| Sam Yeol Ha | 10 Articles |
Background
Although postural instability is one of the major symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), dopaminergic treatment is ineffective for treating postural instability. Recent reports have shown that somatosensory deficit is associated with postural instability, and that somatosensory input improved postural instability. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of lateral wedges for quiet standing postural control in people with PD. Methods Twenty-two patients who were diagnosed with PD were enrolled in this study. The participants stood on a force plate under two conditions (wedge and no wedge) with or without having their eyes open or closed. The center of pressure (COP) range and velocity were analyzed using a two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results The range and velocity of COP in the anterioposterior and mediolateral (ML) directions were significantly improved after the patients stood on the lateral wedge with their eyes closed (p < 0.05). The range in ML direction and velocity in both directions of COP were significantly decreased when their eyes were open (p < 0.05). Conclusions Regardless of vision, standing on lateral wedges improved postural sway in people with PD.
Reversible conduction block (RCB) was rare in patients with acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN). A-46-year-old man presented with paresthesia, weakness, diplopia, and dysarthria. Nerve conduction study (NCS) exhibited axonal changes with conduction block in motor and sensory nerves. His symptoms were rapidly progressed and recovered. Conduction block was disappeared in the follow-up NCS performed after 2 weeks. The AMSAN case with RCB showed rapid progress and rapid recovery of clinical symptoms as acute motor axonal neuropathy patients with RCB.
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Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of snoring frequency in the diagnosis and severity of obstructive sleep apnea. Methods: Patients who underwent polysomnography with one or more of the following characteristics were included: 1) sleepiness, non-restorative sleep, fatigue, or insomnia symptoms; 2) arousal due to cessation of breathing or the occurrence of gasping or choking when waking up; and 3) habitual snoring, breathing interruptions, or both, noted by a bed partner or other observer. We analyzed the differences in clinical and polysomnographic variables between patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea and investigated the associations of those variables with obstructive sleep apnea severity. Results: One hundred ninety-three patients met the inclusion criteria, and 145 of the 193 patients were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that large neck circumference (p = 0.0054) and high snoring index (p = 0.0119) were independent predictors for obstructive sleep apnea. Moreover, between the obstructive sleep apnea severity groups, there was a strong tendency of difference in body mass index (p = 0.0441) and neck circumference (p = 0.0846). However, there was no significant difference in snoring frequency according to obstructive sleep apnea severity (p = 0.4914). Conclusions: We confirmed that snoring frequency is a predictor of obstructive sleep apnea. In addition, we showed for the first time that snoring frequency is not associated with obstructive sleep apnea severity, thus it is not a valuable marker for predicting obstructive sleep apnea severity.
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Background
Viruses can cause either meningitis or encephalitis. It is unclear why some people suffer from aseptic meningitis, and others acquire aseptic encephalitis when infected with the same viral pathogens. The aim of this study was to compare demographic and laboratory factors between patients with aseptic meningitis and encephalitis. Methods: The demographic and laboratory differences were analyzed according to age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, C-reactive protein in the blood, white blood cell and protein in the cerebrospinal fluid, and glucose ratio (cerebrospinal fluid/blood). Additionally, we analyzed the nation-wide differencesin age between the patients with aseptic meningitis and those with encephalitis in Korea. Results: The patients with aseptic encephalitis were older, more likely to have hypertension, and had higher levels of C-reactive protein than did the patients with aseptic meningitis. However, the numbers of white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid were significantly higher in the patients with meningitis than in the patients with encephalitis. Multivariable analysis revealed that age >49 years, hypertension and a C-reactive protein level >5.81 mg/dL were independent and significant variables in the prediction of aseptic encephalitis. Additionally, the patients with aseptic encephalitis were older than those with aseptic meningitis in the nation-wide Korean database. Conclusions: Older age, hypertension, and higher levels of C-reactive protein are useful factors for the prediction of aseptic encephalitis.
Background: Triphasic waves are one of the electroencephalographic patterns that can be usually seen in metabolic encephalopathy. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical and electrophysiologic profiles between patients with and without triphasic waves in metabolic encephalopathy, and reassess the significance of triphasic waves in metabolic encephalopathy. Methods: We recruited 127 patients with metabolic encephalopathy, who were admitted to our hospital. We divided these admitted patients into two groups; those with and without triphasic waves. We analyzed the difference of duration of hospitalization, mortality rate during admission, Glasgow Coma Scale, severity of electroencephalographic alteration, and presence of acute symptomatic seizures between these two groups. Results: Of the 127 patients with metabolic encephalopathy, we excluded 67 patients who did not have EEG, and 60 patients finally met the inclusion criteria for this study. Patients with triphasic waves had more severe electroencephalographic alterations, lower Glasgow Coma Scale, and more acute symptomatic seizures than those without triphasic waves. After adjusting the clinical variables, Glasgow Coma Scale and acute symptomatic seizures were only significantly different between patients with and without triphasic waves. Conclusions: We demonstrated that patients with triphasic waves in metabolic encephalopathy had more significant impairment of the brain function.
A 77-year-old man developed acute vertigo and unsteady gait. Neurological examination revealed spontaneous left-beating nystagmus in the primary position. He fell to the left when walking without support. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an acute infarction involving the right parieto-temporal lobe. Although the vertigo and unsteady gait are most often associated with vestibular disorders involving the infratentorial structures, those may occur in cerebral infarction of the parieto-temporal lobe.
It was sometimes difficult to differentiate between acute-onset chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (A-CIDP) and subacute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (SIDP). The CNS involvement of these polyneuropathies has rarely reported in the literature. We present the case of a 42-year-old man who developed rapidly developing inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy followed by right optic neuritis. This case showed progressive motor weakness and sensory dysfunction with time to nadir at 8 weeks, demyelination in nerve conduction study, no other etiology of neuropathy, no relapse during follow-up of 18 months, good response to steroid and complete recovery which favor SIDP more than A-CIDP. We experienced the case of SIDP associated with optic neuritis.
We encountered a case of pituitary apoplexy who presented with isolated headache and vomiting without visual disturbance or ophthalmoplegia. The cerebrospinal fluid examination was compatible with aseptic meningitis. A computed tomography revealed slightly high density in the pituitary fossa and suprasella area, but the signal change was very faint. Our case suggests that clinicians should take into account the possibility of pituitary apoplexy without visual disturbance or ophthalmoplegia, when aseptic meningitis is suspected.
Ischemic monomelic neuropathy and myopathy are rare complications of peripheral arterial occlusive disease. We reporta case of ischemic monomelic neuropathy of the right sural, common peroneal and posterior tibial nerves and ischemic myopathyof the right tibialis anterior resulting from the occlusion of the right common femoral arteries despite successfulrevascularization. Ischemic monomelic neuropathy and myopathy can occur as a result of occlusion of the specific peripheralartery.
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