Filippos Vlachos   and Elias Avramidis   

Developmental dyslexia and developmental dysgraphia are considered to be distinct learning difficulties that affect the child's ability to learn. Dyslexia affects all aspects of written language, while the symptoms of dysgraphia appear to be confined to difficulties in writing. However, the distinction between the two learning difficulties is often obscured by the similar learning cognitive deficits manifested by individuals diagnosed with these difficulties. The aim of this review is to summarize and evaluate research concerning the neurobiological basis of the two difficulties with a view to assist researchers and practitioners in their classification of individuals with resembling deficits. In so doing, we bring together the findings of studies that have utilized powerful neuroimaging techniques such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The evidence suggests that while individuals with dyslexia and dysgraphia share a left-hemisphere processing limitation resulted from the absence of a scanning mechanism for disembedding, encoding, and rehearsing visual patterns (e.g., words), there are important neurological differences that distinguish the two groups. Specifically, recent neurobiological studies have shown that children with developmental dysgraphia differ from their dyslexic counterparts in white matter integrity, functional connectivity revealed by fMRI, and white matter-gray matter correlations. These differences in the brain between children with developmental dyslexia and children with dysgraphia confirm the neurobiological distinction between these two special learning difficulties. Based on these neurobiological differences researchers and practitioners in the field should exercise special care not to treat the two disorders as the same in their research or professional practice.

Nitin Joseph   Prima Cheryl D'Souza   Apurav Singh   Tobin P Joseph   Rahul Kondaveti   Mancy Mothsera   and Fathima Noureen Kilikkot   

Introduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the fourth most common mental illness. It is associated with a wide range of functional impairments and therefore adversely affects the quality of life of patients. Objectives: To assess the risk factors, clinical features and management practices of OCD based on findings were stated in medical records. Methodology: The secondary data from the medical records of 9 OCD patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital over the past 10 years were recorded in a semi-structured proforma. Severity of OCD was assessed using Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale scores. Results: Mean age of onset among all patients (n=9) was 27.9±15.2 years. Family history of OCD was reported among 3(33.3%) patients. Six had predominant obsessions while the rest 3 had mixed type. The most common type of obsession was of sexual type reported among 3 patients. The most common compulsion reported was the checking type which was present among 2 patients. Reduced concentration, suicidal ideation and anhedonia were present each among 5(55.6%) patients. Depression was the most common co-morbidity reported among 5(55.6%) patients. Severity of OCD was mild among 5(55.6%). Fluvoxamine was the most common drug [5(55.6%)] used to treat OCD. Outcome of treatment was reported poor among 3(33.3%) patients. It was good/moderate among 1(25%) patient residing in urban area in comparison to 5(100%) from rural areas (p=0.048). Conclusion: Mean age of onset was found to be delayed among patients probably due to delay in identification of OCD. Hence awareness generation and early screening need to be initiated for early identification of OCD. The majority of OCD patients had positive history of suicide ideation and depression as co-morbidity, indicating the need of screening patients for these conditions.

Rishab Satyakaal   and Rangaprakash D   

Machine learning techniques are often used to model data from functional MRI, a noninvasive technique to study and measure brain activity by identifying changes in blood flow which can be used to classify healthy and disease populations. Most studies use supervised machine learning techniques that require training data labeling to make predictions. To avoid this problem, unsupervised clustering, which does not require training, is performed. However, most fMRI studies using unsupervised learning offer no justification for selecting one unsupervised clustering algorithm over another and normally default to the popular K-Means algorithm. To reach the true potential benefit of unsupervised learning techniques when applied to fMRI data, we examine and compare 12 unsupervised learning algorithms in identifying Alzheimer’s disease clusters based on fMRI connectivity features, with the intention to identify the most effective unsupervised clustering algorithm for fMRI connectivity clustering. Through an analysis of both clustering accuracy and execution time, the K-Medoids algorithm was found to be most optimal for fMRI connectivity data.

Moumita Dey   Md. Lokman Hossain   and Most. Nazma Parvin   

Background: Thevetia peruviana, a common plant of Apocynaceae family has been used as Ayurvedic herbal medicine to treat hemorrhoids, hair loss, arthritis, and dysentery. The bark and leaf decoction has been used to loosen the bowels, as an emetic, and is said to be an effective curative agent for intermittent fevers. Aim of the study: The present study was an attempt to investigate the phytochemical constituents and to explore the antinociceptive activity of ethanol extract of the bark of Thevetia peruviana which is growing in Bangladesh. Methodology: The antinociceptive activity of ethanol extract of T. peruviana was evaluated by heat-induced (hot plate, tail immersion test) and chemical-induced (acetic acid induced writhing, formalin-induced nociception) pain models using Swiss albino mice as experimental animal. Results: The results of preliminary phytochemical screenings revealed that the extract contained alkaloids, tannins, terpenoids and flavonoids. For acetic acid-induced writhing test, the sample showed highest inhibition of writhing (40.04%) at the dose of 400 mg/kg body weight, whereas standard drug (Diclofenac sodium) showed 65.6% writhing inhibition. In formalin-induced nociception, extract of T. peruviana exhibited dose-dependent antinociceptive activity. On the other hand, ethanol extract of T. peruviana bark showed significant effect (p<0.05) in hot plate and tail immersion test in various phases. Conclusion: The ethanol extract of T. peruviana bark showed significant antinociceptive activity via multifactorial mechanism of action, indicating that the extract may be useful in the development of new analgesic drugs.

