GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors represent the major inhibitory receptors in the nervous system and their inhibitory effects are mediated by the influx of chloride ions that tends to hyperpolarize the resting membrane potential. However, GABA receptors can depolarize the resting membrane potential and thus can also show excitatory effects in neurons. The major mechanism behind this depolarization is mainly attributed to the accumulation of chloride ions in the intracellular compartment. This accumulation leads to increase in the intracellular chloride concentration and depolarize the Nernst potential of chloride ions. When the membrane potential is relatively hyperpolarized, this will result in a chloride efflux instead of influx trying to reach their depolarized equilibrium potential. Here, we propose different mechanism based on a major consequence of quantum mechanics, which is quantum tunneling. The quantum tunneling model of ions is applied on GABA receptors and their corresponding chloride ions to show how chloride ions can depolarize the resting membrane potential. The quantum model states that intracellular chloride ions have higher quantum tunneling probability than extracellular chloride ions. This is attributed to the discrepancy in the kinetic energy between them. At physiological parameters, the quantum tunneling is negligible to the degree that chloride ions cannot depolarize the membrane potential. Under certain conditions such as early neuronal development, gain-of-function mutations, stroke and trauma that can lower the energy barrier of the closed gate of GABA receptors, the quantum tunneling is enhanced so that the chloride ions can depolarize the resting membrane potential. The major unique feature of the quantum tunneling mechanism is that the net efflux of chloride ions is attained without the need for intracellular accumulation of chloride ions as long as the energy barrier of the gate is reduced but still higher than the kinetic energy of the chloride ion as a condition for quantum tunneling to take place.

Highlights Rarity of this presentation. Controversies on treatment. Controversies about diagnosis.

Acidosis and its associated pathologies predispose patients to develop cardiac arrhythmias and even cardiac arrest. These arrhythmias are assumed to be the result of membrane depolarization, however, the exact mechanism of depolarization during acidosis is not well defined. In our study, the model of quantum tunneling of protons is used to explain the membrane depolarization that occurs during acidosis. It is found that protons can tunnel through closed activation and inactivation gates of voltage-gated sodium channels Nav1.5 that are present in the membrane of cardiac cells. The quantum tunneling of protons results in quantum conductance, which is evaluated to assess its effect on membrane potential. The quantum conductance of extracellular protons is higher than that of intracellular protons. This predicts an inward quantum current of protons through the closed sodium channels. Additionally, the values of quantum conductance are influential and can depolarize the membrane potential according to the quantum version of the GHK equation. The quantum mechanism of depolarization is distinct from other mechanisms because the quantum model suggests that protons can directly depolarize the membrane potential, and not only through indirect effects as proposed by other mechanisms in the literature. Understanding the pathophysiology of arrhythmias mediated by depolarization during acidosis is crucial to treat and control them and to improve the overall clinical outcomes of patients.

Neuropathic pain is a challenging complaint for patients and clinicians since there are no effective agents available to get satisfactory outcomes even though the pharmacological agents target reasonable pathophysiological mechanisms. This may indicate that other aspects in these mechanisms should be unveiled to comprehend the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain and thus find more effective treatments. Therefore, in the present study, several mechanisms are chosen to be reconsidered in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain from a quantum mechanical perspective. The mathematical model of the ions quantum tunneling model is used to provide quantum aspects in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain. Three major pathophysiological mechanisms are revisited in the context of the quantum tunneling model. These include: (1) the depolarized membrane potential of neurons; (2) the cross-talk or the ephaptic coupling between the neurons; and (3) the spontaneous neuronal activity and the emergence of ectopic action potentials. We will show mathematically that the quantum tunneling model can predict the occurrence of neuronal membrane depolarization attributed to the quantum tunneling current of sodium ions. Moreover, the probability of inducing an ectopic action potential in the axons of neurons will be calculated and will be shown to be significant and influential. These ectopic action potentials are generated due to the formation of quantum synapses which are assumed to be the mechanism behind the ephaptic transmission. Furthermore, the spontaneous neuronal activity and the emergence of ectopic action potentials independently from any adjacent stimulated neurons are predicted to occur according to the quantum tunneling model. All these quantum mechanical aspects contribute to the overall hyperexcitability of the neurons and to the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. Additionally, providing a new perspective in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain may improve our understanding of how the neuropathic pain is generated and maintained and may offer new effective agents that can improve the overall clinical outcomes of the patients.

