In the contemporary era, the demand for orthodontic treatment is ever rising. Orthodontic treatment duration can range from a year to a few years. Our aim is to assess the available techniques of categorising treatment effectiveness in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) and to study their effect on improvement of treatment outcomes. The electronic databases including Medline-PUBMED, Science Direct, and ISI Web of Knowledge were searched from 1987 to 2013, and 40 311 relevant articles were found. Of these, we identified 22 articles including original articles as well as literature reviews. The different parameters and indices that are applied to speed-up orthodontic treatment outcomes in patients with CLP were identified as the GOSLON Yardstick, 5-year-old index, EUROCRAN index, Huddart Bodenham system, modified Huddart Bodenham system, GOAL Yardstick and, Bauru-Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Yardstick. This overview can create better awareness regarding the uses, advantages, and disadvantages of the different indices. It can enable better assessment and provide the impetus needed for a sustained upgrade in the standards of care for CLP in daily orthodontics.
Obesity is a fast-emerging epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, with numbers paralleling the rising global prevalence within the past 30 years. The landscape of gut diseases in Asia has been drastically changed by obesity. In addition to more non-specific abdominal symptoms, obesity is the cause of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, various gastrointestinal cancers (colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, oesophageal adenocarcinoma, gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer and gallbladder cancer) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Abnormal cross-talk between the gut microbiome and the obese host seems to play a central role in the pathogenesis, but more studies are needed.
BACKGROUND: The Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) is a self-assessment scale designed to evaluate anhedonia in various psychiatric disorders. In order to facilitate its use in Malaysian settings, our current study aimed to examine the validity of a Malay-translated version of the SHAPS (SHAPS-M).
METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 44 depressed patients and 82 healthy subjects were recruited from a university out-patient clinic. All participants were given both the Malay and English versions of the SHAPS, Fawcett-Clark Pleasure Scale (FCPS), General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to assess their hedonic state, general mental health condition and levels of depression.
RESULTS: The results showed that the SHAPS-M has impressive internal consistency (α = 0.96), concurrent validity and good parallel-form reliability (intraclass coefficient, ICC = 0.65).
CONCLUSION: In addition to demonstrating good psychometric properties, the SHAPS-M is easy to administer. Therefore, it is a valid, reliable, and suitable questionnaire for assessing anhedonia among depressed patients in Malaysia.
KEYWORDS: Malaysia; anhedonia; depression; neuroscience; pleasure; psychiatry; psychology; validation
Study site: Psychiatric clinic, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The implementation of diversion pouches is to minimise the risk of bacterial contamination as the initial blood flow is prevented from entering primary bag collections as it is diverted into a pouch. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of bacterial contamination in the diversion pouches used during blood collections in the Transfusion Department of Hospital Seberang Jaya, Penang, Malaysia.
A cross-sectional prospective study has been conducted on differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients using negative (131)Iodine ((131)I) whole body scans and elevated thyroglobulin (Tg) levels. The main objective of this research was to determine the prevalence of the conversion of differentiated to dedifferentiated thyroid cancer patients during follow up at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur. It has been demonstrated that fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake is inversely proportional to the iodine concentration and to differentiation of the cells.
Humoral and cellular immune responses are associated with protection against extracellular and intracellular pathogens, respectively. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of receiving human secretory immunoglobulin A (hsIgA) on the histopathology of the lungs of mice challenged with virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The most recent Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences (MJMS)-MyCite report has shown that it has achieved a level becoming of a leading national medical science journal. This editorial reports on submission and acceptance rates of MJMS throughout the year 2013 and their geographical contributors. Our rejection rate of 29.76% with a 21.95% withdrawal rate because of poor quality of content and data as well as plagiarism indicates the seriousness of this journal to maintain the integrity and quality of it's scientific data.
A young man was admitted with sudden onset of right-sided weakness. He was assessed in the emergency department, and an immediate computed tomography (CT) perfusion study of the brain was arranged, which showed a left middle cerebral artery territory infarct with occlusion of the M1 segment. There was a significant penumbra measuring approximately 50% of the arterial territory. By the time his assessment was completed, it was 5.5 hours from the onset of symptoms. He was nonetheless administered intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) based on the significant penumbra. He was discharged from the hospital after one week with significant residual deficit. At 2 months clinic follow-up, he showed almost complete recovery with a Modified Rankin Score of 1. We hope to demonstrate that a significant penumbra is an important determinant for good neurological recovery and outcome following stroke thrombolysis, even when patients present outside the 4.5 hours onset-to-treatment time window.