Akinpelu Lateef Abiola   Aiyelero Oyeronke Medinat   Olawuni Idowu Julius   Ogundepo Gbenga Emmanuel   and Olayiwola Gbola   

Objective: We investigated the anti-amnesic and cognitive enhancing effects of the ethanol leaf extract of Milicia excelsa in mice. Methodology: Amnesia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine (0.4mg/kg) in Morris Water Maze; scopolamine (1mg/kg) on Y-maze test; scopolamine (0.4mg/kg) and diazepam (1mg/kg) on elevated plus maze. The effect of the extract on learning and memory of young and aged mice was also investigated on the elevated plus maze. The probable mechanism of cognitive enhancing effects of the extract was investigated using acetylcholinesterase enzyme and nitric oxide assays. Results: The extract significantly (p<0.05) attenuated amnesia induced by scopolamine in Morris water maze; reversed amnesia induced by scopolamine and diazepam on elevated plus maze; increased spontaneous alternation behaviour without modifying locomotor activities on Y-maze test; inhibited natural age-induced learning and memory impairment of aged mice while the learning and memory of young mice were significantly (p<0.05) enhanced on elevated plus maze. The extract also significantly (p<0.05) reduced acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity and increased nitric oxide concentration in the mice whole brain. Conclusion: This study, therefore, concluded that ethanol leaf extract of Milicia excelsa may possess anti-amnesic and memory enhancing effects which may involve cholinergic and nitergic pathways.

Ankita Vayalapalli   and Amoolya Vayalapalli   

This paper analyzes the role of emotion regulation in patients diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Although there are various types of emotion regulation, this paper studies cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression specifically because of their prevalence and imperative role in the behavioral aftermath of emotion. Cognitive reappraisal is studied as an antecedent-focused strategy to control and modify the meaning of a situation, whereas expressive suppression is analyzed as a response-focused strategy that alters behaviors associated with situations that elicit emotion. Patients diagnosed with GAD use emotion regulation as both a defensive strategy and a coping mechanism. Through this understanding, the role of Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT) in conjunction with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is depicted. Emotion Regulation Therapy is also proposed as an alternative to CBT because of its ability to cater specifically to individuals with anxiety disorders. This paper studies the implications of the usage of emotion regulation both as a coping mechanism that is self-employed and therapeutically used by health professionals.

Chaitra N.   and P. A. Vijaya   

Functional connectivity gives the statistical association or dependence between two or more distinct time series. Quantification of functional connectivity is normally done using Pearson's correlation coefficient, which measures the degree of co-activation of two different brain regions. But the brain does not function merely on pairwise relations. Brain functioning is based on interrelationships between several functional units simultaneously. Partial correlation is one such measure which considers these interrelationships. It quantifies the correlation between two distinct time series, but also removes the confound of the other correlations. This paper compares these two measures using functional magnetic resonance images in a machine-learning framework. Connectivity analysis and classification of autistic individuals from control population was done using these two measures. Classification accuracies were compared, with the conclusion that the measure which results in statistically significant accuracy has better predictive ability, and is better suited for fMRI functional connectivity modelling. It was experimentally found that Pearson's correlation coefficient gave better classification accuracy of around 2% than partial correlation measure.

Ankita Vayalapalli   Rangaprakash Deshpande   and Amoolya Vayalapalli   

Through two differing yet conjunctive perspectives, physical activity may be a factor amongst others that causes Anorexia Nervosa (AN), or a coping mechanism employed by AN patients to deal with the immense emotional and physical stress they experience. The brain's responses to exercise illustrate that both the putamen and the prefrontal cortex play an imperative role in the way human beings process and behaviorally respond to physical activity. In another case, the brain may turn to emotion suppression as a strategy to stave off or deal with the cognitive dissonance it experiences when using exercise as a coping outlet. This paper analyzes both perspectives through a neuroscience standpoint and is based largely on case studies and testimonials regarding the nature, progression, and recovery from AN in athletes and others in the physically active population.

