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Several medications are approved to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Korea including nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, remdesivir, and regdanvimab. There is potential drug-drug interaction between antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and the medications used to treat COVID-19. Several AEDs such as phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and primidone are strong cytochrome P450 inducers and can inhibit the drugs used for COVID-19. Particularly, these drugs are contraindicated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid®). There is a weaker drug-drug interaction between the AEDs and remdesivir. No significant interaction has been reported between the AEDs and molnupiravir. Pharmacokinetic interactions of the AEDs are important in effective management of COVID-19 in patients with epilepsy.

Objective Sleep hygiene-related conditions are factors that affect the symptoms experienced by patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, very few studies have investigated the association between sleep hygiene and sleep symptoms, especially in patients with mild or moderate OSA. This study evaluated the relationship between factors related to sleep hygiene and clinical symptoms in patients with mild to moderate OSA. Methods One hundred and seventy-four patients who visited the Sleep Breathing Disorder Center at a tertiary academic center to evaluate suspected OSA were included. All patients underwent standard polysomnography (PSG) and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and questionnaires related to daytime and nighttime symptoms and sleep hygiene. Medical records were reviewed for demographic, clinical, and PSG parameters. Correlation analysis between sleep hygiene-related conditions and clinical symptoms in patients with mild to moderate OSA was performed. Results The correlation analysis between the nine categories of sleep hygiene and the three categories of clinical symptoms showed that, in the case of inadequate temperature and humidity conditions, the three categories of clinical symptoms were more severe (daytime symptoms r = 0.382, nighttime symptoms r = 0.568, ESS score r = 0.321). Drinking alcohol before sleep (daytime symptoms r = 0.457, nighttime symptoms r = 0.649, ESS score r = 0.301) and emotional excitement or arousal (daytime symptoms r = 0.378, nighttime symptoms r = 0.545, ESS score r = 0.341) were correlated with greater severity of each of the clinical symptoms (p Conclusion Among the factors of sleep hygiene-related conditions, inadequate temperature and humidity, drinking alcohol before sleep, and emotional excitement or arousal were associated with symptoms of mild to moderate OSA. This study supports the hypothesis that patients with mild to moderate OSA can experience symptom relief if they are trained to correct lifestyle habits to maintain adequate sleep hygiene-related conditions.

Background and Purpose: Individualized anti-epileptic drug (AED) selection in patient with epilepsy is crucial. However, there is no unified opinion in treating patients with drug resistant epilepsy (DRE). This survey aimed to make a consolidate consensus with epileptologists’ perspectives of the treatment for Korean DRE patients by survey responses.Methods: The survey was conducted with Korean epilepsy experts who have experience prescribing AEDs via e-mail. Survey questionnaires consisted of six items regarding prescription patterns and practical questions in treating patients with DRE in Korea. The research period was from February 2021 to March 2021.Results: The survey response rate was 83.3% (90/108). Most (77.8%) of the responders are neurologists. The proportion of patients whose seizures were not controlled by the second AED was 26.9%. The proportion of patients who had taken five or more AEDs is 13.9%, and those who are currently taking five or more AEDs are 7.3%, of which 54.5% and 37.9% reported positive effects on additional AED, respectively. The majority (91.1%) of respondents answered that the mechanism of action was the top priority factor when adding AED. Regarding data priority, responders considered that expert opinion should have the top priority, followed by clinical experiences, reimbursement guidelines and clinical evidence. Responders gave 64.9 points (range from 0 to 100) about overall satisfaction on reimbursement system of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service for AED.Conclusions: This study on AED therapy for DRE patients is the first nationwide trial in Korean epilepsy experts. In five drug failure, the top priorities on AED selection are mechanism of action and expert opinion. These findings might help to achieve consensus and recognize the insight on optimal therapy of AED in DRE.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the changes in respiratory function and dimensions of the nasomaxillary complex (NMC) and upper airway (UA) compartments after nasomaxillary skeletal expansion (NMSE) treatment for pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Nonobese OSA patients (mean age, 13.6 ± 2.9 years; mean body mass index, 18.1 ± 3.0 kg/m2); mean apnea–hypopnea index (AHI, 7.0 ± 5.4 events/h) presenting with transverse nasomaxillary constriction were evaluated before and after NMSE using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), home sleep test, and modified pediatric sleep questionnaire (m-PSQ). Paired t tests were performed to examine the treatment-related changes in all the parameters, and a multiple regression analysis adjusted for age and sagittal and vertical skeletal patterns was conducted to determine the dimensional parameters to affect the functional improvement. Among 26 patients, NMSE treatment significantly increased NMC dimensions at all tested levels and all UA compartments in CBCT, except glossopharyngeal airway. Concurrently, AHI, oxygen desaturation index, the lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO2), flow limitation (FL), snoring, and m-PSQ were significantly improved. AHI reduction was correlated with UA enlargement with no correlation with NMC expansion, whereas FL reduction was affected by NMC expansion. The minimal cross-sectional area was the most predictive of functional improvement, presenting correlations with AHI, LSaO2, and m-PSQ. NMSE can be a good treatment for pediatric OSA patients when applied to enhance the nasal and pharyngeal airway patencies beyond the NMC, ultimately to improve pharyngeal collapsibility as well as nasal airflow.

