INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to analyze the expression levels of specific genes that may contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients and explore the applicability of biomarkers. These biomarkers could serve as valuable diagnostic and prognostic tools, contributing to a better understanding of disease etiology, facilitating disease monitoring, and evaluating treatment efficacy.
METHODS: We analyzed the expression levels of SIRT7, SEMA3A, and SEMA3F genes using samples obtained from both MS patients and healthy controls.
RESULTS: Our research findings suggest that these genes have increased expression in the specific tissues of patients with MS, with blood samples showing the most pronounced increase in their expression levels.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Although these increases were not statistically significant, our study provides valuable insights for further research on gene expression in MS patients. This study demonstrates that potential biomarkers are essential in comprehending the molecular basis of MS. Additional research is needed to substantiate the findings presented in our study and enhance our understanding of the role of genes in the pathogenesis of MS.

INTRODUCTION: Conditions such as chronic fatigue or physical disability, particularly regular work, limit the treatment options that require continuous participation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The pandemic period highlighted the importance of home health services and increased interest in the current cognitive telerehabilitation (TR) applications. This study aims to determine the short and long-term effects of TR and the factors that influence it.
METHODS: This study included 61 MS patients. During 6 months, 32 patients (mean age =41.21±11.57; females =23 and males =9) received structured TR, and 29 patients (mean age =37.62±6.95; females =20 and males =9) received unstructured mental exercises. After the 6-month intervention period, another evaluation was conducted at the end of the 6-month silent period to evaluate the protective effect of the exercises. The participants were admi nistered with Rao’s Brief Repeatable Battery of neuropsychological tests at the beginning of the study and at the 6th and 12th months. The repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate performance changes over time, and the repeated measures ANCOVA test was used to assess the factors affecting these changes.
RESULTS: On average, most participants (59.4%) used the TR application for less than 4 h each week. TR and unstructured exercises positively affected Spatial Recall Test-Total Learning/Con and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test performances, and the total number of relapses affected these results. The total verbal learning Selective Reminding Test-Total Learning (SRT-TL), long-term storage (SRT-LTS), and delayed recall (SRT-DR) skills of all participants decreased at the end of the silent period. The factors affecting this deterioration are the duration of the disease, the total number of relapses, and the age of onset of the disease.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that TR and unstructured exercises had no differential effect on cognitive performance. In addition, the decrease in verbal memory performances in the silent period showed that the age of onset of the disease and the total number of relapses could be important evaluation criteria for cognitive involvement.

Optic neuritis and optic glioma are diseases that affect the optic nerve and cause visual disturbances. Although they can have different clinical presentations, they can also mimic each other. Optic glioma is a slow-growing tumor that causes gradual vision loss, whereas optic neuritis is an acute inflammatory disease that causes sudden onset vision loss and pain with eye movements. Due to the limitations of magnetic resonance imaging, distinguishing between the two conditions is not always possible. Herein, we have reported the case of a patient who was diagnosed with optic neuritis after extensive investigations and who recovered completely with medical treatment.