Abdulrahman Al-Thaqib   Imdad Kaleem   Baradi, Raidah Saleem   Ayesha Hameed Khattak   and Bashir Shahid   

Depression is a common psychiatric illness occurs globally in general public with a lifetime frequency of 15-20%. A recent survey revealed that 6-7% people of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) suffer from depression every year. Depressed persons show symptoms like low mood, suicidal thoughts, impaired sleep, reduced appetite, low energy and cognitive dysfunction. Other major impairments include the deterioration of physical and mental abilities. They not only cause substantial impacts on careers; but also lead to a profound economic cost. The annual estimated economic loss due to depression in KSA is approximately $4.3 billion in terms of low or lost productivity and 6 million lost working days. Psychotherapy or antidepressant medications are the standard treatment for depression. The medication is however recommended to the patients, having severe illness or who are not suitable for engagement in psychological treatment. Antidepressant medications are becoming common and enormously being utilized by such patients. As a result, lower response rates and significant long-term side effects are seen in these patients. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is rapidly emerging as a standard alternative treatment intervention in depression all over the world. tDCS is currently employed on "the treatment resistant patient." These are those patients who have failed to respond to one or more medication trials. This review reveals the scope and superiority of tDCS over other therapeutic methods and its adaptability and durability in the treatment of depression.

Franziska Schaller   and Horst M. Müller   

Structured signaling in the acoustic environment between two individuals usually leads to turns to avoid interference. Turn-taking in human communication is a precise system that enables interlocutors to interact very efficiently. Previous studies have detected criteria that allow for optimized timing within a conversation. For instance, lexico-syntax seems to be of outstanding relevance. Other aspects still under consideration in this context are prosody and rhythm beside others. In the current study, we focused on the question if language carries universal acoustic features which might make turn-taking in human communication uniquely efficient in contrast to e.g. 'turn-taking' in animals. We aimed at getting an impression of how language specific properties other than content and grammatical structure affect anticipation performance. Therefore, we contrasted the Anticipation Timing Accuracy (ATA) for mother-tongue stimuli in German, for items in six foreign languages (English, Italian, Polish, Turkish, Arabic, and Korean) and for simple sinusoidal tones. Results showed significant differences between the ATA of the foreign language stimuli. German subjects anticipated the ends of utterances in Indo-European languages and in stress-timed languages (German, English, Arabic) significantly better than the ends of items in non-Indo-European languages and in syllable-timed languages (Italian, Polish, Turkish, Korean, restrictions apply). We conclude that interlocutors' end-of-utterance anticipation performance is influenced by language inherent universal acoustic features.

Stefanie Duchac   Martina Hielscher-Fastabend   Horst M. Müller   Christina Aere   Beate Schumann   Michael Ruf   and Tobias Pitzen   

Dysphagia is a common complication following anterior cervical spine surgery and may occur in over 70% of patients. There is an emerging evidence that dysphagia also appears after posterior cervical spine surgery. Nevertheless, hardly any study is focusing on changes in swallowing physiology with regard to surgical approach. Aim of this study: To investigate changes in swallowing physiology following: 1. anterior cervical spine surgery, and 2. posterior cervical spine surgery. Methods: A standardized videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) was performed in 28 patients who underwent cervical spine surgery (anterior approach n = 19, M_age 56±14; posterior approach n = 9, M_age 58±17) one day before surgery and after surgery (mean 4 days). Data were analyzed retrospectively with the Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP^TM©). Results: 1. In the anterior group, pharyngeal sum score was significantly higher after surgery (p < .001). Significant changes were found in 4 out of 8 analyzed pharyngeal components. 2. In the posterior group, pharyngeal sum score was significantly higher after surgery (p = .015). No significant changes were found in the oral or pharyngeal components. Conclusions: Whereas more changes in swallowing physiology occurred following anterior surgery, there were also overall changes in the posterior group. Understanding the swallowing pathophysiology associated with cervical spine surgery is indispensable to decrease the rate of secondary complications and improve quality of life for this patients.

Asrat Dagnew   

The Purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of neuroscience research - based pedagogy in science education. The specific objectives of the study answer the basic research questions: What are the current implications of neuroscience research and to what extent will neuroscience research into biological mechanisms learning, memory, attention, and other brain functions inform educational practices and science teaching in the future? In this investigation, experimental research design was employed. Along with this, a sample of thirty six students was drawn from a total of seventy-two student population using purposive random sampling technique. Then, based on the pre-test scores, mixed ability groups such as eighteen high and eighteen low scoring that are (36) students in each group as experimental(15 F and 21 M) and control(14 F and 22 M) groups were assigned respectively. Based on the hypothesis formulated, questionnaire was used as the instruments of data collection. The research data was collected from both experimental and control groups. Populations of the study were selected by purposive simple random sampling technique. Two way ANOVA as statistical techniques had been used to investigate the efficacy of neuroscience research based pedagogy in science achievement among secondary school students.

Israt Jahan Tulin   Md. Zaki Imam   and Pronaya Prosun Das   

In this paper, we have proposed an image filtering technique (fuzzy logic based approach) to preserve important signal elements such as edges, smoothing the details of an abdominal CT image such as kidney to make it appear clear and sharpener. At first, abdominal CT images are retrieved from Gaussian noise using fuzzy logic based approach. After that, kidney region have been segmented from the abdomen area using region growing algorithm. In region growing process, the first stage detects the abdomen boundary using contour detection algorithm. The second stage identifies the kidney using seed point location. After successful segmentation, the kidney region is extracted and it is given to some region growing methods such as Region Growing Interest (ROI), pixel filling, erosion, labeling and dilation to find the accurate segmented area of these abdominal CT images. The results of a series of tests on 62 images from 16 patients indicate an interrelationship up to 73% between automatic and manual segmentation.

