• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.17-27
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the correlation between HbA1c and pain intensity in diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients, and to compare the difference between two groups divided by the risk of complications. Methods : The participants were 46 men and women suffering from neuropathic pain diagnosed with diabetes mellitus who visited the Hospital of Traditional Korean Medicine, Semyung University from June, 2014 to August, 2015. Age, duration of diabetes mellitus, numeric rating scale(NRS), and Michigan neuropathy screening instrument(MNSI) were used as evaluation tools. Results : 1. In all 46 cases, there were no significant correlations between HbA1c and age, duration of diabetes mellitus, NRS, MNSIQ, or MNSIE. 2. Among 23 cases with a high risk of complications (more than 7.0 % of HbA1c, group A), there were no significant correlations between HbA1c and age, duration of diabetes mellitus, NRS, MNSIQ, or MNSIE. 3. Among 23 cases with a low risk of complications(less than 7.0 % of HbA1c, group B), there were no significant correlations between HbA1c and age, duration of diabetes mellitus, NRS, MNSIQ, or MNSIE. 4. Means of duration of diabetes mellitus, NRS, MNSIQ, and MNSIE were higher in group A than group B, but there were no significant correlations in statistics. Conclusions : This study could not find statistically significant correlations between pain intensity and HbA1c in diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients, so more studies are required in the future.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.356-366
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• 2012

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) involving sensory and motor nerve damage or dysfunction is a common and serious clinical problem that affects many patients receiving cancer treatment. This condition may pose challenges for the clinician to diagnose and manage, particularly in patients with coexisting conditions or disorders that involve the peripheral nervous system. Many chemotherapeutic agents used today are associated with the development of serious and dose-limiting CIPN that can adversely affect the administration of planned therapy and can impair quality of life by interference with the patients' activities of daily living. The most important clinical objective in the evaluation of patients with CIPN is to determine their level of functional impairment involving activities of daily living. These findings are used to make medical decisions to continue, modify, delay, or stop treatment. The most commonly reported drugs to cause CIPN include taxanes, platinum agents, vinca alkaloids, thalidomide, and bortezomib. We aimed to determine PN incidence during cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin administration. Methods: We collected data from 125 patients who received at least one cycle of cisplatin, carboplatin or oxaliplatin. They completed a self-reported questionnaire and items related to their disease and peripheral neuropathy. The investigators filled in part of items about disease and treatment. Patient Neurotoxicity Qeustionnaire developed by Bionumerik company were applied for PN assessment. Results: The incidences of sensory neurotoxicities of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin were respectively 23%, 56% and 50%. The incidences of motor neurotoxicities of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin were respectively 18%, 42% and 19%. The incidences of severe neurotoxicities of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin were respectively 13%, 28% and 14%. The incidences of PN were associated with cumulative dose but not age, gender and concurrent illness. 19.2% of the patients (24/125) were prescribed with gabapentin, nortriptyline or gabapentin plus nortriptyline to reduce these peripheral symptoms and 75% of the patients answered the drug were effective. Conclusion: Incidence of PN after cisplatin or oxaliplatin administration is cumulative dose-related. Physician-based assessments under-reported the incidence and severity of CIPN. To overcome this limitation, diagnostic tools specifically designed to assess peripheral neuropathy severity associated with chemotherapy must be developed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.77-89
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop a standard instrument of pattern identification and evaluation for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).Methods: The advisory committee for this study was organized by 12 professors of traditional Korean medicine from the Korean Association of Traditional Oncology. The items and structure of the instrument were designed based on a review of previous publications. We revised the instrument in consultation with the advisory committee and received additional advice via email.Results: We divided the symptoms and signs of CIPN into four pattern identifications: wind arthralgia (風痺), cold arthralgia (寒痺), dampness arthralgia (濕痺), and arthralgia of the deficiency type (虛痺). We obtained the mean weights to reflect the standard deviations from each symptom of the four pattern identifications, which were scored on a 5-point scale by the advisor committee. After we obtained the answers to discrimination between variable symptoms (變症) and ordinary symptoms (素症) from the 12 experts, we gained the final weight from the combination of the ratio of pattern identification to the number of total answers of the advisory committee and the mean weight.Conclusions: The Instrument on Pattern Identification and Evaluation for CIPN was developed through a discussion between 12 experts. There was a limitation that the validity and reliability of this instrument have not been proven. However, the significance of this study was that it is the first Instrument on Pattern Identification and Evaluation aimed at assessing CIPN in traditional Korean medicine.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.4 s.51
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• pp.765-771
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• 1995