Lingual paralysis can result from damage to both upper and lower motor neurons. However, since the hypoglossal nucleus is innervated from both hemispheres simultaneously, unilateral lingual paralysis caused by upper motor neuron has rarely been reported. We report a case which a patient isolated unilateral lingual paralysis due to supranuclear infarction. A 50-year-old right-handed woman was admitted to our hospital due to suddenly developed dysarthria. Her tongue deviated to the right on protrusion without fasciculation or atrophy. A brain MRI showed focal lesion in the left corona radiate and basal ganglia.

ObjectiveTo investigate the frequency distribution of various craniofacial skeletal patterns in a large Korean adult obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) population, and to find a relationship between craniofacial risks and respiratory and sleep characteristics.MethodsA total of 1226 OSA patients (mean age of 44.9±13.3 years) were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. All subjects were evaluated for gender and age using fourteen polysomnographic, five cephalometric, two comorbid variables, and three self-reported indexes. Frequency analysis was used to screen the distribution of main skeletal patterns and subtypes. Intergroup comparisons were performed using independent t-test, chi-square test or analysis of variance. Univariable regression analysis was done to find a relationship between skeletal risks and OSA characteristics.ResultsThe frequency distribution of skeletal patterns was as follows: sagittally 57.2%, 32.3%, and 10.5% of Class II, Class I, and Cass III; vertically 54.0%, 26.7%, and 19.3% of hyperdivergent, normodivergent, and hypodivergent type, respectively. Polysomnographic, symptomatic, and comorbid variables showed no differences among patients with different skeletal patterns. Conversely, skeletal variables showed no differences according to OSA severity. The prevalence of highly risky skeletal pattern of hyperdivergent Class II was more likely to be females (OR 4.52, P < .01) and less obese (OR 3.21, P < .01), irrelevant to OSA and sleep characteristics.ConclusionCharacteristic frequency distributions of skeletal patterns and subtypes were observed in adult OSA patients however, no statistical association was found between the skeletal patterns and OSA characteristics due to the large interindividual variation.

The aim of this study was to examine social anxiety in South Korean adults with epilepsy and to identify associated factors.This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study in South Korea. Social anxiety was assessed using short forms of the Social Phobia Scale (SPS-6) and Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS-6). The SPS-6 scores ≥9 and SIAS-6 scores ≥12 were considered indicative of social phobia and social interaction anxiety, respectively. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); Stigma Scale-Revised (SS-R); Disclosure Management Scale; Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve (F-APGAR) scale; and a questionnaire assessing knowledge about epilepsy were also used.Of a total of 219 patients with epilepsy, 21% and 11% had SPS-6 scores ≥9 and SIAS-6 scores ≥12, respectively. In logistic regression analysis, SPS-6 scores ≥9 were independently associated with SS-R scores of 4-9 (odds ratio [OR]: 8.626, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.515-29.587, p = .001), SS-R scores 1-3 (OR: 5.496, 95% CI: 1.757-17.197, p = .003), and PHQ-9 scores ≥10 (OR: 4.092, 95% CI: 1.823-9.185, p = .001). In contrast, SIAS-6 scores ≥12 were related only to PHQ-9 scores ≥10 (OR: 8.740, 95% CI: 3.237-23.599, p .001). Belonging to a dysfunctional family and lack of knowledge about epilepsy tended to be associated with social phobia (p = .071) and social interaction anxiety (p = .090), respectively. Epilepsy-related variables were not related to social anxiety.Social anxiety is not rare in patients with epilepsy. In this study, social phobia was associated with perceived stigma and depressive symptoms, whereas social interaction anxiety was related only to depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy.

Patients with chronic parathyroid dysfunction often have intracranial calcification in deep gray matter (GM) and subcortical white matter (WM) of their brain. Some of them are also epilepsy patients. Although cortical etiologies are main cause of epileptic seizure, cortical calcification has not been reported in these patients. We report a newly diagnosed focal epilepsy patient whose brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed intracranial calcifications in cortical as well as subcortical areas. Blood lab revealed that he had hypocalcemia due to pseudohypoparathyroidism. Video EEG monitoring revealed the ictal EEG mainly consist of polymorphic delta to theta waves with maximum at right temporal area followed by background attenuation and muscle artifacts. The interictal EEG showed multiple focal spike-wave discharges. After given oral calcium and calcitriol supplement, his calcium and phosphorous level normalized and he remains seizure free. This is the first case to show cortical calcification in a patient with pseudohypoparathyroidism. Cortical calcification could be an important measure of seizure burden in these patients and thus sophisticated imaging protocols should be used to visualize the extent of calcium deposits.