Mortality and morbidity associated with intracerebral hemorrhage is still high. Up to now, there are no evidence-based effective treatments for acute ICH. This study is to assess the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA) on hematoma growth of patients with spontaneous ICH compared to a placebo.
BACKGROUND: Mitragyna speciosa (MS) or ketum is primarily found in Southeast Asia, particularly in northern Malaysia and Thailand. The medicinal value of this plant has attracted significant attention from both herbal medicine practitioners and scientists worldwide. Despite having illegal consumption status, the plant merits study. We conducted a series of experiments to test our hypothesis that ketum impairs both learning and memory in rats.
METHODS: Ketum leaves were extracted using methanol and standardised for the amount of its pure compound, mitragynine. Rats were divided into groups for a passive avoidance task and long-term potentiation (LTP) extracellular recording. In the extracellular recording condition, rats were grouped into control, MS100 (100 mg/kg of ketum extract), MS200 (200 mg/kg of ketum extract), and MS500 (500 mg/kg of ketum extract) groups. An additional group that received morphine was included in the passive avoidance task (10 mg/kg), and there were six animals per group. Rats received daily treatments orally for 28 days for both experiments.
RESULT: Using a passive avoidance task, our data revealed that the rats' memory significantly increased with increasing doses of MS compared to the morphine-treated group. Our findings from LTP recordings showed that LTP was fully blocked by the higher doses of MS.
CONCLUSION: We speculate on the possibility that additional factors were involved in the passive avoidance task because it was an in vivo animal study, while the LTP experiment solely involved brain slices.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive tool that is able to modulate the electrical activity of the brain depending upon its protocol of stimulation. Theta burst stimulation (TBS) is a high-frequency TMS protocol that is able to induce prolonged plasticity changes in the brain. The induction of plasticity-like effects by TBS is useful in both experimental and therapeutic settings; however, the underlying neural mechanisms of this modulation remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of continuous TBS (cTBS) on the intrahemispheric and interhemispheric functional connectivity of the resting and active brain.
A cross-sectional study was carried out at a medical centre to determine the cognitive profiles of 30 Parkinson's disease patients with age of 69.76 ± 7.39 years. Thirty-seven percent of the patients were found to be at risk for dementia. The scores on subscales of working memory and alternating verbal fluency were significantly lower in Parkinson's disease patients who were older than 77 years old. The scores on a subtest of working memory on the Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Rating Scale (PDCRS) were significantly lower in Parkinson's disease patients with a duration of illness of more than 10 years. In cognitive measurement, the subtests of verbal memory, delayed free recall and verbal fluency on the PD¬CRS were significantly lower in patients with less than six years of education. The patients who had difficulty with sustained attention, working memory and movement had significant anxiety and depression symptoms. In conclusion, multiple patterns in cognitive profiles influence the quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease in multi-dimensional ways.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has been extensively used to measure small-scale neuronal brain activity. Although it is widely acknowledged as a sensitive tool for deciphering brain activity and source localisation, the accuracy of the MEG system must be critically evaluated. Typically, on-site calibration with the provided phantom (Local phantom) is used. However, this method is still questionable due to the uncertainty that may originate from the phantom itself. Ideally, the validation of MEG data measurements would require cross-site comparability.
Neuroimaging is a new technique used to create images of the structure and function of the nervous system in the human brain. Currently, it is crucial in scientific fields. Neuroimaging data are becoming of more interest among the circle of neuroimaging experts. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a large amount of neuroimaging tools. This paper gives an overview of the tools that have been used to image the structure and function of the nervous system. This information can help developers, experts, and users gain insight and a better understanding of the neuroimaging tools available, enabling better decision making in choosing tools of particular research interest. Sources, links, and descriptions of the application of each tool are provided in this paper as well. Lastly, this paper presents the language implemented, system requirements, strengths, and weaknesses of the tools that have been widely used to image the structure and function of the nervous system.
The development of neurosurgical services and training in Malaysia began in 1963, with the first centre established in its capital city at Hospital Kuala Lumpur, aimed to provide much needed neurosurgical services and training in the field of neurology and neurosurgery. This center subsequently expanded in 1975 with the establishment of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Neuroscience Institute (IKTAR); which integrated the three allied interdependent disciplines of neurosurgery, neurology and psychiatry. The establishment of this institute catalysed the rapid expansion of neurosurgical services in Malaysia and paved the way for development of comprehensive training for doctors, nurses, and paramedics. This culminated in the establishments of a local comprehensive neurosurgery training program for doctors in 2001; followed by a training program for nurses and paramedics in 2006. To date, there are more than 60 neurosurgeons providing expert care in 11 centers across Malaysia, along with trained personnel in the field of neurosciences.
