• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2020

Regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) can be induced by an intracellular calcium increase and oxidative stress, which are characteristic features of temporal lobe epilepsy. Thus, we investigated the spatiotemporal expression and cellular localization of RCAN1 protein and mRNA in the mouse hippocampus after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). Male C57BL/6 mice were given pilocarpine hydrochloride (280 mg/kg, i.p.) and allowed to develop 2 h of SE. Then the animals were given diazepam (10 mg/kg, i.p.) to stop the seizures and sacrificed at 1, 3, 7, 14, or 28 day after SE. Cresyl violet staining showed that pilocarpine-induced SE resulted in cell death in the CA1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus from 3 day after SE. RCAN1 immunoreactivity showed that RCAN1 was mainly expressed in neurons in the shammanipulated hippocampi. At 1 day after SE, RCAN1 expression became detected in hippocampal neuropils. However, RCAN1 signals were markedly enhanced in cells with stellate morphology at 3 and 7 day after SE, which were confirmed to be reactive astrocytes, but not microglia by double immunofluorescence. In addition, realtime reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed a significant upregulation of RCAN1 isoform 4 (RCAN1-4) mRNA in the SE-induced hippocampi. Finally, in situ hybridization with immunohistochemistry revealed astrocytic expression of RCAN1-4 after SE. These results demonstrate astrocytic upregulation of RCAN1 and RCAN1-4 in the mouse hippocampus in the acute and subacute phases of epileptogenesis, providing foundational information for the potential role of RCAN1 in reactive astrocytes during epileptogenesis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.191-200
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• 2022

Intractable hiccups are those which persist for more than one month and can often occur in patients with disorders of the central nervous system, such as stroke, epilepsy, or brain tumor. An 80-year-old male patient undergoing conservative hemodialysis for diabetic nephropathy, recently developed paralysis and dysphagia due to central nervous system complications including stroke and epilepsy. He was admitted to the ◯◯ Oriental Medicine Hospital, and treated with herbal medicine (Gyulpijugyeo-tang, Jeonssiigong-san, and Ijin-tang) and electrical acupuncture for 30 days. No side effects were observed during hospitalization. The frequency and duration of hiccups were measured daily and found to reduce, and the effect persisted during his admission. The patient took no other nervous system drugs. In conclusion, Korean medicine like gyulpijugyeo-tang and acupuncture can be effective for patients with intractable hiccups who cannot use alternative drugs or treatment, because of other complications.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2023

Infection with enterovirus (EV) 71 is usually associated with hand-foot-and-mouth disease and herpangina. The most frequent neurologic complication is brainstem encephalitis. A 30-month-old boy visited the pediatric emergency department with fever, lethargy, and abnormal eye contact. His mental status was slightly drowsy. On hospitalization day 2, the patient experienced respiratory arrest with apnea. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral symmetric T2-high signal lesions without enhancement in the posterior aspect of the brainstem and left medial temporal lobe. Electroencephalography was indicative of diffuse cerebral dysfunction with diffuse high amplitude and irregular delta activities. He underwent a gene study and was diagnosed with myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers syndrome. We report a case of EV 71 brainstem encephalitis by polymerase chain reaction for nasopharyngeal aspirates and feces with rapid progression within one day of fever without the manifestation of throat and skin lesions because of his underlying mitochondrial disease.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.20-31
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• 1998

A robust algorithm to disclose and display the difference of ictal and interictal perfusion may facilitate the detection of ictal hyperfusion foci. Diagnostic performance of localizing epileptogenic zones with subtracted SPECT images was compared with the visual diagnosis using ictal and interictal SPECT, MR, or PET. Ietal and interictal Tc-99m-HMPAO cerebral perfusion SPECT images of 48 patients(pts) were processed to get parametric subtracted images. Epileptogenic foci of all pts were diagnosed by seizure free state after resection of epileptogenic zones. In subtraction SPECT, we used normalized difference ratio of pixel counts(ictal-interictal)/interictal ${\times}100%$) after correcting coordinates of ictal and interictal SPECT in semi-automatized 3-dimensional fashion. We found epileptogenic zones in subtraction SPECT and compared the performance with visual diagnosis of ictal and interictal SPECT, MR and PET using post-surgical diagnosis as gold standard. The concordance of subtraction SPECT and ictal-interictal SPECT was moderately good(kappa=0.49). The sensitivity of ictal-interictal SPECT was 73% and that of subtraction SPECT 58%. Positive predictive value of ictal-interictal SPECT was 76% and that of subtraction SPECT was 64%. There was no statistical difference between sensitivity or positive predictive values of subtraction SPECT and ictal-interictal SPECT, MR or PET. Such was also the case when we divided patients into temporal lobe epilepsy and neocortical epilepsy. We conclude that subtraction SPECT we produced had equivalent diagnostic performance compared with ictal-interictal SPECT in localizing epileptogenic zones. Additional value of these subtraction SPECT in clinical interpretation of ictal and interictal SPECT should be further evaluated.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.327-337
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• 2023

