• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제62권3호
• /
• pp.328-335
• /
• 2019

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorder affecting 6-7 per 1000 worldwide. Nearly one-third of patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy continue to have recurrent seizures despite adequate trial of more than two anti-seizure drugs : drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Children with DRE often experience cognitive and psychosocial co-morbidities requiring more urgent and aggressive treatment than adults. Epilepsy surgery can result in seizure-freedom in approximately two-third of children with improvement in cognitive development and quality of life. Understanding fundamental differences in etiology, co-morbidity, and neural plasticity between children and adults is critical for appropriate selection of surgical candidates, appropriate presurgical evaluation and surgical approach, and improved overall outcome.

• 대한간호학회지
• /
• 제47권5호
• /
• pp.624-637
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to identify variables influencing the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adults with epilepsy in order to establish a structural model and design an intervention strategy to improve patients' HRQoL. Methods: The selected subjects were 212 patients with epilepsy aged between 18 and 70 years who were currently receiving treatment from hospital, general hospital, and clinic. They were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Results: The goodness of fit measures of the final hypothetical model were as follows: ${\chi}^2/df=2.51$, GFI=.91, AGFI=.90, CFI=.96, SRMR=.04, NFI=.93, and RMSEA=.08. The major variables influencing the HRQoL of adults with epilepsy were epilepsy self-efficacy, depression, social support, and side effects of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), which were significant in the mentioned order, whereas the duration of AEDs use and perceived stigma did not show any effects. Six variables accounted for 75.6% of HRQoL. Variables having a direct and total effect on the HRQoL of adults with epilepsy were the side effects of AEDs, social support, epilepsy self-efficacy, and depression, and those with an indirect effect were the side effects of AEDs and social support. Conclusion: It is necessary to accurately identify the side effects of AEDs in adults with epilepsy and accurately observe the physical changes caused by depression. In addition, it is imperative to establish an active and effective nursing intervention program to strengthen the self-efficacy of the patients and to improve their quality of life through social support provided by family members and medical professionals.

• 대한간호학회지
• /
• 제28권4호
• /
• pp.1003-1012
• /
• 1998

The purpose of this research was to identify the effect of human potential seminars on the perceived stigma of adults with epilepsy. The research employed a quasi experimental design and unequivalent control group pre-post design. The test was conducted on 15 adults with epilepsy attending one psychiartric out-patient clinic in Masan City, Korea. The stigma questionnaire was used as a pre-test to these patients. HPS was done ten times for five weeks from May 6, to July 26, 1996. The stigma questionnaire was again given, but this time as a post test. The control group of 14 adults with epilepsy were receiving medication at the same clinic. The human potential seminars were structured by McHolland(1972) and translated by Lee, Hae Seung(1990). The stigma research tool was modified and revised to be appropriate to Korean culture. It consisted of 15 sentences. The internal consistency was 0.92 with Cronbach's α. Research results are as follows. 1) To determine the homogenity of the experimental and control groups, the pre-stigma results were used and democratic-sociologic characteristics, job characteristics and disease related variables were compared. There was no significant difference between the two groups. 2) To identify the relationship between stigma and patient characteristics a pre-test was done. The study used both Mann-Whitney U-test and ANOVA test for statistical analysis. The variables related to stigma were the reason of unemployment and age at onset of epilepsy. 3) The test results of the effect of the human potential seminars on stigma in the patients with epilepsy, showed that stigma in the experimental group was lower than in the control group. The statistical method used to determine the difference between pre and post stigma results was the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The test results were statistically significant at the one percent level. 4) As a follow-up evaluation ten more patients(66.7% of the total) were additionally tested. In order to investigate if the stigmas were different between the pre, post and follow-up, Repeated measure ANOVA was used. The test results showed that the stigma scores were statistically different between the three groups at the one percent level(F=10.06, d.f.=2, p=0.00).

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제56권7호
• /
• pp.275-281
• /
• 2013

