Background and Purpose— Intracranial arterial steno-occlusive disease is prevalent among non-white populations. We explored whether a similar pattern exists in Egyptians and assessed its clinical-radiological associations. Methods— Consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients were recruited for 6 months and had magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance angiography of brain within 2 days of the event. Magnetic resonance angiography was analyzed for significant stenosis (>50%), flow gaps, and complete occlusions in the major intracranial arteries. Results— A total of 143 patients completed the study (62.4±12.6 years, 58.7% males). Magnetic resonance angiography showed symptomatic arterial stenosis in 27.3%, asymptomatic stenosis in 16.1%, and occlusions in 23.7% patients. Carotid duplex showed stenosis >70% in only 7.7% patients. Patients with intracranial arterial steno-occlusive disease had higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Score at admission (10.9±7 versus 8±5.6; P =0.01). Conclusion— Symptomatic and asymptomatic intracranial arterial steno-occlusive disease was prevalent in this Egyptian acute stroke sample. This might have important implications on stroke management in this population.

Background Sexual dysfunction (SD) is a common, yet under-reported, non-motor symptom (NMS) of Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study investigated the sexual functions in PD male patients, its correlation with motor and other NMSs, and their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods The sexual functions of 40 PD male patients were assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and compared to 25 healthy age-matched controls. Patients were evaluated using the NMS Scale (NMSS) and the Arabic version of the Parkinson's-Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). We compared the sexual functions of younger (≤ 55 years) and elder (> 55 years) males and tested the correlations between sexual functions and motor, other NMSs, and HRQoL. Results Seventy percent of PD male patients reported erectile dysfunction. They showed significantly worse total (p < 0.001) and subscores of IIEF, compared to healthy controls. The total IIEF was inversely correlated to age of patients (p = 0.013), age at onset (p = 0.043), total, cognitive/mood, gastrointestinal and urinary domains of NMSS, and the cognitive domain of PDQ-39 (p = 0.013). Age was the main predictor (ß = − 0.581, p = 0.006) of SD. Elder patients showed worse sexual functions, stronger correlations to other NMSs, and more impact on HRQoL than younger patients. Conclusion Sexual functions are worse among PD male patients with age as the main predictor. SD was associated with worse cognitive/mood and urinary domains of NMSS and has a negative impact on the patients' HRQoL among elder males.

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Background Altered peripheral immune/inflammatory system and brain volumetric changes have been implicated in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). This study aimed to evaluate how peripheral levels of cytokines are related to volumetric brain changes in euthymic patients with BD. Methods Euthymic patients with BD (n = 21) and healthy controls (n = 22) were enrolled in this exploratory study. Blood samples were collected on the same day of clinical assessment and neuroimaging. Cytokines were measured through cytometric bead array method. Neuroimaging data were acquired using a sagittal three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging T1-weighted fast field echo sequence and was processed using FreeSurfer. Results Compared to controls, BD patients had significantly lower volumes in the cingulate, medial-orbitofrontal (MOF) and parahippocampal regions. We found a negative correlation between right MOF volume and interferon-gamma levels (β = −0.431, P = .049) and a positive correlation between interleukin-10 levels and left posterior cingulate volume (β = 0.457, P = .048). Conclusion Our results support the involvement of inflammatory pathways in structural brain changes in BD.

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