Archives of Neuroscience
Year:2020 | Volume:7 | Issue:4|Papers Count:12

The dramatic outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 urged the worldwide application of preventing measures, such as social distancing, hand hygiene, and mask-wearing. Even mere speech generates potentially deadly droplets (1). Face covering, a widespread habit in Asian countries with underlying environmental and social reasons, is instead totally new to Italy. The monthly demand for Italian health care providers is estimated at 130 million pieces per month, but millions more are needed for the general population. The shortage is a constant threat. Except for sick, infected individuals live-in or health care workers, surgical masks and "respirators" (N95 and similar) are not recommended for others (2)...

Background: The MAOA gene is located on the X chromosome (Xp11. 23). Several studies have established a VNTR (Variable Number Tandem Repeat) polymorphism in the upstream of the MAOA gene transcriptional initiation region named uVNTR which is correlated with the risk of antisocial behavior. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between MAOA genotypes and the risk of violent behavior in a cohort of violent and age-matched non-violent individuals. Methods: In the current case-control study, MAOAuVNTRwasgenotyped in a cohort of 88 violentand95 age-matched non-violent individuals. Individuals were genotyped for the MAOA uVNTR by performing PCR, gel electrophoresis, and sequencing. Furthermore, a chi-square test was performed using SPSS, and a p-value of less than 0. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results: We identified three MAOA uVNTR allelic variants: They were harboring 3. 5, 4. 5, and 5. 5 repeated sequences. Alleles with 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 repeats were not observed in any of the two examined groups. Conclusions: We did not detect a statistically appreciable association between antisocial behavior and allele frequencies in the studied population in central Iran.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Each year near 1. 5 million Americans experience a TBI. Of which about 235, 000 are hospitalized. Also, TBI claims 50 000 American lives each year. TBI causes mechanical damage to the blood-brain barrier and white blood cells (WBCs) entry to the brain. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of low-dose Atorvastatin on inflammatory factors in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: This double-blind, randomized clinical trial study was conducted in the ICU ward of Golestan Hospital in the city of Ahvaz (Iran) from April 2019-May 2020. Sixty patients with moderate to severe TBI were studied. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups of Atorvastatin and control. The main outcomes included the amount of CRP and ESR as well as white blood cells in the first 14 days of hospitalization. Glasgow Coma Score, the length of ICU stay, and the duration of mechanical ventilation were secondary outcomes. Results: The amount of CRP in the Atorvastatin group on the 14th day of hospitalization was significantly lower than those in the control group (31. 99 8. 38 vs 59. 65 10. 43) (P < 0. 0001). On the same day, the Atorvastatin group had lower levels of ESR than the control group (14. 28  4. 18 vs 25. 57  5. 18) (P < 0. 0001). The Atorvastatin group had significantly lower levels of white blood cells than the control group (5247. 53 751. 93 vs 7143. 94 907. 64, P < 0. 0001). Glasgow Coma Score at the time of discharge from the ICU in the Atorvastatin group was more than control (14. 06 1. 45 and 11. 85 0. 75, respectively) (P < 0. 05). A significant difference was found concerning the ICU stay between the two groups (P = 0. 03). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that Atorvastatin could reduce the rate of inflammatory factors in TBI patients. The inflammatory condition of TBI patients heavily determines their prognosis. Inflammation leads to several reactions as well as interactions between different cells and chemical mediators. The Atorvastatin could reduce the rate of inflammatory factors and improved GCS in TBI patients.

Background: The study of the biological basis of fear in animal models has progressed considerably because of the energy and space that the brain devotes to this basic emotion. Electrical stimulation targets several structures of the brain to examine its behavioral effects and to understand the role of different regions in underlying mechanisms of fear processing and anxiety in preclinical models. Objectives: In this study, the effects of high-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the basolateral amygdala (BLA)andprelimbic (PL) sub-region of the prefrontal cortex were evaluated on the extinction process of conditioned fear. Methods: This study was performed on 35 male Wistar rats in the weight range of 220 – 250 g. After selecting the animals, they were separated into five groups. Then, we did stereotactic surgery on rats for electrode implantation. After recovery, some rats were conditioned, followed by a 10-day treatment schedule via high-frequency DBS in the BLA or PL. Next, freezing behavior was measured as a predicted response dedicated to extinction, without shock (re-exposure). In addition, weused ELISAandWestern blot to estimate blood serum corticosterone levels and c-Fos protein expression. Results: The mean freezing time recorded for the PL group was significantly lower than that of both the BLA group and the PC group (P < 0. 01). The BLA group and PC group were also significantly different (P < 0. 001). Corticosterone results indicated that the PL group had significantly higher serum corticosterone levels compared with both the BLA group and the PC group (P < 0. 01). In addition, the BLA group revealed a significant reduction in c-Fos expression compared with the PC (P < 0. 001). Conclusions: This study provides further evidence for the contribution of the prelimbic cortex and amygdala both in acquisition and extinction processes during contextual fear conditioning. However, the PL stimulation by high-frequency DBS might be more involved in the extinction process and play a more important role as an enhancer.