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common type of medically intractable epilepsy in adults and children, and mesial temporal sclerosis is the most common underlying cause of TLE. Unlike in the case of adults, TLE in infants and young children often has etiologies other than mesial temporal sclerosis, such as tumors, cortical dysplasia, trauma, and vascular malformations. Differences in seizure semiology have also been reported. Motor manifestations are prominent in infants and young children, but they become less obvious with increasing age. Further, automatisms tend to become increasingly complex with age. However, in childhood and especially in adolescence, the clinical manifestations are similar to those of the adult population. Selective amygdalohippocampectomy can lead to excellent postoperative seizure outcome in adults, but favorable results have been seen in children as well. Anterior temporal lobectomy may prove to be a more successful surgery than amygdalohippocampectomy in children with intractable TLE. The presence of a focal brain lesion on magnetic resonance imaging is one of the most reliable independent predictors of a good postoperative seizure outcome. Seizure-free status is the most important predictor of improved psychosocial outcome with advanced quality of life and a lower proportion of disability among adults and children. Since the brain is more plastic during infancy and early childhood, recovery is promoted. In contrast, long epilepsy duration is an important risk factor for surgically refractory seizures. Therefore, patients with medically intractable TLE should undergo surgery as early as possible.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제63권8호
• /
• pp.291-300
• /
• 2020

Advances in autoimmune encephalitis studies in the past 10 years have led to the identification of new syndromes and biomarkers that have transformed the diagnostic approach to the disorder. The disorder or syndrome has been linked to a wide variety of pathologic processes associated with the neuron-specific autoantibodies targeting intracellular and plasma membrane antigens. However, current criteria for autoimmune encephalitis are quite dependent on antibody testing and responses to immunotherapy, which might delay the diagnosis. This form of encephalitis can involve the multifaceted presentation of seizures and unexpected behavioral changes. The spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms in children is less definitive than that in adults, and the incorporation of clinical, immunological, electrophysiological, and neuroradiological results is critical to the diagnostic approach. In this review, we document the clinical and immunologic characteristics of autoimmune encephalitis known to date, with the goal of helping clinicians in differential diagnosis and to provide prompt and effective treatment.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
• /
• 제38권2호
• /
• pp.141-146
• /
• 2006

Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) has been proposed as a possible way to improve the control of refractory epilepsy. We report the effects following VNS treatment in patients with refractory epilepsy. Seventeen patients with a mean age of 12.8 years, ranging from 5 to 29 years, underwent the implantation of vagal nerve stimulation (Cyberonics, Houston, TX). We reviewed the clinical findings before and after VNS in seizure frequency, number of antiepileptic drugs (AED), and quality of life (QOL). All of the patients had intractable seizures, eleven of the patients had additional medical complications, three had hippocampus atrophy, one had encephalomalacia, five had encephalitis, one had pachygyria, and one had schizencephaly. Thirteen patients had symptomatic partial epilepsies, three patients had Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and one had cryptogenic partial epilepsy. The mean follow up duration was 35 months. The mean reduction of seizure frequency compared with baseline before VNS was 26.1% after 3 months (p<0.005), 41.9% after 6 months (p<0.001), 46.9% after 1 year (p<0.001), and 53% at the latest follow-up (p<0.001). Twelve patients showed an improvement of QOL such as mood, language, alertness, expression, and motor function. The most common side effects were transient hoarseness or voice change or cough, which was detected in six patients (35%) and wound infection in one patient (5%). This study has shown a good anti-seizure effect of VNS, decrease in seizure frequency and improvements in QOL. We concluded that VNS is a beneficial therapy in refractory epilepsy with a non-resectable epileptic focus. Further studies should be focused on the prediction of unresponsiveness and the adjustment of VNS parameters for maximum efficacy in patients with various medical histories.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제44권4호
• /
• pp.234-239
• /
• 2008

Objective : There are a few reports on the complications of surgery for epilepsy. We surveyed our data to present complications of epilepsy surgeries from the neurosurgeon's point of view and compare our results with other previous reports. Methods : A total of 179 surgical procedures for intractable epilepsy (41 diagnostic, 138 therapeutic) were performed in 92 consecutive patients (10 adults, 82 children) during the last 9.2 years (February. 1997-April. 2006). Their medical records and radiological findings were reviewed to identify and analyze the surgical complications. Results : The diagnostic procedures encompassed various combinations of subdural grid, subdural strips, and depth electrodes. Four minor transient complications developed in 41 diagnostic procedures (4/41=9.8%). A total of 138 therapeutic procedures included 28 anterior temporal lobectomies, 21 other lobectomies, 6 lesionectomies, 21 topectomies, 13 callosotomies, 20 vagus nerve stimulations, 13 multiple subpial transections, and 16 hemispherectomies. Twenty-six complications developed in therapeutic procedures (26/138=18.8%). Out of the 26 complications, 21 complications were transient and reversible (minor; 21/138=15.2%), and 5 were serious complications (major; 5/138=3.6%). Five major complications were one visual field defect, two mortality cases and two vegetative states. There were 2 additional mortality cases which were not related to the surgery itself. Conclusion : Our results indicate that complication rate was higher than previous other reports in minor complications and was comparable in major complications. However, our results show relatively high frequency of mortality cases and severe morbidity case compared to other previous reports. The authors would like to emphasize the importance of acute postoperative care in young pediatric patients as well as meticulous surgical techniques to reduce morbidity and mortality in epilepsy surgery.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
• /
• 제48권4호
• /
• pp.388-393
• /
• 2016