Rangaprakash Deshpande   and Amoolya D. Vayalapalli   

People have become more aware of body dysmorphic disorder and are actively seeking treatments to cure this mental disorder. Individuals affected with body dysmorphic disorder generally experience high comorbidity rates with other debilitating mental disorders, namely anorexia nervosa and anxiety. By collating information about the effects of body dysmorphic disorder with other mental disorders by using functional MRI, the neuroanatomy of body dysmorphic disorder can be dismantled to understand the interplay of dysfunctions between various mental disorders. The improved understanding could have clinical implications related to better treatments because of a more thorough comprehension of the pathophysiology of body dysmorphic disorder. Furthermore, research can expand into the analyzing of various mental activities in a resting state to further develop a more holistic interpretation of the effect of mental disorders on the brain.

Onaolapo O J   and Onaolapo A Y   

Objective: To study the effects of ginsomin^® on behaviours of healthy mice using the open-field, Y-maze, eight-arm radial maze and the elevated-plus maze. Method: Groups of mice were administered vehicle (distilled water), scopolamine (2 mg/kg), diazepam (2 mg/kg), or one of two doses of ginsomin (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg) for 21 days. Behavioural assessments were carried out after the first and final dose of treatment. Result: Repeated administration of ginsomin was associated with a decrease in weight gain, in comparison to vehicle. In the elevated plus maze (EPM), administration of ginsomin resulted in an increase in time spent in the open arms and number of open arm visits in comparison to vehicle, but not diazepam control. A dose-related increase in open-field horizontal locomotion and rearing behaviours; and improvements in Y-maze and radial arm maze spatial working-memory performances were also observed. However, self-grooming behaviours were significantly reduced after repeated administration. Conclusion: Ginsomin administration in healthy mice is associated with significant behavioural changes; hence, our findings support its perception as a ginseng-containing mixture with profound central nervous system effects.

Peter Uchenna Okoye   and Kevin Chuks Okolie   

Construction worksite health and safety in Nigeria has remained a source of concern despite several efforts to addressing the issues. This study therefore examined the perceived level of influence of components of human environment on the construction workers' health and safety behaviour, based on social ecological and social cognitive theories. Data collected through questionnaires and distributed to the construction workers were statistically analysed. The Mean Score Index and standard deviation, and ANOVA of the weighted responses were computed to ascertain the level and significance of influence of components of human environment on the health and safety behaviour of construction workers. On the average, it was found that the perceived level of influence of components of human environment on the health and safety behaviour of construction workers was very high and significant. Individually, Organisational norms (4.8652), National, state and local laws (4.8539), Ethos (4.7266), Work environment (4.6742) and Culture characteristics (4.6067) were found to be the five most influential human environment variables that affect health and safety behaviours of construction workers, while public policy components (4.4095) exert the greatest influence on health and safety behaviours of construction workers when the variables are grouped. This implies that work environment as part of organisation psychology is indispensable in shaping the behavioural pattern of construction workers. Thus, to improve construction workplace health and safety, workers' human environment and personal attributes need to be assessed before engagement.

Razia Sultana   Shahid Bashir   Shinawar Waseem Ali   and Ghulam Murtaza   

Nicotine and alcohol are highly addictive substances, which make their consumers difficult to get rid of them. These substances are the risk factors for many diseases including stroke, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. In Nepal, in spite of measures taken by the government and non-governmental organizations to intervene their consumption, prevalence of these drugs and dependency of people on them are quite high. Introduction and implementation of new and inexpensive technology such as transcranial direct current stimulation can help people get rid of addiction.

Lateef Abiola Akinpelu   Theophilus Adekunle Adegbuyi   Samuel Sunday Agboola   Julius Kayode Olaonipekun   Idowu Julius Olawuni   Adesoji Mutiu Adegoke   Idris Ajayi Oyemitan   and Gbola Olayiwola   

Objective: Vigna unguiculata ssp. dekindtiana (L.) Walp is used in traditional practice to treat depression-like disorders in some communities of Southwest Nigeria. This study investigated the antidepressant-like effects of the aqueous fraction of the dried aerial parts of V. unguiculata ssp. dekindtiana (AFVU). Methodology: AFVU was evaluated for antidepressant effect on the force-swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and locomotor activity (LC) in the open field test (OFT) using mice; and its probable neural mechanism(s) investigated using various receptor antagonists. Elemental composition (EC) and phyto-constituents of AFVU were analyzed using standard methods. Results: The AFVU (600 and 800 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (p<0.05) decreased the immobility time of mice in FST and TST without significant (p<0.05) effect on LC, suggesting that its antidepressant-like effect is specific; anti-immobility effect of AFVU was significantly (p<0.05) blocked by intraperitoneal injection of prazosin (62.5 µg/kg), yohimbine, (1 mg/kg), cyproheptadine (3 mg/kg), sulpiride (50 mg/kg), methylene blue (10 mg/kg) and L-NNA (10 mg/kg) suggesting adrenergic, serotonergic, dopaminergic and nitergic pathways. The EC assured its safety; while phenols and alkaloids were the most abundant phytoconstituents in AFVU. Conclusion: This study concluded that AFVU possessed antidepressant-like effects which may be mediated through multiple receptor pathways.

