OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluated the difference of depressive symptoms and attention between estrogen user and non-user in postmenopausal women. METHODS: 30 Estrogen users and 30 non-users were participated in this study. They were all menopausal for at least 1 year and have 12 or more education years. We used BDI(Beck Depression Inventory), digit span and digit symbol to evaluate depressive symptoms and attention in both groups. We also measured the plasma estradiol level and identified the correlation between estradiol level and BDI, digit span and digit symbol. RESULTS: The demographic data was not different between both groups. Estrogen users scored higher than non-users in digit span(forward) and lower than non-users in BDI. The correlation between estradiol level BDI, digit span and digit symbol was not significant. CONCLUSION: Estrogen replacement therapy was effective in alleviation depressive symptoms but ineffective in improving attention in postmenopausal women.
Depression* ; Education ; Estradiol ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Humans ; Plasma

No abstract available.
Spinal Stenosis* ; Spondylolisthesis*

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) by age and current condition as a first-line treatment for pediatric and adolescent urolithiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The computerized records of 55 children were retrospectively reviewed from March 1991 to July 2007. The children were below 18 years of age and had undergone ESWL monotherapy for urolithiasis. There were 36 boys (65.5%) and 19 girls (34.5%), with a mean age of 8.5 years (range, 0.5-18 years). There were 24 patients aged 7 years or less and 31 patients aged more than 7 years. RESULTS: The mean size of the stones was 9.48 mm (range, 4-22 mm). The overall success rate of ESWL was 90.9% (50 children). The mean number of ESWL sessions was 2.02 (range, 1-10). The mean number of ESWL sessions for the patient group aged 7 years or less was 1.16 (range, 1-2) and that for the patient group aged more than 7 years was 2.97 (range, 1-10; p=0.037). There was also a statistically significant difference in the mean number of ESWL sessions between the younger and older patients who needed general anesthesia (1.16 vs. 2.2 sessions, respectively; 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: In the patient group aged 7 years or less, the number of ESWL sessions and the complication rate were comparable with those for endoscopic management. Thus, ESWL is an effective first-line treatment modality for patients aged less than 7 years.
Adolescent* ; Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lithotripsy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock* ; Urolithiasis*

PURPOSE: To compare T2 relaxation times (T2) in the cingulate cortex, amygdaloid body, hippocampal body, and insular cortex between 1.5T and 3.0T MR imagers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers underwent FLAIR and CPMG imaging perpendicular to the hippocampal body at both 3.0T and 1.5T. T2 was measured in the cingulate cortex, amygdaloid body, hippocampal body, and insular cortex. The T2 relaxation time ratios of the cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and amygdaloid body to the hippocampal body were compared between 1.5T and 3.0T. RESULTS: The mean T2 of the cingulate cortex, amygdaloid body, hippocampal body, and insular cortex at 1.5T were 109.5+/-3.1, 117.0+/-7.1, 114.7+/-2.4, and 111.3+/-2.4, respectively; 99.7+/-3.8, 100.7+/-4.3, 97.9+/-3.4, and 96.2+/-2.0, respectively, at 3.0T. Percentage changes of T2 in the cingulate cortex, insular cortex, amygdaloid body, and hippocampal body at 3.0T with respect to those at 1.5T were -8.9%, -13.5%, -14.6%, and -13.5%, respectively. The mean T2 ratios of the cingulate gyrus, insular cortex, and amygdaloid body to the hippocampal body at 1.5T and 3.0T were 0.96 and 1.02 (p=0.003); 1.02 and 1.03 (p>0.05); 0.97 and 0.98 (p>0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: T2 decrease in the cingulate cortex was less than the amygdaloid body, insular cortex, and hippocampal body at 3.0T. The mean T2 ratio of the cingulate gyrus to the hippocampal body was significantly different between 1.5T and 3.0T.
Amygdala ; Brain ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hippocampus ; Relaxation

A pontine intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) evokes several neurological symptoms, due to the various nuclei and nerve fibers; however, hearing loss from a pontine ICH is rare. We have experienced a non-traumatic pontine ICH patient, with hearing loss. A 43-year-old male patient had a massive pontine hemorrhage; his brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed the hemorrhage on the bilateral dorsal pons, with the involvement of the trapezoid body. Also, profound hearing loss on the pure-tone audiogram and abnormal brainstem auditory evoked potential were noticed. Fifty-two months of long-term follow-up did not reveal any definite improvement on the patient's hearing ability.
Adult ; Brain ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing* ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Nerve Fibers ; Pons

