Evaluation of antimotility effect of Lantana camara L. var. acuelata constituents on neostigmine induced gastrointestinal transit in mice

BACKGROUND: Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae), a widely growing shrub which is toxic to some animal species, has been used in the traditional medicine for treating many ailments. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antimotility effects of Lantana camara leaf constituents in mice intestine. METHODS: Evaluation of antimotility activity was done in intestine of mice treated with Lantana camara leaf powder, Lantana camara methanolic extract (LCME), lantadene A, neostigmine and neostigmine + LCME. Neostigmine was used as a promotility agent. Intestinal motility was assessed by charcoal meal test and gastrointestinal transit rate was expressed as the percentage of the distance traversed by the charcoal divided by the total length of the small intestine. The antidiarrheal effect of LCME was studied against castor oil induced diarrhea model in mice. RESULTS: The intestinal transit with LCME at a dose of 500 mg/kg was 26.46% whereas the higher dose (1 g/kg) completely inhibited the transit of charcoal in normal mice. The % intestinal transit in the neostigmine pretreated groups was 24 and 11 at the same doses respectively. When the plant extracts at 125 and 250 mg/kg doses were administered intraperitonealy, there was significant reduction in fecal output compared with castor oil treated mice. At higher doses (500 and 1000 mg/kg), the fecal output was almost completely stopped. CONCLUSION: The remarkable antimotility effect of Lantana camara methanolic extract against neostigmine as promotility agent points towards an anticholinergic effect due to Lantana camara constituents and attests to its possible utility in secretory and functional diarrheas and other gastrointestinal disorders. This effect was further confirmed by significant inhibition of castor oil induced diarrhea in mice by various doses of LCME