Ghulam Murtaza   

Stroke has been considered as one of the leading cause of death worldwide. It results in reduced excitability, deregulated plastic modifications, and formation of aberrant connections and, these factors hinder recovery from stroke. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising technique for the treatment of a wide range of neurological disorders including stroke. Its application could improve the condition of patients having neurological disorders by making functional connections and maintaining existing pathways. In Bangladesh, stroke remains the third leading cause of death with 0.3% prevalence. The number of disability-adjusted life years lost for stroke is 485 per 10000 people, which depicts great economic burden of this disease in the future. Thus, introduction of new technologies such as tDCS in the treatment of stroke will not only improve conditions of stroke patients but also reduce economic burden of this disease in Bangladesh.

Omamuyovwi M. Ijomone   Ugochukwu G. Esomonu   Stephen O. Okori   and Christopher I. Eneji   

Methylphenidate (MPH) is a widely abused drug that has been shown to be a neural stimulant, amidst concern that it could be neurotoxic. The present study evaluated the changes in body weight, food intake and anxiety-related behaviours following oral administration of MPH to adolescent rats. Thirty- two (32) male adolescent wistar rats were divided into two groups and orally administered either saline vehicle or MPH from post-natal day (PD) 30 twice daily for 14 days. Body weight and food intake were monitored during administration and post-administration periods till PD 70. Anxiety-related activities were assessed using open-field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) task on PD 45 and 70. Animals that received oral MPH administration showed significant decrease in weight gain but average food intake was not altered significantly during administration period. On the other hand, following discontinuation of MPH administration, treated rats recorded a significant increase in weight gain and average food intake. There was no significant treatment effect on central locomotion and time spent in open arms, which are indices of anxiety in the OF and EPM respectively. The study suggests that cessation of oral MPH treatments may induce a post-administration hyperphagia and a resultant effect of increased rate of weight gain. Also, the findings did not show anxiety modulatory actions of MPH following oral administration.

Mousumi Bala   and Suraiya Yasmin   

Autism is a lifetime developmental disability which is a great concern in the present world. As of 2010, autism affects 1-2 in every 1000 people all over the world. Autism is highly inherited that appears during infancy or childhood. It is a spectrum condition; some people have learning disabilities, mental health issues and other conditions like hearing impairment, Down's syndrome, epilepsy etc. Recent studies show autistic people encompass faulty connections between different brain regions; corpus callosum region is one of them. To explore the causes of autism, the study of corpus callosum of brain is carried out among the control and autistic individuals in which fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan images of corpus callosum is taken as input. Firstly, Sobel, Prewitt and Robert edge detection is performed in the images respectively to detect the surrounding edges of corpus callosum and then thresholding method is applied for segmentation of images. The work is carried out for the children, teenager and adult. Furthermore, the binarization method is used to calculate the area of corpus callosum of brain for the control and autistic patients. Finally, the differences of the produced images of corpus callosum between the control and autistic individuals will help in understanding autism.

Zafar Iqbal   Ghulam Murtaza   and Shahid Bashir   

Background: Depression is a great cause of morbidity around the world. Not one person seems to escape the hollow dread that the disease can bring forth. Aims: Although living in a large extended family which serves as a social support is common in Pakistan, why we still suffer from anxiety and depression just as often if not more than those in other countries? Method: We checked studies conducted in different localities of Pakistan over the past 10 years to find prevalence values of anxiety and depression.
Results: The values of anxiety and depression ranging from 22% to as high as 60% in a given population high rates necessitate the spread of awareness and action against mental health issues. Conclusions: It is a mental disorder that can create numerous concerns in many aspects of the sufferer's life. The disabling moods of depression can damage a person's marriage, family relationships, friendships, job performance, and health. The longer depression persists, the more widespread the damage. Major depression can result in people shutting themselves off from the support of friends and family or striking out violently by verbally and physically attacking others.

Onaolapo OJ   Ayanwale T   Agoi O   Adetimehin C   and Onaolapo AY.   

Objective: Behavioural changes secondary to haloperidol/zinc administration were studied, with a view to understanding the patterns of behavioural responses that may be exhibited after such treatment in healthy mice. Methodology: 6 month old Swiss mice (24-30 g each, n=12), were given vehicle (distilled water), haloperidol (2 mg/kg), zinc (as Zinc gluconate, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg) or haloperidol/zinc combination, orally for 21 days. Behaviours were assessed after the first and last dose of haloperidol/zinc. Results: Zinc administration led to a significant reduction of haloperidol-induced suppression of horizontal locomotion, rearing and grooming behaviours. Zn also prevented the deterioration in Y-maze and radial-arm maze working-memory that was associated with repeated haloperidol administration. Finally, an enhanced anxiolytic effect was seen with co-administration of haloperidol with the lower dose of zinc. Conclusion: Co-administration of haloperidol with zinc can reduce some unwanted effects that are known to be associated with haloperidol therapy; hence zinc may be a beneficial adjunct to haloperidol administration.

