A Case of Aplastic Anemia Complicated With Cerebral Infarction.

Aplastic anemia is usually associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Here, we report a case of ischemic stroke secondary to aplastic anemia in a 28-year-old male who presented with sudden-onset right hemiplegia and aphasia when he was not on any immunosuppression for five months. His laboratory findings showed pancytopenia, and his peripheral blood smear showed no atypical cells. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the neck and brain vessels revealed an infarct in the left cerebral hemisphere in the middle cerebral artery territory, and no significant stenosis or aneurysm was observed on MRA. The patient was managed conservatively and discharged in stable condition.

Osteo-Cutaneous Trophic Changes in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and their Reversal with Steroids.

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition characterized by autonomic and inflammatory features. There is paucity of data regarding sustained benefits of any treatment modality. We aimed to document the effect of steroids in CRPS on long-term basis. Materials and Methods: We came across five patients of CRPS in Out Patient clinics of super-speciality Institutes in North India. All five cases fulfilled the Budapest criteria for the diagnosis of CRPS. All of them received prednisolone and were prospectively followed up for 2 years. Treatment outcome was carefully recorded in all affected modalities. Results: All five cases were found to have excruciating neuropathic pain in defined regions along with cutaneous manifestations. Osseous changes in the form of surface erosion of underlying bones in four cases and marked marrow edema leading to considerable increase in bone thickness in one case were noted. All these features improved considerably following steroid therapy. Bone marrow edema and bone resorption showed improvement on serial imaging. Conclusion: Apart from pain relief, steroids therapy is capable of reversing the osteo-cutaneous autonomic changes of CRPS type I.

Neuropathic Pain Associated with COVID-19: a Systematic Review of Case Reports.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Researchers suggests that patients with COVID-19 develop neuropathic pain within weeks or months following infection and that patients with neuropathic pain and COVID-19 sometimes present with deterioration of neurologic complications and pain exacerbation. The objective of this systematic review is to discuss the case-reports having neuropathic pain during and after COVID-19 infection. RECENT FINDINGS: Case reports that has described about patients getting neuropathy or neuropathic pain around the disease either immediately or late post COVID were included. The data was extracted and qualitatively synthesised. Literature was searched and 939 articles were found. 12 articles were screened as per the eligibility criteria and finally, 6 case reports on neuropathic pain in Covid-19 were selected from the database and manual search and finalised for analysis. 2 cases of herpes zoster and post herpetic neuralgia, 2 cases of intense burning pain, 1 case of trigeminal neuralgia and 1 of brachial plexopathy included for the review. Covid 19 viral neurogenic invasion is something very newly discovered topic of discussion in the field of research. With the passage of time, more cases will emerge and more data will be available for research. The review is registered in Prospero with no. CRD42021257060.

Gans repositioning maneuver for the posterior canal BPPV patients: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) is a syndrome marked by brief bouts of vertigo accompanied by rapid changes in head position. Recent ongoing therapeutic approaches used are vestibular rehabilitation exercises and physical maneuvers like the Epley maneuver, Semont maneuver. Gans repositioning maneuver (GRM) is a new hybrid maneuver, consisting of safe and comfortable series of postures that can be conveniently applied on patients with any spinal pathology or even in elderly. METHODS: Randomized controlled/clinical trials of the Gans maneuver were identified. The proportion of patients who improved as a result of each intervention was assessed, as well as the conversion of a 'positive' Dix-Hallpike test to a 'negative' Dix-Hallpike test. RESULTS: Improvement was seen in almost all patients with the Gans maneuver and the Epley Maneuver in three trials with the pooled estimate for random effect model is 1.12 [0.87; 1.43: 100%]. There were no significant side effects from the treatment. DISCUSSION: This study shows that the Gans maneuver is a safe and effective treatment for patients suffering from posterior canal BPPV. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The review is registered in Prospero with no. CRD42021234100.

