BACKGROUND: This study aimed to know the state of caregiver burden of family caregivers of patients with dementia and also to know factors associated with the severity of caregiver burden. METHODS: Family caregivers of dementia patients were enrolled from five general hospitals in Daegu Metropolitan city, Korea. The participants analyzed in the present study were 199 subjects who were 24 to 86 years old, living in Daegu or Kyungsang Bukdo province. Demographic features, general characteristics, characteristics of caring patients were collected and Burden Interview was done by a psychologist. Factors affecting caregiver burden were assessed using statistical analyses. RESULTS: The average severity of caregiver burden of family caregivers were between mild and moderate. Factors affecting the severity of caregiver burden were caregiving days per week among caregiver's characteristics and Neuropsychiatric Inventory and Geriatric Depression Scale among patient characteristics by multiple regression linear analysis. Caregiving cost shows marginal significance. Interestingly, cognitive scales like Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating, Physical and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living did not affect caregiver burden of family caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that caregiving days per week of caregivers and neuropsychiatric symptoms including depressive mood of patients are closely related with caregiver burden of family caregivers of patients with dementia in Korea.
Activities of Daily Living ; Caregivers* ; Daegu ; Dementia* ; Depression ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Methods ; Psychology ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND: Patients with epilepsy experience impairments in their quality of life (QOL). The objective of this study was to determine the influences of clinical factors on QOL and to compare QOL before and after antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment. METHODS: A cohort of 79 patients with epilepsy (43 male and 36 female) was recruited for this prospective study. The Quality of Life in Epilepsy (QOLIE)-31 survey was applied to evaluate QOL. The QOLIE-31 questionnaire was completed by the subjects before and 24 weeks after AED monotherapy (zonisamide or topiramate). The relationships of demographic, social, and clinical factors with QOL were evaluated. RESULTS: There was a negative correlation between seizure frequency and QOL in patients with epilepsy (p<0.05). The scores of patients without adverse effect were significantly higher for the seizure worry item of the QOLIE-31 questionnaire at 24 weeks compared to baseline (p<0.05). No other significant differences were found for any of the other QOLIE-31 items. CONCLUSIONS: Age, sex, seizure frequency, AED treatment, and AED adverse effects were significant clinical factors affecting QOL in patients with epilepsy. It is suggested that the physician should recognize these factors and manage them appropriately to improve the QOL of patients with epilepsy.
Cohort Studies ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Isoxazoles ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seizures

No abstract available.
Ataxia* ; Ophthalmoplegia*

Status complex partial seizure caused by non-ketotic hyperglycemia (NKH) has been known to be rare. A 42-year-old diabetic man was admitted because of abnormal behavior. Video-EEG monitoring revealed an ictal EEG correlate of this behavior. Brain MRI showed an abnormal signal intensity in the right temporal cortex. Seizures were controlled by lowering glucose levels and a follow-up MRI showed resolution of the abnormal signal. We report a case of non-convulsive status epilepticus as a complex partial seizure type by NKH.
Adult ; Brain ; Electroencephalography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Seizures ; Status Epilepticus*

No abstract available.
Encephalitis, Viral* ; Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis*

We report a man who presented anterior chest pain with mild weakness of both hands while swimming. Initially, he was admitted to the department of internal medicine for evaluation and management of suspected myocardial infarction. Cardiac evaluations including coronary angiogram showed the patient to be normal. Spinal MRI showed a hyperintense signal on the sagittal T2-weighted images at the cervical spinal cord (C6-7). When a patient with chest pain shows weakness in both arms, not only cardiac evaluation but also spine work up is needed.
Arm ; Chest Pain* ; Hand ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Internal Medicine ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myocardial Infarction ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine ; Swimming ; Thorax*

