Objectives: ：We examined the factors influencing quality of life among community dwelling elderly in Busan city. Methods: ：The subjects of this research were 160 community-dwelling elderly people without dementia and major depressive disorder. Korean version of World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument-Abbreviated form (WHOQOL-BREF), Korean version of Short Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K) and Korean version of MiniMental State Examination (K-MMSE) were administered for each subject. Low quality of life was defined as below 60 points of WHOQOL-BREF. Results: ：The high quality of life group showed higher score of MMSE, lower score of GDS-K, higher educational level and married status. About a third of the subjects complained about low quality of life. In the low quality of life group, there were significant associations between quality of life and SGDS-K (p<0.001), but there was no association with education (p=0.708), marital status (p=0.410), and K-MMSE (p=0.683). Conclusion ：Depressive disorders including minor depressive disorder and subsyndromal depression, might play a role in the quality of life rather than cognitive impairments in community-dwelling elderly people. Therefore, the treatments for the depressive mood should be considered in dealing with low quality of life.

Sleep is associated with Alzheimer’s dementia. Many previous researches have shown that inadequate sleep is one of the risk factors that predict Alzheimer’s dementia. The causal mechanism of this association is not clear. Slow wave sleep and REM sleep are critical stages in memory consolidation, and by sequential hypothesis both stages are important. Deposition of amyloid beta and tau, the main pathology of Alzheimer’s dementia, are also associated with sleep. This review provides the association of sleep and Alzheimer’s dementia, and future research is necessary to examine the specific mechanism of this association between sleep and Alzheimer’s dementia, which may lead to an early intervention in sleep.

No abstract available.
Aneurysm* ; Arteries*

PURPOSE: Percutaneous closure with occluding coils has been recently described as a method of nonsurgical treatment of the small patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The snare-assisted technique or detachable coil has been newly developed, improving coil delivery and eliminating the incidence of coil embolization. This method is also applicable to residual PDA following surgical ligation or device implantation. The study purpose is to discuss our experience with percutaneous closure of the small patent ductus arteriosus by occluding coils. METHODS: Between February 1995 and September 1996, 41 patients underwent coil occlusion. Thirty-one patients had native PDAs and 10 residual PDAs. Mean age was 5.0 +/- 3.2 years (1.5 to 14.0 years), and mean body weight 18.0 +/- 7.2kg (8.7 to 45kg). Mean ductal diameter was 1.9 +/- 0.6mm (1.0 to 3.5mm). Occlusion was performed by using the snare technique in 34 patients and by using a detachable coil in 6 patients. Follow-up was done at week 1, 3, 6, and a 12-month postprocedure was dont by echocardiography. RESULTS: Of the 41 patients with successful coil implantation, 32 patients (78%) had no residual shunting, 8 trace residual shunting, and 1 small residual shunting shown by angiogram immediately after coil embolization. All the patients except for one were followed up for 6.5 +/- 4.5 months (1 day to 12 months). Complete closure was confirmed in 38 patients (95%) at 6 months after implantation (34/40 at 1 month, 37/40 at 3 months, 38/40 at 6 months). There were no significant complications. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous occlusion of PDA can be safely and effectively performed in patients with small PDA, irrespective of native or residual nature, by using the snare technique or a detachable coil.
Body Weight ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent* ; Echocardiography ; Embolization, Therapeutic* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ligation ; SNARE Proteins

