Background: Cognitive decline in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) is a major and progressing health problem that needs reliable and objective assessment tools. Aim: To explore the value of EEG spectral ratio as cognitive biomarker in patients with PD. Methods: This crosssectional case control study enrolled 35 patients with PD and 20 matched healthy controls. All participants were evaluated by quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) spectral power ratio (slow/fast) over different head regions, in addition to clinical and neuropsychological assessment of the patients using Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Results: The UPDRS score of the patients was (mean 46.8 ± SD 26.6) andtotal MoCA score was (mean 20.3 ± SD 5.7). Twenty four of PD patients had cognitive impairment (MoCA <26) and showed significant higher spectral power ratio over the occipital region compared to PD patients with normal cognition (P=0.028). No significant differences of spectral power ratio between PD patients and controls. No significant correlation was found between power spectral ratio, UPDRS and MoCA scores. Conclusions: The occipital EEG spectral power ratio could be used as a complementary tool to neuropsychological assessment in evaluation and follow up of cognitive decline in patients with PD.
Background Cognitive decline is a common presentation of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and a continued search exists for a reliable biomarker for early identification and management of this clinical problem. The objective of this study is to select the most useful biomarker in assessment of PD-related cognitive decline. This cross-sectional study included 47 patients with PD and 47 matched healthy controls. All participants were assessed by quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) spectral (relative power and background peak frequency) and connectivity measures (coherence and phase lag degree), in addition to clinical evaluation using Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)and Modified Hoehn and Yahr staging scale and neuropsychological assessment of the patients using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Results PD patients showed significantly higher relative power in all frequency bands over the right temporal region with no significant changes in peak frequency, coherence and phase lag degree compared to healthy controls. PD patients with impaired cognition (MoCA < 26) had significantly lower global relative power, more marked in alpha and beta frequency bands compared to PD patients with normal cognition. Alpha and beta relative power in frontal and temporal regions showed significant correlation with different cognitive domains of MoCA score. Conclusions QEEG measures especially spectral relative power could be used as adjunct to neuropsychological assessment in evaluation of PD-related cognitive decline.
Several studies highlighted a significant role of specific miRNA as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for acute ischemic stroke. The aim of this work was to study micro-RNA 125b-5p level in patients with acute ischemic stroke in relation to stroke etiology, risk factors, severity and outcome. This case–control study was conducted on 40 patients with acute ischemic stroke eligible for receiving rt-PA and 40 age and sex matched healthy controls, Patients were submitted to neurological and radiological assessment. Functional outcome after 3 months was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Plasma micro-RNA 125b-5p levels were measured for both patients and control groups by quantitative real time PCR. MiRNA-125b-5p was extracted from the plasma samples then Real-time quantitative reversed transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis was done. To analyze miRNA-125b-5p expression in plasma, the ∆Cq value of miRNA-125b-5p was calculated by subtracting Cq of miRNA-125b-5p from the average Cq of MiRNA RNU6B. Stroke patients had significantly higher circulating micro-RNA 125b-5p levels in comparison to healthy controls (P value = 0.01). The circulating levels of micro-RNA 125b-5p were positively correlated with stroke severity assessed by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and infarction size. Stroke patients with poor outcome had significantly higher circulating levels of micro-RNA 125b-5p in comparison to those with good outcome (P value ≤ 0.001). The circulating levels of micro-RNA 125b-5p were significantly higher in patients who developed complications after receiving rt-PA (P value ≤ 0.001). Logistic regression model revealed that each unit increase in micro-RNA125b-5p decreased the odds of good outcome by 0.095 (95% CI 0.016–0.58, P value = 0.011). Plasma micro-RNA 125b-5p is significantly elevated is ischemic stroke patients. It is positively correlated with stroke severity and strongly associated with poor outcome and complications after thrombolytic therapy.
This study examines the Yemeni students’ attitudes and motivation towards learning English. It tries to find out the types of motivation the subjects have towards learning English. Two types of motivations were investigated in this research, instrumental motivation that refers to the utilitarian and academic causes, and integrative motivation, which refers to the social and cultural causes. Moreover, the current survey sheds some light on the students’ anxiety about the English language and their attitude towards learning English and using it in India. The quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire administered to 107 students. The data analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The results revealed that Yemeni students in India have a high positive attitude towards learning English. Moreover, they are instrumentally and integratively motivated to learn English. Their attitude towards the anxiety of English, learning English, and using it in India was moderate. The results also showed a significant difference in the students’ attitude towards learning English, where the postgraduate students have a higher positive attitude than undergraduates. According to the gender, the results revealed no significant difference between males and females regarding the attitude and motivation towards learning English. The present survey recommended teaching the English language intensively in Yemen, whether in schools or universities. The English language anxiety has to be manipulated by teachers using the courses that enhance the students’ confidence in using English.
Background: Continuous exposure to air polluted with the vapor of lead (in leaded gasoline) by the workers in petroleum stations without following safety measures, results into elevated level of inorganic lead in blood of those workers and put them at increased risk of toxicity through exposure to lead and its products. The aim of the present study is to measure concentration of lead in blood of fuel station workers. Subject and methods: Lead in blood was measured through lead care of blood testing system and lead care of blood testing kits, and confirmed by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry(AAS) for confirmation and checking quality of measuring and repeat measuring of lead concentration in blood of workers with blood lead conc.> 50 μg/dl. This study took two approaches: a case-control approach in which 76 Petroleum station workers and age-matched control participants were included, and an experimental approach in which the effect of various types of lead decreasing agents was investigated after
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