• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.105-107
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• 2001

Meningiomas causing intracranial hemorrhage are rare, and hemorrhage from a lateral ventricular meningioma seems to be even rarer. We report a case of trigonal meningioma in a 43-year-old woman who presented with intraventricular hemorrhage, and describe the CT, MRI and angiographic findings.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between the degree of torn rotator cuff as recorded by MRI and degenerative change of acromion and greater tuberosity of humerus determined by simple radiographs. Materials and Methods: Of the 518 cases included in this study, a group of 234 cases had a chronic rotator cuff tear and a control group of 284 cases had an intact rotator cuff in shoulder MRI. The degree of degenerative changes was classified according to the length of spur and morphological change of acromion and greater tuberosity through the true anteroposterior simple radiograph in supraspinatus outlet view. The degree of tear (partial-thickness or full-thickness tear) and the size of complete rotator cuff tear were analyzed according to the MRI findings of shoulder. The authors also evaluated the correlation between the degree and size of torn rotator cuff and the degenerative change of acromion and greater tuberosity. Results: There were significant differences in the size and extent of torn rotator cuff according to the age, sex and degenerative change of acromion and greater tuberosity of humerus (p<0.001). More degenerative changes of acromion and greater tuberosity in simple shoulder radiographs showed the increased degree and size of torn rotator cuff (p<0.001). In addition, the higher degree and larger size of torn rotator cuff were noted in older age subjects (p<0.001) and in the female group (p<0.001). Conclusion: More degenerative changes of acromion and greater tuberosity in simple shoulder radiographs showed the increased degree and size of torn rotator cuff. Therefore, if a high degree of degenerative change of the acromion and greater tuberosity on simple radiograph is noted, the possibility of degenerative rotator cuff tear should be considered. In addition, the age and sex could be associative factors for larger size of torn rotator cuff.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.135-143
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• 2009

Objectives : Low back pain(LBP) is a common disabling disease in clinical practice and loss of working hours due to this condition is huge. The aim of this study was to determine if there was an association between fat deposit of paraspinal muscles as observed on MRI scans in patients presenting with unilateral LBP. Methods : 24 patients who visiting our hospital with a clinical presentation of unilateral LBP were recruited to the study. Patients were between 20 and 30 years and had a history of unilateral LBP within 12 months. After MRI scaning, the images were saved in DICOM file format for Picture Archiving and Communication System(PACS). The percentage of fat infiltrated area was measured using a pseudocoloring technique. Data were analyzed comparing the fat deposits of the muscles on the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides. Paired t-test was used to find the difference between the measurements of fat tissue in individual patients. Results : The amount of fat in the symptomatic side was $7.6{\pm}4.51%$, asymptomatic side was $6.7{\pm}4.29%$. There were increases, statistically significant, in the fat changes of the paraspinal muscles at the L4-5 disc level(P <0.05). Also, men were likely than women to have more fat deposit in symptomatic side(men $8.5{\pm}5.1%$, women $6.5{\pm}3.6%$). Conclusions : The amount of fat in the symptomatic side shows significantly increased than asymptomatic side in the paraspinal muscles at the L4-5 disc level. It suggested that fat infiltration in the muscles associated with LBP. Further studies will be needed to confirm the relationship between the muscle fatty changes and LBP in the large sample size. In addition, the correlation of pain severity with fat infiltration needs to be addressed.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2011

In this study, we examined the impact caused by chronic exposure to Mn by investigating the degree of brain activation based on the data of recognition activities using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). A questionnaire survey, blood tests, and fMRI tests were carried out with respect to two groups. Group 1 was an exposure group consisting of 15 male workers who are 34 years old or older, and who worked for longer than 10 years in a shipbuilding factory as a welder. Group 2 was a control group consisting of 15 workers in manufacturing industries with the same gender and age. The results showed that blood Mn concentration of Group 1($1.3\;{\mu}g/dl$) was significantly higher than that of Group 2($0.8\;{\mu}g/dl$)(p < 0.001), and Pallidal Index (PI) of Group 1 was also significantly higher than that of Group 2 (p < 0.001). PI value of the group whose blood Mn concentration was $0.93\;{\mu}g/dl$ or higher was significantly higher than that of the group whose blood Mn concentration was less than $0.93 \;{\mu}g/dl$ (p < 0.001). As for brain activity area within the control group, the right and the left areas of occipital cortex showed significant activity and the left area of middle temporal cortex, the right area of superior inferior frontal cortex and inferior parietal cortex showed significant activity. Unlike the control group, the exposure group showed significant activity on the right area of superior inferior temporal cortex, the left of insula area. In the comparison of brain activity areas between the two groups, the exposure group showed significantly higher activation than the control group in such areas as the right inferior temporal cortex, the left area of superior parietal cortex and occipital cortex, and cerebellum including middle temporal cortex. However, in nowhere the control group showed more activated area than the exposure group. As the final outcome, chronic exposure to Mn increased brain activity during implementation of arithmetic task. In an identical task, activation increased in superior inferior temporal cortex, and insula area. And it was discovered that brain activity increase in temporal area and occipital area was more pronounced in the exposure group than in the control group. This result suggests that chronic exposure to Mn in the work environment affects brain activation neuro-network.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2009