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on suicide attempts and suicide deaths in South Korea, focusing on age and sex differences. Methods: We analyzed the monthly number of suicide attempts and suicide deaths during pre-pandemic (January 2016–February 2020) and pandemic (March–December 2020) periods using nationally representative databases. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis and calculated the relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), categorizing subjects into adolescents (<18), young adults (18–29), middle-aged (30–59), and older adults (≥60). Results: During the pandemic, the number of suicide attempts abruptly declined in adolescents (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.58 [0.45–0.75]) and older adults (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.74 [0.66–0.84]). In older males, there was a significant rebound in the suicide attempt trend (RR [95% CI] slope change: 1.03 [1.01–1.05]). The number of suicide deaths did not change among age/sex strata significantly except for older males. There was a brief decline in suicide deaths in older males, while the trend showed a following increase with marginal significance (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.76 [0.66–0.88], slope change: 1.02 [1.00–1.04]). Conclusion This study suggests the heterogeneous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide attempts and suicide deaths across age and sex strata in South Korea. These findings highlight the need for more targeted mental health interventions, given the observed trends in suicide attempts and suicide deaths during the pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on suicide attempts and suicide deaths in South Korea, focusing on age and sex differences. Methods: We analyzed the monthly number of suicide attempts and suicide deaths during pre-pandemic (January 2016–February 2020) and pandemic (March–December 2020) periods using nationally representative databases. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis and calculated the relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), categorizing subjects into adolescents (<18), young adults (18–29), middle-aged (30–59), and older adults (≥60). Results: During the pandemic, the number of suicide attempts abruptly declined in adolescents (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.58 [0.45–0.75]) and older adults (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.74 [0.66–0.84]). In older males, there was a significant rebound in the suicide attempt trend (RR [95% CI] slope change: 1.03 [1.01–1.05]). The number of suicide deaths did not change among age/sex strata significantly except for older males. There was a brief decline in suicide deaths in older males, while the trend showed a following increase with marginal significance (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.76 [0.66–0.88], slope change: 1.02 [1.00–1.04]). Conclusion This study suggests the heterogeneous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide attempts and suicide deaths across age and sex strata in South Korea. These findings highlight the need for more targeted mental health interventions, given the observed trends in suicide attempts and suicide deaths during the pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on suicide attempts and suicide deaths in South Korea, focusing on age and sex differences. Methods: We analyzed the monthly number of suicide attempts and suicide deaths during pre-pandemic (January 2016–February 2020) and pandemic (March–December 2020) periods using nationally representative databases. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis and calculated the relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), categorizing subjects into adolescents (<18), young adults (18–29), middle-aged (30–59), and older adults (≥60). Results: During the pandemic, the number of suicide attempts abruptly declined in adolescents (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.58 [0.45–0.75]) and older adults (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.74 [0.66–0.84]). In older males, there was a significant rebound in the suicide attempt trend (RR [95% CI] slope change: 1.03 [1.01–1.05]). The number of suicide deaths did not change among age/sex strata significantly except for older males. There was a brief decline in suicide deaths in older males, while the trend showed a following increase with marginal significance (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.76 [0.66–0.88], slope change: 1.02 [1.00–1.04]). Conclusion This study suggests the heterogeneous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide attempts and suicide deaths across age and sex strata in South Korea. These findings highlight the need for more targeted mental health interventions, given the observed trends in suicide attempts and suicide deaths during the pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on suicide attempts and suicide deaths in South Korea, focusing on age and sex differences. Methods: We analyzed the monthly number of suicide attempts and suicide deaths during pre-pandemic (January 2016–February 2020) and pandemic (March–December 2020) periods using nationally representative databases. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis and calculated the relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), categorizing subjects into adolescents (<18), young adults (18–29), middle-aged (30–59), and older adults (≥60). Results: During the pandemic, the number of suicide attempts abruptly declined in adolescents (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.58 [0.45–0.75]) and older adults (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.74 [0.66–0.84]). In older males, there was a significant rebound in the suicide attempt trend (RR [95% CI] slope change: 1.03 [1.01–1.05]). The number of suicide deaths did not change among age/sex strata significantly except for older males. There was a brief decline in suicide deaths in older males, while the trend showed a following increase with marginal significance (RR [95% CI] level change: 0.76 [0.66–0.88], slope change: 1.02 [1.00–1.04]). Conclusion This study suggests the heterogeneous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide attempts and suicide deaths across age and sex strata in South Korea. These findings highlight the need for more targeted mental health interventions, given the observed trends in suicide attempts and suicide deaths during the pandemic.

In order to observe the change of the clinical results after Microvascular Decompression(MVD), we followed up 261 cases with hemifacial spasm(HFS). The patients were operated between Nov. 1985 and Aug. 1994. The length of observation had been more than 6 months in all cases. The mean age of the patients was 47.0 years old and the mean duration of symptom was 8.2 years. Female constitutes 82.8% of the total an right side was involved in 52.1%. The most common offender was the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (51.0%), and 33% involved multiple vessels. The most common offender was the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (51.0%), and 33% involved multiple vessels. The postoperative complications occurred in 84 cases, 4 of which were permanent. However, there were no mortalities. Among the 226 cases, which were followed up for more than 6 months after the MVD, the final clinical results of 187 cases were excellent, the success rate was 91.7%, and the patients' satisfaction rate was 96.1%. The rate of excellence was 61.1% at POD 7th and 82.7% at final, respectively. The delayed resolution of the HFS during follow-up comprised 37.4% of the completely resolved cases. According to the above results, the clinical status of HFS after MVD continuously changes, therefore follow-up observation after MVD is needed to evaluate the operative results, especially in the delayed resolved cases.
Arteries ; Criminals ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemifacial Spasm* ; Humans ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery* ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of commonly available analgesics in the management of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) over an 8-day period, and to compare the efficacy between aspirin and acetaminophen. METHOD: Forty-two subjects were recruited. DOMS was induced by using the isokinetic dynamometer (KinCom(R)) in standardized fashion in the nondominant knee extensor with subjects seated at 30 degree-angle velocity. Subjects were asked to extend their non-dominant knee with concentric method and to hold the knee with eccentric flexion force at 30 degree-angle velocity, with maximal efforts. On this way, they did 10 repetitions, and then 3 cycles. We categorized four groups (n=10, for each group), that were control group with no medication, placebo group with placebo medication (antacid tablets), aspirin group with medication of 900 mg of aspirin, and acetaminophen group with medication with 3,900 mg of acetaminophen. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS: twice a day, until on day 8). and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ: on day 1 and 3) were measured. RESULTS: We didn't find any significant difference of peak VAS score and relief time between four groups (P>0.05), The score of MPQ was not different between four groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: We concluded that the medication may not be beneficial, at least at the doses stated, in the management of DOMS.
2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Methylamphetamine ; Acetaminophen* ; Analgesics ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Aspirin* ; Knee ; Myalgia* ; Pain Measurement