1.Interesting Asian Plants: Their Compounds and Effects on Electrophysiology and Behaviour
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2011;18(4):1-4
There have been numerous non-scientific reports on the behavioural effects of Asian plants
in humans who consumed these plants wholly or part thereof. Knowledge passed from generation
to generation informs us of plants that increase effort and stamina, such as during paddy planting
after the ingestion of Mitragyna speciosa Korth (ketum) as a tea supplement. Centella asiatica and
Myristica fragrans are used as herbs to improve memory and to treat epilepsy, respectively. Zizyphus
mauritiana is used to treat headache and burn pain, acts as an antitussive, and reduces rigor mortis
immediately after death. These plants, which have been identified to exhibit analgaesic, musclerelaxing,
and nootropic effects, may contain important bio-compounds for medicinal chemistry and
pharmaceutical research in Malaysia. The electrophysiology properties of these plants and their
effects on epilepsy, behaviour, and pain will lead Malaysia to future new drug discoveries.
2.All the Vice Chancellor’s Neuroscientists: Unity to Achieve Success in Solving Malaysia’s Diseases via Upgrading Clinical Services and Neuroscience Research
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2013;20(3):1-5
President Obama of the United States of America announced this April the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN for short) investment, while Professor Henry Markram’s team based in the European Union will spend over a billion euros on the Human Brain Project, breaking through the unknowns in the fifth science of the decade: Neuroscience. Malaysia's growth in the same field needs to be augmented, and thus the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s vision is to excel in the field of clinical brain sciences, mind sciences, and neurosciences. This will naturally bring up the level of research in the country simultaneously. Thus, a center was recently established to coordinate this venture. The four-year Integrated Neuroscience Program established recently will be a sustainable source of neuroscientists for the country. We hope to establish ourselves by 2020 as a global university with neurosciences research as an important flagship.
Neurosciences
3.Neuroscience and Brain Science Special Issue begins in the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2014;21(Special Issu):1-5
The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences and the Orient Neuron Nexus have amalgated to publish a yearly special issue based on neuro- and brain sciences. This will hopefully improve the quality of peer-reviewed manuscripts in the field of fundamental, applied, and clinical neuroscience and brain science from Asian countries. One focus of the Universiti Sains Malaysia is to strengthen neuroscience and brain science, especially in the field of neuroinformatics.
4.The Eight Stages of Trust and “Amanah” in Medicine and the Dunning-Kruger effect
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2014;21(4):1-3
The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled people make poor decisions and reach erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence denies them the metacognitive ability to recognise their mistakes. These unskilled people therefore suffer from illusory superiority, rating their ability as above average, much higher than it actually is, while the highly skilled underrate their own abilities, suffering from illusory inferiority.
5.Ain’t No Neuroscience Mountain High Enough: Experiences of a Neurogardener
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2015;22(3):1-6
16 years have passed since the idea was mooted in 1999 by five neurosurgeons in the corridors of Hotel Perdana, Kota Bharu. They were Dato’ Dr Johari Siregar Bin Adnan, Dato’ Professor Dr Ahmad Zubaidi Abdul Latif , Dr Azmin Kass Bin Rosman, Dato’ Dr Mohammed Saffari Bin Mohammed Haspani and Professor Dato’ Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah. They initiated the beginning of the first programme in Neurosurgery in Malaysia. The rest is history.
6.Another Important News from the Neuronman: Malaysia’s Neuroscience Group Moves upwards in Terms of Research, Creativity, and Innovation
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2015;22(Special Issue):1-4
12 months ago the first Neuroscience special issue of the Malaysia Journal of Medical Sciences was born with the intention to increase the number of local publication dedicated to neurosciences. Since then many events happened in the neuroscience world of Malaysia, those considered major were the establishment of a Neurotechnology Foresight 2050 task force by the Academy of Medicine Malaysia as well as the launching of Malaysia as the 18th member to join the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility on the 9th October 2015 which was officiated by the Deputy Ministers of Higher Education, Datuk Mary Yap.
7.Telemetric EEG and the Rat: A Guide For Neuroscientists
Jafri Malin Abdullah ; Mohammad Rafiqul
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2012;19(4):1-5
Telemetric EEG in the rat’s brain has been used for experiments which tests the effects of an antiepileptic compound on it’s antiseizures activity. A simple classification correlating epileptiform discharge and Racine’s behavioral activity is discussed.
8.Prevalence of Shunt Dependency and Clinical Outcome in Patients with Massive Intraventricular Haemorrhage Treated with Endoscopic Washout and External Ventricular Drainage
Zamzuri Idris ; Jafri Malin Abdullah
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2017;24(1):40-46
Background: Intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) causes blockage of ventricular
conduits leading to hydrocephalus, increased intracranial pressure (ICP), and a reduced
level of consciousness. The current standard management of IVH is insertion of an external
ventricular drainage (EVD) catheter. However, this procedure addresses only the problems of
acute hydrocephalus and raised ICP. Endoscopic washout allows for a more complete removal
of the intraventricular clot. This study compared these two types of treatment in terms of shunt
dependency and relevant clinical outcomes.
Methods: Patients who were 10–80 years old and presented with a Graeb score of more
than six were randomised into endoscopic washout and EVD treatment groups. A CT brain was
repeated on each patient within 24 hours after surgery, and if a patient’s Graeb score was still
more than six, a repeat endoscopic washout was performed to clear the remaining clots. All
patients were monitored for shunt dependency at two weeks and three months, and clinical
outcomes were measured at six months after the procedure.
Results: A total of 39 patients were recruited; 19 patients were randomised into the
endoscopic washout group, and 20 were randomised into the EVD group. However, three patients
in the endoscopic group refused that treatment and opted for EVD insertion. Patients treated with
endoscopic washout had significantly less drainage dependency at two weeks (P < 0.005) and at
three months (P < 0.004) as compared to patients in the external ventricular drainage group.
The reduction in Graeb scores was also significantly greater in the endoscopic washout group
(P < 0.001). However, the functional outcome at six months measured via a modified Rankin scale
score was no different in the two groups of patients. The difference in the functional outcome of
the patients was mainly dependent on the initial pathology, with those presenting with a thalamic
bleed with IVH showing a poor functional outcome. This parameter was also influenced by the
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score on admission, with those patients with a score of 12 or less
having a poor functional outcome (MRS 5–6) at three and six months after the surgery.
Conclusions: The use of neuroendoscopy in patients with a massive IVH significantly
reduced drainage dependency. However, it did not alter the final functional outcome.
9.Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences Striving towards Visibility
Nur Farahin Ghazli, Jafri Malin Abdullah
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2013;20(4):1-4
The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences has in its 25 years “Silver Jubilee” achieved another milestone of being visible to the biomedical community when it was accepted in PubMed. The journal aim to increase its readership so as to increase impact in the biomedical field amongst its Asian readers despite having a high rejection rate. This was done to maintain quality of the manuscripts published over the years. PubMed listing should enable more manuscripts to be cited as its the leading biomedical journal for the Asian community.
10.Breaking into the International Arena: Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences publishing Report 2013
Nur Farahin Ghazli ; Jafri Malin Abdullah
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2014;21(3):1-3
The most recent Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences (MJMS)–MyCite report has shown that it has achieved a level becoming of a leading national medical science journal. This editorial reports on submission and acceptance rates of MJMS throughout the year 2013 and their geographical contributors. Our rejection rate of 29.76% with a 21.95% withdrawal rate because of poor quality of content and data as well as plagiarism indicates the seriousness of this journal to maintain the integrity and quality of it’s scientific data.