Background and Purpose: Heart rate (HR) change is easily seen in seizures. Tachycardia is frequently seen in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), rather than extra temporal lobe epilepsy (XTLE). We report the difference in the HR pattern between TLE and frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) during peri-ictal period. Methods: The ECG data, collected during EEG monitoring, was used. To compare the HR pattern between FLE and TLE, we investigated the baseline HR, maximum HR, seizure onset to peak HR, HR change, and the time return to baseline. Results: A total of 198 seizures (FLE was 115, TLE was 83) were included in this study. The baseline HR (in TLE, 74.9 ± 17.2 and in FLE, 70.7 ± 11.5 bpm), there was no difference between two groups. But the mean duration of the increased HR was more prolonged in TLE group (93.8 ± 54.9 seconds) than the FLE group(39.0 ± 21.4 seconds) (p < 0.001), the time to peak HR of the TLE group (135.1 ± 19.1 seconds) was higher than FLE group (119.3 ± 19.7 seconds) (p = 0.027), and the HR change of the TLE group (60.0 ± 26.3 bpm) was more prominent than that of the FLE group (22.8 ± 26.2 seconds) (p < 0.001). Furthermore, a longer duration of HR increase was seen in that of the TLE group than FLE group. Conclusions: The HR change of the TLE group was more prominent and prolonged than that of the FLE group. Therefore, the HR change can be a pattern that differentiates TLE from FLE.

Cerebral calcification is a common incidental finding upon brain imaging and its epileptogenicity is often underestimated. Here, we report a case of intractable epilepsy arising in conjunction with a solitary cerebral calcification. A 42-year-old male with intractable epilepsy was admitted to the epilepsy clinic for invasive epilepsy surgery. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a slight high-intensity signal change in the right amygdala and a small, calcified lesion in the right lateral temporal region. The patient underwent invasive monitoring with subdural electrodes. He had five habitual seizures with automatisms and fast activity. These seizures initiated in the right lateral temporal area just above the solitary calcified lesion. Neuropathology of the calcified lesion showed no specific findings apart from a fibrocalcific nodule. Thus, although solitary cerebral calcifications may be an asymptomatic or coincidental finding in some patients, they may also have a highly epileptogenic focus.

Purpose Literature regarding family stigma related to epilepsy is scarce. This study investigated the prevalence of family stigma and depressive symptoms and the associated factors among the family members of patients with epilepsy. Methods In a cross-sectional study, Stigma Scale–Revised score ≥ 4 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥ 10 were considered indicative of moderate-to-severe stigma and depressive symptoms, respectively. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Of the 482 family members, a mean age was 47.1 ± 9.4 years, and 73.4% were female. Of the patients, a mean age was 25.5 ± 16.7 years, and 45.0% were female. Idiopathic generalized epilepsy and focal epilepsy were noted in 22.4% and 65.6% of patients, respectively. Family stigma and depressive symptoms were noted in 10.0% and 11.2% of family members, respectively. Family stigma was significantly associated with high seizure frequency and being a sibling or offspring of a patient independent of their depressive symptoms. By contrast, depressive symptoms in family members were significantly associated with polytherapy, being parents of a patient, and neurological comorbidities independent of family stigma. In a subset of patients and their family, patients had higher proportion of stigma and depressive symptoms than their family. Depressive symptoms and stigma among patients were significantly correlated with those among parents, but not spouse. Conclusion Family stigma is common in families with epilepsy and is closely related to depressive symptoms. Frequent seizures, polytherapy, neurological comorbidities, and the relationship to a patient may be factors that are independently associated with family stigma and depressive symptoms in family members.

