Relatively little is known about the neurobiology of insomnia, despite its wide prevalence and broad medical impact. Although much is still to be learned about the pathophysiology of the disorder, identification, systematic assessment, and appropriate treatment are clearly beneficial to patients. Recent research, using quantitative EEG, polysomnography (PSG), multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) and neuroimaging techniques, suggests that some broad areas can be identified as possible pathophysiological models. Sleep-wake homeostat model hypothesizes a failure in homeostatic regulation of sleep, an attenuated increase in sleep drive with time awake, and/or defective sensing of sleep need. Circadian clock model hypothesizes a dysfunctional circadian clock, resulting in changes in the timing of sleep-wake propensity that are incompatible with normal sleep. Intrinsic sleep-wake state mechanism model suggests that abnormal function of insomnia comprises the systems responsible for expression of the sleep states themselves. Extrinsic over-ride mechanism (stress-response) model suggests that insomnia reflects the consequences of overactivity of one of the systems considered "extrinsic" to normal sleep-wake control. Many current therapies for insomnia are based on these physiological models. Several attempts have been made to create a physiological model that would explain this disorder and could be used as a foundation for treatment. However, it appeared that no model can fully explain and clarify all aspects of insomnia. Future research should be necessary to expand our knowledge on the biological dimensions of insomnia.
Circadian Clocks ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Neurobiology ; Neuroimaging ; Polysomnography ; Prevalence ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

OBJECTIVES: The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful non-invasive tool to investigate the autonomic nerve function. Previous studies on the relationship between HRV and depression have been reported controversial results. Similarly, the correlation between the serum lipids and depression is debatable. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between heart rate variability, lipid profile and depression. METHODS: A total of 42 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 32 age and sex-matched normal subjects who had no previous history of major medical and mental illnesses were recruited for this study. A structured-interview was used to assess the general characteristics and psychiatric illness. HRV measures were assessed by time-domain and frequency-domain analyses. Psychological symptoms were measured using the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAM-A), Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D). In addition, the evaluation for lipid profile was performed by blood test. RESULTS: In serum lipid profile test, MDD group showed higher cholesterol (197.68+/-42.94 mg/dL vs. 176.85+/-34.68 mg/dL, p=0.044), TG (139.45+/-92.54 mg/dL vs. 91.4+/-65.68 mg/dL, p=0.018), LDL (130.03+/-33.18 vs. 106.62+/-27.08, p=0.004) level than normal control group. In HRV time domain analyses, the standard deviation of the NN interval (SDNN) was decreased in MDD group than normal control group, but was not significant (32.82+/-14.33 ms vs. 40.36+/-21.40ms, p=0.078). ApEn (Approximate Entrophy) was significantly increased in MDD group than normal control group (1.13+/-0.11 vs. 0.91+/-0.18, p<0.001). ApEn was correlated with LDL level (r=0.277, p=0.028), HAM-D scores (r=0.534, p<0.001) and HAM-A scores (r=0.470, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: MDD patients showed increased ApEn, one of the HRV measurement. And this ApEn was correlated with LDL, HAM-D and HAM-A scores. In this study, the analysis of ApEn would be a useful test of MDD.
Anxiety ; Autonomic Pathways ; Cholesterol ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Humans

CT has becom increasingly important diagnostic method as the inital examination in the diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage with direct detection of extravasated blood inbasal cistern and cortical sulci. Furthermore, CT provides better and exact visualization of the presence, localization, extent and degree of intracerebral, intraventricular and subdural hemorrhage, infarction, hydrocephalus and rebleeding which may be associated wtih subarachnoid hemorrhage, and also could detect the causative lesions with contrast enhancement inmany cases. The purpose of the paper is to describe the CT findings of subarachonid hemorrhage due to various causes and to evalute the diagnostic accuracy of CT in subarachonoid hemorrhage. Authors analysed a total of 153 cases with subarachnoid hemorrhage confirmed by lumbar puncture at Seoul National University Hospital from March 1979 to April 1981, with special emphasis on CT findings.All of the cases took CT scan and 125 cases of the mangiography. The results are as follows; 1. Most prevalent age group was 4th to 6th decades (78%). The ratio ofmale to female was 1.1:1. 2. Of all 125 with angiography, aneurysm was a major cause (68%). Others were arterio-venous malformation (9.6%), Moya-moya disease(4%) and unknown (18.4%). 3. Of all 153 cases with CT scan,hemorrhage was demonstrated in 98 cases (64.1%); SAH in 72 cases (47.1%), ICH in 65 cases (42.5%), IVH in 34 cases(22.2%) and SDH in 1 case(0.7%). SAH combined with ICH was a major group (34.7%) in SAH. Detecton rate of SAH was68.3% within the first 7 days and 5.8% after 7 days. 4. In aneurysms, SAH was detected in 60 of 85 cases (70.6%);88.1% within the first 7 days and 5.6% after 7 days. Anterior communicating artery was the most common site of theaneurysms(40%), in which detection rate of SAH was 100% within the first 7 days. SAH was combined with ICH in38.3%. 5. On CT, SAH of unilateral Sylvian fissure was pathognomonic for ruptured MCA aneurysm and ICH of corpuscallosum for ACA aneurysm. 6. The detection rate of aneurysm itself on CT was 20%(17/85) and its size was variablefrom 5 to 25mm. 7. Infarction was demonstrated in 9 cases (6%) and there was no significant correlation between infarction and angiospasm, 8. Hydrocephalus was detected in 65% cases(42.5%), and 21 cases (32.3%) were demonstrated within the first 3 days.
Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hematoma, Subdural ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infarction ; Methods ; Seoul ; Spinal Puncture ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Neurocutaneous Syndromes*

