Inflammation plays a major part in brain ischemia. Propolis is a polyphenol-rich hive product with a set of pharmaceutical properties.

This research aims to investigate the impact of water extracts of brown propolis (WEPs) on stroke outcomes and inflammatory responses in a rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).

This experimental study was conducted in Rafsanjan, Iran, in 2017. WEPs were experimentally prepared from two regions in Iran. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and Folin–Ciocalteu assays were used to determine chemical portrayal and the total polyphenol content, respectively. A total of 66 male adult mice were divided randomly into the surgical sham, control (vehicle-treated), and four WEPs-treated animal groups. WEPs-treated groups received doses of 100 and 200 (mg/kg, IP) four times, and their behavioral tests, brain edema, infarct volume, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) level were evaluated.

The samples were not significantly different in terms of the concentration of the total polyphenol content. Compared to the control, WEPs led to a substantial decrease in the TNF-α level (P<0.05) as well as a subsequent reduction in the brain edema and infarct volume (P<0.001) in all treatment groups. Furthermore, there was a significant improvement in neurological deficits and sensory-motor impairments level (P<0.05).

According to the study findings, WEPs reduce brain ischemia damage, perhaps by exerting a neuroprotective effect on stroke-induced neuroinflammatory responses

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. The role of genetic factors in AD development remains non-demonstrated.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between one of the BIN1 gene’s single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs744373 and Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD) in an Iranian population in Guilan Province.

In this case-control study, 110 patients with LOAD and 110 unrelated healthy controls were recruited. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction length polymorphism (PCRRFLP) was performed for genotyping the BIN1 gene’s SNP rs744373. Electrophoresis was thereafter conducted using agarose gel and DNA-safe stain, and the gels were visualized under an Ultraviolet (UV) trans-illuminator. The allelic and genotypic frequencies were determined.

The frequency of allele T (Wild-type allele) in the control and the LOAD groups was 70.9% (n=159) and 58.6% (n=129), respectively (P=0.007). The frequency of allele C in the LOAD group (41.4%) (n=91) was significantly higher than that of the control group (29.1%) (n=64) (P=0.007). BIN’s homozygous genotype (CC) frequency was significantly higher in the LOAD group than in the control group (P=0.043).

The rs744373 SNP of the BIN1 gene is significantly associated with the risk of developing AD in the studied population.

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the impact of spirituality on people’s health. Some signals can alter brain function and affects the autonomic nervous system to reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of listening to the Holy Quran on the electrocardiogram (ECG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of healthy people with the fusion technique.

Cardiac signal recording and two brain signal channels in the C3 and C4 areas of 25 female students between 20 and 23 years old were performed in three stages: silence, listening to the Holy Quran, and silence again. We used standard complementary plots, then we matched the circles with different radii (0.1 to 1) on the complementary diagram and extracted the number of intersection points with the hypothetical lines of the complementary plot as a feature. We then examined all possible modes with the support vector machine classifier. A new data fusion technique was used to study the interactions between the heart and the brain.

The best accuracy of 98.75% was obtained for a distinction between pre and no-voice using the brain signal.

The results of the present study show the effect of listening to the Holy Quran on physiological signals with the fusion technique.

There is no agreement on the route of administration and the drug of choice for providing adequate sedation for pediatric invasive procedures.

We compared the utility, safety, and sedation effects of intranasal midazolam and oral ketamine.

This double-blind clinical trial was performed on 100 children aged 2 to 14 years who were candidates for upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: ketamine (4 mg/kg orally) and midazolam (0.1 mg/ kg intranasal). Sedation score, fear levels, children’s behavior at the time of separation from parents, and vital signs were recorded.

Higher systolic blood pressure was seen in children who received ketamine (P=0.012) and lower arterial oxygen saturation in the midazolam group (P=0.023). Also, the level of sedation showed no significant difference between the groups.

