Atypical hand preference may be more common in Adults Who Stutter (AWS). One implication is that stuttering may be a manifestation of a more general dysfunction in motor organization and planning. This study was designed to determine whether AWS have atypical motor cortical anatomy compared to controls, and whether there are group differences in handedness that correlate with anatomical measures. Volumetric MRI was used to measure the anterior bank of the Central Sulcus (CS) and Motor Knob (MK), a structure that corresponds precisely to the motor hand representation, in Adults Who Stutter (AWS) and fluent, matched controls divided into three groups (right-handed and left-handed men, right-handed women). There was an interaction between fluency group and handedness-sex group (p=0.024) with reduced CS volume in right-handed men who stutter (p=0.001). For MK volume there was an interaction with the right MK larger in the left-handed male controls, and the left MK larger in the left-handed AWS (p=0.024). AWS and controls did not differ in hand preference score or finger tapping rate. There was a relationship between CS asymmetry and finger-tapping laterality (p=0.042) with a faster right-hand tapping speed associated with a larger left CS and vice-versa. When controls were examined independently, there were no correlations between finger-tapping laterality and anatomical asymmetry; there was a correlation in the AWS (r= 0.642; p= 0.007). Left hander AWS tapped faster with the right hand and had a larger left CS (atypical). One subgroup of right handed AWS (atypical) tapped faster with the left hand and had a larger right CS. Another subgroup of right handed AWS (typical) tapped faster with the right hand and had a larger left CS. These results show that handedness may systematically influence cortical motor representations in AWS. Further study is warranted in a larger sample of adults and in children who stutter.

The F-wave is a result of α-motor neurons backfiring following an antidromic invasion of propagated impulses across the axon hillock.

Objective: To study the ischemic stroke subtypes and risk factors in 100 patients observed at Jordan University Hospital (JUH) over a one-year-period, and to compare the results with another 100 age-and –sex matched controls as well as with studies from other Arab countries.

Methods: One hundred patients with first-ever ischemic stroke admitted to JUH over a one-year period (between January 2013 to January 2014) were studied.

Results: There were 62 males and 38 females (M/F ratio=1. 6), with a mean age of 66 years (range 22-90 years), the majority (80/100) between the age 51-80 years. The most common stroke subtype was lacunar infarcts (36 patients). Fourty-two out of 51 patients had intracranial atherosclerosis. The most common risk factor was hypertension (85%) followed by hyperlipidemia (71%) and diabetes mellitus (65%).

Conclusion: In accordance with other Arab studies and controls, hypertension was the predominant risk factor but lacunar infarcts were more common than in most reports from other Arab countries . This shows the importance of appropriate management of hypertension to reduce the incidence of stroke in Jordan.

The consumption of nutrients containing phenolic compounds has been reported due to the benefits they produce on human health. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and neuroprotective effect of the administration of organic (OGJ) and conventional (CGJ) white grape juices from Niagara variety on the oxidative stress in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum after the treatment with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ) as well as on some biochemical parameters in serum of rats. Adult male rats (~300g; n=6-8/group) were orally treated (gavage) with 7μL/g of OGJ, CGJ or water, for a period of 14 days. On the 15th day it was administered CCl4 (3.0mL/kg). After 4h the animals were euthanized and the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum were dissected and used for the analysis of oxidative stress parameters. We observed that CCl4 enhanced lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and protein damage (carbonyl), reduced the nonenzymatic antioxidants defenses (sulfhydryl), and changed the activity of the enzymatic antioxidants defenses catalase (CAT), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) in the brain of rats. CCl4 also enhanced glucose, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) and Gamma-Glutamyl (GGT) and decreased total cholesterol and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) in serum of rats. CGJ and OGJ were able to prevent or ameliorate most of these alterations. Consequently, regular intake of white grape juice could be considered as an adjuvant in the therapy of oxidative damages, revealing a possible antioxidant and neuroprotective agent.