OTHERS_CITABLE Stroke Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection and its Pathogenesis: A Systematic Review Introduction: In this systematic review, we will discuss the change of stroke incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic period and the proposed mechanisms of the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and stroke. Methods: Web of Science, PMC/Medline, and Scopus databases were searched until July 2020 without time and language limitations. After quality assessment, 22 articles were included in this study. Results: Based on the results, it is impossible to conclude any definite relationship between the rising or decreasing stroke frequency or the shift in the ischemic and hemorrhagic ratio and SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, it appears that SARS-CoV-2 infection has some correlation with stroke. The supposed mechanisms for the SARS-CoV-2-related hemorrhagic stroke include 1) SARS-CoV-2-related vasculopathy with the endothelial damage of small vessels, 2) viral infection-induced platelet dysfunction or thrombocytopenia, and 3) activation of the proinflammatory cascade leading to coagulopathy. The helpful strategies are receiving therapeutic anticoagulation for high D-dimer or a known thrombus due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in some patients. Furthermore, the possible mechanisms for the SARS-CoV-2-related ischemic stroke include 1) dysregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (a key host cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2)-related physiologic functions, 2) endothelial cell damages, 3) thrombo-inflammation, and 4) coagulopathy and coagulation abnormalities related to SARS-CoV-2 infection.  Conclusion: A better understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and its relation to neurologic abnormalities such as stroke can help to design new therapeutic approaches. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-2119-en.pdf 2021-09-01 569 586 10.32598/bcn.2021.3277.1 SARS-CoV-2 Stroke Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 Blood coagulation disorders Cerebrovascular disorders Samaneh Kazemi samaneh.kazemi@ymail.com 1 Deputy of Research and Technology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. AUTHOR Arash Pourgholaminejad arash_pgn@yahoo.com 2 Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6786-3386 Alia Saberi alia.saberi1@gmail.com 3 Department of Neurology, Poursina Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7842-7328
OTHERS_CITABLE The Effect of Brain Teaser Games on the Attention of Players Based on Hormonal and Brain Signals Changes Introduction: Computer games as an interactive media play a significant role in the cognitive and behavioral health of the players. Computer games have either positive or negative effects on cognitive indices among players. They also directly influence the lifestyle and quality of life of children, adolescents, and young adults. The present study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of the brain teaser game on players. Methods: Among 45 male volunteers, 40 subjects with an average age of 20 years were recruited and divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. All required tests were conducted before and after the intervention (playing the game) on the experimental group. Also, the same tests were performed on the control group, in which the participants were not allowed to play the game. All participants completed a questionnaire comprised demographic characteristics and specific information regarding the game (e.g., game style and hours spent on playing the game). The saliva samples were collected to measure levels of cortisol and α-amylase. The salivary α-amylase (sAA) and cortisol levels were analyzed using the relevant ELISA kits. The cognitive tests were performed using PASAT software before and after the game to assess the perceptual-cognitive abilities of the players. The brain waveforms were acquired by a 14-channel Emotiv brain signal recording device before and after the game. Data analysis was conducted in R and MATLAB software. Results: PASAT test suggested that mental health and sustained attention were significantly improved after the intervention. In addition, the sAA and salivary cortisol levels were significantly higher before the intervention. The results of the brainwave analysis revealed that stress index and attention were significantly higher before the intervention. Conclusion: Findings of the present study suggest that brain teaser games positively influence the central nervous system and activate stress path, leading to changes in brain signals and subsequently improved cognitive elements, such as attention among players. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1635-en.pdf 2021-09-01 587 596 10.32598/bcn.2021.724.9 Brain teaser EEG Stress Cortisol α-Amylase Attention Hamed Aliyari hamedaliyary@gmail.com 1 Center for Human-Engaged Computing, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5496-2756 Hedayat Sahraei h.sahrae@bmsu.ac.ir 2 Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9235-0013 Sahar Golabi sgolabister@gmail.com 3 Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, Abadan University of Medical sciences, Abadan, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1210-7222 Masoomeh Kazemi mkazemih@yahoo.com 4 Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4031-8967 Mohammad Reza Daliri daliri@iust.ac.ir 5 Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9241-8751 Behrouz Minaei-Bidgoli bminae@gmail.com 6 Departmentl of Computer Engineering, School of Computer Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4581-3879
OTHERS_CITABLE Neuroscience-Informed Psychoeducation for Recovery: A Program to Promote Metacognition in People With Substance Use Disorders Introduction: A brief neuroscience-informed psychoeducation program (Neuroscience-Informed Psychoeducation for Recovery [NIPER]) was developed to promote awareness (metacognition) in the main cognitive domains affected by drug and alcohol use to increase willingness to invest time and effort in the brain and cognition recovery process. The primary aim of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the NIPER program and its potential effectiveness in increasing metacognition, psychological wellbeing, and willingness for the brain and cognition recovery programs among patients with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). Methods: A total of 56 patients with SUDs were recruited from four outpatient treatment centers in Tehran City, Iran. They participated in four 90-min weekly sessions delivered adjunct to their routine treatment. The program’s effectiveness was measured in terms of metacognition and psychological wellbeing at baseline and the end of the program. The rate of adherence and participation and willingness to continue with brain and cognition recovery programs were measured as feasibility outcomes. Results: A total of 51 participants completed the study. Compared to the baseline assessments, patients reported more problems in dimensions of attention, memory, inhibitory control, decision making, motor/speech, interoception, insight, and a higher level of psychological wellbeing (t=4.66; P<0.001). In terms of feasibility outcomes, the adherence and participation rates were found above 85%. Most participants expressed their high willingness to continue the brain and cognition recovery programs (86.2%) and would introduce NIPER to their peers (98%). Conclusion: Considering the pilot results in terms of feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of NIPER in the clinical context of addiction treatment, we think that NIPER is a potentially beneficial intervention to be offered to people with SUD. It would increase their awareness and engage them in the brain and cognition recovery process. However, the clinical efficacy of the intervention should be tested in future randomized clinical trials. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-2058-en.pdf 2021-09-01 597 606 10.32598/bcn.2021.809.3 Psychoeducation Substance use disorders Metacognition Awareness Neuroscience Tara Rezapour Tara_rezapour@yahoo.com 1 Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8073-7648 Mohammad Barzegari mbarzegari.k@gmail.com 2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1522-7959 Elham Sharifi elhamsharifi2003@yahoo.com 3 Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9562-557X Nastaran Malmir nastaranmalmir@yahoo.com 4 Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2906-1336 Hamidreza Ghiasvand hamidrezaghiyasvand@yahoo.com 5 Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, Islamic Azad University, Saveh, Iran. AUTHOR Mohammad Salehi drmsalehi@yahoo.com 6 Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7459-9472 Alireza Noroozi a_r_noroozi@yahoo.com 7 Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5838-4348 Hamed Ekhtiari hekhtiari@laureateinstitute.org 8 Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6902-8798
OTHERS_CITABLE Environmental Enrichment Ameliorates Psychological Dependence Symptoms and Voluntary Morphine Consumption in Morphine Withdrawn Rats Under Methadone Maintenance Treatment Introduction: Previous studies have shown that physical and psychological dependence and the vulnerability to relapse are still present during MMT. Thus, this study examined whether Enriched Environment (EE) would attenuate anxiety, depressive, and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors, as well as voluntary morphine consumption following Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) in morphine withdrawn rats. Methods: The rats were injected bi-daily doses (10 mg/kg, 12-h interval) of morphine for 14 days. Then, the rats were reared in a Standard Environment (SE) or EE for 30 more days during morphine withdrawal, simultaneous with receiving MMT. The rats were tested for anxiety (the Elevated Plus Maze [EPM]) and depression (Sucrose Preference Test [SPT]), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as grooming behavior, and voluntary morphine consumption using a Two-Bottle Choice (TBC) paradigm. Results: The findings revealed that EE experience in morphine withdrawn rats under MMT significantly increased the EPM open-arm time and higher sucrose preference than SE rats. Also, we found that the EE decreased the self-grooming behavior and morphine preference ratio in morphine withdrawn rats receiving MMT compared to the SE group. Conclusion: We conclude that exposure to EE decreased methadone-induced anxiety, depressive and OCD-like behaviors, and voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats under MMT. Thus, the EE seems to be one of the strategies for reducing MMT-induced behavioral dysfunction and the risk of relapse induced by morphine withdrawal. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1728-en.pdf 2021-09-01 607 616 10.32598/bcn.12.5.886.3 Morphine-withdrawn rats Methadone Enriched environment Anxiety Depression Grooming Morphine preference Marjan Lari lari.marjan@yahoo.com 1 Department of Clinical Psychology, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2068-6076 Hossein Miladi-Gorji miladi331@yahoo.com 2 Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3948-4703 Mahmoud Najafi najafy2001ir@yahoo.com 3 Department of Clinical Psychology, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1160-2117 Ali-Mohammad Rezaei rezaei_am@semnan.ac.ir 4 Department of Educational Psychology, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5968-1571
OTHERS_CITABLE Neurosphere-Free Transdifferentiation of Rat Bone Marrow Stromal Stem Cells Into Retinal Cells and Retinal Pigment Epithelium Introduction: Neurosphere-free transdifferentiation of bone marrow stem cells into Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) and Retinal Cells (RCs) in vitro could offer an exceptional opportunity to study cell replacement in degenerative eye diseases. Thus, a simple and efficient protocol for retinal cells production from transdifferentiation of rat BMSCs in the neurosphere-free state is reported.  Methods: Extracted BMSCs from hooded pigment rats were exposed to a single-step protocol, including neurosphere-free, containing a cocktail medium that induced transdifferentiation into Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) and retinal cells.  Results: The results showed morphological differentiation changes in vitro. Also, the expressed retinal pigment epithelium and retinal cell markers, such as retinal orthodenticle homeobox 2 (23.45%), retinal pigment epithelium protein 65 (91.54%), cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (91.21%), vascular endothelial growth factor (94.79%), rhodopsin (57.19%), glial fibrillary acidic protein (28.33%), and neurofilament 200 (24.55%).  Conclusion: Overall, these findings showed that a protocol without using basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and B-27 supplements could generate RPE and retinal cells in vitro. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1992-en.pdf 2021-09-19 617 628 10.32598/bcn.2021.1055.3 Neurosphere-free Rat bone marrow stem cells Retinal cells Retinal pigment epithelium Transdifferentiation Hamid AboutalebKadkhodaeian habootaleb92@gmail.com; habootaleb@semums.ac.ir 1 Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9736-9722 Hamidreza Sameni hrsameni@gmail.com 2 Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2669-6697 Ali Shahbazi shahbazi.a@iums.ac.ir 3 Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5222-4792
OTHERS_CITABLE Neurotoxicity and Behavioral Alterations Following Subchronic Administration of Aqueous Extract of Erythrophleum Ivorense Stem Bark in Mice Introduction: Erythrophleum Ivorense (EI) is a tree found across tropical Africa. The bark of EI is widely used as hunting poisons for animals and ordeal poison in humans. Eating this plant causes paralysis, respiratory distress, and amnesia. In folklore, these behavioral changes have been attributed to guilt in victims; nonetheless, no scientific evidence supports this claim. Thus, the mechanism of neurotoxicity and behavioral alteration of this plant should be investigated.  Methods: A total of 48 BALB/c male mice were randomly divided into four groups. The three experimental groups were administered an aqueous extract of EI in a single daily dose of 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg bodyweight for 28 days, while the control group received distilled water. Afterward, the motor coordination, learning, memory, and grip strength of the mice were accessed with wire grip, Morris water maze, and inverted wire mesh grid grip tests. Histological staining of brain sections was also carried out.  