Adejoke Y. Onaolapo   

Objective: The study objectives were to investigate the effects of L-methionine (at low doses) on open-field novelty-induced behaviours, anxiety-related behaviours, working-memory and brain S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) levels in young rats. This was with a view to determine whether administration of low doses of L-methionine can significantly alter behavioural parameters, working-memory and brain SAMe levels, or not. Methodology: Wistar rats (40-45 g each) were given distilled water or L-methionine (5 and 10 mg/kg body weight) orally for 21 days. Behaviours were assessed after the first and last dose of L-methionine. Results: In the open field, significant increases in horizontal locomotion and rearing were seen after the first dose, while repeated administration led to their suppression. Suppression of grooming behaviour was observed at both times of assessment. Working-memory in the radial-arm maze was significantly reduced following repeated administration; while the elevated plus-maze test revealed anxiolytic responses following both acute and repeated administration. Patterns of changes in horizontal locomotion in the y-maze and radial-arm maze were similar to that of the open-field. There was no significant difference in brain levels of SAMe at end of study. Conclusion: The study demonstrated an association between low dose L-methionine administration and behavioural changes in young rats. It therefore brings to light, the behavioural changes that may occur due to addition of low doses of L-methionine to the diet.

Richard P. Conti   and Jacqueline M. Arnone   

Over 795,000 individuals in the U.S. suffer from strokes annually, with 610,000 accounting for first attacks. Stroke represents the fifth leading cause of death and resulting long-term disability in the United States. Unilateral neglect (UN) is a disabling characteristic of stroke, occurring from lesion damage to one hemisphere of the brain. Individuals with UN do not respond normally to objects, stimuli, and people located to their contralesional side. Right hemispheric lesions exhibit the greatest impairment. Incidence rates of UN vary from 13%-81%. Impairment of this condition impedes an individual's capacity to execute activities of daily living. Diagnosis can be challenging and if left untreated, results in poorer patient outcomes. While standardized test battery covering multiple domains have demonstrated enhanced detection for diagnosis over single test methods, and combination treatment modalities have shown promise in procuring symptom abatement, there is a paucity of evidence on the long-term effects of neglect therapy and its transferability into daily life. Stroke expenditures impose a significant economic encumbrance on healthcare systems with costs estimated at $34 billion per annum in the U.S. alone. Effectively delineating and treating UN would enhance integrated stroke services, improve patient outcomes and reduce the lifetime cost of stroke.

Amina Bekara   Nadia Ait Hamadouche   Khaled Kahloula   Sara Harouat   Dalila Tabbas   and Abd-el-Kader Aoues   

Pregnant rats received 0, 2% of lead acetate (Pb) in drinking water. The treatment with the aqueous extract of Pimpinella anisum L (P.A.E.) started after weaning with dose of 750 mg/kg and for 15 successive days. The effect of the extract was evaluated through behavioral tests: open filed (OF) , Forced swimming test ( FST) and dark /light test . Beside; Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total plasmatic proteins, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and Catalase (CAT) were analyzed. Lead induced a hyperactivity in the open field which was reduced after administration of P.A.E. In the FST, the treatment with plant extract enhanced significantly the mobility time compared with intoxicated group. We had observed that time spent in the dark compartments in dark and light test was reduced after oral administration of P.A.E. Lead caused significant increase in LDH , TBARS and ALP , in contrary this toxic agent decrease the levels of plasmatic proteins and catalase activity in cerebellum and cerebrum . We can conclude that oral treatment with aniseed aqueous extract was effective in reducing the level of some of biochemical parameters and ameliorate behavior of intoxicated rats by lead.

Nur-Un-Nahar Nury   and Suraiya Yasmin   

Autism is a great concern to the present world. It is a developmental disorder of human brain that occurs in the first 3 years of life. Autism is an assortment of behavioral problems such as restricted happiness, sensory sensitivities and repetitive behaviors. The Amygdala Region (AMG) along with other cortical regions of human brain plays a vital role in socio-emotional behavior in controls and hypoactive in patients with autism. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) shows the young children with autism have a larger amygdala than typically developing children. In pursuing the work, fMRI images of AMG for control and autistic patients are considered as input images for behavior analysis. Four categories of fixation such as, Neutral-fixation, Happy-fixation, Sad-fixation, and Fearful-fixation are considered. Initially, the fMRI images are processed for segmentation using Level Set Method, the produced images of which are further processed for thresholding and morphological operation. The proposed approach has been implemented in MATLAB 9.00. Finally, it has been observed that AMG region of brain is to be hyper functional in autistic patients rather than hypo functional in controlled patients.

