Authors: prof. dr hab. n. med. Monika Adamczyk-Sowa, prof. dr hab. med. Anna Członkowska, prof. dr hab. n. med. Dariusz Jaskólski, dr hab. n. med. Adam Kobayashi, prof. nadzw., prof. dr hab. n. med. Tomasz Litwin, prof. dr hab. n. med. Barbara Mroczko, dr. hab. n. med. Joannna Siuda
Edited by prof. dr hab. n. med. Urszula Fiszer
Assessment of the clinical significance of biomarkers useful in the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases (elaborated by Prof. dr hab.n. med. Barbara Mroczko: e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Global: Due to the nonhomogeneous interpretation rates of Alzheimer's disease biomarker concentration results, a team of experts from the world's leading diagnostic centers standardized the comments corresponding to the different cerebrospinal fluid biomarker profiles. The most relevant and clinically useful comments on the interpretation of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of the disease were identified and selected.
Delaby C, Teunissen CE,…, Kulczynska-Przybik A, Lewczuk P, …, Mroczko B, …, Lehmann S. Clinical reporting following the quantification of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease: An international overview. Alzheimer’s & Dement. 2021 Dec 22. doi: 10.1002/alz.12545. Online ahead of print. (IF-21.566, 200 pkt.)
Own: The presence of the protein reticulon 4 (RTN4) in cerebrospinal fluid was examined and compared in patients with various neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, we analyzed the potential use of this protein, as well as neurogranin (Ng) and neuronal pentraxin receptor (NPTXR), in clinical practice. Research results show that Ng and NPTXR, but especially the NPTXR/Ng ratio, are promising biomarkers of synaptic dysfunction reflecting early neuropathological changes in Alzheimer's disease. They also show that there is a relationship between RTN4 and key pathogenetic processes in the development of the studied diseases, including amyloidopathy, α-synucleinopathy and neurodegeneration.
Kulczyńska-Przybik A, Dulewicz M, Słowik A, Borawska R, Kułakowska A, Kochanowicz J, Mroczko B. J Clin Med. 2021:13;10(22):5281. (IF-4.242, 140 pkt.)
Dulewicz M, Kulczyńska-Przybik A, Słowik A, Borawska R, Mroczko B. Neurogranin and Neuronal Pentraxin Receptor as Synaptic Dysfunction Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease. J. Clin. Med. 2021;10(19):4575. (IF-4.242, 140 pkt.)
Assessment of the plasma biomakers specific for Alzheimer's Disease. (elaborated by dr hab. n. med. Joanna Siuda: e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Global:The quantifiaction of phosphorylated at threonine tau proteine plasma level (p-tau 181, p-tau217 and p-tau231) is promising in detecting Alzheimer's disease (AD). The high plasma concentrations of these p-tau proteins is highly specific for neurodegeneration invovled in AD, and let us differentiate AD and non-AD neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. fronto-temporal dementia or dementia asscoiated with atypical parkinsonian syndromes). It also could suggest the high risk of AD development in presymptomatic patients or in mild cognitivie impairment (MCI) groups. In the near future, seems to be possible that’s the assesment of these biomarkers will be possible in the office of general practitioners, what improve the screening for AD in general population.
Ashton NJ, Pascoal T.A, Karikari T.K. i wsp. Plasma p-tau231: a new biomarker for incipient Alzheimer’s disease pathology” Acta Neuropathologica 2021;141:709–724; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-021-02275-6
Cullen N.C, Leuzy A, Janelidze S. i wsp. Plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease improve prediction of cognitive decline in cognitively unimpaired elderly populations. Nature Communications 2021;12:3555; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23746-0
Thijssen E.H, La Joie R, Strom A. i wsp. Association of plasma P-tau217 and P-tau181 with clinical phenotype, neuropathology, and imaging markers in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration: a retrospective diagnostic performance study. Lancet Neurology
2021;20(9):739–752; https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00214-3
The clinical significance of new biomarkers in Wilson’s disease diagnosis ( elaborated by dr hab. n. med. Tomasz Litwin, prof. IPiN; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Global:In 2020 Shribman, et al. as the first discovered, that’s serum neurofilaments ligght chains (sNfL) concentrations in Wilson’s disease (WD) patients with involvement of central nervous system is elevated compared to healthy control or WD patients with only hepatic presentation. Further, WD patients with active neurological disease (progres of symptoms) had higher sNfL concentarions compared to stable patients. The authors suggested to include this biomarker to further studies in WD with new drugs as well as studies involving the course and prognosis of WD
Shribman S, Heller C, Burrows M, i wsp. Plasma neurofilament light as biomarker of neurological involvement in Wilson’s disease. Mov. Disord. 2020; 36: 503–508
Own:Looking for the biomarkers of brain injury in WD, based on the Shribamn, et al. paper together with Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus & Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany we performed the analysis of sNfL in WD patients. In our results we found that’s the Neurofilament light chain may be used as a biomarker of brain injury in Wilson’s disease in addition to the clinical (UWDRS) and neuroimaging (semiquantitative brain MRI scale) disease severity scales.
