• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.181-189
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• 2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by loss of motor neurons, resulting in motor weakness of the limbs and/or bulbar muscles. Pain is a prevalent but neglected symptom of ALS, and it has a significant negative impact on the quality of life of patients and their caregivers. This review outlines the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, underlying mechanisms, and management strategies of pain in ALS to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes related to pain. Pain is a prevalent symptom among patients with ALS, with a variable reported prevalence. It may occur at any stage of the disease and can involve any part of the body without a specific pattern. Primary pain includes neuropathic pain and pain from spasticity or cramps, while secondary pain is mainly nociceptive, occurring with the progression of muscle weakness and atrophy, prolonged immobility causing degenerative changes in joints and connective tissue, and long-term home mechanical ventilation. Prior to treatment, the exact patterns and causes of pain must first be identified, and the treatment should be tailored to each patient. Treatment options can be classified into pharmacological treatments, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antiepileptic drugs, drugs for cramps or spasticity, and opioid; and nonpharmacological treatments, including positioning, splints, joint injections, and physical therapy. The development of standardized and specific assessment tools for pain-specific to ALS is required, as are further studies on treatments to reduce pain, diminish suffering, and improve the quality of life of patients with ALS.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.176-182
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• 2006

목 적: 급성 복통을 주소로 내원한 소아 환아에서 위장관 내시경검사상 위장관 점막 병변을 조사하고 위장관 내시경 검사의 유용성을 알고자 본 연구를 시행하였다. 방 법: 1995년 1월부터 2004년 5월까지 한양대학 병원에 급성복통을 주소로 내원하여 진료받은 환아들 중 내시경 검사를 받은 위장관 점막 고유의 질환으로 간주된 환아31명을 후향적으로 조사하여 성별 및 나이의 분포, 복통의 기간, 동반증상, 복통의 부위, 위장관 내시경 검사상 점막 병변의 종류, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) 양성 환아의 유무 및 양성 환아들의 복통의 특성 등에 관해 조사하였다. 결 과: 남아가 16명, 여아가 15명이었으며 6~10세 환아가 15명으로 가장 많았고 그 다음이 11~15세 환아였다. 복통의 기간은 1주 이하가 23명으로 가장 많았다. 동반된 증상은 구토(15예), 설사(4예), 혈변(2예), 발열(2예) 등이었다. 위장관 내시경 검사 소견으로는 급성 출혈성 위염(6명), 결정성 위염(5명), 십이지장 궤양(4명), 위궤양(3명), 역류성 식도염(3예), 결절성 십이지장염(2예), 표재성 위염(2명), 궤양성 대장염(2명), 미란성 십이지장염(2명), 식도용종(1명), 십이지장위역류(1명) 등이었다. 10명의 환아가에서 H. pylori가 양성이었다. H. pylori가 음성인 환아들과 비교하여 복통의 기간, 환아의 연령, 성별의 차이는 있었으나 통계학적 의의는 없었고 H. pylori 양성 환아 모두에서 복통의 위치가 심와부라는 것에 대해서는 통계학적 의의가 있었다. 위장관 내시경 검사를 받고 위장관 점막 질환에 대한 치료를 받은 환아들 전체에서 증상의 호전이 관찰되었다. 결 론: 급성 복통은 원인이 다양하다. 급성 복통에서 점막 병변의 조기진단을 위해 위장관 내시경 검사가 우선적 검사로서 중요하며, 급성 복통 시에도 H. pylori 위장관 감염에 대해서 관심을 가지는 것이 감별진단에 도움이 된다.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.57-61
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• 2013

