Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a serious health issue that has a significant social and economic impact worldwide. One of the key aetiological signs of the disease is a gradual reduction in cognitive function and irreversible neuronal death. According to a 2019 global report, more than 5.8 million people in the United States (USA) alone have received an AD diagnosis, with 45% of those people falling into the 75–84 years age range. According to the predictions, there will be 15 million affected people in the USA by 2050 due to the disease’s steadily rising patient population. Cognitive function and memory formation steadily decline as a result of an irreversible neuron loss in AD, a chronic neurodegenerative illness. Amyloid-beta and phosphorylated Tau are produced and accumulate in large amounts, and glial cells are overactive. Additionally, weakened neurotrophin signalling and decreased synapse function are crucial aspects of AD. Memory loss, apathy, depression, and irritability are among the primary symptoms. The aetiology, pathophysiology, and causes of both cognitive decline and synaptic dysfunction are poorly understood despite extensive investigation. CRISPR/Cas9 is a promising gene-editing technique since it can fix certain gene sequences and has a lot of potential for treating AD and other human disorders. Regardless of hereditary considerations, an altered Aβ metabolism is frequently seen in familial and sporadic AD. Therefore, since mutations in the PSEN-1, PSEN-2 and APP genes are a contributing factor to familial AD, CRISPR/Cas9 technology could address excessive Aβ production or mutations in these genes. Overall, the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 technology outweighs it as currently the greatest gene-editing tool available for researching neurodegenerative diseases like AD.
Background: In recent years, psychological stress has lead to increase in suicide cases readily among medical students of many countries. This study aims determine the prevalence of psychological stress, major depressive disorder, and suicidal ideation in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students of a government setup medical university in Pakistan. Methods: The data was gathered using a valid questionnaire containing 10 items Kessler psychological distress scale. The scale consists of the severity of the psychological distress from well, mild, moderate, and severe. Physical health questionnaire 2(PHQ2) was used for identifying the students with major depressive illness. Suicidal ideation was assessed using item no. 9 from PHQ9 questionnaire. Results: The overall prevalence of suicidal ideation, distress and major depression among 353 students of MBBS was 22.9%, 63.1%, 27.8% respectively. The students with major depression and moderate/severe distress are more probable to think about suicide. Moreover, Students who choose medicine under the family influence are more likely to have suicidal ideation. Besides this, we found that particularly females experience higher psychological distress as compared to males. Conclusion: In the overall study, it is identified that suicidal ideation is strongly correlated to depression and distress. However, controlling these factors at an early stage can prevent the suicidal thoughts, which inevitably can reduce the suicide attempts not only in medical students but could also be valuable for students of different fields.
Aim: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) involves implanting electrodes in specific brain areas. High-frequency Stimulation (HFS) and low-frequency Stimulation (LFS) target motor and non-motor symptoms differently. DBS is crucial in Parkinson's disease treatment for managing medication-resistant symptoms and improving quality of life. This review aims to evaluate the differential impact of high-frequency and low-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) on motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. This systematic review adheres to PRISMA guidelines and focuses on clinical studies involving human subjects. Methods: Systematic search in electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Cochrane Collaboration Database of Randomized Trials) was performed to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to 13th July 2024. Results: Among 126 pooled patients from 8 RCTs, it was found that LFS significantly improved gait stability, swallowing, and verbal fluency with minimal adverse effects. Conversely, HFS was effective in reducing rigidity and tremor but was associated with potential side effects such as gait and speech impairment. Conclusion: The review highlights the nuanced effects of STN-DBS frequencies in Parkinson's treatment, suggesting high-frequency improves rigidity and tremor but may cause side effects, while low-frequency enhances gait stability and speech, necessitating further research for optimized, patient-specific therapies.