Aspirin resistance and blood biomarkers in predicting ischemic stroke recurrence: An exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent strokes cause greater complications and worse outcomes by adding to the existing neurological deficit. There is the paucity of data on serum markers of inflammation as predictors of recurrent stroke. This study was planned to analyze the clinico-etiological profile of recurrent noncardioembolic ischemic stroke, estimate aspirin resistance among regular aspirin users and evaluate blood biomarkers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) as probable predictors of stroke recurrence. METHODS: Patients of recurrent noncardioembolic ischemic stroke fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Detailed history, clinical examination, and investigations were obtained as per protocol. Aspirin resistance was determined by light transmission aggregometry. Serum hsCRP, TNF-α, and Lp-PLA2 levels were estimated. RESULTS: This study included 34 males and 16 females. Majority of the patients were > 60 years (n = 30, 60%). Thirty (60%) cases had a repeat stroke after 1 year of primary event. Thirty-nine (78%) study participants had hypertension, while 15 (30%) had diabetes. Middle cerebral artery (n = 40, 80%) was the most common vascular territory. Thirty-one (62%) cases belonged to TOAST subtype 1 (large artery atherosclerosis). Seventy two percent cases were prescribed aspirin after index stroke, but only 36% were compliant. Median (range) hsCRP level was 7.5 (0.3-155) mg/L with 72% of patients having high hsCRP level (>3 mg/L). Median (range) serum PLA2 level was 11.98 (3.31-87.24) ng/ml in patients and 6.96 (0.15-61.42) ng/ml in controls (P = 0.029). Median (range) serum TNF-α level in patients was significantly higher than controls (68.22 [1.3-287] pg/ml versus 0.098 [0.002-36.31] pg/ml, P < 0.001). Aspirin resistance was found in 41.7% patients while 16.7% were semi-resistant. Mean % platelet aggregation was 34.75 ± 21.58 in patients and 64.75 ± 16.98 for controls (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Majority of patients with recurrent stroke were elderly (>60 years), hypertensive, and non-compliant with aspirin. Aspirin resistance was an important factor in patients with antiplatelet compliance. Inflammatory biomarkers hsCRP, PLA2, and TNF-α were found to be significantly elevated in patients compared to controls.

Clinical Profile and Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Patients of Subacute Sclerosing Pan Encephalitis: A Prospective Follow-up Study from Eastern Part of India.

Background: Subacute Sclerosing Pan Encephalitis (SSPE) may present with atypical clinical features and lead to diagnostic dilemma. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be normal in early stage of SSPE. Objective: The aim of this work was to study the demography, clinical profile including atypical features of SSPE patients, and the utility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) as an adjunctive diagnostic tool to the anti-measles antibody and conventional MRI. Material and Methods: Consecutive 25 patients of SSPE were included. Clinical details were recorded at baseline and 6 months follow-up. Anti-measles antibody in serum and CSF, CSF/Serum Quotient reference (CSQ ref), and radiological details including comparison of DTI between SSPE patients and controls were also noted. Results: Of 25 patients, 17 (68%) were male. The most common presenting feature at onset was myoclonus with or without falls (13, 52%). Atypical features such as seizure, hemiparesis, and visual problems were present in 28% patients. At 6 months, 9 patients had progressive course (6 expired), 10 were static, and 6 lost to follow-up. MRI was normal in 8 (32%) patients (stage 2/3- 7/1). On comparison between SSPE patients (N = 10) and control (N = 10) groups, fractional anisotropy (FA), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were reduced and elevated, respectively, at most of the regions of interest with significant difference at many sites. Conclusions: A significant number of patients (28%) had atypical features at onset. DTI is an adjunctive tool which supplements the conventional MRI and increase diagnostic yield. It may be a future option to assess disease progression and treatment response.

COVID-19: Impact on linguistic and genetic isolates of India.

The rapid expansion of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has impacted various ethnic groups all over the world. The burden of infectious diseases including COVID-19 are generally reported to be higher for the Indigenous people. The historical knowledge have also suggested that the indigenous populations suffer more than the general populations in the pandemic. Recently, it has been reported that the indigenous groups of Brazil have been massively affected by COVID-19. Series of studies have shown that many of the indigenous communities reached at the verge of extinction due to this pandemic. Importantly, South Asia also has several indigenous and smaller communities, that are living in isolation. Till date, despite the two consecutive waves in India, there is no report on the impact of COVID-19 for indigenous tribes. Since smaller populations experiencing drift may have greater risk of such pandemic, we have analysed Runs of Homozygosity (ROH) among South Asian populations and identified several populations with longer homozygous segments. The longer runs of homozygosity at certain genomic regions may increases the susceptibility for COVID-19. Thus, we suggest extreme careful management of this pandemic among isolated populations of South Asia.

Neurological manifestations of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of proportions.