No abstract available.
Neurocutaneous Syndromes*

No abstract available.
Fistula ; Neck* ; Salivary Glands*

Objectives: ：Self-poisoning is the leading cause of visits to the emergency departments after a suicide attempts. This study is aimed to compare the patient characteristics according to the category of drugs ingested by the patients who attempted suicide. Methods: ：All medical charts were retrospectively reviewed from patients who visited the emergency center, at Seoul Medical Center, due to intentional self-poisoning from April of 2011 to July of 2019. We investigated the information regarding the subtype and quantity of the intoxication drug, how it was obtained, suicidal history, and psychiatric history, as well as, sociodemographic information. Variables were compared between prescription drug (PD) and non-prescription drug (NPD) poisoning groups. Results: ：The mean age of the NPD poisoning group was significantly lower than that of the PD poisoning group. The patient ratio of those enrolled in national health insurance and living with spouses were significantly higher in the NPD poisoning group. Compared to the NPD poisoning group, the PD poisoning group had a higher incidence of mental illnesses, underlying diseases and ratio of involuntary visit to the emergency department.Among the prescription drugs, the benzodiazepine poisoning group had a higher rate of self-prescription than the non-poisoning group, while the zolpidem poisoning group had a higher rate of the using someone else’s prescription than other drugs. Each single drug poisoning group (benzodiazepine, zolpidem, and antidepressant singleagent) had a higher rate of no mental illness than each of the mixed-poisoning group. Conclusions ：Guidelines for regulating non-prescription drugs are needed as a matter of suicide prevention. Also, this study suggests that clinicians need to be careful when issuing prescriptions and should suicidal risk according to patients’ characteristics, duration of follow-up and type of drug packaging.

Objectives: ：Self-poisoning is the leading cause of visits to the emergency departments after a suicide attempts. This study is aimed to compare the patient characteristics according to the category of drugs ingested by the patients who attempted suicide. Methods: ：All medical charts were retrospectively reviewed from patients who visited the emergency center, at Seoul Medical Center, due to intentional self-poisoning from April of 2011 to July of 2019. We investigated the information regarding the subtype and quantity of the intoxication drug, how it was obtained, suicidal history, and psychiatric history, as well as, sociodemographic information. Variables were compared between prescription drug (PD) and non-prescription drug (NPD) poisoning groups. Results: ：The mean age of the NPD poisoning group was significantly lower than that of the PD poisoning group. The patient ratio of those enrolled in national health insurance and living with spouses were significantly higher in the NPD poisoning group. Compared to the NPD poisoning group, the PD poisoning group had a higher incidence of mental illnesses, underlying diseases and ratio of involuntary visit to the emergency department.Among the prescription drugs, the benzodiazepine poisoning group had a higher rate of self-prescription than the non-poisoning group, while the zolpidem poisoning group had a higher rate of the using someone else’s prescription than other drugs. Each single drug poisoning group (benzodiazepine, zolpidem, and antidepressant singleagent) had a higher rate of no mental illness than each of the mixed-poisoning group. Conclusions ：Guidelines for regulating non-prescription drugs are needed as a matter of suicide prevention. Also, this study suggests that clinicians need to be careful when issuing prescriptions and should suicidal risk according to patients’ characteristics, duration of follow-up and type of drug packaging.

Esophageal perforation is a rare disease, which require emergent diagnosis and therapeutic procedure. In this paper, we present one case of esophageal perforation by traction of toothbrush which was swallowed during pharyngeal irritation. After the toothbrush was inserted to stomach by gastroscope, gastrostomy was performed for removal of toothbrush and the esophageal perforation was repaired by operation.
Diagnosis ; Esophageal Perforation* ; Gastroscopes ; Gastrostomy ; Rare Diseases ; Stomach ; Traction

Computerized tomography has been proven to be of particular value in patients with head trauma. Neverthless, primary traumatic brainstem lesions are not always revealing even by the advent of brain CT. In two cases of head trauma, we identified midbrain hemorrhage by CT scan. One of them was hemorrhage in the quadrigeminal plate, the quadrigeminal cistern, and the vermis; the other small round isolated hemorrhage in the quadrigeminal plate. They were well correlated with the clinical findings. Those two patients got well with conservative treatment.
Brain ; Brain Stem* ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mesencephalon ; Tectum Mesencephali ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed