BACKGROUND: The infection rate of syphilis in married couples has been reported by a few investigators during the 1940s. However, studies on recent trends of that particular aspect of syphilis in married couples have not yet been done. OBJECTIVE: We therefore studied the infectivity of T. pallidum and recent trends of conjugal syphilis by observing the spouses of patients with untreated syphilis. METHODS: Couples married for more than 1 year who visited Yonsei Medical Center from 1983 to 1990 for syphilis were entered into this study. We observed the infection rate among spouses of 224 index patients (defined as, between husband and wife, the one who was the first to be diagnosed to have syphilis) who were not treated for syphilis. Syphilis was diagnosed on the basis of physical examination, history of extramarital sexual contacts, and the results of VDRL, TPHA, FTA-ABS, and 19S(IgM)-FTA tests. RESULTS: Fifty-six wives(48%) of 117 male index patients and 50 husbands (47%) of 107 female index patients had been infected at the time of examination. Among the 224 couples, 106(47%) were both infected and in 118(53%), only either husbands(27%) or wives(26%) were infected. Two spouses(50%) of the 4 first incident patients with primary syphilis, 9(53%) of 17 with secondary syphilis and 23(72%) of 32 with early latent syphilis were infected at the time of examination. CONCLUSION: From our results showing the low infection rates among married couples, even in early syphilis when the infectivity is high, it can be deduced that T. pallidum has only a low infectivity.
Family Characteristics ; Female ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Research Personnel ; Spouses ; Syphilis* ; Syphilis, Latent

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on reducing dystonia and disability in adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare the therapeutic outcomes between primary dystonia patients and CP patients over two years after bilateral pallidal DBS. METHODS: Five patients with primary dystonia and seven CP patients with dystonia were recruited. All subjects received DBS surgery in both globus pallidus. Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale consisting of dystonia movement score and disability score and subjective satisfaction scale were assessed after 1 month and every 6 months over two years following DBS treatment. RESULTS: On the dystonia movement scale, both groups of primary dystonia patients and CP patients showed a significant decrease over time following DBS. On the disability scale, patients with primary dystonia showed a significant decrease over time, whereas the disability score of CP patients did not change over the two years. Comparing the dystonia movement and disability scores of CP patients at each assessment, patients with primary dystonia showed a significant reduction after 6 months. Comparing the satisfaction scores of CP patients after DBS, patients with primary dystonia showed significantly higher subjective satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Whereas dystonia can be significantly reduced in patients with primary dystonia, CP patients showed a modest improvement on the dystonia movement scale, but not on the disability scale. Therefore, DBS may be considered with caution as a treatment modality of CP patients with dystonia.
Adult* ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Deep Brain Stimulation* ; Dystonia ; Dystonic Disorders ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on reducing dystonia and disability in adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare the therapeutic outcomes between primary dystonia patients and CP patients over two years after bilateral pallidal DBS. METHODS: Five patients with primary dystonia and seven CP patients with dystonia were recruited. All subjects received DBS surgery in both globus pallidus. Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale consisting of dystonia movement score and disability score and subjective satisfaction scale were assessed after 1 month and every 6 months over two years following DBS treatment. RESULTS: On the dystonia movement scale, both groups of primary dystonia patients and CP patients showed a significant decrease over time following DBS. On the disability scale, patients with primary dystonia showed a significant decrease over time, whereas the disability score of CP patients did not change over the two years. Comparing the dystonia movement and disability scores of CP patients at each assessment, patients with primary dystonia showed a significant reduction after 6 months. Comparing the satisfaction scores of CP patients after DBS, patients with primary dystonia showed significantly higher subjective satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Whereas dystonia can be significantly reduced in patients with primary dystonia, CP patients showed a modest improvement on the dystonia movement scale, but not on the disability scale. Therefore, DBS may be considered with caution as a treatment modality of CP patients with dystonia.
Adult* ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Deep Brain Stimulation* ; Dystonia ; Dystonic Disorders ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: We report event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) methodology to investigate human brain activity during motor imagery. METHODS: A 1.5 Tesla clinical MR scanner was used in the acquisition of a series of T2* weighted MR images covering the whole brain. Blood oxygenation level-dependent(BOLD) signal changes associated with the imagery event were subsequently detected while healthy right-handed subjects imagined clenching of a right hand cued by auditory stimulus. RESULTS: Group analysis across nine right-handed subjects revealed activations in the medial and superior frontal gyri, cuneus, insula, middle/superior temporal gyri, and anterior cingulate gyri. Bilateral primary motor, premotor and supplementary motor areas exhibited event-related MR signal changes. Although unilateral hand clenching was imagined, bilateral activation of eloquent motor areas was observed. The proposed method also allowed for the visualization of subcortical areas, such as putamen, globus pallidus and thalamus, responsive to the event of motor imagery. CONCLUSION: The major cortical and subcortical areas in the motor pathways were identified and visualized during motor imagery event. Our results suggest that motor imagery and actual movement share common neural substrates.
Brain ; Brain Mapping ; Efferent Pathways ; Globus Pallidus ; Hand ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Oxygen ; Putamen ; Thalamus

