Background: Electroencephalogram (EEG) is defined as a method of detecting brain waves signifying the electrical conductivity of the brain. Globally, EEG is used to further classify neuropsychiatric disorders. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of abnormal EEGs and related neurological disorders and it's correlation with age and gender. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in Neurology department, Ziauddin hospital, Karachi, Pakistan from June 2018 to May 2019. A total of 440 individuals based on inclusion criteria were selected through Non-probability consecutive sampling. Informed consent was obtained from study participants. A self-designed structured questionnaire and EEG record were used for data collection. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS v 20. Mean and standard deviation was calculated for numerical variable and frequency and percentages were calculated for categorical variable. Independent t-test and chi square was used to check association of abnormal EEG with age and gender. P value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of study participants was 52.98 ± 22.68 years. There were 54.5% (n = 240) males. Approximately 45.2% (n = 199) participants had predisposing condition which can lead to abnormal EEG. EEG records of 39.8% (n = 175) of the patients was normal while 60.2% (n = 265) had abnormal records. Diffuse neuronal dysfunction consistent with encephalopathy was found in 45.2%. Mild neuronal dysfunction consistent with encephalopathy accounted for 33.5% of cases. Significant difference was found in Abnormal EEG among different age group (p = 0.01).

Acute onset of quadriplegia is a rare phenomenon seen with hypocalcemia due to hypoparathyroidism. We describe a 33-year gentleman who presented with weakness of all four limbs and areflexia. ECG showed QT abnormality. Nerve conduction study revealed normal sensory and significantly low motor CMAP amplitudes in both the upper and lower extremities. This nerve conduction study can be seen in acute motor neuropathy of various etiologies, among which GBS is the most worrisome. Our patient found to have low calcium and parathyroid hormone level. His symptoms improved after calcium replacement. Occurrence of quadriplegia in hypoparathyroidism, and its improvement after correction of calcium, suggests crucial role of calcium in neuromuscular transmission. One should suspect electrolyte imbalance, like hypocalcemia in patients presenting with nerve conduction features of AMAN variant of GBS.

Caffeine is widely consumed by both men and women but its pharmacological effects have not been well studied in the area of assisted reproduction. Various authorities indicate that caffeine consumption up to 400 mg per day is safe, but caution is advised for women who are, or are contemplating pregnancy and they should keep their intake under 200 mg per day. Our lifestyle studies at Curtin University showed adverse effects from caffeine consumption in both men and women. For men, fertilization rates were negatively associated with caffeine consumption (P<0.05) as well as IVF-related stress (P<0.005). Furthermore, caffeine negated the beneficial effect of male alcohol consumption, comprising mainly beer, on fertilization. For women, fertilization rates were negatively associated with caffeine consumption (P<0.005) and smoking history in years (P<0.001). However, our studies could not show any effect of caffeine consumption on the chance of pregnancy or miscarriage up to week 12 from either male intake (up to 4495 mg per week) or female intake (up to 2706 mg per week). We conclude that there is likely to be an effect from caffeine on one-Carbon metabolism and future studies need to interrogate the concomitant nutritional intake of B-vitamins and serum homocysteine levels, which can indirectly indicate deficiency or interference with this important metabolic pathway.