• 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 Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.199-202
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• 2010

Objective : Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that is mainly performed for refractory pain due to osteoporotic compression fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of balloon kyphoplasty performed at different times after an injury. Methods : In this retrospective study, the records of 99 patients who underwent one level of balloon kyphoplasty between January 2005 and December 2007 were reviewed. The patients were divided into three groups : 21 patients treated within 3 weeks of an injury (the acute group), 49 treated within 3 weeks to 2 months of an injury (the subacute group), and 29 patients treated at more than 2 months after an injury (the chronic group). Clinical outcomes were assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). In addition, modified MacNab's grading criteria was used to assess the subjective patient outcome. The radiology findings, including vertebral height restoration and procedure related complications, were analyzed based on the different time intervals after the injury. Results : Patients in all three groups achieved marked pain relief in terms of the VAS within 7 days of the procedure. Good or excellent results were achieved by most patients in all three groups. However, the height restoration, the main advantage to performing a balloon kyphoplasty, was not achieved in the chronic group. Moreover, evidence of complications including cement leakage was observed significantly less frequently in the subacute group compared to the other two groups. Conclusion : Although balloon kyphoplasty is an effective treatment for osteoporotic compression fractures, with regard to pain relief, the subacute stage appears to be optimal for treating patients with a balloon kyphoplasty in terms of achieving the best outcomes with minimal complications.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 2019

Background: Several nerve blocks can reduce the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) as well as relieve acute zoster-related pain, but the long-term outcome of PHN has not been clearly determined. This study investigated the efficacy of selective nerve root block (SNRB) for herpes zoster (HZ) on the long-term outcome of PHN. Methods: We prospectively conducted an interview of patients who had undergone an SNRB for HZ from January 2006 to December 2016 to evaluate their long-term PHN status. The relationship between the time from HZ onset to the first SNRB and the long-term outcome of PHN was investigated. Results: The data of 67 patients were collected. The patients were allocated to acute ($SNRB{\leq}14days$, n = 16) or subacute (SNRB > 14 days, n = 51) groups. The proportions of cured patients were 62.5% and 25.5% in the acute and subacute groups (P = 0.007), respectively. In logistic regression, an SNRB >14 days was the significant predictor of PHN (adjusted odd ratio, 3.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-14.93; P = 0.047). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that time from the SNRB to the cure of PHN was significantly shorter in the acute group ($2.4{\pm}0.7yr$) than in the subacute group ($5.0{\pm}0.4yr$; P = 0.003). Conclusions: An early SNRB during the acute stage of HZ (within 14 days) appears to decrease the incidence and shorten the duration of PHN, with a median of 5.0 years of follow-up.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.41-46
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• 1978

8 cases of subacute thyroiditis was diagnosed among 108 needle biopsy of the thyroid during the period from April 1976 to August 1978. Correlation of the histologic findings with the clinical staging proposed by Czernick was relatively well matched; cases with long clinical course or low thyroid hormone levels showed greater fibrosis and reduction of follicular elements in thyroid. Thyroid $^{131}I$ uptake or the uptake as seen on the thyroid scanning correlated inversely with the thyroid hormone levels. The clinical course of the patients seen in their initial stage of disease followed the classical pattern; hyperthyroid-like, hypothyroid-like and recovery. 3 among the 4, who were seen in their later clinical course showed hypothyroidism, which seemed the final outcome of their diseases.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.130-133
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• 2008

In South Korea, attempted suicide by paraquat (PQ) intoxication is fairly common, and is lethal by pulmonary fibrosis and hypoxemia. However, the treatment of PQ poisoning is primarily supportive management. To increase the survival rate associated with PQ intoxication, many treatments have been developed. Here, we treated a case of PQ intoxication with steroid pulse therapy. A 23-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of PQ intoxication. He drank two mouthfuls of Gramoxon (24% commercial paraquat). His vital signs were stable, but he had a throat infection, and navy blue urine in the sodium dithionite test. Standard treatment, including gastric lavage with activated charcoal was performed, and emergent hemoperfusion with a charcoal filter was initiated 11 h after PQ ingestion. Pharmacotherapy was initiated 18 h after PQ ingestion with the administration of 5 mg dexamethasone. On day 10, chest PA showed pulmonary fibrosis. Therefore, we initiated steroid pulse therapy, with 1g methylprednisolone in 100 mL of D5W administered over 1 h repeated daily for 3 days, and 1 g cyclophosphamide in 100 mL of D5W administered over 1 h daily for 2 days. On day 15, dexamethasone therapy was initiated. On day 30, pulmonary fibrosis was improved. Thus, if pulmonary fibrosis becomes exacerbated after dexamethasone therapy during the subacute stage, pulse therapy with methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide could be helpful.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2006

