No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Ultrasonography*

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to verify the effects of a memory and visual-motor integration program for older adults based on self-efficacy theory. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pretest–posttest design was implemented in this quasi-experimental study. The participants were 62 older adults from senior centers and older adult welfare facilities in D and G city (Experimental group=30, Control group=32). The experimental group took part in a 12-session memory and visual-motor integration program over 6 weeks. Data regarding memory self-efficacy, memory, visual-motor integration, and depression were collected from July to October of 2014 and analyzed with independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test using PASW Statistics (SPSS) 18.0 to determine the effects of the interventions. RESULTS: Memory self-efficacy (t=2.20, p=.031), memory (Z=-2.92, p=.004), and visual-motor integration (Z=-2.49, p=.013) increased significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. However, depression (Z=-0.90, p=.367) did not decrease significantly. CONCLUSION: This program is effective for increasing memory, visual-motor integration, and memory self-efficacy in older adults. Therefore, it can be used to improve cognition and prevent dementia in older adults.
Adult* ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Depression ; Humans ; Memory* ; Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Psychomotor Performance ; Senior Centers

BACKGROUND: Leukocytes, both polymorphonuclear leukocytes(PMNL) and monocytes/macrophages have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the cerebral ischemia and stroke. Neutrophils accumulate in post-hypoxic-ischemic neonatal rat brain prior to the evolution of necrosis and neutrophil depletion attenuates hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. However, the mechanisms leading to post-hypoxic-ischemic neutrophil accumulation are unknown yet. We hypothesized that Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 might mediate post-hypoxic-ischemic injury in the immature brain; thus, we evaluated ICAM-1 gene expression in post-hypoxic-ischemic neonatal(postnatal day 7) rat brain. METHODS: Neonatal rats(n=36) underwent right carotid ligation followed by exposure in 8% O2 for 2.5 hours; this procedure typically produces ipsilateral striatal, hippocampal and cortical infarction. Control groups are included by carotid ligation alone, hypoxia alone, and neither hypoxia nor ligation. For RNA extraction, rats were killed 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h post- hypoxia-ischemia and RT-PCR was carried out. RESULTS: ICAM-1 mRNA was barely detected in the controls including normal and sham operated animals. In the cortex, striatum and hippocampus, ICAM-1 mRNA was significantly induced in the ipsilateral(right) side compared to the contralateral(left) side just after hypoxia-ischemia. The elevated ICAM-1 mRNA gradually reached a peak at 4 or 8 h and then decreased to an almost basal level by 24 to 48 h. In contrast, the less pronounced contralateral(left-sided) ICAM-1 mRNA expression appeared to peak earlier, within 2 h post-hypoxia-ischemia. CONCLUSION: The temporal profiles of post-hypoxic-ischemic ICAM-1 mRNA expression are consistent with a role in post-hypoxic-ischemic neutrophil recruitment and in the evolution of subsequent brain injury.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Brain Injuries* ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Gene Expression ; Hippocampus ; Infarction ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1* ; Leukocytes ; Ligation ; Necrosis ; Neutrophil Infiltration ; Neutrophils ; Rats* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger* ; Stroke

PURPOSE: Epileptic patients under prolonged treatment with anticonvulsants such as valproate tend to have low serum carnitine level. The object of this study is to observe the interrelationship between anticonvulsants and serum carnitine level and its related symptoms. METHODS: We measured the serum carnitine levels in 31 epileptic patients (18 males, 13 females) receiving diverse antiepileptic drugs and 32 healthy children (20 males, 12 females) using enzymatic cycling method. RESULTS: 1) Among the control group, total, free, and acyl-carnitine in serum were 50.04+/-11.44, 37.42+/-11.13, and 13.98+/-7.49micro mol/L (mean+/-S.D.), respectively, and no significant differences were observed between age and sex. 2) Among 31 patients with treatment, total serum carnitine level and free carnitine level below 2 standard deviation from the mean control value was not observed. 3) Among 31 patients with treatment, total serum carnitine level below 2 standard deviation from the age matched mean control value was not observed. 4) No significant relationship was observed between the serum carnitine level and the dosage, duration and the serum concentration of the antiepileptic drugs. 5) There were no abnormalities in serum AST, ALT levels among the patients treated. CONCLUSION: Although our study didn't reveal that serum carnitine level can be lowered in patients treated with anticonvulsants such as valproate, many others reported it. So periodic measurement of serum carnitine level before and after treatment with anticonvulsants should be considered.
Anticonvulsants* ; Carnitine* ; Child* ; Humans ; Male ; Valproic Acid

