• Brain Tumor Research and Treatment
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.60-67
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• 2018

Background Recently, modern technology such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), neuro-navigation and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IOM) have been actively adopted for the treatment of thalamic tumors. We evaluated surgical outcomes and efficacy of the aforementioned technologies for the treatment of pediatric thalamic tumors. Methods We retrospectively reviewed clinical data from 37 children with thalamic tumors between 2004 and 2017. There were 44 operations (27 tumor resections, 17 biopsies). DTI was employed in 17 cases, neuro-navigation in 23 cases and IOM in 14 cases. All diagnoses were revised according to the 2016 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were calculated, and relevant prognostic factors were analyzed. The median follow-up duration was 19 months. Results Fifteen cases were gross total resections (GTR), 6 subtotal resections (STR), and 6 partial resections (PR). Neurological status did not worsen after 22 tumor resections. There were statistically significant differences in terms of the extent of resection between the groups with DTI, neuro-navigation and IOM (n=12, GTR or STR=12) and the group without at least one of the three techniques (n= 15, GTR or STR=9, p=0.020). The mean PFS was $87.2{\pm}38.0$ months, and the mean OS $90.7{\pm}36.1$ months. The 5-year PFS was 37%, and the 5-year OS 47%. The histological grade ($p{\leq}0.001$) and adjuvant therapy (done vs. not done, p=0.016) were significantly related to longer PFS. The histological grade (p=0.002) and the extent of removal (GTR/STR vs. PR/biopsy, p=0.047) were significantly related to longer OS. Conclusion Maximal surgical resection was achieved with acceptable morbidity in children with thalamic tumors by employing DTI, neuro-navigation and IOM. Maximal tumor resection was a relevant clinical factor affecting OS; therefore, it should be considered the initial therapeutic option for pediatric thalamic tumors.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.21-30
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• 1998

Ginseng root has been considered to prevent neuronal degeneration associated with brain ischemia, but experimental proof in support of this speculation is limited. Moreover, few studies have compared the neuroprotective actions of ginseng ingredients with those of peptide growth factors and cytokines isf vivo. Using a gerbil forebrain ischemia model, we demonstrated that the oral administration of red ginseng powder before an ischemic insult prevents delayed neuronal death in the hippocampal CAI field and that a neuroprotective molecule within red ginseng powder is ginsenoside Rbl. The neurotrophic effect of ginsenoside Rbl, when examined in the gerbil ischemia model and in neuronal cultures was as potent as or more potent than the effects of epidermal growth factor, ciliary neurotrophic factor, erythropoietin, prosaposin, interleukin-6 and interleukin-3. Besides the protection of hippocampal CAI neurons against brain ischemia/repercussion injuries, ginsenoside Rbl was shown to prevent place navigation disability, cortical infarction and secondary thalamic degeneration in stroke-prone spontaneous hypertensive rats with permanent occlusion of the unilateral middle cerebral artery distal to the striate branches. These findings may validate the empirical use of ginseng root for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.160-167
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• 1999

Although somatosensory evoked potentials(SSEPs) have been utilized as the useful diagnostic tools in evaluating the wide variety of pathological conditions, such as focal lesions affecting the somatosensory pathways, demyelinating diseases, and detecting the clinically occult abnormality, their neural generators is still considerably uncertain. To appreciate the basis for uncertainties about the origins of SSEPs, consider criteria that must be met to establish a causal relationship between activity in a neural structure and a spine/ scalp-recorded potential. Electrode locations and channel derivations for SSEPs recordings are based on two principles:(1) the waveforms are best recorded from electrode sites on the body surface closest to the presumed generator sources along the somatosensory pathways, and(2) studies of the potential-field distribution of each waveform of interest dictate the best techniques to be used. In this article, authors will describe followings focused on ;(1) the concepts of near field potentials(NFPs) and far field potentials(FFPs) - the voltage of NFPs is highly dependent upon recording electrode position, FFPs are unlike NFPs in that they are widely distributed, their latencies and amplitudes are independent of recording electrode.(2) appropriate montage settings to detect the significant potentials in the median nerve and posterior tibial nerve SSEPs(3) neural generators of various potentials(P9, N13, P14, N18, N20, P37) and their clinical significance in interpretating the results of SSEPs. Especially, Characteristics of N18(longduration, small superimposed inflection) suggested that N18 is a complex wave with multiple generators including brainstem structures and thalamic nuclei. And N18 might be used as the parameter of braindeath. Precise understanding on these facts provide an adequate basis utilizing SSEPs for numerous clinical purposes.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2021

Purpose: To identify characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features to differentiate between Krabbe disease and metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) in young children. Materials and Methods: We collected all confirmed cases of Krabbe disease and MLD between October 2004 and September 2020 at Seoul National University Children's Hospital. Patients with initial MRI available were included. Their initial MRIs were retrospectively reviewed for the following: 1) presence of white matter signal abnormality involving the periventricular and deep white matter, subcortical white matter, internal capsule, brainstem, and cerebellum; 2) presence of volume decrease and signal alteration in the corpus callosum and thalamus; 3) presence of the tigroid sign; 4) presence of optic nerve hypertrophy; and 5) presence of enhancement or diffusion restriction. Results: Eleven children with Krabbe disease and 12 children with MLD were included in this study. There was no significant difference in age or symptoms at onset. Periventricular and deep white matter signal alterations sparing the subcortical white matter were present in almost all patients of the two groups. More patients with Krabbe disease had T2 hyperintensities in the internal capsule and brainstem than patients with MLDs. In contrast, more patients with MLD had T2 hyperintensities in the splenium and genu of the corpus callosum. No patient with Krabbe disease showed T2 hyperintensity in the corpus callosal genu. A decrease in volume in the corpus callosum and thalamus was more frequently observed in patients with Krabbe disease than in those with MLD. Other MRI findings including the tigroid sign and optic nerve hypertrophy were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Signal abnormalities in the internal capsule and brainstem, decreased thalamic volume, decreased splenial volume accompanied by signal changes, and absence of signal changes in the callosal genu portion were MRI findings suggestive of Krabbe disease rather than MLD based on initial MRI. Other MRI findings such as the tigroid sign could not help differentiate between these two diseases.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.644-649
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• 2000

