Neurosciences最新文献

Objectives: To describe age-standardized incidence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of ischemic stroke (IS), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from 1990 to 2019 and forecast these variables using the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) data over the next years (2020-2030).

Methods: Poisson regression models were employed to identify significant changes in incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and DALY rates for different stroke types. For time series models, the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and exponential smoothing state space (ETS) models were used for forecasting.

Results: The study demonstrated an increasing trend in the age-standardized incidence rate per 100,000 different types of strokes over the last 30 years, with a slight decrease in ICH and SAH types in 2015, followed by a continued increase. The prediction models indicated a sustained increase in the 3 types of strokes, accompanied by a decrease in DALYs. As regards DALYs, the trend for IS and ICH has been slowly and steadily increasing; however, there will be a modest decrease in DALYs rates for SAH during the next decade.

Conclusion: Stroke rates in KSA have increased over 3 decades, mainly among women and older individuals, and have a slow sustained increase over the forecasted period (2020-2030); thus, proactive strategies and healthcare interventions are required.

Objectives: To examine the occurrence and contributing factors of disordered eating patterns in individuals post-bariatric surgery. It also investigated the impact of these patterns on weight loss outcomes and long-term weight management, focusing on psychological and emotional factors. Additionally, the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating patterns was explored.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted across multiple medical centers in Saudi Arabia, using self-administered questionnaires to evaluate the prevalence of eating disorders and self-esteem among patients who underwent bariatric surgery in the past five years. Out of 557 respondents, 452 met the inclusion criteria.

Results: The study found that 21.5% of participants experienced psychological disorders post-surgery. Notably, there was a significant improvement in mean self-esteem scores after surgery. Depression was the most frequently reported disorder (12.4%), followed by Generalized Anxiety Disorder (9.3%) and Eating Disorders (4.6%). The mean Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale score increased significantly from 28.17±6.2 pre-surgery to 31.7±5.3 post-surgery (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The findings highlight a notable prevalence of psychological disorders among post-bariatric surgery patients, with depression being the most common. Despite this, significant improvements in self-esteem were observed. Understanding the psychological and emotional factors contributing to disordered eating patterns and body image dissatisfaction is crucial for improving long-term weight management and patient outcomes post-surgery.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of preganglionic transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) with preganglionic plus postganglionic TFESI.

Methods: Patients with unilateral radicular pain and disc pathology were randomly assigned to either the preganglionic group or the preganglionic plus postganglionic group. All patients were evaluated using a numeric rating scale (NRS) and a patient satisfaction scale (PSS) at the third week and the third month after treatment.

Results: There were significant differences between the patients' NRS scores after TFESI for both groups. In terms of >50% pain relief at three weeks and 3 months post-treatment, no significant differences were found between the groups (p>0.05). The PSS scores of the preganglionic plus postganglionic group were significantly lower at third month than at the third week (p=0.046). The PSS scores of the two groups were similar at third week and third month (p>0.05). A weak negative correlation was found between age and meaningful pain relief at the third month (Rho=.278, p=0.024). A moderate positive correlation was found between meaningful pain relief at the third week and meaningful pain relief the third month (Rho=.465, p<0.001). Male gender showed a weak positive correlation with meaningful pain relief at the third week (Rho=.281, p=0.022) and the third month (Rho=.256, p=0.038) CONCLUSION: The combined preganglionic plus postganglionic approach for TFESI did not affect the outcomes in patients with unilateral discogenic radicular pain. The preganglionic TFESI approach alone at the disc level was sufficient to achieve pain relief.

Schwannomas are benign tumors originating from Schwann cells, with seminal vesicle schwannomas being exceedingly rare. This report describes a 54-year-old man with an incidental discovery of a right-sided seminal vesicle mass during a routine ultrasound examination. Further imaging, including MRI and contrast-enhanced CT scans, revealed a well-defined, encapsulated mass with heterogeneous signal intensity suggestive of schwannoma. Histopathological examination confirmed schwannoma, marked by positive S-100 and NSE expression and a Ki67 index of 5%. The patient underwent successful laparoscopic resection without complications and remained asymptomatic for over a month. This case underscores the importance of integrating MRI and histopathological findings to accurately diagnose seminal vesicle schwannomas and guide appropriate surgical management, highlighting the need for increased clinician awareness of this rare tumor.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of hearing loss in patients with dementia, examine the use of hearing aids in those with hearing loss, and ascertain if the cause of hearing loss is central or peripheral in origin.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study involving 143 patients with dementia which was conducted in Saudi Arabia from 2020 to 2023 in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to determine hearing loss. The study included patients aged ≥60 years who had dementia, hearing loss, and neurological diseases. Those with Parkinson's disease and secondary epilepsy were excluded. Data was analyzed for its demographics, clinical features, predisposing factors, treatment, dementia duration and progression, and hearing loss outcomes. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM's SPSS software, version 29.0.0. Statistical significance was established at a p-value of ≤0.05 and a confidence interval of 95%.

Results: The findings indicated that 88.8% of the 143 patients exhibited dementia, with Alzheimer's disease being the most prevalent type. Moreover, 18.2% had hearing issues, and 11.2% had other complaints. Audiometry was performed in 15.4% of the cases. Hearing loss was present in 14.7% of the patients, being primarily bilateral, ranging from mild to severe.

Conclusion: This study has clarified the link between hearing loss and dementia onset and has emphasized the need for early evaluation and intervention for individuals with hearing impairment.