Objectives Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience sympathetic hyperactivation during sleep, which is associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors. However, the difference in cardiac autonomic activity in OSA patients according to position dependency has not been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the differences between positional OSA (pOSA) and nonpositional OSA (npOSA) using heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. Methods This was a single-center cross-sectional study. Twenty-eight patients with npOSA and 28 age-, sex-, and AHI-matched patients with pOSA underwent standard polysomnography. A five-minute R-R interval from stable waking conditions before bedtime was collected from each subject and analyzed for HRV. Results Patients with pOSA had lower body-mass index (BMI, 25.8 ± 2.9 vs 28.9 ± 3.7 kg/m2, p = 0.001), shorter apnea duration (24.1 ± 7.1 vs 30.3 ± 12.7 s, p = 0.028) and higher minimum oxygen saturation (78.2 ± 7.1 vs 71.5 ± 11.4%, p = 0.011) than those with npOSA. HRV analysis showed higher parasympathetic activity in pOSA patients than in npOSA patients, including a higher square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD, 31.3 ± 29.0 vs 18.6 ± 9.2, p = 0.032), percentage of pairs of adjacent NN intervals that differ by more than 50 ms (pNN50%, 10.7 ± 17.1 vs 3.3 ± 6.5, p = 0.024), and high-frequency (HF) power (534.7 ± 986.8 vs 146.7 ± 150.5, p = 0.026). The group difference was insignificant after adjusting for age and BMI. The log-transformed supine/nonsupine AHI ratio was the sole independent predictor of HRV parameters. Conclusion The waking HRV was higher in pOSA patients than in npOSA patients due to the lower BMI of pOSA patients. The difference was especially apparent in parasympathetic indices. Higher parasympathetic activity in pOSA may suggest a lower risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Somatosensory reflex epilepsy is induced by repetitive cutaneous contact of a circumscribed body area with a tight time-lock between somatosensory stimulation and seizure. We describe the case of a 27-year-old man with seizures induced by repetitive tapping on the sole of the right foot. Simultaneous video-EEG monitoring and surface electromyography was performed during a seizure triggered by repetitive tapping on the right sole aspect using a hammer. Stimulation produced a tingling sensation on the right sole that extended to the right lower leg. This was followed by motor Jacksonian march of the right leg. [Published with video sequence on www.epilepticdisorders.com].

Background and purpose Long-term videoelectroencephalogram (video-EEG) monitoring is performed to diagnose an epileptic seizure and to investigate the differential diagnosis of paroxysmal events. To provoke an epileptic seizure, an exercise method is performed in some cases during long-term video-EEG recording in the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU). The purpose of this study was two-fold: to assess the frequency and severity of adverse events associated with the use of an exercise bicycle and to find a way to safely use it in the EMU. Methods A retrospective survey was performed on all epileptic seizure videos recorded in the EMU from January 2012 to December 2013. Three hundred and fifty patients were included in this study. Results Eleven patients experienced an epileptic seizure while riding the exercise bicycle in the EMU. One patient's foot got stuck between the cycling pedal and its strap, and one patient fell off the exercise bicycle during the epileptic seizure. However, there were no serious adverse events over two years. Conclusion Epileptic seizures were not frequent while riding the exercise bicycle, and serious injuries did not occur. But, there is a need to improve the safety in the EMU to control the potentially dangerous factors associated with the use of the exercise bicycle and to continuously monitor the patients with help from the staff.

Epilepsia partialis continua is a rare epileptic syndrome observed in patients with brain structural lesions and metabolic disorders. We report a patient with non-ketotic hyperglycaemia presenting as epilepsia partialis continua with reversible focal brain lesions. An 83-year-old woman visited our hospital due to sudden and repetitive left facial twitching lasting for two days. Initial laboratory data revealed serum glucose, osmolality, and sodium levels of 631 mg/dl, 310 mOsm/l, and 130 mEq/l, respectively. EEG was normal. Brain MRI showed low signal changes in the right frontal subcortical area and high signal changes in the surrounding right frontal cortical areas on T2-weighted, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, and diffusion-weighted images. No seizures recurred after correcting blood glucose levels, hydrating the patient, and infusing valproate (900 mg/day). Follow-up MRI, six months later, showed complete resolution of the signal changes in the right frontal cortical and subcortical areas and no clinical seizures. When considering non-ketotic hyperglycaemia with epilepsia partialis continua in an elderly patient, early diagnosis and administration of the appropriate therapy is very important in order to decrease morbidity.

We investigated the frequency and clinical significance of diagonal earlobe crease (DELC) in cognitively impaired patients using imaging biomarkers, such as white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on MRI and amyloid-β (Aβ) PET. A total of 471 cognitively impaired patients and 243 cognitively normal (CN) individuals were included in this study. Compared with CN individuals, cognitively impaired patients had a greater frequency of DELC (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.2, P = 0.007). This relationship was more prominent in patients with dementia (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2–2.7, P = 0.002) and subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.6–3.6, P P

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in stigma, disclosure management of epilepsy, and knowledge about epilepsy between patients with epilepsy who recognized and did not recognize the new Korean term for epilepsy. Methods This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study. The Stigma Scale-Revised, the Disclosure Management Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and a questionnaire assessing knowledge about epilepsy were used. The set of questionnaires had two versions, using either the old or new name for epilepsy. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. Results A total of 341 patients with epilepsy and 509 family members were recruited. Approximately 62% of patients felt some degree of epilepsy-related stigma. Mild stigma, severe concealment of epilepsy diagnosis, and increased knowledge about epilepsy were independently identified as factors associated with recognition of the new term in patients. Recognition of the new term was more prevalent in patients and family members with higher education, female family members, and family members having patients with younger age at seizure onset and shorter duration of epilepsy. There were no significant differences between the two types of questionnaires. About 81% of patients and 93% of family members had a positive attitude about renaming epilepsy. Conclusion The use of the new Korean term for epilepsy (cerebroelectric disorder) increased knowledge about epilepsy but did not reduce stigma and concealment of epilepsy diagnosis in Korean adults with epilepsy. Higher education may be an important factor for knowing the new term in patients and family members.