Background: Olfactory dysfunction, including anosmia and hyposmia is difficult to treat. Although the mechanism is not well known, stellate ganglion block (SGB) is used to treat olfactory dysfunction. There are no prior studies on the long-term effects of SGB on olfactory dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the continuity of therapeutic effects and patient satisfaction with SGB treatment. Methods: This was a follow-up study carried out via a telephonic survey. The olfactory function of the patient was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS). We checked VAS three times: VAS-I (pre-treatment VAS), VAS-A (post-treatment VAS), and VAS-C (VAS at follow up telephone survey). We divided the subjects into 2 groups according to their responsiveness to SGB: the responsive (R group) and the unresponsive groups (UR group). Patient satisfaction was evaluated using a Likert scale. Results: Out of the 40 subjects, 37 responded to the telephone survey. In the UR group, there was difference in the olfactory function. However, in the R group, there were significant VAS differences; VAS-I was $9.6{\pm}0.7$, VAS-A was $5.1{\pm}4.2$, and VAS-C was $2.7{\pm}$2.7 (P < 0.05). On the Likert scale, patient satisfaction was as follows: grade 1, 17 patients (45.9%); grade 2, 6 patients (16.2%); grade 3, 6 patients (16.2%); and grade 4, 8 patients (21.6%). Conclusions: SGB is a safe, long-lasting, and effective therapeutic modality for olfactory dysfunction treatment.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.112-117
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the short-term effectiveness of hard and soft stabilizing appliances (H-A and S-A) in treating patients with acute temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement without reduction (DDwoR). Methods: Eighty one patients diagnosed as acute TMJ DDwoR at oral medicine of Chosun University Dental Hospital from November 2016 to September 2017 were included in this study. The subjects were divided into three groups: The control group (34 patients treated without occlusal appliance), the H-A group (31 patients treated with H-A) and the S-A group (16 patients treated with S-A). The pain intensity using Visual Analog Scale and maximum mouth opening (MMO) were evaluated every week for 8 weeks. Results: The improvement of the pain intensity and MMO in the H-A group and the S-A group compared with the control group were noted (p<0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests that hard and S-As may be equally useful in treating patients with TMJ DDwoR. S-A could be recommended to reduce the symptoms of TMJ DDwoR in short period.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.65-68
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• 2007

Objective : A new point of view on the chronic back pain proposed which is, named neuropathic back pain[NBP]. Some proposed a certain pain scale as an useful diagnostic tool. Before scientific verification, some doctors prescribed a new anticonvulsant for the NBP. We investigated diagnostic tools for NBP by a review of the literature. Methods : A comprehensive computer search of the English literature concerning neuropathic low back pain was performed using the key words such as neuropathic back pain and diagnosis in the PubMed. Results : In 1998, the term NBP was first used in a patient with lung cancer. In the English literature, there were two diagnostic methods for the NBP, Neuropathic pain scale[NPS] and a pharmacological test. NPS is a pain questionnaire, which depends on the patients' subjective reports on the given questions, such as 'how hot is your pain feel'. By the pharmacological test, NBP was defined as 50% or more decrease of pain on intravenous lidocaine and on local anesthetic epidurally. It also depends on the patients' subjective response to the therapy. Conclusion : There were still no reliable objective diagnostic criteria for the NBP. It seems to be better to reserve the new anticonvulsants for the NBP till scientific approval.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.105-107
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• 2012

A 41-year-old male patient presented with idiopathic persistent hiccups. The hiccups did not respond to pharmacologic treatments including cisapride, omeprazole, and baclofen. Phrenic nerve block was also ineffective. However, the persistent hiccups were successfully treated with short-term positive pressure ventilation using a short-acting muscle relaxant.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.116-122
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• 2007

Background: Lumbar zygapophysial joints are a common source of chronic lower back pain and radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF) of the medial branches (MB) has been shown to be effective at providing substantial pain relief for chronic low back pain. Therefore, we carried out this study to determine the short term outcomes and prognostic factors of RF on the MB of patients with lumbar facet syndrome. Methods: We performed RF in fourteen patients who showed greater than 80% pain relief up to three times after a diagnostic MB block was conducted using 0.3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. Using 10 cm curved electrodes with 10-mm active tip, a 60 second, $80^{\circ}C$ lesion was made after electrical stimulation at 50 Hz for sensory and 2 Hz for motor nerve testing. The degree of pain relief was then assessed after 2 weeks, and again after 3 months using a visual analog scale (VAS) and a four point Likert scale. The outcome was regarded as 'success' if at least a 50% reduction in the VAS was observed. Possible prognostic factors between the two groups were also evaluated Results: The success rate was 71.4% (10/14) after three months of follow-up. However, there were transient complications, such as neuritis like syndrome, in 4 patients. In addition, short symptom duration and low minimal voltage (< 0.4 V) for sensory stimulation were shown to be the relevant prognostic factors for a successful outcome. Conclusions: RF may be an alternative to repeated MB block or intraarticular injection for palliation of lumbar facet syndrome. For better outcomes, early diagnosis and strict patient selection should be coupled with efforts to avoid anatomically incorrect RF.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제17권9호
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• pp.253-264
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• 2016

