The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

‘Tonics useless for chronic brain diseases’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 14
Even as the efficacy of brain tonics being given to patients with neurological disorders is under debate, PGI’s Neurology Department is undertaking a study to assess whether such supplements and other memory-enhancing drugs were actually helpful in curing such disease.

“Due to lack of awareness a large number of doctors prescribe these brain tonics to patients suffering from chronic neurological disorders, while the fact is that they can be effective only for about one year after the problem starts,” says Dr Aniruddh K. Purohit, President of the Indian family of Cerebral Palsy. He says doctors continue prescribing these tonics to patients suffering from mental retardation, cerebral palsy, head injury and brain infections like encephalitis.

Dr Purohit who is from the Neurology department at NIMS, Panjagutta, Hyderabad, says the unfortunate part is that patients live in the false hope that the brain tonics will help and as such the actual treatment they require is further delayed. “Apart from the fact that these patients some of whom are very poor, keep wasting money on the tonics, the doctors cannot shirk from their responsibility as it amounts to deceiving the patients,” opines Dr Purohit.

The head of Neurology at PGI, Prof S. Prabhakar, informed that PGI was undertaking a study to check the efficacy of brain tonics and memory enhancers. “In order to find a scientific base for the effectiveness of Brahmi, Shankhpushpi and Ashwagandha, we are conducting a study at PGI,” he said.

Prof Prabhakar said though so far no controlled trials in human beings had been conducted to check the efficacy of brain tonics but experiments done on animals had indicated some improvement in animals. He, however, added that there had been some improvement in patients who had been taking them for sometime.

Dr Purohit, said giving brain tonics after a year was of no help as it was not possible to rejuvenate dead neurons in the brain. “What the brain tonics can possibly do is to save the dying neurons and that too when they are taken as soon as the problem starts,” he said. He added the biggest disadvantage in India was that neurological disorders are diagnosed much later after the problem starts and at that stage the drugs cannot help.

Neurologists feel that doctors are largely to be blamed for prescribing brain tonics to patients who do not require it. “On an average the monthly expenditure on these brain tonics can be upto Rs 400 or even more and doctors must diagnose the problem properly before they prescribe any such drugs,” emphasised Prof Prabhakar.

Dr Purohit, stresses that brain tonics can be effective only in cases where they are started when the insult to the brain just begins and should not be given for more than a year after the disease appears.

Approach stem cell research
cautiously, say neurologists
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 14
Emphasising the need for exploiting versatility of stem cells to repair the brain in various neurodegenerative disorders, neurologists attending the 52nd Annual Conference of Neurological Society of India, today stressed the need for adopting a cautious approach in not evoking too much of hype.

Speaking at the symposium on stem cells, Prof P.N.Tandon, Emeritus Professor, AIIMS, dwelled on the challenging areas of molecular neurobiology, with particular emphasis on applicability of stem cells in curing neurodegenerative disorders. Stem cells are basically healthy cells in any part of the body which can be used for regrafting and treating various diseases like neurodegenerative problems. Efforts are on to grow and multiply these cells, taken from a brain tumor or other part of the body , in the laboratory.

“The need of the hour is to let stem cell research find its application on its own while not evoking too much hope amongst people suffering from such ailments,” he remarked.

Prof M. Rao from National Institute of Aging, outlined the potential of stem cell research in alleviating various disorders by virtue of retaining the differentiating potential into various cell types like neurons and axons that constitute the nervous system.

Prof Fisher from Drextel University, USA, spoke about the research his unit was conducting in spinal cord injury.

Head of Neurology at PGI, Prof Prabhakar, informed about the plethora of patient-oriented research activities bringing the most sophisticated and cutting edge molecular tools at the PGI. Combining both invitro and invivo approaches, he said he would want to further these efforts with the help of international collaboration.

Rai School holds baby show
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, December 14
Rai School, Sector 48 today threw open the evening sports and cultural club for the school students as well as the outsiders. Today a baby show was held in the school premises where the First Lady and wife of Governor, Punjab Ms Shobha Verma was the chief guest at the show. She lighted the lamp and awarded the first 10 entries for the baby show. Ms Punam Dogra, principal of the school took the chief guest around the kindergarten wing and who was highly impressed by the child friendly interior in the school.

She gave away token of gift to each participant. The show consisted of two fold assessment, a medical examination and personality test. There were four categories; Category I: six months- one year-Umang, Ananya and Simran Saluja. Cat II-one yr to two yrs-Arsh Kapoor, Baby Fiza and Ekom. Cat III-:two years to three years-Avdesh, Hunarpreet and Brijeshwar. Cat IV-three yrs to four years: Ananya, Mohini and Anshuka. The prizes were sponsored by Mums Mall. Various eminent doctors were also present at the venue to make it a success. Later Ms Dogra told that they want to give more emphasis on sports. She said plans are on the anvil to go in for international standard skating rink. At present they have decided to allow the nearby locality children also to use the sports facilities. The school have seperate coaches for skating karate.

City boy corners glory in golf
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, December 14
Aman Guron, a class VII student of Vivek High School, Sector 38 has cornered glory in two major golf tournaments held at Kolkata and Mumbai. He won laurels in category C in the Easterrn India National Junior Golf tournament which was held at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Kolkata from December 2 to 5. Aman just 12, finished runner-up in his age group category. Later he also walked away with the second runner- up trophy in the Western India Junior Golf tournament held at Bombay Presidency Golf club, Mumbai from December 9 to12.

Both the above tournaments were part of the Indian Golf Union categorized national junior circuit-2003. The entire circuit comprises 10 tournaments held all over the country including for zonal and one All India meet. Aman is all set to take part in the All India Junior golf tournament to be held at Classic Golf Resort, Gurgaon. Aman is indebted to his coach Jesse Grewal with whom he began learning his golf lessons only one and half year back.

Boxing tourney concludes
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, December 14
The Sharda Sarvhitkari School Club, Sector 40 in sub-junior boys section while the Home Science Club, Sector 10, in women section bagged the overall trophy at the conclusion of the Chandigarh sub-junior and women boxing tournament held here today at Boxing Coaching Centre, Sector 42. The two-day meet was organised by the Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association.

Satinder Kaur of MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36 was adjudged the best women boxer while Manika of Dev Samaj College for Education, Sector 26, the best loser.

Winners among the various women boxers are, Mandeep, Ramandeep, Jyoti, Satinder Kaur, Adityaraj, Sukhwant Sidhu, Shalini and Bandana.

Ms Indu Mishra, wife of late A.K. Mishra, IAS officer, Punjab, gave away the prizes to the winners.