No abstract available.

Canavan disease(CD) is a rare autosomal recessive leukodystrophy caused by the deficiency of aspartoacylase and the accumulation in brain of N-acetylaspartate(NAA). CD has been reported mainly Ashkenazi Jews but also occurs in other ethnic groups. Usually it presents as early as the third month of life with megalencephaly, hypotonia later progressing to hypertonia, psychomotor and mental retardation, blindness, occasionally deafness and seizure. Diagnosis is based on the clinical feature, N-acetylaspartic aciduria, radiologic and pathologic findings. Histologically, the affected white matter shows extensive vacuolation and demyelination. There is no treatment for CD and the only prevention is through genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis. We experienced a case of Canavan disease that was presented with hypotonia and developmental delay. Diagnosis was confirmed histologically. Radiologic findings are extensive high signal throughout the white matter on T2-weighted MRI and increased NAA peak and decreased choline peak of the white matter on MR spectroscopy.
Blindness ; Brain ; Canavan Disease* ; Choline ; Deafness ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Ethnic Groups ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Jews ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Seizures

STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively reviewed the cervical myelopathy patients who underwent anterior or posterior surgery. OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to analyze the preoperative radiologic evaluation and the results of the treatment of cervical myelopathy. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The surgical treatment of cervical myelopathy consisted of anterior/posterior or combined surgery according to lesion site, symptoms, number of involved sequents or prevalence of the surgeon. Material and METHODS: We reviewed the clinical and radiological aspects of 28 patients Preoperative plain radiographs and MRI were evaluated with clinical symptoms. Postoperative clinical evaluation was performed according to the Robinson's criteria. RESULTS: On plain lateral radiographs, spinal canal diameter were 13.4+/-2.6/12.5+/- 1.7mm, Pavlovratios were 0.78+/-0.09/0.66+/-0.08, spondylosis indices were 1.70/1.80mm, and the antero-posterior compression ration of spinal cord were 42.4+/-8/44.0+/-6% for anterior surgery and posterior surgery group each. The results of 15 patients who received anterior decompression and interbody fusion were excellent in 11, good in 2, and fair in 2 cases. The results of 13 patients who underwent laminoplasty were excellent in 9, good in 3, and fair in one case. CONCLUSIONS: The patients who have Pavlov ratio less than 0.8 and spondylosis index more than 1.5mm on plain radiograph are vulnerable to developing myelopathy. It is better to do anterior decom pression and interbody fusion in patients who have one or two segments involved and kyphotic deformity of the cervical spine. Otherwise, patients who involve more than 3 segments and narrow spinal canal can be managed using laminoplasty posteriorly.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Decompression ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Diseases* ; Spine ; Spondylosis

Antifungal bacteria for biological control of plant diseases or production of novel antibiotics to plant pathogens were isolated in 1997 from various soils of Ansung, Chunan, Koyang, and Paju in Korea. Sixty-four bacterial strains pre-screened from approximately 1,400 strains were tested on V-8 juice agar against eight plant pathogenic fungi using in vitro bioassay technique for inhibition of mycelial growth. Test pathogens were Alternaria mali, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, C. orbiculare, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, Magnaporthe grisea, Phytophthora capsici, and Rhizoctonia solani. A wide range of antifungal activity of bacterial strains was found against the pathogenic fungi, and strain RC-B77 showed the best antifungal activity. Correlation analysis between inhibition of each fungus and mean inhibition of all eight fungi by 64 bacterial strains revealed that C. gloeosporioides would be best appropriate for detecting bacterial strains producing antibiotics with potential as biocontrol agents for plant pathogens.
Agar ; Alternaria ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria* ; Biological Assay ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Colletotrichum ; Fungi ; Fusarium ; Gyeonggi-do ; Korea ; Magnaporthe ; Mali ; Mass Screening* ; Phytophthora ; Plant Diseases ; Plants* ; Rhizoctonia ; Soil*

This study was performed to analyze the clinical, radiological results of 70 patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis and 30 patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis who were underwent with wide decompression, reduction with transpedicular screw system and posterolateral fusion from Mar. 1990 to Dec. 1995. In this study we excluded posterior lumbar interbody fusion, circumferential fusion or decompression method for sondylolisthesis. The mean follow up duration was 29 months. The most common level was L5-Sl in isthmic group (36 patients, 51%), and L4-5 in degenerative group (23 patients, 77%). The clinical result were analyzed according to Kirkaldy-Willis criteria. The satisfactory result were obtained 90% in each group. Screw failure occured in unstable level with severe slip angle, so anterior column support may be recommended in this group. Pedicle screw fixation and wide decompression augmented with posterolateral bone graft is a satisfactory alternative method for degenerative and isthmic spondylolisthesis.
Decompression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Spondylolisthesis* ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Spinal Stenosis* ; Spondylolisthesis*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluated the difference of depressive symptoms and attention between estrogen user and non-user in postmenopausal women. METHODS: 30 Estrogen users and 30 non-users were participated in this study. They were all menopausal for at least 1 year and have 12 or more education years. We used BDI(Beck Depression Inventory), digit span and digit symbol to evaluate depressive symptoms and attention in both groups. We also measured the plasma estradiol level and identified the correlation between estradiol level and BDI, digit span and digit symbol. RESULTS: The demographic data was not different between both groups. Estrogen users scored higher than non-users in digit span(forward) and lower than non-users in BDI. The correlation between estradiol level BDI, digit span and digit symbol was not significant. CONCLUSION: Estrogen replacement therapy was effective in alleviation depressive symptoms but ineffective in improving attention in postmenopausal women.
Depression* ; Education ; Estradiol ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Humans ; Plasma

Gastrointestinal (GI) prokinetic agents are drugs that increase GI motility and promote the movement of contents in the GI tract by amplifying and controlling the contraction of GI smooth muscle. Currently used prokinetics increase GI motility by acting as a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist (e.g., metoclopramide, domperidone, levosulpiride) and 5-HT4 receptor agonist (e.g., mosapride, prucalopride). Some prokinetics also have a cholinesterase inhibitory property (e.g., itopride), and herb-derived prokinetics (e.g., motilitone) affect multiple receptors. Depending on the type and distribution of receptors on which the prokinetics bind, the effect(s) may be regional or throughout the GI tract. Most prokinetics have been used for functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis because they mainly affect upper GI motility. However, prucalopride, a highly selective 5-HT4 receptor agonist, is used primarily to treat chronic constipation and pseudo-obstruction. Dopamine D2 receptor antagonists also inhibit the D2 receptor in the medulla oblongata chemoreceptor trigger zone; therefore, they can treat nausea and vomiting. However, short term use of dopamine D2 antagonists at an appropriate dose is recommended because of their potential for central nervous system side effects by penetrating the blood-brain barrier. It is necessary to know the mechanism of action, each clinical trial’s characteristics, and the side effects of prokinetics to obtain the best clinical outcomes. This article aims to summarize the results of clinical studies related to the impact of currently available prokinetic agents in Korea on GI motility.

No abstract available.
Humans ; Male*