PURPOSE: Asphyxia is the most common cause of neurologic sequelae in perinatal period. We hoped to help other clinicians by investigating factors affecting neurologic outcome in asphyxiated term babas. METHODS: A clinical study of factors affecting neurologic outcome was made on 120 patients, who were asphyxiated term baby. They admitted to neonatal intensive care unit of Chungnam National University Hospital from January, 1995 to December, 1996. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation in neurologic outcome and gestational age, delivery type, sex, birth weight, one minute Apgar score. Five minute Apgar score had influence on neurologic outcome. Presence of acidemia had influence on neurologic outcome. Mental status and seizure influenced on neurologic outcome. Poor neurologic outcome was prone to come in the presence of prolonged duration of abnormal mental function or a repetitive seizure not controlled immediately. There was poor neurologic outcome in the patients who have abnormal findings on EEG, CT, and neurosonography. In addition, there was poor neurologic outcome in congenital heart disease patients. All of above had statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Now, we can obtain much benefit by monitoring clinical course such as five minute Apgar score, mental change, and seizure. And, we can obtain much benefit by monitoring acidemia and perform EEG, CT and neurosonography.
Apgar Score ; Asphyxia ; Birth Weight ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Electroencephalography ; Gestational Age ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Hope ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Seizures

Schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness that can lead to deterioration in the social and occupational functioning of affected individuals with a major cost to society. A wide range of studies suggest a genetic component to the inheritance of schizophrenia. The molecular genetic studies on schizophrenia have been actively performed since late 1980s. In linkage studies, no loci were replicated across studies and there were no loci surpassing genome-wide significance. Candidate gene association studies showed generally inconsistent results and there were no enrichment of smaller P-values. In the GWAS era, the community has coalesced into large international consortia. The largest schizophrenia GWAS to date is 50,000 samples and efforts are ongoing to accumulate 50,000 cases and 50,000 controls as part of 'PGC2' collaboration. With the limitation of GWAS results, several alternatives are being explored. In genotyping, the concepts of allelic spectrum including from common polygenic to rare penetrant variation are emerging. Phenotypes include all phenomena beyond DNA. The developments in transcriptomic & proteomic approach and intensive research on endophenotype will bring crucial insights into the nature of schizophrenia in the future. But there still remains our task about research on many factors including environment that influence gene expression (epigenetics), age, and gender.
Cooperative Behavior ; DNA ; Endophenotypes ; Epigenomics ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Association Studies ; Molecular Biology ; Phenotype ; Schizophrenia ; Wills

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic methods of atherosclerosis before the development of clinical diseases(such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction or peripheral vascular disease) are rather limited. The Russian doctors made the observations through the autopsy studies that there is a good correlation between the degree of atherosclersis or the cholesterol content of the aorta and the cholesterol content of the skin. We tried to investigate whether there is a significant degree of differences in the cholesterol content of the skin between the patietns with atherosclerotic disease(disease group), the patients who have not developed the clinical atheroscleric disease but have risk factors for atherosclerosis(risk group), and the normal control patients(normal group). METHODS: The skin choleterol was extracted from the palm of the hands by the closed contact with the chemicals. RESULTS: 1) The skin cholesterol was 2.77+/-1.08/microg/cm2in the disease group, 2.47+/-1.13microg/cm2in the risk group, and 1.84+/-0.60microg/cm2in the control group, The difference between the disease group and the normal group was significant(p<0.001), but the difference between the disease group and the risk group was not significant. 2) When the skin cholesterol of 2.1microg/cm2was used as a criterion. its sensitivity and specificity to predict either the disease gorup or the risk group was 66.1% and 70.8%. 3) In addition to the skin cholesterol of 2.1microg/cm2or more, if we add a criteria of cholesterol >220mg/dl, or TC/HDL-C ratio >4:1, or Apo B/A ratio >0.9, these separated the normal group from either the disease group or risk group much beter. 4) There was no significant correlation between the skin cholesterol and blood cholesterol. Also there were not any significant correlations between the skin cholesterol and the LDL cholesterol, TC/HDL-C ratio or Apo B/A ratio. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the above mentioned observations made by the Russian doctors and the present data showing significantly higher skin cholesterol level in the disease and risk group compared with normal control group, and little significant correlation between the skin cholesterol and the blood cholesterol level, it is likely that the skin cholesterol can be considered as an independent risk index for the atherosclerotic disease. Measuring the skin cholesterol by extraction of cholesterol from the palms of the hands may help predicting the presence or the risks of the atherosclerotic diseases.
Angina Pectoris ; Aorta ; Atherosclerosis* ; Autopsy ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cholesterol* ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Hand ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin*