Ziemssen T, Akgun K, Członkowska A, i wsp. Serum neurofilament light chain as a biomarker of brain injury in Wilson’s disease. Mov. Disord. 2022; DOI: 10.1002/mds.28946.
Dusek P, Smolinski L, Redzia-Ogrodnik B, i wsp. Semiquantitative scale for assessing brain MRI abnormalities in Wilson disease: a validation study, Mov. Disord. 2020; 35: 994-1001
The most important achievements in stroke in 2021 (elaborated by dr hab. n.med Adam Kobayashi, prof. UKSW; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; prof. dr hab. n. med. Anna Członkowska: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Global and own:Global and own: As COVID-19 have impact not only on organization problems in stroke units, it also have impact on risk of stroke as well as their severity and outcome. In 2021 several international, multicenter papers were published documenting ten impact of COVID-19 on stroke treatment. In few of them, Polish centers were invovled. Pandemic disease decrease the numbers of intravenous thrombolysis and thrombectomy procedures. In Poland profesor Anna Członkowska was the coordinator of these studies, and over a dozen centers were invovled in data colection. In global perspectvie, there was decrease numbers of neuroradiological procedures (except the ruptured aneurysms), what was caused with limited access to neurosurgical procedures. This work was performer in 2 Polish centers and dr hab. n. med. Adam Kobayahsi coordinated this study. Most other papers in 2021 were according to stroke tretament organization. Use of stroke ambulances may lead to better stroke outcome, due to faster qualification to thombolysis and thrombectomy. The patients with stroke due to large artery occlusion have better prognosis if they are directly admitted to hospital which can perform thrombectomy.
Nogueira RG, Abdalkader M, Qureshi MM. i wsp. Global impact of COVID-19 on stroke care. International journal of stroke: official journal of the International Stroke Society 2021; 16(5): 573-84
Nogueira RG, Qureshi MM, Abdalkader M. i wsp. Global impact of COVID-19 on stroke care and IV thrombolysis. Neurology 2021; 96(23): e2824-e38
Qureshi AI, Agunbiade S, Huang W. i wsp. Changes in neuroendovascular procedural
volume during the COVID-19 pandemic: An International Multicenter Study. Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging 2021; 31(1): 171-9
Ebinger M, Siegerink B, Kunz A,.i wsp. Association between dispatch of mobile stroke units and functional outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke in Berlin. JAMA 2021; 325(5): 454-66
Grotta JC, Yamal JM, Parker SA. i wsp. Prospective, Multicenter, Controlled Trial of Mobile Stroke Units. NEJM 2021; 385(11): 971-81
Requena M, Olivé-Gadea M, Muchada M. i wsp. Direct to angiography suite without stopping for computed tomography imaging for patients with acute stroke: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurology 2021; 78(9): 1099-107
The progres in multiple sclerosis treatment (elaborated by: prof. dr hab.n.med Monika Adamczyk-Sowa; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Global:In 2021 EMA, based on TERIKIDS study, registered teriflunomide in pediatric population patients with MS RR Safety and efficacy of teriflunomide in paediatric multiple sclerosis (TERIKIDS): a multicentre, double-blind, phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.
Chitnis T, Banwell B, Kappos L, Arnold D, Deiva K, Skripchenko N, Li-Ying Cui, Saubadu S, Hu W, Benamor N, Le-Halpere A, Truffinet P, Tardieu M, Gücüyener K i wsp. TERIKIDS Investigators.Lancet Neurol. 2021 Dec;20(12):1001-1011
Ofatumumab, anti-CD-20 monoclonal antibody was registered by EMA for adult MS RR patients.Vumerity (diroximel-fumarate) was approved by European Committe for adult patients with MS RR.
Own: Several papers documenting the impact of Covid-19 infection on course, treatment and vaccination in MS patients..
