Purpose: This study is a pseudo-experimental study of design before and after the non-equivalent control group, which was attempted to verify that the application of the ukulele to the elderly has the effects of reducing depression, improving self-efficacy, strengthening social bonding, and improving cognitive function. Methods: 46 (23 in the experimental group and 23 in the control group) participants were selected. The experimental group was provided with three sessions of a music program using eight Ukuleles for the elderly, while the control group was provided with three sessions for the elderly. IBM SPSS 25.0 was used for data analysis, and the independent t-test, x2 -test, and Fisher's exact probability test were performed to verify the homogeneity of the subject's general characteristics.The effect verification after the experimental treatment was analyzed by Fisher's exact probability test, Friedman test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Depression showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (F=39.88, p<.001), self-efficacy showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (z=-4.96, p<.001), social bonding showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (z=-5.19, p<.001), and cognitive function showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (z=-3.98, p<.001). Conclusion It was found that the ‘Music Program using the Ukulele’ was effective in reducing depression of the elderly, improving self-efficacy, reinforcing social bonding, and improving cognitive function. We hope that the Music Program using the Ukulele can be used in the elderly nursing curriculum in the future, and we suggest it should be applied as a nursing intervention to those who are experiencing cognitive decline.

BACKGROUND & OBJECT: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes ankylosis and deformation of axial joints. Since current medicine cannot cure the disease yet, alleviating pain and preventing deformation with medications are the main therapy for patients with AS. The key medications for these purposes include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors. This study aims to analyze prescribing patterns of AS patients in South Korea. METHOD: National Patients Sample data compiled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2013 was analyzed. Patients with AS were identified with Korean Standard Classification of Diseases code-6, which was M45. The rates of prescription, discontinuation, and switching ingredients were calculated for each medication during 2013. RESULTS: Total number of patients was 655, and most of them were male (n = 514, 78.5%). Of all age groups, the proportion of 30-40 year old patients was the greatest (35.1%). The most utilized drug class was NSAIDs (82.4%). Less than half of patients were prescribed TNF-alpha inhibitors (n = 212, 32.4%). Meloxicam, aceclofenac, and celecoxib were the most frequently prescribed NSAIDs. In case of TNF-alpha inhibitors, adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab were the top three most prescribed drugs. Although not recommended by the current practice guideline, significant proportions of patients were identified using disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). CONCLUSION: Considering the current practice guideline and previous studies about the efficacy, the use of DMARDs should be reduced and medical insurance term in South Korea should be re-examined.
Ankylosis ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Antirheumatic Agents ; Classification ; Drug Utilization* ; Humans ; Insurance ; Insurance, Health ; Joints ; Korea ; Male ; Prescriptions ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Adalimumab ; Celecoxib ; Infliximab ; Etanercept

Arthralgia ; Humans ; Jaw ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Splints ; Temporomandibular Joint Disc ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders ; Temporomandibular Joint

The oral lesion of acquired syphilis - primary, secondary, and tertiary - is comparatively rare. Most of the time secondary syphilis manifests itself as a systemic disease with maculopapular eruptions of the skin, generalized lymphadenopathy, fever, and occasional eruptions on the mucous membranes. The lesions of the tertiary stage may occur anywhere in the body, including the oral cavity. Necrotizing faciitis of the head and neck is an uncommon, rapidly spreading soft tissue infection of polymicrobial origin characterized by extensive necrosis and gas formation in the subcutaneous tissue and superficial fascia. This is characterized by its fulminating, devastating, and rapid-progressing course. The mortality rate is high if it is not treated promptly and vigorously. Patients with an impaired immune system and those with small-vessel disease such as diabetes mellitus are more prone to develop this infection.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Fasciitis ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing* ; Fever ; Head ; Humans ; Immune System ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mortality ; Mouth ; Mucous Membrane ; Neck ; Necrosis ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Infections ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Syphilis*

OBJECTIVES:The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic validity of the three published short Geriatric Depression Scales and to identify a valid and reliable alternative to the Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-K) and short form Geriatric Depression Scales (SGDS-K). METHODS:All subjects were registered elderly psychiatric patients who first visited the Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic of Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul between April 1996 and May 1999. The GDS-K, SGDS-K, Hoyl GDS-5, D'Ath GDS-4, van Marwijk GDS-4 were administered. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis performed to investigate the diagnostic validity of the Hoyl GDS-5, D'Ath GDS-4, and van Marwijk GDS-4. RESULTS:The best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity was achieved with a Hoyl GDS-5 score of 3 (sensitivity:0.7258, specificity:0.7717), a D'Ath GDS-4 score of 3 (sensitivity:0.5968, specificity:0.7391), and a van Marwijk GDS-4 score of 3 (sensitivity:0.6613, specificity:0.7391). The area under the ROC curves of each diagnostic tool were calculated into the Hoyl GDS-5 of 0.8198, the D'Ath GDS-4 of 0.7525, and the van Marwijk GDS-4 of 0.7528. CONCLUSION:The Hoyl GDS-5 may be utilized in screening for major depression among the elderly psychiatric patients in Korea.
Aged ; Depression ; Geriatric Psychiatry ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Weights and Measures

