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Introduction. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, associated with selective loss of neurons in the substantia nigra. Parkinson’s disease revealed by motor and non-motor symptoms. Alternative therapies for cure non-motor symptoms are searched. One of them can be white light therapy, which is based on taking samples of light specified illuminance, time of day, period and head-to-light distance.   Brief description of the state of knowledge. The purpose of white light therapy is stabilization of the circadian melatonin secretion and improvement of circadian rhythmicity. Morning white light exposure allows to accelerate the circadian rhythm and is effective in cure of depression disorders. In turn evening light exposure is used to delayed the circadian rhythm and treat early awaking insomnia. The effectiveness of treatment by white light therapy other neurological and neuropsychiatric disease as depression or sleep disorder is well-documented.   Conclusions. White Light Therapy is a safe, easy to use, and inexpensive non-pharmacological treatment option with rare side effects. Research shows that light has a significant therapeutic effect on a broad spectrum of symptoms, such as tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, insomnia. However more evidence is needed to define specific dose of light for treatment non-motor symptoms Parkinson’s disease and the regime of its intake (length of irradiation, time of day, distance between the head and the light source).

Introduction. Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare astrocytic cancer of the central nervous system that is classified as grade II according to the WHO score. It accounts for 1% of primary brain tumors. It is mainly located in the temporal lobe and belongs to a group of tumors called long-term epilepsy associated tumors. Surgical tumor resection is the treatment of choice. Brief description of the state of knowledge. The non-invasive method of PXA diagnostics is neuroimaging, which is based on computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the image, PXA presents as a solid tumor undergoing contrast enhancement, located supratentorial, with frequent peripheral cystic components. The characteristic histologic picture for PXA is the presence of highly pleomorphic, fusiform or round, large astrocytes with single or multiple cell nuclei. Lymphoplasmic infiltrates are visible within the tumor. The most common mutations associated with the occurrence of this cancer are mutations in the BRAF V600E gene. Conclusions. PXA is a very rare tumor of the central nervous system (CNS) that can recur and spread throughout the CNS. Imaging tests, i.e. CT and MRI, allow for precise imaging of the lesion, however, it is necessary to perform a histopathological examination to make a final diagnosis. The rarity of this cancer assimilates diagnostic problems. Therefore, further molecular research is needed to develop more efficient diagnostics.

Introduction: In recent years, an association between Parkinson’s disease and cancer has been reported with many clinical and epidemiological studies, encouraging the investigation of a potential common pathogenic pathway connected with both diseases. However, association between neurogenesis, medical treatment of Parkinson’s disease and occurence of prostate cancer (PCA) is still being discussed. Brief description of the state of knowledge: There were carried out population-based case-control researches that checked the connection between Parkinson’s disease and the risk of prostate cancer in Western (Canada, USA, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Israel) and Asian (Taiwan) populations. Studies revealed that Parkinson’s disease had significant association with reduced risk of prostate cancer in most of studied populations (Western) and increased in Asian population. Conclusions: Most of researches proved that Parkinson’s disease was associated with reduction of risk of prostate cancer, which decreased with increasing duration of Parkinson’s disease. The relationship between those conditions in Asian population needs to be checked in the future.

Fatal familial insomia (FFI) is a dominant autosomal genetic prion disease characterised by progressive sleep impairment, autonomic nervous system disorders and motor symptoms associated with significant loss of nerve cells in the medial thalamic nuclei. Making a diagnosis of FFI requires the presence of a certain or probable recognised first-degree relative of the patient, together with neuropsychiatric disorders present. In turn, the detection of the PrP mutation allows the diagnosis to be definitively established. In addition, three other tests - polysomnography, brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid examination - can be helpful. Fatal familial insomnia is not a fully understood disease. Diagnosis is based on the presence of symptoms of the disease. An important step in diagnosis will be the development of non-invasive diagnostic tests that are reliable in the early and presymptomatic stages of the disease. Polysomnography, imaging studies (PET, SPECT) and cerebrospinal fluid examination should be improved and widely accepted.