[The recognition of ECG artefacts is becoming increasingly important for physicians working in the field of internal medicine. At the same time, however, very little information about artefacts is published in either articles or textbooks. The authors provide a summary of the generation, types and recognition of ECG artefacts. The aim of the article is to draw the attention of clinicians to the dangers of this increasingly common phenomenon. Unrecognised artefacts can often prompt further (unnecessary) investigations and may result in establishing wrong diagnosis as well as erroneous treatment decisions.]

[As the cardiovascular risk influences the quality and intensity of blood pressure lowering therapy, the goal blood pressure values and the frequency of medical control of hypertensive patients, as well as global risk assessment has an important role in the management of hypertension. In the last couple of years many data have been accumulated showing the poor prognostic value of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. This is the reason why recent Hungarian and international guidelines on the management of hypertension advise the screening for subclinical organ damage. Our goal was to summarize the importance of subclinical organ damage by discussing recently published literature on this topic. An overview has been made on the markers of vascular subclinical damage, like carotid atherosclerosis proved with carotid ultrasonography, peripheral arterial disease assessed with ankle-brachial pressure index measurements and vascular rigidity defined with pulse wave velocity measurements. The prognostic values of myocardial hypertrophy assessed with ECG and/or echocardiography and renal damage proved with decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria are also discussed. Summing up what has been said so far, the assessment of subclinical organ damage has a role in cardiovascular risk prediction, however more randomized and prospective studies have to be performed to define the most suitable (i.e. the most reliable and the most cost-effective) markers for this purpose.]

[Introduction/aim of the study - Pre-surgical functional MRI (fMRI) is an important modality of examinations before brain surgery. There are several artefacts (e.g. motion, susceptibility) which may hinder the evaluation of fMRI data. Physiological artefacts (breathing, pulsation) also affect the sensitivity and specificity of anatomical localization. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the efficiency of physiological artefact identification and removal methods for presurgical evaluation. Materials and methods - Siemens Magnetom Verio 3T MRI scanner was used to collect data. The physiological parameters (breathing, pulse) were recorded with the MRI system’s built-in devices. Data from fourteen patients - with primary brain tumour - were evaluated with SPM12 utilizing the RETROICOR/RVHR tool to detect and decrease the effect of physiological artefacts. We compared the statistical maps obtained with and without the physiological correction using the Jaccard similarity coefficient, and ROI analyses. Results - Significant differences were found in the mean ROI values (p<0.0016) and the extensions of eloquent activations (p<0.0013), when using the physiological correction (RETORICOR/RVHR) based on convolution method. On the other hand, no significant differences were found between the ROIs’ standard deviations (F=0.28). The RETROICOR/ RVHR method helps to define the precise localisation of eloquent areas (p<0.009). The number of irrelevant (non-significant) voxels were increased (p<0.001). Conclusions - Minimising of physiological artefacts in fMRI data calculations, the (RETROICOR/RVHR) method based on convolution has been successfully adapted. This algorithm could be helpful before neurosurgical intervention. The activity pattern became more reliable. ]

[The vascular diseases (myocardial infarct, stroke, peripheral occlusive disease) have a common pathophysiological background, the arteriosclerosis, that impairs the autoregulation of cerebral vessels, decreases the endothel mediated flow in the peripheral vessels. Therefore the assessment of the vascular damage or the follow-up of therapy need a complex and simultaneous approach. Currently the morphological and functional changes in the vascular system can be investigated with separated measuring systems, focusing either to cardiac or cerebral parameters (intermittent blood pressure measurement, ECG, cerebral blood flow by transcranial Doppler e.g.). Our purpose is to establish a complex non-invasive system for the simultaneous measurement and comparison of cardiac/cerebral/periheral hemodynamics. The hemodynamic parameters in hypertensive patients are examined with transcranial Doppler and cardiac monitoring during tilt-table test. Intima-media thickness, flow-mediated dilatation in brachial artery, augmentation index and pulse wave velocity are also measured. The measurement will be repeated after 6 and 12 months follow-up. Our preliminary results are similar to those found in the literature, that proves the reliability of our complex noninvasive hemodynamic system. It is assumed, that 12 months antihypertensive therapies with ACE inhibitors, calciumantagonist etc. might result in different effects on different vascular parameters. Our system enables the individualization of antihypertensive therapy.]