This study was performed to investigate the possibility of temporary threshold shift (TTS) of vibration sense could induced by exposure to high-frequency vibration or by work position taking by dentists in drilling or polishing. The vibratory perception thresholds (VPT) of 28 healthy men were measured on the index fingertip pulp of dominant hand at 250 Hz. The vibrating tool used in test was a low-speed handpiece of 34,000 rpm. For the TTS test, the dominant hand was exposed to high-frequency vibration and to work position for five minutes, respectively. The VPTs before and after vibratory exposure were $23.5{\pm}3.5dB,\;30.8{\pm}4.2dB$, respectively and VPT after work position was $23.7{\pm}4.6dB$. The difference between before and after vibartory exposure was statistically significant (p<0.001). The correlation of height, weight and BMI with baseline VPTs was not statistically significant. Also, there was no difference of VPTs by smoking. These results suggest that high-frequency vibration from dental handpieces might cause the impairment of vibration sensation.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.1341-1348
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Korean medicine on a squamous cell lung cancer patient with chemotherapy induction peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). A 61-year old male patient, who had received 4 cycles of chemotherapy after lung surgery from squamous cell lung cancer, was treated with acupuncture and herbal medicines, including Uchasingi-hwan and Samchilchoongcho-capsule, to control CIPN and dyspnea on exertion. The degree of pain was assessed by a numeric rating scale (NRS). After receiving acupuncture and herbal medicines, the NRS score for CIPN symptoms was reduced from 4 to 1 and the NRS score for dyspnea on exertion decreased from 3 to less than 1. Korean medicine could therefore be useful in reducing peripheral neuropathy occurring after chemotherapy and dyspnea after lobectomy.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.195-199
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• 2014

The X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a peroxisomal disease by defects of ABCD1 gene on chromosome Xq28 leading to accumulation of saturated very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA), progressive demyelination and adrenal insufficiency. A 4-year-old boy was visited hospital with the chief compliant of hyperpigmentation beginning at 2-years old. Serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol concentration were compatible with adrenal insufficiency. The elevated plasmatic concentration of VLCFA and genotype analysis with sequencing of ABCD1 gene established the diagnosis of X-ALD. Brain MRI showed no abnormal high signal intensity on the white matter. Steroid replacement was started with good response. He initiated Lorenzo's oil with restriction of VLCFA by reducing the intake of fatty foods. The author highlight the importance of suspecting of X-ALD in the etiology of primary adrenal insufficiency as the first sign of the disease.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.197-205
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatment pattern of patients with neuropathic pain (NeP) in Korea through computerized database of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRAS) over three years' period from 2003 to 2005. The results showed that the numbers of treatment visits were the highest for diabetic neuropathy (DN), followed by postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and trigeminal neuralgia (TN) in order. Top 3 specialties for treatment visits due to NeP conditions were neurology, neurosurgery and anesthesiology. While cost of a treatment visit was higher in anesthesiology and emergency clinics compared to other clinics, there was a tendency to increase costs for visits to clinics of rehabilitation medicine and family medicine over the three years. Cost of dental visits was relatively high for TN, atypical facial pain (AFP) and atypical odontalgia (AO). Surgeries frequently applied to patients with NeP were sympathetic plexus or ganglion block, block of peripheral branch of spinal nerve and cranial nerve or its peripheral branch block. Most common prescribed medication were anticonvulsants, anti-inflammatory analgesics and anti-psychotic drugs while anti-inflammatory analgesics were overwhelmingly frequently prescribed for AO and glossodynia. Based on the results of this study, NeP disorders more relevant to dentists were AO, TN and AFP, TN of which seems to be the most important in terms of patients' number and cost for treatment visits. This indicates that dentists, especially oral medicine specialists should actively participate in management of TN, AO and AFP and share relevant information with patients and community.