Medical ethics teaching in the new undergraduate physiology competency-based curriculum in medical institutions in Delhi: A pilot, feasibility study.

Background: Medical ethics teaching has received little attention in India's undergraduate medical curriculum, so the National Medical Commission's formal inclusion of medical ethics in the new competency-based curriculum (CBME) is creditable. However, the policymakers have left out the most crucial stakeholders - the teachers. This study was conducted to find out how physiology educators in Delhi felt about the implementation of ethics teaching in physiology in the CBME.

Development and implementation of a sustainable COVID-19 training package for healthcare workers: Experience from a teaching hospital of North India.

Background: With the impending threat of future COVID-19 waves, it is imperative that teaching hospitals develop, implement, and evaluate a systematic training program to render HCW elastic in delivering COVID-19 related services. We present our experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating a sustainable and scalable COVID-19 patient management training package for healthcare workers.

Materials And Methods: A mixed-methods study design was used.

Rapid transition to online practical classes in preclinical subjects during COVID-19: Experience from a medical college in North India.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic compelled medical schools to opt for online mode in medical education. The competency-based curriculum started in India last year onwards allotted more hours to practical teaching than lectures. As the lockdown extended, there was a need to shift laboratory teaching to online mode.

Evaluation of the Auditory Pathway in Traffic Policemen.

Background: Traffic policemen working at heavy traffic junctions are continuously exposed to high level of noise and its health consequences.

Objective: To assess the hearing pathway in traffic policemen by means of brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA), mid-latency response (MLR), and slow vertex response (SVR).

Methods: In this observational comparative study, BERA, MLR, and SVR were tested in 35 male traffic policemen with field posting of more than 3 years.

Is Metformin-Induced Vitamin B12 Deficiency Responsible for Cognitive Decline in Type 2 Diabetes?

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus has its deleterious effects on various aspects of cognition such as memory function, executive function, and information-processing speed. The present study aims to assess cognition in diabetes patients and also tries to find its association with Vitamin B12 deficiency induced by metformin.

Materials And Methods: Thirty diabetics taking metformin and thirty nondiabetic controls were enrolled.

Delayed auditory conduction in diabetes: is metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency responsible?

The present study aims to evaluate the functional integrity of the auditory pathway in patients with diabetes taking metformin. A further aim is to assess its association with vitamin B12 deficiency induced by metformin. Thirty diabetics taking metformin and 30 age-matched non-diabetic controls were enrolled.

Does chronic exposure to mobile phones affect cognition?

Mobile phones form an integral part of our modern lifestyle. Following the drastic rise in mobile phone use in recent years, it has become important to study its potential public health impact. Amongst the various mobile phone health hazards, the most alarming is the possible effect on the brain.

Functional status of auditory pathways in children with borderline intellectual functioning: evoked potential study.

The present study was undertaken to determine whether impairment of sensory conduction in the auditory pathway is one of the contributory factors of performance in children with borderline intelligence. The study was conducted on children having borderline intelligence (IQ 71-84). The functional integrity of the central auditory pathway was assessed using Auditory Evoked Responses i.

Event-related potentials study in children with borderline intellectual functioning.

Background: Low general cognitive ability is a common cause for learning and academic difficulties. The present study was undertaken to objectively investigate the cognitive functioning of children having borderline intelligence using electrophysiological measures.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted on children having borderline intelligence (IQ: 70-85).

Attention and information processing in end stage renal disease and effect of hemodialysis: a bedside study.

The neurobehavioral syndrome of uremia in chronic kidney disease affects the functioning of the central nervous system. Cognitive impairment is one of the most important manifestations of this dysfunction. The process of hemodialysis is known to bring about conflicting changes in the cognitive status of patients.

Oxidative status in workers engaged in recycling of plastic: occupational hazard.

Recycling plastic industry is on rise. Plastic waste in environment is a pollutant so recycling of it can save environment and is economical too. However its recycling is associated with harmful effects on workers engaged in it.

Effect of caffeine on information processing: evidence from stroop task.

Background: Caffeine is a pyschostimulant present in various beverages and known to alter alertness and performance by acting on the central nervous system. Its effects on central nervous system have been studied using EEG, evoked potentials, fMRI, and neuropsychological tests. The Stroop task is a widely used tool in psychophysiology to understand the attention processes and is based on the principle that processing of two different kinds of information (like the word or colour) is parallel and at different speeds with a common response channel.