Purpose : To describe MR imaging features of hypoxic brain damage in relation to time elapse and prognosis of patients. Materials and methods : We reviewed 19 MR studies of 18 patients with hypoxic brain damage. MR imaging studies were performed between 1 to 20 days after the hypoxic insults (mean 8.6 days). MR images were analyzed with regard to the locations of abnormal signal intensities, the presence of brain edema. And imaging findings were correlated with the time elapse after the insults and the prognosis of patients. Results : On 19 cases of MR studies, abnormal high intensities on T2-weighted images were found in the basal ganglia (15, 78.9%), cerebral cortex (13, 68.4%), white matter (9, 47.4%), thalamus (6, 31.6%), cerebellum (4, 21.1%) and brainstem (1, 5.3%), respectively. Cerebral cortical involvement was typically bilateral and diffuse, but sometimes limited to the parieto-occipital area. The brainstem and cerebellar involvement was rare and in all cases, cerebral cortical lesions accompanied. Most of the white matter lesions were accompanied with cortical and deep gray matter lesions and found in subacute period(>6 days). The cortical high signal intensity lesions on T1-weighted image were found mostly in subacute stage, but in some cases involvement was also found in acute stage ($\leq$ 6 days). The cortical edema is found on 11 cases in acute and subacute stages. In cases of recovered consciousness, cortical involvement and edema on MR were rare. Conclusion : MR findings of hypoxic brain damage were various, but diffuse bilateral involvement of cortex and/or deep gray matter was found in most of the cases. White matter involvement was rarely found in acute stage and usually found in subacute stage. In cases of good pronosis, cortical involvement and edema were rare.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.313-320
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• 1994

This article provids background information necessary to design orthopaedic physical therapy programs based on a patient's level of orthopaedic involvement during the acute, subacute, or chronic stage of soft-tissue healing. This approach was used whether the problem involved injury from trauma, insult from overuse, disease, surgical intervention. Soft-tissue lesions and clinical conditions were defined ; the stages of inflammation and repair were described with emphasis on how to manage soft tissues and joints with therapeutic exercise during each stage. A problem list with goals and plan of care was outlined to summarize each clinical situation. A list of clinical problems will be used as the foundation for designing exercise problems for each region of the body.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.237-246
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• 1995

Between March 1989 and December 1994, one-stage repair was performed for correction of the intracardiac malformations associated with aortic coarctation in 34 patients or interrupted aortic arch in 8 patients via median sternotomy. There were 26 male and 16 female patients, and their body weight ranged from 1.8 to 8 kg [mean weight, 4.0 1.4 kg . The age at the operation ranged from 7 days to 18 months [mean age, 3.1 $\pm$ 3.8 months . The repair of aortic coarctation or interrupted aortic arch was performed using extended end-to-end anastomosis in most of the patients [86%, 36/42 , and six patients underwent ductal tissue excision and patch aortoplasty. Intracardiac defects were corrected concomitantly through the right atrium unless the anatomy dictated otherwise. Obstructive outlet septum was resected whenever necessary. There were seven early deaths [16.8 % , and three late deaths with a mean follow-up period of 25 months [range from 1 to 65 months . Three patients were reoperated upon residual subaortic stenosis, stenosis at the RPA origin, and subacute bacterial endocarditis respectively. None showed any significant residual or anastomotic stenosis postoperatively. One stage repair of the aortic coarctation and interrupted aortic arch associated with intracardiac defect leaves no native coarctation shelf tissue or residual hypoplasia in the repaired segment, has low incidence of recurrent or residual stenosis, minimizes reoperation and incisions, and manages arch hypoplasia easily. We concluded that surgical results of one-stage repair for the intracardiac malformation associated with aortic coarctation or interrupted aortic arch are reasonable.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2000

In this study, we showed a comparison and analysis making use of DWI(diffusion weighted image) using early diagnosis of cerebral Infarction and with the classified T2 weighted image, FLAIR images signal intensity for brain infarction period. period of cerebral infarction after the condition of a disease by ischemic stroke. To compare 3 types of image, we performed polynomial warping and affined transform for image matching. Using proposed algorithm, calculated signal intensity difference between T2WI, DWI, FLAIR and DWI. The quantification values between hand made and calculated data are almost the same. We quantified the each period and performed pseudo color mapping by comparing signal intensity each other according to previously obtained hand made data, and compared the result of this paper according to obtained quantified data to that of doctors decision. The examined mean and standard deviation for each brain infarction stage are as follows ; the means and standard deviations of signal intensity difference between DWI and T2WI for each period are $197.7{\pm}6.9$ in hyperacute, $110.2{\pm}5.4$ in acute, and $67.8{\pm}7.2$ in subacute. And the means and standard deviations of signal intensity difference between DWI and FLAIR for each period are $199.8{\pm}7.5$ in hyperacute, $115.3{\pm}8.0$ in acute, and $70.9{\pm}5.8$ in subacute. We can quantificate and decide cerebral infarction period objectively. According to this study, DWI is very exact for early diagnosis. We classified the period of infarction occurrence to analyze the region of disease and normal region in DW, T2WI, FLAIR images.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.79-91
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• 2018

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of robot-assisted therapy to improve upper extremity function in subacute stroke. Method : This study was a retrospective study using the medical record. The subjects were 20 patients who were diagnosis with stroke within 6 months. All patients received general rehabilitation intervention during the experimental period and robot-assisted therapy and task-oriented training. Robot assisted therapy was composed of 1 sessions, 1hour per person and task-oriented training was same. For result analysis, descriptive statistics, paired t-test were used. Results : After intervention, all participants got 3D motion analysis about reaching. For the result, there was statistically significant improvement in smoothness in robot assisted therapy(p<.05). there was no statistically significant difference between robot assisted therapy and task-oriented training in speed, time. In this result, we knew the robot assisted therapy can short term effect in elbow joint during arm reaching. Conclusion : Robot assisted therapy is considered as alternative choice in clinical occupational therapy for improving upper extremity function in subacute stage stroke patients.