• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.143-155
• /
• 2023

Purpose: An association between Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination has been reported. We aimed to summarize the clinical features of GBS associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and determine the contrasting features from coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) associated GBS and GBS following other causes. Materials and Methods: We performed PubMed search for articles published between 1 December 2020 and 27 January 2022 using search terms related to "SARS-CoV-2 vaccination" and "GBS". Reference searching of the eligible studies was performed. Sociodemographic and vaccination data, clinical and laboratory features, and outcomes were extracted. We compared these findings with post-COVID-19 GBS and International GBS Outcome Study (IGOS) (GBS from other causes) cohorts. Results: We included 100 patients in the analysis. Mean age was 56.88 years, and 53% were males. Six-eight received non-replicating virus vector and 30 took messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. The median interval between the vaccination and the GBS onset was 11 days. Limb weakness, facial palsy, sensory symptoms, dysautonomia, and respiratory insufficiency were seen in 78.65%, 53.3%, 77.4%, 23.5%, and 25%, respectively. The commonest clinical and electrodiagnostic subtype were sensory-motor variant (68%) and acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (61.4%), respectively. And 43.9% had poor outcome (GBS outcome score ≥3). Pain was common with virus vector than mRNA vaccine, and the latter had severe disease at presentation (Hughes grade ≥3). Sensory phenomenon and facial weakness were common in vaccination cohort than post-COVID-19 and IGOS. Conclusion: There are distinct differences between GBS associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and GBS due to other causes. Facial weakness and sensory symptoms were commonly seen in the former and outcomes poor.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.247-258
• /
• 2023

Objective: To localize the neuroanatomical substrate of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and to investigate the neuroanatomical locational relationship between RBD and α-synucleinopathy neurodegenerative diseases. Materials and Methods: Using a systematic PubMed search, we identified 19 patients with lesions in different brain regions that caused RBD. First, lesion network mapping was applied to confirm whether the lesion locations causing RBD corresponded to a common brain network. Second, the literature-based RBD lesion network map was validated using neuroimaging findings and locations of brain pathologies at post-mortem in patients with idiopathic RBD (iRBD) who were identified by independent systematic literature search using PubMed. Finally, we assessed the locational relationship between the sites of pathological alterations at the preclinical stage in α-synucleinopathy neurodegenerative diseases and the brain network for RBD. Results: The lesion network mapping showed lesions causing RBD to be localized to a common brain network defined by connectivity to the pons (including the locus coeruleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, central superior nucleus, and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray), regardless of the lesion location. The positive regions in the pons were replicated by the neuroimaging findings in an independent group of patients with iRBD and it coincided with the reported pathological alterations at post-mortem in patients with iRBD. Furthermore, all brain pathological sites at preclinical stages (Braak stages 1-2) in Parkinson's disease (PD) and at brainstem Lewy body disease in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) were involved in the brain network identified for RBD. Conclusion: The brain network defined by connectivity to positive pons regions might be the regulatory network loop inducing RBD in humans. In addition, our results suggested that the underlying cause of high phenoconversion rate from iRBD to neurodegenerative α-synucleinopathy might be pathological changes in the preclinical stage of α-synucleinopathy located at the regulatory network loop of RBD.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.546-555
• /
• 2014

Objectives: Recently, many studies have reported beneficial effects from the application of laser and light-emitting diode (LED) therapy for cerebral nervous disease. Transcranial laser therapy and LED therapy may be an effective method to treat diseases of the cerebral nervous system. This study aims to discuss the possibility of laser and LED therapy for cerebral nervous disease by reviewing literature about its effectiveness. Methods: We searched papers using PubMed, Science Direct, CINAHL, KTKP, Oasis and NDSL, using the keywords "Laser therapy, low-level", "Transcranial laser", "Transcranial light emitting diode" and "stroke", "traumatic brain injury", "dementia", "anxiety", "cognitive", "emotional effects", "psychiatric disorder", "multiple sclerosis", "Parkinson's disease". The search range included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical case series. Reviews and animal experiments were not included. Studies not matched with inclusion criteria were excluded. Results: A total 1,119 studies were found. 1,100 were excluded from scanning titles and abstracts and finally 9 articles were selected. Among the 9 articles, 5 were RCTs, one was a controlled study, and the other 3 were case reports. They reported that transcranial laser therapy and LED treatment had beneficial effects from photobiomodulation to the cerebral nervous system. Clinical evaluation factors showed favorable trends. Conclusions: Transcranial laser therapy and LED therapy seem to be effective to the cerebral nervous system and they may be a favorable choice for cerebral nervous disease.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.359-371
• /
• 2017

Objectives: The objective of this study was to review the effect of oral administration of herbal medicines on the improvement of memory in Alzheimer's disease animal model reported in Korean domestic journals. Methods: The Korean databases (Koreantk, KISS) were searched with memory as a popular search term. During the searches, only animal study reports were reviewed. Data of animal models, intervention, observation methods of measuring indicators were extracted from the databases. Results: Typically, 36 articles were reviewed. Twenty-two studies used scopolamine to induce Alzheimer's disease, 24 studies used complex herbal medicines, and 12 studies used simple herbal medicines. Polygalae Radix and Acori Rhizoma were the most frequently used herbal medicines to improve memory in Alzheimer model. To evaluate the effect of herbal medicines, 36 studies used macroscopy, 16 studies used molecular biological analysis, 21 studies used biochemical analysis, 15 studies used histological analysis, and 11 studies used hematological analysis. Each study showed significant improvement with respect to memory indicators. Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that treatment employing herbal medicines is an effective option to treat memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.117-129
• /
• 2017

Chronic disease rates have become more prevalent in the modern American workforce, which has negative implications for workplace productivity and healthcare costs. Offering workplace health interventions is recognized as an effective strategy to reduce chronic disease progression, absenteeism, and healthcare costs as well as improve population health. This review documents intervention and evaluation strategies used for health promotion programs delivered in workplaces. Using predetermined search terms in five online databases, we identified 1,131 published items from 1995 to 2014. Of these items, 27 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria; reporting data from completed United States-based workplace interventions that recruited at-risk employees based on their disease or disease-related risk factors. A content rubric was developed and used to catalogue these 27 published field studies. Selected workplace interventions targeted obesity (n = 13), cardiovascular diseases (n = 8), and diabetes (n = 6). Intervention strategies included instructional education/counseling (n = 20), workplace environmental change (n = 6), physical activity (n = 10), use of technology (n = 10), and incentives (n = 13). Self-reported data (n = 21), anthropometric measurements (n = 17), and laboratory tests (n = 14) were used most often in studies with outcome evaluation. This is the first literature review to focus on interventions for employees with elevated risk for chronic diseases. The review has the potential to inform future workplace health interventions by presenting strategies related to implementation and evaluation strategies in workplace settings. These strategies can help determine optimal worksite health programs based on the unique characteristics of work settings and the health risk factors of their employee populations.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.222-228
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this article was to investigate the current state of studies on clinical trials of acupuncture treatment for Alzheimer's disease using neuroimaging method. We searched for clinical trials of acupuncture treatment for Alzheimer's disease(AD) and mild cognitive impairment(MCI) using neuroimaging method in the MEDLINE (Pubmed) database on March 18, 2020. Once the online search was finished, studies were selected manually by the inclusion criteria. Finally, we analyzed the characteristics of selected articles and reviewed the neural substrates of acupuncture treatment in AD. Total ten studies were included in this study. The most frequently applied modality for AD was functional MRI. The most frequently selected acupoints for AD were KI3, LR3 and LI4. One of studies showed that acupuncture treatment could improve the symptoms of MCI. Through the analysis, we demonstrated that neuroimaging method could capture the neural substrates associated with AD. Moreover, acupuncture may induce differential response according to the disease status. Finally, real acupuncture could produce more extensive activation/deactivation than sham acupuncture. We hope that neuroimaging method can contribute to the clinical research of acupuncture treatment for AD through large-scale RCT and diverse imaging modality.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• v.56 no.1
• /
• pp.38-49
• /
• 2023

Background/Aims: Patients with Barrett's esophagus are at increased risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic therapies aim to eradicate dysplastic and metaplastic tissues. Hybrid argon plasma coagulation (hybrid-APC) utilizes submucosal fluid injection to create a protective cushion prior to ablation that shields the submucosa from injury. We performed a pooled meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of hybrid-APC. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of major electronic databases in April 2022. Studies that included patients with dysplastic and non-dysplastic Barrett's esophagus undergoing treatment with hybrid-APC were eligible for inclusion. Outcome measures included complete remission of intestinal metaplasia (CR-IM), stricture formation, serious adverse events, and number of sessions necessary to achieve CR-IM. Results: Overall pooled CR-IM rate for patients undergoing hybrid-APC was 90.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.872-0.939; I²=0%). Pooled stricture rate was 2.0% (95% CI, 0.005-0.042; I²=0%). Overall serious adverse event rate was 2.7% (95% CI, 0.007-0.055; I²=0%). Conclusions: Results of the current meta-analysis suggest that hybrid-APC is associated with high rates of CR-IM and a favorable safety profile. Interpretation of these results is limited by the inclusion of retrospective cohort and case series data. Randomized controlled trials that standardize treatment and outcome evaluation protocols are necessary to understand how this treatment option is comparable to the current standards of care.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2022