Background Intraoperative awareness is the second most common complication of surgeries, and it negatively affects patients and healthcare professionals. Based on the limited previous studies, there ‎is a wide variation in the incidence intraoperative awareness and in the practices and attitudes of depth of anesthesia (DoA) monitoring among healthcare systems and anesthesiologists. This study aimed to evaluate the Jordanian anesthesiologists’ practice and attitudes toward DoA monitoring and their estimation of the incidence of ‎intraoperative awareness. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey of the Jordanian anesthesiologists working in public, private, and university hospitals was utilized using questionnaire ‎developed based on previous studies. Practice and attitude in using DoA monitors were evaluated. Anesthesiologists were asked to best estimate the number of anesthesia procedures and frequency of intraoperative awareness events in the year before. Percentages and 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) were reported and compared between groups using chi-square tests.‎ Results A total of 107 physicians participated and completed the survey. About one-third of the participant (34.6%; 95% CI 26.1–44.2) had never used a DoA monitor and only 6.5% (96% CI ) reported using it as a “daily practice”. The use of a DoA monitor was associated with experience and type of health sector. However, 81.3% (95% CI 66.5–83.5) believed that currently available DoA monitors are effective for DoA monitoring, and only 4.7% (95%CI ‎1.9–10.8‎) reported it as being “invalid”. Most participants reported that the main purpose of using the DoA monitor was to prevent awareness (86.0%; 95%CI 77.9–91.4), guide the delivery of anesthetics (63.6%; 95%CI 53.9–72.2), and reduce recovery time (57%; 95%CI 47.4–66.1). The event rate of intraoperative awareness was estimated at 0.4% among participated anesthesiologists. Most of participants’ hospitals lacked policy intended to prevent intraoperative awareness. Conclusions Most anesthesiologists believed in the role of DoA monitors in preventing intraoperative awareness, however, their attitudes and knowledge are inadequate, and few use DoA monitors in routine practices. In Jordan, large efforts are needed to regulate the use of DoA monitoring and reduce the incidence of intraoperative awareness.

Background Intraoperative awareness is the second most common complication of surgeries, and it negatively affects patients and healthcare professionals. Based on the limited previous studies, there is a wide variation in the incidence of intraoperative awareness and in the practices and attitudes toward depth of anesthesia (DoA) monitoring among healthcare systems and anesthesiologists. This study aimed to evaluate the Jordanian anesthesiologists’ practice and attitudes toward DoA monitoring and estimate the event rate of intraoperative awareness among the participating anesthesiologists. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey of Jordanian anesthesiologists working in public, private, and university hospitals was utilized using a questionnaire developed based on previous studies. Practice and attitude in using DoA monitors were evaluated. Anesthesiologists were asked to best estimate the number of anesthesia procedures and frequency of intraoperative awareness events in the year before. Percentages and 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) were reported and compared between groups using chi-square tests. Results A total of 107 anesthesiologists responded and completed the survey. About one-third of the respondents (34.6%; 95% CI 26.1–44.2) had never used a DoA monitor and only 6.5% (95% CI 3.1–13.2) reported using it as a “daily practice”. The use of a DoA monitor was associated with experience and type of health sector. However, 81.3% (95% CI 66.5–83.5) believed that currently available DoA monitors are effective for DoA monitoring and only 4.7% (95%CI 1.9–10.8) reported it as being “invalid”. Most respondents reported that the main purpose of using a DoA monitor was to prevent awareness (86.0%; 95%CI 77.9–91.4), guide the delivery of anesthetics (63.6%; 95%CI 53.9–72.2), and reduce recovery time (57%; 95%CI 47.4–66.1). The event rate of intraoperative awareness was estimated at 0.4% among participating anesthesiologists. Most Jordanian hospitals lacked policy intending to prevent intraoperative awareness. Conclusions Most anesthesiologists believed in the role of DoA monitors in preventing intraoperative awareness, however, their attitudes and knowledge are inadequate, and few use DoA monitors in routine practices. In Jordan, large efforts are needed to regulate the use of DoA monitoring and reduce the incidence of intraoperative awareness.

Objective Nocturnal enuresis (NE) is defined as uncontrollable bed-wetting for at least three consecutive months in children over 5 years. Sleep could be dramatically altered in children with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE); consequently, this helps to confirm the assumption that PNE appears to modify sleep structure, or it might be the result of an irregular sleep structure itself. Method This study conducted on 180 patients with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. Their age was ranged from 6 to 18 years, and they were still having nocturnal enuresis episodes. We record two main points: first, if the child is a regular sleeper or not. The second point if the child is a regular bed wetter or not. This work fully compliant with the STROCCS criteria (Agha et al., 2019). Result A total of 180 children were included (Male 122, 67.8%, Female 58, 32.2%). The mean age was 8.9 (±2.4). This study showed that children aged 7–10 years are significantly more inclined to be reported as specific time bed-wetter's, whereas those aged between 11 and 13 are significantly less likely to wet their bed at a specific time (p = 0.001). Children who tend to sleep more often near a specific time each night are 6.74 times more prone to bed-wet around a particular time during their sleep (p < 0.001). Conclusion This study can be considered as hypothesis-generating that shed light on the possible correlation between the adherence to sleep at a specific time and its effect on the time of enuresis and the number of bedwetting.