Psychomotor performance of medical students: effect of 24 hours of sleep deprivation.

Context: Sleep deprivation is known to have detrimental effects on attentional resources and cognitive functions.

Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the changes in performance, due to 24 h of sleep deprivation, in medical students

Materials And Methods: The performance was assessed using simple paper-pencil tasks, such as digit symbol substitution test, digit vigilance test, and letter cancellation tasks.

Results: The results revealed an increase in the number of errors in letter cancellation tasks and digit vigilance test, with a significant decrease in the number of correct responses on the letter cancellation task.

Pulmonary functions in plastic factory workers: a preliminary study.

Exposure to long term air pollution in the work environment may result in decreased lung functions and various other health problems. A significant occupational hazard to lung functions is experienced by plastic factory workers. The present study is planned to assess the pulmonary functions of workers in the plastic factory where recycling of pastic material was done.

No auditory conduction abnormality in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral developmental disorder characterized by lack of sustained attention and hyperactivity. It has been suggested that asymmetrical conduction of the auditory stimulus in the brainstem plays a role in the pathophysiological process of ADHD. In the present study, the functional integrity of the central auditory pathway was assessed using the auditory brainstem response (ABR), mid-latency response (MLR) and slow vertex response (SVR).

Sensory, cognitive and motor assessment of children with poor academic performance: an auditory evoked potential study.

The present study aims to evaluate the auditory sensory process in the brainstem, thalamocortical and cortical areas by using auditory evoked potentials [auditory brainstem response (ABR), mid latency response (MLR) and slow vertex response (SVR)], cognitive functions by P300 and motor response by reaction time in children with poor academic performance. Thirty children between 6-12 years of age were selected as subjects on the basis of poor academic school records. While thirty children with good academic performance served as controls.

Pulmonary function and oxidative stress in workers exposed to styrene in plastic factory: occupational hazards in styrene-exposed plastic factory workers.

Styrene is a volatile organic compound used in factories for synthesis of plastic products. The pneumotoxicity of styrene in experimental animals is known. The aim of the present study was to study the effect of styrene on lung function and oxidative stress in occupationally exposed workers in plastic factory.

Event-related potentials study in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood disorder characterized by lack of sustained attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Children with ADHD have functional impairment occurring at multiple levels. In the present study, cognitive status was assessed using auditory event-related potentials (ERPs).

Visual evoked potential study in slow learners.

Slow learners are individuals with low achievement and comparably low IQ scores. It may be a symptom reflecting a larger underlying problem in them. Sensory neural processing of visual information can be one of the contributory factors for their underachievement.

Effect of thyroxine therapy on autonomic status in hypothyroid patients.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of hypothyroidism on the autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system by analyzing sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on the heart and the effect of thyroxine replacement. Thirty newly diagnosed female hypothyroid patients with mean age 32.73 +/- 9.

Cognitive status in hypothyroid female patients: event-related evoked potential study.

Aim: Higher brain functions are adversely affected in hypothyroid patients. The central nervous system features of hypothyroidism include mental retardation, various cognitive and memory deficits that have been evaluated by different neuropsychological tests. In the present study event-related potentials (ERPs) have been used to assess the cognitive status of hypothyroid patients before and after treatment.

Functional status of auditory pathways in hypothyroidism: evoked potential study.

Hypothyroidism is known to be associated with mental retardation, motor dysfunction, memory deficits and hearing impairment. In the present study, the functional integrity of the thalamocortical projections to the primary auditory cortex and association cortex has been assessed by using Auditory Evoked Responses i.e Auditory Brainstem (ABR), Mid Latency Response (MLR) and Slow Vertex Response (SVR).

Evaluation of cognitive brain functions in caffeine users: a P3 evoked potential study.

Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed stimulant drugs of the modern world. It brings about a feeling of well-being, relaxation, increased alertness and concentration. Its effects have been studied on brain function and behavior using mood questionnaires, reaction time tests, memory tests, EEG and of late Event Related Potentials (ERPs).

Effect of caffeine on central auditory pathways: an evoked potential study.

Caffeine is consumed in various forms like tea, coffee, chocolates and colas. The present study evaluated the effect of caffeine on auditory brainstem response (ABR), mid latency response (MLR) and slow vertex response (SVR) in 40 male volunteers. The recordings were done using a computerized evoked potential recorder by 10-20 electrode placement system.