Introduction. Chronic brain ischemia (CBI) is one of the most common causes of vestibulo-atactic disorders and cognitive impairment in the elderly.
Objective. To investigate the effectiveness of Vinpotropil we trail in the treatment of patients with CBI.
Materials and methods. The open-label, comparative, randomized study included 60 patients, 24 men and 36 women, aged 40 to 72 years (mean age – 52.8 ± 7.7 years), with CBI. The cause of the disease was atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels (16 people), hypertension (11 people) and their combination (33 people). During 2 months together with a basic therapy (antihypertensive, hypolipidemic therapy – as in-dicated) patients of group 1 (30 people) had been taken betagistine 24 mg x 2 r/day; group 2 (30 people) – Vinpotropil 1 caps x 3 r/day in combination with Betagistin Canon 24 mg x 2 r/day. Results and discussion. As a result of the treatment, there was a decrease in the severity of vertigo from 2.9 ± 0.3 points at the beginning of the study, to 2.1 ± 0.3 (group 1) and 1.4 ± 0.4 points (group 2), p < 0.05. The average score on the MoСА test was 27.3 ± 0.8 at the beginning of treatment, and by its end significantly increased in patients of both groups, amounting to 28.7 ± 0.6 and 29.2 ± 0.5 (p < 0.05).
Conclusion. The data obtained indicate that the administration of Vinpotropil in addition to Betahistine Canon allowed to achieve more pronounced results of therapy.

In chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP), an integrated approach is effective, which must include kinesitherapy. Unfortunately, in our country, kinesitherapy is not always used in CNLBP, ineffective methods of therapy are often used. The article presents an observation of a 55-year-old female patient who suffered from CNLBP. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed protrusions up to 4 mm at the level of L4-L5, L5-S1 segments, which were regarded as the cause of back pain. The patient was prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ointments at the place of residence, limitation of physical activity was recommended, which did not have a significant positive effect. In a specialized neurological center, during manual examination, the patient showed signs of lesion of the right sacroiliac joint (SIJ), and with diagnostic and treatment blockade (with anesthetics and corticosteroids) of the right SIJ, an almost complete temporary regression of pain was noted. The patient was explained the causes of pain, the role of SIJ lesions, prolonged physical inactivity and static loads as the causes of CNLBP, the safety and effectiveness of kinesitherapy. Movalis® (meloxicam) was used as an NSAID at 15 mg per day. The patient underwent exercises to activate the gluteal muscles, rectus abdominis muscles, strengthen the back of the thigh, relieve tension from the square muscles of the lower back, and relax the hip flexor muscles. Techniques for controlling the neutral position of the spine and the walking pattern were worked out. Within 10 days, the pain completely disappeared, functional disorders on the Oswestry scale decreased from 34% to 10%. Over the next 3 months, the patient regularly performed therapeutic exercises, avoided static loads, her physical activity increased from 10 to 26 points, back pain did not bother her. The issues of the effectiveness of kinesitherapy in CNLBP are discussed. It is noted that in CNLBP, regularity of physical exercises, exclusion of abrupt and excessive movements, and static loads are of leading importance. Walking represent a highly effective method of treatment and prevention of CNLBP and should be combined with other methods of kinesitherapy. The efficacy and low risk of complications from the use of meloxicam in patients with CNLBP not only from the gastrointestinal tract, but also from the cardiovascular system are noted. The use of kinesitherapy in complex therapy can help many patients with CNLBP, in whom it has not been previously used.

