Article Information and Declarations

These specific elements should be provided in dedicated sections of the submission panel; they are available according to the type of article. Please, do not include these elements in the main text. More information on particular items is provided in the Author Guidelines panel.

Acknowledgments

If applicable, please provide any acknowledgments for the conduct of the study and/or support for manuscript preparation. 

Author contributions

Please, describe the contribution of all co-authors to the final manuscript.

Funding

Please, highlight any funding that you may have received for the reported research or state that no funding, grants, or other support was received.

Availability of data and materials

Please, indicate that original contributions presented in the study are included in the article (and as Supplementary Material, if applicable) and that further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Please, if applicable state that the study was reviewed and approved by an Ethics Committee and that patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study. If not applicable, please explain why ethical approval and/or consent were not required.

Competing interests

Any possible conflicts of interest regarding the submitted article should be described for each author, or authors should declare they have no conflict of interest related to the submitted manuscript.

Supplementary Material

If applicable: the Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: (link will be provided by an Editor).

Table I. Elements of

Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska, the Polish Journal of Neurology and Neurosurgery (PJNNS), is the research and educational platform of the Polish Neurological Society and the Polish Society of Neurosurgeons. Since the early part of the last century, the journal has published the results of basic and clinical research that have led to the improved understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of neurological and neurosurgical disorders.

Regular features include:

• Editorials
• Invited Editorials
• Invited Review Articles
• Review Articles
• Guidelines
• Research Papers
• Short Communications
• Technical Notes
• Points of View
• Letters to the Editors
• Response to the Letters to the Editors
  
  Its readership comprises neurologists and neurosurgeons, clinicians engaged in research, and clinical scientists.

I. General rules

The Polish Journal of Neurology and Neurosurgery (PJNNS) is a platform for the exchange of ideas in the field of clinical neurology. To facilitate the transfer of such knowledge between authors and readers, the editorial team of the PJNNS respectfully asks authors to adhere to the following rules regarding the preparation of articles:

Authorship

The Polish Journal of Neurology and Neurosurgery (PJNNS) abides by the rules of responsible and ethical publishing. It is understood that all persons added to the list of authors must have substantially participated in collecting and analysing the data and/or in preparing the manuscript, and that none of the researchers/clinicians significantly involved in the project have been omitted from the list of authors. It is also assumed that all the listed authors have read and approved the manuscript prior to its submission.

Structure of manuscript

For each type of manuscript, instructions regarding structure follow:

Title page

The first (title) page of each manuscript must contain the title of the article, the name(s) of the author(s), scientific degrees and affiliations, and the name and address of the corresponding author.

Title

The title should be no longer than 160 characters, and should describe the subject (or topic) discussed in the paper.

Abstract

An abstract is required for Research papers, Invited Review articles, Review articles, Editorials, Guidelines, and Short communications. Abstracts are not required for Technical Notes, Letters to the Editor, or Commentaries. Such articles should be titled so as to give the reader an insight into the content of the text.

Key words

The abstract, or the title, should be followed by 4 - 8 key words that allow a precise indexing of the paper. The exact name of the clinical entity that is the main topic of the paper must form one of these key words.

Ethical permission

A statement on the ethical aspects of every submitted paper should be included. If a paper does not describe any clinical observations of experiments (e.g. Reviews or Commentaries), the sentence ‘Ethical approval was not necessary for the preparation of this article’ should be placed after the main text of the manuscript. If the paper describes an original discovery, the statement on ethical approval should appear in the methodological part of the manuscript.

Illustrations

Illustrations should be submitted as a separate file with captions provided within the text of the manuscript. Illustrations should be numbered according to their order of appearance in the text. The number of illustrations is limited to two. However, additional illustrations or videos can be included in supplementary material. Composite illustrations are welcome.

Tables

Tables should be prepared using the same text processing software as the rest of the manuscript. Tables should be numbered according to their order of appearance in the text. Tables should be placed on separate pages at the end of the manuscript. The number of tables is limited to two. However, additional tables can be included in supplementary material.

References

The Vancouver style of referencing is required in papers submitted to the PJNNS. The number of references for specific types of articles is limited as follows: Research papers: up to 50, Invited Review articles and Review articles: up to 100, Editorials: up to 30, Guidelines: up to 80, Short communications and Technical Notes: up to 20, Points of View: up to 30, Letters to the Editors: up to 5. 

