OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate attention, memory and executive function in patients with narcolepsy. METHODS: This study included 23 narcoleptic patients whose diagnosis were confirmed by the International Classification of Sleep Disorders(ICSD) at Chonnam National University Hospital Sleep Disorders Clinic or an other hospital in Korea, from 2005 to 2008, as well as 23 normal controls. All participants were given an IQ test for Korean-Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and several neuropsychological function tests (the d2 test for attention function, the Rey Complex Figure Test for nonverbal memory, the Korean-California Verbal Learning Test [K-CVLT] for verbal memory, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test for executive function). Clinical features of narcoleptic patients, including the frequency of excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination, were investigated by a structured clinical interview administered by a neuropsychiatist. Excessive daytime sleepiness was evaluated by the Epworth sleepiness scale. RESULTS: Characteristic symptoms of narcolepsy observed in this study included excessive daytime sleepiness (n=23, 100.0%), cataplexy (n=19, 82.6%), hypnagogic hallucination (n=5, 21.7%) and sleep paralysis (n=12, 52.2%). In nocturnal polysomnographic findings, stage 2 sleep and REM latency were found to be significantly decreased in narcoleptic patients compared with the control group, and were accompanied by significant increases in stage 1 sleep. Narcoleptic patients had lower scores than the control group on total number, Total Number-Total Error, Concentration Performance and Fluctuation Rate on the d2 test, which measures attention. Also, there were significant differences between the performance of patient and control groups on the B list of the K-CVLT, which measures verbal memory. CONCLUSION: Narcoleptic patients showed decreased attention and verbal memory performance compared to the control group; however, in many areas, narcoleptic patients still demonstrated normal cognitive function.
Adult ; Cataplexy ; Executive Function ; Hallucinations ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Korea ; Memory ; Narcolepsy ; Sleep Paralysis ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Verbal Learning ; Wisconsin

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is often associated with changes in the immune responses, which highlights the need for the aggressive pain control to obtain a better prognosis. This study examined splenic NK cell cytotoxicity in an attempt to assess the possible changes in the immune function under chronic neuropathic pain after a partial transsection of the sciatic nerve. METHODS: After confirming tactile allodynia in response to the von Frey filament, a modified lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay was used to determine the cytotoxic activity of splenic NK cells on the YAC-1 cell line in C3H/HeN (H-2k) mice (n = 6). NK cells as effector cells were mixed with YAC-1 cells as target cells (1 x 10(4)/100microliter), resulting in an effector-target ratio of 1 : 25, 1 : 50, 1 : 100 in the culture medium. RESULTS: At 1 and 2 weeks after the nerve injury, all the subjects showed significant mechanical sensitivity compared with those observed before surgery. The percentage of NK cell cytotoxicity of the neuropathic mice increased significantly 1 week after the nerve injury but decreased within 2 weeks compared with the normal mice. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of the altered NK cell cytotoxicity, neuropathic pain can cause changes in the normal performance of the immune function.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Chronic Pain ; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic ; Hyperalgesia ; Immune System ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Mice* ; Neuralgia ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries* ; Peripheral Nerves* ; Prognosis ; Sciatic Nerve

Nephrolithiasis is one of the most common disease seen in the Emergency Department. Among the patients who visited in the Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain, many people were suspected urolithiasis. Because of limitation of diagnostic method on Emergency Department we planned this study in order to confirm the our accuracy of diagnosis and the possibility of misdiagnosis. During 5 months from April 1996 to August 1996, the 189 patients was suspected the urolithiasis. Among this patient, 51 cases was excluded due to incomplete study. After performing P/ex, U/A KUB in the Emergency Department, they were followed out patients department of Urology and performed Intravenous Pyelogram. The sensitivity and specificity for KUB were 84.5% and 94.0%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 93.8%, the negative predictive value was 93.8%. Diagnostic accuracy of urolithiasis in our Emergency Department is 89.1%. There was no relationship between urinary occult blood and KUB or IVP. There was no relationship between degree of occult blood and diagnosis of urolithiasis. For differential diagnosis of urolithisis, emergency ultrasound and IVP will be available. So combination of this diagnostic methods will improve accuracy and safety of diagnosis and treatment of urolithiasis.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic Errors ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Nephrolithiasis ; Occult Blood ; Outpatients ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography ; Urolithiasis* ; Urology