Results: At all tested doses, the aqueous extract of EI caused a significant reduction in hanging latency, significantly increased escape latency, and decreased duration of the target platform in the Morris water maze test compared to control. Reduced grip strength was also observed in the test groups compared to the control. Histology revealed dysmorphic and disoriented Purkinje cells and loss of this cell layer of the cerebellum.  Conclusion: Erythrophleum ivorense administration altered motor coordination, learning and memory, and grip strength in mice dose-dependently. It also caused disruption of granule cells layer, loss of Purkinje cells, and altered cerebellar anatomy leading to motor deficits in mice. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1517-en.pdf 2021-09-19 629 638 10.32598/bcn.2021.1057.2 Erythrophleum ivorense Purkinje neurons Learning Memory Motor deficit Olamide Adebiyi olamideadebiyi24@gmail.com 1 Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1541-1163 Oluwasina Ajayi zynaluga@gmail.com 2 Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0920-2552 Funmilayo Olopade funmiolopade@yahoo.com 3 Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0868-9637
OTHERS_CITABLE New Biomarkers Based on Smoking-Related Phenotypes for Smoking Cessation Outcomes of Nicotine Replacement Therapy: A Prospective Study Introduction: Identifying a potent biomarker for smoking cessation can play a key role in predicting prognosis and improving treatment outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of new biomarkers based on the levels of Cotinine (Cot) and carbon monoxide (CO) to the short- and long-term quit rates of nicotine replacement therapies (Nicotine Patch [NP] and Nicotine Lozenge [NL]). Methods: In this prospective interventional study, 124 smokers under treatment with the 5A’s method were selected from an outpatient smoking cessation center in district 18 of Tehran City, Iran. The study was conducted from April 2016 to December 2018. They were divided into NP (n=56) and NL (n=61) intervention groups. The levels of Cot and CO were measured using ELISA and breath analysis at the beginning of the study. Three markers were calculated: Cot/CO, Cot to cigarette per day ratio (Cot/CPD), and CO/CPD. Binary logistic regression models and generalized estimating equations models were analyzed by SPSS software, version 21 to determine the chances of quitting smoking. Results: Of the NP participants, 30.4% and 19.6% were abstinent after 2 and 6 months, respectively, while NL was found less effective with 19.7% for 2-month follow-up and 13.1% for 6-month follow-up. The 6-month success of quitting attempts was significantly different for the NP participants at the second half of Cot/CO (P=0.029). Of the NL participants, CO/CPD would be a superior predictor for smoking cessation success (P>0.05).  Conclusion: The findings of this study suggested two markers of Cot/CO and CO/CPD in this order for the optimum treatment outcomes of NP and NL.  http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1939-en.pdf 2021-09-19 639 650 10.32598/bcn.2021.1552.1 Cotinine Carbon monoxide Nicotine replacement therapy Smoking cessation Arash Nikkholgh arash.nikkholgh@yahoo.com 1 Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7582-2111 Soltan Ahmad Ebrahimi soltan.ahmad.ebrahimi@gmail.com 2 Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3794-4198 Enayatollah Bakhshi bakhshi@razi.tums.ac.ir. 3 Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6566-9723 Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast zarinmr@ams.ac.ir 4 Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0688-5378 Yazdan Asgari yasgari@sina.tums.ac.ir 5 Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR Anahita Torkaman-Boutorabi a_torkaman@sina.tums.ac.ir 6 Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2045-7668
OTHERS_CITABLE Evaluation of the GABAA Receptor Expression and the Effects of Muscimol on the Activity of Wide Dynamic Range Neurons Following Chronic Constriction Injury of Sciatic Nerve in Rats Introduction: The modality of γ-aminobutyric acid type a receptors (GABAA) controls dorsal horn neuronal excitability and inhibits sensory information. This study aimed to investigate the expression of the GABAA receptor and the effects of its agonist muscimol on Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) neuronal activity in the Chronic Constriction Injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats weighing 200 to 250 g were used to induce CCI neuropathy. Fourteen days after surgery, muscimol (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg IP) was injected. Then, the behavioral tests were performed. After that, the animals were killed, and the lumbar segments of the spinal cords were collected for Western blot analysis of the GABAA receptor α1 subunit expression. The electrophysiological properties of WDR neurons were studied by single-unit recordings in separate groups 14 days after CCI. Results: The outcomes indicated the development of thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia after neuropathy; nonetheless, the expression of the GABAA receptor α1 subunit did not change significantly. Moreover, the evoked responses of the WDR neurons to electrical, mechanical, and thermal stimuli increased considerably. Fourteen days after CCI, muscimol administration decreased thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical allodynia, and hyper-responsiveness of the WDR neurons in CCI rats.  