• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.246-258
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• 2024

This case report describes a patient diagnosed with central post-stroke pain (CPSP) and hemiparesis due to anterior cerebral artery and middle cerebral artery infarction. The patient was treated with Korean medicines, including moxibustion, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, herbal medicine, Western medicine, and rehabilitation therapy for 67 days. CPSP improved based on scores on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) (from 8 to 0), paresthesia NRS (7 to 0), Manual Muscle Test (4/1 to 4+/4-),4+/4-), Korean version of the modified Barthel Index (24 to 73), National Institute of Health's Stroke Scale (7 to 0), Global Deterioration Scale (1 to 1), and Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (27 to 29). No seizures, shocks, recurrent ischemic stroke, and liver dysfunction were recorded during the treatment. A moxibustion-induced burn healed within 7 days. This case suggests that moxibustion, combined with other treatments, has the potential to improve CPSP, without severe side effects.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.440-450
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• 2004

Objectives: Uwhangchungsim-won(UC) has been used in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions including stroke, hypertension, arterosclerosis, autonomic imbalance, and mental instability, in Korean traditional hospitals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of DC on cerebral hemodynamics and to determine the appropriate dosage. Methods: We studied changes in hyperventilation-induced cerebrovascular reactivity and mean blood flow velocity of the middle cerebral arteries(MCAs) were studied by means of transcranial Doppler ultrasound. Changes in mean blood pressure, pulse rate and expiratory CO2(PECO2) were observed using Cardiocap TM/5. Six healthy young volunteers who were administrated with full doses of DC for group A, and half doses for group B. Six other healthy subjects comprised the control group. The evaluation was performed during basal condition, and repeated at 20, 40, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after administration. Results: Increases of cerebrovascular reactivity and mean blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery in group A were significantly different compared with group B and the control group (p<0.1). Mean blood pressure, pulse rate and expiratory CO2 did not change during the observation and were not different among these three groups. We observed that in cerebrovascular reactivity induced hyperventilation, group A was most effective at 40 minutes after administration, and its effectiveness lasted for 120 minutes. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for UC, in full doses, as an agent for dilation of the cerebral arteriols to increase hyperventilation-induced cerebrovascular reactivity as a consequence of faster recovery of blood flow velocity.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.428-437
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• 2013

Objectives : The aim of this study was to examine if there is a significant correlation between the changes of Fire- and Heat- related symptoms and motor function recovery in acute cerebral infarction patients. Methods : We studied inpatients within a month after the onset of cerebral infarction who were admitted at Kyunghee University Medical Center from May 2011 to January 2013. We executed correlation analysis between Fire-heat pattern score and motricity index score at visit 1 and visit 2, and checked if there was a significant correlation between the changes of Fire-heat pattern score and changes of motricity index score. Also, we compared the changes of both scores in patients taking Fire-heat and non Fire-heat pattern prescriptions. Results : There was a significant correlation between the Fire-heat pattern score and Motricity index score at visit 1 and visit 2, and changes of Fire-heat pattern score showed significant correlation with changes of motricity index score. Patients taking Fire-heat pattern prescriptions showed significant change in Fire-heat pattern score after herb-medication treatment while patients taking non-Fire-heat prescriptions showed insignificant change in Fire-heat pattern score. Conclusions : This study provides evidence that taking a Fire-heat pattern prescription could be considered as a first line herb-medication treatment in acute cerebral infarction patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.368-370
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• 2013

Post-stroke atrial fibrillation has been frequently reported especially in the patients with right insular infarct as an evidence of cerebrogenic mechanism affecting on cardiac rhythm. However, conversion to normal sinus rhythm after stroke in patients who had atrial fibrillation has not been reported. A 88-year-old men who had untreated atrial fibrillation was admitted to hospital due to left middle cerebral artery territory infarction. During admission, second ischemic attack occurred in right middle cerebral artery territory. At that time, his atrial fibrillation converted spontaneously to normal sinus rhythm. Restored sinus rhythm sustained until he died due to sepsis. This case is evidence supporting a theory that brain is associated with control of cardiac rhythm. If no risk factor is revealed by intensive investigation in patients with acute cerebral infarctions that cardioembolism is strongly suspected as a cause, physicians should concern transformation of atrial fibrillation to normal sinus rhythm after stroke.

• The Journal of the Korean life insurance medical association
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• v.28 no.1_2
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• pp.11-14
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• 2009

It is common to find cerebral infarct and hemorrhage without definite neurologic signs but with lesions on neuroimaging. These lesions are called silent lacunar infarct and cerebral microbleed. Silent lacunar infarct are frequently seen in the elderly and are associated with clinically apparent stroke and vascular dementia. Known stroke risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypercholesterolemia and heart problems may increase the risk of silent lacunar infarct. Metabolic syndrome, homocysteinemia, renal failure and intima media thickness(IMT) are also other risk factors of the silent lacunar infarct. Cerebral microbleed, lacunar infarct and intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH) have similar pathology and pathogenesis. So, cerebral microbleed are coexisted with lacunar infarct, leukoaraiosis, hypertensive ICH and vascular dementia. Cerebral microbleed are associated with volume and recurrence of ICH. Also cerebral microbleed may reflect baseline status of blood brain barrior disruption. Silent lacunar infarct and cerebral microbleed are very important to clinical management, but in the aspect of insurance medicine and independent medical examiners, these lesions are not subject of evaluation for handicap.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.2 s.30
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• pp.100-114
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• 1995