Psychiatric Aspects of Childhood Epilepsy

How to Cite this Article: Pattanayak RD, Sagar R. Psychiatric Aspects of Childhood Epilepsy. Iran J Child Neurol 2012;6(2):9-18.Childhood epilepsy is a chronic, recurrent disorder of unprovoked seizures. Theonset of epilepsy in childhood has significant implications for brain growth anddevelopment. Seizures may impair the ongoing neurodevelopmental processes and compromise the child’s intellectual and cognitive functioning, leading totremendous cognitive, behavioral and psychosocial consequences. Children with epilepsy are at increased risk for emotional and behavioral problems. In addition to the direct effects of epilepsy, there are multiple contributory factors including the underlying neurological abnormalities and adverse effects of medication. This review discusses the current understanding of various psychiatric aspects of childhood epilepsy, including the neuropsychological, behavioral and psychosocial concomitants of childhood epilepsy.References1. Shinnar S, Pellock JM. Update on the epidemiology and prognosis of pediatric epilepsy. J Child Neurol 2002;7 suppl 1:4-17.2. Murphy CC, Trevathan E, Yeargin-Allsopp M. Prevalence of epilepsy and epileptic seizures in 10-year-old children: results from the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Study. Epilepsia 1995;36(9):866-72.3. Placencia M, Shorvon SD, Paredes V, Bimos C, Sander JW, Suarez J, et al. Epileptic seizures in an Andean region of Ecuador ncidence and prevalence and regional variation. Brain 1992;115:771-82.4. Henkin Y, Sadeh M, Kivity S, Shabtai E, KishonRabin L, Gadoth N. Cognitive function in idiopathic generalized epilepsy of childhood. Dev Med Child Neurol 2005;47:126-32.5. Rodenburg R, Stams GJ, Meijer AM, Aldenkamp AP, Dekovic M. Psychopathology in children with epilepsy: a meta-analysis. J Pediatr Psychol 2005;30(6):453-68.6. Caplan R, Siddarth P, Gurbani S, Ott D, Sankar R, Shields WD. Psychopathology and pediatric complex partial seizures: seizure-related, cognitive, and linguistic variables. Epilepsia 2005;45:273-81.7. International League Against Epilepsy- Epidemiology commission. Available from: URL: http://www.ilaeepilepsy.org/. Accessed September 1, 2011.8. Eriksson KJ, Koivikko MJ. Prevalence, classification and severity of epilepsy and epileptic syndromes in children. Epilepsia 1997;38:1275-82.9. Sillanpaa M, Jalava M, Kaleva O, Shinnar S. Long-term prognosis of seizures with onset in childhood. N Engl J Med 1998;338(24):1715-22.10. Berg AT, Shinnar S, Levy SR Testa FM, Smith-Rapaport S, Beckerman B. Early development of intractable epilepsy in children: a prospective study. Neurology 2001;56:1445-52.11. Rutter M, Graham P, Yule W. A neuropsychiatric study in childhood. Clinics in developmental medicine no 35/36.Philadelphia: JB Lippincott; 1970.P.175-85.12. Solomon, GE, Pfeffer C. Neurobehavioral abnormalities in epilepsy. In: Frank Y, editor. Pediatric behavioral epilepsy: New York: CRC press; 1996. P. 269-87.13. Farwell JR, Dodrill CB, Batzel LW. Neuropsychological abilities of children with epilepsy. Epilepsia 1985;26:395-400.14. Nolan MA, Redoblado MA, Lah S, Sabaz M, Lawson JA, Cunningham AM, et al. Intelligence in childhood epilepsy syndromes. Epilepsy Res 2003;53:139-50.15. Berg AT, Langfitt JT, Testa FM, Levy SR, DiMario F, Westerveld M, et al. Residual cognitive effects of uncomplicated idiopathic and cryptogenic epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2008;13:614-9.16. van Mil SG, Reijs RP, van Hall MH, Aldenkamp AP. Neuropsychological profile of children with cryptogenic localization related epilepsy. Child Neuropsychol 2008;14:291-302.17.Williams J, Griebel ML, Dykman RA. Neuropsychological patterns in pediatric epilepsy. Seizure 1998;7:223-8.18. Goodman R. Brain disorders. In: Rutter M, Taylor EA, editors. Child and adolescent psychiatry, 4th edition. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications; 2002. P. 241-60.19. Elger CE, Helmstaedter C, Kurthen M. Chronic epilepsy and cognition. Lancet Neurol 2004;3(11):663-72.20. Bujoreanu, IS, Ibeziako P, DeMaso DR. Psychiatric concerns in pediatric epilepsy. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2010;19(2):371-86.21. Hermann BP, Lin, JJ, Jones, JE, Seidenberg S. The emerging architecture of neuropsychological impairment in epilepsy. Neurol Clin 2009;27(4):881-907.22. Hermann B, Seidenberg M, Bell B, Rutecki P, Sheth R, Ruggles K, et al. The neurodevelopmental impact of childhood-onset temporal lobe epilepsy on brain structure and function. Epilepsia 2002;43(9):1062-71.23. Loring DW, Meador KJ. Cognitive side effects of antiepileptic drugs in children. Neurology 2004;62(6):872-7.24. McDermott S, Mani S, Krishnaswami S. A populationbased analysis of specific behavior problems associated with childhood seizures. J Epilepsy 1995;8:110-8.25. Davies S, Heyman I, Goodman, R. A population survey of mental health problems in children with epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 2003;45(5):292-5.26. Kaufmann R, Goldberg-Stern H, Shuper A. Attentiondeficit disorders and epilepsy in childhood: incidence, causative relations and treatment possibilities. J Child Neurol 2009;24(6):727-33.27. Buelow JM, Austin JK, Perkins SM, Shen J, Dunn DW, Fastenau PS. Behavior and mental health problems in children with epilepsy and low IQ. Dev Med Child Neurol 2003;45(10):683-92.28.Williams J, Lange B, Phillips T, Sharp