Funding

Clear and precise identification of any funding source must appear after the main text. When no external sources of funding were involved, the sentence ‘This publication was prepared without any external source of funding’ should appear.

Conflicts of interest

Any possible conflict of interest regarding the submitted paper should be described for each author in a separate paragraph following the main text.

II. Research papers

Research papers presenting the results of performed experiments and/or clinical observations form the core group of publications in the PJNNS.

1. Word count

Research papers must contain no more than 3,500 words, excluding references, captions and tables.

2. Title

The title, of no more than 160 characters, should be informative and concise, and should directly address the clinical entity described in the manuscript.

3. Abstract

An abstract must be no longer than 350 words and be divided into the following paragraphs: Aim of the study; Clinical rationale for the study; Materials and Methods; Results; Conclusions and Clinical Implications.

4. Key words

The abstract should be followed by 4 - 8 key words. At least one of these words should be the name of a specific clinical entity (e.g. Parkinson’s disease), a syndrome (e.g. seizure) or a procedure (e.g. stereotactic biopsy).

5. Structure and content of the main text

The main text should be divided into the following sections:

Introduction defining the topic of the paper and putting it in the context of recent publications; Clinical Rationale For the Study. A short paragraph explaining why the results of the study are supposed to be clinically useful or scientifically inspiring; Materials and Methods. A description of the studied and control populations and the interventions and observations undertaken or performed. It should also contain a precise description of laboratory experiments (where applicable) specific enough to allow reproduction, and of statistical methods used for data analysis. The authors’ statement regarding ethical approval of their project should also appear in this section. Discussion. Authors must set out their specific findings in the context of the most recent publications in the particular field. The Discussion should also identify any strong or weak aspects of the project, and any limitations of the work carried out. Authors must conclude their Discussion with specific conclusions as to how their findings compare to those in the literature. Clinical Implications/Future Directions. A paragraph of no more than eight sentences, explaining if and how the results of this study could influence everyday clinical practice and what further investigations might be required to add new data to the field.

6. Number of Tables

Research papers may contain either one or two tables, numbered according to their appearance in the text, with precise legends and titles. Additional tables (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material.

7. Number of Illustrations

Research papers may feature up to two illustrations. These should be numbered, titled and clearly described. Additional illustrations (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material. Composite illustrations are welcome.

8. References

Research papers should have no more than 50 references.

III. Invited review articles

 The Editors-in-Chief might invite an author to write a Review article on a selected topic. The aim is to present the current state of knowledge in the field. The publication is exempt from the author's fee.

1. Word count

An Invited Review article will contain no more than 5,000 words, excluding references, captions and tables.

2. Title

Highly specific titles are preferred.

3. Abstract

An abstract of no more than 300 words is required. It should define the topics covered by the Review, and signal whether the paper is addressed more to clinicians or to researchers. Abstracts should be divided into the following paragraphs: Introduction, State of the Art, Clinical Implications, Future Directions, or other pertinent paragraphs related to the subject under review

4. Key words

The abstract should be followed by 4 - 8 key words. At least one of these words should be the name of a specific clinical entity (e.g. Parkinson’s disease), a syndrome (e.g. seizure) or a procedure (e.g. stereotactic biopsy).

5. Structure and content of the main text

The structure of a Review is largely a matter for the author. These however are our suggestions: Introduction defining the purposes of the Review. State of the Art section describing the significance of the topic of the Review, with special consideration given to the most recent discoveries in the field. Clinical Implications summing up the most important facts presented in the Review. Future Directions addressing any unanswered questions and setting out future challenges for researchers.

6. Number of Tables

Reviews may contain either one or two tables, numbered according to their appearance in the text, with precise legends and titles. Additional tables (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material.

7. Number of Illustrations

Reviews may contain either one or two illustrations. Additional illustrations (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material. Composite illustrations are welcome.

8. References

Reviews may contain up to 100 references. 

IV. Review articles

Authors are encouraged to propose topics of reviews to be published in the PJNNS. An author proposing a review is asked to present to the Editor-in-Chief a preliminary abstract of his or her paper of no more than 200 words. This will allow an assessment of the merit of the article, whether it is within the scope of the PJNNS, and whether any similar review is under consideration. One of the Editors-in-Chief will then decide whether to commission a full Review.

