[Comparison between the effectiveness of physical maneauer and medicinal therapy in the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo]

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo [BPPV] is the most common cause of vertigo. Its pathophysiology is described by canalolithiasis theory. A safe and simple treatment has been proposed in recent years [canalith repositioning maneuver]. This study has been performed to compare the effectiveness of physical maneuver and medical therapy in the treatment of BPPV. The study was a clinical trial. Patients with BPPV [Being diagnosed based on positive Dix - Hallpike test and history] were randomized into 2 groups on first visit. They were matched for sex, age and cause of BPPV. 23 patients received Epley maneuver and 22 patients received Betahistine. Patients were evaluated at first week and first month after the beginning of the treatment. After one week, 58.3% of patients in drug group and 94.1% of patients in maneuver group had negative Hallpike test. After 1 week, all patients were asked about the resolution of symptoms. After 1 week, 39.77% of patients in drug group and 81.52% of patients in maneuver group improved. This difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant [2 = -4/338; p< 0/001]. After 1 month, 56. 83% of patients in drug group and 86.98% of patients in maneuver group improved [z =- 3/ 305; p<0/01]. The difference of subjective improvement was statistically significant between 1 week and 1 month follow up in drug group [z = -2/85; p<0.01], this difference however was not statistically significant in maneuver group [z= -1.5; NS]. In short term the Epley maneuver is much more effective than medical therapy to control symptoms of BPPV and is the best treatment for this disease

Evaluation of Extract of Ginkgo Biloba [EGB] and its effect on memory of healthy volunteer students in Mashad university

Memory is an essential factor for any activity in humans. We cannot do any simple tasks without memory. So, scientists have done research on factors, which influence the memory and enforce it. The purpose of this study is evaluating the effect of Ginkgo biloba on the memory of healthy students who have volunteered in Mashad universities. The study consists of 141 healthy volunteered students [67 Female and 74 male] that primarily did not have any organic or non organic disease. The main inclusion criteria for being admitted in the study were getting a score below the cut of point in the G.H.Q., BDI and scl 90 of the screening tests. After that the students were divided into two groups randomly and the W.M.S.R test was done on them before and after prescribing Ginkgo to one group and placebo to the other one. The Ginkgo can increase all subtests of WMS-R except INF and ORE subtest, MCO and vis. Extract of Ginkgo biloba can be a good and low risk alternative for increasing the memory of the youth and adults especially the ones with a memory failure background

[Bilatral optic neuritis following measles/rubella [MR] vaccination [a case report]]

A thirteen years old female caucasition admitted in 5 Azar General hospital with a 3-day history of deteriorating vision. Two weeks prior to admission she had received a measles-rubella vaccination at school [as a mass campain of MR vaccination in IRAN]. General and neurological examination except lung wheezing and occular findings were normal. In visual exam she had questionable light perception in right eye and hand motion sensation in left eye. Funduscopy revealed moderate bilateral opitc disc hypermia. Investigations revealed normal full cell blood count, biochemistry profile, clotting studies and sputum. Brain CT scan and MRI were normal except pansinusitis. CSF examination revealed normal constituents. The patient treated with methyl prednisolon [1 gr/daily] for 7 days and patient had dramatic response to therapy. After 6 weeks of starting medical treatment ophthalmologic exam revealed 2 meters finger count vision in Rt eye and 6/10 visual aquity in Lt side. This patient is a rare case of bilateral optic neuritis after MR vaccination