• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 1999

Background and Objectives : The Motor evoked potentials (MEP) study may be useful in the evaluation of the degree of impairment in the motor nervous system and in the determination of the prognosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the status of central nervous system in acute and subacute state of cerebral ischemia by comparing the changes of MEP in the initial and follow-up study. Methods : Twenty patients with hemiparesis caused by ischemic stroke were recruited for this study. We tested MEP within 7 days and followed-up after 14 days after symptom onset. The cerebral motor cortex area, cervical area for upper extremity and lumbar area for lower extremity were stimulated by transmagnetic stimulator. The central motor conduction time(CMCT) was measured with the difference in MEP caused by stimulating the vertical area and spinal area. The CMCT of hemiparetic patients were classified into three groups-normal, delayed, and no evoked MEP groups. Results : The CMCT in hemiparetic side of acute ischemic stroke patients were singnificantly delayed (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. The CMCT of hemiparetic side in the follow-up study showed no sinificantly difference in comparison to the control group. The prognosis of motor improvement was better in the groups of delayed MEP than the groups of no evoked MEP. Conclusion : The CMCT of hemiparetic and contralateral sides were delayed in acute ischemic stroke, compared with control group and were returned to normal boundaries in subacute state. But in the most cases with no MEP response in the initial study, also showed no MEP response in the follow-up study. The recovery occurred in the subacute state in cases with mild hemiparesis, whereas recovery did not occur in the subacute stage in case with severe hemiparesis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 2007

Objectives : Recent educational efforts have concentrated on patient's early hospital arrival after symptom onset. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the time interval between symptom onset and hospital arrival and to investigate its relation with clinical outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods : A prospective registry of patients with signs or symptoms of acute ischemic stroke, admitted to the OO Medical Center through emergency room, was established from September 2003 to December 2004. The interval between symptom onset and hospital arrival was recorded for each eligible patient and analyzed together with clinical characteristics, medication type, severity of neurologic deficits, and functional outcomes. Results : Based on the data of 256 patients, the median interval between symptom onset and hospital arrival was 13 hours, and 22% of patients were admitted to the hospital within 3 hours after symptom onset. Patients of not-mild initial severity and functional status showed significant differences between arrival hours of 0-3 and later than 3 in terms of their functional outcomes on discharge. Logistic regression models also showed that arrival within 3 hours was a significant factor influencing functional outcome (OR=5.6; 95% CI=2.1, 15.0), in addition to patient's initial severity, old age, cardioembolism subtype, and referral to another hospital. Conclusions : The time interval between symptom onset and hospital arrival significantly influenced treatment outcome for patients with acute ischemic stroke, even after controlling for other significant clinical characteristics. The findings provided initiatives for early hospital arrival of patients and improvement of emergency medical system.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.32-42
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to verify the effectiveness of a cognitive rehabilitation program consisting of physical exercises and mental activities for patients with chronic stroke with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We aimed to investigate how this cognitive rehabilitation program affects patients' cognitive ability, depression, and sleep quality. Design: One group pretest-posttest design Methods: The study was conductedon 12 patients who participated in thecognitive rehabilitation complex exercise program for 16 weeks. The Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (K-HDRS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to evaluate the measured variables before and after study participation. The cognitive rehabilitation complex exercise program included 30 minutes of cognitive exercise and 30 minutes of Brill Exercise. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the variables before and after program participation. Cronbach's ɑ was used to assess the reliability of the test variables. Results: The post-program assessment showed a statistically significant increase in the MoCA-K score, which measures cognitive function (Z=-2.628, P=0.009). For depression ratings, there was a statistically significant decrease in the K-HDRS score (Z=-2.041, P=0.041). For sleep quality, although there was a numerical increase in the PSQI score, the difference was not statistically significant (Z=-0.702, P=0.483). The reliability test confirmed that all the individual test variables exhibited high reliability (cognitive function, 0.859; depression, 0.872; sleep, 0.822). Conclusions: We found that cognitive rehabilitation program used in this study had a positive effect on the cognitive function and depression in patients with chronic stroke with MCI.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.21-33
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• 2014