The formal requirements for a Review article in terms of word count, numbers of references etc are exactly the same as for Invited Review articles as described in section III above.

V. Editorials

Editorials are articles written by the Editors of the PJNNS or by authors invited by the Editors. The aim of an Editorial is to comment on a paper published in the PJNNS, or to place it in its wider scientific context. Editorials and Invited Editorials are exempt from publication fees.

1. Word count

Editorials should contain no more than 800 words, excluding references.

2. Title

The title should be relevant to the article being commented upon.

3. Abstract

No abstract is required.

4. Key words

Key words are not required for Editorials.

5. Structure and content of the main text

Editorials need no specific structure.

6. Number of Tables

Editorials may contain either one or two tables. Additional tables (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material.

7. Number of Illustrations

Editorials may contain either one or two illustrations. Additional illustrations (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material. Composite illustrations are welcome.

8. References

Editorials may contain up to 30 references. 

VI. Guidelines

The PJNNS is open to receiving proposals for papers containing clinical guidelines prepared by medical societies and other clinical and scientific groups of experts. The publication is exempt from the author's fee. The formal requirements for such Guideline papers are as follows:

1. Word count

Guidelines should contain no more than 3,500 words, excluding references, captions and tables.

2. Title

The title should contain the name of the organisation preparing the Guideline, and the specific clinical condition to which the Guideline applies.

3. Abstract

The abstract, of no more than 350 words, should describe the clinical condition being addressed and present the most important guidelines. The abstract should be divided into four paragraphs: Introduction, Aim of the Guideline, Results, and Conclusions.

5. Key words

The abstract should be followed by 4 - 8 key words.

6. Structure and content of the main text

The main text should be divided into the following sections:

Introduction describing the clinical phenomenon which is the subject of the Guidelines, including basic epidemiological, pathophysiological and therapeutic data.

Aim. Precisely defined clinical issues that are addressed by the Guidelines, preferably formulated as clinical questions.

Methods. A list of relevant publications, the methods of publications search, the methods of reaching a consensus, and any particular strengths of the Guidelines should be described.

Results. Evidence-based answers to the questions formulated in the ‘Aim’ section should be presented.

Conclusions. Potential clinical implications of the Guidelines and any identified weak points should be described, as well as areas awaiting future Guidelines.

7. Number of Tables

Guidelines may contain either one or two tables. Additional tables (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material.

8. Number of Illustrations

Guidelines may contain either one or two illustrations. Additional illustrations (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material. Composite illustrations are welcome.

9. References

Guidelines may contain up to 80 references. 

VII. Short communications

A Short communication is a type of article used to present data coming from a case series or short projects of preliminary studies.

1. Word count

Short communications should contain no more than 1,500 words, excluding references, captions and tables.

2. Title

The title, of no more than 160 characters, should be informative and concise, and should directly address the clinical entity described in the manuscript.

3. Abstract

An abstract of no more than 200 words should be divided into four paragraphs: Aim of the study; Materials and Methods; Results; Conclusions and Clinical Implications.

4. Key words

The abstract should be followed by 4 - 8 key words. At least one of these words should be the name of a specific clinical entity (e.g. Parkinson’s disease), a syndrome (e.g. seizure) or a procedure (e.g. stereotactic biopsy).

5. Structure and content of the main text

The main text must be divided into the following sections:

Introduction. A very short paragraph defining the topic of the paper and putting it in the context of recent publications; Materials and Methods. A description of the studied and control populations and the interventions and observations undertaken or performed. It should also contain a precise description of laboratory experiments (where applicable) specific enough to allow reproduction, and of statistical methods used for data analysis. The authors should add their statement upon ethical approval of their project to this section. Discussion. Authors are kindly asked to put their specific findings in the context of the most recent publications in the field. They must finish their discussion with specific conclusions resulting from their findings in the context of the literature. Clinical Implications/Future Directions. A short paragraph of 3 - 4 sentences, explaining if/how results of this study may influence everyday clinical practice and outlining future scientific efforts in the field.

6. Number of Tables

Short communications contain no more than one table. Additional tables (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material.

7. Number of Illustrations

Short communications contain no more than one illustration. Additional illustrations (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material. Composite illustrations are welcome.

