Measuring mental health following the 6-year American invasion of Iraq. A General Health Questionnaire analysis of Iraqi medical and dentistry students

To explore the current psychological problems among Iraqi medical and dentistry students using a General Health Questionnaire after 6 years of armed conflicts. This study was carried out in the Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Al-Mustansiriya University, Baghdad, Iraq from January to May 2009. A total of 440 medical and dentistry students were asked to complete the 12-item [GHQ-12] and 30-item [GHQ-30] General Health Questionnaire-Arabic version to measure the level of their psychological distress. The analysis of this cross-sectional study is based on a voluntary self-rating questionnaire survey of the assessment of common mental problems. Based on the GHQ-12, using simple Likert scoring, probable psychiatric illness [score >12] was approximately equal in dentistry [50.6%; 89 out of 176] and medical [51.1%; 135 out of 264] students, with an odds ratio of 1.138. Based on GHQ-30 using binary scoring, the probable cases [score >5] were reported significantly [p<0.001] higher in medical students than dentistry students, with an odds ratio of 3.251. The means of overall categorized psychiatric morbidity, other than social dysfunction, reported in male dentistry students were non-significantly higher than corresponding medical students. The impact of armed conflicts is obvious, therefore, medical and dentistry students need to receive effective mental health outreach and treatment, including lifestyle modification, at each stage of college life

Subtype of hypertension is evidence for preclinical atherosclerosis. A study of carotid artery ultrasonography and biochemical markers

To assess subclinical atherosclerosis in subtypes of hypertension using lipid profile as a biomarker and B mode ultrasonography of the carotid arteries. Ninety-six subjects [49 females and 47 males] aged 42-78 years were recruited from the vascular Doppler unit at Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq from January to June 2008. They were grouped into normotensive [group I], isolated systolic hypertension [group II], isolated diastolic hypertension [group III], and combined systolic and diastolic hypertension [group IV]. Subclinical atherosclerosis was observed in groups III and IV in terms of significantly low levels of high-density lipoprotein, high levels of low-density lipoprotein, and high atherogenic index. The mean intima media thickness was significantly increased with transition from group I to group IV in all carotid arteries, and the mean resistive index value of each carotid artery in group IV was significantly higher than that of group I. Carotid plaque was demonstrated in a significantly higher percent in group IV [12 out of 15] followed by groups III [14 out of 31] and II [1 out of 30]. Lipid profile and high resolution B-mode ultrasonography of the carotids are good predictive measures of subclinical atherosclerosis. Isolated diastolic hypertension and combined systolic-diastolic hypertension accounts for early subclinical atherosclerosis compared with isolated systolic hypertension

Significant measurement of mean carotid intima-media thickness in sustained essential hypertension

To assess the significant association of atherosclerosis quantified by screening intima media thickness of bilateral common and internal carotid arteries in patients with asymptomatic and persistent hypertension with and without ischemic stroke. To assess the significant association of atherosclerosis quantified by screening intima media thickness of bilateral common and internal carotid arteries in patients with asymptomatic and persistent hypertension with and without ischemic stroke. The mean diameter as well as intima media thickness of common and internal carotid arteries was significantly higher in group IV than group II, II, and group I. These changes were associated with significant increased fasting serum cholesterol, lowdensity lipoprotein, and decreased high-density lipoprotein. Intima media thickness above one mm was significantly observed in hypertension with ischemic stroke [odd ratio 1.37]. The results support the importance of screening asymptomatic as well as sustained treated hypertension by carotid ultrasound Doppler

Intraindividual and interindividual variations in psychomtor task performance in spontaneously menstruationg women

To examine the variability in psychomotor task performance in women in reference to the menstrual cycle.One hundred and eighty young women with spontaneous regular menstrual period of 30 days duration and 20 young men were assessed in the Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Al-Mustansiriya University, Baghdad, Iraq during 2003.Women had significantly lower recognition as well as motor reaction time than men with wide inter and intraindividual variations. Women also had a lower critical flicker fusion frequency threshold than men with more variation. The changes in psychomotor performance are not specific for a certain phase of the menstrual cycle.Spontaneously menstruating young women are not good participants for psychomotor performance studies because of wide intra- and interindividual variations

Assessment of nitrosative oxidative stress in patients with middle cerebral artery occlusion