BACKGROUND: Bone mineral density (BMD) is influenced by genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. Long-term antiepileptic drug (AED) use also causes osteopenia or osteoporosis that have been most extensively described in institutionalized patients. But, the mechanism of these abnormalities is unclear. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of AED on bone density and to explain the pathophysiologic mechanisms by analyzing bone related factors. METHODS: We prospectively examined BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 45 patients with epilepsy. We measured the serum calcium, phosphorus, protein, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone specific ALP, vitamin D and osteocalcin to analyze the factors that influence bone metabolism. RESULTS: BMD was significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group (p<0.05). 13% of patients had osteopenia and 3% of patients had osteoporosis. The level of bone specific ALP was higher in the patient group, but the level of vitamin D was not different, implying that BMD is decreased by the direct effect of antiepileptic drugs. There was a weak negative correlation and marginal significance between BMD and the duration of therapy in the patient group (r=-0.407, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term antiepileptic drug therapy in patients who have seizures causes significant bone loss in the lumbar spine even in the absence of vitamin D deficiency. In addition, the degree of bone mineral density was weakly related with the therapeutic duration of antiepileptic drugs. The regular evaluation of BMD in patients with long-term antiepileptic drugs might be helpful to prevent decreases in BMD.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Anticonvulsants* ; Bone Density* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Calcium ; Drug Therapy ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Metabolism* ; Osteocalcin ; Osteoporosis ; Phosphorus ; Prospective Studies ; Seizures ; Spine ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin D Deficiency

A 44-year-old man showed recurrent paroxysmal amnesic attacks following viral encephalitis which, despite antiepileptic treatment, developed into status epilepticus. Interestingly, the amnesic attacks mainly consisted of amnesia for retrograde events. After recovery from status, he showed a persistent amnesia which was characterized as disproportionate retrograde amnesia for the past 20 years. We attribute the amnesic attacks in the acute stage to a transient epileptic amnesia and the profound retrograde amnesia in the chronic stage to status- or infection-related focal brain damage.
Adult ; Amnesia ; Amnesia, Retrograde* ; Brain ; Encephalitis, Viral* ; Humans ; Status Epilepticus

PURPOSE: It is known that serum thyroid hormones and lipid profiles are affected by the different biotransformation pathways of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The aim of this study was to evaluate thyroid functions and lipids in epileptic patients taking AEDs. METHODS: We prospectively examined serum thyroid hormone concentrations and lipid profiles in 45 patients with epilepsy and compared them with 45 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. We measured serum free T4 (FT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-ab), thyroid globulin antibody (TG-ab), total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides (TG). To analyze, the patient groups were divided into two groups:36 patients using hepatic enzyme inducing AEDs and 9 patients using non-enzyme-inducing AEDs. RESULTS: Mean age, sex and body mass index (BMI) were not different in both groups. The serum free T4 level of all patients was lower than that of the control group (p<0.05). The serum free T4 level of the patients taking hepatic enzyme inducing AEDs was lower than that of the control group. TSH, TPO-ab and TG-ab levels were not different in both groups. There was no correlation between free T4 levels and the duration of therapy in the patient group. For lipids, LDL, HDL, TG and total cholesterol, levels were not different in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic enzyme inducing AEDs led to a decrease in free T4 levels but the TSH level remained normal. These findings seem to be not only due to liver enzyme induction but also hypothalamic interference of regulation of thyroid hormone production by the drugs. Lipid profiles were not significantly influenced by AEDs but further evaluation should be needed.
Anticonvulsants* ; Biotransformation ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Enzyme Induction ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Iodide Peroxidase ; Lipoproteins ; Liver ; Prospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Hormones* ; Thyrotropin ; Triglycerides

We experienced 3 cases of food-borne botulism within a family. They presented with progressive ptosis, dysphonia, dysarthria and limb weakness, which had started about 12 hours after ingestion of vacuum-packed sausage. Two cases progressed to respiratory failure. Botulinum toxin A was detected from the stool sample of one case. Conservative treatment with mechanical ventilation was done and they recovered from respiratory failure over a 30-70 days period. This is the first case report of food-borne botulism in Korea.
Botulinum Toxins ; Botulism* ; Dysarthria ; Dysphonia ; Eating ; Extremities ; Humans ; Korea ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency