Phytochemistry and nutraceutical potential of Ceylon Cinnamomum species native to Sri Lanka.

Cinnamon is a spice that is renowned for its several medicinal and cosmetic benefits. The research study examined the essential oil content, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of seven species native to Sri Lanka. Cinnamon bark and leaf samples were used to extract essential oils, methanol, and hexane.

Diagnostic outcome of pro bono neurogenetic diagnostic service in Sri Lanka: A wealth creation.

The inherited disease community in Sri Lanka has been widely neglected. This article aimed to present accumulated knowledge in establishing a pro bono cost-effective national, island-wide, free-of-charge molecular diagnostic service, suggesting a model for other developing countries. The project provided 637 molecular diagnostic tests and reports free of charge to a nation with limited resources.

Title-molecular diagnostics of dystrophinopathies in Sri Lanka towards phenotype predictions: an insight from a South Asian resource limited setting.

Background: The phenotype of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) patients is determined by the type of DMD gene variation, its location, effect on reading frame, and its size. The primary objective of this investigation was to determine the frequency and distribution of DMD gene variants (deletions/duplications) in Sri Lanka through the utilization of a combined approach involving multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) followed by Multiplex Ligation Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) and compare to the international literature. The current consensus is that MLPA is a labor efficient yet expensive technique for identifying deletions and duplications in the DMD gene.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy from Brain to Muscle: The Role of Brain Dystrophin Isoforms in Motor Functions.

Brain function and its effect on motor performance in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an emerging concept. The present study explored how cumulative dystrophin isoform loss, age, and a corticosteroid treatment affect DMD motor outcomes. A total of 133 genetically confirmed DMD patients from Sri Lanka were divided into two groups based on whether their shorter dystrophin isoforms (Dp140, Dp116, and Dp71) were affected: Group 1, containing patients with Dp140, Dp116, and Dp71 affected (n = 98), and Group 2, containing unaffected patients (n = 35).

Integrated genomic, proteomic and cognitive assessment in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy suggest astrocyte centric pathology.

Introduction: Documented Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) biomarkers are confined to Caucasians and are poor indicators of cognitive difficulties and neuropsychological alterations.

Materials And Methods: This study correlates serum protein signatures with cognitive performance in DMD patients of South Asian origin. Study included 25 DMD patients aged 6-16 years.

Therapeutic Implications of Some Natural Products for Neuroimmune Diseases: A Narrative of Clinical Studies Review.

Neuroimmune diseases are a group of disorders that occur due to the dysregulation of both the nervous and immune systems, and these illnesses impact tens of millions of people worldwide. However, patients who suffer from these debilitating conditions have very few FDA-approved treatment options. Neuroimmune crosstalk is important for controlling the immune system both centrally and peripherally to maintain tissue homeostasis.

Biopiracy: Abolish Corporate Hijacking of Indigenous Medicinal Entities.

Biopiracy as "a silent disease" is hardly detectable because it does not leave traces frequently. The corporate hijacking of food is the most important health hazard in this era; giant commercial enterprises are using intellectual property rights to patent indigenous medicinal plants, seeds, genetic resources, and traditional medicines. The new era of biotechnology relies on the genes of living organisms as raw materials.

What We Fail to See in Neuro-Genetic Diseases: A Bird's Eye View from the Developing World.

Background: Progressive neurological genetic diseases are not rare. They cause psychosocial damages to its victims. This article focuses on common psychosocial issues faced by those from the developing world.

Circle of Willis abnormalities and their clinical importance in ageing brains: A cadaveric anatomical and pathological study.

The circle of Willis (CW) located at the base of the brain forms an important collateral network to maintain adequate cerebral perfusion, especially in clinical situations requiring compensatory changes in blood flow. Morphopathological changes in the CW may relate to the severity of the symptoms of certain neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the CW abnormalities and their clinical importance in ageing brains.

Validation of the Sinhala Version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised for the Detection of Dementia in Sri Lanka: Comparison with the Mini-Mental Status Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

Background: Sri Lanka is a rapidly aging country, where dementia prevalence will increase significantly in the future. Thus, inexpensive and sensitive cognitive screening tools are crucial.

Objectives: To assess the reliability, validity, and diagnostic accuracy of the Sinhalese version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R s).

Vascular Contributions in Alzheimer's Disease-Related Neuropathological Changes: First Autopsy Evidence from a South Asian Aging Population.