This bibliographic study was designed to research indications of the Moschus which was representatively used for resuscitation in acute stage of stroke throughout successive books of oriental medicine. Especially, in this study, severe cases with disturbance of consciousness and acute stage of stroke were investigated. The results were summarized as the followings: 1. The Moschus was dried material which secreted from aromatic vescicle of Moschus moschiferus L.. which was pungent in flavor, warm in nature, nontoxic and strongly aromatic. The Moschus removed the obstruction in the channels and used to early stage of stroke. 2. The Moschus was aromatic resuscitatable medicine, which recovered disturbance of consciousness due to stroke. 3. The Moschus had excitatory actions of respirtory center and vascular motor center, heart stimulating action, inhibitatory action of the platelet aggregation and anti thrombin action and recovered cerebral ischemic change. According to these actions, the Moschus could be used cerebral infarction. 4. Prescriptions included the Moschus was used to symptoms of unconsciousness, secretion, stuporous mental state, dysarthria, facial palsy and hemiplegia. That was Angungwoohwangh wan(安宮牛黃丸), Woohwangchungshimwon(牛黃淸心元), Sahyangsohaphangwon(麝香蘇合香元), etc. According to the above mentioned results, the Moschus was aromatic resuscitatable medicine which was used for symptoms of conscius disturbance, convulsion, sudden fainting etc., promoted cerebral blood flow and had good effect on acute stage of stroke and severe cases with conscious disturbance. Therefore, it is considered that the Moschus must be studied for effect of cerebral infarction and hemorrhage in clinic with animal's and pharmacological experimental results.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2006

Objectives : Yanggyuksanhwa-tang is a prescription used for cerebral infarction clinically. Methods : According to previous research data, the effect of Yanggyuksanhwa-tang on cerebral infarction, we induced cerebral infarction by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) in rats, and the rats were administered Yanggyuksanhwa-tang. Results: Infarct area, infarct volume were measured, and the level of elements such as c-Fos, Bax and caspase-3 in penumbra of infarct were expressed by immunohistochemical staining. Conclusion : Yanggyuksanhwa-tang showed neuroprotective effect through preventing neuronal cell apoptosis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.419-424
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• 2005

Objective : Short-term coexisting intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarctions defined as the recurrent stroke presented with different type within three weeks. Despite the high recurrence rate of stroke, little attention and insufficient clinical data had been given to short-term coexisting intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction's features. This study aims to estimate the risk factors and present the clinical features of short-term coexisting intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarctions. Methods : We investigated 18 patients with short-term coexisting intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarctions who were admitted to our hospital between January 1995 and January 2005. They were subdivided by the recurrence interval such as a group of within one week and another of between one and three weeks as hyperacute and acute respectively. Results : The mean interval between strokes was 6.64 days. Lesional analysis showed that short-term coexisting intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarctions in this study occurred at the other side in 12 cases [66.7%]. The abnormality on the electrocardiographic feature [23.5%] and long-term history of hypertension [20.5%] were the most common risk factors. However, short-term history of diabetes was more common in hyperacute group than in acute group [P<0.05]. The mean number of risk factors was three in acute group. It is larger than that of hyperacute group [P<0.05]. Conclusion : If the patients who experienced cerebrovascular attack have many risk factors, they tend to be the cases of acute coexisting intracerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarctions than hyperacute. Therefore, that cases are required to be vigilant to the change of patients' state up to three weeks in the treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.343-351
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• 2001

Cerebral post-ischemic hyperperfusion has been observed at the acute and subacute periods of ischemic stroke. In the animal stroke model, early post-ischemic hyperperfusion is the mark of recanalization of the occluded artery with reperfusion. In the PET studios of both humans and experimental animals, early post-ischemic hyperperfusion is not a key factor in the development of tissue infarction and indicates the spontaneous reperfusion of the ischemic brain tissue without late infarction or with small infarction. But late post-ischemic hyperperfusion shows the worse prognosis with reperfusion injury associated with brain tissue necrosis. Early post-ischemic hyperperfusion defined by PET and SPECT may be useful in predicting the prognosis of ischemic stroke and the effect of thrombolytic therapy.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.111-118
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• 2004

Background and purpose: Opposing-needling technique involves selecting acupoints at unaffected limb. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of LI4-LI11 electrical acupuncture at unaffected limb on the cerebral blood flow in ischemic stroke patients using SPECT Methods: We selected 9 ischemic stroke patients. Baseline brain SPECT was done with triple head gamma camera(MultiSPECT3, Siemens, USA) after intravenous administration of 925 MBq of Tc-99m ECD). Fifteen-minute electro-acupuncture at Hapgok(LI 4) and Gokji(LI 11) were applied on unaffected upper limb of subjects. The same dose of Tc-99m ECD was injected during the electro-acupuncture, and the second SPECT images were obtained. Using the computer software(ICON 7.1, Siemens, USA), 3 SPECT slices(upper, middle, lower) surrounding the brain lesion were selected and each slice was divided by 10-16 brain regions. Asymmetry indexes were analyzed in each brain region. We regarded$\geq$10% changes of asymmetry index between before and after electro-acupuncture as significance. Results: Seven Patients(77.8%) had significantly increased perfusion and 2(22.2%) didn't show increased perfusion in post-acupuncture scans compared to pre-acupuncture scans(baseline). The regions of CBF improvement were mostly frontal lobes and anterior temporal lobes. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that LI4-LI11 electro-acupuncture at unaffected limb increased regional cerebral blood perfusion to the corresponding brain areas in ischemic stroke patients.