Objectives : This study was to report the improvement of the patient with multiple sclerosis treated by Korean Medical treatment. Methods : The patient diagnosed as multiple sclerosis treated by acupuncture, bee venom pharmacupuncture, chuna manual therapy, and herbal medicine. To evaluate the effects of korean medicine, we used manual muscle test(MMT), the standard for assessment of the effect of stroke treatment, functional system(FS), visual analog scale(VAS). Results : 1. The patient's pain and optic dysfunction were reduced by the above therapy. 2. There was no change in manual muscle test(MMT), but there was mild improvement in finger joints function in the standard for assessment of the effect of stroke treatment. 3. In functional system(FS) scale, there was enhancement in optic function within a range. And there was improvement in expanded disability statue scale(EDSS) from 4.0 to 3.0. 4. In visual analog scale(VAS), there was considerable improvement from 9 to 6. Conclusions : The korean medical treatment was reduced pain and optic dysfunction.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2009

Arteriosclerosis is a pathologic term that contains hardening of arterial wall, loss of arterial elasticity and stenosis of artery. To diagnose this disease, conventional angiography, MRA, transcranial doppler ultrasonography are commonly used. And it causes various clinical phases by a region of the disease. In oriental medicine, arteriosclerosis is classified into congested fluids(痰飮), blood stasis(瘀血), stagnation of Gi(氣滯) and treated by Herb-Med, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and the like. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of oriental medical therapy on cerebral arteriosclerosis. A patient with cerebrovascular disease admitted due to dizziness, mild dysarthria, tinnitus, anxiety disorder and his Brain MRA showed severe arteriosclerosis in right anterior cerebral artery(ACA) and middle cerebral artery(MCA). Every day, we administered to patient Herb Med and Herb pills. Also, acupuncture, moxibustion were done, too. As a result of the treatment, the patient's follow up Brain MRA showed improved state of ACA stenosis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.198-208
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• 2006

Background : Ginseng has traditionally been used in oriental countries to recover vital energy from Qi deficiency, and has shown various biomedical effects in the scientific literature. Recent reports suggest that ginseng could regulate blood pressure (BP), but much controversy still remains. Therefore, we intended to assess the anti-hypertensive effect of several ginseng types frequently used in clinics. We also investigated the anti-hypertensive effect on Koreans and Chinese, and by the body type according to Sasang Constitution Medicine (SCM). Methods : The study subjects were recruited from mildly hypertensive patients who exhibited pre-hypertension(120/80 to 139/89 mmHg) and stage I hypertension (140/90 to 159/99 mmHg) in Korea and China. After assigning the subjects into a Korean, a Chinese, a red, and an American ginseng group by randomization, we prescribed ginseng at a dose of 4.5 g per day for 4 weeks. To assess the anti-hypertensive effect, we compared the mean of systolic and diastolic BP between before and after ginseng medication using a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor (24 hr ABPM. We also monitored adverse effect and laboratory findings to secure the subjects' safety. In addition, all of the subjects in Korea consulted a specialist of Sasang Constitution Medicine to identify their constitutional type. Results : There were 64 subjects treated with Korean ginseng, 58 treated with Chinese ginseng, 33 treated with red ginseng, and 64 treated with American ginseng. Korean, Chinese, and American ginseng all reduced subjects' BP; Korean and Chinese ginseng showed more effect. The secondary analysis on the subjects' nationality revealed that all of the ginseng types showed more significant anti-hypertensive effect in Chinese patients than in Koreans. The third analysis on the constitutional type of SCM showed there was no significant difference in the effectiveness and the safety of ginseng among the constitutional types. Conclusions : We suggest ginseng, especially Panax ginseng without any steaming-drying process, could be useful for mild hypertension. Further, ginseng is safe regardless of subjects' constitutional type or type of ginseng within a dosage of 4.5g per day.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 1998

