• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.170-176
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• 2002

Diabetic Peripheral Polyneuropathy is one of the most distressing complications of diabetes, Drugs such as narcotic analgesics, tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants and phenothiazines have been used to treat diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy, but these drugs are not very effective for the many patients and the side effects may become intolerable. In oriental medicine, usually the main etiology of diabetic Peripheral Polyneuropathy is insufficiency of Blood due to the state of dry-heat in the human body. Therefore, we use Bogan-tang to treat numbness of Diabetic Peripheral Polyneuropathy. Bogan-tang was administrated twice a day for 15 days, and VAS Scale was performed every day to evaluate numbness and insufficiency of blood. In both cases, numbness and insufficiency of blood were improved without any side effects. This study suggests that Bogan-tang is an effective drug in the treatment of Diabetic Peripheral Polyneuropathy.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.25-28
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• 2008

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is the most frequently encountered form of neuropathy in diabetic patients, and it either relentlessly progresses or remains relatively stable for many years, not showing any trend towards improvement. From this point of view, early detection of DPN is very important to prevent the irreversible change of the peripheral nerve from diabetic insults. Although a number of clinical symptoms and/or deficit scales have been developed for clinical or research purposes, nerve conduction study (NCS) has been known one of the most objective and sensitive tools to detect peripheral nerve dysfunctions in diabetic patients. NCS, however, also have several shortcomings. The next two consecutive articles will focus on debates about diagnostic usefulness of NCS and on recent updates of other diagnostic tests including quantitative sensory testings and skin biopsy in the field of diabetic polyneuropathy.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.935-940
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• 2005

Objectives : This study it designed to evaluate the effects of an oriental medicine therapy, namely Binsosan-gamibang, on diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy. Methods : The clinical data was analyzed on a patient with diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy due to subyeolongsung(濕熱壅盛), gihyeoloeche(氣血瘀滯) whose main symptoms were pain and numbness in both legs. The patient was admitted at the internal medicine department of Dae-Gu Hanny University Dae-Gu Oriental Medicine Hospital on December 22, 2003, and was treated with herbal medicine(Binsosan-gamibang), acupuncture and physical therapy. Results : After treatment, improvement in pain and numbness in both legs was seen in the subsection of the pain rating score(PRS) and the visual analogue scale(VAS). Conclusions : This study suggests that Binsosan-gamibang is significantly effective in treatment of diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2010

Background: Although quantitative sensory test (QST) is being used with increasing frequency for measuring sensory thresholds in clinical practice and epidemiologic studies, there has been no age-matched normative data in Korean adults. The objective of this study is to evaluate the value of QST in diabetic polyneuropathy with normal range in Korean adults. Methods: The Computer Aided Sensory Examination IV 4,2 (WR Medical Electronics Co., Stillwater, Minnesota, U.S.A.), with 4,2,1 stepping algorithm was used to determine vibration and cold perception threshold in 70 normal controls and 19 patients with diabetic polyneuropathy aged from 21 to 79 years. The data were used to define age-matched upper and lower normal limits and normal range of side to side difference. We also evaluated the duration of diabetes, serum HbA1C level, and findings of nerve conduction study (NCS) and QST in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. Results: In normal adults, sensory thresholds slightly increased with age, and a slight side-to-side difference was observed. The diagnostic sensitivity of QST was not higher than NCS in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy (36.8% vs. 42.1%, p=0.716), especially among elderly patients. Conclusions: QST might be used as a complementary test for NCS in the diagnosis of diabetic polyneuropathy. Although the QST is a simple method for the evaluation of peripheral nerve function, there are some limitations. Most of all, because the QST measuring is dependent on the subjective response of patients, the degree of concentration and cooperation of the patients can significantly affect the result. And thus, attention should be paid during the interpretation of QST results in patients with peripheral neuropathy.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2003

Backgrounds and Objectives: In the length-dependent axonal polyneuropathy like diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN), the distal part of the longer axons are affected earlier. In cases of minimal distal axonal changes, nerve conduction studies (NCS) are frequently normal. If sural nerve is affected in the early stage of DPN, supportive parameters to detect the early axonal degeneration may be helpful. We investigated whether the sural/ulnar SNAP amplitude ratio (SUAR) may be a more sensitive indicator than sural amplitude alone in the diagnosis of early diabetic polyneuropathy. Methods: We analyzed medical records and electrophysiological studies of 141 patients with DM and 30 healthy subjects. The patients with early stage of DPN were defined as those having symptoms of neuropathy and normal NCS findings among the patients with DM. We compared SUAR between 57 patients with early stage of DPN and 71 agematched control subjects. Results: Fifty seven patients had an average SUAR of 0.8, compared to that of 1.1 in the 71 normal controls. The SUAR of less than 0.9 was supplementary predictor of axonal polyneuropathy, with the best balance of sensitivity and specificity (70%). The SUAR did not vary significantly with age, height or duration of DM. Conclusions: We conclude that the SUAR is a useful electrodiagnostic indicator to detect early stage of DPN.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2017

