Experimental procedure: Fifty-two male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: 1) control group, 2) goat milk treated group, 3) d-galactose treated group, and 4) goat milk plus d-galactose treated group. Goat milk (1 g/kg orally) and/or d-galactose (120 mg/kg subcutaneously) were administered continuously for six weeks preceded and followed by novel object recognition and T-maze test.
Results and conclusion: Prior to goat milk and d-galactose administration, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in memory between all groups. Goat milk administration alone significantly increased short- and long-term memory (p
METHODS: PubMed and Scopus databases were searched based on PRISMA guideline to determine studies focusing on changes following NPC RT.
RESULTS: Eleven studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Microstructural changes occur most consistently in the temporal region. The changes were correlated with latency in seven studies; fractional anisotropy (FA) and gray matter (GM) volume remained low even after a longer period following RT and areas beyond irradiation site with reduced FA and GM measures. For dosage, only one study showed correlation, thus requiring further investigations.
CONCLUSION: DTI, DKI and VBM may be used as a surveillance tool in detecting brain microstructural changes of NPC patients which correlates to latency and brain areas following RT.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-four pregnant rats were randomly grouped into a control group (C), a stress group (S), and a stress group treated with TH. Eight male pups from each group were randomly chosen and they were sacrificed at eight or ten weeks of age following the novel object recognition test. Their brains were removed and histological changes and levels of MDA and NMDA receptors in the hippocampus were determined.
Results: The offspring from TH group showed significantly increased preference index (p<0.05) with higher neuronal number compared to S group. A significantly lower level of MDA and NMDA receptors were shown in TH group (P<0.01; P<0.05 respectively) compared to S group. The parameters investigated were not significantly different between C and TH groups.
Conclusion: The study has shown that memory alteration, changes in hippocampus histology, MDA and NMDA receptor levels could be prevented by TH administration during prenatal stress. The results suggest the beneficial effects of Tualang honey in prenatally stressed rat offspring.
Methods: This school-based, non-randomised controlled study was conducted among secondary school students with a total of 236 respondents. The KAPS score were assessed before and 1 month after using self-administered validated KAPS questionnaire on TB. Analysis was done using repeated measures ANOVA.
Results: The mean percentage score (SD) for baseline knowledge, attitude, practice and stigma score for the respondents were 54.0 (4.48), 65.6 (1.74), 70.0 (1.43) and 66.0 (6.88), respectively. There was a significant difference (P < 0.001) in the knowledge and stigma score for intervention group compared to control group, adjusted for gender, ethnicity and smoking status 4 weeks post-TB educational programme. However, with regards to attitude and practice score, there was no significant difference (P = 0.210 and P = 0.243, respectively).
Conclusion: TB education programme was effective in improving knowledge and stigma related to TB. This health education programme can be used as one of the strategies for the prevention and control of TB in schools.
Materials and Methods: The rats were divided into four groups: i) Normoxia treated with sucrose (n=12), ii) Normoxia treated with Tualang honey (n=12), iii) Hypoxia treated with sucrose (n=12), and iv) Hypoxia treated with Tualang honey (n=12). Tualang honey (0.2 g/kg/BW) and sucrose (1 mL of 7.9%) supplementations were administered orally to the rats daily for 14 days. Then the hypoxia groups were exposed to hypoxia (~11%) for 7 days, while the normoxia groups were kept in normal conditions. Following exposure to hypoxia, the rats' memories were analyzed using a novel object recognition task and T-maze test.
Results: The data revealed that rats exposed to hypoxia showed significant impairment in short-term memory (STM), spatial memory (p<0.01), and long-term memory (LTM) when compared to the normoxia group. Hypoxia rats treated with Tualang honey showed significant improvement in STM, LTM, and spatial memory (p<0.05) compared with those treated with sucrose (p<0.05). Tualang honey also reduced neuronal damage in the hippocampus of adult male Sprague Dawley rats exposed to hypoxia.
Conclusion: It is suggested that Tualang honey pretreatment has protective effects against hypoxia-induced memory deficits, possibly through its antioxidant contents.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from May 2017 to October 2017 among parents of fourth form students in three schools in Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia. Parents who are able to read and understand Malay and consented to the study were required to answer a validated questionnaire on their knowledge regarding thalassemia. They were also asked the reason for their acceptance or refusal of the thalassemia screening of their children.
Results: In total, 273 participants took part in the study. The mean thalassemia knowledge score was 11.8 out of a maximum score of 21. Low knowledge scores (adjusted odds ratio [adj OR] 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.79, 0.95; P = 0.002) and female sex (adj OR 2.60; 95% CI: 1.04, 6.53; P = 0.040) had significant associations with parental thalassemia screening refusal. The main reason for screening refusal was that parents perceived that their children were not at risk for the disease since they did not have a family member with thalassemia.
Conclusion: The mean thalassemia knowledge score among parents remains unsatisfactory. A high knowledge score is important since it is associated with parental acceptance of thalassemia screening for their children.