Headaches and sleep problems are burdensome in daily life. They can co-occur and aggravate each other. The prevalence of sleep disorders is high in chronic headache and migraine patients, suggesting a close clinical relationship between these conditions. Structures from the brainstem to the cerebral cortex are related to sleep and headache modulation. In addition, various neurochemicals are related to and overlapped in the modulation of sleep and headache. In this paper, we briefly review the association between migraine and sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, central disorders of hypersomnolence, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder, parasomnias, and sleep-related movement disorders.

Headaches and sleep problems are burdensome in daily life. They can co-occur and aggravate each other. The prevalence of sleep disorders is high in chronic headache and migraine patients, suggesting a close clinical relationship between these conditions. Structures from the brainstem to the cerebral cortex are related to sleep and headache modulation. In addition, various neurochemicals are related to and overlapped in the modulation of sleep and headache. In this paper, we briefly review the association between migraine and sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, central disorders of hypersomnolence, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder, parasomnias, and sleep-related movement disorders.

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCLs) are a group CD30-positive mature T-cell lymphomas, an uncommon subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, characterized by diverse clinical and genetic features. Among the types of ALCL, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative ALCL, though typically involves the lymph nodes, can infrequently invade other tissues. When soft tissue involvement occurs, it may mimic the clinical presentation of infectious diseases, leading to potential misdiagnosis. Therefore, a histological examination is necessary to differentiate between ALK-negative ALCL and similar phenotypes associated with infectious conditions. This paper reports a case of ALCL, initially misdiagnosed as an infection.

Background: Chronotype refers to individual variations in diurnal preferences that manifest as everyday behaviors, including sleep patterns. Traditionally, the Horne & Östberg Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), which comprises of 19 items, has been the standard for determining chronotype. However, its length makes it cumbersome for widespread application. To address this issue, the reduced MEQ (rMEQ), a concise version containing only five items from the MEQ, was developed for a more practical approach to chronotype assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of Korean version of rMEQ in a sample from the general Korean population. Methods: The Korean version of the rMEQ comprises of items 1, 7, 10, 18, and 19 of the original MEQ. The validity of the rMEQ was assessed by correlating its scores with those of the MEQ and Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Its reliability was determined by calculating internal consistency. Results: A total of 3,030 individuals participated in the study, yielding an average rMEQ score of 14.0 ± 3.4. There was a substantial positive correlation between the rMEQ and MEQ scores (r = 0.859, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the rMEQ scores were significantly negatively correlated with the midpoint of sleep on free days corrected for sleep debt as measured by the MCTQ (r = −0.388, P < 0.001), indicating a robust association with chronotype. The internal consistency of rMEQ, measured using Cronbach’s alpha, was 0.609. Conclusion This study finds the Korean version of the rMEQ to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing chronotype in the general population.

Background: Chronotype refers to individual variations in diurnal preferences that manifest as everyday behaviors, including sleep patterns. Traditionally, the Horne & Östberg Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), which comprises of 19 items, has been the standard for determining chronotype. However, its length makes it cumbersome for widespread application. To address this issue, the reduced MEQ (rMEQ), a concise version containing only five items from the MEQ, was developed for a more practical approach to chronotype assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of Korean version of rMEQ in a sample from the general Korean population. Methods: The Korean version of the rMEQ comprises of items 1, 7, 10, 18, and 19 of the original MEQ. The validity of the rMEQ was assessed by correlating its scores with those of the MEQ and Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Its reliability was determined by calculating internal consistency. Results: A total of 3,030 individuals participated in the study, yielding an average rMEQ score of 14.0 ± 3.4. There was a substantial positive correlation between the rMEQ and MEQ scores (r = 0.859, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the rMEQ scores were significantly negatively correlated with the midpoint of sleep on free days corrected for sleep debt as measured by the MCTQ (r = −0.388, P < 0.001), indicating a robust association with chronotype. The internal consistency of rMEQ, measured using Cronbach’s alpha, was 0.609. Conclusion This study finds the Korean version of the rMEQ to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing chronotype in the general population.

Background: Chronotype refers to individual variations in diurnal preferences that manifest as everyday behaviors, including sleep patterns. Traditionally, the Horne & Östberg Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), which comprises of 19 items, has been the standard for determining chronotype. However, its length makes it cumbersome for widespread application. To address this issue, the reduced MEQ (rMEQ), a concise version containing only five items from the MEQ, was developed for a more practical approach to chronotype assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of Korean version of rMEQ in a sample from the general Korean population. Methods: The Korean version of the rMEQ comprises of items 1, 7, 10, 18, and 19 of the original MEQ. The validity of the rMEQ was assessed by correlating its scores with those of the MEQ and Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Its reliability was determined by calculating internal consistency. Results: A total of 3,030 individuals participated in the study, yielding an average rMEQ score of 14.0 ± 3.4. There was a substantial positive correlation between the rMEQ and MEQ scores (r = 0.859, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the rMEQ scores were significantly negatively correlated with the midpoint of sleep on free days corrected for sleep debt as measured by the MCTQ (r = −0.388, P < 0.001), indicating a robust association with chronotype. The internal consistency of rMEQ, measured using Cronbach’s alpha, was 0.609. Conclusion This study finds the Korean version of the rMEQ to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing chronotype in the general population.

