OBJECTIVES: The sensitivity and accuracy of thermistor airflow signal has been debated. The purposes of this study were to compare apnea-hypopnea index(AHI) detected from a conventional thermistor signal and a nasal pressure transducer of airflow(NPT), to evaluate the value of NPT for the diagnosis of upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), and to measure airway pressure fluctuations which produced respiratory arousals in UARS by naso-oro-esophageal manometer catheter. The subjects were 30 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [mild(540), 10), and 6 UARS patients. Airway resistance arousal in this study was defined as arousals which were not associated with apnea or hypopnea of thermistor signal, but showed significant decrease of nasal airflow pressure just before arousal and a prompt recovery of nasal airflow pressure after arousal, The airway pressure fluctuations were measured during 260 airway resistance arousals observed in 10 patients with OSAS, 2 with UARS. RESULTS: Mean AHIs of patients with OSAS were 33.4 by thermistor and 48.4 by NPT. The AHIs of mild, moderate and severe OSAS group were 10.2, 32.1, 65.4 respectively by thermistor and 23.1, 45.9, 76.4 by NPT. The mean AHI of patients with UARS was 3.2 by tehrmistor and 108 by NPT. The mean AHI of patients with nonspecific arousals was 2.7 by thermistor and 4.4 by NPT. The mean airway pressure changes during resiratory arousals of different groups were 8.7 cmH2O in mild OSAS, 11.4 cmH2O in moderate OSAS, 24.7 cmH2O in severs OSAS and 6.6 cmH2O in UARS. CONCLUSION: The nasal pressure transducer of airflow was more sensitive and accurate for assessing respiratory disturbances of patients with OSAS and was extremely helpful for the diagnosis of UARS without esophageal pressure monitoring. From the results, we would like to propose carefully the NPT diagnostic criteria for sleep disordered breathing as follows : NPT-AHI 5-15->UARS, 15-35->mild OSAS, 35-55->moderate OSAS and >55 ->severe OSAS.
Airway Resistance* ; Apnea ; Arousal ; Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Transducers, Pressure

Distinguishing epileptic seizure from non-epileptic seizure is a common diagnostic problem. Neurogenic or cardiac syncope can appear similar to atonic and even convulsive seizures. Classic migraine and transient ischemic attacks may also resemble epileptic seizures. Sleep disorders including REM sleep behavior disorder, nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia, and narcolepsy likewise simulate an epileptic seizure. Movement disorders such as paroxysmal dyskinesia can be misinterpreted as epileptic seizures (reflex epilepsy or myoclonic seizures). Psychogenic seizures are often misdiagnosed as an intractable epilepsy. Prior to the definitive diagnosis of epilepsy, possible non-epileptic seizures should be excluded. For the correct decision, a thorough and systematic history taking is important. In addition, EEG, pseudoseizure induction test, head-up tilt test, EKG, sleep studies, and video-EEG monitoring may be necessary. Misdiagnosis of non-epileptic seizures as epilepsy may result in unnecessary anti-epileptic drug use. At the same time, we should let the patients understand what the epilepsy is and that epilepsy is a treatable disease.
Chorea ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Drug Resistant Epilepsy ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy* ; Humans ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Linear Energy Transfer ; Migraine with Aura ; Movement Disorders ; Narcolepsy ; Nocturnal Paroxysmal Dystonia ; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder ; Seizures* ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Syncope

The present study was designed to identify the sequential electrophysiological findings ant to determine the prognostic values of electrophysiological and clinical pararneters in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Severely affected 42 subjects (Grade D,E). Who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of GBS were selected. Twentynine patients were followed up at least 6 months (range 6-24 months) from the onset of neurologic syrnptorns. We analyzed 83 electrodiagnostic studies from 42 subjects. The sequential electrophysiological abnorrnalities were most marked at 3-4 weeks after the onset. At that time the most significant change was a decrease of CMAP amplitude. By stepwise discriminant analysis of several electrophysiological parameters, the three variables, of CMAP amplitude, distal conduction velocity; and F-wave latency were deterrnined to be significant pararneters. The accuracy of predicting the prognosis at 6 months was 82. 8%, when the classification functions were applied. Nlerefore the findings of early electrophysiological studies would be irnportant in understanding the serial pathophysiological changes and assessing the clinical outcorne of Guillain-Barre syndrorne.
Ants ; Classification ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Humans ; Prognosis