Background: Routine nerve conduction study (NCS) can only be used to evaluate the function of large fibers, and the results of NCS are often normal in patients with distal sensory polyneuropathy. The measurement of the current perception threshold (CPT) has been reported to represent a variety of peripheral nerve fiber functions. This study was performed to investigate the value of measuring CPT in patients with diabetic sensory polyneuropathy who have no abnormalities in routine NCS. Methods: Twenty-seven diabetic patients with sensory polyneuropathy and normal routine NCS and 18 age-matched control subjects participated in this study. The CPT was measured on the unilateral index finger and great toe of each subject at frequencies of 5 Hz, 250 Hz, and 2,000 Hz. Results: CPT values were significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group, especially with stimuli at the lowest frequency of 5 Hz (p < 0.05). There were significant correlations between the CPT values obtained at three different frequencies in the patient group, whereas the correlation was only significant in the pair of 250 Hz/5 Hz (both in the hands and feet), and in the pair of 2,000 Hz/250 Hz (in the feet) for the control group. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the CPT test, especially at a stimuli frequency of 5 Hz, may be a useful screening tool for diabetic polyneuropathy in patients who show no abnormalities in routine NCS.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.231-243
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• 2023

Background: Diabetic polyneuropathy is the most common complication in diabetics, occurring in 50% of all cases. About 10-20% of all diabetics are accompanied by neurological pain, showing a tendency to increase with age. Clinical aspects are very diverse, from mild abnormalities on nerve conduction tests to severe abnormalities in all sensory, motor, and autonomic nerves; however, sensory symptoms usually precede motor symptoms. Patients typically express sensory symptoms, such as positive and negative symptoms, which decrease the quality of life and have marked clinical implications, such as increased morbidity and mortality. Although Western medical drugs, such as tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and narcotic analgesics, are used for diabetic polyneuropathy, a standard treatment has not been established. Case report: A 65-year-old male with paresthesia and pain due to diabetic polyneuropathy was treated with Uchashinki-hwan, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, moxibustion, and Jungsongouhyul pharmacopuncture for 10 days. We used the Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Scoring System, EuroQol-5 Dimension, and Visual Analog Scale to evaluate symptoms. Subsequently, the Neuropathy Scoring System, EuroQol-5 Dimension, and subjective discomfort improved. Conclusion: The present case report suggests that combined Korean medicine treatment might be an effective treatment for paresthesia and pain with diabetic polyneuropathy. Several follow-up studies should be conducted to clarify the effectiveness of the treatment.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.251-256
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• 2013

Neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. It is characterized by a progressive loss of peripheral nerve fibers. The development of the neuropathy is linked to poor glycemic control, age, and the duration of diabetes. Peripheral sensory polyneuropathy is the most common type in neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is the most significant etiologic factor of the foot ulcer that may leads to amputation. Current treatments in diabetic neuropathy have no definitive effects on repair or reverse the damaged nerve but only to relieve of symptoms, especially on pain. When the focal compressive neuropathy is combined with diabetic neuropathy, the nerve would be more vulnerable and symptoms might get worse. Surgery is indicated for decompression of an entrapped nerve, like posterior tibial nerve in tarsal tunnel, after failure of the initial conservative treatments.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.237-245
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• 2010

Nerve conduction studies (NCS) are the most objective measure of nerve function and essential for the diagnosis of sub-clinical neuropathy in diabetes mellitus and diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN). This study evaluates the characteristic of electrophysiological abnormalities in DPN. Electrodiagnostic data from 120 patients with diabetic polyneuropathies and 77 control subjects were reviewed. Motor nerve conduction velocities (MNCV), distal motor latencies (DML), compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes, No potential frequency and conduction block were analyzed. Data were normalized based on normative reference values, and the proportion of nerves with abnormal values in the lower and upper limbs were evaluated. DPN was systemic demyelinating peripheral polyneuropathy and more severe abnormal nerve conduction was found in lower limbs than in upper limbs. The abnormal degree was more severe in peroneal nerve. It was no statistically significant difference of conduction block in control and DPN group. Our findings suggest that DPN had more common and severe peroneal nerve involvement in the motor nerve conduction studies (MNCS). These findings have important implications for the electrophysiological evaluation of DPN.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 2008

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is the most common form of diabetic neuropathy, and causes a significant morbidity with an impact on the quality of life in the patients with diabetes. Since DPN frequently induces foot deformity and ulceration, which finally leads to foot amputation, the early detection and treatment is very important for the prevention of a permanent structural change. In the early stage of DPN, the diagnostic methods which can evaluate the function or structure of small nerve fibers should be employed because small nerve fibers are first involved in the course of DPN. However, the nerve conduction study cannot reflect the function of the small nerve fibers, and thus, has a definite limitation in the early diagnosis of DPN. For the early detection of DPN, electrodiagnostic data should be interpreted on a clinical context, along with the careful evaluation of the small nerve fiber functions using the tests such as the analysis of intraepidermal nerve fiber density.