ABSTRACT
Risk perceptions are crucial in understanding people's thoughts about stroke risk and their preventive health behaviours. Management of risk factors plays a vital role in preventing stroke. This study aimed to identify the perceived and actual risk factors in patients with acute stroke. It was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in Sri Ramachandra University Hospital, India. A total of 210 in-patients of a stroke unit were included. Patients’ data were obtained by interviewing the patient and /or accompanying family member and by reviewing their medical records using a standard questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The median self-perceived risk factor was three. The most commonly perceived risk factor was hypertension (53.8%), followed by stress, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, alcohol intake, smoking and family history. The perception of risk was low when compared to actual risk (p < 0.016). The patients with coronary heart disease, family history of stroke and congestive heart failure have higher risk of having ischaemic stroke. There was a positive correlation between the actual risk and perceived risk.
ABSTRACT
The syndrome of transient headache and neurologic deficits associated with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis (HaNDL) is a benign and self limiting disorder characterized by 1 or more episodes of severe headache and transient neurologic deficits with lymphocytic pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid. We report a case of a 30-year-old male who presented with four episodes of headache followed by hemi paresis and hemisensory loss in a week the patient was completely asymptomatic in between each episode of headache with neurological deficits. Persistent serial imaging to visualize the brain were normal with evidence of cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis, which lead to the diagnosis of HaNDL. We need to advocate a high degree of suspicion for HaNDL in the background of strong clinical history and findings, when imaging is normal.
ABSTRACT
Rising early in the morning has been a prescribed discipline of ancient Indian tradition. While there are no scientific studies comparing early rising volitionally versus circumstantially, selected studies on the latter (rising forcefully) have shown negative impact on an individual’s peroformance. Hence the present study was undertaken to assess the influence of early rising (during Brahma-muhurtha) on tasks requiring attention and the ability to recall. Fifty four normal healthy male volunteers, with ages ranging from 16-22 years from a residential school were selected. They were randomly allocated to two groups (Brahma-muhurtha and control). They were assessed on day 1, day 10 and day 20 of the intervention, using a digit letter substitution task and verbal and spatial memory task. The Brahma-muhurtha group were asked to rise before 4:30 am in the morning based on the traditional Indian astrological calculations, while the control group were allowed to wake up just before 7 am which was their regular timing for waking. Brahma-muhurtha group after 20 days showed a significant improvement in the net scores for digit letter substitution task as well as scores for verbal and spatial memory tasks. The control group also showed an improvement in the memory task but not in the task requiring attentional processes. The present study suggests that rising early in the morning as described in ancient Indian tradition influences the process of attention and can improve the ability to recall.
ABSTRACT
Tinctures of Eclipta alba were prepared by using 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100% of alcohol by maceration process for 10, 20 and 30 days. Tincture by using 30% of alcohol on 30 days of maceration produced maximum yield of total solid content and showed pH -7.58. It was characterized by studying various co-chemical characteristics