Authors report a case of poststroke bipolar disorder that occurs much less frequently than poststroke depression(PSD). A MRI study performed to identify the etiology of a secondary manic episode in a patient with preceded PSD after left basal ganglia infarction revealed newly developed right basal ganglia infarction associated with poststroke bipolar disorder. It is interesting to note that (1) the temporal relationship was found between the occurrence of PSD after left hemisphere stroke and the occurrence of poststroke bipolar disorder following right hemisphere stroke, and that (2) the occurrence of PSD and the occurrence of poststroke bipolar disorder are associated with lesion location respectively. It has been reported that bipolar disorders were associated with subcortical lesions of the right hemisphere, whereas right-cortical lesions led to unipolar mania and that risk factors for mania included a family history of psychiatric disorders and mild subcortical atrophy. In this case, MR image shows subcortical lesions of the right hemisphere and mild subcortical atrophy. The investigation of the relationships among stroke lesion locations and potstroke mood disorders and risk factors for poststroke bipolar disorder may contribute to understanding the neurobiology of primary mood disorder. A clinical implication is that the risk of secondary bipolar disorder after cerebral infarction should be highlighted.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.517-527
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• 2022

This study aimed to compare changes in cognitive function, depression and ability to perform activity of daily living (ADL) in patients with dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and ischemic stroke (IS) and to identify factors associated with changes in instrumental ADL. A total of 86 patients (dementia=30, MCI=32, and IS=24) were included to analyse cognitive function, depression, and basic and instrumental ADL obtained at the time of diagnosis and 1 year after baseline. Repeated measures analysis of variance and multiple linear regression were used. A significant group by time interaction was found in executive function (p=.037) and instrumental ADL (p=.023) across groups. The MCI group has little change in executive function and instrumental ADL from the baseline to 1 year after diagnosis while other two groups showed changes with the dementia group showing declines and the group of IS having improvement in these factors over time. Changes in executive function(p=.030) and basic ADL (p<.001) explained 26.9% in the variance of changes in instrumental ADL. These findings showed a different changing pattern in executive function during the first year after diagnosis of dementia, MCI, and IS which have cognitive changes as their main symptoms, probably leading to a different changing pattern in instrumental ADL. Healthcare professionals should routinely assess for executive function and instrumental ADL problems and intervene to maintain and improve these functional outcomes immediately after disease.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.351-360
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to compare demographic characteristics, comorbidity, and health habits of elders with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and elders with cognitively normal function (CNF). Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the Database of the Seoul Dementia Management Project for 5,773 adults age 60 and above. Results: The MCI group showed an older age distribution, but there was no significant education difference between the two groups. Elders with MCI had more diabetes and stroke than elders with CNF. In subgroups, the same findings were observed in women, but not in men. While more men with MCI had hypertension compared to men with CNF, there was no significant difference in hypertension between the two groups for women. Elders with MCI, men in particular, had a lower prevalence of obesity than men with CNF. MCI individuals did less exercise compared to individuals with CNF. While there were no significant differences in alcohol consumption and smoking between MCI and CNF groups, the over 80's subgroup with MCI reported more alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Findings from this study could be helpful in designing community-based dementia prevention programs and health policies to reduce the prevalence of dementia or related cognitive impairments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.385-394
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• 2010

Purpose : The present study was to examine the difference and severity of asymmetry in independently ambulating stroke survivors and to establish the association between gait asymmetry, velocity, and the motor function of lower extremity. Methods : The subjects used in this study were 43 subjects with hemiparesis being able to walk independently. Motor function of lower extremity was measured clinically with the Fugl Meyer-Lower /Extremity Assessment. Overground gait velocity and spatia-temporal parameters were collected by the GAITRite system. Results : Thirty(69.77%) patients showed statistically significant temporal asymmetry while 28(65.1%) exhibited statistically significant spatial asymmetry. One-way ANOVA results showed a main effect of temporal asymmetry group(normative, mild, severe) for gait velocity(F=74.129), FM-L/E(F=17.270), swing-stance symmetry(F=66.869, F=13.485, respectively), spatio-temporal asymmetry(F=13.166, F=31.800, respectively) 66, F=31.800, respectively). Gait velocity was negatively associated with temporal asymmetry(r=-.83), spatial asymmetry(r=-.60). Motor function of lower extremity was also associated with temporal asymmetry(r=-.58), and spatial asymmetry(r=-.50). Conclusion : The study attempted to establish the standard assessment of hemiparesis gait symmetry in light of the complex relationship with motor impairment and gait velocity. More future work will need to link the degree of gait asymmetry to clinically relevant outcomes to better establish the clinical significance of such observations.