8. References.

Short communications may contain up to 20 references.

VIII. Points of View

Opinion articles or papers that don’t qualify as Research Papers, as they don’t have much original data, and would also not qualify as Reviews, because they are based on personal experiences and workshop results.

Viewpoints are systematic and highly-opinionated articles focusing on new topics in the critical care field.

1. Word count
   
   Viewpoints should be between 2,000 and 3,000 words.
   
   
2. Title
   
   Highly specific titles are preferred.
   
   
3. Abstract
   
   The abstract should be no longer than 100 words.
   
   
4. Key words
   
   The abstract should be followed by 4–8 key words.
   
   
5. Structure
   
   Abstract should be structured — if data are presented, the structure of an Original Paper can be used. The main headings within the paper should include:
   
   — Introduction
   
   — Material and methods
   
   — Results
   
   — Discussion
   
   — Conclusions
   
   6. References
   
   Viewpoints may contain up to 30 references. 
   
   Supplementary materials are allowed.

XI. Technical notes

These papers focus on new operational techniques or on new devices that can improve neurosurgical procedures.

1. Word count

Technical Notes should contain no more than 1000 words, excluding references, captions and tables.

2. Title.

This should directly describe the technique or device.

3. Abstract

No abstract is required.

4. Key words

No key words are required.

5. Structure and content of the main text

No specific structure is required.

6. Number of Tables and Illustrations

Technical Notes may contain 1) one table and one firure or 2) two figures. Additional tables and figures (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material.

      7. References.

Technical Notes may contain up to 10 references. 

X. Letters to the Editors

Authors are invited to submit their clinical observations (e.g. case reports, short case series) in the form of Letters to the Editors.

Authors are also invited to comment on the artciles published in the PJNNS. These views will be also considered as Letters to the Editors.  They will be addressed (if desired) by the authors of the original manuscript. If the authors of original manuscript elect to decline the response, this will be noted.

Letters to the Editors are exempt from the author’s fee.

1. Word count

Letters to the Editors should contain no more than 1,000 words, excluding references, captions and tables.

     2. Title

The title should convey to the reader the most important information in the Letter to the Editors.

     3. Abstract

No abstract is required.

     4. Key words

The title should be followed by 2–4 key words.

     5. Structure and content of the main text

Although no specific structure is required, authors are asked to present their clinical observations first, then to place them in the context of published data, with special attention given to the novelty and uniqueness of the presented finding, or comment on the point of importance they wish to raise in relation to the article they are commenting on.

     6. Number of Tables

Letters to the Editors may contain one table. Additional tables (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material.

     7. Number of Illustrations

Letters to the Editors may contain one illustration. Additional illustrations (clearly addressed in the text of the manuscript) may be submitted as supplementary material. Composite illustrations are welcome.

     8. References

Letters to the Editors may contain up to 5 references. 

XI. Response to the Letters to the Editors

Authors are invited to respond to Letters to the Editors submitted to the Editors of the PJNNS. This category predominantly applies to those authors whose original article has been commented on in the Letter to the Editors. If the authors of original manuscript elect to decline the response, this will be noted.

Response to the Letter to the Editors is exempt from the author’s fee.

Note, that Letters to the Editors should start with "To the Editors" sentence.

     1. Word count

Response to the Letter to the Editors should contain no more than 500 words, excluding references, captions and tables.

     2. Title

Title should include the title of initial manuscript and statemnt that this is a Resonse Letter to the Letter to the Editors.

     3. Abstract

No abstract is required.

     4. Key words

No key words are required.

     5. Structure and content of the main text

No specific structure is required, but the original paper or commentary should be cited in the text.

     6. Tables and Ilustrations

No tables and ilustrations are  permitted.

     7. References

Only 3 references are allowed, two of them should cite the original manuscript and the Letter to the Editor.

Publication mode

Since July 1^st, 2021, the PJNNS has changed publication model of the Journal from hybrid to full gold open access. All articles are freely available. There is one Author Publication Charge (APC) paid once submitted papers are accepted for publication: USD 250,00 for members of The Polish Neurological Society, as well as members of Editorial Team (first and/or corresponding author), and USD 450,00 for all other submissions.
For more information please see the ‘Author Fees’ and ‘Offprints’ paragraphs below.    