The ultimate goal of periodontal treatment is the regeneration of periodontal tissues which have been lost due to periodontal disease. Recently, many natural medicines have been studied for their potential of anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects in periodontal tissues. Safflower seeds have been traditionally used as a drug for treatment of fracture and blood stasis in oriental medicine. The objective of the present study is to examine the biologic effects of safflower seeds extract on bone formation and regeneration of rat calvarial defects. The calvarial defects were made with 8mm trephine bur and extract of safflower seeds were placed directly at these defects. 24 rats were divided into control and experimental groups, and each group was sacrificed at 1 week, 4 weeks and 8 weeks. To study a histopathology related to bone regeneration, Goldner's Masson Trichrome stain and histomorphologic measuring was done at each weeks. In the early phase of bone healing, less inflammatory infiltration and capillary proliferation was found in experimental group compared to control. Dense bony tissues and matured bone structures in defect areas were found in experimental groups. And area of new bone formation was significantly increased at 8 weeks in experimental group. These results indicate that direct local application of safflower seeds extract reduces the early inflammatory response and promotes the regeneration of new bone in calvarial defects of rats.
Animals ; Bone Regeneration* ; Capillaries ; Carthamus tinctorius* ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Osteogenesis ; Periodontal Diseases ; Rats* ; Regeneration

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization has been known as a predictor of intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired MRSA infections. We performed this study to survey the nasal colonization of MRSA among the patients admitted to an ICU and analyze risk factors associated with the colonization. METHODS: A retrospective 1:1 matched case-control study was conducted with patients admitted to the ICU from March to December 2010 at Samsung Changwon Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 602 patients among 846 patients admitted to the ICU during the study period were evaluated. The prevalence of nasal MRSA colonization was 67 (11.1%) of 602. Other factors, including underlying renal disease (odds ratio [OR]=12.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.60-42.54; P<0.001), MRSA infection within the previous 3 months (OR=7.43, 95% CI 1.31-42.05; P=0.023), nursing home resident within the previous 1 month (OR=6.25, 95% CI 1.82-21.53; P=0.004), surgical procedure within the previous 1 month (OR=5.93, 95% CI 1.86-18.85; P=0.003), and current use of nasogastric tube (OR=4.98, 95% CI 1.84-13.45; P=0.002) were independently associated with nasal MRSA colonization in patients admitted to ICU. CONCLUSION: A significant number of patients admitted to the ICU in a secondary hospital were colonized with MRSA. The present study showed the possible impact of the presence of a nasogastric tube on the nasal colonization by MRSA. More effective infection control procedures must be developed for patients with nasogastric tube use.
Case-Control Studies ; Colon* ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Intensive Care Units* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Nursing Homes ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the maternal hypertension on the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status of the newborn rat lung. METHODS: We used adult female SHR(essential hypertension, 1b, A, 6-8 weeks), Sprague-Dawley white rats as a model of hypertensive dams. Breeding was accomplished by allowing female and male rats to cohabit overnight. The animals were allowed to spontaneously deliver at term(21.5d). The pups delivered from the hypertensive dams grouped into HBP group. Control group consisted of the pups delivered from normal dams. The content of malondialdehyde(MDA) and activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and glutathione(GSH) in the lung tissues were analysed at birth and 24 hours later in both groups. RESULTS: The body weight of the HBP group was significantly lower than the control group at birth. At birth and 24 hours after birth, MDA content and SOD activity were significantly increased in the lung tissues of HBP group compared to control group. There were no significant differences in GSH activity between the two groups. After 24 hours, the elevated MDA value was significantly decreased, and SOD activity was significantly elevated in HBP group but there were no significant changes in the MDA value, SOD or GSH activity in the control group. CONCLUSION: These results support the possibility that maternal hypertension during pregnancy is associated with an increased lipid peroxidation and that compensatory activation of antioxidant system works in the fetal rat lung.
Adult ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Breeding ; Female ; Glutathione ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Infant, Newborn* ; Lipid Peroxidation* ; Lung* ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Superoxides

This research was focused on overall examination of tissue alteration, wound healing promotion. After the hair on the dorsal surface was shaved, 5x5mm oval skin defect was formed. Experimental wounds of right side were irradiated on every day for 90 second with Ga-Al-As semi-conductor laser. Left side wounds served as control group. The rats were sacrificed on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th, 21th day. For light microscopically, parafin section were stained with H&E, MT. The outcomes were as follows : 1. On 1st day, experimental and control group were seen acute inflammatory cell infiltration, edema. 2. On the 3rd days, both groups were seen crust development, collagen, blood vessel proliferation. 3. On the 5th days, experimental group were reduced edema and inflammatory cell infiltration than control group. 4. On the 7th days, both groups were observed edema, inflammatory cell infiltration disappearance and keratinocytes motility from wound defect. 5. On the 14th days, experimental group appeared collagen, blood vessel proliferation and hair follicle than control group. 6. On the 21th days, both groups were seen normal status re-epithelization. According to the above results, The wound-healing stimulated by laser radiation involves an increased rate of epithelial growth. LLLT was confirmed that it has fibroblast, blood vessel proliferation, influence initial wound healing process.
Animals ; Blood Vessels ; Collagen ; Edema ; Fibroblasts ; Hair ; Hair Follicle ; Keratinocytes ; Low-Level Light Therapy* ; Rats* ; Skin* ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries*