Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are major components of Alzheimer’s disease. In this study, we aimed at investigating the prevalence and severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in very mild to mild Alzheimer’s disease. Forty-four patients with Alzheimer’s disease who visited the neurology outpatient clinic of Seoul Medical Center were included. A trained neurologist or a supervised test technician administered the neuropsychological test, the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery including Mini Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating. The instrument used for assessing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia was Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire. In order of prevalence, apathy, depression, irritability, anxiety, and agitation were the most common symptoms occurring in very mild-to-mild Alzheimer’s disease group. The prevalence and severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia were found to be in positive correlation with the Clinical Dementia Rating scores. Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are found even in the very early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, apathy and depression being the most common symptoms. Physicians should be aware of this when managing dementia patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Given that only a few studies have focused on the bimodal benefits on objective and subjective outcomes and emphasized the importance of individual data, the present study aimed to measure the bimodal benefits on the objective and subjective outcomes for adults with cochlear implant. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fourteen listeners with bimodal devices were tested on the localization and recognition abilities using environmental sounds, 1-talker, and 2-talker speech materials. The localization ability was measured through an 8-loudspeaker array. For the recognition measures, listeners were asked to repeat the sentences or say the environmental sounds the listeners heard. As a subjective questionnaire, three domains of Korean-version of Speech, Spatial, Qualities of Hearing scale (K-SSQ) were used to explore any relationships between objective and subjective outcomes. RESULTS: Based on the group-mean data, the bimodal hearing enhanced both localization and recognition regardless of test material. However, the inter- and intra-subject variability appeared to be large across test materials for both localization and recognition abilities. Correlation analyses revealed that the relationships were not always consistent between the objective outcomes and the subjective self-reports with bimodal devices. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study supports significant bimodal advantages on localization and recognition measures, yet the large individual variability in bimodal benefits should be considered carefully for the clinical assessment as well as counseling. The discrepant relations between objective and subjective results suggest that the bimodal benefits in traditional localization or recognition measures might not necessarily correspond to the self-reported subjective advantages in everyday listening environments.
Adult ; Cochlear Implants ; Counseling ; Hearing ; Hearing Aids ; Humans

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to analyze the height and width of the pedicle of the upper and lower levels on the concave and the convex sides. In addition, we checked for the appropriate pedicle screw size which could be screwed in without complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Taking a simple AP radiography in a standing position, 99 vertebrae on the major curve with the possibility of 3-D reconstruction were analyzed after checking the CT in a supine position of 22 idiopathic scoliosis. We measured Cobb's angle from a simple radiograph, and measured the size of the isthmus by the Inner Space 3-D Editor after 3-D reconstruction with the Inner Space 3-D program in the DICOM file transformed from CT image. We then analyzed the size of pedicles of the upper and lower levels on the concave and the convex sides by measuring the height and width of the pedicle. RESULTS: All pedicles on the concave side were smaller than those on the convex side. Their size increased as the measurement moved from the upper to lower vertebra, except for the upper thoracic vertebra. When the width of the pedicle through 3-D reconstruction was compared with the narrowest width of the pedicle measured by using CT, the width of the pedicles through 3-D reconstruction was statistically smaller (P< 0.01). Most of the pedicles were tear-drop or kidney shaped rather than cylindrical. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the use of the coronal plane through 3-D reconstruction would be necessary for an accurate measurement of the size of the pedicle. It is important to pay careful attention to the screw size and the screwing method considering the pedicle shape through 3-D reconstruction.
Kidney ; Radiography ; Scoliosis* ; Spine ; Supine Position

No abstract available.
Classification* ; Humans ; Spinal Cord* ; Urodynamics*

PURPOSE : To compare the clinical, roentgenographic results and patient self assessment between posterior cruciate retaining TKA and posterior cruciate substituting TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS : From January 1993 to May 1999, 68 patients (106 knees) were performed total knee arthroplasty using the PFC system. Seventy five PCL retaining and thirty one PCL substituting components were used. Retrospective analysis were done in two groups by the clinical and radiological evaluation system using American Knee Society Scale and patient self assessment using WOMAC score. RESULTS : There were no statistically significant differences in knee score and functional score, improvement of range of motion, and self assesment of the PCL retaining and substituting group. We also observed improvement of pain, knee scores, and functional scores according to flexion contracture in both groups but there were no significant differences statistically. Tibiofemoral angles were corrected in both groups. There was no case of complete radiolucency, osteolysis, and component loosening. CONCLUSION : Surgeons will achieve good result of operation, if they choose proper type of TKA systems according to state of posterior cruciate ligament, degree of deformity, and technique of surgery.
Arthroplasty* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Equidae ; Humans ; Knee* ; Osteolysis ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Self-Assessment

