OBJECTIVES: Alzheimer's disease(AD) and mild cognitive impairment(MCI) affect several nervous structures involved with the autonomic nervous system. Association between neuropsychiatric deficits and heart rate variability has been observed. But cardiac autonomic function in AD has been scarcely studied and the results reported are conflicting. We investigated autonomic function in normal control, MCI, AD using heart rate variabil-ity(HRV) technique. METHODS: Time and frequency-domain variability of 5-min R-R interval series was comparatively evaluated in 26 normal control subjects, 22 MCI subjects and 34 AD subjects. Analysis of variance(ANOVA) was used to compare the differences across groups. Correlations between MMSE-KC and HRV components were performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed among the groups in time, frequency-domain analysis of HRV (p>0.05). HRV were not found to be significantly correlated with the degree of cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in HRV with MCI, AD subjects when compared with normal controls. Further investigation is required to use HRV technique as noninvasive parameters of MCI and AD.
Alzheimer Disease ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Mild Cognitive Impairment

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the lung is a newly recognized entity of pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma. Histologically, it is very difficult to differentiate LCNEC from other pulmonary carcinomas and the prognosis is significantly poor. The cutaneous metastasis of LCNEC of the lung shares some features with Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin in light microscopy and yet it is negatively stained with cytokeratin 20. We report a case of cutaneous metastasis of LCNEC of the lung, previously misdiagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. Our patient showed a poor response to the chemotherapy and also revealed a brain metastasis on follow-up brain CT scan.
Brain ; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell* ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratin-20 ; Lung* ; Microscopy ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Skin ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Electric Stimulation*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of taping therapy on activities of daily livings (ADL). hand function and range of motion in poststroke-hemiplegic patients. Sample were selected from 20 poststroke-hemiplegic patients at public health center in the period from September 5 to November 21, 2001. The research design was one group pretest-posttest design. The hemiplegia period of the participants was from one year to five years The pretest and posttest included measuring activity of daily livings(ADL). instrumental activity of daily livings(IADL), hand function, range of motion. quality of life. In this research design, a treatment were to expose taping therapy who were received self-help management program. This self-help management program was cor:1Posed of five sessions and each session had health education on stroke. diet. risk factor. ROM exercise and recreation. 20 patients were treated with kinesio taping(Nippon Sigmax Co.. Ltd.. Benefact(r). width 50mm). Tapes were applied to the Deltoid. Supraspinatus. Infraspinatus, Brachioradialis with paralyzed upper extremity. The taping therapy was performed once a week for 5 weeks. SPSS Win 8.0 was used for the data analysis. The results of this study were as follows: 1) The score of BADL was increased from 30.5 to 33.95 after program, and that was statistically significant(p = .019). 2) The score of IADL was increased from 11.6 to 12.75 after program. but that was statistically insignificant(p = .161). 3) The score of hand function was increased from 17 to 20.35 after program. and that was statistically significant(p = .026). 4) The shoulder's ROM(p=.000) and wrist's ROM(p= .004) were significantly increased. According to the results of this study, taping therapy is effective for improving ADL. hand function. ROM. quality of life. However. this study found no significant differences in IADL Consequently. these findings showed that the taping therapy was effective in improvement of physical aspects(BADL, hand function, upper extremity's ROM) in poststroke-hemiplegic patients.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Diet ; Hand* ; Health Education ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Public Health ; Quality of Life* ; Range of Motion, Articular* ; Recreation ; Research Design ; Risk Factors ; Statistics as Topic ; Stroke* ; Upper Extremity

No abstract available.
Penicillamine*

Anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma (ALCL) encompasses different clinical entities that can be aggressive or localized. Scalp anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative ALCL is considered a localized lymphoma, and usually extends to the regional lymph nodes; intracranial invasion is rare. A 74-year-old woman was diagnosed with scalp ALK-negative ALCL, but did not exhibit invasion of the lymph nodes. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed intracranial masses with bony erosions. We treated the patient using CHOP chemotherapy and achieved short-term regression of the scalp and intracranial lesions. However, the patients ultimately died of pneumonia during the pancytopenic period. Therefore, caution must be exercised when treating scalp ALK-negative ALCL with intracranial invasion.
Aged ; Central Nervous System* ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, T-Cell* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningioma ; Neurofibromatoses ; Phosphotransferases ; Pneumonia ; Scalp ; T-Lymphocytes*

BACKGROUND: As co-factors of metalloenzymes, zinc(Zn) and copper(Cu) have a considerable effect on nearly all the metabolism that takes place in organs of the body, including the skin. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate zinc and copper status in alopecia areata patients. METHODS: We measured serum levels of zinc and copper in 30 cases of alopecia areata patients and 10 normal individuals by atomic absorption spectrometry. Furthermore, we studied the significance of the ratio between serum levels of the two metals. RESULTS: The serum levels of zinc were significantly lower in alopecia areata patients than in healthy controls. The serum levels of copper were slightly lower in alopecia areata patients than in healthy controls. Ratios of Cu/Zn were slightly higher in alopecia areata patients than in healthy controls. But their differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: We suggest that a serum Zn assay should be included in the chemical assessment of patients with alopecia areata.
Absorption ; Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Copper* ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Metals ; Skin ; Spectrum Analysis ; Zinc*

No abstract available.
Skin Neoplasms* ; Skin*

Imipramine(Tofranil(R)) is one of the tricyclic antidepressants commonly used in depressive symptoms or enuresis. An accidental or nonaccidental poisoning of imipramine is common today. A 16 years old girl was admitted to Seoul National university Hospital because of unocnsciousness and frequent attacks of seizure after the impulsive ingestion of 1.4gm of imipramine. She showed variable arrhythmias such as complete RBBB, secod degree AV block and ventricular tachycardia and recovered from poisoning without residual myocardial damage. We present a case of imipramine poisoning with cardiac arrhythmias with review of literatures.
Adolescent ; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Atrioventricular Block ; Depression ; Eating ; Enuresis ; Female ; Humans ; Imipramine ; Poisoning* ; Seizures ; Seoul ; Tachycardia, Ventricular