• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제61권6호
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• pp.767-773
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• 2018

Three male patients diagnosed with surfer's myelopathy (19-30 years) were admitted to our hospital. All three patients were novice surfers showing a typical clinical course of rapid progression of paraplegia following the onset of back pain. Typical history and magnetic resonance imaging features indicated the diagnosis of surfer's myelopathy. Two patients received high-dose steroid therapy and the other was treated with induced hypertension. One patient treated with induced hypertension showed almost full recovery; however, two patients who received high-dose steroid therapy remained completely paraplegic and required catheterization for bladder and bowel dysfunction despite months of rehabilitation. Our case series demonstrates the potentially devastating neurological outcome of surfer's myelopathy; however, early recovery in the initial 24-72 hours of presentation can occur in some patients, which is in accordance with previous reports. Ischemic insult to the spinal cord is thought to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of surfer's myelopathy. Treatment recommendations include hydration, induced hypertension, early spinal angiography with intra-arterial intervention, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator, and high-dose steroid therapy; however, there is no standardized treatment option available. Early recovery appears to be important for long-term neurological outcome. Induced hypertension for initial treatment can be helpful for improving spinal cord perfusion; therefore, it is important for early and long-term neurological recovery. Education and awareness are essential for preventing surfer's myelopathy and avoiding further deterioration of neurological function.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.719-731
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• 2009

Objectives : Stroke is the most common disabling neurological disease of adult life. The treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients is an important and challenging area in the field of medicine. In Korea, a lot of stroke patients are treated using oriental medicine and there have been reports on their functional recovery. The aim of this study was to prove the therapeutic effect of oriental medicine on ischemic stroke. We also tried to identify characteristics of patients whose functional recovery was prominent and studied whether or not the use of fluids, anticoagulants, antiplatelets and neuroprotective agents increased the functional recovery of patients. Methods : We studied 794 patients within 2 weeks after first attack of ischemic stroke who were admitted to Kyung-Hee Oriental Medical Center from 1999 to 2000. Their maximum admission period was 60 days. Results : Motor power grade, NIHSS and MBI scores of patients improved during hospitalization significantly. Factors affecting functional recovery were admission period, motor power grade, NIHSS and MBI at admission. Age, waist-hip ratio and HDL cholesterol also affected functional recovery of patients. Whether or not fluids, anticoagulants, antiplatelets and neuroprotective agents were administered had nothing to do with functional recovery. Conclusion : Oriental medicine is effective for treatment and rehabilitation of ischemic stroke patients. When we manage stroke, we have to consider some important factors.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권7호
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• pp.1163-1171
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• 2021

Objective: To analyze the correlations between intraoperative ultrasound and MRI metrics of the spinal cord in degenerative cervical myelopathy and identify novel potential predictive ultrasonic indicators of neurological recovery for degenerative cervical myelopathy. Materials and Methods: Twenty-two patients who underwent French-door laminoplasty for multilevel degenerative cervical myelopathy were followed up for 12 months. The Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores were assessed preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively. Maximum spinal cord compression and compression rates were measured and calculated using both intraoperative ultrasound imaging and preoperative T2-weight (T2W) MRI. Signal change rates of the spinal cord on preoperative T2W MRI and gray value ratios of dorsal and ventral spinal cord hyperechogenicity on intraoperative ultrasound imaging were measured and calculated. Correlations between intraoperative ultrasound metrics, MRI metrics, and the recovery rate JOA scores were analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis. Results: The postoperative JOA scores improved significantly, with a mean recovery rate of 65.0 ± 20.3% (p < 0.001). No significant correlations were found between the operative ultrasound metrics and MRI metrics. The gray value ratios of the spinal cord hyperechogenicity was negatively correlated with the recovery rate of JOA scores (ρ = -0.638, p = 0.001), while the ventral and dorsal gray value ratios of spinal cord hyperechogenicity were negatively correlated with the recovery rate of JOA-motor scores (ρ = -0.582, p = 0.004) and JOA-sensory scores (ρ = -0.452, p = 0.035), respectively. The dorsal gray value ratio was significantly higher than the ventral gray value ratio (p < 0.001), while the recovery rate of JOA-motor scores was better than that of JOA-sensory scores at 12 months post-surgery (p = 0.028). Conclusion: For degenerative cervical myelopathy, the correlations between intraoperative ultrasound and preoperative T2W MRI metrics were not significant. Gray value ratios of the spinal cord hyperechogenicity and dorsal and ventral spinal cord hyperechogenicity were significantly correlated with neurological recovery at 12 months postoperatively.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.63-73
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• 2013

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious condition associated with social and familial burden, as well as significant neurologic deficit. Despite the many advances in the treatment of spinal cord injury, a fundamental treatment for neurologic functional recovery has not yet been developed. In this article, we review two directions of development for spinal cord injury treatment: neuroprotective pharmacological agents and axon-regenerating cell therapy. We expect developments in these two to lead to improve functional recovery in patients with spinal cord injuries and to reduce burdens on society, as well as the patients' families.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제50권3호
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• pp.209-215
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• 2011

Objective : The authors investigated the changes of cortical sensorimotor activity in functional MRI (fMRI) and functional recovery in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients who had been treated by bone marrow cell transplantation. Methods : Nineteen patients with SCI were included in this study; ten patients with clinical improvement and nine without. The cortical sensorimotor activations were studied using the proprioceptive stimulation during the fMRI. Results : Diagnostic accuracy of fMRI with neurological improvement was 70.0% and 44.4% for sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Signal activation in the ipsilateral motor cortex in fMRI was commonly observed in the clinically neurological improved group (p-value=0.002). Signal activation in the contralateral temporal lobe and basal ganglia was more commonly found in the neurological unimproved group (p-value<0.001). Signal activation in other locations was not statistically different. Conclusion : In patients with SCI, activation patterns of fMRI between patients with neurologic recovery and those without varied. Such plasticity should be considered in evaluating SCI interventions based on behavioral and neurological measurements.

• Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.448-454
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• 2018

Background: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a tragic event that has a major impact on individuals and society as well as the healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the strength of association between surgical treatment timing and neurological improvement. Methods: Fifty-six patients with neurological impairment due to traumatic SCI were included in this study. From January 2013 to June 2017, all their medical records were reviewed. Initially, to identify the factors affecting the recovery of neurological deficit after an acute SCI, we performed univariate logistic regression analyses for various variables. Then, we performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis for variables that showed a p-value of < 0.2 in the univariate analyses. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to determine the goodness of fit for the multivariate logistic regression model. Results: In the univariate analysis on the strength of associations between various factors and neurological improvement, the following factors had a p-value of < 0.2: surgical timing (early, < 8 hours; late, 8-24 hours; p = 0.033), completeness of SCI (complete/incomplete; p = 0.033), and smoking (p = 0.095). In the multivariate analysis, only two variables were significant: surgical timing (odds ratio [OR], 0.128; p = 0.004) and completeness of SCI (OR, 9.611; p = 0.009). Conclusions: Early surgical decompression within 8 hours after traumatic SCI appeared to improve neurological recovery. Furthermore, incomplete SCI was more closely related to favorable neurological improvement than complete SCI. Therefore, we recommend early decompression as an effective treatment for traumatic SCI.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.43-47
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• 2023

Objective: To present a case study of a 69-year-old woman with COVID-19 who developed neurological complications due to Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy and highlight the importance of daily neurological examinations and rehabilitation in the early detection and management of ECMO-related neurological complications in an isolation ICU. Design: A case report Methods: The patient received ECMO therapy, followed by neurological monitoring and rehabilitation in an isolation ICU. Daily neurological examinations were conducted to monitor the patient's neurological symptoms. Computed tomography was performed to confirm the presence of a hematoma in the left hamstring, which was identified as the cause of the neurological complication. Ultrasound-guided aspiration was immediately performed, and sciatic neuropathy predominantly involving the peroneal division was identified after aspiration. Results: Successful recovery was made possible by the early detection of neurological complications and rehabilitation in an isolation ICU. Although electrodiagnostic tests were not performed due to limited access to the isolation ICU, the appropriate intervention time could be determined through daily neurological examinations and rehabilitation, thereby minimizing neurological sequelae. Conclusions: ECMO-related neurological complications are well known, and their recognition in the ICU can be challenging. The presented case highlights the importance of daily neurological examinations and rehabilitation in the early detection and management of ECMO-related neurological complications in an isolation ICU, which can minimize neurological sequelae.

• Asian Spine Journal
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.981-986
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• 2018

Study Design: Retrospective case series. Purpose: Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is associated with etiologies such as lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and lumbar canal stenosis (LCS). CES has a prevalence of 2% among patients with LDH and exhibits variable outcomes, even with early surgery. Few studies have explored the factors influencing the prognosis in terms of bladder function. Therefore, we aimed to assess the factors contributing to bladder recovery and propose a simplified bladder recovery classification. Overview of Literature: Few reports have described the prognostic clinical factors for bladder recovery following CES. Moreover, limited data are available regarding a meaningful bladder recovery status classification useful in clinical settings. Methods: A single-center retrospective study was conducted (April 2012 to April 2015). Patients with CES secondary to LDH or LCS were included. The retrieved data were evaluated for variables such as demographics, symptom duration, neurological symptoms, bladder symptoms, and surgery duration. The variable bladder function outcome during discharge and at follow-up was recorded. All subjects were followed up for at least 2 years. A simplified bladder recovery classification was proposed. Statistical analyses were performed to study the correlation between patient variables and bladder function outcome. Results: Overall, 39 patients were included in the study. Majority of the subjects were males (79.8%) with an average age of 44.4 years. CES secondary to LDH was most commonly seen (89.7%). Perianal sensation (PAS) showed a significant correlation with neurological recovery. In the absence of PAS, bladder function did not recover. Voluntary anal contraction (VAC) was affected in all study subjects. Conclusions: Intactness of PAS was the only significant prognostic variable. Decreased or absent VAC was the most sensitive diagnostic marker of CES. We also proposed a simplified bladder recovery classification for recovery prognosis.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제63권5호
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• pp.164-170
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• 2020

The prognosis of patients who are comatose after resuscitation remains uncertain. The accurate prediction of neurological outcome is important for management decisions and counseling. A neurological examination is an important factor for prognostication, but widely used sedatives alter the neurological examination and delay the response recovery. Additional studies including electroencephalography, somatosensory-evoked potentials, brain imaging, and blood biomarkers are useful for evaluating the extent of brain injury. This review aimed to assess the usefulness of and provide practical prognostic strategy for pediatric postresuscitation patients. The principles of prognostication are that the assessment should be delayed until at least 72 hours after cardiac arrest and the assessment should be multimodal. Furthermore, multiple factors including unmeasured confounders in individual patients should be considered when applying the prognostication strategy.

• 대한신경과학회지
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.358-362
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• 2018

Delayed anoxic encephalopathy after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is characterized by neurological deterioration that occurs after recovery from acute CO intoxication. There has been no established therapy. We report a patient recovered from acute CO intoxication developed various neurological symptoms. After the administration of high dose prednisolone and anticholinesterase inhibitor, the therapeutic effect was remarkable and confirmed by quantitative analysis of diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI). DTI could be used to evaluate the therapeutic effect for delayed anoxic encephalopathy after CO poisoning.