BACKGROUND: M protein, as a marker for monoclonal gammopathy, has been evaluated by protein electrophoresis (PEP) and immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE). Recently a highly sensitive, automated immunonephelometric assay for measurement of free light chains (FLCs) in serum and urine has been developed for the identification and monitoring of patients with monoclonal gammopathy. METHODS: We measured the concentration of kappa and lambda FLCs in 120 healthy individuals aged 20 to 80 years to establish the reference range of kappa and lambda FLCs and kappa/lambda FLC ratio and in 61 serum and 14 urine samples from patients with multiple myeloma (MM) to examine the correlation between the amount of M protein indirectly calculated on PEP and the direct measurement of FLCs. RESULTS: The concentrations of kappa and lambda FLCs and the kappa/lambda FLC ratio in healthy individuals were not significantly related to age or sex. The 95 percentile reference ranges for kappa FLC, lambda FLC, and kappa/lambda FLC ratio were 8.5-23.7 mg/L, 9.5-23.5 mg/L, and 0.67-1.38, respectively. On the PEP performed with MM specimens, 18 cases did not show the evidence of M protein. But, they revealed abnormal FLC concentrations on FLC assay and a significant correlation was found between the amount of M protein and the concentration of kappa and lambda FLC. However, inconsistent results such as the concentra-tion of kappa+lambda FLCs being more than the total protein in urine or M protein in serum were found in 5 of the 14 urine and 1 of the 61 serum samples of MM patients. CONCLUSIONS: FLC assay showed a good correlation with PEP and was more sensitive and accurate than PEP. Therefore, FLC assay is useful for diagnosing and monitoring monoclonal gammopathy at an early stage of the disease and during a remission state after chemotherapy or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
Drug Therapy ; Electrophoresis ; Humans ; Multiple Myeloma* ; Paraproteinemias ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Reference Values*

BACKGROUND: Although bisphosphonate is effective for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, poor medication compliance is a key-limiting factor. We determined whether alarm clock could improve compliance with weekly bisphosphonate in patients with osteoporosis, by comparing with age- and gender-matched control group. METHODS: Fifty patients with osteoporosis were recruited and participated in alarm clock group. Patients were asked to take orally weekly risedronate for 1 year, and received alarm clock to inform the time of taking oral bisphosphonate weekly. Using the propensity score matching with age and gender, 50 patients were identified from patients with osteoporosis medication. We compared the compliance with bisphosphonate using medication possession ratio (MPR) between two groups. RESULTS: Although there was no significant difference of baseline characteristics between both groups, the mean MPR (0.80±0.33) of alarm clock group was higher than that (0.56±0.34) of control group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Alarming could improve the compliance with weekly oral bisphosphonate in patients with osteoporosis.
Compliance* ; Humans ; Medication Adherence ; Osteoporosis* ; Patient Compliance ; Propensity Score ; Risedronate Sodium

Lipomatous tumors are the most common mesenchymal tumor. But, pure lipoma of the uterus is very rare and only few cases are reported in international literatures. These tumors usually develop in postmenopausal women and symptoms are similar to leiomyoma. We report a case of a pure uterine lipoma in 64-years-old woman presenting with palpable pelvic mass and voiding difficulty in which a preoperative diagnosis was made by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), then pathologically confirmed after the operation.
Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Lipoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Uterus

Visual evoked potentials were elicited by flash in 29 patients with a variety of cerebral lesions and in 10 normal controls. In 12 patients with focal brain lesions, no wave form could be recorded in one side. Of the remaining 23 sides, the average P1 latency showed no difference from that of the normal controls. In 17 patients with diffuse brain lesions no wave form could be elicited in 12 sides. Average P1 latency of remaining 22 sides showed statistlcally significant difference from that of normal controls. In this study it appears that delayed P1 latencies are associated with diffuse cerebral lesions rather than with localized lesions.
Brain ; Evoked Potentials, Visual* ; Humans

Myotonic dystrophy is the most common autosomal dominant myopathy in adults. Our patient, a 41 year-old female suffering from myotonic muscular dystrophy, developed upper thoracic myelopathy due to hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum and the posterior longitudinal ligament. She had a typical hatchet face and ptosis with "head hanging forward" appearance caused by neck weakness. Motor weakness, sensory changes and severe pain below T4 level, along with urinary incontinence began 3 months ago. Genetic and electrodiagnostic studies revealed myotonic dystrophy type 1. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine showed loss of cervical lordosis and spinal cord compression due to hypertrophied ligamentum flavum and posterior longitudinal ligament at T1 to T3 level. We concluded that her upper thoracic myelopathy was likely related to the thickness of the ligamentum flavum and posterior longitudinal ligament due to repetitive mechanical stress on her neck caused by neck muscle weakness with myotonic dystrophy.
Adult ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Longitudinal Ligaments ; Lordosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscular Diseases ; Muscular Dystrophies ; Myotonic Dystrophy ; Neck ; Neck Muscles ; Spinal Cord Compression ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spine ; Stress, Mechanical ; Stress, Psychological ; Urinary Incontinence