Caspian Journal of Neurological Sciences
Volume:6 Issue: 23, Oct 2020

Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) was shown to play a key role in synaptogenesis, survival, maturation, and reconstruction of neuron cells and was shown to be implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Assessing the relationship between HGF (rs3735520) gene polymorphism and its circulating levels in ASD.

A total of 140 ASD patients and 120 children healthy controls referred to Shahid Rajaei Hospital, Mazandaran, Iran from September 2017 to January 2019 were enrolled in the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples, HGF polymorphism was determinedby polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and HGF serum concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analysis was done by ANOVA and the Chi-square test, using χ² in MedCalc statistical software ver. 12.1.4.

Genotype frequencies of CC, CT, and TT in the ASD group were 25.71%, 52.86%, and 21.43%, and in controls were 26.67%, 68.33%, and 5%, respectively (P=0003) and C and T alleles frequencies in patients were 53% and 47% and in controls were 61% and 39%, respectively (P=0.046). Moreover, the Mean±SD serum HGF levels in the controls and ASD patients were 363.33±118.44 and 219.95±73.61 pg/mL, respectively (P=0.009). Furthermore, ASD patients carrying TT genotype had lower serum HGF levels than CT and TT carriers (CC, CT, and TT Mean±SD serum levels were 271.88±30.47, 217.77±33.59 and 156.33±22.72 pg/mL, respectively).

There was a significant relationship between HGF gene polymorphism and its serum levels with ASD in an Iranian population. We also suggest that TT genotype may be associated with a decrease in HGF circulation levels in ASD.

Pain can interfere with the daily functioning of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Furthermore, sleep disturbance is a common symptom of MS. The dialectical behavior therapy program is presented as a detailed structured treatment program that was demonstrated that has effects on the treatment of psychosomatic disorders such as pain and sleep disorders.

To investigate the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy on sleep quality and pain management in patients with MS.

This research has been carried out as a quasi-experimental with pretest, posttest, and a control group. A total of 24 people were selected through a convenient sampling method from the patients of the MS-Society of Guilan Province, Iran. Then, they are randomly divided into 2 equal groups (experimental and control). The study data were collected through Pittsburgh sleep quality scale and pain self-efficacy questionnaires. The intervention process was performed for the experimental group as 8 training sessions of 90 minutes long. The obtained data were analyzed by univariate analysis of covariance and multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS v. 24.

The results showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of pain management (F=4.04) and sleep quality (F=5.64) (P<0.05) and dialectical behavior therapy had a significant statistical effect on sleep quality and pain management.

Based on these findings, dialectical behavior therapy can be used to improve the quality of sleep and manage pain in patients with MS.

Cognitive impairment is a common symptom in both Schizophrenia (SZ) and Bipolar Disorder (BD), and studies have demonstrated memory impairment in patients with these disorders.

To compare memory impairment in patients with SZ, BD with psychosis, and BD without psychosis.

This study was a cross-sectional study conducted on 42 patients referred to Shafa Hospital in Rasht, Iran. Patients were examined in 3 groups of 14 people each (SZ, BD with psychosis, and BD without psychosis). The study tools included a demographic information questionnaire, a Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and Wechsler’s Memory Scale (WMS) for adults. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 using the 1 way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

The mean BPRS scores in patients with SZ (47.28) was higher than that in BD with psychosis (43.93) and BD without psychosis (23.14). ANOVA results showed a significant difference between patients with SZ and BD without psychosis (P=0.001), as well as BD with psychosis and BD without psychosis (P=0.001). Also, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean WMS scores between patients with SZ (62.07) and BD with psychosis (76.57) (P=0.009) and between SZ and BD without psychosis (73.5) (P=0.047). BPRS and WMS scores in SZ and BD without psychosis patients had a negative correlation.

The results showed that SZ is associated with weaker memory than BD, and a history of psychosis does not have a significant effect on memory function in patients with BD.