Background: Chronotype refers to individual variations in diurnal preferences that manifest as everyday behaviors, including sleep patterns. Traditionally, the Horne & Östberg Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), which comprises of 19 items, has been the standard for determining chronotype. However, its length makes it cumbersome for widespread application. To address this issue, the reduced MEQ (rMEQ), a concise version containing only five items from the MEQ, was developed for a more practical approach to chronotype assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of Korean version of rMEQ in a sample from the general Korean population. Methods: The Korean version of the rMEQ comprises of items 1, 7, 10, 18, and 19 of the original MEQ. The validity of the rMEQ was assessed by correlating its scores with those of the MEQ and Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Its reliability was determined by calculating internal consistency. Results: A total of 3,030 individuals participated in the study, yielding an average rMEQ score of 14.0 ± 3.4. There was a substantial positive correlation between the rMEQ and MEQ scores (r = 0.859, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the rMEQ scores were significantly negatively correlated with the midpoint of sleep on free days corrected for sleep debt as measured by the MCTQ (r = −0.388, P < 0.001), indicating a robust association with chronotype. The internal consistency of rMEQ, measured using Cronbach’s alpha, was 0.609. Conclusion This study finds the Korean version of the rMEQ to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing chronotype in the general population.

Surfer's myelopathy is a rare nontraumatic spinal cord disorder associated with surfing. This study reports three patients with surfer's myelopathy. All patients were young males who were previously healthy and first-time surfers at the onset of their symptoms. They developed the symptoms while surfing or shortly thereafter, presenting with lower back pain followed by an acute myelopathy. Spine magnetic resonance imaging showed T2 hyperintense cord lesion. Since the number of surfers is increasing in Korea, awareness of surfer's myelopathy is necessary for early recognition and proper management.
Humans ; Korea ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Spinal Cord Diseases* ; Spine

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the renal function by investigating the relationship among serum cystatin C, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance and the average of bilateral ERPF (effective renal plasma flow) ratio of the MAG3 renal scan for the spinal cord injured patients. METHOD: Seventy-one spinal cord injured patients who admitted to our department were evaluated from January 2004 to October 2004. Blood samples and 24-hour urine of all the subjects were collected for measuring serum cystatin C, serum creatinine and creatinine clearance. MAG3 renal scan was done for 47 subjects. Regression analysis and Pearson's correlation methods were utilized for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was significant correlation between 1/cystatin C and creatinine clearance (p<0.001) and the correlation coefficient between 1/cystatin C vs. creatinine clearance (R= 0.552) was bigger than that between 1/creatinine and creatinine clearance (R=0.329). The reciprocal of cystatin C was positively correlated with the average of bilateral ERPF ratio of MAG3 renal scan (p=0.01), while there was no significant correlation between 1/creatinine and the average of bilateral ERPF ratio. CONCLUSION: Measurement of serum cystatin C is a useful and convenient method for the evaluation of renal function in spinal cord injured patients.
Creatinine ; Cystatin C* ; Humans ; Plasma ; Renal Plasma Flow, Effective ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the biological features of murine hepatocarcinoma according to different tumor microenvironmental models and to determine the change in molecular and immunologic responses after radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumor models were established in the liver (orthotopic) and thigh (heterotopic) of male C3H/HeN mice. Tumor growth and lung metastasis were assessed in these models. To evaluate the radiation effect, the tumors were irradiated with 10 Gy. Factors associated with tumor microenvironment including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1), CD31, and serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) were evaluated. Tumor-infiltrating regulatory immune cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) were also analyzed. RESULTS: A higher number of lung metastases were observed in the orthotopic tumor model than in the heterotopic tumor model. VEGF, CD31, COX-2, and TGF-β1 expression was more prominent in the orthotopic tumor model than in the heterotopic tumor model. Expression of the angiogenic factor VEGF and key regulatory molecules (TGF-β1 and COX-2) decreased following radiation in the orthotopic tumor model, while the serum IL-6 level increased after radiation. In the orthotopic tumor model, the number of both Tregs and MDSCs in the tumor burden decreased after radiation. CONCLUSION: The orthotopic tumor model showed higher metastatic potential and more aggressive molecular features than the heterotopic tumor model. These findings suggest that the orthotopic tumor mouse model may be more reflective of the tumor microenvironment and suitable for use in the translational research of radiation treatment.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Animals ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Mice ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiation Effects ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Thigh ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Translational Medical Research ; Tumor Burden ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A