Epilepsy is one of the serious neurological disorders which results in profound morbidity and mortality. Although epilepsy has no geographical boundaries, understanding cultural, social, and economic backgrounds is a very important step for interpretation of its epidemiological characteristics. This work aims to study the epidemiological profile of epilepsy in New Valley Governorate and to estimate its magnitude of treatment gap. It was conducted in a door to door survey, including all inhabitants (62,583 subjects), by 3 neurologists to detect any suspected case of focal or generalized epilepsy. All suspected cases were subjected to detailed history, clinical examination, EEG, neuroimaging studies, and estimation of serum drug level if needed. The study revealed that life time prevalence of epilepsy in Al Kharga district is 6.76/1000, with highest peak during early child hood, while that of active epilepsy is 4.99/1000 population. The annual incidence rate is 43.14/100,000, and age specific incidence rate has a U-shaped pattern with two peaks of incidence at early infancy and elderly. Localization-related epilepsy is the most frequently encountered type (53.7%). However the treatment gap of epilepsy in New Valley is similar to that in developing countries (61.5%). Conclusion: Prevalence and Incidence Rate of epilepsy in New Valley are similar to that in industrialized countries.

Epilepsy is one of the serious neurological disorders which results in profound morbidity and mortality. Although epilepsy has no geographical boundaries, understanding cultural, social, and economic backgrounds is a very important step for interpretation of its epidemiological characteristics. This work aims to study the epidemiological profile of epilepsy in New Valley Governorate and to estimate its magnitude of treatment gap. It was conducted in a door to door survey, including all inhabitants (62,583 subjects), by 3 neurologists to detect any suspected case of focal or generalized epilepsy. All suspected cases were subjected to detailed history, clinical examination, EEG, neuroimaging studies, and estimation of serum drug level if needed. The study revealed that life time prevalence of epilepsy in Al Kharga district is 6.76/1000, with highest peak during early child hood, while that of active epilepsy is 4.99/1000 population. The annual incidence rate is 43.14/100,000, and age specific incidence rate has a U-shaped pattern with two peaks of incidence at early infancy and elderly. Localization-related epilepsy is the most frequently encountered type (53.7%). However the treatment gap of epilepsy in New Valley is similar to that in developing countries (61.5%). Conclusion: Prevalence and Incidence Rate of epilepsy in New Valley are similar to that in industrialized countries.

With aging, there is a parallel increase in the prevalence of dementia worldwide. The aim of this work is to determine the prevalence of dementia among the population of Al Kharga District, New Valley, Egypt. METHODS: Screening of all subjects aged ≥50 years (n = 8,173 out of 62,583 inhabitants) was done through a door-to-door survey by 3 neurologists, using a short standardized Arabic screening test and a modified Mini-Mental State Examination. Suspected cases were subjected to full clinical examination, psychometric assessment using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Hachinski Ischemic Score, DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations, when indicated. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of dementia was 2.26% for the population aged ≥50 years. It increased steeply with age to a maximum of 18.48% for those aged ≥80 years. Alzheimer's disease (51.2%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (28.7%), dementia due to general medical conditions (12.8%), and lastly dementia due to multiple etiologies (7.3%). Mild dementia was the commonest (53.7%). CONCLUSION: Dementia is prevalent in Egypt as elsewhere. Detection through a door-to-door survey is the best method in developing countries for early detection of mild cases.

With aging, there is a parallel increase in the prevalence of dementia worldwide. The aim of this work is to determine the prevalence of dementia among the population of Al Kharga District, New Valley, Egypt. METHODS: Screening of all subjects aged ≥50 years (n = 8,173 out of 62,583 inhabitants) was done through a door-to-door survey by 3 neurologists, using a short standardized Arabic screening test and a modified Mini-Mental State Examination. Suspected cases were subjected to full clinical examination, psychometric assessment using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Hachinski Ischemic Score, DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations, when indicated. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of dementia was 2.26% for the population aged ≥50 years. It increased steeply with age to a maximum of 18.48% for those aged ≥80 years. Alzheimer's disease (51.2%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (28.7%), dementia due to general medical conditions (12.8%), and lastly dementia due to multiple etiologies (7.3%). Mild dementia was the commonest (53.7%). CONCLUSION: Dementia is prevalent in Egypt as elsewhere. Detection through a door-to-door survey is the best method in developing countries for early detection of mild cases.

