• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.347-366
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• 2012

The aim of this new statement is to provide comprehensive and timely evidence-based recommendations on stroke management for clinical practitioners. Many countries are already well engaged in developing and releasing their own clinical practice guidelines, whereas Korean Medicine (KM) is still beginning. It will take time and effort to develop evidence-based guidelines and recommendations of KM or other traditional medicine because they are weak in the area of scientific evidence. The clinical practice guideline of Korean medicine for stroke was formulated through extensive review of published literature and consensus meeting of Korean medicine specialists. This project was supported by a grant of the Oriental Medicine R&D Project, the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Referring to guidelines developed in other countries, the experts in the subject tried to organize and develop guidelines and recommendations adequate for domestic medical circumstances. In December, 2008, a multi-disciplinary team called the Evidence Based Clinical Practice Guidelines Development Group (EBCPGsDG) for Stroke was organized. The writing committee was comprised of experts in internal medicine, acupuncture, rehabilitation, and Sasang constitution. Outside specialists and associated panels were invited for consultation. The scope of the guideline encompasses acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medicine (including Korean medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Kampo medicine) as interventions for stroke patients. It includes statements about ischemic stroke (I63), stroke not specified as hemorrhage or infarction (I64), and sequelae of cerebrovascular disease (I69) according to the International Classification of Disease (ICD). The committee subdivided the description of herbal medications into acute stroke management, subacute stroke management, post-stroke management, and secondary prevention of stroke. Guidelines on the practice of acupuncture and moxibustion were described in order for acute stroke management, subacute stroke management, chronic stroke management, and post-stroke rehabilitation. Clinicians who are working in the field of stroke care can adopt this guideline for their practice.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.64-71
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• 2012

Background: It is generally accepted that upper motor neuron (UMN) lesion can alter lower motor neuron (LMN) function by the plasticity of neural circuit. However there have been only few researches regarding the axonal excitability of LMN after UMN injury especially during the acute stage. The aim of this study was to investigate the nerve excitability properties of the LMNs following an acute to subacute supratentorial corticospinal tract lesion. Methods: An automated nerve excitability test (NET) using the threshold tracking technique was utilized to measure multiple excitability indices in median motor axons of 15 stroke patients and 20 controls. Testing of both paretic and non-paretic side was repeated twice, during the acute stage and subacute stage. The protocols calculated the strength-duration time constant from the duration-charge curve, parameters of threshold electrotonus (TE), the current-threshold relationship from sequential sub-threshold current, and the recovery cycle from sequential supra-threshold stimulation. Results: On the paretic side, compared with the control group, significant decline of superexcitablity and increase in the relative refractory period were observed during the subacute stage of stroke. Additionally, despite the absence of statistical significance, a mildly collapsing in ('fanning in') of the TE was found. Conclusions: Our results suggest that supratentorial brain lesions can affect peripheral axonal excitability even during the early stage. The NET pattern probably suggests background membrane depolarization of LMNs. These features could be associated with trans-synaptic regulation of UMNs to LMNs as one of the "neural plasticity" mechanisms in acute brain injury.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1631-1636
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was done to investigate the influence of social risk factors on each stroke type. We recruited at the Stroke Medical Center in Daejeon University Oriental Medical Hospital from July 2005 to March 2007 for this study. We divided 217 patients with acute stroke within 2 weeks as the case group(Cases), 146 people without major risk factor as the healthy control group(Normals), and 160 people as the general control group(Controls). We analyzed general characteristics such as age, sex, with or without spouse, education periods, religion, psychologic stress, and the odds ratio of each social risk factors by multivariate logistic analysis. As a result of reviewing the influence of social risk factors upon each stroke type, without spouse may be risk factor of ischemic stroke, and the undereducated may be risk factor of hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. But religion and psychologic stress had no significant relation with stroke.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.470-476
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• 2020