GB, DelosReyes E, Bates S, et al. The course of inattentive and hyperactiveimpulsive symptoms in children with new onset seizures. Epilepsy Behav 2002;3(6):517-21.29. Hermann B, Seidenberg M, Jones J. The neurobehavioural comorbidities of epilepsy: can a natural history be developed? Lancet Neurol 2008;7(2):151-60.30. Schoenfeld J, Seidenberg M, Woodard A, Hecox K, Inglese C, Mack K, et al. Neuropsychological and behavioral status of children with complex partial seizures. Dev Med Child Neurol 1999;41(11):724-31.31. Austin JK, Caplan R. Behavioral and psychiatric comorbidities in pediatric epilepsy: toward an integrative model. Epilepsia 2007;48(9):1639-51.32. Ott D, Caplan R, Guthrie D, Siddarth P, Komo S, Shields WD, et al. Measures of psychopathology in children with complex partial seizures and primary generalized epilepsy with absence. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2001;40(8):907-14.33. Mathiak KA, Luba M, Mathiak, K, Karzel, K, Wolanczyk, Szczepanik E, et al. Quality of life in childhood epilepsy with lateralized epileptogenic foci. BMC Neurol 2010;10:69.34. Bulteau C, Jambaque I, Viguier D, Kieffer V, Dellatolas G, Dulac O. Epileptic syndromes, cognitive assessment and school placement: a study of 251 children. Dev Med Child Neurol 2000;42(5):319-27.35.Noeker M, Haverkamp F. Neuropsychological deficiencies as a mediator between CNS dysfunction and inattentive behaviour in childhood epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 2003;45(10):717-8.36. Sillanpää M, Helen Cross J. The psychosocial impact of epilepsy in childhood. Epilepsy Behav 2009;15 Suppl 1:S5-10.37. Miller V, Palermo TM, Grewe SD. Quality of life in pediatric epilepsy: Demographic and disease-related predictors and comparison with healthy controls. Epilepsy Behav 2003,4(1):36-42.38. Kokkonen J, Kokkonen ER, Saukkonen AL, Pennanen P. Psychosocial outcome of young adults with epilepsy in childhood. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1997;62(3):265-8.39. Pal DK, Chaudhury G, Sengupta S, Das T: Social integration of children with epilepsy in rural India. Soc Sci Med 2002;54(12):1867-74.40. Modi AC. The impact of a new pediatric epilepsy diagnosis on parents: parenting stress and activity patterns. Epilepsy Behav 2009;14(1):237-42.41. Shore C, Austin J, Musick B, Dunn D, McBride A, Creasy K. Psychosocial care needs of parents of children with new-onset seizures. J Neurosci Nurs 1998;30:169-74.42. Rodenburg R, Marie Meijer A, Dekovic´ M, Aldenkamp AP. Family predictors of psychopathology in children with epilepsy. Epilepsia 2006;47(3):601-14.43.Mims J. Self-esteem, behavior, and concerns surrounding epilepsy in siblings of children with epilepsy. J Child Neurol 1997;12(3):187-92.44. Pavlou E, Gkampeta A. Learning disorders in children with epilepsy. Childs Nerv Sys 2011;27(3):373-9.45. Fastenau PS, Shen J, Dunn DW, Perkins SM, Hermann BP, Austin JK. Neuropsychological predictors of academic underachievement in pediatric epilepsy: moderating roles of demographic, seizure, and psychosocial variables. Epilepsia 2004;45(10):1261-72.46. Austin JK, Caplan R. Behavioral and psychiatric comorbidities in pediatric epilepsy: toward an integrative model. Epilepsia 2007;48(9):1639-51.47. Austin JK, McNelis AM, Shore CP, Dunn DW, Musick B. A feasibility study of a family seizure management program ‘Be seizure smart’. J Neurosci Nurs 2002;34:30-7.48. Ronen GM, Streiner DL, Rosenbaum P. Health-related quality of life in childhood epilepsy: Moving beyond ‘seizure control with minimal adverse effects’. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2003;1:36.49. Smith K, Siddarth P, Zima B, Sankar R, Mitchell W Gowrinathan R, et al. Unmet mental health needs in pediatric epilepsy: insights from providers. Epilepsy Behav 2007;11(3):401-8.50. Goldstein J, Plioplys S, Zelko F, Mass S, Corns C, Blaufuss R, et al. Multidisciplinary approach to childhood epilepsy: exploring the scientific rationale and practical aspects of implementation. J Child Neurol 2004;19(5):362-78.51. Achenbach TM. Manual for the child behavior checklist/4-18 and 1991 profile. Burlington, VT: Univ. of Vermont Department of Psychiatry; 1991.52. Gadow KD, Sprafkin J. Child symptom inventory-4 norms manual. Stony Brook, NY: Checkmate Plus; 1997.53. Sabaz M, Cairns DR, Lawson JA, Nheu N, Bleasel AF, Bye AM. Validation of a new quality of life scale for children with epilepsy. Epilepsia 2000;41(6):765-74.54. Camfield C, Breau L, Camfield P. Impact of pediatric epilepsy on the family: a new scale for clinical and research use. Epilepsia 2001;42(1):104-12.55. Lewis MA, Salas I, de la Sota A, Chiofalo N, Leake B. Randomized trial of a program to enhance the competencies of children with epilepsy. Epilepsia 1990;31(1):101-9.56. Ziegler RG, Erba G, Holden L, Dennison H. The coordinated psychosocial and neurologic care of children with seizures and their families. Epilepsia 2000;41(6):732-43.57.Wagner JL, Smith G. Psychosocial intervention in pediatric epilepsy: a critique of the literature. Epilepsy Behav 2006;8(1):39-49.58. Macrodimitris S, Sherman EM, Forde S, Tellez-Zenteno JF, Metcalfe A, Hernandez-Ronquillo L, et al. Psychiatric outcomes of epilepsy surgery: a systematic review. Epilepsia 2011;52(5):880-90.59. Chin RF, Cumberland PM, Pujar SS, Peckham C, Ross EM, Scott RC. Outcomes of childhood epilepsy years at age 33 years: a population-based birth-cohort study. Epilepsia 2011;52(8):1513-21

