A cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the effects of chronic low-dose sol-vent on neurobehavioral performance of 118 male car painters. A control group of 113 workers matched for age was selected from different sections of the factory. The mean age and the mean duration of employment were 33 years and 6.7 years in both groups. Mean years of education were 11.4 years in car painters and 11.8 years in controls. Each worker completed a medical and occupational questionnaire and four tests of Swedish performance evaluation system. These included simple reaction time, symbol digit, digit span and finger tapping speed. Although the mean duration of employment was 6.7 years, comparison of mean performance showed a significantly poorer performance on simple reaction time (P<0.05), symbol digit (p<0.01) and digit span(p<0.05) in car painters. In univariate analysis, age and educational level contributed to poorer performance on symbol digit and digit span smoking appeared to slow finger tapping speed in car painters. Performance of four tests of car painters exposed to high level of solvent was poorer than that of car painters exposed to low level. In multiple regression models, controlling for age, alcohol, smoking and shift work, solvent exposure was found to be associated with performance of simple reaction time, symbol digit and digit span and exposure to high level of solvent was related to poorer performance of symbol digit and digit span.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Employment ; Fingers ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reaction Time ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Solvents*

No abstract available.
Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma*

Aim. A neurobehavioral test for workers exposed to organic solvents in the workplace can be affected by many factors : age, education, motivation, ethnicity, etc. To apply more suitable neurobehavioral test for Korean workers, we evaluated the validity of several items of computerized and traditional neurobehavioral tests. Methods. We have applied eleven tests : four items of computerized neurobehavioral test(Swedish Performance Evaluation System) including Addition, Symbol-Digit, Digit Span, and Finger tapping speed, and seven items of traditional neurobehavioral test consisting of Addition, Digit-Symbol , Digit Span, Benton visual retention test, Pursuit aiming, Pegboard, and Tapping. These tests were performed on 96 workers exposed to solvents, and 100 reference workers. The concurrent and construct validities were evaluated by group difference, correlation with age, educational level, hippuric acid level, neurotoxic symptom, current exposure level, multitrait-multimethod matrix, factor analysis, and discriminant analysis. Results. Statistically significant differences were observed between the workers exposed to solvents and referents in computerized Symbol-Digit, Finger tapping speed, traditional Digit-Symbol and Pegboard. The computerized Symbol-Digit, traditional Digit-Symbol, Addition, Benton visual retention test, and Pegboard were found to be related to the age. The performance of computerized Symbol-Digit, Addition, and traditional Digit-Symbol were found to be related to the educational level significantly. The computerized Symbol-Digit, Finger tapping speed, and traditional Digit-Symbol were found to be related to hippuric acid, and neurotoxic symptom. The discriminability of Finger tapping speed, and Pegboard was better than the other tests. In discriminant analysis, the model with two variables, the computerized Symbol-Digit and Pegboard, classified almost 70 percent of the workers correctly. Conclusions. These results suggest that the computerized Symbol-Digit, Finger tapping speed, and Pegboard are more satisfactory for our purpose, and the Addition, Tapping, Benton visual retention test, and Pursuit aiming are less valid than other items. These may allow the reasonable selection of core neurobehavioral tests for workers exposed to solvents in Korea.
Education ; Fingers ; Korea ; Motivation ; Solvents