PURPOSE: To evaluate functional results and complications after minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis through an anterior approach for distal tibial fractures, including pilon fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2007 and December 2008, thirteen patients with fractures of the distal tibia were treated with minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis through an anterior approach, and were followed for a mean of 16.2 months (range, 12-30 months). Fractures according to the AO/OTA classification were six 43A, four 43B and three 43C. We analyzed functional results by bone union, postoperative complications, and the Olerud and Molander ankle scoring system. RESULTS: All fractures were united after a mean of 15.7 weeks (range, 12 to 24 weeks) except one case. There were 2 cases of superficial wound infection, one case of fibular shortening and metal failure, and two cases of tibialis anterior tendon adhesion. The average functional score was 79 points (range, 35-95 points) and results were four excellent, six good and three fair. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis through an anterior approach may be used for distal tibial fracture with medial soft tissue injury, and has an advantage in that the metaphyseal and distal articular fracture are fixed at the same time through a single incision However, it should be approached with caution because of the risk of complications due to the anterior approach, such as iatrogenic injury of the tibialis anterior tendon.
Animals ; Ankle ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; Nitro Compounds ; Postoperative Complications ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Tendons ; Tibia ; Tibial Fractures ; Wound Infection

There has been a dramatic increase in the number and type of procedures performed in the field of cardiac intervention in the past decade. Percutaneous intervention is becoming an increasingly recognized modality for the management of prosthetic paravalvular leakages (PVLs) in severely symptomatic non-surgical candidates. Herein, we report our experience of percutaneous closure using the Amplatzer duct occluder for a PVL in a patient who underwent tricuspid valve replacement.
Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Humans ; Septal Occluder Device ; Tricuspid Valve ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency

Umbilical venous catheter (UVC) insertion is a life-saving procedure in neonates who require neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It is a relatively easy procedure and it is routinely performed on the NICU. This life-saving yet relatively easy procedure, however, can yield some undesirable complications if it is not administered correctly. One of them is a liver abscess. This is a case report of a preterm infant who developed a liver abscess after UVC insertion. We inserted UAC and UVC to a preterm of 35 weeks of gestational age and birth weight of 2,720 g for treatment of respiratory distress syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus, and sepsis. A liver abscess associated with UVC was suspected on screening abdominal sonogram performed for evaluation of infection at 8 days of life. UAC was removed at 5 days of life, however, UVC was still being used. The patient recovered after 4 weeks of antibiotic treatment with prompt elimination of UVC. This case along with a brief review of literature illustrates an importance of proper maintenance and casuistic use of UVC for preterm infants.
Birth Weight ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Liver ; Liver Abscess ; Mass Screening ; Sepsis

OBJECTIVE: Excessive worry about minor matters and a state in which this worry is experienced as uncontrollable are known to be key symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Given the importance of pathological worry in GAD, the need for psychometrically sound measures of this construct has increased. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the Korean version of Penn State Worry Questionnaire (K-PSWQ) for screening GAD. METHODS: Two hundred and forty six patients were initially screened, from which 102 GAD patients and 118 patients with anxiety disorder not otherwise specified (anxiety disorder NOS) were finally enrolled. Patients were diagnosed by a structured clinical interview for the DSM-IV Axis I. We also enrolled 114 control subjects who had no medical or psychiatric history. Pathological worry in both patients and control subjects were assessed at baseline using the PSWQ and we estimated optimal cutoff score by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: We found that in the first ROC analysis, a score of 53 could simultaneously optimize sensitivity and specificity in order to discriminate GAD patients from control subjects. From the second receiver operating characteristic analysis, when both sensitivity and specificity were optimized, we can suggest a score of 61 as being the cutoff for differentiating GAD patients from patients with anxiety disorder NOS. CONCLUSION: The Korean version of PSWQ is a useful method for screening GAD patients, although ethnic and cultural differences may affect the cutoff score of PSWQ for GAD.
Anxiety Disorders* ; Anxiety* ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Methods ; Surveys and Questionnaires* ; ROC Curve* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: To translate and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ-25). METHODS: Two bilingual ophthalmologists independently translated the original English version of the NEI-VFQ-25 into written Korean. A panel of the Korean Retina Society reviewed the translations to form a single reconciled forward translation of the Korean version of the NEI-VFQ-25. Another ophthalmologist back-translated this first draft into English. Both the first draft and back-translated draft were edited by a professional translator. To evaluate the correlation and validity, results between the original NEI-VFQ-25 and the Korean version, completed by the bilingual participants, were compared. RESULTS: The Korean version of the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 was developed by translation, back-translation, and expert supervision. Results from 23 bilingual participants between the original NEI-VFQ-25 and the Korean version were compared and showed statistically significant correlation, with a Spearman's correlation coefficient of 0.4 or greater. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test results showed no statistically significant differences between the two questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: Translation and validation of the Korean version of the NEI-VFQ-25 was achieved.
National Eye Institute (U.S.) ; Organization and Administration ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retina ; Translations