Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is distinguished recently by an increase in inflammation and oxidative stress. Apolipoprotein D (Apo D) is a neuroprotective protein that was discovered to be increased in PD-affected brains. The aim of our study was to measure the ApoD serum level in individuals with PD and to correlate it with the clinical data of those individuals. Thirty individuals suffering from idiopathic PD were subjected to neurological examination, disease intensity by applying the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and measurement of Apo D blood levels. Thirty age and sex matched controls were included for comparison of Apo D concentration. Results Apolipoprotein D levels were substantially greater in PD individuals than in controls. The correlation between Apo D serum level and PD severity determined by the UPDRS and its subscales was positive. Conclusion PD patients had increased blood level concentration of Apo D, which was associated positively with disease intensity. We suggest that Apo D serum level can be used as a predictor factor for PD severity. More studies are warranted to study how to target the Apo D in PD patients and thus helping to reduce the oxidative stress and inflammatory cascade involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Background Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive therapeutic approach that targets particular brain regions that had been used and displayed significant impact in various neurological disorders. This study aimed to explore if high-frequency (HF) rTMS over the parietal cortex could influence sleep quality in Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods This was a prospective sham-controlled study conducted on 40 individuals with PD. The enrolled patients were examined with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III) and Modified Hoehn and Yahr Staging Scale (H&Y staging) for motor disability evaluation and staging. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used for sleep quality and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for excessive daytime sleepiness and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) for depression. Patients were classified into 2 groups: patients who underwent real-rTMS positioned over their bilateral parietal cortex. 100% of the motor threshold. Patients had a total of 12 sessions, one every other day. Another group received sham rTMS. Results The patients receiving active rTMS showed significant improvement in UPDRS-III, PSQI, ESS, and BDI-II immediately after the sessions and 1 month later. The follow-up PSQI had a significant positive correlation with the baseline BDI-II ( r = 0.88, P = 0.001), H&Y staging ( r = 0.78, P = 0.001), and UPDRS-III ( r = 0.78, p = 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analysis exhibited that the age of the patients was a significant predictor of sleep quality. Conclusion HF rTMS over the parietal cortex had shown a significant impact on sleep quality by the modulation of affected brain areas and by improving concomitant motor and mood manifestations.

Background:It has been postulated that COVID-19 has a substantial neuro-otological impact such as vertigo or dizziness that is rarely evaluated. The purpose of this research is to study the occurrence of vertigo (whether as presenting symptom or a sequela) and its etiological characteristics in patients with covid 19 infection and close contact. It is a cross-sectional study (convenient sample) conducted on patients that had a previous history of covid 19 infection and another group of contact individuals who presented with the sensation of vertigo. All the included participants underwent full neurological and otological examination, nasopharyngeal swab PCR to confirm COVID-19 infection and video nystgmograghy (VNG).Results:it was included 44 participants, where 7 (15.9%) of the participants were post-COVID-19 patients and 37 (84.1%) were close contacts of COVID patients. It was found that 6(85.7%) of post-COVID-19 patients had vestibular neuritis (VN), and 1(14.3%) patient had Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). 9(23%) of those in close contact had positive PCR for COVID infection, 6(66.7%) of them had VN, and the other 3 (33.3%) had BPPV.Conclusion:Vertigo could be a possible complication or a presenting symptom in patients with COVID patients that is mainly attributed to peripheral vestibular dysfunction.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disease. Immunological defects have been shown to play a significant role in the progression of BD. The serum levels of two long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), NEAT1 and MALAT1, were examined in patients with BD to identify their role in the disease pathogenesis. Both lncRNAs were mentioned as essential regulators of innate immune responses and have a crucial role in inflammatory diseases. Fifty patients with BD and a similar number of control individuals were involved in our study. At enrollment, data was collected from patients and controls, and the disease severity in active cases was determined using the Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF). Levels of the two studied biomarkers in the serum, NEAT1 and MALAT1, were investigated by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). NEAT1 levels were significantly turned down in BD patients (fold changes = 0.77, p = 0.0001) and correlated negatively with the BDCAF (r = −0.41; p = 0.003). On the other hand, the MALAT1 levels were significantly up-regulated in BD patients (fold changes = 2.65, p = 0.003). Serum levels of NEAT1 were significantly decreased in patients with active states than in stationary cases (0.387 versus 1.99, respectively; p = 0.01) and compared with controls (p = 0.001). Also, NEAT1 levels were significantly increased in patients with stationary states compared to controls (p = 0.03). There was a positive association between NEAT1 and MALAT1 levels among BD patients (r = 0.29, p = 0.04). Our findings demonstrate a possible role of NEAT1 and MALAT1 in the pathogenesis of BD.

BackgroundCerebrovascular ischemic stroke is highly prevalent in the general population and is considered one of the frequent causes of mortality and disability. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is recognized as an important neuro-protective factor against cerebral vascular ischemic insult.Aim of the workTo study the relationship between serum IGF-1 levels and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the Egyptian population.Patients and methodsTwo hundred patients with AIS (within the first 24h) were subjected to full neurological examination, assessment of stroke severity using National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and measurement of serum IGF-1 levels. The control group included 100 subjects matched for age, gender, and conventional vascular risk factors.ResultsSerum IGF-1 levels were significantly reduced in cases of first AIS compared to control group. A reduced serum IGF-1 level was an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke with cut off value less than 148.3ng/ml associated with increased AIS risk.ConclusionLower IGF-1 levels are significantly related to risk of ischemic stroke occurrence, independent from other conventional risk factors in the Egyptian population.