ABSTRACT
            Background and objectives: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term acquired disability. It is of great importance to seek ways for improving motor, sensory, and cognitive function after stroke and brain injury. In this regard, therapeutic exercise is the most commonly used method of rehabilitation that can significantly reduce the severity of functional damage. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of eight weeks of forced treadmill training on cognitive and motor functions in ischemic rats.
            Methods: Fourteen adult male Wistar rats were divided into an exercise group and a control group (no exercise). Occlusion of both common carotid arteries was made to induce cerebral ischemia. Twenty-four hours after the induction of ischemia, the subjects in the exercise group were subjected to treadmill running, five days a week for eight weeks. The skilled ladder rung walking task was used to evaluate motor function before and after the stroke.
            Results: The number of errors was decreasing in both groups, but significant differences were observed in the motor function between the two groups in the third, fifth, and eighth week.
            Conclusion: Our results suggest that post-ischemic exercise might modulate ischemia-induced hippocampal injury and ameliorate the subsequent memory and motor impairment.
            Keywords:  Stroke, Cerebral Ischemia, Exercise, Treadmill training, sensorimotor.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke occurs when blood clots obstruct blood vessels within the brain. Platelets (Plts) are integral to the pathophysiology of stroke. This research aimed to explore the relationship between Plt quality and Plt indices in the context of acute ischemic stroke.
Methods: This cross-sectional investigation involved 100 patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke at Kosti Teaching Hospital and Alyammama Hospitals. The diagnosis was confirmed using brain CT imaging and electrocardiography (ECG). Blood samples were collected in EDTA-containing tubes within 24 hours following the commencement of treatment and were subsequently analyzed for Plt count, mean Plt volume (MPV), Plt distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT) utilizing a hematological analyzer. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism software.
Results: Platelet counts negatively correlated with PDW [r=-0.074, P=0.459; R=-0.023, P=0.815], MPV [r=-0.130, P=0.194; R=-0.081, P=0.417], and diastolic blood pressure [r= -0.023, P=0.818; R= -0.024, P=0.805]; and positively correlated with PCT [r= 0.103, P=0.308; R=0.143, P=0.155] and diastolic blood pressure [r=0.022, P=0.823; R= 0.008, P=0.932]. Moreover, PDW positively correlated with systolic blood pressure [r=0.105, P=0.298; R= 0.147, P=0.148] and diastolic blood pressure [r=0.146, P=0.145; R=0.173, P=0.084]. Based on Spearman but not Pearson correlation, PDW showed a negative correlation with PCT [r=-0.005, P=0.959; R=0.010, P=0.929].
Conclusion: The study shows a correlation between Plt count and indices in ischemic stroke patients. The research also presented evidence concerning the relationship between diastolic and systolic blood pressure and Plt counts and indices.
 

Background: Stroke is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Various studies have examined the neuroprotective effects of magnesium and potassium ions through their effects on the glutamate receptor and the endothelium, achieved by lowering blood pressure and through their anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. The objective of our study was to determine the prognostic significance of serum magnesium and serum potassium levels in acute stroke.
Methods: An observational study was conducted at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, for 18 months on 150 adults in patients with acute stroke, enrolled within 72 hours after applying appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria. Correlations between the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at discharge and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission with serum levels of magnesium and potassium were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 27.0.
Results: Two groups were formed based on serum magnesium levels: <1.5 mg/dL and >1.5 mg/dL. Similarly, two groups were created based on serum potassium levels: <3.5 mEq/L and >3.5 mEq/L. A significant correlation was found, using Spearman’s coefficient test, between serum potassium and magnesium levels and the GCS score at admission, as well as the mRS score at discharge (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Lower concentrations of magnesium and potassium are associated with increased cerebral arterial contraction and greater neurological damage.