BACKGROUND: The relationship between type II diabetes and congnitive function has been explored in several studies. But the result was controversial. The purpose of the study was to determine whether diabetes mellitus in older patients(>or=65 years) is assiciated with cognitive dysfunction and to discover the related factors with th cognitive dysfunction. METHOD: Twenty patients with type 2 diabetes and twenty subjects with non-diabetes are studied with cognitive function test at Hwachun health center and county hospital. Cognitive function was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination and Clock Drawing test and the score was analyzed. The diabetes groups were subdivided with duration of diabetes, HbAlc, chronic diabetic complications and then analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 6(30%) diabetic subjects scored below 24 on mini-mental state examination, compared with 3(15%) of controls(p=0.2560). The mean socres were 20.1+/-2.7 and 19.0+/-3.5 respectively. Clock drawing test demonstrated that 13(65%) diabetic subjects inconectly placed the numbers and hands, compared with 7(35%) of controls(p=0.0578>0.05). The duration of diabetes mellitus, HbAlc, chronic diabetic com- plications were not associated with cognitive dysfun- ction among diabetic subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that type 2 diabetes mellitus in the elderly is not associated with cognitive dysfunction, but further study should be done.
Aged ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Hand ; Hospitals, County ; Humans

No abstract available.
Liver* ; Mortality*

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that diabetic patients are under high oxidative stress and plasma MDA concentration is a reliable marker for oxidative stress. However, some studies showed that plasma MDA is not a good marker for oxidative stress. Reeently, the total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAPc) has been proposed as a marker for the overall antioxidant property of plasma samples. Therefore, in this study, we tried to evaluate whether MDA and TRAPc are reliable markers of the oxidative stress-antioxidant system or not. METHODS: The plasma samples from 67 type 2 diabetic patients and 31 normal subjects were collected. The plasma MDA, protein-bound SH groups, uric acid and vitamin C were determined by fluorophotometry or spectrophotometry. Plasma vitamin E concentration was analyzed by HPLC. Calculated TRAP (TRAPc) were determined by the proposed calculation methods. RESULTS: 1. Diabetic patients had significantly lower TRAPc, compared with normal subjects. 2. SH groups, uric acid, vitamin C and vitamin E were not different between the two groups. 3. MDA and MDA/TG were significantly higher in diabetic subjects. CONCLUSION: From the results of this study, TRAPc seems to be a reliable parameter of overall plasma antioxidant system and the plasma MDA may be used as a marker of oxidative stress, but further long-term logitudinal studies are needed.
Ascorbic Acid ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Fluorophotometry ; Humans ; Oxidative Stress ; Plasma ; Spectrophotometry ; Uric Acid ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins

No abstract available.
Head* ; Ossification, Heterotopic*

The study was undertaken to assess the ventricular system of the brain in normal korean adults on the base ofCT. The computerized tomographic examinations of 334 Korean adults between ages of 15 to 50 years, performed atSeoul National University Hospital, were evaluated. The known to be a reliable indicator of the ventricular size.This ratio was measured at the level of the lateral, third and fourth ventricles respelctively. The shape of thequardigeminal and suprasellar cistern was analyzed. The resuls are as follows; 1. The cerebroventricular ratios ofthe lateral ventricle at the level of the widest bifrontal and bicaudate diameters were 0.30±0.04 and 0.14±0.02,respectively. The lateral ventricle was asymmetric in 12.6%, of which the left side was usually larger than theright. 2.There was correlation between the cerebroventricular ratio and age, i,e., with increase of age, the C-Vratio increased slightly. 3. The cerebroventricular ratio of the third ventricle was 0.03±0.01. 4. Thecerebroventricular ratio of the fourth ventricle in width and height was 0.14±0.02 and 0.10±0.03, respectively.The anteroposterior position index of the fourth ventricle was 0.42±0.04. 5. The quadrigeminal cistern showedU-shape in 23.4%. 6. The suprasellar cistern showed pentagonal shape in 61.1%, round in 28.4% and hexagonal in10.5%. 7. There was no significant difference between male and female according to the above results.
Adult ; Brain ; Female ; Fourth Ventricle ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Male ; Third Ventricle

