OBJECTIVES: Tourette's Disorder (TD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by multiple motor and vocal tics with onset in childhood. The aim of this study was to ascertain the increased cortical information transmission in frontal area during tic suppression in drug naive boys with TD using new nonlinear analysis of EEGs, be called Transfer Entropy (TE) which can detect the directed exchange of information between two systems. METHODS: Subjects were 11 drug naive boys with DSM-IV diagnosis of TD and 10 control boys. Clinical assessments were performed, and EEGs were recorded from 19 scalp loci of the international 10-20 systems. TE was estimated by EEG timeseries data after noise reduction. TE difference between TD and control during resting state and between tic suppression and resting state in TD were investigated. RESULTS: Elevated TE was found in extensive channels, including frontal, central and temporal channels (F7, Fz, F8,Cz, C3, P3, T3, and T4) in resting state of Tourette's disorder compared to normal controls. During tic suppression elevated TE was found in more extensive and asymmetrical channels especially prefrontal area (Fp1, Fp2, F3, Fz, F7, F8, Cz, C4, C5, T3, and T4). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that pathogenesis of Tourette's disorder involve impaired cortical neuronal modulation in subcortical neural circuits. EEG analysis of TE may be a useful tool to investigation of cortical mechanism of psychiatric illness.
Diagnosis ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Electroencephalography ; Entropy ; Neurons ; Noise ; Scalp ; Tics* ; Tourette Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Bleomycin* ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVES: Craving is the subjectively experienced motivational states inducing ongoing drug use in addicts. It also proceeds or precipitates relapse episode in drug addicts. Alcohol craving may be triggered by exposure to an object, environment, or emotion that a person has come to associate with alcohol consumption. Such stimuli are called alcohol-related cues. Among alcohol-related cues, alcohol-related visual stimuli are simple and reliable methods in inducing alcohol craving. The object of this study is to develop alcohol-related visual stimuli which induce alcohol craving reliably and to investigate the characteristics of alcohol-related visual stimuli in alcoholics. METHODS: First, the authors developed 27 alcohol and drinking color photos as candidate stimuli. Then, 3 photos which induce alcohol craving most were chosen as alcohol-related visual stimuli respectively by alcoholics, alcoholism high risk group and normal control group. The authors compared characteristics, situation and complexity of selected alcohol-related visual stimuli among three groups. RESULTS: 1) 'A glass of Soju', 'Drinking together' and 'A glass of beer, a bottle of beer and a sidedish' were chosen as alcohol-related visual stimuli which induce most craving in alcoholics, alcoholism high risk group and normal control group respectively. 2) Alcohol photo(stationary object) induced craving most in alcoholics in contrast with drinking photo(situation) in social drinkers. Alcoholics clung to alcohol per se, not to atmosphere or situation of drinking, and alcoholism high risk group felt craving by the expectation of drinking situation. Normal control group showed no consistent finding in choosing alcohol-related visual stimuli. CONCLUSION: With these results, the author suggests classical conditioning as psychopathological model of alcohol craving with alcoholics. In contrast with alcoholics, alcohol craving of alcoholism high risk group may be related to alcohol specific memory or positive expectancies about alcohol use. These finding may support different neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol craving between alcoholics and social drinkers.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholics ; Alcoholism ; Atmosphere ; Beer ; Conditioning, Classical ; Cues ; Drinking ; Drug Users ; Glass ; Humans ; Memory ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this prospective study is to investigate predictors estimating relapse in Korean alcohol-dependent patients using variables like alcohol history, drinking craving, treatment motivation and insight. METHODS: Alcohol dependent patients(N=48) who completed questionnaires about sociodemographic variables and drinking history, Timeline Follow-Back(TLFB), Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale(OCSD), Alcohol Urge Questionnaire(AUQ), Pennsylvania Alcohol Craving Scale(PACS), University of Rhode Island Change Assessment(URICA), Hanil Alcohol Insight Scale(HAIS) were followed-up for 24weeks. Subjects who drank heavily(5 standard drinking or more/day) or were not followed up anymore were classified as the relapse group. We used logistic regression analysis with backward elimination of SPSS PC+11.5 to investigate relapse estimate predictors. RESULTS: Average drinking amount per drinking day for last 1 year and HAIS score were predictors of relapse in alcohol-dependent patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that therapist should give more attention to alcohol-dependent patients who had more drinks per drinking day for last 1 year and had lower insight level.
Alcoholism ; Drinking ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Motivation ; Pennsylvania ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence* ; Rhode Island

