D. Vasileva 1, D. Lubenova 2
1 University Goce Delchev, Faculty of Medical Sciences – Stip, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
2 National Sports Academy Vassil Levski – Sofia, Bulgaria

Objective: To investigate the influence of the specialized physical therapy on functional independence and to compare the impact of usual physical therapy in patients with ischemic stroke in the chronic period.

Material and Methods: The study included 10 patients / 6 in the experimental and 4 in the control group, 6 men and 4 women with chronic right-sided and left-sided hemiparesis after ischemic stroke within 3 months. Subjects were evaluated on performance test of functional independence / FIM / at the beginning, of the 10th day, 1st month and 3 months.

G. Tekgol Uzuner, N. Uzuner
Eskisehir Osmangazi University – Eskisehir, Turkey

Objective: We assessed the motor stimulus to blood flow velocity (BFV) changes of bilateral middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) by transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography in patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular events and normal subjects.

Material and Methods: Fourty-three patients (20 female, 23 male; aged 55.6 years) with acute territorial stroke in the MCA territory, 38 patients (11 female, 27 male; aged 57.6 years) with acute lacunar stroke in the MCA territory, and 19 control subjects (9 female, 10 male; aged 53.5 years) were investigated. Bilateral TCD sonography from both MCAs were monitored during 10 cycles of 20 seconds when subjects are performing hand gripping with a frequency of one per second, and subsequently 20 seconds when they are rest to assess BFV changes on activated cortical motor areas. BFV increase was calculated off-line for each subjects.

P. Mineva 1, D. Hadjiev 2, V. Tsoneva 1, Zh. Andreev 2
1 Medical Faculty, Trakia University – Stara Zagora,
2 Medical Faculty, Medical University – Sofia, Bulgaria

Objective: The aim of this population-based study was to analyze the prevalence and correlations between the well-documented vascular risk factors (VRF) – asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS) and dyslipidemia, and their significance for the incidence of cerebral ischemic events.

Materials and Methods: A total of 500 randomly selected volunteers, 200 men and 300 women, without signs or symptoms of cerebrovascular disease, aged 50-79 years, were enrolled in the study in the University town of Stara Zagora. All participants underwent Duplex scanning of internal carotid arteries, structured questionnaires, a physical and neurological examination and a battery of laboratory tests.