Conclusion: The modulation of the spinal GABAA receptors after nerve injury can offer further insights to design new therapeutic agents to reduce neuropathic pain symptoms. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1496-en.pdf 2021-09-01 651 666 10.32598/bcn.2021.1726.1 Neuropathic pain Chronic Constriction Injury (CCI) γ-Aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor Muscimol Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) neurons Mehdi Sadeghi sadeghi_mehdi@yahoo.com 1 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4313-7886 Homa Manaheji manahejih@sbmu.ac.ir, hshardimanaheji@yahoo.com 2 Neurophysiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1684-0843 Jalal Zaringhalam jzaringhalam@yahoo.com 3 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4637-1686 Abbas Haghparast haghparast@yahoo.com 4 Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1084-180X Samad Nazemi samadnazemi@gmail.com 5 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5081-6273 Zahra Bahari bahari_441@yahoo.com 6 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3205-1235 Seyed Mohammad Noorbakhsh info@sciencebeam.com 7 Science Beam Institute, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4666-4200
OTHERS_CITABLE The Role of Oxidant-Antioxidant Status in Suicide Behavior in Kurdish Ethnicity Introduction: Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, its role in suicidal behavior has not been clarified yet. Consequently, we aimed to evaluate the oxidant-antioxidant status in the serum of suicide attempters in Ilam city.  Methods: Fifty suicide attempters and 40 control subjects (volunteers) aged 18-35 years were studied in the current experiment. To consider the oxidant-antioxidant status, serum levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA), Nitric Oxide (NO), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), and the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) were measured.  Results: Serum levels of SOD and TAC were significantly lower in the suicide attempters group compared to the controls. Furthermore, serum NO level was significantly higher in the suicide attempters compared to the control groups. Interestingly, the serum level of MDA was significantly lower in the suicide attempters compared to the control groups. Conclusion: The oxidative stress without MDA elevation, detected in suicide attempters, can be considered a biochemical hallmark in suicide behavior.  http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1545-en.pdf 2021-09-01 667 674 10.32598/bcn.2021.1917.1 Suicide behavior Oxidative stress TAC MDA SOD Mahin Oshnokhah m.oshnokhah@gmail.com 1 Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. AUTHOR Maryam Bagheri maryam.bagheri@medilam.ac.ir 2 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4188-6288 Hori Ghaneialvar ghaneihuri@yahoo.com 3 Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4536-6041 Karimeh Haghani Haghani.bio@gmail.com 4 Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. AUTHOR Ali Khorshidi khorshidi-a@medilam.ac.ir 5 Department of Epidemiology, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. AUTHOR Ali Shahbazi shahbazial@yahoo.com 6 Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5222-4792 Sajjad Salari sajjad.salari@medilam.ac.ir 7 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6892-2544
OTHERS_CITABLE Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Reduce the Symptoms of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Introduction: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the most common debilitating mental disorders with a prevalence rate of 2% to 3% in the general population. Previous studies have indicated abnormalities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of OCD patients; thus, we decided to use transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to decline these patients’ symptoms. Methods: A total of 24 patients with OCD participated in this study with the hope of improvement after the application of tDCS. The subjects were randomly assigned to three groups of Sham, Right DLPFC, and Left DLPFC. tDCS was applied for five consecutive days and in each session, patients were subjected to 2 mA current flow for two 15 minutes followed by a 10-minute rest in between (every session lasted for 40 minutes). Results: Subsequently, the changes in obsessive-compulsive level and cognitive functions were evaluated via Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) by comparing the results before (pre-test) and after (post-test) tDCS treatment. Conclusion: Ultimately, the scores of the Yale-Brown scale in the Left DLPFC group showed significant changes after treatment with tDCS (mean difference compared to the sham group: -6.18 and P≤0.05). Hereupon, this study demonstrated that transcranial direct current stimulation may cause improvements in symptoms of OCD. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1568-en.pdf 2021-09-01 675 680 10.32598/bcn.2021.1920.2 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Transcranial direct current stimulation Yale-Brown test Sina Shafiezadeh sina.shafiezadeh@gmail.com 1 Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5462-4893 Mansoureh Eshghi ma.eshghi137@gmail.com 2 Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR Zahra Dokhaei psychzd@gmail.com 3 Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR Hossein Mohajeri hosseinmohajeri19288@gmail.com 4 Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR Atiyeh MohammadShirazi atiyeh.mohammadshirazi@gmail.com 5 Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR Sara Mirsadeghi sara.mirsadeghi.sm@gmail.com 6 Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR Peyman Hasani Abharian abharian@iricss.org 7 Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7943-7146
OTHERS_CITABLE A Neurochemical and Electrophysiological Study on the Combined Effects of Caffeine and Nicotine in the Cortex of Rats Introduction: Caffeine and nicotine are the most widely consumed psychostimulants worldwide. Although the effects of each drug alone on the central nervous system have been studied extensively, the literature on the neurochemical and electrophysiological effects of their combined treatments is scarce. The present study investigated the cortical electrophysiological and neurochemical alterations induced by acute administration of caffeine and nicotine in rats.  Methods: The rats received caffeine and nicotine at a 1-hour interval between the two treatments.  Results: Caffeine and nicotine administration resulted in a significant decrease in the concentrations of cortical amino acid neurotransmitters, namely glutamate, aspartate, glycine, and taurine, while γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) significantly increased. Increased cortical lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione and nitric oxide levels and acetylcholinesterase and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activities were also observed. The Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed an increase in delta frequency power band, whereas theta, beta-1, and beta-2 decreased after caffeine and nicotine treatment.  Conclusion: These findings suggest that caffeine and nicotine adversely exacerbate their stimulant effects manifested by the EEG changes mediated by increasing cholinergic transmission and disturbing the balance between the excitatory and inhibitory amino acids leading to oxidative stress. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1631-en.pdf 2021-09-01 681 692 10.32598/bcn.2021.2100.1 Caffeine Nicotine Electroencephalogram Oxidative stress Amino acid neurotransmitters Iman M. Mourad emanmourad@rocketmail.com 1 Department of Zoology, School of Science, Cairo University, Egypt. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1061-6506 Neveen A. Noor emanmourad@rocketmail.com 2 Department of Zoology, School of Science, Cairo University, Egypt. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4852-2508 Haitham S. Mohammed haitham_sharaf@yahoo.com 3 Department of Biophysics, School of Science, Cairo University, Egypt. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6055-9514 Heba S. Aboul Ezz hebasal@yahoo.com 4 Department of Zoology, School of Science, Cairo University, Egypt. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1923-6155 Yasser A. Khadrawy yaserask@yahoo.com 5 Department of Medical Physiology, Medical Division, National Research Center, Egypt. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2562-535X