With aging, there is a parallel increase in the prevalence of dementia worldwide. The aim of this work is to determine the prevalence of dementia among the population of Al Kharga District, New Valley, Egypt. METHODS: Screening of all subjects aged ≥50 years (n = 8,173 out of 62,583 inhabitants) was done through a door-to-door survey by 3 neurologists, using a short standardized Arabic screening test and a modified Mini-Mental State Examination. Suspected cases were subjected to full clinical examination, psychometric assessment using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Hachinski Ischemic Score, DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations, when indicated. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of dementia was 2.26% for the population aged ≥50 years. It increased steeply with age to a maximum of 18.48% for those aged ≥80 years. Alzheimer's disease (51.2%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (28.7%), dementia due to general medical conditions (12.8%), and lastly dementia due to multiple etiologies (7.3%). Mild dementia was the commonest (53.7%). CONCLUSION: Dementia is prevalent in Egypt as elsewhere. Detection through a door-to-door survey is the best method in developing countries for early detection of mild cases.

With aging, there is a parallel increase in the prevalence of dementia worldwide. The aim of this work is to determine the prevalence of dementia among the population of Al Kharga District, New Valley, Egypt. METHODS: Screening of all subjects aged ≥50 years (n = 8,173 out of 62,583 inhabitants) was done through a door-to-door survey by 3 neurologists, using a short standardized Arabic screening test and a modified Mini-Mental State Examination. Suspected cases were subjected to full clinical examination, psychometric assessment using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Hachinski Ischemic Score, DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations, when indicated. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of dementia was 2.26% for the population aged ≥50 years. It increased steeply with age to a maximum of 18.48% for those aged ≥80 years. Alzheimer's disease (51.2%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (28.7%), dementia due to general medical conditions (12.8%), and lastly dementia due to multiple etiologies (7.3%). Mild dementia was the commonest (53.7%). CONCLUSION: Dementia is prevalent in Egypt as elsewhere. Detection through a door-to-door survey is the best method in developing countries for early detection of mild cases.

With aging, there is a parallel increase in the prevalence of dementia worldwide. The aim of this work is to determine the prevalence of dementia among the population of Al Kharga District, New Valley, Egypt. METHODS: Screening of all subjects aged ≥50 years (n = 8,173 out of 62,583 inhabitants) was done through a door-to-door survey by 3 neurologists, using a short standardized Arabic screening test and a modified Mini-Mental State Examination. Suspected cases were subjected to full clinical examination, psychometric assessment using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Hachinski Ischemic Score, DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations, when indicated. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of dementia was 2.26% for the population aged ≥50 years. It increased steeply with age to a maximum of 18.48% for those aged ≥80 years. Alzheimer's disease (51.2%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (28.7%), dementia due to general medical conditions (12.8%), and lastly dementia due to multiple etiologies (7.3%). Mild dementia was the commonest (53.7%). CONCLUSION: Dementia is prevalent in Egypt as elsewhere. Detection through a door-to-door survey is the best method in developing countries for early detection of mild cases.

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that continues to present a major worldwide health problem. It characterized by high level of glucose in blood due to deficiency of insulin. Generation of ROS is thought to mediate the cytotoxic action of alloxan on the pancreatic ß-cell and play an important role in the complication of diabetes. The aim of the present work to evaluate the efficacy of antioxidant α-lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine to amelio-rate the oxidative stress in hepatic tissue that induced by alloxan treatment in rabbits. Thirty-two male white rabbits were used in the present study classified into four groups. Group worked as normal control group, 2nd worked as untreated dia-betic rabbits, 3rd and 4th groups diabetic rabbits treated with α-lipoic acid and N-acetyl cysteine respectively. Diabetic rab-bits showed weigh loss, increase in relative liver weight, plasma glucose level and ALT activity. Also, showed morpho-logical changes in the liver with increased in LPO, NO, CP and DNA fragmentation % and alteration in the non-enzymatic antioxidant levels (Vit E and GSH) and enzymatic antioxidant activities (CAT, SOD, GPx, GR, GGT, and GST) compared to control. Treatment of diabetic rabbits with either α-lipoic acid or N-acetyl cysteine overcome the loss of body weight gain and normalized relative liver weight, plasma glucose and ALT activity. Moreover, treatment improves the oxidative tress parameters and morphological changes that induced by alloxan and hyperglycemia. Conclusion: oxidative stress in alloxan induced diabetic rabbits plays a crucial role in hepatic degenerative changes. Treatment of diabetic rabbits with α-lipoic acid or N-acetyl cysteine caused normoglycemia and liver cell reprogramming due to its antioxidant activities. Bene-ficial action seems to result mainly from direct scavenging of ROS and restoring GSH redox state.

