OBJECTIVES: Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) is one of the most frequently used scales to evaluate apathy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the AES (K-AES) and to apply the K-AES in examining the characteristics of apathy in the Korean patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: 129 healthy people and 29 patients with schizophrenia have been evaluated using the K-AES, Physical Anhedonia Scale (PAS), Social Anhedonia Scale (SAS), and the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). Split-half reliability and internal consistency were evaluated and factor analysis and correlation analysis was conducted. Between-group comparison was conducted using independent sample t-tests. RESULTS: K-AES showed good reliability and validity. Factor analysis confirmed 3 factors, which represented interest and drive, initiative, self-awareness and self-assessment. Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly higher K-AES and BDI scores than the healthy group. K-AES scores in patients with schizophrenia were significantly correlated with the PAS score, but did not correlate with SAS and BDI scores. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the reliability and validity of the K-AES. Our findings also suggest that the K-AES may be a reliable instrument in assessing apathy as a negative symptom in patients with schizophrenia.
Anhedonia ; Apathy* ; Depression ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Schizophrenia* ; Self-Assessment ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: To categorize the spinal cord injury level and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale into functional classification of shooting and to give information about shooting sport for the disabled to medical staffs, and to remind importance of sports activities for rehabilitation. METHOD: Seventy nine spinal cord injured players were classified into each functional classes by two international classifier. During the classification process, demographic data such as age, sex, duration, injury type and questions including attitude toward disabled shooting or benefits or difficulties from shooting were collected by interview. RESULTS: Functional classes of players were closely related to injury level and ASIA impairment scale. Average duration of shooting experience of men (8.01 years) was significantly different from that of women (5.29 years)(p<0.05). Self-motivated (39.3%) and disabled friends (21.5%) were leading motive providers followed by medical staff (20.2%), other shooting player or coach (12.7%), family (6.3%). Promoting self confidence (32.5%) was number one benefit from shooting and followed by making friends (22.1%), increasing independence (18.3%), and increasing in social participation (12.7%). CONCLUSION: We report the functional classification result of spinal cord inured player and we found that sports activities promote social activities and help to develop self confidence.
Asia ; Classification* ; Female ; Friends ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Staff ; Rehabilitation ; Social Participation ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord* ; Spinal Injuries ; Sports

This study evaluated the feasibility of mixed consistency foods test in patients with dysphagia which developed after stroke or other brain injuries. The findings of a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) were compared using single versus mixed consistency foods. Forty-nine patients with stroke or other brain injuries who had no significant abnormal findings in the single consistency food VFSS and started regular hospital diet were recruited for this study. Twenty-five (51%) of the 49 patients showed normal findings whereas 24 (49%) patients showed abnormal findings in the mixed consistency food VFSS. Abnormal findings included posterior spillage of liquid prematurely to pyriform sinus (n = 23), laryngeal penetration (n = 6), subglottic aspiration in the oral preparatory phase of swallowing (chewing), solid components (n = 2), and significant (more than 10%) residue in valleculae or pyriform sinus (n = 2). There was an increased risk of abnormal findings in mixed consistency food VFSS such as aspiration and penetration when a patient showed delayed pharyngeal delay time in single consistency food using liquids. In conclusion, VFSS protocols using mixed consistency foods would be useful before starting regular diet for patients after stroke or other brain injuries.
Brain Injuries/*physiopathology/radiography ; *Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders/*physiopathology/radiography ; *Eating ; Fluoroscopy/*methods ; Food ; Humans ; Mastication ; Stroke/*physiopathology/radiography ; Video Recording

