Background: Quality of life in brain tumor patients is an emerging issue and has prompted neurosurgeons to recon¬sider the need for cognitive assessment in the course of treatment. To date there has been a lack of comprehensive neuropsychological assessment performed preoperatively and in the acute postoperative period in our hospitals.Objectives: to establish the effects of tumors and their surgical treatment, from a neuropsychological perspective, on cognitive functioning in patients with cerebral Gliomas. Methods: This is a prospective study conducted in the Neurosurgical Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, during the period from January 1999 to January 2001. Any patient admitted during the period of the study with clinical history, signs, sy

Background: Studies show that diabetic patients have a higher incidence of ischemic stroke than non-diabetic patients. In the Framingham study the incidence of thrombotic stroke was 25 times higher in diabetic men and 36 times higher in diabetic women than in those without diabetes

Objectives: aim of this study to analyze topography in diabetic patients.

Type of study:  Cross sectional study.

Methods: 48 patients with acute stroke were classified into 4 groups: euglycemic, stress hyperglycemia, newly diagnosed diabetics, and known diabetics.

Results:no significant differences were found in the type, site or size of st

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are ectoparasites that infest livestock in every geographic region of the world and are vectors of several viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens to both animals and humans. There is little information is available is about tick presence in Buffalo Bubalus bubalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Artiodactyla, Bovidae) in Iraq. The current study determined the species of ticks parasitizing Buffalo in some central and southern regions included: Baghdad (Al Fathelia), Karbala (Al-Hussainia), Wasit (Kut and Al-Suwairah), Al-Qadisia (Al- Diwaniyah, Al- Saniya, Al-Mihnawea, and Afak), Thi Qar (Al-Nasiriyah and Al-chibayish), Missan (Amara and Qalaat Salih) and Basrah (Al-Haretha, Al-Madena and Al-Deer). A total of 150 Buffal

This study has evaluated the humoral immune response in Golden Hamsters experimentally infected with Leishmania donovani along (4) times of follow up (15, 30, 60, 90) days after infection. Indirect haemagglutination test was used to determine the antibody titer through the various stages of the study. Also the progress of the infection was studied depending on some of the visceral changes caused by the parasite, like weight of liver, length & weight of spleen & the count of Leishmania parasites in spleen were measured. Results has shown that there was an increase in antibody titer & the maximum value was recorded at the 4th day of follow up (90 days after infection) as well as that there was an increase in the length of the spleen, weight

Background: intravenous regional anaesthesia (IVRA) is an effective method of producing anaesthesia of the extremities. Disadvantages are the rapid loss of anaesthesia after the deflation of the tourniquet and the rapid development of postoperative pain. It is important to search for agents with longer durations of action, better nerve fibre selectivity, lesser degrees of motor blockade and lower incidences of systemic toxicity.Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate and compare the clinical effects of intravenous regional anaesthesia, with lidocaine alone, or in a combination with ketamine and atracurium for better analgesia, and to examine the possible clinical advantages of using muscle relaxants (i.e., atracurium) with intrav

Q fever is an infectious disease of animals and humans, caused by globally distributed C. burnetii. In Iraq, there are no previous studies associated with the detection of the organism in cattle. An overall of 130 lactating cows were submitted to direct collection of milk samples. Initially, the samples of milk were tested using the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting three genes (16S rRNA, IS1111a transposase, and htpB). However, positive results (18.46%; 24/130) were detected only with the 16s rRNA gene. Concerning risk factors, the highest prevalence of C. burnetii was showed in the district of Badra (42.86%), whereas the lowest - in Al-Numaniyah and Al-Suwaira districts (P=0.025). There was no significant v