BACKGROUND: Coronaviruses mainly affect the respiratory system; however, there are reports of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV causing neurological manifestations. We aimed at discussing the various neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection and to estimate the prevalence of each of them. METHODS: We searched the following electronic databases; PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, WHO database, and ClinicalTrials.gov . Relevant MeSH terms for COVID-19 and neurological manifestations were used. Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, case series, and case reports were included in the study. To estimate the overall proportion of each neurological manifestations, the study employed meta-analysis of proportions using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Pooled prevalence of each neurological manifestations are, smell disturbances (35.8%; 95% CI 21.4-50.2), taste disturbances (38.5%; 95%CI 24.0-53.0), myalgia (19.3%; 95% CI 15.1-23.6), headache (14.7%; 95% CI 10.4-18.9), dizziness (6.1%; 95% CI 3.1-9.2), and syncope (1.8%; 95% CI 0.9-4.6). Pooled prevalence of acute cerebrovascular disease was (2.3%; 95%CI 1.0-3.6), of which majority were ischaemic stroke (2.1%; 95% CI 0.9-3.3), followed by haemorrhagic stroke (0.4%; 95% CI 0.2-0.6), and cerebral venous thrombosis (0.3%; 95% CI 0.1-0.6). CONCLUSIONS: Neurological symptoms are common in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and from the large number of cases reported from all over the world daily, the prevalence of neurological features might increase again. Identifying some neurological manifestations like smell and taste disturbances can be used to screen patients with COVID-19 so that early identification and isolation is possible.

Fighting infodemic: Need for robust health journalism in India.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Communication plays an important role in advancing public health goals as well as in greater appreciation of underlying science and public policies. It is critical at all times, be it promoting health benefits of immunisation, importance of hand hygiene or taking personal measures for prevention of non-communicable diseases. Communication assumes even greater importance in the time of emergencies like the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. A primary vehicle for health communication is mass media like television channels, newspapers and radio channels. METHODS: An analysis of current trends shows that the messages emerging from mass media are getting further amplified and dispersed through digital outlets and social media platforms which have become immensely popular. This has also given rise to a new phenomenon called infodemic or over-abundance of information - both genuine and fake. RESULTS: The article examines role of mass media in health communication in times of pandemic and the context of infodemic. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis points to the need for improvement in health journalism to improve its quality, credibility as well as relevance in a country like India where mass media consumption is high and health literacy is low.

Study of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Epilepsy Patients in North India.

Background Religious and sociocultural beliefs influence the nature of treatment and care received by people with epilepsy. Objective This study aimed to study knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among epilepsy patients in north India. Materials and Methods In this study, 201 patients attending the outpatient and inpatient services of the neurology department of Sir Sunderlal Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, were asked to fill a questionnaire comprising 25 questions assessing the KAPs in English or Hindi, whichever the patient was proficient with. The same questionnaire was also given to 200 patients without epilepsy for the control group. Responses were recorded as yes/no/do not know. Results Approximately, 67% of the patients consisted of a young population, of which 64.7% were males and 35.3% were females. Around 25.9% of patients had studied up to 10th class, 96.5% of patients had heard of epilepsy, and 89.05% thought it was treatable by modern drugs. Out of all patients, 80.1% of patients believed that epilepsy was not contagious, 87.6% believed that they can work, 93.5% believed that they can marry, 66.5% did not feel discriminated by batchmates, and 78.5% did not feel discriminated by teachers. Of all patients, 41.8% said that they would disclose the epileptic condition of their daughters before marriage and 96.01% knew epilepsy patients should be taken to hospital. Conclusion Poor knowledge, negative attitude, and malpractices regarding epilepsy are still prevalent in North India. Epilepsy patients have better knowledge than normal people about this disease. There is still a need to educate people about epilepsy.

Frontotemporal dementia: an unusual cause.

Intracerebral pneumocephalus is commonly associated with head and facial trauma, ear infection, tumors and surgical interventions. Osteomas are relatively common, benign tumors that occur mainly in the paranasal sinuses, the frontal sinus in particular. Pneumocephalus has been commonly reported with frontal osteoma but isolated presentation as frontotemporal dementia is uncommon. Patient was admitted with complaints of change of behavior and forgetfulness for the last one year. He had progressively become more apathetic and presented with behavioral abnormalities. General physical examinations were within normal limits including the motor and sensory system although neuropsychiatry assessments were below the average level, with features of dementia. Further, MRI brain revealed pneumocephalus in bilateral frontal lobe. CT cisternography revealed a well defined lobulated densely sclerotic lesion of approximate size 20 × 17 × 27mm transverse and cranio-caudal axis respectively arising from right ethmoid sinus. Clinically, the association of pneumocephalus and isolated presentation as frontotemporal dementia has not been described to the best of our knowledge. A single case has been described with ethmoid osteoma. Radiological features were suggestive of osteoid osteoma. The uniqueness of the case is the development of dementia with frontotemporal involvement and resemblance with Frontotemporal Dementia. This is the only case with dementia and pneumocephalus (secondary to osteoid osteoma) to best of our knowledge.