본 연구는 요양병원 간호사의 치매환자 통증관리수행에 영향을 미치는 요인을 규명하기 위한 서술적 조사연구이다. 대상자는 B시 소재 30개 요양병원의 간호사 168명이며, 자료 수집기간은 2016년 6월 25일에서 7월 15일까지였다. 수집된 자료는 SPSS/WIN 22.0 통계 프로그램을 이용하여, 빈도와 백분율, t-test, ANOVA, Scheff's test, Pearson 상관계수, 다중회귀분석을 시행하였다. 연구 결과 대상자의 치매환자 통증에 대한 지식은 18점 만점에 10.73점으로 낮았으며, 통증관리태도는 평균 $2.98{\pm}0.27$점, 자기효능감은 평균 $3.34{\pm}0.61$점으로 중간보다 높았다, 장애요인은 평균 $2.90{\pm}0.51$점으로 중간 정도였으며, 통증관리수행은 평균 $4.09{\pm}0.52$점으로 높은 수준이었다. 대상자의 특성에 따른 통증관리수행 정도는 연령(p=.046), 요양병원경력(p=.009), 통증교육(p=.004)에 따라 유의한 차이가 있었다. 대상자의 통증지식, 태도, 자기효능감, 장애요인과 통증관리수행의 상관관계를 분석한 결과 태도(r=.21, p=.006), 자기효능감(r=.51, p<.001)과는 양의 상관, 장애요인(r=-.16, p=.035)과는 음의 상관관계를 보였다. 통증관리수행에 영향을 미치는 요인은 자기효능감, 요양병원경력, 통증교육 순이었고 전체 설명력은 30.1%이었다. 따라서 요양병원 간호사의 치매환자 통증관리수행을 높이기 위해서 정확한 통증지식과 자기효능감을 높일 수 있는 프로그램을 개발할 필요가 있다.

• 대한장애인치과학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.9-16
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• 2015

Pain and sensory disorder resulting from injury to peripheral nerves of the face and jaws are a major source of patient dissatisfaction and suffering. The majority of patient who sustain injuries to the peripheral sensory nerves of the face and jaws experience a slow but orderly return of sensation that is functional and tolerable in quality, if not "normal". For many patients, however, the long-term effects are a source of aggravation, and for a few, a significant cause of suffering. Common complaints relate to reduced sensory information causing embarrassing food accumulations or drooling, biting a burning the lip or tongue, and difficulty in performing routine activities such as shaving and apply makeup. For some patients posttraumatic symptoms become pathological and frankly painful. The predominent pain components are (1) numbing anesthesia dolorosa pain, (2) triggered neuralgiaform pain, (3) burning, aching causalgiaform pain, and (4) phantom pain. This is a report of cases about posttraumatic pain syndrome associated with dental treatment in a psychologically disabled patient.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Damage in the periphery or spinal cord induces maladaptive plastic changes along the somatosensory nervous system from the periphery to the cortex, often leading to chronic pain. Although the role of neural circuit remodeling and structural synaptic plasticity in the 'pain matrix' cortices in chronic pain has been thought as a secondary epiphenomenon to altered nociceptive signaling in the spinal cord, progress in whole brain imaging studies on human patients and animal models has suggested a possibility that plastic changes in cortical neural circuits may actively contribute to chronic pain symptoms. Furthermore, recent development in two-photon microscopy and fluorescence labeling techniques have enabled us to longitudinally trace the structural and functional changes in local circuits, single neurons and even individual synapses in the brain of living animals. These technical advances has started to reveal that cortical structural remodeling following tissue or nerve damage could rapidly occur within days, which are temporally correlated with functional plasticity of cortical circuits as well as the development and maintenance of chronic pain behavior, thereby modifying the previous concept that it takes much longer periods (e.g. months or years). In this review, we discuss the relation of neural circuit plasticity in the 'pain matrix' cortices, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex and primary somatosensory cortex, with chronic pain. We also introduce how to apply long-term in vivo two-photon imaging approaches for the study of pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic pain.