[Direction of head trauma and its effect on olfactory bulb volume in post-traumatic anosmia]

Anosmia is a physical sign in post-traumatic patients, which significantly reduces the quality of life. Anosmia occurs in up to 30% of cases with head trauma. In this study we aimed to compare the Olfactory Bulb Volume [OBV] in patients with posttraumatic anosmia in different impact positions and also with healthy individuals to find the relation between the two variables. Thirty-eight patients with posttraumatic anosmia and 27 healthy individuals with normal olfactory function were recruited in this case-control study performed in Amir Alam Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Variables of age, sex, time of trauma, site of trauma [frontoparietal/occipital], side of trauma, OBV, the results of olfactory identification tests and olfactory threshold were extracted and evaluated. We used non-contrasted 1.5-Tesla coronal brain MRI for the measurement of OBV. There were no significant differences between cases and controls regarding sex and age. Olfactory bulb volume was significantly smaller in cases compared to the controls [P=0.004]. Among the case group, OBV was smaller in anterior versus posterior head traumas [P=0.02]. OBV was also smaller in ipsilateral rather than the contralateral side of trauma [P=0.01]. The direction of trauma had a significant effect on OBV and it was smaller in traumas to the anterior and also ipsilateral sides of the head. It seems that changes in OBV differ due to the direction of head trauma and it can be helpful in predicting the prognosis of posttraumatic anosmia. Further studies are required for more conclusive statements

effect of chronic administration of Aegle marmelos seed extract on learning and memory in diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus is associated with disturbances of learning and memory and cognitive functioning. Aegle marmelos Corr. from Rutaceae family is widely used in Iranian folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Considering the beneficial antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of A. marmelos, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of oral administration of A. marmelos on learning and spatial memory in diabetic rats using Morris water maze test. Considering the beneficial antidiabetic potential of A. marmelos, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of chronic oral administration of A. marmelos as cognitive enhancer, on learning and spatial memory in diabetic rats using Morris water maze test. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal-control, diabetic-control, and A. marmelos-treated diabetic groups [100, 250 and 500 mg/kg, p.o.]. Animals were treated for 4 weeks by A. marmelos or normal saline. Diabetes was induced by a single dose i.p. injection of streptozotocin [45 mg/kg]. In each group of animals, spatial learning and memory parameters were analyzed. Clear impairment of spatial learning and memory was observed in diabetic group versus normal-control group. A. marmelos showed dose dependent improvement in spatial learning and memory parameters that swimming time [Escape Latency] in normal-control and A. marmelos-treated diabetic animals rats was significantly [P< 0.01] lower than diabetic-control, while swimming speed was significantly [P< 0.05] higher. The study demonstrated that A. marmelos has significant protective affect against diabetes-induced spatial learning and memory deficits. This effect could be attributed to hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant activity of A. marmelos

Effects of boswellia papyrifera Gum extract on learning and memory in mice and rats

Learning is defined as the acquisition of information and skills, while subsequent retention of that information is called memory. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of aqueous extract of Boswellia papyrifera on learning and memory paradigms in mice and rats. This study was held at the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kermanshah University of Medical Science, Kermanshah, Iran from September 2006 to March 2008. Male Wistar rats and male NMR1 mice were randomly divided into control, B. papyrifera treated [50, 100, 150 mg/kg, p.o.], and piracetam [150 mg/kg] groups. Radial arm maze [RAM] and Morris water maze [MWM] were the screening tests used to assess the activity of B. papyrifera extract. The mice treated with B, papyrifera [50, 100 and 150 mg/kg] or piracetam [150 mg/kg] showed a decrease in number of days required to learned [P< 0.05] and time taken to find food by the learned mice in radial arm maze [P< 0.01]. In Morris water maze, rats treated with the above mentioned doses showed dose dependent improvement in spatial learning. Escape latency during swimming in water maze in piracetam and B. papyrifera treated animals was significantly lower [P< 0.01] than control. Swimming distance was also significantly lower [P< 0.05] in the treated groups. The results show facilitation of spatial learning and memory processes and thereby validate B. papyrifera traditional use of intelligence improving. The presence of alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins might be responsible for this activity of B. papyrifera