Objectives: Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by repeated seizures attributable to synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. The study evaluated the effect of acetone extract of Adansonia digitata stem bark (ASBE) on seizure score, cognition, depression, and neurodegeneration as well as the level of Gamma-Aminobutyrate acid (GABA) and glutamate in Pentylenetetrazol-kindled rats. Methods: Thirty-five rats were assigned into five groups (n = 7). Groups 1-2 received normal saline and 35 mg/kg PTZ every other day. Groups 3-4 received 125 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg ASBE orally while group 5 received 5 mg/kg diazepam daily for twenty-six days. Group 3-5 received PTZ every other day, 30 mins after ASBE and diazepam. Results: The results showed that Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) induces seizure, reduces mobility time in force swim test and decreases the normal cell number in the brain. It also significantly decreases (p < 0.05) catalase, superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione activities compared to the ASBE pre-treated rats. Pre-treatment with ASBE reportedly decreases seizure activities significantly (p < 0.05) and increases mobility time in the force swim test. ASBE also significantly elevate (p < 0.05) the normal cell number in the hippocampus, temporal lobe, and dentate gyrus. Conclusion: ASBE reduced seizure activity and prevented depression in PTZ-treated rats. It also prevented neurodegeneration by regulating glutamate and GABA levels in the brain as well as preventing lipid peroxidation.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2000

Objective: The purpose of our study was to determine the ability of H-1 MR spectroscopy (MRS) to lateralize the lesion in patients with hippocampal sclerosis. Materials and Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers and 25 patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy whose MR imaging diagnosis was unilateral hippocampal sclerosis were included. This diagnosis was based on the presence of unilateral atrophy and/or high T2 signal intensity of the hippocampus. Single-voxel H-1 MRS was carried out on a 1.5-T unit using PRESS sequence (TE, 136 msec). Spectra were obtained from hippocampal areas bilaterally with volumes of interest (VOIs) of 6.0 cm³ and 2.25 cm³ in healthy volunteers, and of either 6.0 cm³ (n = 14) or 2.25 cm³ (n = 11) in patients. Metabolite ratios of NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr were calculated from relative peak height measurements. The capability of MRS to lateralize the lesion and to detect bilateral abnormalities was compared with MR imaging diagnosis as a standard of reference. Results: In healthy volunteers, NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr ratios were greater than 0.8 and 1.0, respectively. In patients, the mean values of these ratios were significantly lower on the lesion side than on the contralateral side, and lower than those of healthy volunteers (p < .05). The overall correct lateralization rate of MRS was 72% (18/25); this rate was lower with a VOI of 6.0 cm³ than of 2.25 cm³ (64% versus 82%, p < .05). Bilateral abnormalities on MRS were found in 24% (6/25) of cases. Conclusion: Although its rate of correct lateralization is low, single-voxel H-1 MRS is a useful and promising diagnostic tool in the evaluation of hippocampal sclerosis, particularly for the detection of bilateral abnormalities. To improve the diagnostic accuracy of H-1 MRS, further investigation, including the use of a smaller VOI and measurement of the absolute amount of metabolites, are needed.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.63-67
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• 2012

A 4-year-old girl with Panayiotopoulos syndrome presented with a history of 4 prolonged autonomic seizures. The clinical features of her seizures included, in order of occurrence, blank staring, pallor, vomiting, hemi-clonic movement on the right side, and unresponsiveness. A brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a slightly high $T_2$ signal in the left hippocampus. Interictal electoencephalogram revealed spikes in the occipital area of the left hemisphere. We analyzed the current-source distribution of the spikes to examine the relationship between the current source and the high $T_2$ signal. The current source of the occipital spikes was not only distributed in the occipital area of both cerebral hemispheres, but also extended to the posterior temporal area of the left hemisphere. These findings suggest that the left temporal lobe may be one of the hyperexcitable areas and form part of the epileptogenic area in this patient. We hypothesized that the high $T_2$ signal in the left hippocampus of our patient may not have been an incidental lesion, but instead may be related to the underlying electroclinical diagnosis of Panayiotopoulos syndrome, and particularly seizure. This notion is important because an abnormal $T_2$ signal in the hippocampus may represent an acute stage of hippocampal injury, although there is no previous report of hippocampal pathology in Panayiotopoulos syndrome. Therefore, long-term observation and serial follow-up MRIs may be needed to confirm the clinical significance of the $T_2$ signal change in the hippocampus of this patient.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 1991