To evaluate the lipid-lowering effect of lovastatin(Mevacor(R)), lovastatin was administered to 38 patients with non-familial hypertcholesterolemia(>220mg/dl). The analysis of the effect was made with 25 patients(58.2+/-7.5 years ; 13 male, 12 female)who had received lovastatin more than 12 weeks. The drug was administered as a single dose with evening meal 20mg at the begining and adding another 20mg if the total cholesterol level was persistently higher than 200mg/dl at the end of each 4 week-period. 1) Total cholesterol level was decreased from 256.6+/-36.9mg/dl to 20932+/-50.1mg/dl at the end of the 4th week, 201.9+/-44.2mg/dl the 8th week and 203.6+/-39.6mg/dl the 12th week (p<0.001), respectively). 2) Triglyceride level was decreased from 196.4+/-104.1mg/dl to 163.4+/-74.4mg/dl at the end of the 4th week(p<0.05) but no significant change at the end of the 8th week showing 169.8+/-73.2mg/dl and 162.7+/-54.8mg/dl the 12th week(p<0.05). 3) High density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) level was not significantly changed with the drug during the 12 week treatment period. 4) Low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) level was decreased remarkably similar to that of total cholesterol. 5) Total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio was decreased from 5.05+/-0.92 to 4.06+/-1.40 at the end of the 4th week(p<0.05), 3.89+/-0.99 the 8th week(p<0.001). 4.20+/-1.10 the 12th week(p<0.01). 6) LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was decreased from 3.24+/-0.94 to 2.43+/-1.21 at the end of the 4th week(p<0.05), 2.23+/-0.86 the 8th week(p<0.001) and 2.54+/-0.98 the 12th week(p<0.05). 7) There was no significant side effect on lovastatin therapy of 12 weeks duration. 8) The laboratory findings including liver function test, uric acid, creatinine, creatine phosphokinase and blood glucose were not changed significantly. From above results we concluded that lovastatin is safe and effective hypocholesterolemic agent in its clinical use.
Blood Glucose ; Cholesterol ; Creatine Kinase ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Lipoproteins ; Liver Function Tests ; Lovastatin ; Male ; Meals ; Triglycerides ; Uric Acid

PURPOSE: This research was carried out to examine if music therapy is effective in decreasing elderly people's depression level and in increasing their life satisfaction level. METHODS: This study used the quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent control group and the pre-test and post-test design, and was conducted from the 26th of July to the 26th of September in 2004. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by Y.esavage et al. (1983) to measure depression level and one developed by Yoon (1982) to measure life satisfaction level. The subjects were 80 elderly people who were the members of an elderly welfare center in G city. The subjects were divided into an experimental group (n=40) and a control group (n=40). RESULTS: The first hypothesis' The depression level will be lowered in the experimental group who received music therapy' was supported (t=3.856, p=.000). The second hypothesis' The life satisfaction level will be raised in the experimental group who received music therapy' was supported (t=2.040, p=.045). The results above suggest that music therapy can be an effective nursing intervention for reducing the depression level and increasing the life satisfaction level of elderly people.
Aged* ; Depression* ; Humans ; Music ; Music Therapy* ; Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty (PMV) is the first-line treatment modality in selected patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis and more recently available Inoue single-balloon catheter technique produces good results with low incidence of complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate and over 6 months follow-up results after successful PMV with an Inoue balloon and to identify the predictive factors for the results. METHODS: From May 1995 to Feburary 1997, a PMV with an Inoue balloon was tech-nically successful in 114 (95%) of the 119 patients treated at the Sejong General Hostpital. In this study, a series of echocardiographic follow-up were performed in 54 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis, at least 6 months after their successful PMV. In PMV, the inflation was conducted in steps, starting with a recommended maximum size of balloon by the Inoue criteria. After each inflation, the mitral valve opening and competence were evaluated by Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and continuing increase balloon size. RESULTS: Echocardiographic follow-up assessment was performed in 54 patients serially in a interval of 3 months or 6 months. Their mean age was 46+/-11 years (24 to 66 years) and the mean total echocardiographic score was 7.1+/-1.6. A optimal result was obtained in 95% of the cases (51/54). The post-PMV mitral valve area increased to 1.95+/-0.37 cm 2 and 1.79+/-0.28 cm 2 by 2-D and Doppler method, the average transmitral mean diastolic pressure gradient decreased to 5.16+/-2.8 mmHg and LA pressure was decreased to 11.28+/-8.2 mmHg. The newly developed and aggravated mitral regurgitation was observed in 17 patients (31.5%). The restenosis was noted in 2 cases (3.7%) after 1 year follow-up. The pre-procedural echocardiographic score for leaflet mobility, thickening and calcification was more higher in patients with restenosis. There was significant tendency of decrement in the mitral valve area in patients with a echocardiographic score=8 compared with those< or =8 over 6 months after the PMV. CONCLUSION: PMV with the Inoue balloon under TEE guide as a combined treatment modality of patient with symptomatic mitral stenosis is relatively safe and achieves good immediate and midterm follow-up results. The echocardiographic score is considered as useful predictor of midterm results and restenosis after PMV with Inoue balloon.
Blood Pressure ; Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflation, Economic ; Mental Competency ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis

No abstract available.
Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning of experiences in home visiting nursing service among the elderly in community provided by nursing students. METHOD: This is a phenomenological study to investigate the experience of community-based patients. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from the 4th of March to the 15th of December 2003. Individual interviews were conducted with 8 patients on subjective experiences. Data were analyzed through Colaizzi's method, in which meaningful statements were extracted. RESULT: Four categories were identified from nine theme clusters. The four categories were 'thankfulness', 'dependence', 'sorrowfulness' and 'the sense of being'. CONCLUSION: These results show the importance of visiting nursing service for the elderly in community.
Aged* ; House Calls* ; Humans ; Life Change Events ; Nursing Services* ; Qualitative Research ; Students, Nursing

No abstract available.
Cisterna Magna*

Secondary mania is closely linked to neurocircuitry defects. Frontal-subcortical circuits, in particular, play a major role in the affective, motor and cognitive symptoms of secondary mania. In this paper, we present the three main frontal-subcortical circuits : the dorsolateral prefrontal circuit, which mediates executive functions (i.e., the organization of information to facilitate a response) ; the anterior cingulate circuit, which is involved in motivated behavior ; the orbitofrontal circuit, which has medial (i.e., integration of visceral-amygdalar functions with the internal state of the organism) and lateral divisions (i.e., integration of limbic and emotional information into contextually appropriate behavioral responses). Impaired executive functions, apathy, disinhibition and impulsivity are hallmarks of frontal-subcortical circuit dysfunction. The various neuropsychiatric manifestations of secondary mania may result from disturbances that have a direct or indirect impact on the integrity or functioning of these loops.
Apathy ; Bipolar Disorder* ; Executive Function ; Impulsive Behavior ; Neurobehavioral Manifestations