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to determine the clinical and epidemiological trends of cervical cancer in young Korean women. Social behavior including sexual habits has changed in Korean women, with sexual activity commencing at a younger age. These changes are likely to influence certain risk factors of cervical cancer, resulting in changing trends in the occurrence of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The incidence of cervical cancer in women less than 35 years-old between January 1990 and December 2006 was analyzed, and available medical records from January 1996 to December 2006 were reviewed. The clinical, pathological and epidemiologic characteristics and changing trends among these young patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Over the last two decades, the incidence of young (< 35 years) cervical cancer patients increased, more patients had an aggressive form of the disease, and there was a higher rate of women with more advanced education. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection was detected in 94.0% of the women (63/67) tested. HPV 16 (82.5%) and HPV 18 (12.7%) were the two most common viral infections detected throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The changing trends and risk factors identified suggest a need for more active education of young women about cervical cancer prevention strategies. In addition, young women are strongly recommended to undergo a regular screening test and HPV vaccination.
Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Risk Factors ; Sexual Behavior ; Social Behavior ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vaccination

BACKGROUND: There are many factors that influence the differentiation and growth of trophoblasts. During differentiation of trophoblasts, two major hormones are secreted ; human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and human placental lactogen (hPL). These two hormones are secreted in a peculiar pattern during pregnancy and function of these hormones is not yet fully understood. Also, it is not known whether these hormones directly influence the differentiation and growth of trophoblasts. On the other hand, it is known that choriocarcinoma cells are undifferentiated, so they are unable to form syncytiotrophblasts. And many factors may be associated with this inhibitory potential. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to observe whether the hCG and hPL are associated with differentiation and growth of early placental trophoblasts and becoming malignant. METHOD: The hCG, hPL, IL-6 and insulin were added to cytotrophoblasts isolated from normal 8 to 10 gestational weeks' placental tissues by a degree of concentration, and observed the secreted hPL concentration and morphological change to syncytiotrophoblasts daily. And it was performed in Bewo cells in same manner. RESULT: The increased hPL secretion was noted in hCG, hPL, IL-6 and insulin were added normal trophoblasts and this may result from differentiation of cytotrophoblasts to syncytiotrophoblasts. Also, morphological changes to syncytiotrohoblasts was observed at the same time. But, Increased hPL secretion and syncytiotrophoblasts formation was not detected in Bewo cells. CONCLUSION: In this study, it seems that hCG, hPL, IL-6 and insulin had an influence on differentiation and growth of normal trophoblasts. On the other hand, no changes in hPL secretion and morphology at the choriocarcinoma cell line tells us that defects of differentiation in choriocarcinoma is due to abnormalities of the receptors on hCG and hPL or a differentiation associated gene, not a defect of these hormones themselves.
Cell Line ; Choriocarcinoma ; Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Female ; Gonadotropins ; Hand ; Humans* ; Insulin ; Interleukin-6 ; Placental Lactogen* ; Pregnancy ; Trophoblasts*

