Effect of the Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI) and Duration of Smoking on Central Neural Processing Using Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses (BAERs).

Purpose of study The goal of this research was to find the correlation of nicotine dependence and duration of smoking with the status of central neuronal processing in chronic smokers. Our primary objective was to record brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) in chronic smokers and further find their correlation to the Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI) scores and years of non-abstained smoking of the subjects. We postulated that smoking leads to myelination abnormalities which in turn causes decreased impulse conduction velocity.

Apogeotropic Posterior Semicircular Canal BPPV-A Case Series from South Rajasthan.

Apogeotropic variant of posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (-PSC-BPPV) is a rare peripheral vestibular disorder, characterized by paroxysms of positionally triggered dizzy spells associated with non-positional disequilibrium. It is diagnosed by observing characteristic diagnostic oculomotor responses (torsional downbeating positional nystagmus) during positional testing (Dix-Hallpike and enhanced straight head hanging tests), in conjunction with a response to physical therapy. Much rarer anterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (ASC-BPPV) elicits identical oculomotor responses during positional testing.

Inversion Test and Sitting-Up Oculomotor Patterns in Patients with Graviceptive Heavy Posterior Cupula - A Case Series.

A graviceptive heavy posterior cupula typically results from cupulolithiasis and clinically manifests as short vertigo spells when the head moves in the provocative position. Half-Hallpike test (HHT) in posterior cupulolithiasis (PSC-BPPV-) elicits an upbeating ipsitorsional nystagmus (UBITN), which lasts more than a minute as per the consensus criteria developed by the Barany Society. In the last decade, cases with canalolithiasis in the short arm of the posterior semicircular canal (PSC-BPPV-), wherein the otoconial debris falls on the utricular side of the posterior cupula on getting up from supine, rendering it heavy (graviceptive), have been reported.

Schwartz Jampel Syndrome (SJS)-One in a Million Syndrome.

Schwartz Jampel syndrome is a very rare genetically heterogenous disorder characterized by myotonia, typical facies, growth retardation and osteoarticular changes. Prevelance of this syndrome is <1 in 100000. 150 cases have been reported in medical literature so far.

Cysticercosis of midbrain presenting with fluctuating ptosis.

Fluctuating ptosis is usually caused by Myasthenia gravis. There are a few case reports of central causes of fluctuating ptosis. A 58-year-old man presented with fluctuating ptosis of one year duration.

Effect of ginger on platelet aggregation in man.

Dietary supplementation of 100 g butter in 20 healthy male volunteers for 7 days was found to enhance platelet aggregation to a significant extent (P < 0.001). Addition of 5 g of dry ginger in two divided doses with fatty meal (in 10 individuals) significantly (P < 0.

Recurrent fainting--an unusual reaction to acupuncture.

A case exhibiting recurrent fainting associated with particular acupuncture point needling is reported and the possible mechanism discussed. The phenomenon is very unusual and has not been described in the literature.

Ear-lobe crease and ear-canal hair as predictors of coronary artery disease in Indian population.

215 patients of different communities were selected randomly to predict the correlation between the ear-lobe crease, ear-canal hair and coronary artery disease. On analysis, it was found that prevalence of the ear-lobe crease increases with advancing age, and the incidence was much more higher in Sindhis in whom the overall incidence of CAD is also significantly high. Bilateral diagonal ear-lobe crease was found to be significantly (P less than 0.