Poststroke Cognitive Decline: A Longitudinal Study from a Tertiary Care Center.

Objectives Poststroke cognitive decline (PSCD) is a serious disabling consequence of stroke. The purpose of this study is to find the prevalence of PSCD and sociodemographic and clinical determinants of risk factors of PSCD. Materials and Methods This study was a prospective, hospital-based study conducted on 200 stroke patients from stroke registry during October 2015 to April 2017. Detailed clinical evaluation was done. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were used to determine PSCD after 3 and 6 months as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V . Chi-squared test was used to find the association between two variables. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the difference in cognitive impairment between two follow-ups at 3 and 6 months, respectively. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The prevalence of PSCD measured by MoCA scale at 3 and 6 months was 67 and 31.6%, respectively. By MMSE scale, cognitive decline prevalence at 3 months was found to be 87 (46.3%), which reduced to 22 (17.1%) at 6 months. The association between MMSE scale and type of stroke was significant at 3 months. Conclusion One-third of the stroke patients developed PSCD within 3 months of onset of stroke, with different levels of severity. The major predictors of new-onset poststroke cognitive impairment were diabetes and hypertension. The prevalence of PSCD reduced significantly at 6 months of stroke on follow-up.

Correction to: Inhibitory Effects of Bisphenol-A on Neural Stem Cells Proliferation and Differentiation in the Rat Brain Are Dependent on Wnt/ß-Catenin Pathway.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake.

Correction to: Bisphenol-A Impairs Myelination Potential During Development in the Hippocampus of the Rat Brain.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The authors regret that inadvertent errors were observed in Figure 2E and Figure 10 B&D. The corrected representative images are now incorporated. These corrections does not change the conclusions and text of the article.

Diffusion tensor imaging based white matter changes and antioxidant enzymes status for early identification of mild cognitive impairment.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early stage of dementia. The changes in white matter integrity and antioxidant enzymes levels are crucial in onset and progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD). To elucidate the changes in cognitive performance, white matter integrity, oxidative stress marker, for early detection of prodromal state of AD. Fifty cases of MCI and controls (55-75 years) were subjected to Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) followed by estimation of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation in serum of MCI and control population. The MMSE scores of MCI subjects were (28±2 - 22.6±1) as compared with controls (28±1- 29±1). DTI metrics fractional anisotropy (FA) values in right and left frontal lobe, fornix, corpus callosum, while apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in right temporal lobe, hippocampus head, corpus callosum right, and forcep major were significantly altered in MCI as compared with controls. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase level were lower while lipid peroxidation marker malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased in patients with MCI as compared with controls. The study emphasized that changes in neuro-psychological performance, white matter integrity and antioxidant enzymes level provide early signature for diagnosis of MCI.

Comparison of Cognitive Profile in Young- and Late-onset Parkinson's Disease Patients.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is increasingly being recognized as a major cause of morbidity and increased dependence over the caregivers in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to compare the cognition testing in young- and late-onset PD patient. METHODS: Sixty PD patients (20 young onset and 40 late onset) fulfilling UKPDS Brain Bank diagnostic criteria were enrolled in the study. Patients were assessed clinically and using scales for cognition testing such as Scales for Outcomes in PDCognition (SCOPA-COG), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating scale (motor part), and Hoehn and Yahr staging. RESULTS: Young-onset group comprised 20 (33.3%) and late-onset group comprised 40 (66.7%) patients. Most of the young- and late-onset patients, 15 (75%) and 21 (52.5%), had SCOPA-COG score in the range of 30-39, respectively. On comparison between young- and late-onset groups, SCOPA-COG score's mean ± standard deviation (SD) for young and late onset was 32.60 ± 2.52 and 30.30 ± 3.65, respectively, with statistical significance (P = 0.01). SCOPA-COG score's mean ± SD for mild, moderate, and severely impaired PD patients was 31.48 ± 3.19, 30.60 ± 3.24, and 23.50 ± 3.53, respectively, which on group comparisons (ANOVA) were statistically significant (P = 0.004). However, the SCOPA-COG score was statistically insignificant with respect to disease duration. CONCLUSION: There was statistically significant difference in SCOPA-COG score between young- and late-onset PD patients and in patients with more severe motor impairment.

Proteomics based identification of differential plasma proteins and changes in white matter integrity as markers in early detection of mild cognitive impaired subjects at high risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage of cognitive decline and dementia. The absence of specific diagnostic test for identification of MCI and AD. The current study aims to find proteomics based change in plasma proteins and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based white matter changes in MCI for early detection of prodromal Alzheimer's disease. Fifty cases of mild cognitive impairment and age matched control between (55-75 yrs) were screened on basis of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Two dimensional gel electrophoresis and DTI imaging was performed in MCI and age matched control. The MMSE score of MCI were in the range of (28 ±â€¯2-22.6 ±â€¯1) as compared with healthy control (28 ±â€¯2), DTI metrics apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional Anisotropy (FA) has shown significant changes in fornix, corpus callosum, hippocampus, right temporal and right frontal lobe, left frontal lobe, forcep major of MCI subjects as compared with controls. The protein expression of keratin type-2 was up regulated and albumin was down regulated in MCI subjects as compared with control. The data from present study signifies that expression of Keratin type-2 and albumin along with white matter changes provides early signatures for identification of MCI at high risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Study of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in Participants with Regular Intake of Lathyrus, But No Spastic Paraparesis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neurolathyrism is now a disease of the past and also the causative agent, Lathyrus sativus (Khesari Pulse or keerai in Local Hindi and Bhojpuri language) has now been proven to be harmless and has become part of the usual diet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The population at risk was screened and studied for demography, economic status, knowledge about Khesari pulse, awareness about so-called harmful effects of Khesari pulse intake in humans, and the effects of ban of Khesari pulse on the population which is using Lathyrus (Khesari) as a major source of pulse since the past 4 years through a questionnaire of three pages. RESULTS: Nearly 97% of total screened population totally fed on Khesari pulse as their major source of food and we did not found a single case of primary walking difficulty. We did find three cases of poststroke paralysis, a case of post-GBS lower limb weakness, and a case of recurrent myelitis as a part of questionnaire-based study and then followed by personally examining the patients to confirm the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Khesari pulse if consumed in smaller quantities as a part of a normal mixed diet, its nutritional values can be optimally utilized.

Optical Coherence Tomography and Subclinical Optical Neuritis in Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim is to compare the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) eyes without previous optic neuritis with that of healthy control subjects. METHODS: Over 20 LETM eyes and 20 normal control eyes were included in the study and subjected to optical coherence tomography to evaluate and compare the RNFL thickness. RESULT: Significant RNFL thinning was observed at 8 o'clock position in LETM eyes as compared to the control eyes (P = 0.038). No significant differences were seen in other RNFL measurements. CONCLUSION: Even in the absence of previous optic neuritis LETM can lead to subclinical axonal damage leading to focal RNFL thinning.

An expeditious synthesis of blood-group antigens, ABO histo-blood group type II antigens and xenoantigen oligosaccharides with amino type spacer-arms.

Blood group oligosaccharides are one of the most clinically important antigen families and they may also act as secondary ligands for bacterial toxins from Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae. Herein we report the synthesis of spacered (sp = CH2CH2CH2NH2) glycosides of A antigen {α-D-GalNAc-(l→3)-[α-L-Fuc-(l→2)]-ß-D-Gal-}, B antigen{α-D-Gal-(l→3)-[α-L-Fuc-(l→2)]-ß-D-Gal-}, LewisX{α-D-Gal-(l→4)-[α-L-Fuc-(l→3)]-ß-D-GlcNAc-}, A type-II {α-D-GalNAc-(l→3)-[α-L-Fuc-(l→2)]-ß-D-Gal-(1→4)-ß-D-GlcNAc-}, B type-II {α-D-Gal-(l→3)-[α-L-Fuc-(l→2)]-ß-D-Gal-(1→4)-ß-D-GlcNAc-}, H type-II{α-L-Fuc-(l→2)-ß-D-Gal-(1→4)-ß-D-GlcNAc-}, xenoantigen {α-D-Gal-(l→3)-ß-D-Gal-(1→4)-[α-L-Fuc-(l→2)]-ß-D-GlcNAc-} and Linear B Type II {α-D-Gal-(l→3)-ß-D-Gal-(1→4)-ß-D-GlcNAc-} useful for a range of biochemical investigations. This linker was chosen so as to facilitate the future conjugation of the antigens to proteins or other molecules. We also measured the affinities of some synthesized oligosaccharides against El Tor CTB strain from V. cholera.