Purpose : This study proposes the keyhole method in order to improve the time resolution of the proton resonance frequency(PRF) MR temperature monitoring technique. The values of Root Mean Square (RMS) error of measured temperature value and Signal-to-Noise Ratio(SNR) obtained from the keyhole and full phase encoded temperature images were compared. Materials and Methods : The PRF method combined with GRE sequence was used to get MR temperature images using a clinical 1.5T MR scanner. It was conducted on the tissue-mimic 2% agarose gel phantom and swine's hock tissue. A MR compatible coaxial slot antenna driven by microwave power generator at 2.45GHz was used to heat the object in the magnetic bore for 5 minutes followed by a sequential acquisition of MR raw data during 10 minutes of cooling period. The acquired raw data were transferred to PC after then the keyhole images were reconstructed by taking the central part of K-space data with 128, 64, 32 and 16 phase encoding lines while the remaining peripheral parts were taken from the 1st reference raw data. The RMS errors were compared with the 256 full encoded self-reference temperature image while the SNR values were compared with the zero filling images. Results : As phase encoding number at the center part on the keyhole temperature images decreased to 128, 64, 32 and 16, the RMS errors of the measured temperature increased to 0.538, 0.712, 0.768 and 0.845$^{\circ}C$, meanwhile SNR values were maintained as the phase encoding number of keyhole part is reduced. Conclusion : This study shows that the keyhole technique is successfully applied to temperature monitoring procedure to increases the temporal resolution by standardizing the matrix size, thus maintained the SNR values. In future, it is expected to implement the MR real time thermal imaging using keyhole method which is able to reduce the scan time with minimal thermal variations.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.490-496
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• 1998

Purpose: We evaluated brain perfusion SPECT findings of MELAS syndrome and mitochondrial myopathy in correlation with MR imaging in search of specific imaging features. Materials and Methods: Subjects were five patients (four females and one male; age range, 1 to 25 year) who presented with repeated stroke-like episodes, seizures or developmental delay or asymptomatic but had elevated lactic acid in CSF and serum. Conventional non-contrast MR imaging and Tc-99m-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) brain perfusion SPECT were Performed and imaging features were analyzed. Results: MRI demonstrated increased T2 signal intensities in the affected areas of gray and white matters mainly in the parietal (4/5) and occipital lobes (4/5) and in the basal ganglia (1/5), which were not restricted to a specific vascular territory. SPECT demonstrated decreased perfusion in the corresponding regions of MRI lesions. In addition, there were perfusion defects in parietal (1 patient), temporal (2), and frontal (1) lobes and basal ganglia (1) and thalami (2). In a patient with mitochondrial myopathy who had normal MRI, decreased perfusion was noted in left parietal area and bilateral thalami. Conclusion: Tc-99m ECD SPECT imaging in patients with MELAS syndrome and mitochondrial myopathy showed hypoperfusion of parieto-occipital cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus and temporal cortex, which were not restricted to a specific vascular territory. There were no specific imaging features on SPECT. The significance of abnormal perfusion on SPECT without corresponding MR abnormalities needs to be evaluated further in larger number of patients.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2012

