ABSTRACT
Introduction Hansen's disease is a condition in which patients develop peripheral neuropathy. In 1873, G. H. A. Hansen discovered Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, a chronic infectious disease. These bacteria influence the peripheral nerves, which is likely to cause neuropathy. Sensory nerve conduction studies were performed in leprosy patients on the upper limb nerves of 30 patients in the rural area of the Wardha district in the Indian population. Methods In this study, we recruited 30 leprosy patients from the Department of Dermatology and A.V.B.R. Hospital, Sawangi Wardha. The patient's nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests were carried out in the Department of Physiology at J. N. Medical College, Wardha. NCVs were obtained during these three years, beginning in 2009, while performing sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV). The latency, amplitude, and NCV parameters were recorded, and the data collection period ended in 2011. In this study, we measured both MNCV and SNCV. Results In our study, impairment of conductional velocity was observed. In leprosy patients, the MNCV values of latency, amplitude, and conductional velocity were 6.61, 3.89, and 46.92 m/s, respectively, whereas the SNCV values were 3.005, 25.17, and 38 m/s, respectively. Based on the results, it appears that the maximal sensory nerve involvement was recorded at 38 m/s conductional velocity. In NCVs, increased latency and decreased conductional velocity were found across the study. Conclusion It was concluded that nerve conduction studies are one of the non-invasive techniques for early diagnosis and management of leprosy. This study should be repeated with a larger sample size and should be multicentric.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It is increasingly being realized that many of today's diseases are due to "oxidative stress" that results from an imbalance between formation and neutralization of free radicals. Rasayana Chikitsa is a unique branch of Ayurveda. The word Rasayana means the way for attaining excellent Rasadi Dhatus. Several medicinal plants have been described as Rasayanas in Ayurveda. Ashwagandha and Guduchi are the best among the Rasayanas described by Charaka. AIM: To study the efficacy of Ashwagandha and Guduchi in oxidative stress in healthy volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 30 healthy volunteers after obtaining written informed consent. They were randomly distributed in three groups. Each group was treated with three different colored capsules containing Ashwagandha, Guduchi and placebo in the dose of 1 capsule (500 mg) twice a day for 6 months. The parameters such as hemoglobin%, Erythorcyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Malondialdehyde (MDA), Super-Oxide Dismutase (SOD) level, etc., were assessed before and after treatment. The Student's t-test was applied to assess significant variations in all of the studied parameters. RESULTS: In this study, there was a significant increase in SOD level and decrease in MDA level in Ashwagandha and Guduchi groups. CONCLUSION: Ashwagandha and Guduchi may be helpful in preventing the oxidative stress and premature aging.