Depression includes negative interpretations of events, dislike of the self, and negative appraisal of the future.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of educational programs of cognitive-behavior modification and feeding behavior on serotonin levels and depression symptoms in university students.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest and a control group design. The study population included all male and female bachelor degree students in the Faculty of Literature and Humanities of the University of Guilan, Guilan Province, Iran at the time of the research. Among 2854 students, using Morgan’s table, the sample size was determined as 340. In the following, 24 students with depression symptoms and other inclusion criteria were selected as the sample and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. During the twelve sessions of training, the number of participants decreased from 24 to 16. The study tools included the Beck depression inventory (1996), the food frequency questionnaire (2017), 21 food enjoyment questionnaire, and the blood test. The obtained data were analyzed by 1-way analysis of covariance in SPSS v. 24.

The analysis showed that the use of cognitive-behavior modification training reduced students’ depression (P<0.01). However, the use of feeding behavior training did not increase serotonin levels in students (P>0.05).

Among people with depression symptoms, cognitive-behavior modification by focusing on their negative self-talk can be useful in creating sensible thoughts and positive inner dialogue. But in these people, feeding behavior training for two months did not change serotonin levels.

Household income and other socioeconomic position (SEP) indicators are among the most salient social determinants of children’s emotions and behaviors. Some research has shown that income and other SEP indicators may have certain sex-specific effects on the structures and
functions of particular brain regions.

To investigate sex differences in the association of household income with amygdala volumes in US children.

This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The study data was collected between 2016 and 2018 across 21 sites distributed across US states. Wave 1 ABCD included 10262 American children aged between 9 and 10 years old. The independent variable was household income. The primary outcome was the left amygdala volume, which was measured by T1-weighted structural brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). We used a data exploration and analysis portal for our data analysis.

Overall, the household income was positively associated with left amygdala size in children. Sex showed a statistically significant interaction with household income on children’s left amygdala volume, net of all confounders, indicating a stronger effect of high household income on
male children compared to female children.

Household income is a more salient determinant of left amygdala volume for male children compared to female American children. Low-income male children remain at the highest risk of a small amygdala.

Intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue Plasminogen Activator (rtPA) (IV-rtPA) is the only FDA-approved pharmacological therapy for treatment in acute ischemic stroke and the administration of IV-rtPA is crucially time-dependent.

This study aimed to evaluate symptom-to-needle time and factors associated with the prehospital delay in patients with acute ischemic stroke referred to Poursina Hospital, a referral hospital in the north of Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, all patients with acute stroke referred to Poursina Hospital from June to December 2016 were evaluated. The study data were extracted from the patients’ records. SPSS v. 21 was used to analyze the obtained data. The independent samples t-test and the Chi-square test were used to explore the appropriate relation of variables.

A total of 322 patients were included. Their mean age was 74.4 years and 55.6% were male. According to findings, only 74 patients (22.98%) were transferred to the hospital via Emergency Medical Service (EMS), most of them (64.86%) arrived at the right time. There is a significant relationship between EMS transfer use and arriving at the hospital at the right time. Overall, 13.9% of patients received IV rtPA, and 75.5% of the patients received rtPA in less than 60 minutes. Among the patients arrived in the golden time, the average times to treatment were as follows: onset-to-door (OTD), 105 min; door-to-admission, 3 min; admission-to-doctor, 7 min; doctor-to-Computed Tomography (CT), 15 min; CT-to-treatment, 26 min; symptom to needle time, 152 min; and door-to-needle time (DNT), 49 min.

According to this study, although the two-third of eligible patients were transferred to the hospital at the right time, the rate of using EMS for patient transportation is low.

Neurodegeneration is a progressive and irreversible loss of neuronal cells in specific regions of the brain. Alzheimer Diseases (AD) Parkinson Disease (PD) are the most common forms of neurodegenerative diseases in older people. Exosomes are extracellular nanovesicles that have a key role in physiological processes such as intercellular communication, cell migration, angiogenesis, and anti-tumor immunity. Mounting evidence indicates the role of exosomes in neurodegenerative disorders as possible carriers of disease particles. They have several different potential applications thanks to their unique structure and functions. The present review summarizes recent studies on exosome potentials as a biomarker and therapeutic tool in neurodegenerative diseases. It also provides an overview of the structure and function of exosomes.