Zagreb

Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb University School of Medicine, Kišpatićeva 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

Clinical Hospital Dubrava, Av. G. Šuška 6, Zagreb, Croatia.

Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of Croatia.

The estimated population of the city in 2018 is 809,932. The population of Zagreb urban agglomeration is slightly above 1.1 million inhabitants and it makes approximately a quarter of a total population of Croatia.

The original English-language ODI was cross-culturally adapted into Croatian and then evaluated in a group of 114 patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) at the Department of Neurosurgery, Zagreb University School of Medicine. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted with three models: two were theory driven (unidimensional and two dimensional-static and dynamic factors); the other was based on our exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's α and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. Construct validity was assessed by evaluating the correlation between the ODI and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and between the ODI and 36-item short form survey (SF-36) scores.

The EFA-derived two-dimensional structure explained 82.7% of the total variance and was significantly better than the other models (P < 0.001); however, none of the models had acceptable fit. Internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.84) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.94) were satisfactory. The ODI was positively correlated with VAS (rs = 0.54, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with all of the SF-36 sections (rs = - 0.35 to - 0.64, P < 0.001, all), apart from the role-physical (rs = - 0.02, P = 0.767).

The Croatian version of the ODI has acceptable psychometric properties. It appears to be suitable for assessment of LBP and treatment outcomes in Croatian-speaking patients. Overall, there was no evidence to reject the original unidimensional structure in favor of a two-factor solution. As such, the unidimensional structure should continue to be used in future studies ¹⁾.

Nemir J, Njirić N, Ivanković D, Barl P, Domazet I, Radoš M, Mrak G, Paladino J. Tentorial alignment and its relationship to cisternal dimensions of the pineal region: MRI anatomical study with surgical implications using the new clivotentorial method. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2018 Jun 28;172:99-104. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2018.06.028. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29986205 ²⁾.

Neuropsychological testing of patients in the course of their recovery from brain injuries enables analysis of cognitive deficiencies and/or emotional changes. The principle study objective was to define organic and/or reactive personality changes and the course of these changes in the function of the time span following brain artery aneurysm surgery in both female and male patients. The study was carried out at the Clinical Department of Neurosurgery, Zagreb University Hospital Center in Zagreb. The data refer to the period from 1989 to 2012 collected in two time intervals, i.e. 11 months and 12-48 months following brain artery aneurysm surgery. Of 72 patients included in the study, there were 28 male and 44 female patients. Neuropsychological testing consisted of clinical interview, clinical assessment of frontal lobe syndrome, Cornell personality questionnaire and Emotional Profile Index. Study results showed evidence of frontal lobe syndrome in 32% of patients on first testing and significant recovery on retesting, when only 17% of patients presented with frontal lobe syndrome. The reactive personality changes found in both testing intervals indicated increased neuroticism. In the first testing period, asthenic syndrome occurred most often, followed by conversion and aggressive-antisocial syndromes, while in the second testing interval asthenic syndrome was most pronounced and conversion and antisocial syndromes showed the same level of expression. The results also showed higher depressive and disorganizing states, which were even more pronounced in the second testing interval. As regards sex differences, the inclination toward cardiovascular somatization and destructiveness was more expressed in females than in males, showing a tendency of aggravation with increasing the time span following surgery. It may be concluded that the study has contributed to better understanding of organic and/or reactive personality changes in patients undergoing brain artery aneurysm surgery ³⁾.