Background: Evidence from various consortia on vascular contributions has been inconsistent in determining the etiology of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: To investigate vascular risk factors and cerebrovascular pathologies associated in manifestation of AD-related neuropathological changes of an elderly population.

Methods: Postmortem brain samples from 76 elderly subjects (≥50 years) were used to study genetic polymorphisms, intracranial atherosclerosis of the circle of Willis (IASCW), and microscopic infarcts in deep white matters.

Cytoskeletal Pathologies of Age-Related Diseases between Elderly Sri Lankan (Colombo) and Indian (Bangalore) Brain Samples.

Within South Asia, Sri Lanka represents fastest aging with 13% of the population was aged over 60's in 2011, whereas in India it was 8%. Majority of the Sri Lankan population based genetic studies have confirmed their origin on Indian mainland. As there were inadequate data on aging cytoskeletal pathologies of these two nations with their close genetic affiliations, we performed a comparison on their elderly.

Types of the cerebral arterial circle (circle of Willis) in a Sri Lankan population.

Background: The variations of the circle of Willis (CW) are clinically important as patients with effective collateral circulations have a lower risk of transient ischemic attack and stroke than those with ineffective collaterals. The aim of the present cadaveric study was to investigate the anatomical variations of the CW and to compare the frequency of prevalence of the different variations with previous autopsy studies as variations in the anatomy of the CW as a whole have not been studied in the Indian subcontinent.

Methods: The external diameter of all the arteries forming the CW in 225 normal Sri Lankan adult cadaver brains was measured using a calibrated grid to determine the prevalence in the variation in CW.

Validation of the Geriatric Depression Scale for an elderly Sri Lankan clinic population.

Background: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) has not been validated for the elderly population in Sri Lanka.

Aim: To translate, validate, and examine the effectiveness of GDS and to suggest the optimal cut-off scores for elderly Sri Lankans attending a psychogeriatric clinic.

Materials And Methods: The Sinhalese translation of GDS (GDS-S) was administered to people aged 55 years and above, attending a psychogeriatric outpatient clinic.

Comparison of the configuration of the posterior bifurcation of the posterior communicating artery between fetal and adult brains: A study of a Sri Lankan population.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of contribution from the vertebrobasilar and carotid systems to the origin of the PCA in fetal autopsy brains of last trimester of pregnancy and to compare with published data on the configuration of adult and fetal brains in a population of Sri Lankan origin.

Materials And Methods: The external diameter of the PcomA, pre-communicating part (P1), and the post-communicating part (P2) of posterior cerebral artery (PCA) of 34 fetal brain in the last trimester of pregnancy (30 to 40 weeks of gestation) was measured using a stereomicroscope equipped with a micrometer calibrator.

Results: The blood supply to the occipital lobe mainly via the PCA was seen in 25 (59%) of fetal brains as compared to that in the literature 220 (93%) in adults brains and the blood supply to the occipital lobe mainly via the internal carotid artery (ICA) was seen in 16 (34%) of fetal brains as compared to 25 (7%) of adults brains (P < 0.

Prevalence of typical circle of Willis and the variation in the anterior communicating artery: A study of a Sri Lankan population.

Objective: To determine the extent of hypoplasia of the component vessels of the circle of Willis (CW) and the anatomical variations in the anterior communicating artery (AcomA) in the subjects who have died of causes unrelated to the brain and compare with previous autopsy studies.

Materials And Methods: The external diameter of all the arteries forming the CW in 225 normal Sri Lankan adult cadaver brains was measured using a calibrated grid to determine the occurrence of "typical" CWs, where all of the component vessels had a diameter of more than 1 mm. Variations in the AcomA were classified into 12 types based on Ozaki et al.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL): a patient from Sri Lanka.

We report the first patient from Sri Lanka (the third patient from the Indian subcontinent) with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). The patient experienced a young onset familial stroke with an 856T>G missense mutation in exon 5 of the NOTCH3 gene resulting in a C260G mutation in the sixth epidermal growth factor-like repeat. We believe this is the first reported Sri Lankan patient.

Variation in the origin of the posterior cerebral artery in adult Sri Lankans.

Background: The degree of contribution from the vertebro-basilar and carotid systems to the origin of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) is of clinico-anatomical importance. Three configurations in the bifurcation of the posterior communicating artery (PcomA) have been described, foetal, transitional and adult.

Objective: To examine the extent of contribution from the vertebro-basilar and carotid systems to the origin of the PCA in adult autopsy brains in subjects who had died of causes unrelated to the brain.