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the regional differences of the basal ganglia volume between the boy subjects who have Tourette's disorder and the control group who don't have this disorder by using Brain MRI. METHODS: Sixteen subjects who were diagnosed as Tourette's disorder using DSM-IV criteria, and sixteen healthy subjects were selected. For analysis the coronal slice images of the basal ganglia were collected and collected MR images were analyzed with NIH Image (version 6.1 ppc). RESULTS: The total brain volume in the subjects with Tourette's disorder were smaller than control group by 6.2% (F=6.2, d.f.=1, p=0.019). The right putamen volume in boys with Tourette's disorder were significant smaller than control group statistically (F=3.2, d.f.=3, p=0.040). The asymmetry (left>right) in the globus pallidus decreased significantly in the boys with Tourette's disorder (p=0.06) were found from this experiment. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that boys with Tourette's disorder may have neuropathological abnormalities in the basal ganglia. Moreover, the present findings point out the important role of basal ganglia, especially putamen, in pathophysiology of Tourette's disorder. More studies about the structural and functional analysis of the basal ganglia in Tourette's disorder are highly required.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Globus Pallidus ; Putamen ; Tourette Syndrome

Few studies have investigated cognitive impairment associated with globus pallidal lesion after acute mountain sickness (AMS). A 54-year-old mountaineer presented with a slowed response, social withdrawal, and apathy after exposure to high altitude. Neuropsychological evaluation revealed impairment in memory and frontal function. MRI revealed bilateral globus pallidal lesions and SPECT revealed decreased blood flow in the left temporal cortex. Symptoms and imaging findings were still impaired after 3 years. We speculate that globus pallidal lesions can cause cognitive dysfunction in AMS.
Altitude ; Altitude Sickness ; Apathy ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans ; Memory ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Hallervorden-Spatz disease is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder of mainly early childhood which is characterized by pigmentary degeneration of the globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus. Clinically it manifests various symptoms and signs of extrapyramidal and pyramidal involvement. Authors report a 28-year-old female patient with suspected Hallervorden-Spatz disease in the aspects of clinical and MRI findings suggesting metal deposition in the globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus on both side.
Adult ; Female ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration* ; Red Nucleus ; Substantia Nigra

Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by involuntary choreiform movements and erythrocytic acanthocytosis. Pharmacotherapy for control of involuntary movements has generally been of limited benefit. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has recently been used for treatment of some refractory cases of ChAc. We report here on the effect of bilateral high-frequency DBS of globus pallidus interna in a patient with ChAc.
Abetalipoproteinemia ; Chorea ; Deep Brain Stimulation* ; Drug Therapy ; Dyskinesias ; Globus Pallidus* ; Humans ; Neuroacanthocytosis*

Parasites are recorded from the red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, from Cheongju, the Republic of Korea. A total of 5 road-killed squirrels were thoroughly examined for internal and external parasites from November 2011 to May 2014. Total 4 parasite species, including 1 tapeworm and 3 ectoparasite species were recovered. They were morphologically identified as Catenotaenia dendritica (Cestoda: Catenotaeniidae), Hirstionyssus sciurinus, Leptotrombidium pallidum, and Ceratophyllus (Monopsyllus) indages. Among them, C. dendritica and H. sciurinus are recorded for the first time in the Korean parasite fauna. In addition, the possibility that the red squirrel could act as a reservoir host for a zoonotic disease like tsutsugamushi disease with L. pallidum as its vector has been raised.
Cestoda ; Chungcheongbuk-do* ; Globus Pallidus ; Korea* ; Parasites ; Republic of Korea ; Sciuridae* ; Scrub Typhus ; Trombiculidae ; Zoonoses

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to clarify which biological manganese exposure indices reflect the pallidal signal intensities in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in liver cirrhotics. METHODS: We examined whole blood, plasma, RBC and urinary manganese concentrations, as well as, brain MRI in 22 cirrhotic patients and 10 healthy controls. From MRI scans we calculated the signal intensity of the globus pallidus using the pallidal index (PI), the ratio of the globus pallidus to subcortical frontal white-matter signal intensity in axial T1-weighted MRI planes multiplied by 100. In addition, we studied the relationships between PI and other measurements. RESULTS: The high signal intensity in the globus pallidus on T1-weighted MRI was observed in 18 (81.8%) patients. There was a significant correlation between whole blood and RBC manganese concentration, and PI on MRI. According to multiple linear regression, whole blood and RBC manganese concentration reflected PI on MRI better the other indices did. CONCLUSIONS: Whole blood and RBC manganese concentrations could be useful as biological manganese exposure indices that reflect PI on MRI.
Brain ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Liver* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Manganese* ; Plasma