Ethics in publishing

Via Medica strongly recommends that journal editors, authors and readers adhere to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly in dealing with ethical misconduct. For more information, please visit the COPE website: http://publicationethics.org/.

Conflict of interest

Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships with people or organisations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential competing interests include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding.

Authors must disclose any interests in two places: 1. A summary declaration of interest statement in the title page file. If there are no interests to declare, please state: 'Conflicts of interest: none'. This summary statement will be ultimately published if the article is accepted. 2. Detailed disclosures as part of a separate Author(s) Statement, which forms part of the journal's official records. It is important for interests to be declared in both places, and that the information matches.

Use of inclusive language

Inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect, is sensitive to difference, and promotes equal opportunity. Articles should make no assumptions about the beliefs of any reader, should contain nothing which might imply that one individual is superior to another on the grounds of race, sex, culture or any other characteristic, and should use inclusive language throughout. Authors should ensure that writing is free from bias, for instance by using 'he or she', 'his/her' instead of 'he' or 'his', and by making use of neutral job titles (e.g. 'chairperson' instead of 'chairman' and 'flight attendant' instead of 'stewardess').

Contributors

Each author must declare his or her individual contribution to the article: all authors must have materially participated in the research and/or article preparation, so roles for all authors should be described. The statement that all authors have approved the final article should be true and included in the disclosure.

Role of the funding source

Please identify who provided financial support for the conduct of the research and/or preparation of the article and briefly describe the role of the sponsor(s), if any, in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication. If the funding source(s) had no such involvement, this should be stated.

Language (usage and editing services)

Please write in English (American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture). Authors who feel their English language manuscript may require editing to eliminate grammatical or spelling errors, and to conform to correct scientific English, should use the recognised English Language Editing services involved in medical writing.   

Permissions

Material taken from another source must be accompanied by a written statement from both author and publisher giving permission to the Polish Journal of Neurology and Neurosurgery for reproduction. Permission in writing is required from at least one author of papers still in press, unpublished data, and personal communications.

Peer review

This journal operates a single blind review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor's decision is final.

Single-blind review

This journal uses a single blind review, which means the identities of the authors are not concealed from the reviewers, but the identities of the reviewers are concealed from the authors. More information is available on our website.

Use of word processing software

It is important that the file be saved in the native format of the word processor used. The text should be in single-column format. Keep the layout of the text as simple as possible. Most formatting codes will be removed and replaced on processing the article. In particular, do not use the word processor's options to justify text or to hyphenate words. However, do use bold face, italics, subscripts, superscripts etc. When preparing tables, if you are using a table grid, use only one grid for each individual table and not a grid for each row. If no grid is used, use tabs, not spaces, to align columns. The electronic text should be prepared in a way very similar to that of conventional manuscripts. Note that source files of figures, tables and text graphics will be required whether or not you embed your figures in the text. To avoid unnecessary errors you are strongly advised to use the 'spell-check' and 'grammar-check' functions of your word processor.

Article structure

Subdivision - numbered sections

Divide your article into clearly defined and numbered sections. Subsections should be numbered 1.1 (then 1.1.1, 1.1.2, ...), 1.2, etc. (the abstract is not included in section numbering). Use this numbering also for internal cross-referencing: do not just refer to 'the text'. Any subsection may be given a brief heading. Each heading should appear on its own separate line.

Introduction

State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results.

Material and methods

Provide sufficient details to allow the work to be reproduced by an independent researcher. Methods that are already published should be summarized, and indicated by a reference. If quoting directly from a previously published method, use quotation marks and also cite the source. Any modifications to existing methods should also be described.

Results

Results should be clear and concise.

Discussion

This should explore the significance of the results of the work, not repeat them. A combined Results and Discussion section is often appropriate. Avoid extensive citations and discussion of published literature.

Essential title page information

• Title. Concise and informative. Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible.
• Author names and affiliations. Please clearly indicate the given name(s) and family name(s) of each author and check that all names are accurately spelled. You can add your name between parentheses in your own script behind the English transliteration. Present the authors' affiliation addresses (where the actual work was done) below the names. Indicate all affiliations with a lowercase superscript letter immediately after the author's name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.
• Corresponding author. Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. This responsibility includes answering any future queries about Methodology and Materials. Ensure that the e-mail address is given and that contact details are kept up to date by the corresponding author.
• Present/permanent address. If an author has moved since the work described in the article was done, or was visiting at the time, a 'Present address' (or 'Permanent address') may be indicated as a footnote to that author's name. The address at which the author actually did the work must be retained as the main, affiliation address. Superscript Arabic numerals are used for such footnotes.
• Acknowledgements

Collate acknowledgements in a separate section and include it on the title page only. List here those individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., providing language help, writing assistance or proof reading the article, etc.).

Abstract

A concise and factual abstract is required. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself. The abstract should be included in the Blinded Manuscript.

Keywords

Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 5 keywords, using American spelling and avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and', 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations that are unavoidable must be defined twice: (1) at their first mention in the Abstract and (2) at their first mention in the remaining part of the article. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the article.

Units

Follow internationally accepted rules and conventions: use the international system of units (SI). If other units are mentioned, please give their equivalent in SI.

Footnotes

Footnotes should be used sparingly. Number them consecutively throughout the article. Many word processors can build footnotes into the text, and this feature may be used. Otherwise, please indicate the position of footnotes in the text and list the footnotes themselves separately at the end of the article. Do not include footnotes in the Reference list.

Artwork

Electronic artwork

General points

• Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork.
• Embed the used fonts if the application provides that option.
• Aim to use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Times New Roman, Symbol, or use fonts that look similar.
• Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text.
• Use a logical naming convention for your artwork files.
• Provide captions to illustrations separately.
• Size the illustrations close to the desired dimensions of the published version.
• Submit each illustration as a separate file.

Formats

If your electronic artwork is created in a Microsoft Office application (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) then please supply 'as is' in the native document format. Regardless of the application used other than Microsoft Office, when your electronic artwork is finalized, please 'Save as' or convert the images to one of the following formats (note the resolution requirements for line drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations given below):

EPS (or PDF): Vector drawings, embed all used fonts. TIFF (or JPEG): Colour or grayscale photographs (halftones), keep to a minimum of 300 dpi. TIFF (or JPEG): Bitmapped (pure black & white pixels) line drawings, keep to a minimum of 1000 dpi. TIFF (or JPEG): Combinations bitmapped line/halftone (colour or grayscale), keep to a minimum of 500 dpi.

Please do not:

• Supply files that are optimized for screen use (e.g., GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); these typically have a low number of pixels and limited set of colours;
• Supply files that are too low in resolution;
• Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content.

Colour artwork

Please make sure that artwork files are in an acceptable format (TIFF (or JPEG), EPS (or PDF), or MS Office files) and with the correct resolution.

Figure captions

Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions separately, not attached to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used.

Tables

Please submit tables as editable text and not as images. Tables can be placed either next to the relevant text in the article, or on separate page(s) at the end. Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text and place any table notes below the table body. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in them do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article. Please avoid using vertical rules and shading in table cells.

References

Citation in text

Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Any references cited in the abstract must be given in full. Unpublished results and personal communications are not recommended in the reference list, but may be mentioned in the text. If these references are included in the reference list they should follow the standard reference style of the journal and should include a substitution of the publication date with either 'Unpublished results' or 'Personal communication'. Citation of a reference as 'in press' implies that the item has been accepted for publication.

Reference links

Increased discoverability of research and high quality peer review are ensured by online links to the sources cited. In order to allow us to create links to abstracting and indexing services, such as Scopus, CrossRef and PubMed, please ensure that data provided in the references are correct. Please note that incorrect surnames, journal/book titles, publication year and pagination may prevent link creation. When copying references, please be careful as they may already contain errors. Use of the DOI is highly encouraged. A DOI is guaranteed never to change, so you can use it as a permanent link to any electronic article. An example of a citation using DOI for an article not yet in an issue is: VanDecar J.C., Russo R.M., James D.E., Ambeh W.B., Franke M. (2003). Aseismic continuation of the Lesser Antilles slab beneath north eastern Venezuela. Journal of Geophysical Research, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JB000884. Please note the format of such citations should be in the same style as all other references in the paper.

Web references

As a minimum, the full URL should be given and the date when the reference was last accessed. Any further information, if known (DOI, author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired, or can be included in the reference list.

