PURPOSE: This study attempted to investigate the effects of supply of highly concentrated (30%) oxygen on human ability of visuospatial cognition using time course data analysis of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: To select an item set in the visuospatial performance test, two questionnaires with similar difficulty were developed through group testing. A group test was administered to 263 college students. Two types of questionnaire containing 20 questions were developed to measure the ability of visuospatial cognition. Eight college students (right-handed male, average age of 23.5 yrs) were examined for fMRI study. The experiment consisted of two runs of the visuospatial cognition testing, one with 21% level of oxygen and the other with 30% oxygen level. Each run consisted of 4 blocks, each containing control and visuospatial items. Functional brain images were taken from 3T MRI using the single-shot EPI method. Using the subtraction procedure, activated areas in the brain during visuospatial tasks were col-orcoded by t-score. To investigate the time course data in each activated area from brain images, 4 typical regions (cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, and frontal lobe) were selected. RESULTS: The average accuracy was 50.63 +/-8.63 and 62.50 +/-9.64 for 21% and 30% oxygen respectively, and a statistically significant difference was found in the accuracy between the two types of oxygen (p<0.05). There were more activation areas observed at the cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe and frontal lobe with 30% oxygen administration. The rate of increase in the cerebellum, occipital lobe and parietal lobe was 17% and that of the frontal lobe, 50%. Especially, there were increase of intensity of BOLD signal at the parietal lobe with 30% oxygen administration. The increase rate of the left parietal lobe was 1.4% and that of the right parietal lobe, 1.7%. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that while performing visuospatial tasks, high concentrations of oxygen administration make oxygen administration sufficient, thus making neural network activate more, and the ability to perform visuospatial tasks increase.
Brain ; Cerebellum ; Cognition ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Occipital Lobe ; Oxygen* ; Parietal Lobe ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Statistics as Topic*

PURPOSE: This study attempted to investigate the effects of supply of highly concentrated (30%) oxygen on human ability of visuospatial cognition using time course data analysis of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: To select an item set in the visuospatial performance test, two questionnaires with similar difficulty were developed through group testing. A group test was administered to 263 college students. Two types of questionnaire containing 20 questions were developed to measure the ability of visuospatial cognition. Eight college students (right-handed male, average age of 23.5 yrs) were examined for fMRI study. The experiment consisted of two runs of the visuospatial cognition testing, one with 21% level of oxygen and the other with 30% oxygen level. Each run consisted of 4 blocks, each containing control and visuospatial items. Functional brain images were taken from 3T MRI using the single-shot EPI method. Using the subtraction procedure, activated areas in the brain during visuospatial tasks were col-orcoded by t-score. To investigate the time course data in each activated area from brain images, 4 typical regions (cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, and frontal lobe) were selected. RESULTS: The average accuracy was 50.63 +/-8.63 and 62.50 +/-9.64 for 21% and 30% oxygen respectively, and a statistically significant difference was found in the accuracy between the two types of oxygen (p<0.05). There were more activation areas observed at the cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe and frontal lobe with 30% oxygen administration. The rate of increase in the cerebellum, occipital lobe and parietal lobe was 17% and that of the frontal lobe, 50%. Especially, there were increase of intensity of BOLD signal at the parietal lobe with 30% oxygen administration. The increase rate of the left parietal lobe was 1.4% and that of the right parietal lobe, 1.7%. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that while performing visuospatial tasks, high concentrations of oxygen administration make oxygen administration sufficient, thus making neural network activate more, and the ability to perform visuospatial tasks increase.
Brain ; Cerebellum ; Cognition ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Occipital Lobe ; Oxygen* ; Parietal Lobe ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Statistics as Topic*