Background: Substance-use related disorders (SUD) are a major public health concern worldwide, especially in developing nations. Currently, it is characterized by high rates of mortality and morbidity. Moreover, through increased utilization of healthcare services, it causes both direct and indirect significant medical expenditures. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the pattern of Substance abuse in the department of psychiatry of a Tertiary Care Hospital, Srinagar, Jammu, and Kashmir, India. Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, and open study conducted in the psychiatry inpatient department of a tertiary care hospital, Srinagar, Jammu, and Kashmir, India, for 7 months (January to May 2020). Results: Over a period of seven months, a total of 135 participants were recruited (105 males and 30 females). Most of themwere Muslim (96. 29%), married (68. 14%), and living as a nuclear family (75. 55%). Tobacco (Nicotine) was the most commonly used substance by those admitted to the psychiatry ward (62. 96%), followed by cannabis (11. 11%) and opioids (11. 11%). The most comorbidity associated with substance abuse was psychiatric disorders (36. 84%), followed by neurological disorders (21. 05%), and gastrointestinal disorders (7. 89%). Among those with psychiatric disorders, 14 (10. 37%) had mood (bipolar) disorders. A total of 1129 medicines were prescribed for 135 patients. The mean standard error of the mean (SEM) of the prescribed medicines was 8. 48 3. 3. The average number of drugs per encounter was 8. 48%. Conclusions: In this study, cigarette smoking (nicotine) was the most commonly abused substance. It can be justified by the fact that Kashmir is a conflict zone, and many people suffer from the post-traumatic stress disorder. Hence, a collaborated effort is necessary to improve the prescribing pattern and to enhance the rational use of medications for better treatment outcomes.

1. Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported by theWorld Health Organization (WHO) as an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on January 12, 2020, in the city of Wuhan, China. Less than three months from its appearance, WHOdeclared the disease a pandemic on March 11, 2020 (1)...

Oneof themostfrequently asked questions of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in these days is the need to discontinue or continue their medications used forMSat the time of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Since some drugs used for MS are immunosuppressive and can increase the incidence and severity of infectious diseases (1), asking the above-mentioned question is very logical; so, it must be addressed with sufficient evidence. So far, no evidence has been published on the effects of MS drugs on the incidence or exacerbation of COVID-19. Therefore, the guidelines published by various MS associations (2, 3) are solely based on their personal experience and clinical evidence of other infections. Currently, no one knows what symptoms the coronavirus will have in a patient with MS who is consuming these medications. However, some points should be taken into account by physicians to decide whether to continue or discontinue the prescribed medications. It is not logical to discontinue the medications in a patient who is not infected by the coronavirus...

1. Background Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging contagious disease that mainly affects the respiratory system and causes various systemic problems (1). Due to the high risk of transmission and the significant prevalence of the disease, it has now become one of the main global health problems. The main strategy to control the disease is to prevent social contact, which has resulted in the closure of public places and home quarantine...

Background: Studying different pathological aspects of lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients could be useful to modify the diagnosis and treatment of this neurological disorder. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities have the potential to investigate variations in brain tissue because of inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes in various types of MS-related lesions. Objectives: This study was done to investigate the quantitative changes in MRI-based parameters, like perfusion and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) of different types of brain lesions, to demonstrate the ability of MRI to detect structural and pathological differences in MS lesions. Methods: Quantitative MRI modalities were performed on 18 patients with five different kinds of lesions (T1 holes, acute and chronic white matter (WM), and acute and chronic gray matter (GM) lesions) using a 3 T MRI scanner. The following protocols were used to characterize the pathology of lesions: (I) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR); (II) pre-and post-contrast T1-weighted; (III) dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE); and (IV)MTRimaging. Quantitative comparison of Ktrans, cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and MTR was done to find the best parameter to distinguish different lesions. Finally, a multivariate classifier was applied to introduce the best parameter to indicate differences in lesions. Results: Five lesions were characterized by perfusion and MTR parameters. The pathological changes were measured, including: (I) the highest value of parameters in both acuteWMand GM lesions; (II) the lowest value of four parameters in both chronicWMand GM lesions; (III) MTR had the highest rank among parameters using the classifier. Conclusions: The degree of pathological alterations due to inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes in MS-related lesions was indicated through the used parameters in different kinds of lesions. Inflammation was the dominant process in acute lesions, while neurodegeneration and tissue loss were observed mostly in chronic lesions. Both inflammation and neurodegeneration were detected in T1 holes. Perfusion parameters and MTR were reasonable parameters to describe differences in brain lesions. Thus, it could be confirmed that magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) and DCE-MRI are high-sensitivity methods to detect microstructural changes in the brain and subtle changes in the blood-brain-barrier. Classification of the parameters indicated that MTR was the best biomarker than others to show variations in lesions pathology.

