolytic treatment for the early period blocking strokes in line with the world standards. In order to prevent a secondary stroke, it is necessary to determine the cause of the stroke and start the treatment. Therefore, patients who had strokes before and have risk factors, must be controlled regularly and their treatments must be regulated in line with the results. Parkinson and Movement Diseases Polyclinic: The most common disease of this group is the Parkinson disease that has the symptoms of slowness and shaking. The most common group of involuntary movements consist of familial “benign shaking disease” (essential tremor) that has the general symptom of slowness. All movement disorders that are not included in these groups, which have the symptoms of slowness or involuntary movements can be examined in our polyclinic and if necessary Botox treatment can be applied. Parkinson Disease: Sleep disorders (severe movements while sleeping, screaming), degradation in mental abilities, low blood pressure especially when standing up, blackout, constipation can be examples of other symptoms. Currently, there are great advancements for the treatment of Parkinson disease. Some of these advancements are simple operations for the treatment, pumps, which provide continuous drug injections, drugs attached to the skin, drugs that dissolve in the small intestine, along with the oral drugs. The crucial part of the treatment is to provide the deficient materials. As the problem with the disease is the lack of “dopamine”, this material must be provided to the brain. The essential thing to do is to select the right treatment method for the patient and the stage of the disease and to regulate the dose of the drugs and close follow up. Forgetfulness, Dementia and Alzheimer Polyclinic: Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital Department of Neurology is continuing its studies of “Forgetfulness, Dementia and Alzheimer Polyclinic” with the aim of determining the treatable forgetfulness causes and to provide the early diagnosis of dementia causes and their proper classification with modern tests and examinations, to help our community with suitable treatment approaches and raise awareness. In our polyclinic, patients are examined by specialist physicians, detailed neuropsychological tests are applied to examine the brain functions, blood tests are made to specify the treatable causes of the forgetfulness and if necessary, patients are advised to undergo MRI and EEG, in which the brain waves are recorded. Special packages are provided by Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital to the patients of Dementia and Alzheimer Polyclinic. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Polyclinic: Symptoms: The MS disease cannot be determined by a single and simple test. The diagnosis of MS; requires the analysis of history of your disease, neurological examination, brain MRI, results of the tests made on the cerebrospinal fluid. To diagnose MS, the effects of the attacks must be seen in two or more areas. Also, your doctor should evaluate that you do not have any other disease with the same symptoms. Nowadays, tablet shaped oral drugs are also available for the treatment, along with the drugs that are injected under the skin. Also, oral tablet or intravascular serum drugs that suppress the immune system can be given in accordance with the course of the disease. In attack periods, application of cortisone treatment through veins can decrease or remove the symptoms of the attacks. Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital, Multiple Sclerosis Unit, specialist physicians are at your service and advanced diagnosis opportunities and up to date approaches are available.
Our main goal is to raise awareness on the neurologic diseases in Cyprus and to provide a health service with good communication and modern treatment approaches. For this goal, we have units designed for the disease and a polyclinic.
Headache is a common neurologic disease that affects all age groups. The majority of the patients with headache complaints are treatable. Headaches can depend on a lot of causes. The headaches with no other underlying cause are known as primer headaches and in this group, the most common headache is stress type headache and migraine.
The epilepsy disease is dependent on short term brain function disorders and shows itself with temporary abnormal electricity expansions in the brain cells. Epilepsy affects approximately 1% of the world population and is the second most common neurological disease after strokes. The disease is seen in men and women, without racial discrimination, equally. Epilepsy attacks can occur in any age group, however frequently the youngest and oldest are affected.
Electroencephalography (EEG) and video EEG units are standards for the diagnosis of epilepsy and the only Video-EEG monitoring unit in our island is at your service.
Stroke (paralysis) is the disease that develops related with the embolisms or bleeding in brain veins. There are two types of stroke. The first one is ‘occlusive stroke’. Generally it develops when an artery going to the brain is blocked by a clot. This type consists the 80% of all the strokes. The other type is bleeding. Stroke is the third most common death cause after cardiovascular diseases and cancer, and can cause serious disabilities.
Movement disorders cover a large group of diseases that show the symptoms of slowness or involuntary movements depending on the diseases of centres that control the movements in the brain.
The most common symptom of this disease is shaking in the hands or legs. The shaking especially occurs when the patient is not doing anything. Movements will become slower and the patients will start to walk bending forward and without swinging their hands. The patient’s gestures will decrease and they will start to look frozen.
Forgetfulness is a common complaint for all age groups. Just as all communities, our community also worry about the Alzheimer disease. The frequency of Alzheimer disease is increasing in ageing communities as the years pass. It is stated that this disease can be seen in 1 out of 8 people above 65 years of age and 1 out 2 people above the age of 85.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) disease is a disease that occurs when the protective material around the nerves of central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) is damaged. When this protective material called myelin is damaged, the messages are delivered slowly or not delivered at all. In the affected areas of the brain or spinal cord, structures called MS plaques and MS symptoms appear.
Neurology