Oro-facial dyskinesia is characterized by involuntary repetitive movements of the tongue, lip, or jaw, which is known to be derived by variable causes. Pre- and post-synaptic dopamine receptor abnormalities by degenerative changes in the brain seem to be the key pathophysiology, but the exact mechanism still remained to be unknown. Metoclopramide can pass the blood-brain barrier, which is known for a selective presynaptic autoregulating dopamine D2 receptor antagonist in the brain, and is usually prescribed for dyspepsia, nausea and vomiting. In particular, it was also reported to improve the symptoms of diurnal bruxism after brain injury. With reviewing some of literatures, we present a case of 27 year old man with traumatic brain injury who showed improvement of oro-facial dyskinesia after taking oral metoclopramide.
Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain ; Brain Injuries* ; Bruxism ; Dyskinesias* ; Dyspepsia ; Jaw ; Lip ; Metoclopramide* ; Nausea ; Receptors, Dopamine ; Receptors, Dopamine D2 ; Tongue ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: To investigate the effectiveness of cyanoacrylate glue application in cases of corneal perforation or impending perforation due to refractory keratitis. METHODS: Cyanoacrylate glue was applied on 6 cases of fungal keratitis, 3 cases of herpetic keratitis, and 3 cases of bacterial keratitis from July 1998 to June 2002. 2 cases were corneal perforations and 10 were impending perforations. Cyanoacrylate glue was applied on stromal melting area including normal epithelium. When fibrovascular tissue grew beneath the glue sufficiently, glue was removed. When glue was sloughed off spontaneously or fibrovascular tissue was found to be insufficient, glue was reapplied. RESULTS: After average follow up of 25 weeks, the corneal surface was stabilized in 11 eyes except 1 case of fungal keratitis that had broad area of stromal melting(5.4mm). After use of glue, process of stromal melting was found to be discontinued. As fibrovascular tissue grew up beneath the glue, corneal surface became stable. Average diameter of stromal melting area and of glue application area was 4.0mm and 4.4mm respectively. Average duration of glue application was 17 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Cyanoacrylate glue application appears to be an effective and convenient method in cases of corneal perforations and impending perforations associated with advanced and extensive fungal, bacterial, and herpetic keratitis with active keratolysis.
Adhesives* ; Corneal Perforation* ; Cyanoacrylates* ; Epithelium ; Follow-Up Studies ; Freezing ; Keratitis ; Keratitis, Herpetic

Spontaneous opening and closing of both eyes usually occurs in the normal awake state, unless a deliberate and voluntary attempt is made to open only one eye. We present a rare case of a male patient who was unable to open both eyes simultaneously after bilateral posterior cerebral artery infarction. He was able to close both eyes voluntarily. However, he was unable to keep both eyes open simultaneously and either the right or left eye remained closed. Upon a verbal command to open both eyes, the opened eye closed and the contralateral eye opened. When the closed eye was forced open, the opened eye closed. We thus presented a case of right-left dissociation of voluntary eyelid opening following bilateral posterior cerebral artery infarction, which was treated with botulinum toxin type A injection. Differential diagnosis to other movement disorders of the eyelids was discussed.
Blinking* ; Botulinum Toxins ; Botulinum Toxins, Type A ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eyelids* ; Humans ; Infarction, Posterior Cerebral Artery* ; Male ; Movement Disorders ; Posterior Cerebral Artery

Purpose: Numerous studies have reported the effects of interrupting prolonged sitting with aerobic exercise on vascular and postprandial function, but the effects of resistance exercise for interrupting prolonged sitting remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that intermittent resistance activity breaks would attenuate prolonged sittinginduced vascular and postprandial metabolic dysfunction. Methods: Fourteen healthy adults (age, 24±2 years; body mass index, 22.0±2.4 kg/m2 ) completed two trials in a randomized cross-over design. During a 4-hour sitting after a high-fat meal, the participants underwent either resistance activity (RA) with 10 repetitions of five exercises every hour or uninterrupted sitting as a control trial (SIT). Plasma glucose, triglycerides, and brachial artery blood pressure, along with blood flow and shear rate in the superficial femoral artery and carotid artery were measured at baseline and every hour during the 4-hour sitting period. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured at baseline, 2 hours, and 4 hours after the start of the sitting. Results: Plasma glucose and triglycerides increased after a high-fat meal in both RA and SIT groups without a significant interaction effect. In addition, while SIT group decreased brachial artery FMD (7.2%±2.0% to 6.5%±2.7% to 5.1%±2.6%), RA did not attenuate a decrease in FMD (7.6%±3.4% to 7.3%±3.1% to 6.7%±2.7%, interaction p=0.581). Conclusion Our findings indicate that interrupting prolonged sitting with intermittent RA did not attenuate the negative effects of sitting on vascular function and postprandial metabolism in young healthy adults.

Purpose: Regular aerobic exercise improves exercise capacity and quality of life in children with congenital heart disease (CHD), but it remains unclear whether aerobic exercise would improve vascular function in children with CHD. We tested the hypothesis that acute bout of virtual reality (VR) exergame would improve vascular function in children with CHD. Methods: In a single-arm study, eight children (age, 9±1 years; five males) with CHD participated in VR exergame (30 minutes at 40% of heart rate reserve) using a stationary cycle ergometer with a head mount display. Endothelial function and arterial stiffness as surrogate markers of vascular function were assessed via reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and augmentation index (AIx) using peripheral arterial tonometry at baseline and 30 minutes after VR exergame. Results: Compared to baseline, VR exergame improved in RHI (1.08 [0.96–1.30] to 1.16 [1.09–1.36], p＜ 0.05) and natural log transformed RHI (0.07 [−0.04–0.26] to 0.15 [0.09–0.31], p＜ 0.05). However, no significant changes were observed for decrease AIx (−1.00 [−9.00–9.50] to −7.00 [−14.00–8.75], p=0.547) and AIx@75 (−6.50 [9.75–3.50] to −4.50 [−13.00–4.50], p=0.735) (all index values are reported as median [interquartile range]). Conclusion These findings suggest that a single bout of VR exergame has the potential to improve vascular endothelial function in children with CHD.