Objectives: To translate and validate the Arabic version of the Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire)BCTQ-A(. Methods: We recruited consecutive patients with carpal tunnel syndrome)CTS(. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach α, reproducibility with intraclass correlation coefficients, construct validity with factor analysis, and responsiveness post carpal tunnel release)CTR(with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: In 134 patients, the mean total scores for the symptom severity scale)SSS(and functional status scale)FSS(were 32.0±8.4)α=0.88, ICC=0.88(and 18.5±7.6)α=0.87, ICC=0.89(, respectively. As in the original Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire)BCTQ(, a 3-factor model of the BCTQ-A best fitted the data. The BCTQ-A, SSS, and FSS scores were significantly lower post-CTR. Conclusions: The BCTQ-A is reliable, valid, reproducible, and responsive to interventions. The Arabic version can be now used with Arabic-speaking patients with CTS.

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Objectives: To determine causes of headaches in patients who presented to the emergency department )ED) and underwent neuroimaging, and to determine the clinical features associated with abnormal neuroimaging.Methods: Patients were retrospectively selected from a database between June, 2015 and May, 2019. Patients were included if they had neuroimaging requested Original Article from the ED mainly for headache. Associations between clinical characteristics and abnormal neuroimaging were assessed. Results:We included 329 patients )33.4% men, 66.6% women). The mean )SD) age was 39.7 )18.4) years. Neurological signs were reported in 43.8% of the patients, head-computed tomography was requested in 79.6%, magnetic resonance imaging in 77.5%, and both in 57.1%. Abnormal neuroimaging was reported in 31.9%. The most common reported diagnoses were secondary headache disorders )48.9%), followed by primary headache disorders )16.4%). The remainder were nonspecific-headaches )35%). Variables associated with abnormal neuroimaging were headache onset ≤1 month )OR 3.37, CI 1.47-7.70, p=0.004), and presence of an abnormal neurological sign )OR 3.60, CI 1.89-6.83, p<0.001). Conclusion:Secondary headache disorders are common in patients who undergo neuroimaging in the ED. Those who have a neurological sign and recent onset of headache are more likely to have abnormal neuroimaging.

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(1) Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation modality that has been investigated in a large number of studies in terms of it is effects on brain function, safety of use, and future implications. The principal aim of this study was to investigate the safety of 1.5-mA tDCS of three brain areas, that is, frontal, partial, and cerebellar cortices, in fasting healthy individuals during the month of Ramadan. (2) Methods: In a single-blinded, sham-controlled study, we assessed the safety of a 20-min tDCS current (1.5 mA, 35 cm2) over the right frontal, parietal, and cerebellar cortex areas after 8 h of fasting in healthy right-handed adult subjects using a standard safety questionnaire. (3) Results: A total of 49 subjects completed the tDCS sessions and safety questionnaire. None of the sessions were stopped due to pain or discomfort during stimulation. Moreover, no subject experienced serious adverse events such as seizures or loss of consciousness. (4) Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the frequency or type of side effects between active and sham stimulation sessions. The tDCS protocol applied in this study was found to be safe in fasting healthy adults.