The aim of this study was to analyze the difference of the measurements of mandible between young male and female using three dimensional reconstruction images derived from the facial bone CT images. Type classification of mandible was performed based on the angle of base of mandible and the angle of mandibular margin observed from the anterior view and the correlation among the measurement items was analyzed. One hundred-ninety five young adults facial CT were collected from the Konkuk University medical center (98 females, 97 males; mean age 25.9 years, range 18~38 years). Three dimensional images of the face were reconstructed using software from CT images of whole specimens. The angle of the base of the mandible, the angle of the mandibular margin, total length of mandibualr margin, and the height of mandibular symphysis were measured. All measurement items were larger and longer in male than female (P<0.05). Three types were classified according to the mandibular angle. In female, the subjects were evenly distributed among groups, but group I which had large mandibular angle was most common in male. The smaller the height of mandibular symphysis, the larger the angle of base of mandible or the angle of mandibular margin (P<0.05).
Academic Medical Centers ; Classification ; Facial Bones ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible* ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: To analyze clinical outcomes after anatomical reconstruction of distal radioulnar ligaments in patients with chronic post-traumatic instability of the distal radioulnar joint. METHODS: Anatomical reconstruction was performed in 16 patients with subluxation or dynamic instability of distal radioulnar joint following trauma. Osteotomy was performed simultaneously in 10 patients with radial malunion. The average follow-up period was 18.9 months. For clinical outcome assessment, we performed the anteroposterior stress test, measured the range of motion and grip strength, and performed radiological examination. For assessment of the pain and function, we used the Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand, and the Modified Mayo Wrist Score. RESULTS: Anteroposterior stress test performed at the last follow-up showed normal in 12 patients, mild laxity in 3, and residual subluxation in one. The average Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation was 9.1 for pain and 11.2 for function. The average Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score was 10.5. The average Modified Mayo Wrist Score was 92.8; there were 10 excellent, 5 good, and 1 poor case. The average grip strength improved from 69.7 1b to 80.9 1b. A revision osteotomy was performed on the patient with residual subluxation in order to obtain normal alignment of the joint. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomical reconstruction of the distal radioulnar ligaments is recommended to restore distal radioulnar joint stability. In addition to ligament reconstruction, realignment of the distal radioulnar joint seems critical when the instability is combined with malunion of the radius.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Joint Instability/*surgery ; Ligaments, Articular/*surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteotomy/methods ; Pain Measurement ; Radius/surgery ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Treatment Outcome ; Ulna/surgery ; Wrist Injuries/*surgery ; Wrist Joint/*surgery ; Young Adult

Nemaline myopathy is a rare congenital m opathy, characterized by nonprogressive or slowely progressive muscle weakness associated with rod-like structures in muscle fibers and characteristic dysmorphic features. We report the first farnilial nemaline myopathy in two generations of the same family, confirmed by muscle biospy in an 11-year-old boy and his mother. The patients had hypotonia and slowly progressive muscle weakness of the four limbs associated with characteristic facial dysmorphism and skeletal deformities. Light and electron microscopic study of a muscle biopsy showed numerous nemaline rods in both patients.
Biopsy ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Extremities ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Male ; Mothers ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Muscle Weakness ; Myopathies, Nemaline*

BACKGROUND: Whether the changes of risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, alcohol) can precipitate stroke remains unknown, and antecedent infection and psychologic stress are described inss case-control study, 113 consecutive patients with acute cerebrovascular disease (38 small vessel disease, 43 large vessel disease, 11 cardiogenic infarction, 4 infarction of undetermined cause, and 17 intracerebral hemorrhage) and 23 control subjects were evaluated. Changes of the risk factors (and their management) were interviewed. A sign/symptom based questionnaire was used to characterize the prevalence of recent prior infection and exposure to coldness. Psychologic stress was measured with the use of Social Readjustment Rating Scale. RESULTS: The negative change of alcohol drinking was significantly higher in the stroke group. However, there was no significant difference between stroke and control groups in the changes of thether risk factors. The prevalence of previous (within 1 month) infection was significantly higher in the stroke group compared with control subjects (p=0.03). However, there were no significant differences among the stroke subtypes in the prevalence of infection(p=0.08). Upper respiratory tract infections constituted the most common type of infection. The exposure to coldness was significantly higher in the stroke group compared with control subjects (p=0.002). The level of stress within the prior 1 month/1 year was significantly higher in the stroke group than control group (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that preceding infection, exposure to coldness, psychologic stress, and the negative change of alcohol drinking may be comm.
Alcohol Drinking ; Case-Control Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Infarction ; Moyamoya Disease* ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stress, Psychological ; Stroke

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an immune-mediated polyneuropathy with a relaps-ing or progressive course. Although the occurrence of CIDP is very rare in childhood compared to the occurrence in adulthood, it does occur in children. In childhood CIDP, the main clinical features are somewhat different from that of adults, which includes a more precipitous onset of symptoms, a high frequency of gait abnormalities, and significant neurological dysfunction. Also, the response to immune-modulating therapy is more reliable and rapid in children than in adults. The recognition of childhood CIDP is important as it may mimic hereditary neuropathies which usually pre-sent with progressive gait disturbance associated with pes cavus deformity. A careful history, clinical examination, and electrophysiological study is crucial for the accurate diagnosis of this treatable disease. Here, we report a case of CIDP in a 13-year-old Korean girl whose initial clinical presentation strongly suggested hereditary motor-sensory neuropathy.
Adolescent* ; Adult ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Diagnosis ; Female* ; Foot Deformities* ; Gait ; Humans ; Polyneuropathies* ; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating