BackgroundParaplegia remains a potential complication of spinal cord ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI) in which oxidative stress induced cyclooxygenase activities may contribute to ischemic neuronal damage. Prolonged administration of vitamin E (α-TOL), as a potent biological antioxidant, may have a protective role in this oxidative inflammatory ischemic cascade to reduce the incidence of paraplegia. The present study was designed to evaluate the preventive value of α-TOL in IRI of spinal cord.MethodsFor this study, 50 male Sprague-Dawley rats were used and divided into five experimental groups (n = 10): Control group (C); α-TOL control group (CE) which received intramuscular (i.m.) α-TOL injections (600 mg/kg); Sham operated group (S), IRI rats were subjected to laparotomy and clamping of the aorta just above the bifurcation for 45 min, then the clamp was released for 48 hrs for reperfusion; and IRIE rats group, received 600 mg/kg of α-TOL i.m. twice weekly for 6 weeks, followed by induction of IRI similar to the IRI group. At the end of the experimental protocol; motor, sensory and placing/stepping reflex evaluation was done. Plasma nitrite/nitrate (NOx) was measured. Then animals' spinal cord lumbar segments were harvested and homogenized for measurement of the levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), malondialdehyde (MDA) and advanced oxidation products (AOPP), while superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity were evaluated.ResultsInduction of IRI in rats resulted in significant increases in plasma levels of nitrite/nitrate (p < 0.001) and spinal cord homogenate levels of PGE2, MDA, advanced oxidation protein products AOPP and SOD with significant reduction (p < 0.001) in CAT homogenate levels. Significant impairment of motor, sensory functions and placing/stepping reflex was observed with IRI induction in the spinal cord (p < 0.001). α-TOL administration in IRIE group significantly improved all the previously measured parameters compared with IRI group.Conclusionsα-TOL administration significantly prevents the damage caused by spinal cord IRI in rats with subsequent recovery of both motor and sensory functions. Alpha-tocopherol improves the oxidative stress level with subsequent reduction of the incidence of neurological deficits due to spinal cord IRI conditions.

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Background: Twitter and WhatsApp may have the potential to negatively affect quality of sleep. Aim of Study: To assess the impact of using social media (i.e., Twitter and WhatsApp) on sleep quality and to identify risk factors associated with poor sleep quality among medical students in King Khalid University (KKU). Methodology: Following a cross -sectional design, 286 medical students at King Khalid College of Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia, were recruited into this study. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire has been designed by the researchers which included sociodemographic data, extent of using the WhatsApp and/or Twitter and the Pittsburgh sleep Quality Index. Results: 76.2% of students use both Twitter and WhatsApp, 21.5% use WhatsApp only, 1% use Twitter only, while 1% do not use any. Most medical students (89.8%) use Twitter/WhatsApp every day. Most medical students use Twitter/WhatsApp for 3-4 or more than 5 hours daily (31.1% for both). Most medical students (88.7%) use Twitter/WhatsApp during night. 29.7% of medical students have poor quality of sleep. Twitter/WhatsApp use was significantly more among female than male medical students (81.7% and 73.1%, respectively, p=0.014). Use of Twitter/WhatsApp by medical students differed significantly according to their scholastic year (p=0.014), with highest use among 6 th year medical students (94.1%). Medical students' quality of sleep differed significantly according to their scholastic year (p=0.02), with highest prevalence of poor quality among those at their 2 nd and 6 th scholastic years (37.7%) and 37.3%, respectively). Quality of sleep differed significantly according to students' daily use of Twitter/WhatsApp (p=0.022), with highest prevalence of poor sleep quality among those who spend more than 4 hours daily using Twitter/WhatsApp. Conclusions: The majority of medical students in KKU, especially females and final year students, use Twitter and/or WhatsApp. Almost one third of students have poor sleep quality, especially 2 nd and final year medical students and those who use social media for more than two hours daily. This study indicates a strong need for integrating sleep hygiene education for medical students and to provide health education to promote correct and effective use of social networks.

Background: Brain tumors are associated with marked disability and mortality. Understanding the patterns and epidemiological characteristics associated with brain tumors can be crucial to their treatment. Objective: To explore the magnitude and epidemiological features of primary brain tumors among patients admitted to Aseer Central Hospital (ACH), Abha City, Saudi Arabia, and to identify different decisions for their management. Methodology: All hospital records of brain tumor patients admitted to ACH from 2015-2017 were reviewed. Collected data included patients' demographic characteristics, clinical findings, histopathological diagnosis, and management. Results: During the aforementioned period, a total of 100 patients with primary brain tumors were admitted to ACH. The most commonly presenting symptoms were headache (72%), vomiting, dizziness, and focal motor deficits (25% for all). Tumor location was mostly at the frontal or parietal lobes. Among those who underwent surgery, meningioma grade I was the most frequently diagnosed (41.7%). The mean surgical time was 4.2 ± 1.6 h. Most patients who underwent surgery at ACH stayed in the intensive care unit anywhere from 1 d or 2-4 d (34% and 40%, respectively). The Glasgow outcome scale scores of most patients (91.7%) indicated that the patients had a good recovery. However, one patient died (1.7%), one was in a persistent vegetative state (1.7%), and three sustained moderate disability (5%). Conclusion: Most patients with brain tumors admitted to ACH undergo surgery. Meningioma grade I is the most commonly encountered brain tumor, and this finding may reflect different epidemiological findings from the internationally accepted concept that glioblastoma multiforme is the most common brain tumor. The most common locations for brain tumors are the frontal and parietal lobes.