No abstract available.
Multiple System Atrophy ; Respiratory Sounds*

BACKGROUND: Authors assessed lean body mass (fat free tissue), upper and lower, and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients of osteoporotic bone distal radius fracture (DRF) and degenerative rotator cuff tear (RCT) patients of shoulder. We predict inferior muscle mass and osteoporosis are more frequent in DRF group than RCT group. METHODS: Between January 2016 and June 2017, overall 38 of DRF and 30 of RCT were eligible for this retrospective comparison study after excluding of patients with compounding factors. BMD and other body composition, fat and lean body mass, were assessed with a single dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in one hospital. RESULTS: T-score of spine were −2.2 and −1.6 in DRF and RCT patients with significant difference (P=0.040). Final BMD score, lower score of patient between spine and femoral score, of both group also presented difference with significance, −2.4 of DRF and −1.9 of RCT patients (P=0.047). Diagnosis of osteoporosis was confirmed in 19 patients (50%) from DRF compared with 9 patients (30%) from RCT. The mean lean soft tissue mass of the arm was 3.7 kg and 3.8 kg in the DRF and RCT, respectively, without significant difference (P=0.882). The mean lean body mass of the leg was 11.0 kg and 10.5 kg in the DRF and RCT, respectively, without significant difference (P=0.189). The relative overall appendicular lean mass was not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Even though BMD difference, we did not find muscle mass difference between DRF and RCT patients.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Arm ; Body Composition ; Bone Density* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Leg ; Muscle Strength ; Osteoporosis ; Radius Fractures* ; Radius* ; Retrospective Studies ; Rotator Cuff* ; Shoulder ; Spine ; Tears* ; Upper Extremity

Fungi are cosmopolitan and they occupy diverse niches as consumers, producers, and decomposers. They play critical roles in the environment by enabling nutrient cycling and generating a plethora of secondary metabolites. This study aimed to identify and characterize fungal strains isolated from diverse sources on Muui Island, Republic of Korea. In 2023, a total of 86 fungal strains were collected and examined. Investigation of the morphological features and phylogenetic analyses of multiple barcode loci identified one putative novel species and two species previously unrecorded in the Republic of Korea: Colletotrichum sp., Colletotrichum guizhouense, and Fusarium brachygibbosum. This study provides a comprehensive description of their molecular phylogenies and morphological characteristics. These findings will contribute to the existing knowledge about fungal species in the Republic of Korea and future research on the fungal diversity on Muui Island.

Exercise-mediated physical treatment has attracted much recent interest. In particular, swimming is a representative exercise treatment method recommended for patients experiencing muscular and cardiovascular diseases. The present study sought to design a swimming-based exercise treatment management system. A survey questionnaire was completed by participants to assess the prevalence of muscular and cardiovascular diseases among adult males and females participating in swimming programs at sport centers in metropolitan regions of country. Using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique, weighted values of indices were determined, to maximize participant clarity. A patient management system model was devised using information technology. The favorable results are evidence of the validity of this approach. Additionally, the swimming-based exercise management system can be supplemented together with analyses of weighted values considering connectivity between established indices.
Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroxyproline ; Male ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sports ; Swimming

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our aims were to analyze the characteristics of parkinsonian features and to characterize changes in parkinsonian motor symptoms before and after the cerebrospinal fluid tap test (CSFTT) in idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) patients. METHODS: INPH subjects were selected in consecutive order from a prospectively enrolled INPH registry. Fifty-five INPH patients (37 males) having a positive response to the CSFTT constituted the final sample for analysis. The mean age was 73.7±4.7 years. The pre-tap mean Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor (UPDRS-III) score was 24.5±10.2. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the upper and lower body UPDRS-III scores (p=0.174). The parkinsonian signs were asymmetrical in 32 of 55 patients (58.2%). At baseline, the Timed Up and Go Test and 10-meter walking test scores were positively correlated with the total motor score, global bradykinesia score, global rigidity score, upper body score, lower body score, and postural instability/gait difficulties score of UPDRS-III. After the CSFTT, the total motor score, global bradykinesia score, upper body score, and lower body score of UPDRS-III significantly improved (p<0.01). There was a significant decrease in the number of patients with asymmetric parkinsonism (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the differential diagnosis of elderly patients presenting with asymmetric and upper body parkinsonism, we need to consider a diagnosis of INPH. The association between gait function and parkinsonism severity suggests the involvement of similar circuits producing gait and parkinsonian symptoms in INPH.
Aged ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gait ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus* ; Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure ; Hypokinesia ; Parkinson Disease ; Parkinsonian Disorders* ; Prospective Studies ; Walking

