Gabapentin (GBP) is one of the new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) applied extensively in neurology and psychiatry. The advantage of new AEDs includes newer mechanism of action, broad spectrum of anti-seizure effects, lesser drug interactions and fewer side effects. GBP is a cyclized analogue of GABA but it does not interact with GABA receptors, nor does it inhibit GABA uptake or prevent the degeneration of GABA. Restricted studies have been performed on acute and chronic effects of GBP on passive avoidance (PA) learning and little is known about its chronic phase. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate acute and chronic effects of GBP on passive avoidance learning in 100 mice (w=30 gr). Ten mg/kg GBP were injected interaperitoneally for assessment of memory in three steps (acquisition, consolidation and retrieval). Shuttle box trial was used for PA task assessment. Retrieval memory was tested 24h after injection, and the results indicated increased Step Through Latency (STL), showing the enhancement of memory. Moreover, in acute phase of PA, GBP enhanced acquisition and retrieval of memory. In chronic phase of PA, GBP showed no effect on memory. The present study suggests that GBP exerted no destructive effects on cognition; however, it improved emotional cognitive performance in mice in PA tasks. تفاصيل المقالة

Vitamin D deficiency is a major global problem. The relationship between serum vitamin D level, ischemic stroke severity, and the resulted lesion volume is controversial. This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between serum vitamin D level, severity of ischemic stroke, and lesion volume compared to the control group. This analytic cross-sectional study was performed on 93 ischemic stroke patients compared to the control group during 2019. Brain imaging, lesion volume measuring, and record were performed for all patients. Severity of stroke was assessed by MRS score at the time of admission and discharge. Serum 25(OH) D levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the end, the data were analyzed by SPSS19 software. The mean ±standard deviation of vitamin D was 28.78±9.5 ng.ml-1 with the range of (10-49) in patients, and 29.11±8.7 with range of (12-51) in control group. Vitamin D level significantly decreased depending on age (P=0.003). The mean vitamin D levels had a significant negative relationship with the first and second MRS scores (P<0.001). Mean vitamin D levels had a significant negative relationship with the severity of stroke and lesion volume (P<0.001). Reduced vitamin D serum level is associated with higher severity of stroke and lesion volume. تفاصيل المقالة

Stroke is the third cause of death worldwide. The present study aimed at determining serum estrogen levels in postmenopausal women with ischemic stroke and compare with a control group admitted to Department of Neurology in Kowsar Hospital of Semnan, Iran in 2017.In this analytic cross-sectional study, serum estrogen levels in 33 women with ischemic stroke (who were eligible to be included in the study) were compared with a control group through the convenience sampling method. The demographic data were collected, and serum estrogen levels were measured through the quantitative luminescence Immunoassay technique in both groups and, the degree of disability was determined using the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) in case group. In case and control group, the age of patients was 74.48±13.44 (mean ± SD) and 73.35±12.89 years respectively, and estrogen levels were 16.65±2.83 and 22.94±3.11 pg/dl respectively, with a significant difference (p=0.03). Hypertension was the most common risk factor in case and control group (84.8% and 78.7%). In case group there was a significant relationship between the degree of disability at discharge from the neurology ward and the degree of disability before undergoing stroke treatment (p < 0.001) and, there was no statistically significant relationship between serum estrogen levels and age, number of risk factors, and disability at admission and at discharge. The results showed that serum estrogen levels in postmenopausal women with ischemic stroke were significantly lower than control group and normal estrogen range in healthy postmenopausal women. تفاصيل المقالة