Role of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in the Management of Post-Stroke Depression

Study Objectives: Stroke is a major neurological disease significantly threatening the human health and life with a high morbidity, disability, and mortality. Post-stroke depression (PSD) is one of the common complications of stroke. PSD has been a major factor hindering the recovery of neurological functions and daily activities in stroke patients and is closely related to the social avoidance and increased mortality of stroke patients. Although antidepressant drug treatment has improved during the last decades, symptoms in about 20% of the patients are not in remission two years after initiation of pharmacological intervention. Nowadays, non-invasive brain stimulation;techniques;transcranial direct current stimulation (tCDS) has gained an important interest in the treatment of many neuropsychiatric disorders which might be of some help in treatment of PSD. The goal of the current study is to evaluate the beneficial short term role of tDCS on post-stroke depression. Study Design: This was a randomized double blind placebo-controlled clinical trial included forty hemiparetic patients with post-stroke depression from outpatient clinic of Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, in the period between June 2018 to June 2019. All patients diagnosed as having a PSD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Depression was evaluated by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) pre and post treatment and quality of life was evaluated by the Stroke Specific Quality Of Life scale (SS-QOL). Patients were assigned randomly into two groups: the study group A and the control group B. Both groups received antidepressant medication in addition to physical therapy program. Group A received tCDS for 30 minutes, three times per week for one month, while the group B received sham transcranial direct current stimulation. Results: Active tDCS was significantly superior to sham with significant improvement in depression and Stroke Specific Quality Of Life in treated group in comparison to group B, p = 0.000. Conclusion: tDCS was effective for post- stroke depression and might be a favorable option for treating post-stroke patients.

Mitochondrial Dysfunctions in Patients with Migraine

Study Objectives: Migraine is a complex neurovascular disease and is believed to be due to a mixture of genetic and environmental factors. Study design: This was a cross-sectional observational prospective hospital based study conducted on 100 participants. They were divided into two groups;Group A: 50 migrainous patients according to the criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders and Group B: 50 healthy subjects both groups were age and sex matched. All subjects underwent a full neurological and psychiatric examination. Full headache evaluation sheet used in headache outpatient clinic in Ain Shams University Hospitals and HIT-6? Headache Impact Test was used. Assay of serum level of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) as mitochondrial function marker was done. Results: There was no significant difference between both groups regarding gender, age or age group, marital state, education, residence and special habits. However, there was a statistical significant difference as regards family history of migraine more in patient group. In this study, serum NAA levels in migraine patients were significantly lower than in healthy controls. Decreased NAA level is generally believed to be a sign of reduced neuronal and glial mitochondrial function. Also, migraine with aura patients showed lower NAA levels when compared to migraine without aura subtypes. However, there was no significant correlation was found between NAA serum levels, and gender, age at onset, age group, type of aura, duration of the illness, type of onset of pain, frequent site of pain, time to max severity, severity of attack, and daily functions (social life, work, psychological wellbeing, sleep and cognition). Conclusions: Findings of this study indicate that NAA in serum may be a marker for neuronal dysfunction predisposing to migraine, probably related to the reduced mitochondria function.

Prediction of Outcome in Patients with Guillain Barre Syndrome—An Egyptian Study

Study Objectives: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an acute-onset, monophasic immune-mediated disorder of the peripheral nervous system that often follows an infection. The outcome and prognosis of GBS depend on many factors such as the etiology, clinical features, neurophysiology and immunological parameters. The aim of this study was to assess the factors (clinical, investigatory tools, and therapies) that may affect the outcome of patients with GBS. Patients and methods: this was an analytical observational study that was conducted at Ain Shams university hospitals and Kobri Elkoba Military Hospital including twenty patients with the diagnosis of Guillain Barre Syndrome in the duration from 2016 to 2018. This study included twenty patients with the diagnosis of GBS within two weeks from onset of neurologic symptoms, whom their diagnosis based on the established clinical criteria and verified by investigations. Patients were selected from both genders and aged from 18 to 65 years old. Nerve conduction studies and electromyography were performed within two weeks from admission. Various lines of treatment such as plasma exchange (PE), intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) or both were used during the period of admission in hospital. Outcome was assessed by the Hughes functional score (F-score), that was applied to the patients on admission, at end of 4 weeks from onset of neuropathy and at the end of 8 weeks. The final outcome at the end of 8 weeks was classified as follow: Group I: good prognosis (0 - 2) on the Hughes functional score (15 patients) and Group II: poor prognosis (3 - 6) on the Hughes functional score (5 patients). Results: the age of the study population ranged from 18 to 65 years with mean of 36.10 ± 16.08 years. Fifteen (75%) patients were males and 5 (25%) patients were females. There was no statistically significant difference found between poor and good prognosis regarding gender. The most common electrophysiological subtype was demyelinating followed by axonal neuropathy. Most patients (75%) had a good outcome at end of study period. It was found that the different line of treatment administered (plasma exchange or IVIG or both) was not associated with poor or good outcome. The patients who needed mechanical ventilation had significantly poor prognosis. Conclusion: the most common electrophysiological subtype was demyelinating followed by axonal neuropathy. Ascending pattern of weakness was more common than descending pattern in this study population and was not related to prognosis. High Hughes score at admission was associated with poor outcome at 8 weeks.

