MyMedR

Displaying all 12 publications

Abstract:

Sort:

Association of oxidative stress and memory performance in postmenopausal women receiving estrogen-progestin therapy

Shafin N, Zakaria R, Hussain NH, Othman Z

Menopause, 2013 Jun;20(6):661-6.
PMID: 23715378 DOI: 10.1097/GME.0b013e31827758c6

The aim of this study was to examine the association between changes in blood oxidative stress level/activity and changes in memory performance among postmenopausal women.
Honey on brain health: A promising brain booster

Zamri NA, Ghani N, Ismail CAN, Zakaria R, Shafin N

Front Aging Neurosci, 2022;14:1092596.
PMID: 36733498 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1092596

Since ancient times, honey has been employed in many aspects of everyday life, the most popular of which is as a natural sweetener. Honey is used not only as a nutritional product but also in health as a supplement and in various applications, especially related to brain booster health. Brain health is the capacity to carry out all mental functions necessary for cognition, such as learning and judging, utilizing language, and recalling. This review presents the current trend of research on honey, particularly the interest in underlying mechanisms related to brain booster health. A total of 34 original articles addressing brain health from the consumption of honey were analyzed. We identified four main brain health benefits, which are memory booster, neuroprotective effect, anti-stress, and anti-nociceptive potentials with the proposed underlying mechanism. A lot of attention has been paid to the role that honey plays in brain health research, with the goal of examining the link between honey and brain health as well as the mechanism underlying it, the findings from this review may be potentially beneficial to develop new therapeutic roles for honey to help determine the best and most promising to benefit and boost overall brain health.
Fulltext Contribution of P2X4 receptor in pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis: a review

Khir NAM, Noh ASM, Shafin N, Ismail CAN

Purinergic Signal, 2021 Jun;17(2):201-213.
PMID: 33594635 DOI: 10.1007/s11302-021-09764-z

Pain is the most common symptom reported by patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) even after the resolution of chronic joint inflammation. It is believed that RA-associated pain is not solely due to inflammation, but could also be attributed to aberrant modifications to the central nervous system. The P2X4 receptor (P2X4R) is an ATP-activated purinergic receptor that plays a significant role in the transmission of information in the nervous system and pain. The involvement of P2X4R during the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory pain and neuropathic pain is well-established. The attenuation of this receptor alleviates disease pathogenesis and related symptoms, including hyperalgesia and allodynia. Although some studies have revealed the contribution of P2X4R in promoting joint inflammation in RA, how it implicates pain associated with RA at peripheral and central nervous systems is still lacking. In this review, the possible contributions of P2X4R in the nervous system and how it implicates pain transmission and responses were examined.
Fulltext Equivalence and practice effect of alternate forms for Malay version of Auditory Verbal Learning Test (MAVLT)

Munjir N, Othman Z, Zakaria R, Shafin N, Hussain NA, Desa AM, et al.

EXCLI J, 2015;14:801-8.
PMID: 26600750 DOI: 10.17179/excli2015-280

This study aims to develop two alternate forms for Malay version of Auditory Verbal Learning Test (MAVLT) and to determine their equivalency and practice effect. Ninety healthy volunteers were subjected to the following neuropsychological tests at baseline, and at one month interval according to their assigned group; group 1 (MAVLT - MAVLT), group 2 (MAVLT - Alternate Form 1 - Alternate Form 1), and group 3 (MAVLT - Alternate Form 2 - Alternate Form 2). There were no significant difference in the mean score of all the trials at baseline among the three groups, and most of the mean score of trials between MAVLT and Alternate Form 1, and between MAVLT and Alternate Form 2. There was significant improvement in the mean score of each trial when the same form was used repeatedly at the interval of one month. However, there was no significant improvement in the mean score of each trial when the Alternate Form 2 was used during repeated neuropsychological testing. The MAVLT is a reliable instrument for repeated neuropsychological testing as long as alternate forms are used. The Alternate Form 2 showed better equivalency to MAVLT and less practice effects.
Improvement in immediate memory after 16 weeks of tualang honey (Agro Mas) supplement in healthy postmenopausal women

Othman Z, Shafin N, Zakaria R, Hussain NH, Mohammad WM

Menopause, 2011 Nov;18(11):1219-24.
PMID: 21926932 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31821e2044

The aim of this study was to evaluate the verbal learning and memory performance of postmenopausal women who received tualang honey (Agro Mas) in comparison with women receiving estrogen plus progestin therapy and untreated controls.
Insight into potential mechanisms of hypobaric hypoxia-induced learning and memory deficit - Lessons from rat studies

Qaid E, Zakaria R, Sulaiman SF, Yusof NM, Shafin N, Othman Z, et al.