Empathy is the ability to identify with or make a vicariously experience of another person's feelings or thoughts based on memory and/or self-referential mental simulation. The default mode network in particular is related to self-referential empathy. In order to elucidate the possible neural mechanisms underlying empathy, we investigated the functional connectivity of the default mode network in subjects from a general population. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 19 low-empathy subjects and 18 medium-empathy subjects. An independent component analysis was used to identify the default mode network, and differences in functional connectivity strength were compared between the two groups. The low-empathy group showed lower functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (Brodmann areas 9 and 32) within the default mode network, compared to the medium-empathy group. The results of the present study suggest that empathy is related to functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex within the default mode network. Functional decreases in connectivity among low-empathy subjects may reflect an impairment of self-referential mental simulation.
Empathy ; Functional Neuroimaging ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Prefrontal Cortex

We have experienced three cases of extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) of the vulva that received radiation therapy (RT). Here, we analyze the efficacy of RT and include a literature survey. Three patients with EMPD of the vulva were treated with curative RT between 1993 and 1998. One of the patients had associated underlying adenocarcinoma of the vulva. The total doses of radiation administered were 54~78 Gy/6~8 weeks. Radiation fields encompassed 2 to 3 cm outer margins free from all visible disease including or not including the inguinal area using a 9 MeV electron or a 6 MV photon beam. Follow-up durations after radiotherapy were 0.6~11 years. Complete response was obtained in all three patients. Marginal failure occurred in one patient, and another patient with underlying adenocarcinoma treated by vulvectomy with bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection followed by external RT showed no relapse. Radiation induced side effects were transient acute confluent wet desquamation in the treated area resulting in mild late atrophic skin changes. Although surgery is currently considered the preferred primary treatment for EMPD, it has a high relapse rate due to the multifocal nature of the disease. We conclude that RT is of benefit in some selected cases of EMPD.
Adenocarcinoma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Paget Disease, Extramammary* ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Vulva*

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol withdrawal delirium is a serious clinical condition with high mortality rate if not treated. This study was to examine whether readily available clinical variables can predict the development of alcohol withdrawal delirium. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective study by reviewing charts of 566 patients who had been admitted for alcohol dependence. The cases were divided into two groups: delirium group (n=40) and control group (n=40). We compared baseline characteristics and serum analysis data at admission between two groups. We used logistic regression to predict risk factors for alcohol withdrawal delirium among potential risk factors. RESULTS: The delirium group had significantly lower hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet counts, and potassium level than countrol group. Presence of previous withdrawal delirium history, AST, GGTP, and bilirubin level of delirium group were significantly higher than those of control group. Among potential risk factors, past history of withdrawal delirium, decreased hemoglobin, elevated bilirubin level, and number of previous detoxification were predictable factors of the development of alcohol withdrawal delirium by 72.5%. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the infomation obtained at admission can be useful to predict the development of alcohol withdrawal delirium. Also, it makes the individualization of detoxification strategies possible.
Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium* ; Alcoholism ; Bilirubin ; Delirium ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mortality ; Platelet Count ; Potassium ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol withdrawal delirium is a serious clinical condition with high mortality rate if not treated. This study was to examine whether readily available clinical variables can predict the development of alcohol withdrawal delirium. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective study by reviewing charts of 566 patients who had been admitted for alcohol dependence. The cases were divided into two groups: delirium group (n=40) and control group (n=40). We compared baseline characteristics and serum analysis data at admission between two groups. We used logistic regression to predict risk factors for alcohol withdrawal delirium among potential risk factors. RESULTS: The delirium group had significantly lower hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet counts, and potassium level than countrol group. Presence of previous withdrawal delirium history, AST, GGTP, and bilirubin level of delirium group were significantly higher than those of control group. Among potential risk factors, past history of withdrawal delirium, decreased hemoglobin, elevated bilirubin level, and number of previous detoxification were predictable factors of the development of alcohol withdrawal delirium by 72.5%. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the infomation obtained at admission can be useful to predict the development of alcohol withdrawal delirium. Also, it makes the individualization of detoxification strategies possible.
Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium* ; Alcoholism ; Bilirubin ; Delirium ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mortality ; Platelet Count ; Potassium ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors