Characterizing altruistic motivation in potential volunteers for SARS-CoV-2 challenge trials

In human challenge trials, volunteers are deliberately infected with a pathogen to accelerate vaccine development and answer key scientific questions. In the U.S., preparations for challenge trials with the novel coronavirus are complete, and in the U.K., challenge trials have recently begun. However, ethical concerns have been raised about the potential for invalid consent or exploitation. These concerns largely reflect worries that challenge trial volunteers may be unusually risk-seeking or too economically vulnerable to refuse the payments these trials provide, rather than being motivated primarily by altruistic goals. We conducted the first large-scale survey of intended human challenge trial volunteers and found that SARS-CoV-2 challenge trial volunteers exhibit high levels of altruistic motivations without any special indication of poor risk perception or economic vulnerability. Findings indicate that challenge trials with the novel coronavirus can attract volunteers with background conditions, attitudes, and motivations that should allay key ethical concerns.

Management of Migraine with Ayurvedic Intervention - A Case Report

Migraine is a common episodic neurological disorder with a multifaceted pathophysiology that displays as recurrent attacks of headache that are typically throbbing and unilateral/bilateral and often severe with concomitant symptoms such as photophobia, phonophobia stimuli. Similar disease condition with its cardinal feature is well describe as Shirah Shoola in Ayurveda caused by vitiated Tridosha. About 15% of the population suffers migraine. Prevalence of migraine is approximately 5.7% in men and 17.0% in women and accounts 2% years of life lost due to a disability in women of all ages. Modern science enforced several medications to manage migraine but fails to deroot it, additionally these drugs have adverse effects like GI upset, hypotension, lack of concentration etc. In contrast Ayurveda approach rather safe in use could be promising strategies that can pacify the characteristics of various Shirah Shoola as well as its associated disability. Laghu Sutasekhara Rasa orally and Brihat Dashmoola Taila Nasya is mentioned in Rasatantrasara and Siddhayogasangraha book with special indication to Shiarh Shoola. So an attempt has been made to assess the efficacy of these two drugs in the management of migraine in this single case study. Considerable improvement was seen in the clinical features of Migraine.