OBJECTIVES: Cognitive psychological models propose that auditory hallucinations arise from a problem with monitoring one's auditory verbal imagery. Most auditory hallucinations are derogatory in content and accompany negative emotions. If auditory verbal imagery plays an critical role in the pathogenesis of auditory hallucination, it must be influenced by negative emotions. This study was aimed at understanding the influence of negative emotions on the development of hallucinations by investigating the way by which negative emotions have influence on cortical activity induced by auditory verbal imagery. METHODS: For both normal subjects and patients with schizophrenia, quantitative electroencephalography(Q-EEG) was applied during the auditory verbal imagery tasks using a two word list. The one word list accompanied negative emotion and the other accompanied neutral emotions. The difference of EEG activity between two tasks was compared by paired t-test. WE also compare the difference of the influence of negative emotions between normal subjects and patients with schizophrenia. RESULTS: In normal subjects, amplitude of beta wave was increased in temporal area such as TCP1, and, the amplitude of theta frequency wave was decreased in right hemisphere such as FP2, F4, C4, CP2, P4, But, in the schizophrenia group, there were no significant differences. CONCLUSION: These results may suggest that auditory verbal imagery with negative emotion requires more activation in left temporal area, but, appropriate activation may not achieved in schizophenia patients. So, the possibility that the resultant disturbance of verbal self monitoring may be related to auditory hallucination is suggested in this study.
Electroencephalography ; Hallucinations ; Humans ; Models, Psychological ; Schizophrenia*

Purpose: To report the surgical skills needed, and the clinical results of, minimally invasive hip surgery with dynamic hip screws and the comparison with the classical technique in stable pertrochanteric fractures of the femur. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two patients with pertrochanteric fractures of the femur who were treated with dynamic compression hip screws between April 1999 and March 2004, and were evaluated retrospectively, and were followed up for more than 12 months. 16 cases were treated with a classical dynamic hip screw technique and 16 cases with a minimally invasive technique in random order. The mean age was 73.2 years, and there were 11 males and 21 females. The operative times, total hemovac bleeding loss, functional scores, and average hemoglobin decrease ratios were evaluated. The clinical assessments were performed with the Harris Hip Score (HSS) and bony union was evaluated with serial follow-up plain radiographs. Results: The average operative time was 63.9 minutes with the classical technique and 42.5 minutes with the minimally invasive technique. The total average hemovac blood loss was 640 cc with the classical technique and 143 cc with the minimally invasive technique. Clinically, the HHS was an average of 85.9 and 89.2 in groups 1 and 2, respectively, by the last follow-up and there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P <0.05) The hemoglobin decrease ratio was the same in both groups and there was no nonunion. Conclusion: Minimally invasive dynamic hip screw insertion was useful in stable pertrochanteric fractures, because it decreased blood loss and operative times; and there were no changes in fracture healing and functional outcomes.
Female ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Healing ; Hemorrhage ; Hip* ; Humans ; Male ; Operative Time ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: To determine correlations among ambulatory renin activity, ambulatory blood pressure and microalbumin excretion rate, 66 Korean essential hypertensives were studied after 4 week wash-out period. The ambulatory blood pressure was monitored every 30 minutes and mean BP were calculated automatically. Urinary microalbumin excretion rate(UAER) and ambulatory plasma renin activity(aPRA) collected at mid-day were measured by radioimmunoassays. Subjectives were divided into 2 groups by aPRA value(2ng/ml/hr). RESULT: 14 cases were high renin group and 52 cases low renin group. The mean BP were 148.83/94.69mmHg in low renin group, and 146.57/98.07mmHg in high-renin group without difference. UAER were not different also between both groups. 23.07%(4/14) of non-dippers were included in high renin group and 25.58%(12/52) in low renin group without statistical difference. The aPRA was significantly related to UAER and systolic and diastolic mean blood pressure. Also UAER was related significantly to day mean blood pressures. CONCLUSION: Thus aPRA is thought to be a meaningful indicator to predict hypertensive renal target organ damage as well as blood pressure measured with 24-hr ABPM.
Blood Pressure* ; Hypertension* ; Plasma* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Renin*

Purpose: To retrospectively compare the fixation methods for reattaching a trochanteric fragment in a pertrochanteric fracture treated with bipolar hemiarthroplasty. Materials and methods: Forty cases of an unstable femur pertrochanteric fracture were analyzed and followed up for average of 19(6~40) months. There were 18 cases fixed with tension band wiring (group 1), 7 cases treated using modified tension band wiring with K-wires (group 2) and 15 cases treated with the GTRD (Greater Trochanteric Reattachment Device) (group 3). Result: Group 1 was treated with simple a surgical procedure and the results were good. The second group had firm fixation postoperatively but required additional surgery in two cases to remove the K-wires because of wire migration after ambulation. Group 3 had relatively good results but required more dissection and a longer operating time. Conclusion: Tension band wiring or GTRD are good fixation methods for reattaching trochanteric fragments in pertrochanteric fractures. Moreover, tension band wiring is recommended for old osteoporotic patients due to a simple procedure and firm fixation. The use of modified tension band wiring using K-wire or a Steinmann-pin should not be used due to the possibility of distant migration.
Femur* ; Hemiarthroplasty* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Walking

