Neurology Research

27/09/2019

13th ANRD Annual Neurology Research Day for medical students , Residents and Allied students
Pre conference Workshop Held on September 23,2019
at C-0 hall
Shifa International Hospital
Lead Facilitator was Dr.Farooq Azam Rathore

workshop on "Medical Research and writing in Pakistan:Challenges,Opportunities and Solutions
by
Dr. Farooq Azam Rathore

25/07/2019

UP COMING BIG EVENT

News & media website

23/01/2017

The Basics of Eating Well

Eat a variety of foods from each food category. Ask your doctor if you should take a daily vitamin supplement.

Maintain your weight through a proper balance of exercise and food. Ask your doctor what your "goal" weight should be and how many calories you should consume per day.

Include high-fiber foods such as vegetables, cooked dried peas and beans (legumes), whole-grain foods, bran, cereals, pasta, rice, and fresh fruit in your diet.

Choose foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Try to limit sugars. Moderate your use of salt. Drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day. Ask your doctor about drinking alcoholic beverages (alcohol may interfere with some of your medications).

22/01/2017

Introduction to eating right with Parkinson's disease

While there is no special diet required for people with Parkinson's disease, eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet is extremely beneficial. With the proper diet, our bodies work more efficiently, we have more energy, and Parkinson's disease medications will work properly.

This article addresses the basics of good nutrition. Please consult your doctor or dietitian before making any dietary changes. A registered dietitian can provide in-depth nutrition education, tailor these general guidelines to meet your needs, and help you create and follow a personal meal plan.

22/01/2017

Parkinson's disease facts

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder which leads to progressive deterioration of motor function due to loss of dopamine-producing brain cells.

Primary symptoms include tremor, stiffness, slowness, impaired balance, and later on a shuffling gait.

Some secondary symptoms include anxiety, depression, and dementia.

Most individuals with Parkinson's disease are diagnosed when they are 60 years old or older, but early-onset Parkinson's disease also occurs.

With proper treatment, most individuals with Parkinson's disease can lead long, productive lives for many years after diagnosis.

22/01/2017

What are the risk factors for neuropathic pain?

Anything that leads to loss of function within the sensory nervous system can cause neuropathic pain. As such, nerve problems from carpal tunnel syndrome or similar conditions can trigger neuropathic pain. Trauma, causing nerve injury, can lead to neuropathic pain. Other conditions which can predispose patients to developing neuropathic pain include diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, cancer, HIV, stroke, multiple sclerosis, shingles, and cancer treatments.

21/01/2017

What is neuropathic pain?

When the sensory system is impacted by injury or disease, the nerves within that system cannot work to transmit sensation to the brain. This often leads to a sense of numbness, or lack of sensation. However, in some cases when this system is injured, individuals experience pain in the affected region. Neuropathic pain does not start abruptly or resolve quickly; it is a chronic condition which leads to persistent pain symptoms. For many patients, the intensity of their symptoms can wax and wane throughout the day. Although neuropathic pain is thought to be associated with peripheral nerve problems, such as neuropathy caused by diabetes or spinal stenosis, injuries to the brain or spinal cord can also lead to chronic neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain can be contrasted to nociceptive pain, which is the type of pain which occurs when someone experiences an acute injury, such as smashing a finger with a hammer or stubbing a toe when walking barefoot. This type of pain is typically short-lived and usually quite responsive to common pain medications in contrast to neuropathic pain.

21/01/2017

Myasthenia gravis facts*

Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by varying degrees of weakness of the skeletal (voluntary) muscles of the body.

Myasthenia gravis is caused by a defect in the transmission of nerve impulses to muscles.

The thymus may give incorrect instructions to developing immune cells, ultimately resulting in autoimmunity and the production of the acetylcholine receptor antibodies.

The symptoms of myasthenia gravis may include eye muscle weakness, eyelid drooping (ptosis), blurry or double vision (diplopia), unstable gait, a change in facial expression, difficulty in swallowing, shortness of breath, impaired speech, and weakness in the arms, hands, fingers, legs, and neck.

The disease is not directly inherited nor is it contagious; it commonly affects adult women (under 40) and older men (over 60), but it can occur at any age.

Diagnosis is often delayed because muscle weakness is a common symptom in other diseases and may slowly develop; diagnostic tests that help confirm the diagnosis include detecting the presence of immune molecules or acetylcholine receptor antibodies, edrophonium test, and electromyography.