OBJECTIVE: To establish appropriate test angle of passive knee proprioception test and to compare with active knee proprioception test. METHOD: Thirty one healthy volunteers were tested in seated position on isokinetic machine. For passive test, the knee joints were placed in starting angle of 0degrees, 30degrees in flexion test and 90degrees, 60degrees in extension test. To memorize target angle, they were passively positioned to the target angle and left hold for 10 seconds, and returned to starting position. After these processes, knee joints were passively moved toward flexion and extension target angle. The subjects were instructed to press stop button when the memorized angles were reproduced. The tests were performed 3 times for each 6 different test angle. The active test were performed with the same memorized process but the subjects moved actively to reproduce target angles. The absolute angular errors (AAE) between target angle and produced angle were measured and compared. RESULTS: In passive proprioception test, the AAEs were increased according to the test angle differences were increased from 30degrees to 60degrees. In the same target angle difference, there were no differences between starting positions. When the results of passive test were compared with active test, there were no significant differences in the flexion test, but larger angular error were measured in extension test. CONCLUSION: The passive knee proprioception test could be useful for patients with lower extremity weakness. Considering the possible error of large angular difference, the testing angular differences should be properly selected.
Adult ; Humans ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Lower Extremity ; Proprioception

Motor paralysis is a less common neurologic complication of herpes zoster. Until now, a few cases have been reported, and most of these cases showed brachial plexopathy involving one or two segments. We report a patient with pain and weakness on upper extremity diagnosed as brachial plexopathy after herpes zoster infection. An 88-year-old female patient complained not only tingling sense, pain, and swelling on right whole arm, but also weakness on this right upper extremity. On physical examination, weakness is seen in right shoulder abductionㆍshoulder flexionㆍelbow flexionㆍelbow extensionㆍ wrist extension (grade 4), finger flexionㆍfinger abductionㆍfinger extensionㆍfinger DIP flexion (grade 3). In electrodiagnostic study and magnetic resonance imaging study, she was diagnosed as the brachial plexopathy, whole branch involved. This is the only case of post-herpetic brachial plexopathy involving whole branch in domestic.

Motor paralysis is a less common neurologic complication of herpes zoster. Until now, a few cases have been reported, and most of these cases showed brachial plexopathy involving one or two segments. We report a patient with pain and weakness on upper extremity diagnosed as brachial plexopathy after herpes zoster infection. An 88-year-old female patient complained not only tingling sense, pain, and swelling on right whole arm, but also weakness on this right upper extremity. On physical examination, weakness is seen in right shoulder abductionㆍshoulder flexionㆍelbow flexionㆍelbow extensionㆍ wrist extension (grade 4), finger flexionㆍfinger abductionㆍfinger extensionㆍfinger DIP flexion (grade 3). In electrodiagnostic study and magnetic resonance imaging study, she was diagnosed as the brachial plexopathy, whole branch involved. This is the only case of post-herpetic brachial plexopathy involving whole branch in domestic.

PURPOSE: We conducted this study to compare the surface physical properties of four commercial preparations of artificial exogenous pulmonary surfactants in vitro which have been used in both the prevention and treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in newborn infants. METHODS: We tested four surfactants : a) Surfacten (Tokyo Tanabe, Japan) and Newfactan (Yuhan, Korea) : reconstituted bovine lung extract, b) Curosurf (Cheisi, Italy) : porcine lung mince; chloroform-methanol extract; liquid-gel chromatography, and c) Exosurf (Wellcome, USA), synthetic surfactant composed of colfosceril, palmitate, hexadecanol, and tyloxapol. We measured the surface adsorption rate, spreading rate, and surface tension(ST)-area diagram by using modified Wilhelmy balance and minimum(min-ST) and maximum ST(max-ST) by Pulsating Bubble Surfactometer. RESULTS: The adsorption rate of Surfacten is less than 30mN/m and those of Newfactan, Curosurf, and Exosurf are more than 30mN/m. The spreading rate of Surfaten and Newfactan are less than 30mN/m, and those of Curosurf and Exosurf are more than 30mN/m. The min-ST of Surfacten and Newfacten are less than 10mN/m, and those of Curosurf and Exosurf are more than 10mN/m. According to high performance of surface physical activities, which are compared with in vitro criteria of effective artificial surfactant, they are as follows; Surfacten>Newfactan>Curosurf>Exosurf. CONCLUSION: There are some differences between the surface physical properties of the four surfactant preparations. The natural surfactants appear to be superior to synthetic surfactant in vitro. Among the natural surfactants, Surfacten showed the best surface physical activities of spreading, adsorption and ST-lowering properties.
Adsorption ; Chromatography ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Lung ; Motor Activity ; Pulmonary Surfactants* ; Surface-Active Agents