PURPOSE: The aim of this prospective, double-blind, randomized study was to investigate the analgesic effects of low-dose ketamine on intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) with fentanyl for pain control in pediatric patients following the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty pediatric patients undergoing the Nuss procedure were randomly assigned to receive fentanyl (Group F, n=30) or fentanyl plus ketamine (Group FK, n=30). Ten minutes before the end of surgery, following the loading dose of each solution, 0.5 microg/kg/hr of fentanyl or 0.5 microg/kg/hr of fentanyl plus 0.15 mg/kg/hr of ketamine was infused via an IV-PCA pump (basal rate, 1 mL/hr; bolus, 0.5 mL; lock out interval, 30 min). Fentanyl consumption, pain score, ketorolac use, nausea/vomiting, ondansetron use, pruritus, respiratory depression, hallucination, dreaming, and parent satisfaction with pain control were measured throughout the 48 hours following surgery. RESULTS: The pain scores, ketorolac use, and fentanyl consumption of Group FK were significantly lower than in Group F (p<0.05). The incidence of nausea/vomiting and ondansetron use in Group FK was significantly lower than in Group F (p<0.05). There were no reports of respiratory depression, hallucination or dreaming. Parent satisfaction with pain control was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: We concluded that low-dose ketamine added to IV-PCA with fentanyl after the Nuss procedure in pediatric patients can reduce pain scores, consumption of fentanyl, and incidence of nausea/vomiting without increasing side effects.
Analgesia, Patient-Controlled/*methods ; Analgesics/*therapeutic use ; Child ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Fentanyl/*therapeutic use ; Funnel Chest/surgery ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Ketamine/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Pain, Postoperative/drug therapy

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) in children with epilepsy and to determine the difference of characteristics in patients with epilepsy and concomitant ADHD as opposed to the patients without ADHD for better management. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 184 patients diagnosed as epilepsy and treated with antiepileptic drugs in pediatric neurology department of Seoul St. Mary's hospital from March, 2009 to May, 2012. Their ages ranged from 6 to 18 years. The subjects were included in the study those who made a regular visit for more than a year. RESULTS: 1) Out of 184 patients, 69 patients (37.5%) had both ADHD and epilepsy. 2) In epilepsy children with ADHD, male outnumbered female by almost two fold (male 67: female 33) (P=0.022). 3) In epilepsy children with ADHD, epileptiform discharges on EEG was focused in central regions in 39% of them (P=0.014). 4) In 56% of patients without ADHD, their seizures remained under the control with single anticonvulsant, as opposed to 36% of patients with both ADHD and epilepsy (P=0.001). Therefore, the presence of ADHD in patients with epilepsy might be related to the therapeutic response to anticonvulsants, and be a useful predictive factor for the response to early treatment. CONCLUSION: Patients with epilepsy and concomitant ADHD showed a significant difference and poor response to epilepsy treatment, as opposed to patients without ADHD. Therefore, early detection and establishment of countermeasures for ADHD is necessary.
Anticonvulsants ; Child* ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neurology ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Seoul

Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) has been reported as rare complication of vaccination. Herein, we report 2 cases of ATM after the administration of an mRNA vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The first one is an 81-year-old man who received the BNT162b2 vaccine. He presented with bilateral hand weakness. Spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed high signal intensity from the C1 to C3 vertebrae. The second is a 23-year-old woman who received the BNT162b2 vaccine and experienced tingling in her legs. Spine MRI showed a high signal intensity lesion at the conus medullaris. These patients were treated with intravenous methylprednisolone and their symptoms improved slightly. Careful follow-up is needed to identify adverse events after the administration of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19.

Background/Aims: Recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) were not paralleled with advances in treatment options; thus many questions regarding optimal MPN management remain unanswered. Here, we report the results of descriptive survey study of Korean MPN patients and their attending physicians. Methods: A total of 105 Korean patients (myelofibrosis [MF], 39; polycythemia vera [PV], 25; essential thrombocythemia [ET], 41) and 30 physicians completed the Landmark Health Survey, then data from the survey were analyzed. Results: Among the MPN-Symptom Assessment Form symptoms, the most severe symptom reported was ‘fatigue or tiredness’ in MF and ET patients and ‘itching’ in PV patients. The majority of the patients agreed that MPN reduced their quality of life (QoL). Interestingly, physicians gave higher scores regarding the impact of MPN on patient’s daily and social life compared to patients themselves. For patients, the most important treatment goal was symptom improvement regardless of MPN subtype, while for physicians the highest priority for treatment was better QoL regardless of MPN subtype. Generally, both patients and physicians were satisfied with the overall treatment/management of MPN and communications. However, many patients felt there was not enough time during the appointment for discussion, while many physicians felt they lacked effective drugs to offer to their patients. Conclusions Our study suggests there are room for better-standardized monitoring of symptoms and treatment options and those continuous efforts to bridge the gap between patients and physicians are necessary for better care of MPN patients.

