Impulse control disorders and other non-motor symptoms in Sri Lankan patients with Parkinson's disease.

The impact of non-motor symptoms is often overlooked in favour of the motor symptoms when managing Parkinson's disease resulting in suboptimal patient outcomes. This study aimed to characterise the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease in a cohort of Sri Lankan patients with a special focus on the impulsive control disorders and other compulsive behaviours (ICDs-CB) that had not been previously studied in this population. All patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease followed up at the National Hospital of Colombo, Sri Lanka were included.

Neurological disorders associated with COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.

Background: Neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported from many countries around the world, including the South Asian region. This surveillance study aimed to describe the spectrum of neurological disorders associated with COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.

Methods: COVID-19 patients manifesting neurological disorders one week prior and up to six weeks after infection were recruited from all the neurology centres of the government hospitals in Sri Lanka from May 2021 - May 2022.

Estimation of body weight using anthropometric parameters in Sri Lankan hospitalized adult patients.

Body weight is an important clinical parameter for accurate dosing of drugs with a narrow therapeutic window, However, it is difficult to measure the body weight of a patient if they cannot stand on a scale. There are several anthropometrics-based equations to estimate the body weight, but most of these are derived from white Caucasian populations and are not validated for South Asians. This study aimed to validate existing anthropometrics-based weight estimation equations and develop a new equation for the same purpose for Sri Lankan adults.

Case report long segment myelitis secondary to neuro melioidosis.

Background: Neuro-melioidosis, comprising 4% of all cases of melioidosis carries a risk of high morbidity and mortality. We describe two Sri Lankan patients presenting with long segment myelitis secondary to melioidosis.

Case Presentation: Case 1: 47-year-old male presented with right side hemiparesis which progressed rapidly to quadriparesis.

Health-related quality of life in patients with substance use disorders enrolled to the residential treatment in Sri Lanka: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a serious public health concern that requires continuum care with effective treatment modalities such as residential rehabilitation. Improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is one of the determinants of treatment and rehabilitation effectiveness. Therefore, a retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out in seven residential rehabilitation centres in Sri Lanka to determine the HRQoL of the rehabilitees with SUD.

The Pattern of Substance Use and Characteristics of the Individuals Enrolled in Residential Treatment at Selected Rehabilitation Centers in Sri Lanka: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Substance use becomes censorious when it leads to harmful effects on individuals, their families, and the community. The nature of substance use in Sri Lankan context is poorly understood and empirical evidences are sparse. The study aimed to describe patterns of substance use and characteristics of the individuals enrolled in residential treatment at selected rehabilitation centers in Sri Lanka.

Plasmapheresis for Extrapontine Myelinolysis: A Case Series and a Literature Review.

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) and extrapontine myelinolysis (EPM) are syndromes of osmotic demyelination attributed to the rapid correction of hyponatraemia. Isolated EPM is a rare clinical entity which poses a significant diagnostic challenge especially in the absence of a rapid rise in sodium. Typical MRI findings aid in the diagnosis.

Triple Therapy Prevention of Recurrent Intracerebral Disease Events Trial: Rationale, design and progress.

Background: Patients who suffer intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are at very high risk of recurrent ICH and other serious cardiovascular events. A single-pill combination (SPC) of blood pressure (BP) lowering drugs offers a potentially powerful but simple strategy to optimize secondary prevention.

Objectives: The Triple Therapy Prevention of Recurrent Intracerebral Disease Events Trial (TRIDENT) aims to determine the effects of a novel SPC "Triple Pill," three generic antihypertensive drugs with demonstrated efficacy and complementary mechanisms of action at half standard dose (telmisartan 20 mg, amlodipine 2.

Outcomes of stroke patients undergoing thrombolysis in Sri Lanka; an observational prospective study from a low-middle income country.

Background: Stroke related deaths are relatively higher in low- and middle-income countries where only a fraction of eligible patients undergo thrombolysis. There is also limited evidence on post-thrombolysis outcomes of patients from Asian countries in these income bands.

