[INTRODUCTION - Shift workers have an impaired circadian rhythm, which might have an adverse effect on their health. In order to assess cardiometabolic risk in shift workers, a cross-sectional study was performed among active workers (aged 25-66 years, with a minimal shift working experience of 5 years). METHODS - In total 481 workers (121 men, 360 women) registered by the occupational health service were enrolled in our study. Most participants worked in the light industry (58.2%) or in public service (23.9%). Following questionnaire-based data recording, anthropometric measurements and physical examination were performed and fasting venous blood sample was taken for measuring laboratory parameters. Data from shift workers (n=234, 54 men and 180 women, age: 43.9±8.1 years) were compared with those of day workers (n=247, 67 men and 180 women, age: 42.8±8.5 years). RESULTS - Compared with day workers, shift workers had bigger weight (76.6±16.1 vs 73.9±17.6 kg; p<0.05), higher BMI index (27.5±5.3 vs 26.0±4.9 kg/m2; p<0.01) and systolic blood pressure (123±19 vs 119±16 mmHg, p<0.01), and higher prevalence rate of diabetes (4.3 vs 1.2 %; p<0.05) and cardiovascular diseases (3.8 vs 0.8 %; p<0.05). In addition, the proportion of participants who performed regular physical activity was lower (20.6 vs 38.7 %; p<0.001) and that of current smokers were higher (35.0 % vs 19.5 %; p<0.001) in shift workers than in day workers. In laboratory findings, only one difference has been found: HDL-cholesterol level was lower among women (shift workers versus workers: 1.56±0.32 vs 1.68±0.36 mmol/l; p<0.01). CONCLUSION - Long-term shift work (day-night) results in a less healthy lifestyle and worse cardiometabolic risk factors compared with day work. Thus, our study highlights the importance of measures for preventing cardiovascular diseases in shift workers.]

[Aim - Despite of the continuing interest in actigraphy it has a relatively low impact on the everyday medical routine. Accordingly, we set out to review the current state and to recommend relevant further indications for its application, especially in neuropsychiatry. Method - We surveyed the areas of its use and then reviewed the literature, with special regard to its advantages and methodological limitations. Adding to the results we enlarged the results with our own personal experience. Results - The limitations of the method may be decreased by methodological manipulations (a simple rational data reduction is recommended). Actigraphy appears to be a useful tool in the diagnosis of illnesses, syndromes or disorders influencing the vigilance level, the motor performance or the energetic balance of the organism. We constructed a list of the most relevant fields of indication of actigraphy in diagnostics, illustrated by anecdotal actigraphic case records. Conclusion - Further methodological considerations are needed for the successful evaluation of accelerometry. Targeted basic epidemiological studies in the healthy population and in patient groups should solve various open questions in order to make full use of the advantages of actigraphy in the everyday clinical routine.]

Cognitive dysfunction (CD) is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Alexithy­mia is a still poorly understood neuropsychiatric feature of PD. Cognitive impairment (especially visuospatial dysfunction and executive dysfunction) and alexithymia share com­mon pathology of neuroanatomical structures. We hypo­thesized that there must be a correlation between CD and alexithymia levels considering this relationship of neuroanatomy. Objective – The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between alexithymia and neurocognitive function in patients with PD. Thirty-five patients with PD were included in this study. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale–20 (TAS-20), Geriatric Depression Inventory (GDI) and a detailed neuropsychological evaluation were performed. Higher TAS-20 scores were negatively correlated with Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) similarities test score (r =-0.71, p value 0.02), clock drawing test (CDT) scores (r=-0.72, p=0.02) and verbal fluency (VF) (r=-0.77, p<0.01). Difficulty identifying feelings subscale score was negatively correlated with CDT scores (r=-0.74, p=0.02), VF scores (r=-0.66, p=0.04), visual memory immediate recall (r=-0.74, p=0.01). VF scores were also correlated with difficulty describing feelings (DDF) scores (r=-0.66, p=0.04). There was a reverse relationship bet­ween WAIS similarities and DDF scores (r=-0.70, p=0.02), and externally oriented-thinking (r=-0.77,p<0.01). Executive function Z score was correlated with the mean TAS-20 score (r=-62, p=0.03) and DDF subscale score (r=-0.70, p=0.01) Alexithymia was found to be associated with poorer performance on visuospatial and executive function test results. We also found that alexithymia was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms. Presence of alexithymia should therefore warn the clinicians for co-existing CD.