Medical treatment includes anticholinesterase agents, plasmapheresis, and various immunosuppressive drugs; surgical treatment may include removal of the thymus.

A myasthenic crisis occurs when the muscles that control breathing weaken so much that the patient requires emergency ventilation assistance.

The disease prognosis is highly variable; some patients have complete remission (about 50% with thymus surgery), others have relatively normal lives with continued treatment, and others have a poor prognosis as the disease advances.

Research is ongoing; new treatment protocols and immunosuppressive drugs are being investigated and therapeutic methods are likely to improve in the future.

21/01/2017

What are the symptoms one may experience with multiple sclerosis?

Because the autoimmune inflammatory may attack some of the myelinated axons in the central nervous system almost anywhere, the location (and severity) of each attack can be different. Consequently, the symptoms of a MS attack may be quite variable from patient to patient and can appear almost anywhere in the body. The usual first sign and symptom is often a change in sensory perception (paresthesias) almost anywhere in the body. Other early common symptoms include fatigue, weakness, tingling, and blurred vision. Because of the highly variable symptoms this is a disease that is difficult to diagnose when symptoms first appear. The rest of the article will present symptoms that arise from various parts of the body that can be due to MS. Unfortunately, many of the symptoms described below can occur in other disease processes so it is important that MS is diagnosed by ruling out other conditions.

21/01/2017

Dystonia facts

Dystonia is a disorder of muscle control; it can cause slow repetitive movements, abnormal postures and/or tremors of the musculature that are uncontrollable by the patient.

The symptoms of dystonia may include foot cramps, turning or dragging of the foot, worsening of handwriting, neck movements, rapid eye blinking or closing, various muscle tremors and sometimes difficulty with speaking; the symptoms may become more noticeable when the individual is tired or under stress.

The cause of dystonia is not known; researchers suspect that damage to the brain's basal ganglia or other regions that control movement and/or the brain's neurotransmitters; researchers divide dystonia into three groups - idiopathic, genetic and acquired.

Symptoms of dystonia can occur at any age but are often described as either childhood or early onset versus adult-onset with early onset beginning with symptoms in the limbs while adult onset usually begins in the neck and/or face; these symptoms often progress from intermittent to more frequent or fixed postures that can result in shortening of tendons.

Dystonia may be classified based on the regions of the body which are affected; in addition, they can be described as focal (localized to a specific area such as the neck) or as genetic forms that may start as focal then progress to other areas.

Currently, there are no medications to prevent or slow the progression of any dystonia; however, there are several drugs that can reduce the symptoms of dystonia (botulinum toxin, anticholinergic agents, benzodiazepines and dopaminergic agents) and other methods such as deep brain stimulation and/or physical therapy.

Researchers are still investigating what causes dystonia and are exploring ways to better treat dystonia with medications and/or surgery; genetic studies are ongoing to help understand the cause and provide ways to better treat genetically caused dystonia.

20/01/2017

What is multiple sclerosis (MS)?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that attacks myelinated axons in the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), damaging or destroying the myelin and/or the axons (nerve tissue). The disease is often slowly progressive over many years (about 25 years) and is most commonly diagnosed in females ages 20 to 40 but may occur at any age and both genders. Individuals often suffer intermittent attacks followed by periods of symptom remissions. Attacks can last for days or months at a time followed by remissions; some individuals however, may continue to get worse without periods of remission. The goal of this article is to present and introduction to the various symptoms and treatments that can arise in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

20/01/2017

Dizziness facts

Dizziness is a symptom that is often applies to a variety of sensations including lightheadedness and vertigo. Vertigo is the sensation of spinning, while lightheadedness is typically described as near fainting, and weakness.

Some of the conditions that may cause lightheadedness in a patient include low blood pressure, high blood pressure, dehydration, medications, postural or orthostatic hypotension, diabetes, endocrine disorders, hyperventilation, heart conditions, and vasovagal syncope.

Vertigo is most often caused by a problem in the balance centers of the inner ear called the vestibular system and causes the sensation of the room spinning. It may be associated with vomiting. Symptoms often are made worse with position changes. Those with significant symptoms and vomiting may need intravenous medication and hospitalization.

Vertigo is also the presenting symptom in patients with Meniere's Disease and acoustic neuroma, conditions that often require referral to an ENT specialist. Vertigo may also be a symptom of stroke.

Most often, dizziness or lightheadedness is a temporary situation that resolves spontaneously without a specific diagnosis being made.