Background: One of the supposed risk factors of ischemic stroke is opium addiction, while the researches about its prevalence among patients with stroke are limited. Objectives: The aim of this study was comparing the prevalence of opium addiction between subjects with thrombotic ischemic stroke and healthy individuals. Patients and Methods: In this comparative cross-sectional study carried out in a number of academic hospitals affiliated to Guilan University of Medical Science in the north of Iran from April 2013 to March 2014, 83 patients involved by ischemic stroke and 83 control subjects contributed. Both groups were selected by simple sampling method. We tried to match the groups in terms of age, gender and socioeconomic condition during sampling. Those were assessed from the aspects of demographic data, risk factors of stroke, opium dependence, dosage and the methods of consumption, and the data was recorded in a designed checklist. The data were analyzed using chi-squared test, independent t-test, and multiple logistic regression models in SPSS software version 19. P < 0.05 was considered as the level of significance. Results: A total of 83 patients (47% female and 53% male) with mean age of 68.55 ± 15.01 years and 83 control subjects (37.3% female and 62.7% male) with mean age of 67.94 ± 13.55 years (P = 0.782) were assessed; 39.8% of the case group and 20.5% of the control group consumed opium with no significant difference (P = 0.007). There was no difference in the amount and methods of opium consumption between the two groups. After the adjustment of the effects of underlying and confounding variables, opium was not determined as an associated factor with stroke (OR = 1.95, P = 0.096). Conclusions: Opium was not identified as a risk factor of ischemic stroke. A more extended survey considering further confounding factors is recommended.

Thymectomy has become increasingly accepted as an efficacious procedure for myasthenia gravis, with high rates of complete clinical remission. Predictors of the response to thymectomy for myasthenia gravis vary in the literature. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 70 patients (63% female; mean age, 38 years) diagnosed with myasthenia gravis from August 1993 to August 2004, to determine the factors predicting outcome. Complications occurred in 20%, but there was no hospital mortality. Complete clinical remission was obtained postoperatively in 47%. Our results indicate that patients with less than 1 year's duration of disease have a better prognosis, and Osserman stages I, IIa, and IIb are also associated with higher clinical remission rates. Female patients have a better prognosis than males, and the younger the patient the better the outcome. Thymectomy is indicated for myasthenia gravis as early as possible in the course of the disease.

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: The significant role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in gene expression regulation has been demonstrated. Changes in the expression of miRNAs have been reported in a variety of neurological diseases. However, the role of miR-34b/c in the risk of Alzheimer's disease has been less studied. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the relationship between miR-34b/c polymorphism and the risk of Alzheimer's disease. This study was performed with 40 Alzheimer's patients and 40 controls. Using the polymerase chain reaction technique to investigate polymorphisms in the miR-34b/c gene. The results of this study indicated an association between miR-34 b/c polymorphisms and the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Background and Aim: The present study aimed to use the median nerve Compound Muscle Action Potential (CMAP) amplitude by stimulation at the palm instead of Abductor Pollicis Brevis (APB) needle Electromyography (EMG) for determining axonal loss in patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). Methods and Materials/Patients: This study was performed on 180 patients with CTS referred to the Electrodiagnostic (EDX) Center, Poursina Hospital, Guilan Province, Iran, in 2018-19. In this study, the APB needle EMG diagnostic test was used as the gold standard, and median nerve CMAP amplitude with stimulation at the palm and wrist were used to compare the two nerve stimulation tests. Results: All of the cases with abnormal amplitude loss detected by median nerve stimulation at the palm also had an axonal loss in the needle EMG of APB. So this test could be a good indicator of axonal loss if there is an abnormality (sensitivity: 73%, specificity: 100%). The results with wrist stimulation were not as accurate as of the palm stimulation, and some cases with decreased CMAP amplitude of median nerve had normal needle EMG of APB muscle (sensitivity: 86.6%, specificity: 94.9%). Conclusion: In cases with CTS, the abnormally decreased amplitude of the median nerve detected by stimulation at the palm could be a good indicator of axonal loss.