Background: Iron supplementation is recommended during pregnancy to meet the needs of the rapidly growing fetus. However, its intake is associated with the generation of destructive free radicals, i.e., oxidative damage to the fetal brain. Folic acid supplementation is needed during pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Hypothesis: Intake of folic acid can ameliorate the morphological features of cell damage in the striatal tissue (brain of neonatal rats) associated with the intake of iron. Objectives and methods: To test this hypothesis, an animal model (pregnant Albino rats) was established. The animals were divided into three groups: group A, control animals treated with saline only; group B, animals treated with iron gluconate; and group C, animals treated concomitantly with iron gluconate and folic acid. The striatal brain tissues of the neonates were examined for features of cellular damage, using immunohistological and ultrastructural methods. Results: The authors found significant variations among the three groups. The intake of iron (group B) and its deposition in the striatal tissue (neurons and glial cells) was associated with changes indicative of both cellular injury and regeneration. The former includes neuronal apoptosis and necrosis, and destruction of the organelles, including the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and lysosomes of the neurons and glial cells. The latter includes microgliosis, astrogliosis, upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein, and inducible nitric oxide synthase. These changes were absent in the striatal tissue of the control group (group A) and in animals treated concomitantly with both iron gluconate and folic acid (group C). Conclusion: Intake of folic acid can protect the neonatal striatal tissue against iron-induced oxidative stress damage.

Background: Thermal tissue injury is partly mediated by reactive oxygen metabolites. Oxygen free radicals are contributory to local tissue damage following thermal injury and accordingly an interventional therapy using antioxidants may be beneficial. Copper nicotinate complex can scavenge reactive oxygen species (i.e., has antioxidant activity). Objectives: To examine time-related morphological and biochemical changes following skin thermal injury and their modulation by copper nicotinate complex. Materials and Methods: An animal model composed of 80 albino rats was established. Ten rats (nonburn group) served as a control group. Seventy rats (burn group) were anesthetized, given a 10% total body surface area, full-thickness burn. Ten rats (from the postburn group) were sacrificed after 24 h (without treatment, i.e., untreated-burn group). The remaining rats were divided into three subgroups (20 rats, each) and were treated topically either with soft paraffin, moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO, a standard therapeutic treatment for burns), or copper nicotinate complex. Five animals from each subgroup were sacrificed every week over a period of 4 weeks. The morphological and biochemical changes were evaluated and compared among the different groups. Results: High levels of the plasma and skin nitiric oxide (marker of oxidative stress) were observed in the untreated-burn group. These levels were significantly low following the application of copper nicotinate complex. Low levels of plasma and skin superoxide dismutase (marker of oxidative stress) and plasma ceruloplasmin were observed in the untreated-burn group. These levels were significantly high following copper nicotinate complex treatment. The total and differential leukocyte counts were low following the onset of the thermal injury. They gradually returned to normal levels over a 4-week period following the application of MEBO or copper nicotinate complex. Compared to untreated-burn group, postburn-healing changes (resolution of the inflammatory reaction, reepithelization of the epidermis, angiogenesis, deposition of collagen fibers, and recovery of the subcellualr organelles) were significantly accelerated following the application of either MEBO or copper nicotinate complex. Conclusions: Application of copper nicotinate complex was associated with improved healing of the thermal burns of the skin. The underlying molecular changes underlying these effects await further investigations.