Mirror focus is one of the evidence of progression in epilepsy, and also has practical points for curative resective epilepsy surgery. The mirror foci are related to the kindling phenomena that occur through interhemispheric callosal or commissural connections. A mirror focus means the secondary epileptogenic foci develop in the contralateral hemispheric homotopic area. Thus mirror foci are mostly reported in patients with temporal or frontal lobe epilepsy, but not in occipital lobe epilepsy. We have observed occipital lobe epilepsy with mirror focus. Before epilepsy surgery, the subject’s seizure onset zone was observed in the left occipital area by ictal studies. Her seizures abated for 10 months after the resection of left occipital epileptogenic focus, but recurred then. The recurred seizures were originated from the right occipital area which was in the homotopic contralateral area. This case can be an evidence that occipital lobe epilepsy may have mirror foci, even though each occipital lobe has any direct interhemispheric callosal connections between them.

Summary Purpose Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may cause adverse effects on bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD). The aim of this study is to determine the effect of oxcarbazepine (OXC) monotherapy on biochemical markers of bone metabolism and BMD in epilepsy patients. Methods Forty-one new onset drug naive epilepsy patients were recruited (19 females, 22 males; mean age: 28.2±8.4 years). We measured biochemical markers of bone metabolism (serum calcium, phosphate, bone alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, osteocalcin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, C-telopeptide, Vitamin D3 levels) and BMD by DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) method in all patients before and after a long-term OXC monotherapy. Results Most of biochemical markers were not changed significantly, but serum calcium ( p =0.0087) and bone specific ALP was reduced ( p =0.0499) significantly after OXC monotherapy in epilepsy patients. BMD at the lumbar spine (L2 to L4) was significantly increased after OXC monotherapy ( p =0.0001), revealed by repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni's correction of confounders including sex, age, average dose, and treatment duration. However, BMD at the lumbar spine (L2 to L4) was significantly increased ( p =0.012) only in female patients in each gender analysis. Conclusions This study demonstrates that a long-term OXC monotherapy does not appear to have harmful effect on bone health in drug naive epilepsy patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To investigate the structural changes in patients with chronic primary insomnia and the relationships with clinical features of insomnia. DESIGN Statistical parametric mapping 8-based voxel-based morphometry was used to identify differences in regional gray and white matter between patients with chronic primary insomnia and normal controls. SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS Twenty-seven patients and 27 age/sex-matched controls. INTERVENTIONS Regional differences were compared using two-sample t-tests with age, sex, and intracranial volume as covariates. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The patients were a mean age of 52.3 y and had a mean history of insomnia of 7.6 y. Patients displayed cognitive deficits in attention, frontal/executive function, and nonverbal memory. Patients also displayed significantly reduced gray matter concentrations (GMCs) in dorsolateral prefrontal and pericentral cortices, superior temporal gyrus, and cerebellum and decreased gray matter volumes in medial frontal and middle temporal gyri compared with control patients with the cluster threshold ≥ 50 voxels at the level of uncorrected P < 0.001. Negative correlations were found between GMC of the prefrontal cortex and insomnia severity and the wakefulness after sleep onset, and between GMC of pericentral cortex and sleep latencies. None of the findings continued to be significant after correction for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS We found gray matter deficits in multiple brain regions including bilateral frontal lobes in patients with psychophysiologic insomnia. Gray matter deficit of the pericentral and lateral temporal areas may be associated with the difficulties in sleep initiation and maintenance. It is still unclear whether gray matter reductions are a preexisting abnormality or a consequence of insomnia. CITATION Joo EY; Noh HJ; Kim JS; Koo DL; Kim D; Hwang KJ; Kim JY; Kim ST; Kim MR; Hong SB. Brain gray matter deficits in patients with chronic primary insomnia. SLEEP 2013;36(7):999-1007.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is the most common neurocutaneous disease. Main neurologic manifestations are represented by neoplasms such as optic gliomas, but epilepsy can occur by CNS lesions in less than 10%. Our patient was diagnosed, based on café-au-lait spots and axillary freckles. Her brain MRI did not show only multiple CNS lesions, like hamartomas, but also mesial temporal lesions. On brain-MRI the mesial temporal lesions had increased high signal intensities and suspiciously increased volume. Moreover scalp lesions could be confirmed by thin-slice, fat suppression, enhanced lesions on skin and subcutaneous areas, indicating neurofibromas. The seizure onset zone was confirmed by presurgical evaluation including electrophysiology and neuroimaging. Her seizures were refractory to multiple antiepileptic drugs, but became free after anteromesial temporal resection. We report a patient with the NF1 in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy surgery was also effective in this case.