OBJECTIVE: The frontal sinus is frequently a troublesome anatomical obstacle to gain access to the medial anterior cranial base. Surgical approaches to and through the frontal sinus using osteoplastic frontal sinusotomy provide significant advantages to the treatment of lesions of the medial anterior cranial base in addition to the frontal sinus itself. However, appropriate management is necessary to avoid postoperative complications such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage, infection, mucocele formation, and deformity of the forehead. METHODS: The advantages and shortcomings of the approach along with the surgical technique are reported based on our clinical experience with pertinent literature review. The approach using the osteoplastic frontal sinusotomy was applied to two cases of osteoma in the frontal sinus, seven cases of craniofacial tumors, a case of chordoma in the sphenoid and clivus, and two cases of intradural lesions in the anterior cranial fossa. The frontal sinus was managed in such a way as to prevent the postoperative complications. RESULTS: All patients underwent gross total resection of the tumors. With a mean follow-up of 26 months, there were no postoperative complications related to frontal sinus violation. CONCLUSION: The neurosurgical approaches via the frontal sinus using osteoplastic frontal sinusotomy are versatile for various lesions of the anterior cranial base in patients with large frontal sinuses. In situations that the frontal sinus have to be violated to approach medial anterior cranial base, the osteoplastic frontal sinusotomy provides such advantages as optimal frontal sinus control to prevent postoperative complications; increases viewing angle with superior trajectory from nasofrontal suture; lower incidence of pnemocephalus due to minimal dural exposure; and excellent cosmesis without frontal burr holes.
Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Chordoma ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Cranial Fossa, Anterior ; Cranial Fossa, Posterior ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forehead ; Frontal Sinus* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mucocele ; Osteoma ; Postoperative Complications ; Skull Base ; Sutures

We report a rare case of a 10-year-old girl with anomalous course of extensor pollicis longus (EPL) muscle, which exists with absence of thenar muscles and muscles in the 1st extensor compartment. Her chief complaint was severe atrophy on the right thenar eminence. On physical examination, there was no obvious functional abnormality on her right thumb. On magnetic resonance imaging, we found that the abductor pollicis brevis, opponens pollicis, abductor pollicis longus, and extensor pollicis brevis muscles were absent. The tendon of the EPL muscle was found, but it had abnormal insertion on the radial side of the proximal phalanx, not on the distal phalanx. This variation was thought to have played a major role in compensating for impaired abduction of the thumb, which is usually accompanied by agenesis of major abductors of the thumb.
Atrophy ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscles ; Physical Examination ; Tendons ; Thumb

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if walking is independently associated with low back pain (LBP) in the general population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used public data from the Fourth and Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Subjects included 5,982 community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years. Presence of current LBP was defined as LBP for 1 month or more in the past 3 months. Walking was measured as total walking duration for the past week and subjects were divided into four quartiles. Independent effect of walking on LBP was determined using odds ratios (OR) adjusted for age, sex, osteoporosis, depression or anxiety, and radiographic lumbar spondylosis. RESULTS: Prevalence of LBP was 26.4% in this population. Older people and women had higher prevalence of current LBP. Prevalence of obesity and osteoporosis was higher in subjects with current LBP and quality of life was poorer in subjects with current LBP. Adjusted logistic regression model revealed that older age (OR, 1.655; p=0.018), female sex (OR, 2.578; p<0.001), radiographic lumbar spondylosis (OR, 2.728; p<0.001), depression or anxiety (OR, 5.409; p<0.001), and presence of osteoporosis (OR, 1.467; p=0.002) were positively associated with current LBP. Walking decreased prevalence of current LBP proportionally (2nd quartile OR, 0.795; 3rd quartile OR, 0.770; and 4th quartile OR, 0.686 compared with the 1st quartile of walking). CONCLUSION: Walking was negatively associated with LBP. Further studies are needed to reveal causal relationship of this phenomenon.
Adult ; Anxiety ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Low Back Pain* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Osteoporosis ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Spondylosis ; Walking*