In the 2023–2024 season, the influenza epidemic in South Korea peaked earlier than in recent years. In this study, we aimed to estimate the interim vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the influenza vaccination to prevent influenza during the early season. From November 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, we enrolled 2,632 subjects with influenza-like illness from eight hospitals participating in hospital-based influenza morbidity and mortality surveillance. A retrospective test-negative case-control study was conducted to estimate the VE. The results showed an adjusted VE of 22.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.6 to 35.8) for the total population. The adjusted VE was 22.3% (95% CI, 6.1 to 35.7) for influenza A and 9.4% (95% CI, −51.3 to 45.7) for influenza A/H1N1. Full results of the analysis will be reported.

Background: Bivalent booster mRNA vaccines containing the omicron-variant strains have been introduced worldwide in the autumn of 2022. Nevertheless, the omicron subvariants evoked another large coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wave in late 2022 and early 2023. Methods: A retrospective, test-negative, case-control study was conducted to estimate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines in 8 university hospitals between January and February 2023. The case and control groups were divided based on nasopharyngeal COVID-19 real-time polymerase chain reaction results and matched based on age, sex, hospital, and date (week) of the test performed. The VE of the BA.1- or BA.4/BA.5-based mRNA vaccines were estimated. VE was calculated using the 1−adjusted odds ratio from multivariable logistic regression. Results: In total, 949 patients and 947 controls were enrolled in this study. VE for the BA.4/ BA.5-based bivalent mRNA vaccine was 43% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17, 61%). In subgroup analysis based on age and underlying medical conditions, BA.4/BA.5-based bivalent mRNA vaccine was effective against old adults aged ≥ 65-years (VE, 55%; 95% CI, 23, 73%) and individuals with comorbidities (VE, 54%; 95% CI, 23, 73%). In comparison, the BA.1-based bivalent mRNA vaccine did not demonstrate statistically significant effectiveness (VE, 25%; 95% CI, −8, 49%). Conclusion The BA.4/BA.5-based bivalent mRNA booster vaccine provided significant protection against COVID-19 in the Korean adults, especially in the older adults aged ≥ 65 years and in individuals with underlying medical conditions.

The accuracy and convenience of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), which efficiently evaluates glycemic variability and hypoglycemia, are improving. There are two types of CGM: professional CGM and personal CGM. Personal CGM is subdivided into real-time CGM (rt-CGM) and intermittently scanned CGM (isCGM). CGM is being emphasized in both domestic and foreign diabetes management guidelines. Regardless of age or type of diabetes, CGM is useful for diabetic patients undergoing multiple insulin injection therapy or using an insulin pump. rt-CGM is recommended for all adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and can also be used in type 2 diabetes (T2D) treatments using multiple insulin injections. In some cases, short-term or intermittent use of CGM may be helpful for patients with T2D who use insulin therapy other than multiple insulin injections and/or oral hypoglycemic agents. CGM can help to achieve A1C targets in diabetes patients during pregnancy. CGM is a safe and cost-effective alternative to self-monitoring blood glucose in T1D and some T2D patients. CGM used in diabetes management works optimally with proper education, training, and follow up. To achieve the activation of CGM and its associated benefits, it is necessary to secure sufficient repetitive training and time for data analysis, management, and education. Various supports such as compensation, insurance coverage expansion, and reimbursement are required to increase the effectiveness of CGM while considering the scale of benefit recipients, policy priorities, and financial requirements.