• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.5-18
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• 1999

A growing number of people are concerned about their sleep. There are many people with chronic sleep disorders. Sedativehypnotics including benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine have been widely used in chronic insomniacs. It is widely accepted that current hypnotics are efficient in alleviating subjective symptoms of insomnia. Non-benzodiazepine hypnotics include zolpidem, zopiclone, and melatonin. These novel non-benzodiazepine hypnotics that have efficacy comparable to benzodiazepines were developed with more understanding of benzodiazepine receptor pharmacology. Their unique pharmacologic profiles may offer few significant advantages in terms of adverse effects of benzodiazepines. However, most of hypnotics including non-benzodiazepine have some of dependence, tolerance, impaired daytime function and rebound insomnia. Currently, it is accepted that combination therapy with pharmacologic and behavioral intervention is the most effective for chronic insomniacs.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2005

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome comprised of a number of symptoms and signs associated with congestion and/or hypoperfusion. Specific pharmacologic therapies have been developed to slow disease progression from early to more advanced stages. Once symptoms have developed, aggressive multimodality interventions are instituted to alleviate symptoms and improve clinical status and quality of life; especially in those patients that present symptoms. Recently, an evolving adjunctive therapeutic modality, that involves using implanted electrical devices: cardiac resynchronization with or without implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). has been used for management. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a proven treatment for selected patients with heart failure-induced conduction disturbances and ventricular dyssynchrony. When used in combination with stable, optimal medical therapy, CRT is designed to reduce symptoms and improve cardiac function by restoring the mechanical sequence of ventricular activation and contraction. This review summarizes the rationale, procedure, clinical trials, and clinical indications for CRT.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.207-216
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• 2009

Trigeminal neuralgia is defined "a sudden, usually unilateral, severe, brief, stabbing, recurrent pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the fifth cranial nerve". The initial treatment of choice for trigeminal neuralgia is medical therapy. In patients with medically intractable pain or intolerable medication side effects, invasive therapeutic approaches are often necessary. Based on the amount of evidence and estimated efficacy, carbamazepine is the drug of choice in the management of trigeminal neuralgia. In case of insufficient or no response to carbamazepine, second-line drugs can be added. In this study, the author tried to review and analyzed the cases of 90 patients whom had visited for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia at the Department of Oral Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital from 2003 to 2008. The results were as follows: 1. Trigeminal neuralgia was significantly more common with advancing age, and nearly twice as common in women than men (ratio of 2.1:1) 2. The maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve involved most often (51.1%), and the right side of the face is affected more commonly than the left (ratio of 2.9:1). 3. 85(94.4%) patients had experiences visiting medical or dental specialties before being referred to the Department of Oral Medicine. 4. 40(44.4%) patients with trigeminal neuralgia had systemic diseases. 5. Treatment with carbamazepine monotherapy was satisfactory initially in 69(76.7%) the patients, and the mean daily dose of carbamazepine was 402.9mg. On the other hand, 16(17.8%) patients expressed effectiveness after combination therapy of carbamazepine and other drugs. 6. Of the 69 patients who had a good initial response to carbamazepine monotherapy, 18 patients became resistant, so that combination therapy of carbamazepine and other drugs were necessary. 7. 54(60%) patients developed side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, blood dyscrasias, skin rash and constipation, and 11 of the patients decided to stop tmedicaion due to side effects.