Background: and Purpose: Reportedly 30–50% of patients being treated for chronic illnesses do not adhere to their medication regimen. We assessed the impact of a nurse-led education program for caregivers of Korean de novo Alzheimer’s disease patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil. Methods: This multicenter study analyzed 93 participants in a caregiver education group and 92 participants in a caregiver no-education group. At every visit up to the end of the study (1 year), caregivers in the education group were given educational brochures regarding Alzheimer’s disease and the efficacy and adverse events of donepezil treatment. The primary endpoint was the discontinuation rate of donepezil treatment during the 1-year observation period. The secondary endpoints included the effect of education on compliance with donepezil treatment assessed at each visit using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS), and changes from baseline in cognitive assessment tests. Results: The donepezil discontinuation rates at 1 year were 5.38% (5/93) and 6.52% (6/92) in the caregiver education and no-education groups, respectively (p=0.742). No significant between-group differences in donepezil compliance rates on the CRS and VAS were observed, but significant changes were observed in some cognitive tests from baseline to the end of the study. Conclusions Caregiver education had no significant effect on treatment discontinuation, but this may have been due to the low severity of cognitive impairment among the included population at baseline. In addition, the low discontinuation rates meant that no significant difference in treatment compliance was observed.

Background: and Purpose: Reportedly 30–50% of patients being treated for chronic illnesses do not adhere to their medication regimen. We assessed the impact of a nurse-led education program for caregivers of Korean de novo Alzheimer’s disease patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil. Methods: This multicenter study analyzed 93 participants in a caregiver education group and 92 participants in a caregiver no-education group. At every visit up to the end of the study (1 year), caregivers in the education group were given educational brochures regarding Alzheimer’s disease and the efficacy and adverse events of donepezil treatment. The primary endpoint was the discontinuation rate of donepezil treatment during the 1-year observation period. The secondary endpoints included the effect of education on compliance with donepezil treatment assessed at each visit using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS), and changes from baseline in cognitive assessment tests. Results: The donepezil discontinuation rates at 1 year were 5.38% (5/93) and 6.52% (6/92) in the caregiver education and no-education groups, respectively (p=0.742). No significant between-group differences in donepezil compliance rates on the CRS and VAS were observed, but significant changes were observed in some cognitive tests from baseline to the end of the study. Conclusions Caregiver education had no significant effect on treatment discontinuation, but this may have been due to the low severity of cognitive impairment among the included population at baseline. In addition, the low discontinuation rates meant that no significant difference in treatment compliance was observed.

Background: and Purpose The rate of donepezil discontinuation and the underlying reasons for discontinuation in Asian patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are currently unknown. We aimed to determine the treatment discontinuation rates in AD patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil in routine clinical practice in Asia. Methods: This 1-year observational study involved 38 institutions in seven Asian countries, and it evaluated 398 participants aged 50–90 years with a diagnosis of probable AD and on newly prescribed donepezil monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the rate of donepezil discontinuation over 1 year. Secondary endpoints included the reason for discontinuation,treatment duration, changes in cognitive function over the 1-year study period, and compliance as assessed using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Donepezil was discontinued in 83 (20.9%) patients, most commonly due to an adverse event (43.4%). The mean treatment duration was 103.67 days in patients who discontinued. Among patients whose cognitive function was assessed at baseline and 1 year, there were no significant changes in scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Trail-Making Test–Black and White scores, whereas the Clinical Dementia Rating score increased significantly (p<0.001). Treatment compliance at 1 year was 96.8% (306/316) on the CRS and 92.6±14.1% (mean±standard deviation) on the VAS. Conclusions In patients on newly prescribed donepezil, the primary reason for discontinuation was an adverse event. Cognitive assessments revealed no significant worsening at 1 year, indicating that continuous donepezil treatment contributes to the maintenance of cognitive function.

Background: and Purpose The rate of donepezil discontinuation and the underlying reasons for discontinuation in Asian patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are currently unknown. We aimed to determine the treatment discontinuation rates in AD patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil in routine clinical practice in Asia. Methods: This 1-year observational study involved 38 institutions in seven Asian countries, and it evaluated 398 participants aged 50–90 years with a diagnosis of probable AD and on newly prescribed donepezil monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the rate of donepezil discontinuation over 1 year. Secondary endpoints included the reason for discontinuation,treatment duration, changes in cognitive function over the 1-year study period, and compliance as assessed using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Donepezil was discontinued in 83 (20.9%) patients, most commonly due to an adverse event (43.4%). The mean treatment duration was 103.67 days in patients who discontinued. Among patients whose cognitive function was assessed at baseline and 1 year, there were no significant changes in scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Trail-Making Test–Black and White scores, whereas the Clinical Dementia Rating score increased significantly (p<0.001). Treatment compliance at 1 year was 96.8% (306/316) on the CRS and 92.6±14.1% (mean±standard deviation) on the VAS. Conclusions In patients on newly prescribed donepezil, the primary reason for discontinuation was an adverse event. Cognitive assessments revealed no significant worsening at 1 year, indicating that continuous donepezil treatment contributes to the maintenance of cognitive function.