• 정신신체의학
• /
• 제4권1호
• /
• pp.64-70
• /
• 1996

The prevalence rate of psychiatric symptoms of the refractory epileptic patients was evaluated according to the location of the epileptic focus. The subjects were 91 patients admitted to Epilepsy Monitoring Unit of Seoul National University Hospital. The psychiatric symptoms were assessed by Korean version of Symptom Checklist-90-R(SCL-90-R). The locus of epileptic focus was assessed by clinical features, 2-hour interictal EEG, long-term video-EEG monitoring, brain MRI, interictal and ictal brain SPECT, and interictal brain PET The subjects were divided into three groups according to the epileptic focus, non-temporal(N=29), left temporal (N=26), and right temporal(N=32). There were no statistical differences in demographic and seizure-related variables among groups. The number of patients with $T-score {\geq} 65$ at any subscale of the SCL-90-R were compared by $X^2-test$ among groups. The mean T-scores of each subscale of the SCL-90-R were compared by oneway-ANOVA among groups. The prevalence rate of psychiatric symptoms of the refractory epileptic patients was 38.5%. There was no statistical difference in the prevalence rate of psychiatric symptoms among groups. However, the patients with non-temporal or right temporal epileptic foci showed statistically significant higher mean T-scores of interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, and phobic subscales than the patients with left temporal epileptic foci. These results suggest that the epileptic focus plays an important role in the production of interictal psychiatric symptoms of the refractory epileptics.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제62권3호
• /
• pp.272-287
• /
• 2019

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway coordinates the metabolic activity of eukaryotic cells through environmental signals, including nutrients, energy, growth factors, and oxygen. In the nervous system, the mTOR pathway regulates fundamental biological processes associated with neural development and neurodegeneration. Intriguingly, genes that constitute the mTOR pathway have been found to be germline and somatic mutation from patients with various epileptic disorders. Hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway due to said mutations has garnered increasing attention as culprits of these conditions : somatic mutations, in particular, in epileptic foci have recently been identified as a major genetic cause of intractable focal epilepsy, such as focal cortical dysplasia. Meanwhile, epilepsy models with aberrant activation of the mTOR pathway have helped elucidate the role of the mTOR pathway in epileptogenesis, and evidence from epilepsy models of human mutations recapitulating the features of epileptic patients has indicated that mTOR inhibitors may be of use in treating epilepsy associated with mutations in mTOR pathway genes. Here, we review recent advances in the molecular and genetic understanding of mTOR signaling in epileptic disorders. In particular, we focus on the development of and limitations to therapies targeting the mTOR pathway to treat epileptic seizures. We also discuss future perspectives on mTOR inhibition therapies and special diagnostic methods for intractable epilepsies caused by brain somatic mutations.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
• /
• 제9권2호
• /
• pp.59-62
• /
• 2007

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is an indispensable tool for diagnosis of epilepsy and is the only assisting barometer of complete remission of epilepsy, which means prolonged, persistent suppression of cortical excitement in epileptic focus in addition to the clinical control of epileptic seizure. The specific morphologies or distribution of epileptic form discharges give us good information for the classification of seizure or epilepsy and epileptic syndromes, which consists of "Pros." in terms of diagnostic approach. In contrast, the EEG as a tool for long-term follow up might be limited due to the various clinical situation of each patient, which consists of "Cons." in terms of the usefulness of EEG for clinical decision. "Cons." aspect of EEG, which clinicians are more frequently coped with than those of "Pros", is an obstacle of utilization of follow up EEG in clinical practice. This is an overview about controversies in usefulness of EEG and the detailed aspects of "Pros." and "Cons." of EEG for clinical decision will be discussed following two articles. We tried to make consensus for the usefulness of EEG especially in the situation of "Cons." with plausible guideline.

• 대한핵의학회지
• /
• 제26권2호
• /
• pp.244-250
• /
• 1992

Both interictal and ictal $^{99m}Tc-HMPAO$ brain SPECT were performed in 22 patients with medically intractable epilepsy. Localization of epileptic foci in our patients was made by combined results of EEG and other tests, including Wada test, magnetic resonance imaging, and neuropsychometric test. Among them, ictal $^{99m}Tc-HMPAO$ SPECT, localized epilptic foci in 20 of 22 patients and provided evidence of epileptic focus in 12 patients by demonstrating maximally increased regional cerebral perfusion (rCP) in epileptic foci during the ictal study with decreased rCP in interictal study. Ictal $^{99m}Tc-HMPAO$ SPECT was particularly useful for investigating epileptic foci, and when correlated with simultaneously recorded ictal EEG, provided further insight for localizing epileptic foci. Conclusively, $^{99m}Tc-HMPAO$ SPECT is. a useful, noninvasive method of localizing epileptic activity which may be particularly important for presurgical investigations, especially in those patients without large morphological lesions.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제62권3호
• /
• pp.336-343
• /
• 2019