Olimpia Pino   Giuliano Giucastro   and Annalisa Pelosi   

Research on nicotine dependence has had mixed success in identifying variables which can be used to guide treatment and enhance outcome. Personality is one of factors that have been related to the initiation, maintenance and cessation of smoking. This paper aims to analyze relationships between temperamental dimensions, depressive and anxiety symptoms, nicotine dependence and cessation success following different treatment (bupropion vs. varenicline).In order to retrospectively investigate the ability of Novelty Seeking (NS), Reward Dependence (RD), Harm Avoidance (HA) and smoking behavior to predict outcomes following pharmacological treatment, we carried out a clinical trial with a total of 162 participants. Subjects are administered with TCI-R, SAS and BDI questionnaires. Nicotine Dependence (ND) and Nicotine Use (CPD) were measured with the Fagerström Test for the Nicotine Dependence (FTND). At post-treatment (3 months) and 12-months follow-up tobacco cessation was measured through self-report and expired air carbon monoxide (CO) test. Results indicated that low level of FTND and Self-Transcendence mildly predicted outcomes. Treatment was not a significant predictor of abstinence. Even if gender not predicted abstinence, women showed a greater difficulty to quit smoking. Findings are discussed in relation to previous studies focusing on theoretical and measurement issues related to dispositional and biological factors.

Pruneti C.    Cosentino C.    Agostinelli F.    Sacco M.    and Innocenti A   

The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of integrated therapy (IT) in a group of patients with Eating Disorders (EDs; N= 19), divided into AN (Anorexia Nervosa) and BN (Bulimia Nervosa), using the psychophysiological assessment of some parameters, with an experimental design. The statistical analysis was performed using between-within parametric statistics when data were normally distributed and non-parametric when they were not. During the psychophysiological registration a significant difference in SCL and HR in baseline values was noticed. In particular AN subgroup showed SCL values definitely lower than BN subgroup and a steady profile besides a hypoactivation in HR. A significant increase in SCL parameter was obtained in AN subgroup in the long term evaluation, with a normalization of the values with BN subgroup. Improvement observed in SCL parameter in AN might be understood in light of new prospective theories that investigate the psychopathological characteristics associated with a given diagnostic category: in particular, a tendency for females suffering from EDs to "exhibit" intense emotional reactions on the behavioral and verbal levels, despite experiencing a small physiological activation. The greater physiological reactivity following the IT may reflect patients' learning of new cognitive strategies for processing and managing emotional experiences. Therefore psychophysiological assessment can be an important and objective help for a proper differential diagnosis and for treatment evaluation in a prospective of IT.

Sana Ullah   and Tauseef Ahmad   

Snake has been known as a group of dangerous animals to everyone around the world since time unmemorable. Its venom is considered as a source of morbidity and mortality in human beings but it is also an important therapeutic agent for treating various types of cancers such leukaemia, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer etc. There is a wide range of snake species around the globe having different types of venoms. These different types of venom are having different types of activities such as cytotoxicity, apoptosis inducing, antiproliferative activity, platelets activation through CLEC-2 (C-type lectin-like receptor 2) platelet targeting and inhibition of RNA and DNA production.

Sana Ullah   and Ghulam Nabi   

The present study was under taken at District Dir Lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan in order to know about the knowledge, attitude and practices of teachers towards epileptic students. This cross sectional study was carried out among teachers from both public and private sector schools (Primary, Middle and High). A self-administered closed ended KAP questionnaire was administered among 150 teachers (75 public and 75 private schools). Out of the total 134 (89.333%) teachers have heard concerning epilepsy. Overall 50 (33.333%) teachers thought epilepsy is contagious disorder while 77 (51.333%) teachers said that epileptics cannot succeed like normal students. According to 66 (44%) respondents, epileptics have delayed growth. Of the total subjects, 112 (74.666%) teachers responded positively regarding allowing and engaging epileptics in outdoor activities. Only 23 (15.333%) teachers replied that epileptics should be thought with other students while 127 (83%) suggested special schools for epileptics. A total of 83 (55.333%) teachers said social stigmata hamper epileptics' academic achievements while 65 (43.333%) thought the disease itself. Of all, 97 (64.666%) teachers were willing to help a seizing student, though only 19 (12.666%) teachers had pursued information regarding epilepsy. Of 150 recruited subjects, 32 (21.333%) were of the opinion that epilepsy is preventable while 36 (24%) thought epilepsy is curable. It was concluded that there is a lack of awareness among teachers regarding epilepsy, more specifically in private sector. Negative attitudes, misconceptions and myths also exist about epileptics among teachers in the study area. Mass awareness regarding epilepsy is recommended for improving life quality of this socially stigmatized class.