No abstract available.
Humans

BACKGROUND: Recently in Europe, some epidemiologic studies reported that various physical symptoms and social, psychological wellbeing are related to low blood pressure. But in Korea, none has been studied on symptoms related to low blood pressure yet. In this study, we would like to see if the somatic symptoms and social, psychological wellbeing shown t,o be related to low SBP is truly associated with it. METHODS: Questionnaire interview was done to the people who have visited Department of family practice in two university hospitals and two health promotion center from April, 1996 to August, 1996. Seven somatic symptoms and Psychosocial Wellbeing Index(PWI) for the evaluation of social, psychological health status were included in the questionnaire. SAS statistics packages was used in statistical precess. We used logistic regression to see the frequency of somatic symptoms related to the systolic blood pressure(SBP) group and the confirmation of confounding variables was done by ANOVA. RESULTS: Total of 304 completed the questionnaire. Average age was 44 years old and average SBP was 115.4+/-16.4. 84 of them (27.6%) felt that they had a low BP & 69 were women compared to 21 men, being meaningfully more common. 107(35.2%) people answered that they had heard that their blood pressure was low and 66% were from doctors. Only 32(38.1%) of the group who felt of having hypotensive symptoms and 38 of the group who heard of having hypotension actually had SBP of below 100 mmHg. Vocation, income, smoking & alcohol history, present illness, marital status were not significant as a confounding variable. SBP of 100 or below group had a less presentation of fatigue & significantly higher PWI than the group of above 100mmHg (p<0.05). The group who felt that they had a low BP had more complaints of fatigue, dizziness, palpitation, cold hands and feet and had significnatly higher PWI than the group who didnt. CONCLUSIONS: SBP of 100mmHg or below group has more frequent manifestion of fatigue and low level of sociopsycholgiacl health index than the above 100mmHg group. But most of the people who complained of hypotensive symptoms didnt have low blood pressure and a lot of them misunderstand of having low blood pressure and after checking blood pressure by doctors, so great deal of caution is called for when seeing patients.
Adult ; Blood Pressure* ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Dizziness ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Europe ; Family Practice ; Fatigue ; Female ; Foot ; Hand ; Health Promotion ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Marital Status ; Occupations ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Radiation Oncology*

PURPOSE: We present a case of uneventful cataract surgery in an idiopathic true exfoliation patient with areas of capsular delamination based on scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope results. CASE SUMMARY: A 77-year-old male presented with gradual deterioration of vision over 1 year in duration. Slit lamp examination revealed bilateral nuclear sclerotic cataracts with ring-shaped fibrous membrane floating within the anterior chamber in the right eye. In addition, the patient was diagnosed with cataract and true exfoliation of the right eye. He underwent uneventful phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation by placing capsulorrhexis outside the delaminated capsule margin. At 6 months after cataract surgery, the patient showed favorable visual outcome with uncorrected vision of 20/20 and intraocular pressure of 18 mm Hg in the right eye.
Aged ; Anterior Chamber ; Capsulorhexis ; Cataract* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular ; Male ; Membranes ; Phacoemulsification

This study was performed to examine the health risks according to the obesity types based upon body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) cutoffs. The subjects were 8,966 adults aged 40-79 years from the 1998, 2001 and 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. The subjects were classified into 4 types of obesity groups based on BMI and WC: BMIWC (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2 and WC >or = 90 cm for males and > or = 85 cm for females), WC (BMI < 25 kg/m2 and > or = 90 cm for males and > or = 85 cm for females), BMI (BMI >or = 25 kg/m2 and < 90 cm for males and < 85 cm for females), normal (BMI < 25 kg/m2 and < 90 cm for males and < 85 cm for females) groups. More than half (n = 5,103) of the subjects fell into the normal group and BMIWC group accounts for 58%, followed by BMI group of 27% and WC group of 16%. Mean ages of subjects were highest in WC group and lowest in BMI group. Blood levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol and glucose, and blood pressures were higher and HDL-cholesterol was lower in 3 types of obesity groups (BMIWC, WC, BMI) than in the normal group. Among the 3 obesity groups, energy and fat intake was significantly higher in BMIWC than in normal group in males, however, no differences were found among the 4 groups in females. The three obesity groups had greater odds ratios for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia, hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and metabolic syndrome compared to the normal group. Among 3 obesity groups, BMIWC group had the highest odds ratios for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. Especially BMIWC and WC groups showed the highest odds ratios for diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome, suggesting the potential role of abdominal obesity in diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. Our data indicate that different types of obesity may show different degrees of health risks. The appropriate selection and use of obesity indexes may be effective for management of obesity as well as obesityrelated diseases.
Adult ; Aged ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Male ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Odds Ratio ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: In emergency departments, there are many drunken patients with various emergency medical situations. In these patients, evaluation and management of the medical problems are delayed from time to time because of the uncooperative nature of the patients and because of consciousness and sensory changes. A precise evaluation can only be obtained when the patients become sober. For this purpose, most clinicians start IV fluid loading. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of IV fluid(normal saline and glucose solution) on the rate of ethanol clearance in such patients. METHODS: Ten volunteers(healthy males in their twenties and with a Michigan alcohol screening test below 4) were enrolled in this study. Alcohol intake was restricted to at least 48 hours before the test and food intake to at least 4 hours. For the test, A predetermined dose of ethanol(1gm/kg) was given to the volunteers. Each volunteer was tested on three consecutive times with 3 or more days interval for alcohol wash out period. On the 1st day, the volunteers received ethanol only per os. On the second day, they received ethanol and a liter of IV normal saline. On the third day, they received ethanol and a liter of IV 10% dextrose solution. Each day, blood was drawn from the antecubital vein to measure the ethanol level at the time of ethanol ingestion and at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 hours after ingestion. The repeated measure ANOVA test was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The difference in the blood ethanol level between the 3 test was F=1.7, p=0.184, and the difference corrected by the time factor was F=0.32, and p=0.985. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the blood ethanol level between the tests. In conclusion, the IV normal saline or glucose solution does not accelerate ethanol clearance in suffering from acute alcohol intoxication.
Consciousness ; Eating ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Ethanol ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Michigan ; Time Factors ; Veins ; Volunteers