To assess serum levels of nitric oxide and peroxynitrite in patients presenting with cerebral infarction resulting from middle cerebral artery occlusion, at 48 hours from stroke onset. We conducted the study in the Department of Pharmacology and in cooperation with Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital and the Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Al-Mustansiriya University, Baghdad, Iraq from October 2003 to May 2004. Twenty patients presented with neurological deficits of middle cerebral artery occlusion, and we also enrolled 20 healthy individuals to serve as a control group. We obtained venous blood samples from each patient after 48 hours of stroke onset and each healthy individual. We determined the serum level of nitric oxide as well as peroxynitrite. Serum nitric oxide and peroxynitrite were significantly [p<0.001] higher in patients [103.9 +/- 40.2 micro mol and 2.7 +/- 0.6 micro mol] than in healthy individuals [53.3 +/- 20.7 micro mol and 2.3 +/- 0.2 micro mol]. The formation of peroxynitrite directly correlated with nitric oxide in healthy individuals [r=0.84], and patients [r=0.514]. Serum intermediate nitrogen species; nitric oxide and peroxynitrite were significantly increased after 48 hours of stroke onset in patients with middle cerebral artery occlusion. The rate of peroxynitrite formation from nitric oxide was slightly increased

Comparison between intraarticular triamcinolone acetonide and methylprednisolone acetate injections in treatment of frozen shoulder

To compare the effectiveness of triamcinolone acetonide [40 mg] and methylprednisolone acetate [60 mg] in Iraqi patients with primary and secondary frozen shoulder. A total number of 135 [93 males and 42 females] patients with frozen shoulder, allocated at outpatient clinic of rheumatology in Al-Yarmook Teaching Hospital [Baghdad-Iraq] from January 2004 to December 2005, were enrolled in non-controlled clinical trial. The diagnosis of frozen shoulder was made using the guidelines for shoulder complaint issued by the Dutch College of General Practitioners. Intraarticular injections of 40 mg triamcinolone acetonide [46 males and 22 females] or 60 mg methylprednisolone acetate [47 males and 20 females] were given every 3 weeks [not more than 3 injections] by using posterior route. Both triamcinolone acetonide [81.8%] and methylprednisolone acetate [83.3%] were equally effective in primary frozen shoulder. Triamcinolone acetonide is significantly improved diabetic frozen shoulder in comparison to methylprednisolone acetate [69% versus 39%]. Also patients on triamcinolone acetonide required less number of steroid injections and higher percent of severe cases were significantly improved by triamcinolone acetonide in comparison with methylprednisolone acetate. We conclude that triamcinolone acetonide is a good rescue for painful stiff shoulder particularly for resistant cases as with diabetes mellitus, and with long duration of illness. Also, its efficacy can be observed with less frequent injections

Effect of L- carnitine on lipid peroxidation in gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rats

In order to evaluate a possible new protective effect of 1- carnitine in gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity, groups of rats treated either with saline, I- carnitine, gentamicin alone or gentamicin and 1- carnitiric in combination. The results showed that gentamicin produces high plasma urea, creatinine and malondialdehyde [MDA] which reached to the level of significance when compared with saline treated group. The morphological changes are of degeneration of proximal convoluted tubules. L- carnitine attenuated the biochemical and morphological changes induced by gentamicin. It is concluded that 1- carnitine afforded renal protection via prevention of further accumulation of lipid which stimulates the lipid peroxidation process

Myocardial protection: an approach with alterations in cations and trace elements in rats

This study was undertaken to investigate the cation and trace element changes in experimentally induced myocardial isehaemia like lesion evoked by isoprenaline. Rats were treated with 30 mg/kg S.C isoprenaline alone or in combination with the calcium entry blocker felodipine 1 mg/kg i.p or the free radical scavenger superoxide 15000 U/kg i.p. Our results showed that the isoprenaline-produced hypocupraernia and hypozincaemia, and the cardiac damage is accompanied by calcium overload, magnesium and zinc depletion, Felodipine and superoxide disinutase altered these changes in different manners. We conclude that manipulations of cardiac cations and trace elements can provide myocardial protections in experimental model of cardiac ischaemia induced by isoprenaline

Trace elements changes in Parkinson's disease

Copper and zinc levels in serum of thirty two patients with parkinsonism syndrome were estimated and were compared to those of thirty normal healthy individuals served as controls. Serum levels of copper but not that of zinc in patients with parkinson's disease were significantly lower than controls [P<0.001]. and this was reflected on the significant low ratio of copper to zinc. There was significant positive correlation between the serum copper and the duration of the disease. These results may give an indication of changes in serum trace elements associated with degenerative process in Parkinson's disease and reflect the duration and implying the prognosis