Abstract

Menopause may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia. This study aimed to use young plas- ma therapy (YPT) to improve dementia caused by AD in aged ovariectomized rats. Female Wistar rats were used in the following groups: (a) young (CY) (180–200 g, 2–3 months, n = 10) and (b) old groups (250–350 g, 22–24 months, n = 60). The old rats were randomly assigned to six sub-groups: (1) control, (2) sham, (3) ova- riectomized group (OVX), (4) OVX + Alzheimer disease (OVX + AD), (5) OVX + AD+ 17β-Estradiol (OVX + AD + E), and (6) OVX + AD + young plasma (OVX + AD + YP). Cognitive behaviors were evaluated using NOR, MWM, and PAL tests. MiR-134a, SIRT-1, CREB, and BDNF expressions were measured using real-time PCR and western blot, respectively. Oxidative stress in hippocampal tissue was assayed using ELISA kits. Histological changes were studied with Nissl staining. OVX and AD caused significant cognitive impairment (p< 0.001), up-regulated miR-134a (p< 0.001), down-regulated SIRT-1, CREB, and BDNF protein expression (p< 0.001), and decreased an- tioxidant marker levels (p< 0.001) compared to the sham group. YPT significantly restored miR-134a (p< 0.001), SIRT-1 (p< 0.001), CREB (p< 0.001), and BDNF (p< 0.001) protein expression in OVX + AD rats. YPT, as much as or more than estrogen therapy (ERT), significantly improved oxidative stress and down-regulated miR-134a expression and the up-regulation of SIRT-1, CREB, and BDNF proteins in OVX + AD rats (p< 0.001). YPT signifi- cantly improved histological alteration compared to the OVX + AD group (p< 0.001). As a non-pharmacological treatment, YPT can improve the expression of miR-134a and SIRT-1, CREB, and BDNF proteins as much as or more than estrogen therapy, ameliorating AD-induced dementia in aged OVX rats.

Abstract

Background: Understanding the intersection of epilepsy and pregnancy, including knowledge gaps and health- care access for women with epilepsy (WWE), is critical. This study evaluated WWE knowledge gaps and in- formation needs concerning epilepsy’s impact on their sexual and reproductive health during pregnancy and examined healthcare system factors affecting their access to information, aiming to identify areas for improve- ment in educational and healthcare strategies to enhance health management for WWE.
Methods: From July 2022 to June 2023, 111 WWE aged 18 to 40 years were recruited from the family medi- cine and internal medicine outpatient departments at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Tembisa Tertiary Hospital (TTH), and Kalafong Hospital. Interviews assessed various aspects related to epilepsy in pregnancy and con- traceptive use.
Results: The study found strong links between WWE, their demographics, and their awareness of pregnan- cy-related epilepsy issues. Participants from TTH showed notably higher awareness (85.5%) of risks from epilepsy and AED during pregnancy (p < 0.05). Age and education significantly influenced pregnancy planning and understanding of medication risks. Younger women (20–25 years) were more inclined towards future pregnancies, and those with more education were better informed about medication risks (p < 0.05); and 68.5% had received counselling on AED and contraceptive interactions, yet only 16.2% knew AED could reduce con- traceptive effectiveness.
Conclusion: The study reveals significant knowledge gaps in WWE regarding the impact of epilepsy and AED on pregnancy, suggesting tailored educational and counselling initiatives to improve WWE health outcomes and quality of life, advancing chronic disease management and public health objectives

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals (HCWs) have been at a high risk of developing psychological and transient cognitive impairments that can affect work performance. Attention is the ability to choose and concentrate on relevant stimuli and is a core human cognitive function. Attention con- sists of different subdomains: alertness, focused attention, impulsivity/hyperactivity, and sustained attention. These subdomains are crucial in healthcare professionals’ work, as they are often required to maintain high levels of attention for extended periods. They can be reliably measured with the Continuous Visual Attention Test (CVAT).
We will present our data on CVAT performance in HCWs during the pandemic. Here, we addressed three critical predictors of the psychological burden of professionals working in tertiary referral hospitals for COVID-19. The first one was the amount of time workers spend doing activities with COVID-19 patients. Secondly, we analyzed non-clinical burnout (NCB), which represents an early stage where individuals experience symptoms of burnout but continue to work. Thirdly, we investigated acute stress (ASD), which is a predictor of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. We considered several demographic variables for these three predictors: sex, race, age, and educa- tional level.
Our findings indicated the importance of demographics, especially in ASD and NCB. We showed that sustained attention was affected by how much workers spend doing activities with COVID-19 patients. NCB was found to be related to alertness, and ASD impacted the alertness subdomain. The lessons learned from the COVID outbreak can help develop adequate strategies for dealing with stressful conditions

Abstract

Vacere Medical is developing a simple, safe, and non-invasive emergency treatment for stroke and other cere- bro-vascular conditions, that significantly improves blood-flow to the brain at the earliest opportunity. The Mag- netic Stimulator applies rapid magnetic pulses to the facial nerve on both sides of the face for 2 minutes, triggering widespread and long-lasting vasodilation of the cerebral arteries, resulting in clinically significant increase in cerebral blood flow. Proprietary coils have been developed to effectively stimulate the facial nerve at the geniculate ganglion, without stimulating the temporal lobe. Because it is easy to use, non invasive, and safe, it could be administered earlier than other therapies, saving brain, and also improving the efficacy of stan- dard- of-care therapies such as thrombolytics (tPA) or endovascular clot retrieval. Magnetic stimulation has also shown to be effective in reversing cerebral artery vasospasm, making it a much needed life- saving tool for the neuro-ICU. Our research team has conducted extensive preclinical studies, has concluded a first clinical trial for the treatment of cerebral artery vasospasm, and is currently conducting an early feasibility clinical trial for the treatment of ischemic stroke in the emergency department. Results to date of this research effort will be presented.