Assessment of Sleep Pattern in Egyptian Elderly with Vascular Dementia

Study Objectives: Growing evidence suggests that sleep disturbances is common in vascular dementia (VaD). The goal of the current study is to assess the disturbance in sleep pattern in patients with VaD, and compare it to healthy normally cognitive elderly individuals. We next studied whether there are meaningful differences in the Subjective sleep assessment: Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and sleep measurements by polysomnography (PSG) in VaD patients. Study design: Case control study. Subject and methods: Overnight PSG recordings and self-reported sleep measures were obtained from 20 healthy elderly subjects and 20 VaD patients at the sleep laboratory. Results: This study showed abnormal subjective sleep quality in all patients and revealed that the most common sleep complaints among VaD patients were: excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), sleep disordered breathing (SDB), insomnia, restless leg syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movements (PLMS) and REM behavioral disordered (RBD) respectively. Moreover, patients spent more time in stage I sleep, but less time in slow wave sleep (SWS) and REM sleep compared to control populations, with delayed REML and less 1st REML. Also, increased sleep fragmentation;wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO) & sleep fragmentation index (SFI), increased arousal index (AI) & PLMS index were detected in VaD patients. Finally, VaD patients had significant high Apnea, Hypopnea and Respiratory Distress Index (RDI) score with high average SpO2 Desaturation. Conclusions: Sleep is significantly impaired in patients with VaD at both the objective and subjective level, which may be used as a diagnostic marker of VaD. SDB is a common feature of VaD and leads to fragmented sleep, increased nocturnal confusion, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Subjective sleep assessment questionnaire (ESS and PSQI) can be used in VaD patients when objective sleep assessment by PSG recordings is difficult to be done. The PSG study of sleep continuity, sleep architecture, and REM sleep may help in the prevention of progression of VaD.

Infarction Patterns in Posterior Cerebral Circulation: Etiology and Prognosis

Study Objectives: About a quarter of strokes and transient ischemic attacks occur in the vertebrobasilar distribution. Vertebrobasilar stroke is particularly prone to devastating consequences especially brain stem infarctions due to damage of the regional brain tissues that contain vital centers, and is associated with high rates of death and disability. Study Design: This was across sectional observational prospective hospital-based study conducted on 60 patients with first-ever acute posterior circulation ischemic stroke. The aim of the current study was to determine the relationship between different risk factors and different infarction patterns in posterior circulation;single small lacunar lesion, single large lesion, or multiple scattered lesions. Diagnosis of ischemic stroke and stroke subtypes were defined using the Trial of ORG 10,172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria as well as clinical and brain imaging features. Stroke severity using National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was done on admission, after 24 hours from admission, and at 7 days from onset of symptoms. The patients functional status was assessed by modified Rankin scale (mRS) done on admission and on discharge from hospital and at 7-day follow up from onset of symptoms. Patients were classified according to infarction patterns into a single small lacunar lesion (group I), a single large lesion (group II), and multiple scattered lesions (group III) 20 patients in each group. Results: There was no significant difference between the three groups as regard the presence of vascular risk factors and the only significant difference as regard vascular risk factors was atrial fibrillation (AF). There was significant difference between the three groups as regard the occurrence of previous transient ischemic attacks (TIA). There was significant difference between the three groups as regard NIHSS score on admission, after 24 hours, and at 7 days from admission. There were significant differences between the three groups as regard mRS score at discharge and at 7-day follow up from the onset of symptoms and the degree of improvement from admission to discharge. There was significant difference between the three groups as regard volume of infarction in Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Group II and group III patients had larger volumes of infarction when compared to group I patients. There was no significant difference between the three groups as regard presence of significant intracranial stenosis in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). There was significant difference between the three groups as regard stroke etiology. It was found that largeartery atherosclerosis (LAA) was the most common stroke etiology in posterior circulation being present in (53.3%) of the patient group and was common in group II and III in contrast to group I patients. Conclusions: Different vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and smoking are present in all infarction patterns of posterior circulation ischemic stroke either single or multiple infarctions. However, AF and significant vertebrobasilar stenosis were mostly associated with large and multiple infarct lesion patterns. Small vessel disease was the most common stroke etiology for single small lacunar lesion while large artery atherosclerosis was associated with single large lesion and multiple lesions in the posterior circulation. Early MRI and MRA help in define type and prognosis of posterior circulation infarcts. Early diagnosis and control of potentially modifiable risk factors and comorbid conditions are an important aspect in the early management of patients with infarction in the posterior circulation.