Hum Exp Toxicol, 2017 Dec;36(12):1315-1325.
PMID: 28111974 DOI: 10.1177/0960327116689714

Impairment of memory is one of the most frequently reported symptoms during sudden hypoxia exposure in human. Cortical atrophy has been linked to the impaired memory function and is suggested to occur with chronic high-altitude exposure. However, the precise molecular mechanism(s) of hypoxia-induced memory impairment remains an enigma. In this work, we review hypoxia-induced learning and memory deficit in human and rat studies. Based on data from rat studies using different protocols of continuous hypoxia, we try to elicit potential mechanisms of hypobaric hypoxia-induced memory deficit.
Fulltext Tualang Honey: A Decade of Neurological Research

Azman KF, Aziz CBA, Zakaria R, Ahmad AH, Shafin N, Ismail CAN

Molecules, 2021 Sep 06;26(17).
PMID: 34500857 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26175424

Tualang honey has been shown to protect against neurodegeneration, leading to improved memory/learning as well as mood. In addition, studies have also demonstrated its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, a substantial part of this research lacks systematization, and there seems to be a tendency to start anew with every study. This review presents a decade of research on Tualang honey with a particular interest in the underlying mechanisms related to its effects on the central nervous system. A total of 28 original articles published between 2011 and 2020 addressing the central nervous system (CNS) effects of Tualang honey were analysed. We identified five main categories, namely nootropic, antinociceptive, stress-relieving, antidepressant, and anxiolytic effects of Tualang honey, and proposed the underlying mechanisms. The findings from this review may potentially be beneficial towards developing new therapeutic roles for Tualang honey and help in determining how best to benefit from this brain supplement.
Fulltext Potential Role of Honey in Learning and Memory

Othman Z, Zakaria R, Hussain NHN, Hassan A, Shafin N, Al-Rahbi B, et al.

Med Sci (Basel), 2015 Apr 09;3(2):3-15.
PMID: 29083387 DOI: 10.3390/medsci3020003

The composition and physicochemical properties of honey are variable depending on its floral source and often named according to the geographical location. The potential medicinal benefits of Tualang honey, a multifloral jungle honey found in Malaysia, have recently been attracting attention because of its reported beneficial effects in various diseases. This paper reviews the effects of honey, particularly Tualang honey, on learning and memory. Information regarding the effects of Tualang honey on learning and memory in human as well as animal models is gleaned to hypothesize its underlying mechanisms. These studies show that Tualang honey improves morphology of memory-related brain areas, reduces brain oxidative stress, increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations, and reduces acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the brain homogenates. Its anti-inflammatory roles in reducing inflammatory trigger and microglial activation have yet to be investigated. It is hypothesized that the improvement in learning and memory following Tualang honey supplementation is due to the significant improvement in brain morphology and enhancement of brain cholinergic system secondary to reduction in brain oxidative damage and/or upregulation of BDNF concentration. Further studies are imperative to elucidate the molecular mechanism of actions.
Thematic analysis of multiple sclerosis research by enhanced strategic diagram

Shafin N, Ismail CAN, Mustafa MZ, Ghani N, Ahmad AH, Othman Z, et al.