Objectives Primary restless leg syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) frequently co-exist, obscuring the boundaries between the two conditions. In such instances, a study of secondary cases with focal lesions such as post-stroke RLS and PLMS (psRLS and psPLMS, respectively) can be helpful in identifying characteristics of the individual conditions. Materials and Methods Patients who had suffered strokes and who subsequently developed psRLS or psPLMS were recruited. To determine the overall features of psRLS/PLMS, historical cases were selected from the literature. All cases with either psRLS or psPLMS alone were further analyzed to elucidate the distinctive pathomechanisms of the two conditions. Results Six patients with either psRLS or psPLMS were recruited from our hospital; two patients had both conditions contemporaneously. The literature contains details on 30 cases of psRLS or psPLMS. The causative lesion was most frequently located in the pons. We found that psRLS was more often bilateral, and usually detected later in time. Lesions in both the pontine base and tegmentum (together) were associated with unilateral psPLMS, whereas lesions in the corona radiata and adjacent basal ganglia were associated with bilateral RLS. Lesions confined to the corona radiata resulted in either unilateral or bilateral RLS. Conclusions The observed differences in the clinical and radiological features of psRLS and psPLMS suggest that the pathophysiologies of the two conditions are distinct. Further research is needed to understand the pathophysiologies of primary RLS and PLMS.

The electrochemical oxidation of phenol was studied using a Ti/PbO2 electrode prepared by the electrodeposition method with PbO2 coated on Ti. The structural and morphological activity of Ti/PbO2 was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and intermediates formed after degradation of phenol were quantitatively assessed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Optimization of various parameters such as current density, initial phenol concentration, initial solution pH, and different temperature and dose of Fe2+ on electrochemical degradation of phenol using Ti/PbO2 were investigated. Complete removal of phenol (250 mgL−1) was observed at 50°C, potential difference (5 V), and at pH 2. Experimental results showed that the phenol removal rate increased with increasing current intensity along with significant reduction in total organic carbon (TOC). Fundamental kinetic data obtained for the degradation of phenol by Ti/PbO2 was found to follow in accordance wi...

Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a surrogate marker for evaluating atherosclerotic vascular diseases. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor cilostazol attenuates the increase in carotid IMT in diabetes patients. We studied whether cilostazol can reduce the progression of carotid IMT in symptomatic ischemic stroke patients. From our prospective registry of acute ischemic stroke patients who were admitted during a 4.5-year period, follow-up carotid ultrasound was performed in a random sample of survivors. Patients were divided into two groups: the cilostazol group, who continued cilostazol treatment during the follow-up period; and the control group, who were prescribed antiplatelets other than cilostazol. Analysis of covariance and propensity score-matched analysis were used to evaluate the difference between groups. Among a total of 1,049 cases in our registry, 208 patients were utilized to construct two comparable sets by propensity score analysis, including 101 who received cilostazol and 107 who took antiplatelet medication without cilostazol. Both maximum and mean carotid IMT values were significantly reduced in the cilostazol group but increased in the control group (maximum left –0.048 ± 0.186 vs. 0.022 ± 0.163 mm, p = 0.001; maximum right –0.037 ± 0.173 vs. 0.050 ± 0.200 mm, p = 0.001; mean left –0.052 ± 0.102 vs. 0.023 ± 0.112 mm, p

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an essential tool for determining the underlying cause of status epilepticus and can exhibit a variety of unpredictable findings. A 28-year-old woman presented with status epilepticus of unknown etiology. She had been recovered from status epilepticus twenty days later, but afterwards developed transient postural instability and cognitive impairment. Initial MRI showed no abnormalities. Follow-up MRI after cessation of status epilepticus demonstrated hyper-intensities lesions in the right claustrum and bilateral external capsular areas on T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery images. As the external capsule is a route for cholinergic and corticostriatal fibers, cognitive dysfunction and postural instability might be related to these fibers.

Received December 14, 2011 Revised December 24, 2011 Accepted December 26, 2011 Address for correspondence Won Chul Shin, MD Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 892 Dongnam-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul 134-727, Korea Tel: +82-2-440-6166 Fax: +82-2-440-7243 E-mail: shinwc@khu.ac.kr Exploding head syndrome is a rare nocturnal disorder that the patient experiences a loud sound. The events occur usually during a period of drowsiness preceding sleep. The polysomnography studies in exploding head syndrome are very rare. We report a case of exploding head syndrome that a total of 8 typical episodes were recorded in polysomnography. A 51 years old female was admitted due to nocturnal loud sound from 2 month ago. There was no headache and no history of sleep problems. During the polysomnography, the events recorded 8 times, 6 of the events occurred during waking time prior to sleep onset, 2 developed in N1 sleep. In our case, the events appear to arise from early drowsiness with predominant alpha rhythm, with interspersed theta activity. J Korean Sleep Res Soc 2011;8:45-47

