Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation Therapy: A Novel Treatment for Post-Concussion Syndrome?

A subset of victims who experience concussion suffer from persistent symptoms spanning months to years post-injury, termed post-concussion syndrome (PCS). Problematically, there is lack of consensus for the treatment of PCS. Concussion injury involves a neurometabolic cascade leading to oxidative stress and neuroinflammation which parallels the oxidative stress loading occuring from age-related neurodegenerative conditions. Historical and recent evidence has emerged showing the efficacy of low-dose radiation therapy for many human diseases including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzhiemer’s disease (AD). Due to the pathognomonic similarities of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation involved in PCS and neurodegenerative disease, treatments that prove successful for neurodegenerative disease may prove successful for PCS. Recently, low-dose ionizing radiation therapy (LDIR) has been documented to show a reversal of many symptoms in AD, including improved cognition. LDIR is thought to induce a switching from proinflammatory M1 phenotype to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. In other words, a continual upregulation of the adaptive protection systems via LDIR induces health enhancement. It is hypothesized LDIR treatment for PCS would mimic that seen from early evidence of LDIR treatment of AD patients who suffer from similar oxidative stress loading. We propose the application of LDIR is a promising, untapped treatment for PCS.

Survey on Early Detection of Alzhiemer’s Disease Using Capsule Neural Network

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an disorder which is irreversible of the brain related to memory loss, mostly found in the old and aged population. Alzheimer's dementia results from the degeneration or loss of brain cells. The brain-imaging technologies most often used to diagnose AD is Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI or structural magnetic resonance is a very popular and actual technique used to diagnose AD. An MRI uses magnets and powerful radio waves to create a complete view of your brain. To actually detect the presence of Alzheimer’s, the MRI should me studied carefullyImplementation of CBIR Content Based Image Retrival which is a revolutionary computer aided diagnosis technique will create new abilities in MRI Magnetic resonance imaging in related image retrieval and training for recognition of development of AD in early stages

Cholinesterase-inhibiting Potential and Anti-BACE1 Activities of Edible Leaves of Selected Thai Local Plants

Alzhiemer’s disease (AD) is common amongst the elderly and is associated with decline in brain functions in terms of memory and cognitive loss. The causes of the disease may occur through loss of presynaptic markers of cholinergic system and deposition of amyloid fibrils in the brain. Cholinesterases (ChEs) including acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are the key enzymes controlling degradation of neurotransmitters, acetylcholines (AChs), in cholinergic hypothesis. Whereas overproduction of b-secretase (BACE1) can generate insoluble b-amyloid peptides. Thus, retardation on enzyme reactions can lead to potential AD prevention. The aim of this research was to investigate in vitro anti-AD activity through key enzymes inhibitions from Thai local plants with edible sour leaves, including Garcinia cowa Roxb., Spondias pinnata (Linn.f.) Kurz, Syzygium gratum (Wight) S.N. Mitra., Tamarind indica L. and Cratoxylum formosum (Jack) Dyer. Leaves were extracted in organic solvents with different polarity index values (ethanol and hexane). As results, all plants possessed different degrees of anti-ChEs activity, in which ethanolic extracts of Spondias pinnata and Tamarind indica exhibited significantly higher ChEs inhibitory activities than Syzygium gratum, Garcinia cowa and Cratoxylum formosum, respectively. Interestingly, most hexane extracts exhibited higher anti-AChE activities than ethanol extracts, while the contrary results were observed in anti-BChE activity. Besides, only Cratoxylum formosum, Garcinia cowa and Tamarind indica extracts possessed anti-BACE1 activity. The information received from this study would be great support of future drug development or nutraceutical agents against AD occurrence regarding its cholinergic and b-amyloid formation hypotheses.

Natural terpenes as substances with multidirectional biological activities

Terpenes, secondary metabolites, are considered by scientists around the World. Multidirectional biological activities of these substances encourage researchers to their detail analysis towards numerous diseases such as neurodegenerative or metabolic. In the presented paper, authors have focused on Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes as potential direction of terpenes’ activity. According to available literature, terpenes exhibit satisfactory antioxidant activity and ability to inhibition AChE, BuChE (Alzhiemer’s disease) and α-amylase, α-glucosidase (diabetes). Basis of the presented research are both essential oils obtained from plants such as salvia, rosemary, basil and lemon balm being one of the main source of natural terpenes, and single compounds. Special attention is paid to monoterpenes as the main components of numerous essential oils. Among terpenes presented in the paper, activity of ocimene, carvone, pulegone, α-phellandrene exhibiting activity towards both free radical scavenging as well as AChE and BuChE inhibition, and α-pinene, citral, limonene that revealing inhibitory activity towards α-amylase and α-glucosidase should be emphasized.

Association of Dementia in Ischemic Stroke: A Case Control Study

Objectives: To evaluate the association of dementia in ischemic stroke. Methodology: This case control study was carried out in the department of Neurology at BSMMU, Dhaka from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2011 for duration of two years to evaluate the association of dementia in ischemic stroke. The target population for this study include all patients presented with ischemic stroke at the range of 3 to 6 months after stroke with the age group of 40 to 70 years are included in this study and patients of dementia other than ischemic stroke like Alzhiemer’s disease, vit-B12 deficiency, thyroid dysfunction were excluded from this study. A total number of 120 respondents were included in this study. Age & sex matched 60 patients of ischemic stroke were selected as cases and rest 60 people were taken as control group. Informed written consent was taken from each patient or his/ her attendant. All information regarding history and physical findings; and other risk factors for dementia were collected to fill up the preformed questionnaire. Relevant physical examinations like nervous system examination, selected general and systemic examination were recorded. Result & Observation: Dementia was present in case and control group 18(30.0%) and 2(3.3%) respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p=0.001). Present smoking habit was more in case (45.0%) than in control group (16.7%) which was statistically significant (p=0.001) with a OR of 4.07 with a 95% CI of 1.89-8.75. Past smoking habit was more in case (16.7%) than control group (11.7%). Non-smoker was more in control (71.7%) than case group (38.3%). Diabetes mellitus was more common in case group (38.3%) than control group 5(8.3%) which was statistically significant (p=0.001) with a 6.84 OR and 95% CI of 2.39-19.6. Conclusion: The study permit to conclude that dementia is directly associated with ischemic stroke. We found a correlation between age, family history of dementia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia with dementia. Bangladesh Journal of Neuroscience 2014; Vol. 30 (1): 35-44