Historical applications of Nigella sativa L. [black cumin] in the treatment of Zokam and Nazleh in Persian medicine

Using Nigella sativa L. [Black cumin], in traditional medicine, dates back to Tutankhamen, the pharaoh of Egypt. There are aboundant historical and religious evidence implying the importance of these curative seeds. Traditionally, they have been used for various therapeutic purposes. Zokam and Nazleh [ZaN] are two nasal diseases used to be treated by these medicinal seeds. Traditional Persian Medicine [TPM] classifies each of these diseases into warm and cold types. Comparing symptoms, Warm ZaN resembles Allergic rhinitis and cold ZaN is similar to Rhinosinusitis. Many documents have been found in TPM references that explain different ways for preparing Black cumin seeds for the treatment of cold ZaN, but there is no evidence for treating warm ZaN. In recent years, many original articles have been written to explain the therapeutic qualities of these curative seeds. They exhibit that Black cumin seeds, in addition to increasing the mucociliary clearance, histamine release inhibition and antihistaminic effects, have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antibacterial biofilm formation. Consequently, they confirm the application of Black cumin in the treatment of rhinosinusitis or cold ZaN

Hearing statement in multiple sclerosis: a case control study using auditory brainstem responses and otoacoustic emissions

Multiple Sclerosis [MS] is a demyelinating disorder of Central Nervous System. It involves 8th cranial nerve and its central nuclei and is an uncommon cause of the sensorineural hearing loss. For determining the prevalence of hearing loss [HL] especially retrocochlear type in MS, a cross-sectional study was designed using Pure-Tone Audiometry [PTA], Otoacustic Emissions [OAEs], Auditory Brainstem Responses [ABRs] compared with the control group. Data were analyzed by Qui2 and Fischer exact test in SPSS 17 software. Among 60 patients [44 women and 16 men] and 38 controls [27 women and 11 men] with a mean age of 29.9 +/- 9.8 and 31.4 +/- 8.3 years, 12.5% of case ears and 3.9% of the control ears had abnormal PTA [P= 0.043]. Frequency of abnormal high frequency-PTA and two modalities of OAEs were not significantly different between case and control ears. The means of overall correlation were 75.9 +/- 23.8 in cases and 70.0 +/- 27.2 in controls [P= 0.111]. 20% of case ears, and 9.2% of the control ears had abnormal ABRs [P= 0.044]. The absolute latencies of waves I, II and V had not significant difference, but 10% and 11.7% of case ears and 1.3% and none of the control ears had increased inter peak latencies of I-III, and III-V respectively [P<0.05]. 6.7% of case ears and 2.6% of control ears had retrocochlear abnormality [P=0.181]. In conclusion, HL is more common in MS patients, especially when determined by using PTA and ABR

[Evaluation of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine on tinnitus]

Due to multiplicity of tinnitus etiologies and the lack of accurate knowledge about its exact mechanism, it is still a challenge to find an effective treatment. The objective of this study was an evaluation of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine effect on tinnitus in patients' reffered to Amiralmomenin Hospital Rasht-Iran. In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, a total of 57 patients [23 to 71 years old] with chronic nonpulsatile tinnitus were treated in three separate groups with carbamazepine [300-600mg], oxcarbazepine [450-900 mg] and placebo for 12 weeks. In the early stages of the study, physical examination and nessecary laboratory tests, audiometry tests, complementation of Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] and Tinnitus Severity Index [TSI] were performed. At the end of 8[th] and 12[th] weeks, VAS and TSI questionnaire were completed again. Among 51 patients [28 male, 23 female] who completed the trial course, according to VAS, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and placebo decreased severity of tinnitus in 56.6%, 46.2% and 38.5% of cases respectively. Decrement in tinnitus severity on the basis of TSI in the three mentioned groups were 61.1%, 58.8% and 50% respectively. Carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine were not more effective than placebo in subsiding tinnitus on the basis of VAS and TSI. Carbamazepine and its analouge, oxcarbazepine are effective in decreasing tinnitus severity, but they are not significantly more effective than placebo

Otoacoustic emissions in sudden sensorineural hearing loss: changes of measures with treatment

To identify changes in OAEs parameters in treatment course of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss [iSSNHL]. In aprospective study from August 2005 to January 2009, 26 patients with iSSNHL underwent conventional audiometry/tympanometry and two types of OAEs [TEOAEs and DPOAEs] before and after the completion of standard drug therapy. The changes in pre- and posttreatment parameters were compared with each other and with normal-contralateral ears. In TEOAEs, the mean overall correlation [reproducibility] and the mean overall strength in involved ears were 10.96 +/- 23.36 and 0.99 +/- 3.45 dB, respectively, before the treatment, which reached 22.88 +/- 36.55 and 1.85 +/- 5.3, respectively, after the treatment [P>0.05]. Significant difference between "correlation score" [average of correlations at 3-4 involved frequencies] before and after treatment was found: 6.52 +/- 18.19 vs. 21.67 +/- 37.8 [P<0.034]. The difference between pre- and post-treatment overall correlation and correlation score in the "response group" were significant [P<0.031]. In DPOAEs of the involved ears, the mean DP1 level and the DP1 signal-to-noiseratio changes were not significant with the treatment [P>0.05]. Evoked OAEs, especially TEOAEs, are objective, rapid, and sensitive tools in the treatment course of iSSNHL

Brain single photon emission computed tomography in anosmic subjects after closed head trauma

Anosmia following head trauma is relatively common and in many cases is persistent and irreversible. The ability to objectively measure such a decline in smelling, for both clinical and medicolegal goals, is very important. The aim of this study was to find results of brain Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography [SPECT] in anosmic subjects after closed head trauma. This case-control cross sectional study was conducted in a tertiary referral University Hospital. The brain perfusion state of nineteen anosmic patients and thirteen normal controls was evaluated by means of the SPECT with 99mtc- ECD infusion-before and after olfactory stimulation. The orbitofrontal lobe of the brain was assumed as the region of interest and changes in perfusion of this area before and after the stimulations were compared in two groups. The mean of brain perfusion in controls before and after the stimulation was 8.26% +/- 0.19% and 9.89% +/- 0.54%, respectively [P < 0.0001]. Among patients group, these quantities were 7.97% +/- 1.05% and 8.49% +/- 1.5%, respectively [P < 0.004]. The difference between all the measures in cases and controls were statistically significant [P < 0.0001]. There were no differences in age and sex between two groups. The brain SPECT is an objective technique suitable for evaluating anosmia following the head trauma and it may be used with other diagnostic modalities

Otorhinolaryngologic manifestations in thalassemia major patients

In thalassemia major, extramedulary hematopoiesis results in bony deformities such as sever malocclusion in the head and neck, delayed pneumatization of paranasal sinuses and so on. Also, there are many systemic and iatrogenic problems that may affect the head and neck region. The purpose of this study was to determine otorhinolaryngologic manifestations as clinical diseases in thalassemia major patients. In a cross sectional study 190 thalassemia major patients were evaluated [by history and physical examination] for snoring, epistaxis, nasal obstruction, sinusitis, temporomandibular joint [TMJ] pain and TMJ dislocation, tinnitus and hearing loss. Radiological studies of the skull and paranasal sinuses and audiological tests were performed. The data was analyzed in different age groups with chi2 test. Relative frequency of some otorhinolaryngologic manifestations in this population was high. The differences between some clinical diseases as TMJ pain, and epistaxis in different age groups were statistically significant. Thalassemia major increases some clinical diseases in the Otolarygology field. With early diagnosis and early treatment many of them may be prevented