Treatment of musculoskeletal back pain is an essential problem for doctors of many specialties, including neurologists. In some cases, the chronic course of the pain syndrome is accompanied with complaints and clinical manifestations characteristic of neuropathic pain in the absence of significant damage to the neural structures, which is explained by the mechanism of central sensitization. In this case, there may be diagnostic errors in determining the nature of the pain, which entails inadequate therapy that does not lead to the desired result.
The presented clinical case is devoted to the treatment of exacerbation of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Treatment of the patient for a herniated disc complicated by radiculopathy, carried out earlier, did not lead to the desired result due to the inconsistency of the diagnosis, inadequacy and lack of systematic therapy. Based on the analysis of the physical and paraclinical studies, the diagnosis was changed to « Lower back pain. Myofascial pain syndrome. Toxic polyneuropathy. Herniated disc LV-SI. Residual radiculopathy S1». Therapeutic measures were adjusted in accordance with the diagnosis. In order to relieve the pain syndrome at the first stage, a combined drug Neurodiclovit, a muscle relaxant, a drug of the SYSADOA group, soft tissue techniques of manual therapy, phonophoresis with glucocorticosteroids, and cognitive behavioral therapy were used. The assessment of the patient’s condition carried out after 7 days showed the effectiveness of the treatment, which allowed to cancel the use of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a muscle relaxant and a glucocorticosteroid. At the post-treatment stage, the patient was prescribed a combination of B vitamins (Neuromultivitis) and therapeutic gymnastics, as well as continued therapy with a slowacting symptomatic agent and non-drug treatment methods. Relief of the pain syndrome in the absence of adverse events confirmed the adequacy and effectiveness of the therapy.
The presented clinical case demonstrates the importance of placing emphasis at the stage of diagnosis, taking into account the data of clinical and paraclinical research methods, and also illustrates the possibility of successful conservative therapy for exacerbation of chronic musculoskeletal pain in the practice of a neurologist.

Vestibular neuronitis occurs as a result of damage to the vestibular nerve and is manifested by a sudden and prolonged attack of vestibular vertigo, accompanied by nausea, vomiting and imbalance. Questions of etiology, pathogenesis, clinical picture, diagnosis and treatment of VN are discussed. The disease is associated with selective inflammation (viral or infectious-allergic genesis) of the vestibular nerve. The role of herpes simplex virus type 1 is confirmed by cases of herpetic encephalitis in VN. In 2020, cases of VN development in patients with COVID-19 are described. VN usually affects the upper branch of the vestibular nerve, which innervates the horizontal and anterior semicircular canals. The duration of vertigo with VN ranges from several hours to several days. The timing of the restoration of vestibular function depends on the degree of damage to the vestibular nerve, the speed of central vestibular compensation and the patient’s performance of vestibular gymnastics. Some patients, months and even years after VN, experience significant instability. The diagnosis of VL is based on the clinical picture of the disease, the results of an otoneurological examination, and the exclusion of other diseases. VN treatment is aimed at reducing dizziness, nausea and vomiting and accelerating vestibular compensation. In our country VN is rarely diagnosed, which is associated with poor awareness of doctors about this disease. The article presents the observation of a 46-year-old patient with VN, who was mistakenly diagnosed with vertebrobasilar insufficiency, which contributed to the patient’s long-term disability. Establishing the correct diagnosis, educational work with the patient, conducting vestibular gymnastics led to an improvement in the condition, regression of instability. The issues of the effectiveness of vestibular gymnastics, the use of betahistine to accelerate the recovery of patients with VN are discussed.

Patients with complaints of “dizziness” often make an odyssey of visits to physicians belonging to various specialties. The prevalence of vertigo in the population is 17–30%. In most cases, disorders of various areas of the vestibular analyzer form the pathogenetic basis of vertigo and unsteadiness, while the most common cause of these complaints is the pathology of the peripheral area of the vestibular system: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuronitis, Meniere’s disease. The cerebral vessel disease caused by hypertensive cerebral microangiopathy and cerebral atherosclerosis can also manifest by vertigo and unsteadiness. They can be represented by acute cerebrovascular disorders in the vertebrobasilar arterial system, transient ischemic attacks, as well as manifestations of chronic cerebrovascular disease (chronic cerebral ischemia, discirculatory encephalopathy). Episodes of recurrent spontaneous vestibular vertigo can be caused by vestibular migraine, which is rarely diagnosed in our country. The variety of reasons for complaints of vertigo and unsteadiness defines many therapeutic approaches to the treatment of these diseases. In recent times, modern drug and non-drug approaches to the treatment have been developed for patients with various diseases manifested by vertigo and unsteadiness. The most effective treatment is a comprehensive therapeutic approach that combines non-drug therapy, including vestibular gymnastics, training on the stabilographic platform with biofeedback according to the support reaction, and drugs that help reduce the severity, duration, and frequency of vertigo attacks, as well as accelerate vestibular compensation. Many studies have shown the efficacy of drugs enhancing microcirculation used for the prophylactic treatment of various causes of vertigo and unsteadiness.

Vascular brain diseases are one of the leading causes of death and disability in developed countries. Along with acute disorders of cerebral circulation, chronic cerebrovascular disorders are of great medical and social importance, one of the main clinical manifestations is vascular cognitive impairments. The article discusses the pathogenetic and clinical variants of vascular cognitive impairments, presents their modern classification and approaches to diagnosis. The importance of the earliest possible diagnosis of vascular cognitive impairments is due to the fact that they can be one of the first manifestations of cerebrovascular insufficiency, before the development of clinically obvious strokes or cardiovascular diseases in general. Early diagnosis of vascular cognitive impairments is necessary both for the prevention of vascular and neurodegenerative dementia and for the prevention of strokes and other acute vascular episodes. A clinical example of non-stroke formation of mild vascular cognitive impairment is presented. Signs of cognitive impairments typical of chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency, such as a slowdown in the rate of mental activity and disorders of frontal executive functions in combination with behavioral and emotional disorders, are described. The article discusses the issues of treatment of vascular cognitive impairments, which should be comprehensive and include the correction of the underlying vascular disease, non-drug (regular physical activity, smoking cessation, cognitive training) and drug treatment methods aimed at improving cognitive functions. Possibilities of modern neuroprotective and symptomatic therapy of cognitive disorders, the place of EGb 761^® in the treatment of vascular cognitive impairments are shown.

Insomnia is a widespread disorder affecting not only sleep quantity and quality, but also daytime well-being and performance, as well as having a negative impact on physical and mental health. Many people have problems falling asleep and maintaining sleep that do not reach the clinical criteria of insomnia. For all the prevalence of such sleep disorders, specialists often overlook a fundamentally important factor that affects sleep and wakefulness cycle, ease of falling asleep and daytime performance. These are circadian rhythms of the body under the control of the biological clock.
This review highlights the specifics of the human biological clock and its relationship to insomnia and complaints of poor sleep. The phenomenon of the human chronotype as a set of individual preferences in sleep-wake rhythm is considered. Late chronotype, tat tends to wake up late and be active in the evening turns out to be the most vulnerable to the appearance of complaints of poor sleep and development of insomnia. This result is typical for different age groups. The reason for problems sleep for the late chronotype is the need to adjust to social demands and to fall asleep and wake up too early relative to the phase of one’s own circadian rhythm.
Circadian rhythms may contribute to the formation and maintenance of insomnia. Both chronic and acute insomnia may have a chronobiological component that is not always considered. Late chronotype may be a factor further exacerbating the course of insomnia. The regularity of circadian rhythms may also be impaired in insomnia.
The importance of the biological clock in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness also explains the successful approach to insomnia treatment with melatonin, which plays an important signaling role in the circadian regulation of the body.

Treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) includes the administration of dopaminergic and occasionally non-dopaminergic drugs, in mono- or in combination therapy. One of the key drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease is levodopa considered a gold standard. In addition levodopa can also be used as a challenge test to confirm the accuracy of diagnosis of PD known as the “Levodopa challenge test”. However many non levodopa class of drugs are also used and consist of dopamine agonists (ADRs), MAO-B and COMT inhibitors, as well as drugs working on glutamate such as a group of drug with NMDA receptor inhibitor activity (amantadines). The successful treatment of PD therefore depends on the correct choice of drugs to initiate treatment and sustainance of such therapy. The main parameters for personolised treatment include the patient’s age, severity and pattern of motor deficit, the state of cognitive function and lifestyle. Levodopa, although the most effective, is almost invariably associated with motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. Before prescribing levodopa, in addition to MAO-B inhibitors and ADRs, amantadines can be used as a monotherapy. Once replacement of therapy is required, then it is necessary to use a coefficient to calculate an equivalent dose of levodopa known as the levodopa equivalent dose. Progression of PD is inevitable inspite of adequate symptomatic therapy and at the advanced stage of PD approaches for the management of motor complications of levodopa need to be considered. For motor fluctuations these strategies require a change in the dosage regimen of levodopa (daily dose and frequency of intake), as well as the addition of an adjunct drug – ADRs, MAO-B inhibitor or COMT inhibitor. When dyskinesias arise, the management depends on correct identification of the type of dyskiensias. The commonest type of dyskinesia is peak dose dyskinesias related to peak plasma levodopa levels after intake. Amantadine provides a quick and long-lasting antidyskinetic effect which has been confirmed in open label as well as double-blind placebo-controlled studies. Compared to аmantadine chloride, amantadine sulfate has more stable pharmacokinetic parameters and a better safety profile. In addition, parenteral administration of amantadine sulfate can be utilized for severely ill patients with akinetic crisis in PD. Amantadine also has a broad spectrum effect and these may include improvement of fatigue and apathy. Some data also suggest that the use of amantadine in patients may increase life expectancy, improve survival and reduce the risk of dementia.

There has been clear progress in rheumatology in recent decades with the introduction of genetically engineered biological drugs (GEBDs) as well as targeted baseline anti-inflammatory drugs, which include Janus kinase inhibitors (i-JAKs). To date, i-JAKs have been actively used and studied in various immunoinflammatory rheumatic diseases (IIRDs) – rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (AS), as well as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and inflammatory bowel disease. In order to summarize the accumulated experience, the experts of the European League Against Rheumatism developed a consensus, which outlined the main principles and provisions concerning the rational use of i-JAKS in patients with IIRDs. At the same time, much attention is paid to the problem of the safety of these drugs. In the present article, issues related to various aspects of the safety of the use of i-JAKs in patients with IIRDs are discussed in detail, namely: dose adjustments due to drug interactions, contraindications, pre-screening, and risk assessment. Possible adverse events related to infectious complications, malignancies, thromboembolic phenomena, and gastrointestinal perforation were analyzed. The significance of clinical and laboratory monitoring in catamnestic follow-up of patients receiving i-JAKs is emphasized. A program for further research on the mentioned problem is presented. It includes studies of the efficacy and safety of «switching» between i-JAKs in patients with poor tolerance of a particular drug or who do not respond to treatment, evaluation of the effect of i-JAKs on comorbidities including cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, studies of the long-term safety of i-JAKs based on actual practice data, and of the effectiveness and safety of i-JAKs and GEBDs combination therapy in patients with severe RA or other conditions, etc. This consensus is designed to inform and target physicians seeking to achieve optimal use of these drugs in patients with IIRDs, as well as patients themselves and other interested parties, including facility administrators. The recommendations will undoubtedly be expanded and supplemented as new data accumulate.

The article discusses the treatment of osteoarthritis. To prevent serious structural and functional changes, it is extremely important to start therapy in the early stages of the disease. Symptomatic slow-acting drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis (SYSADOA) are an important class in the pharmacological arsenal of OA treatment. The results of the use of this group of drugs in numerous clinical studies have demonstrated good effectiveness in the long-term achievement of the goal. The SYSADOA class (chondroprotectors) includes many different drugs, including glucosamine, chondroitin, diacerein, and soy unsaponifiable avocado substances. Particular attention is paid to the injectable forms of chondroprotective drugs, data from experimental and clinical studies confirming their effectiveness. The authors discuss the issue of intra-articular administration of drugs for knee osteoarthritis and the choice of optimal access. Intra-articular drug delivery has a number of advantages over systemic delivery, including increased local bioavailability, reduced systemic exposure, fewer side effects, and reduced cost. To minimize side effects, it is important to determine the injection site and to have some preparation in the correct placement of the needle during these procedures. To improve the accuracy of intraarticular injections, various imaging methods can be used, but ultrasound of the musculoskeletal system is the most practical. The article presents the data of personal experience of choosing access under the control of ultrasound. Taking into account the anatomy of the knee joint, performing an intra-articular injection from the inside into the upper inversion is the most affordable and optimal. The article presents the data of a clinical example of the introduction of chondroprotectors through the selected access.

In the practice of neurologists and therapists, patients with complaints of headache, increased fatigue, and irritability are common. The most frequent causes of headaches in ambulatory patients are primary headaches (migraine and tension headaches). Lack of sleep, stress, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and abuse of analgesic drugs are the most common factors that contribute to the frequency of headaches. Magnesium deficiency is another factor, the role of which has been discussed in the frequency of primary headaches, in the development of neurotic disorders and depression. Clinical manifestations of magnesium deficiency itself usually include such nonspecific symptoms as fatigue, anxiety, irritability, numbness in the extremities, leg cramps, sleep disorders, etc.
Magnesium deficiency is widespread among the population of developed countries, especially among women of reproductive age, often occurs during pregnancy, while taking oral contraceptives. Magnesium is involved in the regulation of the nervous system, neuromuscular transmission, cardiac activity, regulation of vascular tone, blood clotting and bone tissue metabolism. Magnesium deficiency is associated with diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, migraine, osteoporosis, depression, neurotic disorders (panic disorder, generalized anxiety, various phobias), and fibromyalgia syndrome. Stress can lead to a decrease in magnesium levels in the body, and magnesium deficiency, in turn, reduces tolerance to stressful situations. Timely diagnosis and adequate treatment of magnesium deficiency and associated conditions represent important clinical challenges.
The clinical case of a patient with neurotic disorder, headache and magnesium deficiency is presented, and the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary approach including an educational talk, adequate therapy for headache management, magnesium drug therapy and psychological methods is demonstrated. The role of magnesium deficiency in the development of various neurologic diseases is reviewed. The most effective magnesium compounds for therapy are discussed. Principles of diagnosis and treatment of patients with magnesium deficiency are presented.

The article presents a clinical observation of a comorbid elderly patient with complaints typical for chronic cerebrovascular disease. A careful analysis of the clinical picture and a thorough assessment of the patient’s condition, including testing of cognitive and non-cognitive neuropsychiatric functions, made it possible to identify characteristic syndromes of cerebrovascular disease, which was additionally confirmed by the magnetic resonance imaging. The patient’s therapy regimen was optimized with an emphasis on clinically and pathogenetically justified methods taking into account the main clinical syndromes. Patient’s follow-up assessment has shown that the treatment was accompanied by significant positive dynamic, in both cognitive and emotional signs and symptoms. The article discusses the epidemiology of cerebrovascular diseases, their relationship with other geriatric syndromes in elderly and senile people. The main problems associated with the therapy of cerebrovascular diseases in elderly patients and the ways to eliminate them are discussed.

Migraine and sleep disorders are common in the general population, may be associated with each other and often significantly reduce patients’ quality of life. Clinicians and epidemiological studies have long acknowledged a link between these conditions. However, the exact nature of this relationship, its underlying mechanisms and patterns are complex and not fully understood. This publication brings together the latest data on the relationship between migraine and sleep disorders: the biochemical and functional-anatomical background, the mutual influence of these conditions on each other and the typical sleep disturbances in migraine patients (such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, parasomnia, snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness). The paper discusses the hypotheses of pathogenetic relationships based on the studies of the central nervous system’s anatomical and physiological features in people with migraine and sleep disorders. The available data should encourage physicians to evaluate sleep quality in migraineurs and use combination therapy systematically. The therapy of insomnia is reviewed: both nonpharmacological and pharmacological therapies are discussed; the advantages of an integrated approach are discussed, and a brief overview of each group of medications is offered.
Lastly, a case study of a patient with chronic migraine and insomnia treated with Doxylamine in combination therapy is presented. Treatment with Doxylamine significantly reduced the incidence of insomnia, probably thereby positively influencing the course of migraine as well.

Introduction. Data on the frequency of comorbid infections (CI) in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) are few and contradictory. Objective. The aim of the study was to study the frequency and structure of CI in the inpatient population of SpA patients in the course of a one-moment retrospective study.
Subjects and methods. The study included 205 patients with SPA: 119 men, 86 women, the age of patients was 39.02 ± 12.2 years, the duration of the disease was 129.3 ± 104.3 months. Ankylosing spondylitis was diagnosed in 133 patients, psoriatic arthritis in 55, spondyloarthritis associated with Crohn’s disease – in 1, undifferentiated spondyloarthritis – in 16. Most patients, along with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, received glucocorticoids, basic anti-inflammatory drugs, and biological drugs. Patients were interviewed by a research doctor with the completion of a unified questionnaire, additional data were obtained from medical documentation.
Results. 20% of patients reported more frequent CI development after the SpA debut. 28.7% of patients reported a more severe course of previously observed CI. Temporary discontinuation of therapy due to the development of CI occurred in 25.4% of patients. Exacerbation of SpA after CI was diagnosed in 40% of patients. In general, the leading place in the structure of CI was occupied by infections of the respiratory tract and ENT-organs, the second place belonged to herpes-viral infections. Serious CI accounted for 6.8% of all cases of CI. In SpA patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, there was an increase in the frequency of acute nasopharyngitis, sinusitis, acute bronchitis, pneumonia and herpes-viral infections. However, cases of CI have also been reported in patients who have never received immuno-suppressive drugs.
Conclusion. The data obtained indicate the important of the problem of CI in SpA. Further studies are needed on large samples of patients in order to find significant risk factors for CI, study their relationship with clinical characteristics and influence on the course of SpA.