Mult Scler, 2022 Dec;28(14):2160-2170.
PMID: 35164590 DOI: 10.1177/13524585221075542

Recent interest in multiple sclerosis research warrants literature analysis to evaluate the current state of the discipline and new research domains. This bibliometric review summarised the research trends and analysed research areas in multiple sclerosis over the last decade. The documents containing the term 'multiple sclerosis' in the article title were retrieved from the Scopus database. We used Harzing's Publish or Perish and VOSviewer for citation analysis and data visualisation, respectively. We found a total of 18,003 articles published in journals in the English language between 2012 and 2021. The emerging keywords identified utilising the enhanced strategic diagram were 'covid-19', 'teriflunomide', 'clinical trial', 'microglia', 'b cells', 'myelin', 'brain', 'white matter', 'functional connectivity', 'pain', 'employment', 'health-related quality of life', 'meta-analysis' and 'comorbidity'. This study demonstrates the tremendous growth of multiple sclerosis literature worldwide, which is expected to grow more than double during the next decade especially in the identified emerging topics.
Fulltext Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in schizophrenia research: a quantitative review and future directions

Ahmad R, Azman KF, Yahaya R, Shafin N, Omar N, Ahmad AH, et al.

AIMS Neurosci, 2023;10(1):5-32.
PMID: 37077958 DOI: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2023002

This review aims to perform a bibliometric analysis of the research related to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in schizophrenia and offer suggestions for further work. Based on the keywords used, our study retrieved 335 documents for further analysis using a combination of three bibliometric techniques: co-word analysis, document co-citation analysis, and bibliographic coupling. A general rising trend in the number of publications was found in BDNF and schizophrenia research. Researchers from China and the United States have mostly researched BDNF and schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry is the most prestigious journal in the field of BDNF and schizophrenia research. The main topics and important research areas are cognition and the involvement of BDNF as a neurobiological marker (pathogenesis, therapy monitoring, and risk factors). Future research is anticipated to concentrate on relevant subjects, such as factors that affect BDNF levels or are connected to BDNF dysfunction in schizophrenia, as well as animal models of schizophrenia, in addition to cognition in schizophrenia.
Fulltext Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in chronic pain research: A decade of bibliometric analysis and network visualization

Ismail CAN, Zakaria R, Azman KF, Shafin N, Bakar NAA

AIMS Neurosci, 2024;11(1):1-24.
PMID: 38617040 DOI: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2024001

Chronic pain research, with a specific focus on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), has made impressive progress in the past decade, as evident in the improved research quality and increased publications. To better understand this evolving landscape, a quantitative approach is needed. The main aim of this study is to identify the hotspots and trends of BDNF in chronic pain research. We screened relevant publications from 2013 to 2022 in the Scopus database using specific search subject terms. A total of 401 documents were selected for further analysis. We utilized several tools, including Microsoft Excel, Harzing's Publish or Perish, and VOSViewer, to perform a frequency analysis, citation metrics, and visualization, respectively. Key indicators that were examined included publication growth, keyword analyses, topmost influential articles and journals, networking by countries and co-citation of cited references. Notably, there was a persistent publication growth between 2015 and 2021. "Neuropathic pain" emerged as a prominent keyword in 2018, alongside "microglia" and "depression". The journal Pain® was the most impactful journal that published BDNF and chronic pain research, while the most influential publications came from open-access reviews and original articles. China was the leading contributor, followed by the United States (US), and maintained a leadership position in the total number of publications and collaborations. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive list of the most influential publications on BDNF in chronic pain research, thereby aiding in the understanding of academic concerns, research hotspots, and global trends in this specialized field.
Fulltext Tualang Honey Ameliorates Hypoxia-induced Memory Deficits by Reducing Neuronal Damage in the Hippocampus of Adult Male Sprague Dawley Rats

Qaid EYA, Zakaria R, Mohd Yusof NA, Sulaiman SF, Shafin N, Othman Z, et al.

Turk J Pharm Sci, 2020 Oct;17(5):555-564.
PMID: 33177938 DOI: 10.4274/tjps.galenos.2019.32704

Objectives: A growing body of evidence indicates that hypoxia exposure causes learning and memory deficits. An effective natural therapeutic approach has, however, not been explored widely. Our previous studies found that Tualang honey administration protected learning and memory functions in ovariectomized rats. Therefore, the present study investigated its efficacy in ameliorating hypoxia-induced memory deficits in adult male Sprague Dawley rats.
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.