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study are to investigate the reliability and validity of shortened premenstrual assessment form and the applicability to internet interface. METHOD: The total of 55 subjects were included in this study. Among them, 28 subjects had premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and the other 27 subjects did not. All subjects performed the shortened premenstrual assessment form through internet interface in the homepage of Severance Woman Clinic. The diagnosis of premenstrual dysphoric disorder was determined by prospective assessment for 2 months. RESULTS: The shortened premenstrual assessment form consists of 3 factors: affect, pain and water retention. The test-retest reliability of this scale was 0.80, and internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) was 0.91. The correlation coeffeciecy between scores of the premenstrual assessment form and the shortened premenstrual assessment form was 0.92. The difference of the scores of the shortened premenstrual assessment form between the group of premenstrual dysphoric disorder and the group of non-premenstrual dysphoric disorder was significant (t=5.57, p<0.001). Discriminant analysis also revealed that the shortened premenstrual assessment form was useful to differentiate between premenstrual dysyphoric disorder and non-premenstrual dysphoric disorder (eigenvalue: 0.60, canonical correlation coefficiency: 0.61, Wilk's lambda: 0.63). The cut-off point to differentiate between two groups was 27, and sensitivity (75.0%) and specificity (76.9%) of this scale for premenstrual dysphoric disorder was acceptable. CONCLUSION: In summary, the shortened premenstrual assessment form appeared to be reliable and valid for the assesment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. And the results of this study also suggest that the shortened premenstrual assessment form is a useful tool for internet interface application.
Diagnosis ; Equidae ; Female ; Humans ; Internet* ; Prospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Water

OBJECTIVES: The cognitive model has been suggested to explain the pathogenesis of premenstrual syndrome. In this model, it is suggested that negative cognitive style may contribute to the experience of severe premenstrual symptoms. We conducted this study to examine the relationship among cognitive style, perceived stress, and premenstrual symptoms. METHOD: Eighty six reproductive aged women older than 18 years were included in this study, to complete the Premenstrual Assessment form, Korean version of automatic thoughts Ques-tionnaire-Positive, Korean version of Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Negative, Korean version of Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, Perceived Stress Questionnaire. Among the subjects, twenty one were diagnosed to have a premenstrual dysphoric disorder which was determined by prospective assessment for two months. The relationships among the variables were analyzed by examining Pearson correlation coefficiency. REULTS: In the subjects without premenstrual dysphoric disorder, there exist significant correlation between the premenstrual symptom and the score of Korean-version of automatic thoughts Questionnaire-Negative(r=.36, p<.01). In the subjects with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, premenstrual symptoms had significant correlation to automatic thoughts Questionnaire-Negative(r=.65, p<.01) and Perceived Stress Questionnaire(r=.52, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Our findings show the significant relationship between negative cognitive style and premenstrual symptoms. This relationship was more prominent in the subjects with premenstrual dysphoric disorder compared to ones without it. Our findings suggest that cognitive style and stress perception may influence on the severity of symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and that cognitive behavior therapy is a possible effective therapeutic strategy for those with severe premenstrual symptoms.
Cognitive Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Premenstrual Syndrome ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Authors reviewed CT and MR findings of patients with parapharyngeal masses, and their incidence and characteristic findings were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 27 CT and 9 MR of pathologically proven 29 patients with primary parapharyngeal mass Neurogenic tumor (17 cases) and other rare masses (3 carotid body tumors, 2 pleomorphic adenomas, 2 cavernous hemangiomas, 1 cavernous lymphangioma, 2 carotid artery pseudoaneurysms, 1 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 1 idiopathic cervical fibrosis) were included and the characteristic CT and MR findings were studied. RESULTS: Neurilemmoma was seen as a well-demarcated, solid mass of heterogeneous attenuation or intensity, so that pleomorphic adenoma of minor salivary gland origin could not be differentiated by demarcation, attenuation, or signal intensity of the tumor itself. The direction of carotid artery displacement was not constant in cases of neurilemmomas while the styloid process was constantly displaced laterally in all cases. Characteristic CT and MR findings of other rare tumors were described. CONCLUSION: Neurogenic tumor is the most common parapharyngeal space mass and the direction of displacement of styloid process might be helpful in differential diagnosis from pleomorphic adenoma. Other rare tumors showed very characteristic CT and MR finidings and could be differentiated easily.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Aneurysm, False ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Body Tumor ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymphangioma ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Neurilemmoma ; Salivary Glands, Minor

Masson's hemangioma is a rare benign vascualr condition with a papillary intravascular endothelial proliferation which may appear either as aprimary form or as a secondary form in a pre-existing vascular process.CT and angiographic features of 2 cases with Masson's hemangioma were presented. Both of them were locatedextra-axially in the posterior fossa. CT findings were not specific in both cases: One showed homogeneously enhancing mass, simulating meningioma. And the other demonstrated a multiolocular rim enhancing mass. However, the angiographic features were rather characteristic; Both cases showed persistent vascular poolings of contrast mediawhich were supplied form the meningeal vessels. Angiographic differential diagnosis of similar lesions in theposterior fossa is discussed.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Hemangioma ; Meningioma

No abstract available.
Abscess* ; Myocardium*