Data references

This Journal encourages you to cite underlying or relevant datasets in your manuscript by citing them in your text and including a data reference in your Reference List. Data references should include the following elements: author name(s), dataset title, data repository, version (where available), year, and global persistent identifier. Add [dataset] immediately before the reference so we can properly identify it as a data reference. The [dataset] identifier will not appear in your published article.

References in a special issue

Please ensure that the words 'this issue' are added to any references in the list (and any citations in the text) to other articles in the same Special Issue.

Reference management software

Please follow the format of the sample references and citations as shown in this Guide. If you use reference management software, please ensure that you remove all field codes before submitting the electronic manuscript. More information on how to remove field codes.

Other software that can be used for reference management: RefWorks (http://www.refworks.com), BibTeX (http://www.bibtex.org), ProCite (http://www.procite.com). Users of Mendeley Desktop can easily install the reference style for this journal by clicking the following link: http://open.mendeley.com/use-citation-style/neurologia-i-neurochirurgia-polska. When preparing your manuscript, you will then be able to select this style using the Mendeley plugins for Microsoft Word or LibreOffice.

Reference style

The references should be based on the readily available texts published in the latest and major journals mainly written in English. Number the references (numbers in square brackets) in the list in the order in which they appear in the text.

Model of reference to a journal publication:

Last name, initial, full paper title, journal full name, year, volume (number) first and last page.

Examples:

Reference to a journal publication:

[1] Paivio A, Jansen B, Becker LJ. Comparisons through the mind's eye. Cognition 1975;37(2):635– 47.

Reference to a book:

[2] Letheridge S, Cannon CR, editors. Bilingual education: teaching English as a second language. New York: Praeger; 1980.

Reference to a chapter in an edited book:

[3] Strunk Jr W, White EB. The elements of style. 3rd ed. New York: MacMillan; 1979 [chapter 4].

Reference to a conference (only abstracts 2-page long may serve as references):

[4] Douglis F, Ball Th. Tracking and viewing changes on the web. In: Proc. 1996 USENIX technical conference; 1996

Data references:

[5] Oguro M, Imahiro S, Saito S, Nakashizuka T. Mortality data for Japanese oak wilt disease and surrounding forest compositions, Mendeley Data, v1; 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/xwj98nb39r.1.

Data visualization

Include interactive data visualizations in your publication and let your readers interact and engage more closely with your research. Follow the instructions here to find out about available data visualization options and how to include them with your article.

Supplementary material

Supplementary material such as applications, images and sound clips, can be published with your article to enhance it. Submitted supplementary items are published exactly as they are received (Excel or PowerPoint files will appear as such online). Please submit your material together with the article and supply a concise, descriptive caption for each supplementary file. If you wish to make changes to supplementary material during any stage of the process, please make sure to provide an updated file. Do not annotate any corrections on a previous version. Please switch off the 'Track Changes' option in Microsoft Office files as these will appear in the published version.

INSTRUCTIONS TO SUBMIT A REVISED MANUSCRIPT
Before you begin submitting your revision, please ensure you have all the revised files ready. Please provide a separate covering letter outlining the changes that have been made to the submission in response to the reviewers’ comments and any other changes. All changes to the manuscript text should be tracked in the revised manuscript file ('Track Changes' mode if using Microsoft word).

Submission declaration and verification

Submission of an article implies that the work has not been published previously except in the form of an abstract, a published lecture or academic thesis that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors, and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright holder. To verify originality, your article may be checked by the originality detection service Crossref Similarity Check.

Submission

Our online submission system guides you stepwise through the process of entering your article details and uploading your files. The system converts your article files to a single PDF file used in the peer review process. Editable files (e.g. Word) are required to typeset your article for final publication. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and requests for revision, is sent by e-mail.

Referees

Please submit the names and institutional e-mail addresses of several potential referees.

Changes to authorship

Authors should consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of names in the authorship list can be made only before the manuscript has been accepted, and only if approved by the Editor. To request such a change, the Editor must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in author list and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed. Only in exceptional circumstances will the Editor consider the addition, deletion or rearrangement of authors after the manuscript has been accepted. While the Editor considers such a request, publication of the manuscript will be suspended. If the manuscript has already been published in an online issue, any requests approved by the Editor will result in a corrigendum.

