Cerebral malaria (CM), results from Plasmodium falciparum infection, and has a high mortality rate. CM survivors can retain lifelong post CM sequelae, including seizures and neurocognitive deficits profoundly affecting their quality of life. As the Plasmodium parasite does not enter the brain, but resides inside erythrocytes and are confined to the lumen of the brain's vasculature, the neuropathogenesis leading to these neurologic sequelae is unclear and underinvestigated. Interestingly, postmortem CM pathology differs in brain regions, such as the appearance of haemorragic punctae in white versus gray matter. Various host and parasite factors contribute to the risk of CM, including exposure at a young age, parasite-and host-related genetics, parasite sequestration and the extent of host inflammatory responses. Thus far, several proposed adjunctive treatments have not been successful in the treatment of CM but are highly needed. The region-specific CM neuro-pathogenesis leading to neurologic sequelae is intriguing, but not sufficiently addressed in research. More attention to this may lead to the development of effective adjunctive treatments to address CM neurologic sequelae.

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We delineate the clinical characteristics, incidence, and prevalence of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 2010 to 2014. Eighty-two patients (65% female) were identified. Fifty-three (64.6%) were Emiratis (45 from Abu Dhabi and 8 from 5 other emirates) and 29 were expatriates. Mean age of onset was 15.9 years overall, 15.3 years in males and 16.3 years in females. Patients with onset before age 12 years presented with visual symptoms while those with onset after age 12 years presented with a mixture of visual, motor and sensory symptoms. Interferon beta-1a was the most frequently used disease-modifying therapy (48%). In Abu Dhabi Emirati nationals, the age- and sex-adjusted prevalences were 26/100 000 for males and 36/100 000 for females. The total incidence in Emirati nationals from 2010 to 2014 was 2.3/100 000 for ages 10 to 14 years and 7.2/100 000 for ages 15 to 19 years. By comparison with international cohorts, the incidence of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis in Abu Dhabi is higher whereas gender distribution is similar.

Background: Depression rates in the multiple sclerosis (MS) population in the Arab world have rarely been reported despite people with MS generally having higher rates of depression. We examined depression rates in 416 people with MS versus the general population of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and their treatment. Methods: A retrospective medical record review of 416 people with MS (age range, 16–80 years) followed up at four large government hospitals in Abu Dhabi was conducted to determine the percentage of people with MS diagnosed as having depression or anxiety. Results: The depression rate in people with MS (10.8%) was close to that in the general population of Abu Dhabi. The adjusted odds ratios of depression by selected variables showed that there was a significant difference (P = .003) between females and males in reporting depression, with more females reporting depression than males. Greater MS duration was also associated with a higher likelihood of being depressed (P = .025). The anxiety rate in the cohort (4.8%) was lower than that in the general Abu Dhabi population (18.7%). Conclusions: The depression rate in people with MS in Abu Dhabi was close to that of the general Abu Dhabi population, but the anxiety rate in people with MS was lower. Explanations for these low rates include possible underreporting by patients and physician factors such as time limitations in busy clinics. Cultural aspects such as strong family support systems and religious factors in this predominantly Muslim population are also possible factors that warrant further investigation.

The past 6 years have demonstrated a dramatic change in the landscape of immunomodulatory treatment for multiple sclerosis. Prior to 2010, there were no approved FDA oral immunomodulatory medications available. Since then, three new oral medications have been approved in addition to the newly approved alemtuzumab and ocrelizumab. This has dramatically changed the treatment options for MS patients. The older injectable agents -beta-interferons and glatiramer acetate are slowly being replaced. While data exists in the literature regarding the use of new medications in the west, there is little published data about the use of these new medications in the Middle East and, none, to our knowledge, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We conducted a retrospective chart review of four major government hospitals in Abu Dhabi looking at the types of MS in the Emirate, the use of different immunomodulatory treatment and the changes in prescribed medications between 2014 and 2016. A total of 328 people with MS were identified for the study. The proportion of participants receiving injections or infusions significantly (p=0.0013) dropped from 53% (128) in 2014 to 42.7% (102)