OTHERS_CITABLE Effect of Neurofeedback Training on Aggression and Impulsivity in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial Introduction: Aggression and impulsivity are some of the behavioral symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Neurofeedback (NF) training has been suggested as a promising treatment in these children. This study aimed to investigate the effect of NF training on aggression and impulsivity in schoolchildren with ADHD.  Methods: A total of 40 male elementary school children with ADHD (aged 11.17±0.97 years) were randomized into the NF and sham groups. The NF group received 12 NF training sessions, each taking about 60 minutes for six consecutive weeks (twice a week), based on the Hammond protocol. The subjects’ parents were questioned to evaluate the outcomes, including aggression and impulsivity, using the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). Results: After the intervention, in the NF group, the BPAQ score changed from 87.60±9.33 to 81±7.23 and the BIS score from 94.7±7.25 to 88.05±5.4, which were significant (P=0.001). The results indicated the large effect size of NF on aggression and impulsivity in ADHD. Conclusion: Our findings suggest NF training as a clinically applicable method for decreasing aggression and impulsivity, also support concurrent use of medication and NF training in children with ADHD. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1695-en.pdf 2021-09-01 693 702 10.32598/bcn.2021.2363.1 ADHD Neurofeedback Aggression Impulsivity Zahra Dashbozorgi zahradb2000@yahoo.com 1 Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9603-8032 Amin Ghaffari amin.ghaffari@yahoo.com 2 Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Science, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7144-7681 Samaneh Karamali Esmaili esmaeili.s@iums.ac.ir 3 Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Science, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0162-3424 Jamal Ashoori Jamal_ashoori@yahoo.com 4 Department of Psychology, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5371-040X Ali Moradi ralimoradi@gmail.com 5 Orthopedic Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3866-0867 Pooria Sarvghadi sarvghadi.pooria@gmail.com 6 Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1443-5916
OTHERS_CITABLE Guillain-Barre Syndrome and COVID-19 Vaccine: A Report of Nine Patients Introduction: Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy usually elicited by an upper respiratory tract infection. Several studies reported GBS associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. In this study, we described nine GBS patients following the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: In this study, nine patients were introduced from six referral centers for neuromuscular disorders in Iran between April 8 and June 20, 2021. Four patients received the Sputnik V, three patients received the Sinopharm, and two cases received the AstraZeneca vaccine. All patients were diagnosed with GBS evidenced by nerve conduction studies and/or cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Results: The median age of the patients was 54.22 years (ranged 26-87 years), and seven patients were male. The patients were treated with Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) or Plasma Exchange (PLEX). All patients were discharged with some improvements. Conclusion: The link between the COVID-19 vaccine and GBS is not well understood. Given the prevalence of GBS over the population, this association may be coincidental; therefore, more studies are needed to investigate a causal relationship. http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-2223-en.pdf 2021-09-01 703 710 10.32598/bcn.2021.3565.1 Coronavirus-2019 Vaccine Guillain-Barre syndrome AstraZeneca Sinopharm Sputnik Narges Karimi drkarimi_236@yahoo.com 1 Immunogenetics Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5912-3732 Reza Boostani boostanir@mums.ac.ir 2 Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7998-9592 Farzad Fatehi Fatehifa@gmail.com 3 Department of Neurology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6774-7825 Akram Panahi Akram.panahii61@gmail.com 4 Department of Neurology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3746-1831 Ali Asghar Okhovat Aliokhi20@gmail.com 5 Department of Neurology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9286-4943 Bentolhoda Ziaadini Dr.bentalhodaziaadini@gmail.com 6 Department of Neurology, Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9286-4943 Keivan Basiri basiri.keivan@gmail.com 7 Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8621-9625 Siamak Abdi siamak.abdi@yahoo.com 8 Department of Neurology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1339-346X Farnaz Sinaei farnazsinaei@gmail.com 9 Department of Neurology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7332-7317 Mojtaba Rezaei morezaeis@gmail.com 10 Department of Neurology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7855-7659 Gholamreza Shamsaei grshamsaei@gmail.com 11 Neurology Department, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9596-9882 Behnaz Ansari ansaribehnaz@yahoo.com 12 Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0368-5888 Shahriar Nafissi nafisi@sina.tums.ac.ir 13 Department of Neurology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AUTHOR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4763-4310