Purpose : We studied enhanced method to view the vessels in the brain using Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA). Noticing that Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP) image is often used to evaluate the arteries of the neck and brain, we propose a new method for view brain vessels to stereo image in 3D space with more superior and more correct compared with conventional method. Materials and Methods: We use 3T Siemens Tim Trio MRI scanner with 4 channel head coil and get a 3D MRA brain data by fixing volunteers head and radiating Phase Contrast pulse sequence. MRA brain data is 3D rotated according to the view angle of each eyes. Optimal view angle (projection angle) is determined by the distance between eye and center of the data. Newly acquired MRA data are projected along with the projection line and display only the highest values. Each left and right view MIP image is integrated through anaglyph imaging method and optimal stereoscopic MIP image is acquired. Results: Result image shows that proposed method let enable to view MIP image at any direction of MRA data that is impossible to the conventional method. Moreover, considering disparity and distance from viewer to center of MRA data at spherical coordinates, we can get more realistic stereo image. In conclusion, we can get optimal stereoscopic images according to the position that viewers want to see and distance between viewer and MRA data. Conclusion: Proposed method overcome problems of conventional method that shows only specific projected image (z-axis projection) and give optimal depth information by converting mono MIP image to stereoscopic image considering viewers position. And can display any view of MRA data at spherical coordinates. If the optimization algorithm and parallel processing is applied, it may give useful medical information for diagnosis and treatment planning in real-time.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.377-384
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• 2001

Generally. there have been limitations to investigate structural brain abnormalities with MR images for psychiatric patients. such as schizophrenia. depression and autism, since the brain abnormalities of psychiatric Patients are too small to be detected easily. It has been suggested to exploit the result of size-comparison or analysis of specified Part in various brain tissues. Results of brain analysis highly depend on accuracy of the brain segmentation because it is hard to segment image that the boundary between tissues in the brain MRI is inherently value. In this Paper. we improve the quality of brain segmentation so that we increase the credit of brain analysis. In addition, we Provide the improved images for studying brain abnormalities through left-right insular volume measure using handy software tool .

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.87-96
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• 2007

문제: 영상의학과 특수 검사(CT, MRI, 초음파)가 고가인 것에 반해 환자의 대기시간이 길어 환자의 만족도가 낮고 부도율(non-attendance rate)도 높다. 목적: 환자의 영상의학과 특수 검사 예약률과 부도율(non-attendance rate)을 파악하고 이에 관한 원인을 분석하여 환자의 만족도를 증가시킬 방안을 모색하는 것이 목적이다. 의료기관: 경기도에 소재한 920병상규모의 대학병원 질 향상 활동: 영상의학과 검사 예약 환자의 부도율 원인 조사 및 만족도 조사를 실시하여 원인을 파악하고 개선을 통해 질 향상을 도모하였다. 개선효과: 전체부도율이 개선 전 9.6명에서 개선 후 7.1명으로, 불량률은 개선 전 10.43%에서 개선 후 7.81%로 다소 감소되었으며 검사 예약률은 개선 전 93.94%에서 개선 후 94.51%로 미 예약률은 6.0%에서 5.5%로 감소하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.351-354
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• 2006

시청각 동영상을 이용하여 정서의 뇌 활성화 영역을 규명하는 뇌 영상 연구들은 심상이나 슬라이드와 같은 정서유발도구를 사용한 연구들이 가지지 못한 장점을 가지고 있다. 그러나 시청각 동영상을 이용하여 정서와 관련된 뇌 활성화 영역을 밝히는 연구들은 미미한 실정이다. 본 연구는 시청각 동영상 자극을 이용하여 부적정서에 해당하는 공포, 분노, 혐오정서의 뇌 활성화 영역을 밝히도록 하겠다. 실험참가자로 11명의 오른손잡이 여대생이 선정되었다. fMRI 실험을 위한 패러다임은 block design으로, 각 정서당 통제자극 30초와 정서자극 1분 30초로 구성되었다. 개발된 공포자극에 의해 유발된 공포정서를 경험하는 동안, 공포자극에서는 우측 Amygdala와 양측 Fusiform Gyrus, 좌측 Middle Occipital Gyrus, 우측 Superior Temporal Gyrus가, 분노자극에서는 좌측 Thalamus와 양측 Anterior Cingulate Gyrus, 혐오자극에서는 좌측 Insula, 우측 Putamen, 우측 Fusiform Gyrus, 우측 Middle Occipital Gyrus, 우측Superior Temporal Gyrus 가 활성화되는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구 결과에서는 시청각 자극을 사용하여 부적 정서에 따른 뇌 활성화 영역을 규명할 수 있었다.