Three patients with complex partial seizures had dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET) in temporal lobe. In all cases, longterm video-EEG monitoring showed epileptogenic focus in left temporal lobe where small mass lesion was located. For further seizure localization and functional mapping, subdural grids were placed on left temporal lobe including lesions. Lateral temporal lobectomy with lesionectomy was performed in two cases. Lateral temporal lobe resection and amygdalohippocampectomy was done in one case. The pathological findings of all lesions were characterized by intracortical location, multiple nodular architecture, foci of dysplastic cortical disorganization and the presence of a specific glioneuronal element. All patients have been seizure free.
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial* ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe*

Epilepsy surgery can be a safe, effective treatment for individuals with intractable partial epilepsy. There is increasing evidence that brain abnormalities in focal epilepsy are not restricted to a single area. The longstanding debate around the relationship between structural lesions and the epileptic zone remains unresolved. Patients with DNT (dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor), which is an essentially benign tumor, can be cured by epilepsy surgery-oriented approach. Cortical dysplasia is frequently associated with DNT and seems to contribute to epileptogenic activity of DNT. Surgical treatment should be aimed at removal of the associated cortical dysplasia as well as DNT itself for ideal treatment of the disease. Simple lesionectomy of cavernous angioma would relieve seizures significantly, but not always. The concept of epilepsy surgery needs to be recruited in the treatment of cavernous angioma with seizures because diffusion of hemosiderin into the surrounding brain tissue and formation of cortical scars can make epileptogenic areas. Cortical dysplasia is a highly epileptogenic lesion constituting an important cause of medically intractable epilepsy and surgery is a treatment of choice in a selected group of patients. Identification and complete resection of the lesion and ictal onset zone are necessary to achieve a good surgical results. Intractable epilepsy accompanied by benign brain lesions can be treated surgically using the entire armamentarium of presurgical investigations. Deliberate resective procedures aimed at complete removal of dysplastic tissue and epiletogenically active areas on and around the lesion ensure excellent seizure control without permanent neurologic deficit.
Brain* ; Cicatrix ; Diffusion ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Epilepsy* ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Hemosiderin ; Humans ; Malformations of Cortical Development ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Seizures

No abstract available.
Appendicitis* ; Barium* ; Enema*

No abstract available.
Sparganosis*

BACKGROUND: Intractable partial epilepsy is the most frequent manifestation in cortical dysplasia (CD). The surgical removal of the epileptogenic focus in CD is the main therapeutic option for achieving seizure control. However, it is dif-ficult to predict surgical outcome by current diagnostic methods. We investigated 35 subjects with intractable epilepsy due to CD, in order to know the relationship the extent of lesion in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the epilepto-genic foci in invasive electroencephalography (IEEG), pathologic grading, and surgical outcome. METHODS: We reviewed clinical findings (the seizure history, MRI), IEEG findings (interictal and ictal EEG), pathologic findings and surgical outcomes retrospectively and compared them. All the patients ranged in age from 2 to 45 years (mean: 21.8+10.8years). The time of their seizure onset ranged from 6 months to 31 years (mean:9.4+6.6years). The postopera-tive follow-up period ranged from 7 to 45months (mean:26+14months). RESULTS: Regarding MRI findings, the lesions were focal (within one lobe) in 10, diffuse (more than one lobe) in 7, and no abnormalities in 18 subjects. The ictal onset zones of ictal IEEG had one focus in 18, two in 7, three in 7, and four in 3 subjects. The area of focus was focal in 15, regional in 14, lobar in 4, and in diffuse areas in 2 subjects. Pathologic grading revealed mild in 18, moderate in 5, and severe changes in 13 subjects. Their surgical outcomes were: Engel's class I in 20, class II in 7, class III in 6, and class IV in 2 subjects. The relationships among clinical features, IEEG, regarding pathology and surgical outcomes, revealed that severe pathologic grading had a significant correlation with earlier ictal onset zones (p=0.003), and diffuse MRI lesions. Diffuse ictal onset zones had poor surgical outcomes (p<0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Cortical dysplasia may have a diverse pattern of epileptogenic foci in MRI and IEEG. The earlier the seizure onset is, the severe pathologic grading becomes. When the lesions in MRI as well as the ictal onet zones in IEEG were diffuse, the surgical outcome was poor.
Electroencephalography* ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Epilepsy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Malformations of Cortical Development* ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures

BACKGROUND: Neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy (NTLE) appears to have different characteristics in clinical and electrophysiological aspects from mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Many semiological studies on TLE have been performed. We investigated ictal EEG patterns to differentiate NTLE from MTLE. METHODS: One hundred twenty nine scalp ictal EEG recordings came from 27 pathologically proven TLE patients were analyzed by 1) frequency of ictal discharge at EEG seizure onset (alpha, beta, theta & delta), 2) distribution patterns of ictal EEG onset (diffuse, lateralized & regionalized), 3) electrode of maximum amplitude at initial regionalized portion of ictal EEG, and 4) mesial to lateral and anterior to posterior amplitude ratio of ictal discharges in temporal electrodes. RESULTS: One hundred seven seizures came from MTLE (23 patients) and twenty-two seizures from NTLE (4 patients). Ictal EEG onset with delta wave was observed more frequently in MTLE (42.7%) than in NTLE (14.3%), but beta wave onset was noted more frequently in NTLE (14.3%) than MTLE (0%). Initial ictal EEG discharges were lateralized on ipsilateral hemisphere in 22.0% of MTLE and in 28.6% of NTLE, regionalized over ipsilateral temporal region in 36.6% and 23.8% respectively, and showed diffuse nonlateralized onset in 41.5% of MTLE and 47.6% of NTLE. Both TLE groups revealed most often their maximum negativity of ictal EEG onset at sphenoidal electrode (MTLE: 59.3%, NTLE: 42.8%). Mesial to lateral amplitude ratio of ictal EEG was significantly larger in MTLE group than NTLE group. The amplitude ratio of anterior to posterior temporal electrodes was greater in NTLE group than in MTLE group. CONCLUSION: Delta frequency of ictal onset EEG is more suggestive of MTLE while beta frequency may suggest NTLE. Initial ictal EEG patterns with their maximum on sphenoidal electrode do not differentiate MTLE from NTLE. NTLE has wide vertical and narrow horizontal electrical field, but MTLE has wide horizontal and narrow vertical electrical field.
Electrodes ; Electroencephalography* ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Humans ; Scalp ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe*

PURPOSE: The ictal perfusion patterns of cerebellum and basal ganglia have not been systematically investigated in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Their ictal perfusion patterns were analyzed in relation with temporal lobe and frontal lobe hyperperfusion during TLE seizures using SPECT subtraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three TLE patients had interictal and ictal SPECT, video-EEG monitoring, SPGR MRI, and SPECT subtraction with MRI co-registration. RESULTS: The vermian cerebellar hyperperfusion (CH) was observed in 26 patients (78.8%) and hemispheric CH in 25 (75.8%). Compared to the side of epileptogenic temporal lobe, there were seven ipsilateral hemispheric CH (28.0%), fifteen contralateral hemispheric CH (60.0%) and three bilateral hemispheric CH (12.0%). CH was more frequently observed in patients with additional frontal hyperperfusion (14/15, 93.3%) than in patients without frontal hyperperfusion (11/18, 61.1%). The basal ganglia hyperperfusion (BGH) was seen in 11 of the 15 patients with frontotemporal hyperperfusion (73.3%) and 11 of the 18 with temporal hyperperfusion only (61.1%). In 17 patients with unilateral BGH, contralateral CH to the BGH was observed in 14 (82.5%) and ipsilateral CH to BGH in 2 (11.8%) and bilateral CH in 1 (5.9%). CONCLUSION: The cerebellar hyperperfusion and basal ganglia hyperperfusion during seizures of TLE can be contralateral, ipsilateral or bilateral to the seizure focus. The presence of additional frontal or basal ganglia hyperperfusion was more frequently associated with contralateral hemispheric CH to their sides. However, temporal lobe hyperperfusion appears to be related with both ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheric CH.
Basal Ganglia* ; Cerebellum* ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Perfusion ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon