Background/aim: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is common in patients with primary headache. However, no study has been reported in which standardized modalities were questioned in a Turkish population. The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency of CAM use and factors related to it in these patients. Materials and methods:Patients with a diagnosis of primary headache were included in this cross-sectional observational study. Demographic and disease-specific characteristics were recorded. The use and effect of 15 CAM modalities were evaluated in accordance with the ''Traditional and Complementary Medicine Regulations''. The patients were categorized into two groups according to their use of CAM procedures. Logistic regression analysis was further performed to assess the association between CAM use and related factors.Results: One hundred twenty patients (101 (84.2%) female, mean age 38.20 ± 12.24 years) were included. Use of CAM was reported in 33.3% of the patients. The most frequently used CAM modalities were phytotherapy (37.5%), cupping (27.5%), and chiropractic adjustment (17.5%). Compared with nonusers, CAM users showed a longer duration of disease (respectively mean 5.68 ± 4.96 years and 10.97 ± 8.57 years, p = 0.000). There were no differences with respect to age, sex, education, presence of systemic disease, headache subtypes, number of headache days in a month, or headache severity. Patients who underwent cupping reported that they benefited more than those who tried phytotherapy and multiple CAM methods (respectively 45.5%, 33.3%, 16.6%, p = 0.039). Subsequently, the logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between only disease duration and CAM use [respectively p value, OR (95% CI), and confidence intervals = 0.002 (1.143 (1.050-1.243)]. Conclusions:Our results suggest that Turkish patients with primary headache, especially those with long disease duration, use CAM modalities. Larger population-based studies are required to clarify the safety and efficacy of these methods.

Objective:  The present study aimed to investigate the factors that affects the fear of falling, also known basophobia, in patients with stroke and the aspects of life quality. Material and Methods: Stroke patients in the physical therapy were included in this study. Demographic data of the patients were recorded. Patients were asked whether they fell after the stroke and experienced fear of falling. Itaki Fall Risk Scale, Functional Ambulatory Categories, Functional Independence Measure, Beck Depression Inventory and Stroke Specific Quality of Life scale (SS-QoL) have been used. The data of the study were analyzed with SPSS 15 package program. Results: This study was conducted on 102 patients with stroke. Of these, 36 (35.3%) patients were female with a mean age of 60.97. There was a fear of falling in 65 (63.7%) of the patients. 48 patients (47.1%) fell at least once after the stroke. Falls were significantly high with the ones who were experiencing fear of falling (p = 0.006). Fear of falling was significantly high in females, patients with ischemic stroke, elderly and the patients with coexistent systemic diseases (p <0.05). The total score and sub-units of SS-QoL was significantly low (p <0.05) in the group with the fear of falling. The depression score was significantly high in patients with fear of falling (p = 0.00). Conclusion: Fear of falling in patients with stroke negatively affects many sub-units of the quality of life-related to movement, participation, and mood. Thus, the classic rehabilitation program for patients with stroke should include falling prevention training.

In this study, an accurate analytical method development for cobalt determination in urine samples was described.

Methods:In this cross-sectional study, sleep disorder was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Fatigue, generalized pain, anxiety, depression symptoms, restless legs syndrome (RLS) and urinary dysfunction were evaluated using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), visual analogue scale (VAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), and RLS Rating Scale and Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease-Autonomic. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the potential associations between a sleep disorder diagnosis and the investigated conditions.Results: Fifty-six patients [age (mean±standard deviation): 36.2±2.8 years; female: 30.4%] were included. Fifty percent of the patients scored 5 or more according to PSQI. ESS, HADS, FSS and VAS scores of patients with sleep disorder were significantly higher than those of patients with no sleep disorder (p=0.002, p=0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed significant associations between sleep disorder and fatigue [Odds ratio (OR): 6.54 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-39.57, p=0.041)], depression [OR: 9.82 (95% CI: 1.47-65.6), p=0.018], and generalized pain disorders [OR: 1.79 (95% CI: 1.23-2.3), p=0.002]. Conclusions:Our results show that half of the patients with MS suffer from sleep disorders. Sleep disorders in this group are associated with fatigue, depression, daytime sleepiness, common body pain, and immunomodulatory treatment.

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