Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe and noninvasive tool for investigating the cortical excitability of the human brain and the neurophysiological functions of GABAergic, glutamatergic, and cholinergic neural circuits. Neurophysiological biomarkers based on TMS parameters can provide information on the pathophysiology of dementia, and be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and differentiate different types of dementia. This review introduces the basic principles of TMS, TMS devices and stimulating paradigms, several neurophysiological measurements, and the clinical implications of TMS for Alzheimer’s disease.

Citations

• Transcranial application of magnetic pulses for improving brain drug delivery efficiency via intranasal injection of magnetic nanoparticles
  Eunbi Ye, Eunkyoung Park, Eunseon Kim, Jung Eun Lee, Seung Ho Yang, Sung-Min Park
  Biomedical Engineering Letters.2023; 13(3): 417.     CrossRef
• Implantable acousto-optic window for monitoring ultrasound-mediated neuromodulation in vivo
  Sungho Lee, Keunhyung Lee, Myunghwan Choi, Jinhyoung Park
  Neurophotonics.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Treatment of Neurological Diseases
  Fahad A. Somaa, Tom A. de Graaf, Alexander T. Sack
  Frontiers in Neurology.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is the most common form of orthostatic intolerance in young people. However, it is still considered an underrecognized disorder and so deserves more attention from clinicians. This review covers the diagnostic challenges, correlations between the symptoms, evidence of autoimmune involvement in the pathogenesis, and treatment strategies in POTS.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an immune-mediated neuropathy with heterogeneous features. Appropriate treatment will produce a favorable outcome, but a poor treatment response and severe disability have also been reported. The roles of the clinical phenotypes and electrophysiological features of CIDP as well as of autoantibodies against nodal and paranodal proteins have been highlighted previously due to their association with the treatment response and long-term prognosis. This review addresses the diverse factors associated with the prognosis of CIDP.

Citations

• Tendon-Sparing Extraocular Muscle Enlargement Associated With Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy
  Antonios D. Dimopoulos, Anne Barmettler
  Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.2024; 40(2): e38.     CrossRef

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is nowadays consider as an umbrella term that has heterogenous presentation depend on their subtypes. GBS is clinical diagnosis and its diagnosis can be supported by laboratory findings from cerebral spinal fluid study, nerve conduction study, anti-ganglioside antibodies, spinal magnetic resonance imaging and nerve ultrasound. Understanding atypical subtypes and GBS mimicking diseases are crucial for correct diagnosis. Both proper medical care for respiratory and autonomic dysfunction and immunotherapy are essential to improve outcome of GBS. Here, we summarized the current concept on diagnosis, immunopathophysiology and treatment of GBS.

The most prevalent microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus is neuropathy, which encompasses distal symmetric polyneuropathy, mononeuropathy, radiculoplexopathy, and autonomic neuropathy. Intensive glucose control prevents and effectively halts the progression of diabetic neuropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, the effect of strict glucose control itself is at modest in those with type 2 diabetes. Although we have better understanding of the mechanism of diabetic neuropathy, many pharmacologic trials for the targeting underlying nerve damage have reported unsuccessful results. In this review, the effects and limitations of the current therapeutic options will be discussed.

The paraproteinemia is a disorder in which a single clone of plasma cells (monoclonal gammopathy) is responsible for the proliferation of monoclonal proteins (M-proteins). Approximately 10% of patients with idiopathic peripheral neuropathy have monoclonal gammopathy. Some M-proteins have the properties of an antibody to the components of peripheral nerve myelin, but the pathophysiological relationship between the neuropathy and the M-protein is often obscure. The relationship between peripheral neuropathy and monoclonal gammopathy requires the appropriate neurological and hematological investigations for precise diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we provide an update on the causal associations between peripheral neuropathy and monoclonal gammopathy as well as characteristics of clinical and electrophysiologic features.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by progressive death of motor neurons in the cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. Until now, many treatment strategies have been tested in ALS, but so far only Riluzole has shown efficacy of slightly slowing disease progression. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying ALS are multifactorial, with a complex interaction between genetic factors and molecular pathways. Other motor neuron disease such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and spinobulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) are also progressive neurodegenerative disease with loss of motor neuron as ALS. This common thread of motor neuron loss has provided a target for the development of therapies for these motor neuron diseases. A better understanding of these pathogenic mechanisms and the potential pathological relationship between the various cellular processes have suggested novel therapeutic approaches, including stem cell and genetics-based strategies, providing hope for feasible treatment of ALS.

Nonconvulsive status epilepticus usually presents with altered mentation without distinct manifestations of seizures. It may be related with various medical disorders. Hashimoto’s encephalopathy is characterized by various neurological manifestations accompanied by high titers of anti-thyroid antibodies. Here, we report a patient with nonconvulsive status epilepticus caused by Hashimoto’s encephalopathy who showed a dramatic response to steroids.