Hemichorea-hemiballism (HCHB) was infrequently related to cortical lesions such as tumor or infarction. Although functional derangement of the basal ganglia (BG) or the thalamus (Th) was suggested, pathomechanism of HCHB secondary to cortical lesions remains uncertain. We recruited the patients with HCHB secondary to cerebrovascular diseases, excluding other causes such as hyperglycemia. All the patients were studied with brain magnetic resonance imaging/angiography (MRI/MRA) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Those with only cortical abnormalities in neuroimaging studies were sorted out as the cases of cortical HCHB. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis of SPECT was performed to investigate the pathomechanism of cortical HCHB. Ten patients (three males and seven females) were included in our study. Six patients had acute BG lesions with SPECT abnormalities, and one had old BG lesions with abnormal SPECT. Three patients were classified as cortical HCHB with lesions only in the frontal and parietal cortices in MRI and SPECT. SPM analysis revealed additional hypoperfusion in frontal areas, leaving BG and Th free of any perfusion abnormalities. Although cortical HCHB was strictly defined by MRI and SPECT, cortical HCHB was not uncommon (30 %). Further analysis showed intertwined networks among the frontal and parietal lobes for cortical HCHB. Cortical dysfunction is important in the pathogenesis of cortical HCHB even without significant involvement of BG and Th.

Background and Purpose: We evaluated the long-term outcome of patients with refractory epilepsy who were treated with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Methods: This investigation is designed as an uncontrolled, open-label, retrospective and long-term study. From June 1999 to October 2009, 20 patients were suitable for inclusion criteria: 4-year follow-up and documented seizure frequency before and after implantation. Seizure frequency was collected by clinical recording and interview. Primary outcome measures were the reduction in mean seizure frequency and responder rate (seizure frequency reduction of >50%). Results: In 20 patients (M:F=16:4), mean age at the time of implantation was 22.3 years (range 8–44) and mean disease duration was 13.9 years (range 1–37). Mean maximum stimulation output current was 1.90 mA (range 0.25–3.5). Overall mean seizure frequency reduction rate was 61.8% at 4 year follow-up comparison with baseline (p 50% seizure frequency reduction) of yearly follow-up were 40 % at 1 yr, 50% at 2 yrs, 45% at 3 yrs, and 60% at 4 yrs. There was no difference of stimulation parameter between the responders and non-responders. Conclusions: Long-term outcome of VNS suggests that VNS is an effective treatment option that can be alternative to surgery in patients with refractory epilepsy.

Background and Purpose There has been no nationwide population-based study of the prevalence of self-perceived snoring/apnea in Korean adolescents. The purpose of this study was to estimate prevalence of self-perceived snoring/apnea in Korean high-school students and to evaluate their association with daytime sleepiness. Methods An online survey was used to investigate 12,672 students at 75 high schools across the 15 nationwide districts of South Korea. The variables were obtained using a self-reported questionnaire. The students answered questions about self-perceived snoring/apnea during the past 30 days. Daytime sleepiness was measured using a validated Korean version of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, which was modified for adolescents. Covariates were the sex, school grade, frequency of self-perceived snoring/apnea, body mass index, sleep duration during a school day, and subjective perception of sleep duration. Results The prevalence of self-perceived snoring/apnea was 22.8% (26.4% for males vs. 18.8% for females, p

Aims: To estimate the effect of levetiracetam (LEV) on cognitive function and mood status in newly diagnosed epilepsy patients. Methods: Fifty-five drug-naïve epilepsy patients (M:F ratio = 31:24; mean age = 30.9 years) were included. All patients underwent two neuropsychological (NP) tests, one before receiving LEV and then another 12.9 ± 5.0 months after starting LEV monotherapy. We evaluated general cognitive function, verbal/visual attention and memory, linguistic and visuospatial functions, frontal lobe function, and mood status. Repeated-measures regression and generalized estimating equation models were applied to assess the effects of all the confounding variables such as seizure control, average LEV dose, duration of epilepsy, inter-test interval, and subtype of epilepsy syndrome. Results: LEV monotherapy over 1 year revealed significant improvements in the following domains of NP tests with the correction of possible confounding variables: verbal and visual attention, psychomotor speed, mental flexibility, executive function, verbal fluency and word generation. No NP domains showed any significant decrease. Conclusion: Our study suggested that LEV monotherapy had no harmful effect on cognitive function in drug-naïve patients with epilepsy.