Objective : Acute hydrocephalus can be caused by many pathologic conditions such as sub- arachnoid hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, inflammatory diseases. External ventricular drainage(EVD) through trephination of the skull is essential procedure for progressing or persistent symptomatic acute hydrocephalus. If the EVD can not be removed in short period, the chance of ventriculitis increases and periodic transposition of the draining catheter should be considered. Shunt procedure can not be performed in acute hemorrhage or infectious condition because of the risk of shunt malfunction or intra-abdominal spreading of the infection, respectively. The authors replaced EVD with continuous lumbar drainage(CLD) for the purpose of controlling acute hydrocephalus and preventing ventriculitis simultaneously, or treating ventriculitis more effectively in case of infection which had already broken out. CLD has many advantages over EVD, although, it can complicate disastrous downward brain herniation in patients with elevated intracranial pressure. The authors performed CLD with EVD maintained and then tested the possibility of the brain herniation with quite simple method. If the CLD was proven as safe through the test, EVD could be replaced with it without terrible herniation. Material and Method : Between September 1998 and April 1999, 10 patients underwent CLD in replacement of EVD. Among them, 5 were patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, 2 were patients with thalamic hematoma and intraventricular hemorhage and 3 were patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. Results : In eight of them the replacements were successfully done and one of them died on account of medical illness. In two of them the replacement could not be performed because of the risk of herniation and all expired owing to ventriculitis. Two patients required permanent shunt operation. Conclusion : This article provides a valuable alternative method of treatment for persistent symptomatic hydrocephalus which can not be managed with shunt operation immediately.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.99-106
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• 2016

Objectives : Salvianolic acid B (SAB) is an active ingredient in Salvia miltiorrhiza frequently used for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The present study investigated the antioxidant effects of SAB on the skeletal muscle and the brain tissue of rats following exhaustive exercise.Methods : The rats were treated with oral administration of SAB (30 mg/kg) daily for 5 days prior to the exhaustive exercise. The exhaustive exercise was performed as swimming for 150 min with 5% body weight attached to the tail on the 5th day. The antioxidant effects of SAB was evaluated by measuring the superoxide generation in the gastrocnemius and the 4-HNE expression in the hippocampal tissue. In addition, c-Fos-expressing cells in the brain tissue was observed using immunohistochemistry.Results : Histological features and muscle fiber type composition were not different between the SAB group and the exhaustive exercise group. SAB significantly reduced the upregulation of superoxide generation in the muscle tissue. SAB significantly reduced the increase of c-Fos-expressing cells in the cerebral cortex, paraventricular thalamic nucleus, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, the CA1, CA3, and DG regions of hippocampus. SAB significantly reduced the upregulation of 4-HNE expression in the CA1 and DG regions of hippocampus caused by the exhaustive exercise.Conclusions : The results suggest that SAB exerts antioxidative effect against oxidative stress in the skeletal muscle and the brain tissue following exhaustive exercise, while SAB may has an anti-stress effect on stress responses in the brain.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.207-210
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• 2001

Objective : The prognosis of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage often depends on initial neurologic condition, size and location of hemorrhage and associated intraventricular hemorrhage. However, age of patient, coagulation state and other associated vascular diseases may also play a role when present. In recent years, the geriatric population has been increasing. The age distribution of the patients with intracerebral hemorrhages also has been increased, accordingly. However, such patients, especially when associated with poor initial conditions often tend to be managed rather conservatively. The authors analyzed retrospectively on forty-five patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage over the seventies with poor initial condition to find out whether there exists a difference of outcome between surgery and non-surgery group. Material and Method : A total of 45 patients over seventies with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage with Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) 4-8 treated over last six years were included. The validity of surgical management for these patients as well as clinical variables which might have been operated on the outcome of these patients were evaluated. The Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS) after three months was used for comparison of outcome. Results : In surgical group(19 cases), mean age was 74.5 years old, mean hematoma volume 67.2ml and mean GCS score 5.7 points. In nonsurgical group(26 cases), mean age was 79.3 years old, mean hematoma volume 32.1ml, and mean GCS score 6.8 points. Mortality rate in surgical group was 47.4%(9 patients), including 2 cases of post-operative rebleeding, while that in nonsurgical group was 46.2%. However, when patients with initial GCS 4-6 points and over 30ml in hematoma volume were regrouped, mortality rate in surgical group was 46.2%, whereas mortality rate in nonsurgical group was 66.7%. Conclusion : It is concluded that the mortality rate is much low in surgery group with initial GCS less than 6 points and hematoma volume over 30cc. There was no significant difference of outcome in patients with basal ganglia and thalamic hemorrhage. However, surgical treatment lowered the mortality and morbidity rate in patients with subcortical and cerebellar hemorrhage.