Objective : The objective of this study was to develop a score to predict patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who will not benefit from endovascular treatment (EVT) using computed tomographic angiography (CTA) parameters. Methods : The CTA-ABC score was developed from 3 scales previously described in the literature: the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (0-5 points, 3; 6-10 points, 0), the clot burden score (0-3 points, 1; 4-10 points, 0), and the leptomeningeal Collateral score (0-1 points, 2; 2-3 points, 0). We evaluated the predictive value of CTA parameters associated with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) or malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMCAI) after EVT and developed the score using logistic regression coefficients. The score was then validated. Performance of the score was tested with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC). Results : The derivation cohort consisted of 115 and the validation cohort consisted of 40 AIS patients. The AUC-ROC was 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-0.99; p<0.001) in the derivation cohort. The proportions of patients with sICH and/or MMCAI in the derivation cohort were 96%, 73%, 6%, and 0% for scores of 6, 5, 1, and 0 points, respectively. In the validation group, the proportions were similar (90%, 100%, 0%, and 0%, respectively) with an AUC-ROC of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.90-1.00; p<0.001). Conclusion : Our CTA-ABC score reliably assessed risk for sICH and/or MMCAI in patients with AIS who underwent EVT. It can support clinical decision-making, especially when the need for EVT is uncertain.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.75-79
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• 2005

Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) have been known to useful in documenting abnormality in patients with various vestibular disorders but the studies of VEMP in stroke patients are rare. We recorded VEMP in 17 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke in the brainstem lesions. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging and we compare VEMP results with the lesion documented by brain imaging. VEMP were defined to be abnormal when they were very asymmetrical (one is 2 times of more as large as the other), or absent in one side. VEMP abnormalities were found in 71%(12/17) of acute infarction patients with brainstem lesions. Most abnormalities found in the ipsilateral side of the lesion(9/12) but abnormalities in contralateral side of lesion were found in 25%(3/12) of patients.VEMP would be considered a useful complementary neurophysiological tool for the evaluation of brainstem dysfunction in acute stroke patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.627-634
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• 2017

Objective : Few studies have reported the outcome of mechanical thrombectomy with Solitaire stent retrival (MTSR) in subtypes of acute ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and result of MTSR in acute cardioembolic stroke. Methods : Twenty consecutive patients with acute cardioembolic stroke were treated by MTSR. The angiographic outcome was assessed by thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grade. TICI grade 2a, 2b, or 3 with a measurable thrombus that was retrieved was considered as a success when MTSR was performed in the site of primary vessel occlusion, and TICI grade 2b or 3 was considered as a success when final result was reported. Clinical and radiological results were compared between two groups divided on the basis of final results of MTSR. Persistent thrombus compression sign on angiogram was defined as a stenotic, tapered arterial lumen whenever temporary stenting was performed. The clinical outcomes were assessed by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months. Results : The failure rate of MTSR was 20% (4/20) and other modalities, such as permanent stenting, were needed. Final successful recanalization (TICI grade 2b or 3) was 80% when other treatments were included. The rate of good outcome ($mRS{\leq}2$) was 35% at the 3-month follow-up. Failure of MTSR was significantly correlated with persistent thrombus compression sign (p=0.001). Conclusion : Some cases of cardioembolic stroke are resistant to MTSR and may need other treatment modalities. Careful interpretation of angiogram may be helpful to the decision.