Adamczyk-Sowa M, Niedziela N, Kubicka-Bączyk K, Wierzbicki K, Jaroszewicz J, Sowa P i wsp. Neurological symptoms as a clinical manifestation of COVID-19: implications for internists. Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. 2021: 131, 1, 54-62
Nojszewska M, Kalinowska A, Adamczyk-Sowa M. i wsp. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) in patients with multiple sclerosis: a statement by a working group convened by the Section of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology of the Polish Neurological Society. Pol. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. 2021: 55, 1, 8-11
Nowak-Kiczmer M, Kubicka-Bączyk K, Niedziela N, Adamczyk B, Wierzbicki K, Bartman W, Adamczyk-Sowa M. The course of COVID-19 infection in patients with multiple sclerosis - the experience of one center based on the population of Upper Silesia. Mult. Scler. Relat. Disord. 2021: 52, 1-11
Mado H, Adamczyk-Sowa M. Comment on the paper Negative anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody response following Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in a patient on ocrelizumab: the likely explanation for this phenomenon based on our observations J. Neurol. 2021: 268, 11, 3998-3999
Mado H, Kubicka-Bączyk K, Adamczyk-Sowa M. Anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibody responses following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination in a patient with multiple sclerosis treated with ocrelizumab: a case report. J. Int. Med. Res. 2021: 49, 9, 1-10
Adamczyk-Sowa M, Mado H, Kubicka-Bączyk K, Jaroszewicz J,Sobala- Szczygieł B, Bartman W, Sowa P i wsp. SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 in multiple sclerosis patients receiving disease-modifying therapy. Clin. Neurol. Neurosurg. 2021: 201, 1-7
Progress in neurosurgery (elaborated by prof. dr hab. n. med. Dariusz Jaskólski: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) World: Neurosurgery and intelligence
Global: The study with Cognitron’s Great British Intelligence Test aimed to compare cognitive testing scores in neurosurgeons and aerospace engineers to help settle the age old argument of which phrase—“It’s not brain surgery” or “It’s not rocket science”—is most deserved. The neurosurgeons showed significantly higher scores than the aerospace engineers in semantic problem solving. Aerospace engineers showed significantly higher scores in mental manipulation and attention. No difference was found between groups in domain scores for memory,
spatial problem solving, problem solving speed, and memory recall speed. When each group’s scores for the six domains were compared with those in the general population, only two differences were significant: the neurosurgeons’ problem solving speed was quicker and their memory recall speed was slower. In conclusion the authors stated, thats’ in situations that do not require rapid problem solving, it might be more correct to use the phrase “It’s not brain surgery.” It is possible that both neurosurgeons and aerospace engineers are unnecessarily placed on a pedestal and that “It’s a walk in the park” or another phrase unrelated to careers might be more appropriate. Other specialties might deserve to be on that pedestal, and future work should aim to determine the most deserving profession.
Usher I, Hellyer P, Lee KS, Leech R, Hampshire A, Alamri A, Chari A. “It’s not rocket science” and “It’s not brain surgery”—“It’s a walk in the park”: prospective comparative study. BMJ 2021;375:e067883 |doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-067883
Own: The first coil volume packing density (VPD) decreases the late recanalization rate in ruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with coil embolization (according to statistical results > 10.56%). The objective of this project was to identify a late recanalization predictor in ruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with coil embolization. This goal was achieved by means of a statistical analysis followed by a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with porous media modelling approach. Porous media CFD simulated the hemodynamics within the aneurysmal dome after coiling. The authors assessed retrospectively morphometric parameters, packing density, first coil volume packing density (1st VPD) and recanalization rate on digital subtraction angiograms (DSA) in 66 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. In the results the authors proved that’s the model for late recanalization prediction based on 1st VPD is the most important predictor of late recanalization. A cut-off point of 10.56% (sensitivity—0.722; specificity—0.979) was confirmed as optimal in a computational fluid dynamics analysis. The CFD results indicate that pressure at the aneurysm wall and residual flow volume (blood volume with mean fluid velocity > 0.01 m/s) within the aneurysmal dome tended to asymptotically decrease when VPD exceeded 10%. Concluding, the study presented an easy intraoperatively calculable predictor which has the potential to be used in clinical practice as a tip to improve clinical outcomes.
Wiśniewski K, Tomasik B, Tyfa Z, Reorowicz P, Bobeff E. J, Stefańczyk L, Posmyk B.J, Jóźwik K, Jaskólski D.J. Porous media computational fluid dynamics and the role of the first coil in the embolization of ruptured intracranial aneurysms. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 1348.doi.org/10.3390/jcm10071348