뇌 혈류의 기능적 영상화는 간질병소의 국소화에 이용되고 있으며 측두엽성간질의 편측화에 여러가지 진단 방법이 이용되고 있으나 만족할만한 결과를 보이지 못하고 있다. 최근 PET또는 SPECT를 이용하여 측두엽성간질에서 발작 간에 측두엽 병소의 대사율 및 혈류의 감소가 나타나며, 이러한 소견은 발작 유발 병소의 편측화에 매우 유용할것이라는 보고들이 있다. 저자들은 측두엽성간질에서 간질 병소를 편측화 하는데에 $^{99m}Tc-HMPAO$ SPECT의 유용성을 평가 하고자 측두엽성간질 31예에서 발작 간의 $^{99m}Tc-HMPAO$ SPECT 소견, 뇌파, 자기 공명 영상 및 전산화 단층 소견을 비교하였다. SPECT 소견에 따른 나이, 병력 기간과 병발시 나이 등의 임상 지수 간에는 유의한 차이가 없었다. 31예의 환자중 23예에서(74.2%) 국소 뇌 혈류 감소를 보였으며 17예(54.8%)에서 측두엽에 관류 감소가 관찰 되었다. 비인두 뇌파 표준 뇌파는 24예(77.4%)에서 측두엽에 편측화를 보였으며 SPECT와 뇌파 양자가 모두 편측화된 경우 일치도는 8/12예 (66.7%) 였다. 16예에서 시행된 전산화 단층 영상은 모두 편측화를 보이지 못했으며 27예에서 시행된 자기 공명 영상에서는 단지 1예에서 편측화를 보였다. 이상의 결과로서 발작 간의 $^{99m}Tc-HMPAO$ SPECT는 측두엽성간질 병소의 편측화에 유용한 보조 검사로 생각된다.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.283-299
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• 1999

1. Purpose : Systemic injection of kainic acid in experimental animals induces the limbic seizure and structural damages in hippocampus and amygdala which resembles the changes in human temporal lobe epilepsy. The author performed this study to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Yuldahansotang, on the neurotoxicity induced by kainic acid in the hippocampus in rats. 2. Method : Kainic acid was administered intraperitoneally. And feeding with Yuldahansotang for 3 weeks after kainic acid administration. Seizure were induced in male mice (kainate 10-40 mg/kg i.p) and animals were sacrified at various time-points after injection. The experimental animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, 3day and 1, 3weeks while Yuldahansotang administrations. Seizure were graded using a behavioral scale developed in our laboratory. c-fos belong to immediate early genes(IEGs) known to have rapid and brief responses. And neuronal injury was assayed by examining DNA fragmentation using in situ nick translation histochemistry. 3. Results & Conclusion : Seizure severity paralled kainate dosage. At higher doses DNA fragmentation is seen mainly in hippocampus in area CA3, and variable in CA1, thalamus, amygdala within 24 h, is maximal within 72 h, and is large gene by 7 days after administration of kainate. And we can't see the expression of DNA fragmentation and c-fos in the mice what feeded by Yuldahansotang after 7 days from kainic acid administration. It is consequently suggested that Yuldahansotang may attenuate the kainic acid-induced neuronal degeneration and increase the immunoreactivity of hippocampus in mouse.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2002

Purpose : Hippocampal atrophy is one of the characteristic pathologic findings of hippocampal sclerosis, for which MR imaging of the hippocampus is essential in the evaluation of hippocampal sclerosis. The purpose of this study is to present the normal MR volumetric data of the hippocampus in normal adult Korean and to compare those with MR volumetric data of hippocampus in patients with hippocampal s-clerosis, providing the diagnostic volume criteria of the hippocampal atrophy. Materials and methods : MR volumetry was performed in 30 normal adults and 28 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy whose final diagnosis was hippocampal sclerosis. The volumetric data were compared between sexes, right and left sides, and normal and abnormal hippocampus, and the volume criteria for the diagnosis of hippocampal atrophy was determined. Results : The mean $volumes({\pm}standard$ deviation) of normal Korean adult were $2.20{\pm}0.73\textrm{cm}^3$ (right) and $2.17{\pm}0.72\textrm{cm}^3$ (left) in male and $2.27{\pm}0.47{\;}\textrm{cm}^3$ (right) and $2.23{\pm}0.48\textrm{cm}^3$ (left) in female. The mean right-left differences were $0.14{\pm}0.11\textrm{cm}^3$ and $0.19{\pm}0.13\textrm{cm}^3$ in male and female, respectively. The MR volumetry showed no significant statistical differences between sexes and between right and left. The mean volume and standard deviation of the hippocampus in hippocampal sclerosis patients was $1.46{\pm}0.60{\;}\textrm{cm}^3$, and the right-left difference was $0.51{\pm}0.41\textrm{cm}^3$, In comparison of two volume distributions between normal adult group and hippocampal sclerosis patients group, the reasonable diagnostic volume criteria was $0.4{\;}\textrm{cm}^3$ as right-left volume difference, in which the sensitivity and specificity are 0.61 and 0.90. In all patients with right-left volume difference more than $0.4{\;}\textrm{cm}^3$, visual determination of unilateral hippocampal atrophy was possible. Conclusion : The MR-based hippocampal volumetry is a useful add-on of visual MR diagnosis, only when visual diagnosis of hippocampal sclerosis is difficult.