Background/Aims: Multiple outbreaks of multidrug-resistant organisms have been reported worldwide due to contaminated duodenoscopes. In 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration recommended the following supplemental enhanced surveillance and reprocessing techniques (ESRT) to improve duodenoscope disinfection: (1) microbiological culture, (2) ethylene oxide sterilization, (3) liquid chemical sterilant processing system, and (4) double high-level disinfection. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess the impact of ESRT on the contamination rates. Methods: A thorough and systematic search was performed across several databases and conference proceedings from inception until January 2021, and all studies reporting the effectiveness of various ESRTs were identified. The pooled contamination rates of post-ESRT duodenoscopes were estimated using the random effects model. Results: A total of seven studies using various ESRTs were incorporated in the analysis, which included a total of 9,084 post-ESRT duodenoscope cultures. The pooled contamination rate of the post-ESRT duodenoscope was 5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.3%-10.8%, inconsistency index [I²]=97.97%). Pooled contamination rates for high-risk organisms were 0.8% (95% CI: 0.2%-2.7%, I²=94.96). Conclusions: While ESRT may improve the disinfection process, a post-ESRT contamination rate of 5% is not negligible. Ongoing efforts to mitigate the rate of contamination by improving disinfection techniques and innovations in duodenoscope design to improve safety are warranted.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.28-33
• /
• 2007

Objectives and methods : The Euibujipsung is one of the huge-scale encyclopedias about Oriental Medicine. To search the most frequently used aupoints for dysarthria after stroke, we used Euibujipsung CD-ROM database with several chinese character keyword concerned with vernal function(語, 言, 音, 啞, 瘖, etc). Results : We found four popular acupoints(PC5, GV20, GV16, TE6), and five meridians (Governor vessel, Gall Bladder, Heart, Large Intestine and Triple Energizer). We also found that the extra meridians were used more frequently than other type of meridians. Conclusion : We think that these findings can give further ideas to clinical practice and research fields for stroke rehabilitation in Oriental medicine.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.131-150
• /
• 2024

Objectives : The aim of this study was to perform network analysis and analysis using the K-HERB database on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), to verify the similarity between the derived networks and existing prescriptions, and to explore the possibility of developing new IBD prescriptions preliminarily. Methods : We conducted a comprehensive literature search on July 6, 2024, utilizing databases such as ScienceON, RISS, and OASIS. Clinical studies assessing the efficacy of herbal medicine in treating Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were identified and compiled into a structured database. This dataset, which included related prescriptions and herbal formulations, was subsequently analyzed using NetMiner 4 for centrality and Louvain clustering analyses. We then compared the networks derived from the K-HERB database with existing therapeutic prescriptions to assess their similarity. Results : A total of 24 prescriptions and 66 herbs were identified across the surveyed studies on IBD. Paeoniae Radix Alba(白芍藥) emerged as the most frequently utilized herb for both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Prominent herb combinations included Paeoniae Radix Alba-Angelicae Sinensis Radix (白芍藥-當歸), Angelicae Sinensis Radix-Coptidis Rhizoma (當歸-黃連), and Coptidis Rhizoma-Scutellariae Radix (黃連-黃芩) for ulcerative colitis. Centrality analysis revealed that Poria cocos (茯苓) and Paeoniae Radix Alba (白芍藥) had high centrality in the Crohn's disease, while Angelicae Sinensis Radix (當歸) and Paeoniae Radix Alba (白芍藥) had high centrality in the ulcerative colitis, indicating their prominent roles within the networks. Cohesion analysis resulted in 7 networks for Crohn's disease and 16 networks for ulcerative colitis. After excluding networks with a single herb, three networks related to Crohn's disease and two related to ulcerative colitis were examined using the K-HERB database. Among the 14 derived prescriptions for Crohn's disease and seven for ulcerative colitis, all except Oryeong-san (五苓散) were non-traditional in the context of IBD treatment. Conclusion : This preliminary study may provide a basis for the understanding and application of herbal prescriptions for IBD based on network analysis and the K-HERB database.