Epilepsy surgery revealed dramatically improved seizure outcomes over medical therapy in drug-resistant epilepsy patients. Children with epilepsy, however, have multiple epileptic focuses which require multilobar resection for better seizure outcome. Multilobar resection has not only the several severe surgical complications, such as hydrocephalus and shunt-related craniosynostosis, due to intracranial volume reduction. Isolation method (disconnection surgery) was progressively studied over epileptic focus removal (resective surgery) for seizure control. This concept was first introduced for functional hemispherotomy, and its primary principle is to preserve the vital vascularized brain that is functionally disconnected from the contralateral healthy brain. Currently in most epilepsy centers, the predominant disconnection surgical methods, including functional hemispherotomy, are continually being refined and are showing excellent results. They allow the functional isolation of the hemisphere or multi-lobe, affected by severe epilepsy. This review describes recent findings concerning the indication, surgical technique, seizure outcome and complications in several disconnection surgeries including the functional hemispherotomy for refractory pediatric epilepsy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제17권2호
• /
• pp.168-174
• /
• 2009

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, and topiramate (TPM) is one of the most effective drugs that can render patients seizure-free. The focus of the present study was to evaluate the immunological safety of TPM in a mouse model. We examined the in vitro effect of TPM on immune functions of BV2 microglial cells, RAW 264.7 macrophages, B cells, T cells, and dendritic cells. We also examined the in vivo effect of TPM on mouse immune organs, such as lymph node, spleen, and thymus. When cells were directly treated with TPM at concentrations from 1 to $30{\mu}g/ml$, TPM did not affect nitrite production by BV2 cells and macrophages, proliferation of B cells and T cells, or maturation of dendritic cells. In addition, TPM did not change the weight and cellularity of lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus in vivo at doses from 3 to 100 mg/kg injected i.p. into mice once a day for 4 consecutive days. These data showed that TPM, which is widely used as an anti-epileptic drug, is immunologically safe.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
• /
• 제14권1호
• /
• pp.34-42
• /
• 2003

World Wide Web (WWW)에서 Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)를 이용하는 3차원 (3D) 디스플레이는 사용자에게 직관적인 정보를 더 효과적으로 제공해 준다. 웹을 기반으로 하는 해부학적 영상과 융합되는 기능적 영상의 3D 가시화는 아직까지 체계적인 방식으로 연구가 활발히 진행되지 않았다. 이 연구의 목적은 2D 영상들과 함께 웹에서 VRML을 이용하여 구현되는 3D 해부학적 표면 영상들과 기능적 표면 영상들을 동시적으로 관찰할 수 있게 하고 VRML을 통해 만들어진 거리 측정 도구를 가지고 관심영역의 공간적인 위치 정보를 제공하는 것이다. 본 연구에서는 한 명의 간질 환자로부터 Magnetic Resonance (MR) 축면 영상과 발작기 및 발작간기 Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) 축면 영상들을 각각 획득하였다. 발작 진원지의 확인을 향상시키기 위해서 subtractionictal SPECT coregistered to MRI (SISCOM)을 수행하였다 SISCOM 결과로 나타난 각 2D 영상들은 모든 voxel들의 평균값 위로 1-표준편차와 2-표준편차에 해당하는 문턱 이상의 영상 값을 갖도록 하였다. SISCOM으로 나타나는 간질 발작 진원지들과 MRI 영상에서 회색질, 백색질 및 뇌척수액의 경계들을 각각 분할하고 marching cube 알고리즘에 의해 VRML 표면 영상들로 나타내었다. 축면 영상에서 실제 거리를 나타내는 x, y축의 길이를 획득하고 z축선의 길이를 계산하였다. VRML을 이용한 거리 측정도구를 만들어 이전의 VRML 표면 영상들과 융합하였다. MRI 영상을 이용하여 3D 표면 영상들의 단면을 나타내고 3D 표면 영상들의 투명도를 설정하기 위해 Java Script 루틴을 사용자 인터페이스 도구로서 삽입하였다 웹 페이지에서 구현되는 3D 표면 영상들의 투명도와 관찰 위치를 조절함에 따라 모델들 사이의 공간적인 정보를 직관적으로 알 수 있었다. 간질 발작 진원지에 대응하는 해부학적 구조를 3D 표면 영상들을 가로지르는 MRI 평면 영상들을 통해서 확인하였다 간질 발작 진원지는 뇌의 오른쪽 측두엽에서 나타났고 공간적으로 발작 진원지의 실제 위치를 VRML 거리 측정 도구에 의해 알 수 있었다. 결론적으로 본 연구에서 제시하는 웹에 근거한 3D 융합 영상의 가시화와 위치 측정은 진단 및 치료 방사선학과 외과학 등의 분야에서 온라인 방식의 연구와 교육에 있어 많은 도움을 줄 것이다.

• 대한핵의학회지
• /
• 제34권3호
• /
• pp.169-182
• /
• 2000

목적: Ictal SPECT의 간질 병소를 찾는 민감도와 정확도는 각 연구마다 다르다. 발작 중에 발생할 수 있는 여러 가지 형태의 뇌혈류변화를 알아보고 이와 관련된 임상 요인들을 찾아보기 위하여 본 연구를 수행하였다. 대상 및 방법: 간질 수술을 받을 61명의 부분적 간질 환자들에서 interictal SPECT와 ictal SPECT를 시행한 후 두 영상을 차감하여 subtraction SPECT (sub-SPECT)영상을 구하였다. Sub-SPECT에서 보인 발작 중 뇌혈류변화의 형태는 1) 국소 뇌혈류증가(focal hyperperfusion), 2) 뇌혈류증가 플러스(hyperperfusion-plus), 3) 국소 뇌혈류감소(focal hypoperfusion), 그리고, 4) 혈류증가-감소 복합형(combined hyperperfusion-hypoperfusion)의 4가지로 나누었다. 각 형태 별로 간질초점 (epielptic focus)과의 일치율 (concordance rate)을 산출하였다. 결과: Conventional ictal SPECT 분석법의 간질촛점 진단율은 68.9%이었고, sub-SPECT의 진단율은 뇌혈류증가 만을 분석하였을때는 85.2%이었고, 뇌혈류 증가 및 감소를 모두 평가하였을 때는 91.3%이었다. 발작 중 국소 뇌혈류 감소는 측두엽외 간질에 비하여, 측두엽 간질에서 더 드물게 관찰되었다. 내측 측두엽에서만 발생한 뇌혈류증가는 내측 측두엽간질에서만 관찰되었고, 외측 측두엽에서만 발생한 뇌혈류증가는 신피질 측두엽간질에서만 관찰되었다. 해마 경화를 동반한 측두엽간질은 다른 병리소견에 비하여 발작 중 뇌혈류감소 현상을 매우 적게 보였다. 결론: Ictal SPECT를 분석할 때는 뇌혈류증가 뿐만 아니라 뇌혈류감소 현상도 유심히 보아야 하며, 발작 중 국소 뇌혈류감소의 기전으로 간질초점의 발작 중 초기 에너지고갈 (intra-ictal early exhaustion) 또는 간질초점 주변부로의 발작파 전파에 의한 steal 현상 등을 생각할 수 있지만 앞으로 규명하여야 할 과제이다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• 제51권5호
• /
• pp.599-602
• /
• 2013

A male patient with neurocysticercosis was identified in Montai Village, Xay District, Oudomxay Province, Lao PDR in February 2004. He had a history of diagnosis for neurocysticercosis by a CT scan in Thailand after an onset of epileptic seizure in 1993. A pig in the same district was found to contain Taenia solium metacestodes (=cysticerci); the slaughtered pig body contained more than 2,000 cysticerci. In addition to morphological identification, molecular identification was also performed on the cysticerci by DNA sequencing analysis of the mitochondrial cox1 gene; they were confirmed as T. solium metacestodes. The patient is regarded as an indigenous case of neurocysticercosis infected in an endemic focus of T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis in Oudomxay Province, Lao PDR.

• 대한간호학회지
• /
• 제47권3호
• /
• pp.289-304
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand and describe the illness experience of married Korean women with epilepsy. Methods: Data were collected during 2015~2016 through individual in-depth interviews with 12 married women with epilepsy. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using Giorgi's phenomenological analysis to uncover the meaning of the illness experience of the participants. Results: The study results showed that the illness experience of married Korean women with epilepsy was clustered into a specific description of situated structure and a general description of situated structure. Six themes from 20 meaning units were identified: 1) Undermined self-esteem with stigma of being epileptic; 2) Limited social interaction; 3) Suffering sorrow as a 'disqualified being'; 4) Shuttling back and forth across the boundary between healthy and epileptic; 5) Desperate struggle to meet the expectation of given role; 6) Self-empowering through self-restriction and realization. Conclusion: The findings from this study show that both the enacted and felt stigma of epilepsy impact on the life of married Korean women with epilepsy. Although the participants face social and interpersonal restriction and prejudices, they try their best to fulfill their role rather than to be cared for as patients. As the stigma and hardships of the participants are related to lack of knowledge, health professionals should focus not just on clinical intervention but also on providing targeted educational programs and counseling for these women to dispel the stigma of the disease and to increase their quality of life.