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Tiagabine (TGB) is a novel anti-epileptic drug providing new therapeutic possibilities to patients with focal seizures resistant to treatment. Since there is no clear algorithm for the best add-on therapy, the aim of our work was to establish factors that statistically significantly affect tiagabine efficacy and toxicity in patients with focal seizures. Data in the study were obtained from over 200 neurologists all over Poland. A group of 1307 patients aged from 3.5 to 80 years with drug-resistant focal epilepsy participated in the study. They were under observation for 16 weeks when receiving TGB as an add-on therapy. Prior to TGB treatment they had at least 1 seizure per month (mean 7.42 +/- 9.86) during the past 3 months. On the study completion 40.47% of the patients were seizure-free for at least a month. Two factors turned out to be significant for TGB efficacy: the number of drugs used since the onset of epilepsy (p = 0.005) and seizure type (p = 0.047). The best outcome was attained in patients with simple partial seizures. Co-medication with phenytoin was better than TGB + carbamazepine or TGB + valproic acid. The factor determining the presence of side effects was the rate of TGB dose increment during the first six weeks of treatment. Toxicity of TGB was not related to its target dose. Tiagabine is a safe and efficient anti-epileptic drug for children and adults with focal epilepsy. Efficacy of tiagabine treatment depends on the number of drugs administered since the epilepsy onset and on the type of seizures. A slow dose increment is crucial for safety of TGB treatment.

The concentration of total carnitine in the blood serum of 15 newborns between days 5-21 of life was determined. The concentration of carnitine in low-birth-weight newborns is decreased in comparison with normal weight newborns; this deficiency may increase as a consequence of lack of carnitine provided with food or concomitant infection. The authors suggest that supplementation with carnitine be provided to this group of patients so as to prevent possible metabolic and clinical consequences.

Workers employed in chemical factories are chronically exposed to harmful substances present in the air of the occupational environment. The aim of this paper was to find out whether this situation produces adverse effects on the respiratory system despite the observance of admissible concentrations of toxic substances in the air. Spirometric values such as FVC1 and FEV1%FVC were measured in 647 workers. It was found that workers in some departments (power station and polystyrene) showed restrictive and obturative disturbances of ventilation. In other departments workers exhibited less expressed respiratory disorders. Adverse effect of smoking and long period of employment on the respiratory system of workers was also revealed. These results indicate that apart from substances present in the occupational environment there are other factors which affect as well the respiratory system of persons employed in the chemical industry.

Eye movements were recorded in the course of visual field determination. The behaviour of the eye is various in different persons, defying any rule, except, contrary to the definition of the visual field, it does not remain immobile but executes one or more saccades. Discussing the results the authors present a new concept of the visual field.

Power spectra of electromyograms (EMG) of back muscles in the lumbo-sacral area were compared in two groups of subjects. In the first one EMGs were registered in 49 young, healthy, males working in standing posture. The recordings were carried out at rest, after application of a 20 kg load and at the onset of pain. In the second group 31 subjects of both sexes and different age, suffering from intense back pain of various etiology, were investigated and compared with a group of 15 healthy persons. In the first group the power level increased after the loading, and in 42 subjects it showed further rise when the pain appeared. In the second group the power level at the range of 25 to 400 Hz, at rest, was significantly higher in the back pain patients than in healthy subjects. The results are discussed from the point of view of their applicability for the diagnosis of back pain.

The paper presents results of measurements of the whole energetic cost on the work-posts recognized by the management as basic. Altogether 121 determinations of energetic cost were performed on 18 different work-posts in two basic divisions of the steelworks. The results revealed that despite a considerable technical progress there is a significant number of work-posts, on which energetic cost exceeds 2600 kcal/8 hr. On these work-posts apart from the great energetic load, other loads, connected with material work environment on character of work, occur. This means that additional factors frequently increase their harmful effects on organism. The magnitude of energetic expenditure on a given work-post establishes the hierarchy of modernizational requirements for the plant's technical services.