We report a case of multiple cerebral infarctions as the first symptom of hypereosinophilia with Clonorchis sinensis infestation. The patient showed hypereosinophilia and elevated cardiac enzyme, and the egg test of C. sinensis was positive. CT scans of the chest and the abdomen revealed eosinophilic infiltration in both lung and liver. Over a period of six weeks after praziquantel medication, he recovered. C. sinensis infestation which is endemic in East Asian countries should be considered as a cause of multiple microembolic stroke associated with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome.

Few studies have examined white matter hyperintensities (WMH) along the cognitive continuum between single-domain amnestic mild cognitive impairment (sd-aMCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aims of our study were to explore relationships between the extent and location of WMH and disease severity along the cognitive continuum and to determine whether differences in the distribution of WMH could be predictive of specific patterns of cognitive impairment. We compared cognitive function, vascular risk factors, and regional (frontal lobe, parieto-occipital [PO] lobe, temporal lobe, periventricular [PV] white matter and deep white matter) WMH volume in 37 patients with mild AD, 23 patients with sd-aMCI, and 24 age-matched and education-matched normal controls. A quantitative volumetric method was applied to measure WMH burden. Total and regional WMH burdens, except for those in the temporal lobe, were significantly correlated with age (p

In this paper, new design AFPN (active fountain pen nanolithography) uses open and close control. Reservoir upper tip is designed. We analyze load of flux and atmospheric pressure from opened part of reservoir. When tip is contacted on surface, flux is outpoured by tip's repulsive force. We present analysis that control flux according to force that gives pressure to tip.

【Hemangioblastomas are angioblastic tumors of the central nervous system. Cerebellar hemangioblastomas are traditionally classified into two morphologic types-cystic and solid. Cystic hemangioblastomas are associated with peritumoral edema, but solid hemangioblastomas are not. We report a case of solid cerebellar hemangioblastoma with massive peritumoral edema. An 83-year-old female visited our hospital due to a sudden headache. Five years ago, she had been admitted to our hospital with similar headache and diagnosed with cerebellar hemangioblastoma. Follow-up brain MRI 5 years later showed an increased size of a homogeneous enhancing mass with aggravated peritumoral edema in the left lower cerebellar hemisphere. Cerebral angiography showed a highly vascularized mass in the cerebellum, which was compatible with a solid-type hemangioblastoma.】

Introduction Artificial lighting has benefited society by extending the length of a productive day, but it can be ”light pollution” when it becomes excessive. Unnecessary exposure to artificial light at night can cause myopia, obesity, metabolic disorders and even some type of cancers. Materials and methods We recruited 10 subjects (4 females, mean age 27) who are good sleepers and have no history of any major health problems. They underwent two fullnight polysomnographic (PSG) and electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings with one month interval, once with bedside light off and again with light on. Sleep staging was performed and PSG variables were obtained for two conditions. Spectral analysis was performed on EEG recordings and spectral power of functional frequency bands was calculated. Analysis and comparison was also performed on slow waves and sleep spindles. Results Eight participants reported subjective discomfort when they woke up after light on condition. Comparison between PSG variables showed that sleep with light on was associated with increased stage N1, decreased slow wave sleep, and increased arousal index ( p p Conclusion Our study reports that sleeping with light on not only causes change in sleep quality during sleeping, but also has persistent effect on brain oscillations. Change in slow wave and spindle activities during NREM sleep, both hallmarks of deep sleep, and theta in REM sleep provides electrophysiological evidence that bedside light can disturb the quality of sleep. Current study provides additional hazardous effect of light at night on health and sleep quality.

Background and purpose The aims of this study were to elucidate the cognitive functions of narcoleptics and determine whether intelligence protects against cognitive dysfunction and depressive mood in these patients. Methods Sixty-six subjects (33 narcoleptics, 33 controls) were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests and an individual standardized intelligence test. The cognitive functions of the narcoleptic patients and the healthy controls were compared, as were those of high-IQ and mid-to-low-IQ narcoleptic patients. Results Narcoleptics exhibited significantly lower scores in the Corsi Block-Tapping Test forward and backward, and the digit symbol tests, and significantly higher Beck Depression Inventory scores than the controls. However, verbal attention, verbal-visual long-term memory, and executive function task scores did not differ significantly between patients and controls. The mid-to-low-IQ patient group had lower mean digit span backward test, phonemic and semantic fluency Controlled Oral Word Association Test and Korean version of the Boston Naming Test scores, and a higher total score and general depressive symptoms subscales Beck Depression Inventory score than the high-IQ patient group. However, controls exhibited no IQ-related differences in cognitive performance or depressive mood. Patients in the high-IQ group exhibited impaired visual attention and working memory as compared with controls. Conclusions The findings of the present study show that narcolepsy patients have deficits in visual attention and visual working memory, and tend to feel more general depressive symptoms but not somatic symptoms than their control, nonnarcoleptic counterparts. In addition, it appears that higher intelligence protects against cognitive dysfunction and depressive mood.