No abstract available.
Seizures*

No abstract available.
Foreign Bodies* ; Lung* ; Perfusion*

Changes in the levels of biogenic amines in different brain regions and the cerebrospinal fluid in rats were measured after acute or chronic treatment with tricyclic antidepressants. After single or 3 weeks' treatment with imipramine or desipramine, blocks of tissues were obtained from seven regions of the brain (frontal cortex, corpus striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, substantia nigra and cerebellum) immediately after collection of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the cisterna magna. The concentrations of biogenic amines and their metabolites (norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)) in brain tissues and the CSF were measured using the high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection system (HPLC-ECD). Treatment with desipramine or imipramine caused major alterations in the concentrations of central norepinephrine or 5-HT and its metabolite, respectively. Brain regional responses were variable according to the kind of tricyclic antidepressants and the duration of treatment. It is noteworthy that chronic treatment with both desipramine and imipramine caused altered hippocampal concentrations of norepinephrine and/or 5-HT and its metabolites. Striatal DOPAC concentrations were also changed after acute or chronic treatment with both drugs. These results suggest that tricyclic antidepressants altered neurotransmission according to the brain region, and the hippocampal norepinephrine and 5-HT and/or the striatal dopamine may have a significant role for the expression of antidepressant action of tricyclic antidepressants.
Animal ; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic/*pharmacology ; Biogenic Monoamines/*metabolism ; Brain/*drug effects/metabolism ; Desipramine/pharmacology ; Imipramine/pharmacology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to (1) examine the multi-year prevalence of highly caffeinated beverage (HCB) consumption, (2) identify sex differences in the prevalence, and (3) investigate relationships between HCB consumption and behavioral characteristics in a nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents. Methods: Data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (2014–2017) were analyzed. Results: HCB consumption was higher in 2017 than 2014 (23.9% vs. 12.0%), and higher among boys than girls (17.2% vs. 13.1%). HCB drinkers were more likely to (1) be boys, (2) be overweight or obese, (3) use alcohol and tobacco, (4) consume soda at least once per week, (5) consume sweetened beverages at least once per week, (6) have seriously considered suicide during the past 12 months, and (7) have attempted suicide during the past 12 months (p<0.05 for all). Conclusion Effective programs to curb HCB consumption among Korean adolescents need to be established.

Pituitary apoplexy is a life-threatening condition resulting from hemorrhage or necrosis of a pituitary tumor with subsequent compression of the optic nerves and cavernous sinuses. This is the first case report of a patient who experienced pituitary apoplexy due to hemorrhage of pituitary adenoma, which was initially recognized during pregnancy, and submitted to minimally invasive neuroendoscopic transnasal transsphenoidal approach in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Cavernous Sinus ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Optic Nerve ; Pituitary Apoplexy* ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Pregnancy*

PURPOSE: To evaluate, using various port systems, the technique and complications of intra-arterial portimplantation in visceral (mainly hepatic) arteries for intra-arterial chemoinfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Weretrospectively evaluated 30 cases of intra-arterial port implantation in 29 patients. Angiography was performedin all cases, and insertion of an implantable polyurethane port catheter was followed by angiographic exchangewhich, utilizing a .035" hydrophilic guide wire, targeted the artery. If a change in the direction of flow wasrequired, arterial flow control was performed, using an enbolie coil. In order to insert the subcutaneous portchamber, an incision approximately 4cm long was made at the puncture site and subcutaneous tissue was dissected.The port chamber was inserted into the subcutaneous pocket and fixed with a black-silk tagging suture. When thefemoral artery was punctured, the port chamber was inserted into the supra-or infrainguinal area; when the leftsubclavian artery was used, the port chamber was inserted into the lateral one third of the left clavicle. Theport systems used in the procedure were as follows : 5.8F Port-A-Cath (SIMS, Deltec, U.S.A.)(n=20) ; 5.2F A-Port(Therex, U.S.A.)(N=5); 5F PU-Anthron(Deny, Japan)(n=4) ; 5.2F R-Port(Therex, U.S.A.)(n=1). The subcutaneouschambers were inserted into the infrainguinal (n=22), suprainguinal (n=6) or subclavian area(n=2). RESULTS: Theprocedure was technically successful in all 30 cases. Port catheter tips were located in the hepatic arteryproper(n=11), the right hepatic(n=9), gastroduodenal (n=6), common hepatic (n=2), inferior mesenteric (n=1) andinternal iliac artery(n=1). In 12 cases, flow was controlled using embolic coils. Follow-up study was performed in23 cases, with a mean follow up period of 55.8 (11-161) days. Complications were noted in four cases ; two wereprocedure related and two were catheter related. CONCLUSION: Intra-arterial port implantation is a safe procedureand can be performed easily by skilled radiologists; long-term observation is, however, still needed.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Catheters ; Clavicle ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Polyurethanes ; Punctures ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Sutures ; Vascular Access Devices