Based on the results, administering oral ketamine or intranasal midazolam before endoscopy induced a similar sedation score in children. Also, both methods could be safe and non-invasive modalities for sedation.

The association between depression and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been reported worldwide.

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of active and inactive IBD depression and its associated risk factors among patients with depression and IBD.

In this cross-sectional study, demographic data and clinical characteristics of 156 IBD patients referred to Razi Hospital, Rasht City, Iran, were recorded from 2015 to 2016. The Beck depression inventory (BDI) was administered to all patients, and their scores were classified as no, mild, moderate, and severe depression. Modified Truelove and Witts severity index (MTWSI) for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Harvey Bradshaw severity index (HBSI) for Crohn’s disease (CD) were used to quantitate IBD activity as active UC (scored ≥10) and active CD (scored ≥7).

About 35.9% of the patients (n=56) had depression. Patients with active IBD had significantly higher BDI scores than those with inactive IBD (14.41±10.34 vs 10.14±10.28, respectively, P=0.011). Except for income (P=0.001), no significant associations were detected between IBD status and other background variables (P>0.05). No patients in either active or inactive IBD groups had cancers. Based on the severity of depression, the patients were grouped as follows: 64.1% had no depression, 30.1% had mild depression, 5.8% had moderate depression, and 0.0% had severe depression. However, significant positive associations were seen between an increase in depression severity and having autoimmune diseases, a lower education level, and a history of IBD-related surgeries.

It seems that patients with active IBD are more depressed than inactive IBD patients.

Skull primary intraosseous cavernous hemangiomas (PICHs) are uncommon, benign, and slowgrowing tumors. These lesions are not widely known, specifically as regards the pathogenesis. The researchers wanted to describe the clinical presentations and radiological characteristics through a literature review of 140 cranial patients who received surgical treatment and histological diagnosis. Although PICH is uncommon, it should always be considered when a hard, steadily expanding skull lesion is seen. Surgical resection should be the first line of therapy for symptomatic individuals and aesthetic motivation, and their long-term results following complete removal are excellent. Moreover, we describe four patients with PICH to enrich the literature.

Due to the mobility problems of the elderly, it is better to use low-cost and applicable methods in any place, which do not require expertise to measure gait. One of these ubiquitous methods is functional gait assessment (FGA).

The purpose of this study was to collect and evaluate FGA in the elderly.

This study conducted a comprehensive study of FGA in the elderly by searching the databases of PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, Google Scholar, Scopus, MAGIRAN, IRANDOC, Iran Medex, MedLib, and SID from 1996 to November 2020. After compiling the search results, we first studied the titles and then the abstracts. If an article matched the inclusion and exclusion criteria, its results were used in the review study; otherwise, it was excluded.

Based on the research criteria and objectives, from 23 different tests, the results of 19 articles that studied FGA in the elderly were selected and reported.

Studies seem to attempt FGA in the elderly using different methods and for different purposes. For example, studies to assess gait velocity, normal gait, and gait, along with functional and cognitive tasks, have measured FGA in the elderly. Besides, the two main features of a valid test including sensitivity and specificity have been less studied. Therefore, more studies should focus on these test features in measuring FGA in the elderly.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, various efforts have been taken to alleviate the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV2). Studies have shown effective prevention and protection through vaccination. However, there have also been reports of neurologic diseases after vaccination.

The first case in the Philippines belonged to a 25-year-old female who initially sought a consult for the increased sleeping time associated with retrograde amnesia immediately after receiving her second dose of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. She was then managed as a case of viral encephalitis. However, two weeks later, the patient developed a bilateral decline in visual acuity. Diagnostics included visual perimetry, routine EEG, contrastenhanced cranial MRI, and visual evoked potentials. The patient was then managed as a case of bilateral optic neuritis and was started on pulse methylprednisolone for 3 days with noted gradual but incomplete reversal of the condition.

Autoimmune neurologic events after COVID-19 vaccination are treatable, and the benefits of the vaccination outweigh its risk.