Background: Hyperalgesia is a major complication of continuous or intermittent opioid administration. The evidence suggests that concomitant administration of low-dose naloxone could prevent the development of acute opioid-induced hyperalgesia, with no effect on pain control. Objectives: The current study aimed to assess the effects of intraoperative low-dose naloxone, adding to remifentanil infusion on preventing acute postoperative hyperalgesia in patients undergoing general anesthesia for laparotomy. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, patients undergoing general anesthesia for laparotomic hysterectomy in a tertiary referral teaching hospital from February to December 2019 were randomly assigned to one of three groups of remifentanilnaloxone (remifentanil 0. 3  g/ kg/min with low-dose naloxone 0. 25 g/kg /h prepared in 50 mL of normal saline), remifentanil (0. 3  g/kg/min), and control (receiving 50 mL saline infusion), intraoperatively. Patients and researchers were blinded to the type of intervention. The severity of hyperalgesia, as the main outcome, was evaluated by the static Tactile test. The severity of pain was assessed by visual analogous scale 0. 5, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery. Results: In total, 75 patients were evaluated. The results showed no difference concerning the independent variables (age, body mass index, hypertension, surgery duration, anesthesia duration, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class) between the three groups. Heart rate was significantly different in all study time points between the three groups (P < 0. 001), but mean arterial pressure and systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed no significant difference (P > 0. 05) throughout the study. Assessment of hyperalgesia using the tactile test revealed a higher incidence of hyperalgesia in the remifentanil group in 0. 5, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery compared to the other two groups, which was statistically significant between the groups at 0. 5, 2, and 6 hours after surgery (P < 0. 05). Shivering incidence, Morphine dose in 24 hours post-surgery, morphine dose in the recovery room, and VAS for pain were significantly different during the study between the three groups (P < 0. 05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the efficacy of intraoperative low-dose naloxone (0. 25  g/kg/h) added to remifentanil infusion on reducing the frequency and severity of acute postoperative hyperalgesia in patients undergoing general anesthesia for laparotomy hysterectomy.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunctionmaybe involved in the process of degradation and death of gray matter cells of the central nervous system (CNS) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is known as a chronic, progressive demyelinating disease of the CNS. Objectives: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS is the best method for extracting data trend for diagnosing this disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the specific activity of the Cytochrome oxidase (COX), ATP, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 ) in brain tissues of the EAE mice model. Methods: Twenty-one female mice (C57BL/6) were used, 9 for inducing the EAE model and 6 for each of both negative and sham control groups. The specific activity of the COX, ATP, and HIF-1 levels were evaluated in the whole brain of all 3 mice groups. Results: According to the findings, specific COX activity and ATP levels were decreased significantly, which could be due to the mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal loss in MS lesions, whereas HIF-1 levels increased significantly in the EAE mice group, compared to the sham and negative control groups. The significant increase of HIF-1 levels reinforces the hypothesis that the HIF-1 induction may provide prevention of neuronal death by compensating energy loss under hypoxia-like conditions in EAE mice brains. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that HIF-1 induction may also be a potential target for controlling the progression of MS, or the development of HIF-1 inducing compounds could be a potential candidate for the management of this disease and provide a rationale to conduct further research in this area.

Background: Migraine is a common disabling and chronic neurological disorder affecting women aged 25-55 with a considerably higher frequency. It has been shown that migraine attack rates change according to the hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. A study showed that reduced progesterone levels, especially during the end days of the luteal phase and menstruation, are associated with increased episodes of attacks in more than half of the migraine patients. Moreover, another study suggested that the melatonin level changes are positively correlated with the progesterone blood level. Previous studies indicated that the level of nocturnal urinary melatonin is lower in patients with menstrual-related migraine than in healthy subjects. Objectives: Considering the potential role of melatonin in the circadian systemandits relationship with gonadal steroid blood level changes in patients, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of melatonin in patients with menstrual-related migraines. Methods: An open-label randomized clinical trial was conducted (IR code: IRCT20121110011424N4). Patients with menstrual-related migraine referring to the Neurology Clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital were evaluated and randomly assigned to either naproxen (250mgevery 12 hours) or melatonin (3 mg, half an hour before sleep) treatment groups. At the end of the first and third menstrual bleeding phases, the patients were assessed by a migraine diary, Visual Analog scale (VAS) for pain, and the Berlin questionnaire. Results: The study evaluated 56 patients (26 in the melatonin arm and 30 in the naproxen arm). Attack days (P < 0. 001) and the headache severity (P < 0. 001) improved in both groups compared to baseline. A significant difference was found between the melatonin and naproxen treatment groups in sedative and analgesic drug use (P < 0. 05). Also, melatonin significantly changed the snoring rate and post-sleep tiredness compared to baseline (P < 0. 05 and P < 0. 05, respectively) whereas no improvement was observed in the naproxen treatment group concerning the sleep quality. Conclusions: We showed the beneficial role of melatonin in reducing the attack frequency and severity in migraine patients with menstrual-related headaches. Preventive therapy with melatonin also showed a significant reduction in the number of sedative drug use during attacks and improved the patients’ sleep quality when compared to naproxen.