How does purchasing behaviour vary between SME companies and larger companies?

Background problem: Procurement has been recognised as important to small companies. However, there remains a lack of focus in the literature on procurement for SMEs and purchasing within the smaller firms themselves receives little or no attention. The literature on purchasing practices in SMEs has typically drawn from work on larger firms. Prior research has not sufficiently explored what small firms ‘do’, consequently critiquing SME practices without fully appreciating what these practices are. Models and approaches used to describe an organisation’s position and progress in procurement are focused too much on large organisations and are not sufficiently relevant to SMEs. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the purchasing behaviour of large enterprises is transferable into the world of Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Method: In this thesis secondary data was collected. The study focused on existing literature from various purchasing professionals and SME owner managers to form an in-depth comparison of the different facets of the purchasing department and how they impact upon the overall success of a firm. Data from both SME and large enterprises from different business sectors were compared to obtain a general overview of differing behaviour and how firm size influences this. Findings: The research reveals that that there are a number of significant factors that differentiate the behaviour of SMEs from those of large enterprises. The major obstacles that SMEs face when trying to adopt the purchasing practises of large enterprises are attributed to: lack of access to resources, management competence, lack of skilled labour, lack of trust amongst suppliers etc

Closed-loop digital meditation for neurocognitive and behavioral development in adolescents with childhood neglect.