뇌전증의 개념은 간질발작이 지속적으로 발생하는 뇌변병으로 2005년에 정의 되었다. 2014년 국제항뇌전증연맹에서는 새로운 정의를 내렸으며, 10년 이내 재발 위험이 높다고 하였다. 뇌전증 발작재발의 중요한 위험인자로서 뇌파에서 IEDs의 존재는 발작 증상이 높게 나타날 수 있다는 것을 반영한다. 본 연구는 뇌전증 환자에서 뇌파검사 소견과 IEDs에 따른 발작재발의 상관관계를 분석하여 뇌전증 환자의 예후를 예측하기 위한 뇌파검사의 기초자료로 활용하고자 실시하였다. 연구결과, 뇌전증 질환의 남녀 차이는 없었으며, 연령의 분포 차이는 있었다. 상관관계 분석결과 연령에 따라 발작재발은 음의 상관관계였으며, IEDs에 따라 발작재발은 양의 상관관계를 나타내었다. 또한 통계적으로 연령은 발작재발에 10.9%의 영향을 나타내었고, IEDs는 발작재발에 15%의 설명력을 나타내었다. 따라서 뇌파검사는 임상에서 사용하는 뇌전증 진단에 매우 중요한 검사로 판단되며, 향후 보다 의미 있는 임상 자료가 되기 위하여 발병률에 따른 뇌파결과와 치료 중 뇌파결과와 발작재발 그리고 치료 후 발작재발 등을 지속적으로 연구해야 할 것으로 생각된다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제67권3호
• /
• pp.299-307
• /
• 2024

Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is a vascular anomaly commonly found in children and young adults. Common clinical presentations of pediatric patients with CCMs include headache, focal neurological deficits, and seizures. Approximately 40% of pediatric patients are asymptomatic. Understanding the natural history of CCM is crucial and hemorrhagic rates are higher in patients with an initial hemorrhagic presentation, whereas it is low in asymptomatic patients. There is a phenomenon known as temporal clustering in which a higher frequency of symptomatic hemorrhages occurs within a few years following the initial hemorrhagic event. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment for pediatric CCMs. Excision of a hemosiderin-laden rim is controversial regarding its impact on epilepsy outcomes. Stereotactic radiosurgery is an alternative treatment, especially for deep-seated CCMs, but its true efficacy needs to be verified in a clinical trial.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제52권9호
• /
• pp.1005-1014
• /
• 2009

목 적:간질아동의 치료과정에서 이들을 돌보는 부모들은 스트레스, 사회적 낙인 등으로 인한 정신사회적 곤란으로 삶의 질이 저하될 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 간질아동 부모들의 간질에 대한 지각된 낙인과 삶의 질을 평가하고 지각된 낙인이 간질아동의 질병관련 변수들과 삶의 질 사이에서 매개변수로 작용하는지 조사하고자 하였다. 방 법:경기, 부산, 대구, 경북 소재 5개 대학병원의 소아간질클리닉에서 간질로 진단받고 치료중인 간질아동의 부모 260명을 대상으로 지각된 낙인과 삶의 질 측정도구 등 구조화된 설문조사를 실시한 후 통계학적으로 분석하였다. 결 과:부모들의 삶의 질 수준은 비교적 양호하게 나타났으며 지각된 낙인이 간질아동의 질병관련 변수들과 삶의 질 사이에서 매개변수로 작용함을 확인하였다. 지각된 낙인, 고용 여부, 월수입, 종교 유무, 여가시간은 간질아동 부모의 삶의 질에 직접적으로 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났고, 간질아동의 질병관련 변수들인 동반장애 유무 및 경련의 빈도는 매개변수인 지각된 낙인을 통해 간접효과를 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 총인과 효과는 동반장애 유무, 지각된 낙인, 고용여부, 월수입 순으로 크게 나타나 지각된 낙인의 매개효과가 매우 중요함을 알 수 있었다. 결 론:간질아동 부모들의 삶의 질이 다양한 사회경제적 요인 및 아동의 의학적 요인에 의해 영향 받으며 간질에 대한 지각된 낙인의 역할이 중요함을 알 수 있었고, 그들의 삶의 질 향상을 위해서는 다학문간의 공동 노력이 필요할 것으로 보인다.