Submission Checklist

Authors are required to check their submission's compliance with all of the following. Submissions may be returned to authors not adhering to these guidelines:

Manuscript File: Required Components and Formatting

1.1 Title page with all required information

1.2 Word count (varying, according to article type)

1.3 Structured abstract, unstructured abstract or none (varying, according to article type)

1.4 Running head

1.5 Key words

1.6 Table/Figure legends

1.7 References superscript in text, compiled at the end of the paper in the Vancouver style

1.8 Limited number of references

1.9 Text submitted in .doc/.docx or .rtf format

1.9 Text double-spaced, using Times New Roman and font size 12

1.10 Manuscript checked for spelling and grammar

1.11 Article type correct 

Supporting Files (Attached as Separate Documents)

2.1 Cover letter

2.2 Conflict of Interest Statement

2.3 Written permission for usage of photographs, illustrations, figures, or text from another source

2.4 Figures: TIF, JPG, EPS, CDR format at the standard resolutions, i.e. 300 dpi for photos, 600 dpi for line art

2.5 Each table, figure, photograph, or illustration in a separate file

2.6 Movies submitted as "Suppl data" in .avi, .mov, or .mp4 formats (max. size: 6MB)

Revision/Resubmission: Required Components and Formatting

3.1 ‘Track changes’ mode

3.2 Rebuttal letter

Final PDF file checked before manuscript submission

• The above-mentioned work has not previously been published and has not been submitted to the publishers of any other journal (with the exception of abstracts not exceeding 250 words).
• All the co-authors named and the relevant authorities of the scientific institutions in which the work has been carried out are familiar with the contents of this work and have agreed to its publication.
• The authors empower the Publisher to make any necessary editorial changes to the submitted manuscript.
• The authors are familiar with the regulations governing the acceptance of works as published in the PJNNS and agree to follow them.
• Protocol of the study was approved by the local Human Investigation Committee (or respective body) and subjects involved in the study signed informed consent approved by the institution.
• The authors report any potential conflict of interest, which might include: grants funding the project, speaker honoraria from a company, consulting fees and stock options, other forms of gratification.

Author statement

Cover letter

Proofs

One set of page proofs (as PDF files) will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author (if we have no e-mail address, paper proofs will be sent by post) or a link will be provided in the e-mail so that authors can download the files themselves. Via Medica now provides authors with PDF proofs which can be annotated; for this you will need to download the free Adobe Reader, version 9 (or higher). Instructions on how to annotate PDF files will accompany the proofs (also given online). The exact system requirements appear on the Adobe site.

If you do not wish to use the PDF annotations function, you may list the corrections (including replies to the Query Form) and return them to Via Medica in an e-mail. Please list your corrections, quoting line numbers. If, for any reason, this is not possible, then mark the corrections and any other comments (including replies to the Query Form) on a printout of your proof and scan the pages and return via e-mail. Please use this proof only for checking the typesetting, editing, completeness and correctness of the text, tables and figures.

Significant changes to the article as accepted for publication will only be considered at this stage with permission from the Editor. We will do everything possible to get your article published quickly and accurately. It is important to ensure that all corrections are sent back to us in one communication: please check carefully before replying, as inclusion of any subsequent corrections cannot be guaranteed. Proofreading is solely your responsibility.

This journal charges the following author fees.

Author Fees: 450,00 USD
Authors are required to pay an Author Preparation Charge (APC) when a submitted paper is accepted for publication. The cost is $450 (USD 450.00) or $250 (USD 250.00) for members of The Polish Neurological Society, as well as members of Editorial Team (first or corresponding author). All articles are published in open access. If a paper is accepted for publication, authors will be asked to pay respective fees. Authors will not be charged for colour figures, tables, or multimedia. If a manuscript is withdrawn after acceptance, the publication fee will not be returned. All costs concerning bank transfers are covered by the author.

In exceptional circumstances, the Editors-in-Chief will be able to waive the APC. If you do not have sufficient funds, please mention this in the cover letter accompanying your submission.

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

Completion of the online submission form electronically (the Author's Statement) is tantamount to automatic transfer of the copyright for publishing and distribution of the submitted material (in all current and future forms and fields of exploitation) to the Copyright Owner, i.e. The Polish Society of Neurology, on condition that these materials are accepted for publication. The authors agree not to publish any data or figures presented in their work in any place or in any language without the prior written consent of Via Medica.

Author Statement form is available at the end of <Submission> section for this journal (above).