Adverse childhood experiences are linked to poor attentive behaviors during adolescence, as well as increased risk for mental health disorders in adults. However, no study has yet tested targeted interventions to optimize neurocognitive processes in this population. Here, we investigated closed-loop digital interventions in a double-blind randomized controlled study in adolescents with childhood neglect, and evaluated the outcomes using multimodal assessments of neuroimaging, cognitive, behavioral, and academic evaluations. In the primary neuroimaging results, we demonstrate that a closed-loop digital meditation intervention can strengthen functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in the cingulo-opercular network, which is critically developing during the adolescent period. Second, this intervention enhanced sustained attention and interference-resolution abilities, and also reduced behavioral hyperactivity at a 1-year follow-up. Superior academic performance was additionally observed in adolescents who underwent the digital meditation intervention. Finally, changes in dACC functional connectivity significantly correlated with improvements in sustained attention, hyperactivity, and academic performance. This first study demonstrates that closed-loop digital meditation practice can facilitate development of important aspects of neurocognition and real-life behaviors in adolescents with early childhood neglect

Learning Disorder (Dyslexia): An Overview Description of the Entity through Available Researches

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability can be explained with number of biological and neuropsychological theories. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. The available research in this field show that there is impairment in processing the sensory input that enters the nervous system. It also indicate that there are problem in phonological decoding. There are various educational interventions and programs to address dyslexia which includes regular teaching in small group, a learning support assistant like a specialist teacher, policy interventions etc. The basic strategies of intervention focus on phonemic skill such as the ability to identify and process word sounds

Comparative analysis of emm type pattern of Group A Streptococcus throat and skin isolates from India and their association with closely related SIC, a streptococcal virulence factor

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Group A streptococcus (GAS) causes a wide variety of life threatening diseases in humans and the incidence of such infections is high in developing countries like India. Although distribution of <it>emm </it>types of GAS in India has been described, there is a lack of data describing either the comparative distribution of <it>emm </it>types in throat versus skin isolates, or the distribution of certain virulence factors amongst these isolates. Therefore in the present study we have monitored the <it>emm </it>type pattern of Group A streptococcus throat and skin isolates from India. Additionally, the association of these isolates with closely related <it>sic </it>(<it>crs</it>), a multifunctional compliment binding virulence factor, was also explored.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 94 (46 throat and 48 skin) isolates analyzed, 37 <it>emm </it>types were identified. The most frequently observed <it>emm </it>types were <it>emm</it>49 (8.5%) and <it>emm</it>112 (7.5%) followed by 6.5% each of <it>emm</it>1-2, <it>emm</it>75, <it>emm</it>77, and <it>emm</it>81. Out of 37 <it>emm </it>types, 27 have been previously reported and rest were isolated for the first time in the Indian Community. The predominant <it>emm </it>types of throat (<it>emm</it>49 and <it>emm</it>75) samples were different from those of skin (<it>emm</it>44, <it>emm</it>81 and <it>emm</it>112) samples. After screening all the 94 isolates, the <it>crs </it>gene was found in six <it>emm</it>1-2 (<it>crs</it>1-2) isolates, which was confirmed by DNA sequencing and expression analysis. Despite the polymorphic nature of <it>crs</it>, no intravariation was observed within <it>crs</it>1-2. However, insertions and deletions of highly variable sizes were noticed in comparison to CRS isolated from other <it>emm </it>types (<it>emm</it>1.0, <it>emm</it>57). CRS1-2 showed maximum homology with CRS57, but the genomic location of <it>crs</it>1-2 was found to be the same as that of <it>sic</it>1.0. Further, among <it>crs </it>positive isolates, <it>spe</it>A was only present in skin samples thus suggesting possible role of <it>spe</it>A in tissue tropism.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Despite the diversity in <it>emm </it>type pattern of throat and skin isolates, no significant association between <it>emm </it>type and source of isolation was observed. The finding that the <it>crs </it>gene is highly conserved even in two different variants of <it>emm</it>1-2 GAS (<it>spe</it>A +ve and -ve) suggests a single allele of <it>crs </it>may be prevalent in the highly diverse throat and skin isolates of GAS in India.</p