Background: Lockdowns to prevent the community transmission of COVID-19 pandemic has confined the people at home and imposed social restrictions, which is expected to cause alterations in circadian driven sleep-wake schedule and its associated lifestyle behaviors. Design and Methods: An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted to assess the impact of lockdown on the sleep-wake pattern, meal timings and digital media exposure time on the Indian population during lockdown. Responses of 1511 participants (age ≥18 years) were analyzed to assess the effect of gender and age on these parameters before and during lockdown.Results: The sleep onset-wakeup times and meals’ time was significantly delayed during lockdown, which was more pronounced in younger subjects. However, young individuals reported increased sleep duration at this time. Increased digital media duration was evident in all age groups, mainly in males. However, females reported more delay in sleep onset-waking time and first meal timing with longer sleep duration during lockdown.Conclusions: Discord with social and natural cues due to complete lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic leads to a state of social jetlag with delayed sleep-wake, meal timings and excessive digital media exposure among Indians, which has differential impact on males and females as well as across different age groups. These findings have applied implications in sleep health and related behavior during longer social isolation conditions such as current COVID-19 or similar situations and may help to prepare better for any such future events.

Careful understanding of the morphological changes of megakaryocytes in bone marrow aspirates can improve the diagnostic accuracy for a wide range of hematological disorders thereby enabling proper therapeutic interventions.

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Objective: We aimed to investigate how EEG frequency bands change in females in response to acute exercise compared to males.Methods: Consenting healthy adult females (n=15) & males (n=15) bicycled an ergometer at 50% HRmax for 20 min. EEG was recorded using 10-20 system from mid-frontal (F4 & F3), central (C4 & C3), parietal (P4 & P3), temporal (T4 & T3) & occipital (O2 & O1) regions. Exercise-induced EEG changes were compared between two sexes by Mann Whitney test. EEG power (μV2) is presented as median & interquartile range.Results: In females, as compared to males, resting right side delta, alpha, and beta activities were more in almost all recorded sites [delta: F4= 49.82 (44.23-63.56) vs. 35.5 (32.70-44.44), p < 0.001; etc], [alpha F4: 127.62 (112.89-149.03) vs. 49.36 (46.37-52.98), p < 0.001; etc], [beta F4= 18.96 (15.83-25.38)  vs. 14.77 (10.34-17.55), p < 0.05; C4= 21.16 (18.4-25.9) vs. 15.48 (9.66-19.40), p < 0.01; etc]. Similarly, females resting right theta activity was more in parietal [P4= 33.04 (25.1-42.41) vs. 22.3 (18.36-34.33), p < 0.05] & occipital [O2= 50.81 (30.64-66.8) vs. 26.85 (22.18-34.42), p < 0.001] regions than in males. They had similar picture on the left side also. The delta values of right alpha power was less in female in frontal [F4= -11.61 (-45.24 -3.64) vs. 9.48 (1.05-16.58), p < 0.01] and central [C4= -72 (-32.98-9.48) vs. 22.69 (13.03-33.05), p < 0.01] regions compared to males. Also, they had less delta values of left central alpha [C3= -8.32 (-32.65-6.1) vs. 16.5 (0.36-36.36), p < 0.01] and temporal beta [T3= -6.29 (-10.09- -1.49) vs. 1.24 (-0.84- 2.8), p < 0.001] power compared to males.Conclusion: At rest females may have high EEG powers in different bands. In response to acute exercise, they respond in reverse way as compared to males.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v6i2.11116Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.6(2) 2015 30-35

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Background: Chronotype is the circadian time preference for sleep–wake timings. However, its impact on cognitive performance is least explored. Objective: The present study investigated the effect of chronotype (morning “M” vs. evening “E”) on cognitive measures as a function of time of the day. In addition, the correlation between electroencephalogram (EEG) waves and subjective/objective cognitive measures were investigated. Method: Cognitive status of 28 adult male subjects (15 “M” and 13 “E”) was assessed objectively through event-related potential (ERP) by administering visual odd ball paradigm test and subjectively through Montreal Cognitive Assessment questionnaire. In addition, 20 to 30 min of resting EEG was recorded. Recordings were done from 8 to 10 am and from 4 to 6 pm on a single day. Power spectral analysis of EEG for alpha and beta waves at PZ and FZ cortical sites was done after subjecting selected epochs to fast Fourier transformation. Also, latency and amplitude of P300 potential from event-related potential record were measured. Appropriate statistical tests were applied for analysis. Results: Higher alpha and beta power was observed in “E” at PZ in the evening. “M” showed increased P300 latency and amplitude during evening session for frequent and rare stimuli and vice versa in “E.”’ Significant negative correlation was seen between latency of rare stimuli and alpha and beta power at FZ site during evening in “E” chronotype only. Conclusion: Result indicates better attention and alertness during evening hours in evening chronotypes and vice versa in morning chronotypes. The findings could be implemented to schedule the mental performance/cognitive load according to individual chronotype.

Bone marrow involvement by Hodgkin lymphoma is rare with an average incidence of 10%. However, the incidence of bone marrow involvement has been shown to be less than 1% in patients with clinical stage IA or IIA disease. The involvement of the marrow in a patient with Hodgkin lymphoma represents stage IV disease. We report our experience wherein three cases of marrow involvement were picked up on bone marrow aspirates/ -imprints and confirmed on trephine biopsy. In this paper we wish to highlight the significance of bone marrow examination in the initial diagnosis and staging of even clinically early stage Hodgkin lymphoma. Staging investigations performed at the time of diagnosis for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma are vital for determining the appropriate treatment and prognosis.

Background: India, being the third worst affected country from COVID-19 pandemic at the time of study, faced complete lockdown to minimize community transmission that confined people to social isolation for extended durations. Design and Methods: Therefore, we conducted an online questionnaire-based survey for the Indian population after 37 days of complete lockdown to assess the integrative effects of such home restriction and social isolation on mid-sleep time, social jetlag, and their associated psychosocial behaviour. From the reports of sleep onset and waking-up times before and during lockdown as obtained from a total of 1511 respondents of ≥18 years, mid-sleep time (MST) and social jetlag (SJL) were calculated. Participants also rated their psychosocial behaviour related variables on a Likert scale.  Results: Significantly delayed MST was noted during the lockdown. The majority showed reduced social jetlag; however, younger people and female subjects exhibited more SJL with delay in MST. Also, delayed MST and elevated SJL problems were more clearly demonstrated in people exhibiting more disturbances in sleep quality and daily routine, lower general mood status, irregular feeding habits (snacking frequency), worsened personal relationship, quality of life, and increased daydreaming events.Conclusion: The study emphasizes the importance of maintaining a regular daily routine with respect to sleep-wake patterns and eating habits to minimize the impact of such a crisis situation on sleep behaviour, social jetlag, and associated psychosocial wellbeing.