One of hypothesis is that sleep loss related to a decrease in serotonergic activity plays a significant role in attempted suicide. A growing evidence suggests that central serotonergic activity plays a key role in the etiology of suicide. It has been reported that the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), the main metabolite of serotonin, were reduced in suicide attempters. In addition, there is evidence that tryptophan hydroxylase is associated with suicide. The association between sleep and suicide was also suggested by some researchers. Several recent studies have showed the association between sleep disturbance and suicide rates in patients with mental disorders and in a general population. In addition, it has been suggested that serotonin plays a role in maintaining arousal and regulating muscle tone and in regulating some of the phasic events of REM sleep. Especially, it is well-known that 5-HT2 receptors are related to slow wave sleep. In conclusion, it is clear that sleep, serotonin activity, and suicide are linked, although the direction of causation needs clarification. In future, large population-based cohort studies are needed to demonstrate the direction of causation in the relationships between sleep, serotonin activity, and suicide.
Arousal ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; Muscles ; Serotonin ; Sleep, REM ; Suicide ; Suicide, Attempted ; Tryptophan Hydroxylase

Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) is a newly recognized parasomnia that describes a clinical condition of compulsive eating under an altered level of consciousness during sleep. Recently, it is increasingly recognized in clinical practice. The exact etiology of SRED is unclear, but it is assumed that SRED might share features of both sleepwalking and eating disorder. There have been also accumulating reports of SRED related to the administration of various psychotropic drugs, such as zolpidem, triazolam, olanzapine, and combinations of psychotropics. Especially, zolpidem in patients with underlying sleep disorders that cause frequent arousals, may cause or augment sleep related eating behavior. A thorough sleep history is essential to recognition and diagnosis of SRED. The timing, frequency, and description of food ingested during eating episodes should be elicited, and a history of concurrent psychiatric, medical, sleep disorders must also be sought and evaluated. Interestingly, dopaminergic agents as monotherapy were effective in some trials. Success with combinations of dopaminergic and opioid drugs, with the addition of sedatives, has also been reported in some case reports.
Arousal ; Benzodiazepines ; Consciousness Disorders ; Dopamine Agents ; Eating ; Feeding and Eating Disorders ; Feeding Behavior ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Parasomnias ; Psychotropic Drugs ; Pyridines ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Somnambulism ; Triazolam

No abstract available.
Mucocele* ; Sphenoid Sinus*

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Cryptococcus neoformans* ; Cryptococcus* ; Interleukin-2* ; Lymphocytes*

BACKGROUND: Post-herpetic neuralgia is the most serious one of herpes zoster complications and its incidence becomes higher as the age of the patient increases. Nevertheless, besides considering the age and onset time of treatment, there is no more objective factor estimating the prognosis of post- herpetic neuralgia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to understand the progression of herpes zoster and estimate the prognosis of post-herpetic neuralgia by practicing electrodiagnostic tests to patients with herpes zoster. METHODS: We evaluated the pain scales in 26 patients with herpes zoster on the first visit and 2 months later. We also performed electrodiagnostic tests, more objective and reproducible methods, including somatosensory evoked potentials and motor nerve conduction studies on both the involved and uninvolved sites of 32 lesions in 26 patients with herpes zoster, and then compared the results with the change of pain scales. RESULTS: 1. The pain category scale and visual analogue scale on the second examination were significantly decreased compared with those on the first examination (P<0.05). 2. Latencies of intercostal somatosensory evoked potentials recorded on scalp and spine were significantly delayed in involved sides compared with those in uninvolved sides (P<0.05). 3. In the latencies and conduction velocities of motor nerve conduction studies, no significant differences were seen between involved sides and uninvolved sides. 4. On the second examinataion, latency differences of somatosensory evoked potentials were significantly improved compared with those on the first examination (P<0.05). 5. Among the various somatosensory evoked potentials parameters, P1 latency difference of cortical somatosensory evoked potentials between involved and uninvolved sides correlated significantly with pain category scale ard visual analogue scale on second examination (r=0.48, P<0.05; r =0.51, P<0.05, respectively). N1 latency difference of spinal somatosensory evoked potentials between involved and uninvolved sides correlated significantly with a visual analoge scale on the first examination and pain category scale on the second examination (r=0.61, P<0.05; r=0.78, P<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Intercostal somatosensory evoked potentials can be a useful and reliable technique to predict the development and severity of post-herpetic neuralgia.
Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neural Conduction ; Neuralgia* ; Prognosis ; Scalp ; Spine ; Weights and Measures

Small ovarian cysts(<0.7 cm in diameter) are common in prepubertal children. Occasionally larger cysts occur in young girls with isosexual incomplete precocious puberty in the absence of LH and FSH elevation. The mechanism of production of these autonomous functioning cysts is unknown. A 3 year 6 month-old girl was referred to our department of pediatrics because of severe vaginal bleeding. On examination, she was tall and had breast enlargement of Tanner stage II. On hormonal study, FSH(0.38mIU/ml) was suppressed and estradiol(62.2pg/ml) was markedly elevated, and GnRH stimulation failed to evoke an increase in gonadotropin. Bone age was advanced. Pelvic ultrasonography showed both huge ovarian cysts. Brain MRI showed no abnormalities. We underwent both ovarian cystectomy and histological examination showed follicular cyst in left ovary and luteal cyst in right ovary. After ovarian cystectomy vaginal bleeding stopped and hormonal abnormalities were normalized. We report a case of autonomous ovarian cysts presenting severe vaginal bleeding treated with ovarian cystectomy.
Brain ; Breast ; Child ; Cystectomy ; Female ; Follicular Cyst ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Gonadotropins ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ovarian Cysts* ; Ovary ; Pediatrics ; Puberty, Precocious ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Hemorrhage*

No abstract available.
Lichen Nitidus* ; Lichens*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Parotid Gland*