Methods: This is a single center prospective observational study of a patient cohort with acute ischaemic stroke, undergoing thrombolysis with alteplase (low and standard dose), over a 24-month period in 2019/2020.

Familial Multiple Sclerosis in a Mother and Son Pair: A Sri Lankan and a South Asian First.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disorder involving the central nervous system (CNS). It is common amongst young females. Although the exact cause of MS is yet unknown, viral infections such as EBV, environmental factors, and autoimmune and genetic mechanisms involving HLA-DRB1 loci are implicated.

Multiple sclerosis in Sri Lanka; epidemiology, demographic patterns and current trends.

Cases of Multiple sclerosis are being increasingly recognized in Sri Lanka and South Asia challenging the concept of MS being a disease of the West. Our study estimates a crude prevalence of 7.78 cases per 100,000 population in Sri Lanka.

Telemedicine: Niche or mainstream? A bibliometric analysis and review of the output of highly ranked clinical journals.

Historically, telemedicine research is predominantly published in discipline-specific telemedicine journals. However, in recent times the number of publications on telemedicine in clinical journals has increased. Acceptance of telemedicine research by clinical journals indicates a maturing of the telemedicine field.

Winging of Scapula due to a Sinister Etiology.

Background: Scapular winging is a rare but disabling deformity, which is commonly caused by lesions of the long thoracic and spinal accessory nerves that innervate the serratus anterior and trapezius muscles, respectively. Across the literature, traumatic injury to the nerves account for the majority of cases. Less common, nontraumatic causes include viral illness, neuroinflammatory conditions, toxins, compressive lesions, and C7 radiculopathy.

Designing an Optimum Fiscal Policy for Tobacco to Maximise the Tax Revenue, Social Savings and the Net Monetary Benefits in Sri Lanka.

Background: Fiscal policy targeting tobacco control is identified as the most effective strategy for rapid control of tobacco use. An optimum fiscal policy to estimate the percentage taxation that will maximise the government tax revenue, social savings and the net monetary benefit has not been empirically designed before in Sri Lanka.

Methods: A model was developed using Microsoft Excel 2016, utilizing up-to-date published evidence on the cigarette sales, current fiscal policy, social cost of tobacco use, consumer response and the price elasticity of cigarettes.

Medical students' perceptions and expectations regarding digital health education and training: A qualitative study.

Introduction: Digital health - the convergence of digital technologies within health and health care to enhance the efficiency of health-care delivery - is fast becoming an integral part of routine medical practice. The integration of digital health into traditional practice brings significant changes. Logic dictates that for medical practitioners to operate in this new digitally enabled environment, they require specific knowledge, skills and competencies relating to digital health.

A Systematic Review of Pediatric Telediabetes Service Models.

Telediabetes may improve patient access to clinicians who specialize in the management of pediatric diabetes. Due to the diversity of telehealth modes, many different service models for pediatric telediabetes have been developed. This review describes pediatric telediabetes service models identified in the literature, investigates the reported changes in HbA1c of these interventions, and describes enablers and barriers to implementing a telediabetes service.

Stress and its Social Determinants - A Qualitative Study Reflecting the Perceptions of a Select Small Group of the Public in Sri Lanka.

Background: Exposure to stress, especially for prolonged periods, can result in physical and mental disorders. To attribute causality to its associated disease profile, social determinants need to be identified at the population level. The objective of this study was to explore perceptions regarding stress and its probable social determinants, among a purposeful cohort of the public from Colombo district, Sri Lanka.

Effectiveness of text messaging interventions for the management of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Depression is a leading cause of human disability. Telemedicine-based interventions using text messaging are currently being trialled for the management of community-based clients with clinical depression. However, little is known about the effectiveness of such methods.

How valid is Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised Scale Among Sri Lankan adults?

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 1.9%-3.0% in the general population.