12 months ago the first Neuroscience special issue of the Malaysia Journal of Medical Sciences was born with the intention to increase the number of local publication dedicated to neurosciences. Since then many events happened in the neuroscience world of Malaysia, those considered major were the establishment of a Neurotechnology Foresight 2050 task force by the Academy of Medicine Malaysia as well as the launching of Malaysia as the 18th member to join the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility on the 9th October 2015 which was officiated by the Deputy Ministers of Higher Education, Datuk Mary Yap.
Overexpression of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) is frequently associated with germ cell tumours, especially choriocarcinoma. Ectopic secretion of β-hCG by non-small cell lung cancer is exceptional. We present an exceedingly rare case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma that secretes β-hCG. Our patient is a 62-year-old postmenopausal woman, a nonsmoker, who presented with a six-month history of progressive dyspnoea, associated with decreased appetite and significant weight loss. Her serum β-hCG was very high (11211.9 mIU/ml), which prompted investigations to exclude germ cell tumour. Radiological imaging revealed a 10-cm right lung mass with adrenal metastasis. No other focal lesions were detected. Microscopy of the lung biopsy specimen showed replacement of normal lung tissue by sheets of malignant cells, forming vague glands in some areas. Immunohistochemically, the malignant cells showed focal immunopositivity for thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1), napsin A, cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and β-hCG. A diagnosis of β-hCG-secreting pulmonary poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was rendered. Serum β-hCG level decreased significantly to 168.6 mIU/ml after the first cycle of chemotherapy. In conclusion, β-hCG expression in lung cancer should be recognised to facilitate prompt diagnosis and initiation of appropriate intervention.
Infective endocarditis (IE) is the one of the most important causes of increased mortality and morbidity among haemodialysis patients. The reason for this increasing prevalence of infection among these patients is the use of haemodialysis catheters during dialysis, as these patients are highly susceptible to infections that are easily transmitted via blood access points. The present case was a geriatric end stage renal disease (ESRD) patient who was readmitted to the hospital two days after her scheduled haemodialysis session with symptoms of nosocomial endocarditis. Her concurrent medical complications were hypertension, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease. Based on her previous medical history and current examination, the patient was suspected to have IE due to catheter related infection. The goal of therapy is to manage the comorbidities and infection by provision of appropriate treatment based on close monitoring of the patient condition.
Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) associated with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is rare. It is usually associated with the cribriform-morular variant of PTC, with unusual patterns on detailed histology examination. This variant is known to have a good prognosis. Papillary thyroid carcinoma associated with FAP commonly occurs in females in their 30s and rarely in the elderly. We report a case of a 69-year-old female presenting with thyroid swelling and a history of FAP.
Sekolah Menengah Sains Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra (SMSTMFP) and Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubang Kerian (3) (SKKK3) were selected by the Department of Neurosciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), in 2011 to be a 'school-based Neuroscience Club' via the 'Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP) - Community' project. This community project was known as "The Brain Apprentice Project". The objectives of this project were to promote science and the neurosciences beyond conventional classroom teachings whilst guiding creativity and innovation as well as to assist in the delivery of neuroscience knowledge through graduate interns as part of the cultivation of neuroscience as a fruitful future career option. All of the planned club activities moulded the students to be knowledgeable individuals with admirable leadership skills, which will help the schools produce more scientists, technocrats and professionals who can fulfil the requirements of our religion, race and nation in the future. Some of the activities carried out over the years include the "My Brain Invention Competition", "Mini Brain Bee Contest", "Recycled Melody" and "Brain Dissection". These activities educated the students well and improved their confidence levels in their communication and soft skills. The participation of the students in international-level competition, such as the "International Brain Bee", was one of the ways future professionals were created for the nation. The implementation of Neuroscience Club as one of the organisations in the school's cocurriculum was an appropriate step in transferring science and neuroscience knowledge and skills from a higher education institution, namely USM, to both of the schools, SMSTMFP and SKKK3. The club members showed great interest in all of the club's activities and their performance on the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) or Primary School Achievement Test and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or Malaysian Certificate of Education examinations improved tremendously.