Carmen Schmitz-Feldhaus   and Manfred Wittrock   

Many children show a behavior, with regards to certain values or belief systems, in specific social situations, in specific social institutions that are labeled as "inappropriate". These youth are the focus of our concept. Our aim is to figure out whether the reason for the inadequate attitude towards social interactions might have to do with certain aspects we summarize in the construct of Behavioral Literacy. These factors include normative frames of social situations and social institutions, skills to act properly in those situations, the ability to perform a transfer, or the motivation to "fit in". We need to learn more about the background of the inappropriate behavior of children and adolescents in specific social situations to help them to succeed in an inclusive setting. In order to get this information, we started a project called "Behavioral Literacy". It is our understanding that the phenomenon "Behavioral Literacy" has to do with multidimensional factors such as rules, norms, situations, behavior of oneself and of others, and of the frames those factors are related to. Till now there have been several pilot and explorative studies. The first results indicate that some children and juveniles simply don't know about the demands of specific social situations and/ or social institutions. We need more knowledge driven by research results and we plan to expand our efforts. All over the world, adolescents with severe problems behave or act behaviorally literate in social situations. In this article we will describe in detail our preliminary theoretical framework of the concept "behavioral literacy". Before we conceptualize further studies we would like to share our great interest in this topic with colleagues in different countries.

Ghulam Nabi   Muhammad Amin   Yousaf Khan   and Azam Khan   

The objectives of this study were to analyze the difference between morning serum total testosterone level, cortisol level and sexual health status in Parkinson's patients and age matched control group. A standard questionnaire was designed regarding their socio-economic status, clinical records and sexual health. 5 mL of the blood samples were taken from all the participants and were analyzed for serum total testosterone and cortisol using Bio-check (USA) and GmbH (Germany) test kit. In Parkinson's patients serum cortisol level was significantly higher (Mean ± SEM = 326.6 ± 6.34 mU/L, P**** < 0.0001) as compared to control group (Mean ± SEM =249.4 ± 7.64 mU/L). Serum total testosterone level in Parkinson's patients was significantly lowered (Mean ± SEM = 450.6 ± 5.40 ng/dl, P**** < 0.0001) as compared to control group (Mean ± SEM = 534.3 ± 6.31 ng/dl). Sexual health problems like, erectile dysfunction, difficulties in ejaculation, decreased libido, dissatisfaction with sexual life, difficulties in reaching orgasm, absent morning and nocturnal erection and stopped having sex were common in Parkinson patients as compared to age matched control group. Parkinson disease negatively affects sexual health by reducing serum total testosterone and increasing serum cortisol level.

Klaus Martin Beckmann   

Otic barotrauma is a potential risk for travelers using commercial aircraft. A significant proportion of passengers are infants. No literature exists regarding pre-flight assessment for prevention of barotrauma in infants due to air travel. Infants are preverbal in their development and cannot communicate their distress with words, though will show age-typical distress and pain responses. Pain and concomitant trauma, where possible, are ideally prevented. This paper suggests that it may be possible for parents to detect prior to flight whether their infant is likely to suffer pain from Eustachian tube malfunction with in-flight cabin pressure changes. This may be achieved by co-incidental observation of infants and their subsequent distress with small rapid air pressure change, such as in rapid elevator ascent/descent, which elicits “ear popping” in the parents. This may help predict a healthy infant’s response to change in air pressure during air travel. A case example is given. Barotrauma in the context of the infant’s neuropsychology is described and relevant literature to the topic is reviewed.

Bobi Ivanov   Kimberly A. Parker   Lindsay L. Dillingham   Elizabeth L. Petrun   Lisanne F. Grant   and Sarah Geegan   

This investigation explored the potential for enhancing the potency of inoculation’s strategy by examining the relationships among the certainty of the attack, threat, and resistance. Using different moderately involving issues for each, three experimental studies were conducted involving a total of 275 participants. In contrast with some previous findings, the combined results of the investigation suggest a positive and more linear relationship among these variables. As argued in the investigation, increasing the certainty in the occurrence of the attack seems to increase attitudinal threat and resistance; yet the best method to manipulate attack certainty remains in need of further exploration.

Vladimir Ivanovich Mirgorodsky Valery Vasilievich Dementienko   Vadim Vladimirovich Gerasimov   Sergei Vladimirovich Peshin   Vladimir Borisovich Dorokhov   and Viacheslav Markovich Shakhnarovich   

In the past few years, much attention has been given to the development of neurophysiological methods of analyzing social interactions between subjects in response to natural stimuli presented in videos. This article describes a methodological approach for assessing similarities, and differences in how videos are perceived by different subjects based on their phasic electrodermal response (EDR). Experiments with viewing of videos revealed statistically significant correlations of electrodermal reactions in different subjects that made it possible to distinguish groups with similar or differing types of perception of the films. The results obtained demonstrate to our mind the possibility of using EDR as a simple method for quantifying autonomous nervous activity to assess the emotional, and activation components of interpersonal interaction.

Ashfaq Ul Hassan and Villayat Nabi Buch 

Trigeminal Neuralgia is not an infrequent condition and patients present with severe agonizing pain . Although drugs are used initially for treatment but most of the cases they prove non beneficial. Some new treatment modalities are used in the form of neurosurgical techiques for pain relief. This article summarizes the new concepts of pain relief in Trigeminal Neuralgia.