• Journal of the Korean neurological association
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.337-340
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• 2018

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can result in ischemic stroke via several mechanisms, including opportunistic infection, vasculopathy, cardioembolism, and coagulopathy. HIV-vasculopathy is related to endothelial dysfunction, stenosis and aneurysm formation, infectious vasculitis, dissection and accelerated atherosclerosis during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We represent a case of HIV infection manifested as an acute ischemic stroke attack. After 4 months during HAART, our patient experienced a recurrent ischemic stroke with progression of middle cerebral artery stenosis.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2002

Purpose : We investigated the predictive values of relative CBV measured with perfusion MR imaging, and relative CBF measured with SPECT for tissue outcome in acute ischemic stroke. Material and Methods : Thirteen patients, who had acute unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion, underwent perfusion MR imaging, and $^{99m}Tc-HMPAO$ SPECT within 6 hours after the onset of symptoms. Lesion-to-contralateral ratios of perfusion parameters were measured, and best cut-off values of both parameter ratios with their accuracy to discriminate between regions with and without evolving infarction were calculated. Results : Mean relative CBV ratios in regions with evolving infarction and without evolving infarction were $0.58{\pm}0.27$ and $0.9{\pm}0.17$ (p < 0.001), and mean relative CBF ratios in those regions were $0.41{\pm}0.22$ and $0.71{\pm}0.14$ (p < 0.001). The best cutoff values to discriminate between regions with and without evolving infarction were estimated to be 0.80 for relative CBV ratio and 0.56 for relative CBF ratio. The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency of each cutoff value were 80.6, 87.5, 82.7% for relative CBV ratio, and 72.2, 75.0, 73.0% for relative CBF ratio (p > 0.05 between two parameters). Conclusion Measurement of relative CBV and relative CBE may be useful in predicting tissue outcome in acute ischemic stroke.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.145-153
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• 2023

Objectives: Although it is difficult to define the quality of stroke care, acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with moderate-to-severe neurological deficits may benefit from thrombectomy-capable hospitals (TCHs) that have a stroke unit, stroke specialists, and a substantial endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) case volume. Methods: From national audit data collected between 2013 and 2016, potential EVT candidates arriving within 24 hours with a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥6 were identified. Hospitals were classified as TCHs (≥15 EVT case/y, stroke unit, and stroke specialists), primary stroke hospitals (PSHs) without EVT (PSHs-without-EVT, 0 case/y), and PSHs-with-EVT. Thirty-day and 1-year case-fatality rates (CFRs) were analyzed using random intercept multilevel logistic regression. Results: Out of 35 004 AIS patients, 7954 (22.7%) EVT candidates were included in this study. The average 30-day CFR was 16.3% in PSHs-without-EVT, 14.8% in PSHs-with-EVT, and 11.0% in TCHs. The average 1-year CFR was 37.5% in PSHs-without-EVT, 31.3% in PSHs-with-EVT, and 26.2% in TCHs. In TCHs, a significant reduction was not found in the 30-day CFR (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 1.12), but was found in the 1-year CFR (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.96). Conclusions: The 1-year CFR was significantly reduced when EVT candidates were treated at TCHs. TCHs are not defined based solely on the number of EVTs, but also based on the presence of a stroke unit and stroke specialists. This supports the need for TCH certification in Korea and suggests that annual EVT case volume could be used to qualify TCHs.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.119-133
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• 2002

Objectives : This study was designed to investigate significant differences between the first attack and reattack groups to form fundamental data for decreasing recurrence and secondary prevention of stroke. Methods : I studied 204 patients admitted within 7 days of onset, after the diagnosis of stroke, in the Oriental Medical Hospital of Dongeui University from February to July in 2001.compared the reattack group with the first attack group for risk factors, clinical symptoms and progress, average mark and degree of improvement in Activity Index. Results : 1. Meaningful risk factors associated with the reattack group were male sex, a past history of hypertension and transient ischemic attack, and a family history of stroke. 2. The reattack group had conscious or cognitive disorder in early stage of onset, dysphagia, constipation, urinary incontinence, visual field defect in acute stage, high blood pressure and tachycardia in abnormalvital sign in acute stage, neuropsychosis, shoulder pain and rigidity, and pneumonia in complications more than the first attack group. 3. In Activity Index, the average mark of reattack group was lower than that of the first stroke group and improvement of the reattack group was delayed compared with the first attack group. Conclusions : The reattack group had more severe symptoms and clinical progress than the first attack group.