Background
s : Carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) is a common condition that is usually diagnosed by electrophysiologic studies. However, CTS provide limited information to determine the causes of CTS and to choose the treatment method. We evaluated diagnostic sensitivity of MR imaging and treatment decisions by MR imaging in electrodiagnosed CTS. Methods : 14 patients (26 wrists) with electrodiagnosed CTS were studied using MR imaging. In 26 wrists for which axial T1 & T2 weighted images were obtained at 1.5T with a decided wrist coil. Previously described MR imaging of CTS such as increased median nerve signal, flattening of median nerve, reticular bowing, tenosynovitis and space occupying lesions were retrospectively evaluated. Degree of improvement was evaluated by global symptom score(GSS). The GSS rated symptoms from 0 (no symptoms) to 10 (severe0 in each of five categories; pain, numbness, paresthesia, weakness/clumsiness, and nocturnal awaking. Subjects' GSS was recorded at baseline, 2 weeks, 1 month,6 months after treatment. We decided to medical treatment that showed mainly inflammatory sign such as increased median nerve signal, tenosinvitis and to surgical treatment such as space occupying lesion, high canal pressure sign. Results : MR imaging showed that increased median nerve signal were in 29 wrists(77%), flattening of median nerve were in 6 wrists (23%), reticular bowing were in 3 wrists (12%), tenosyovitis were in 8 wrists (32%), decreased canal size in 2 wrists (7.6%), space occupying lesion were in 1 wrists (4%). A good outcome was revealed in 21 wrists by medical treatment that showed mainly increased median nerve signal, tenosynovitis. The mean GSS were 27.7 at baseline 11.2 at 2 weeks, 11.0 at 6 month in medical treatment group. Another 5 wrists had surgical treatment shown by ganglion and high canal pressure sign such as median nerve flattening, reticular bowing, decreased canal size : 3 wrists had good prognosis, but 2 wrists (one patient) had no significant improvement due to small carpal tunnel size. Conclusions : Our results are in agreement with most previously described MR imaging signs of CTS. MR imaging plays an important role in several cases and especially in the assessment of failure of surgical treatment. Knowledge of MR findings may permit more rational choice of treatment.

Patient with neuropathic pain comprises up to 1% of population. As the underlying mechanism of neuropathic pain(NeP) is not fully understood, definition of NeP is not clearly established as well. Patients frequently complain their pain by diverse terms. Also, same symptom has different underlying mechanisms and same disease causes variable types of neuropathic pains. In this sense, traditional treatment of neuropathic pain targeted specific syndromes are not reasonable. Clinicians should know the specific treatment according to the mechanisms causing neuropathic pain. Treatment should be fit to their symptoms and signs representing mechanism.

Autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG) is the neuromuscular junction disorder mostly caused by antibody against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR antibody) at the muscle endplate. The goal of treatment is to induce and maintain remission, i.e., absence of symptoms, with the least cost-to-benefit ratio. Although corticosteroids are effective in inducing remission in most patients, they have numerous potentially serious adverse effects with their long-term use. In addition, some patients do not respond or are intolerant to the conventional treatment. In this article, we discuss the difficulties encountered in long-term immunosuppressive treatment of MG, and review useful tips for the use of corticosteroids. Long-term immunosuppressive agents that can be used in steroid-refractory or -dependent patients will be reviewed with their safety profiles and efficacy in MG.

Cervical and thoracic radiculopathies are among the most common causes of neck pain. The most common causes are cervical disc herniation and cervical spondylosis in patients with cervical radiculopathy, and diabetes mellitus and thoracic disc herniation in thoracic radiculopathy. A thorough history, physical examination, and testing that includes electrodiagnostic examination and imaging studies may distinguish radiculopathy from other pain sources. Although various electrodiagnostic examinations may help evaluate radiculopathy, needle electromyography is the most important, sensitive, and specific method. Outcome studies of conservative treatments have shown varying results and have not been well controlled or systematic. When legitimate incapacitating symptoms continue despite conservative treatment attempts, more invasive spinal procedures and intradiscal treatment may be appropriate. Surgery has been shown to have excellent clinical outcomes in patients with disc extrusion and neurological deficits. However, patients with minimal disc herniation have fair or poor surgical outcomes. In addition, conventional open disc surgery entails various inadvertent surgical related risks. Although there has not yet been a non-surgical interventional procedure developed with the therapeutic efficacy of open surgery, conservative procedures can offer substantial benefits, are less invasive, and avoid surgical complications. While more invasive procedures may be appropriate when conservative treatment fails, prospective studies evaluating cervical and thoracic radiculopathies treatment options would help guide practitioners toward optimally cost-effective patient evaluation and care.

The British guideline for early management of persistent low back pain, published in 2009, indicated that physicians shouldoffer exercise or medication, rather than radiological interventions or injections, as first choice of treatment in the patientswith chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, there had been great controversies regarding the effectiveness of interventionaltreatment of patients with CLBP.Both somatic (discogenic, instability, etc) and psychosocial factors contribute to the pathophysiology of chronic low backpain (CLBP). Although it can be difficult in many occasions, thorough interview with the patients and specific diagnosticapproaches can help us to identify which is the main etiology in individual patient. With the recent progress in medicalradiology and development of new therapeutic modalities, some subgroups of patients of CLBP caused by somatic factorsappear to be good candidates of interventional therapy.Interventional therapy can be considered in patients with CLBP caused by annulus rupture, facet joint degeneration, discdegeneration, and vertebral column instability. Among other subgroups of CLBP, carefully selected patients with disc degenerationshow the most favorable result by interventional therapy. In this regard, discogenic pain, either as a form of CLBPor acute discogenic radiculopathy, seems to be a good indication of interventional therapy. Because many spine specialistsgenerally consider those with radiculopathy are easier to be treated, patients with CLBP tend to be subjects of conventionalconservative therapy. For these reasons, clinicians should make their best effort to identify every possible somatic cause inpatients with CLBP before regarding them as hypochondriacs.In this review, some of the recent evidence on the role of interventional treatment in patients with CLBP will be discussed,and some of our cases who showed favorable results by interventional therapy will be presented.