• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 1999

Transcranial doppler ultrasonography (TCD) is a new, non-invasive and easily applicable method to evaluate cerebral hemodynamics. Last 10 years, its use in Korea has been dramatically expanded, but the qualification of TCD laboratory has yet to be settled. Since duplex sonography is seldom used in Korea, we have to depend totally on TCD to evaluate cerebral hemodynamic changes. Thus, all of the available data from every detectabler cerebral arteries has to be obtained for accurate interpretation of TCD measurements. Moreover, flow direction and wave form should be concerned in addition to the flow velocity. In this article, I present technique to measure the anterior, meddle and posterior cerebral arteries, the internal carotid artery siphon and at cervical level, and the vertebral and the basilar artery, and normal values for these measurements which is essential for the adequate interpretation.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2011

Occipital neuralgia is usually defined as paroxysmal stabbing pain in the greater or lesser occipital nerve (GON or LON) distribution. In occipital neuralgia patients, surgical considerations are carefully taken into account if medical management is ineffective. However, identification of the occipital artery by palpation in patients with thick necks or small occipital arteries can be technically difficult. Therefore, we established a new technique using transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography for more accurate and rapid identification. The patient was a 64-year-old man who had undergone C1-C3 screw fixation and presented with intractable stabbing pain in the bilateral GON and LON distributions. In cases in which pain management was performed using medication, physical therapy, nerve block, or radiofrequency thermocoagulation, substantial pain relief was not consistently achieved, and recurrence of pain was reported. Therefore, we performed occipital neurectomy of the bilateral GON and LON by using TCD sonography, which helped detect the greater occipital artery easily. After the operation, the patient’s headache disappeared gradually, although he had discontinued all medication except antidepressants. We believe that this new technique of occipital neurectomy via a small skin incision performed using TCD sonography is easy and reliable, has a short operative time, and provides rapid pain relief.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2009

The prevalence of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in healthy persons was estimated as about $10{\sim}25%$ and was up to 40% in patients with stroke. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was considered to be the most sensitive method to detect PFO and was used as the gold standard. Transcranial doppler sonography (TCD) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) during a contrast (saline bubble) injection has recently been proposed as an alternative detecting method for PFO. In this study, we would like to know the difference between TCD value and TEE value in subjects with cryptogenic ischemic stroke. We performed TCD and TEE tests to detect PFO on 64 patients (30 women and 34 men, mean age was 59.4 years) with cryptogenic ischemic stroke. PFO prevalence through TCD was 45.3% (29 of 64 patients) and the prevalence through TEE was 34.4% (22 of 64 patients). There was no statistical significance between PFO test and TCD test (P=0.206). But TCD had a sensitivity of 90.9% (20 of 22 patients), specificity of 78.6% (33 of 42 patients), positive predictive value of 69.0% (20 of 29 patients), and negative predictive value of 94.3% (33 of 35 patients). We concluded that TCD was a highly sensitive method for detecting a right-left shunt. Therefore, the non-invasive TCD test is a method more effective than the anti-invasive TEE test in the cost and evaluation of the existence or nonexistence of right to left shunt in addition to the screening method of the cerebrovascular disorder. Considering these points, TCD test could be recommended for patients with cryptogenic ischemic stroke as a useful and convenient method for screening of the existence or nonexistence of a right to left shunt caused by PFO.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.300-318
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• 1998

Background : The vasoreactivity of cerebral artery is currently the subject of increasing interest. Transcranial Doppler Sonography(TCD) is an accurate method of monitoring the blood flow velocities of the cerebral artery. We wished to assess the vasoreactivity between age-matched normal and cerebral infarction group. Method : We performed TCD findings in 40 normals and 20 cb-inf. subjects who arrived at hospital during 48 hours after attack. The former were devided into twenties normal group and fifties normal group. Result : 1. Fibrinogen levels showed significant changes between age-matched normal and cb-inf. group. 2. $V^{MEAN}$ of the both side Carotid Siphon during rest state increased significantly in cb-inf. group as compared with the age-matched normal group. 3. $V^{MEAN}and\;V^{MAX}$ of the both side carotid siphon during breath-hold state increased significantly in cb-inf. group as compared with the age-matched normal group. 4. Vasoreactivity of cerebral artery increased significantly in cb-inf. group as compared with the age-matched normal group. 5. $V^{MEAN}and\;V^{MAX}$ of the both side Radial artery during heat-stimuration state increased significantly in cb-inf. group as compared with the age-matched normal group. 6. Vasoreactivity of Radial artery increased significantly in cb-inf. group as compared with the age-matched normal group.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.347-354
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• 2006

Objective : We evaluate the role of multislice computerized tomographic angiography[MCTA] in the diagnosis of intracranial vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage[SAH] in patients suspected of having vasospasm on clinical ground. Methods : Between October 2003 and June 2005, patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms of the anterior circulation clipped within 3 days of the onset were included. We performed follow-up MCTAs in patients who were suspected to have vasospasm on transcranial doppler sonography[TCD] findings and clinical grounds. Based on the clinical presentation of symptomatic vasospasm, we investigated the correlation between clinical, TCD, and MCTA signs of vasospasm and evaluated the role of MCTA in vasospasm. Results : One hundred one patients met the inclusion criteria and symptomatic vasospasm developed in 25 patients [24.8%]. We performed follow-up MCTAs in 28 patients. MCTA revealed spasm in the vessels of 26 patients. The sensitivity of MCTA was 100%. Among the 26 patients with MCTA evidence of vasospasm, 3 patients had TCD signs of vasospasm after symptomatic vasospasm presentation. Another 3 patients with symptomatic vasospasm had no TCD signs of vasospasm in daily serial recordings. Six other patients without symptomatic vasospasm showed MCTA evidence of vasospasm [false positive result] but these patients had also positive TCD signs of vasospasm. Volume rendering[VR] images tended to show significantly more exaggerated vasospasm than maximum intensity projection[MIP] images. The mean cerebral blood flow velocity of both proximal segment of the middle cerebral artery [M1] was significantly correlated with each reduced M1 diameter on MCTA [P<005]. Conclusion : MCTA could be a useful tool for evaluation and planning management of critically ill patients suspected of having vasospasm; however, more randomized controlled trials are necessary to assess these points definitively.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.923-928
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• 2000

Objective : The reliability of transcranial doppler sonography(TCD) for predicting delayed ischemic neurologic deficit( DIND) was investigated in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH). Methods : The velocity of blood flow through the middle cerebral artery was measured by TCD in 70 patients treated surgically within 72 hours due to ruptured cerebral aneurysm. A correlation between measured maximal mean blood flow velocities and clinical factors including age, hypertension, Hunt-Hess grade, Fisher grade, DIND, and outcome was made. Results : An age-dependent reduction of the measured maximal mean velocities was found(r＝-0.4043, p<0.001). Flow velocities in hypertensive patients were significantly lower than in the normotensive individuals(two-tailed T test, p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the flow velocities and evaluated other clinical factors. When the flow velocities of 14 patients who developed DIND were compared with those of patients without deficits, no significant difference was seen. A significant increase in flow velocities in the days before the onset of DIND was found only in 4 of 14 cases. High flow velocities did not necessarily mean impending neurological deficits : 6 of 70 patients tolerated flow velocities over 160cm/s. Conclusion : We suggest that TCD readings have limited utility for predicting DIND following SAH, especially in older or hypertensive patients. More direct measurements of blood flow are necessary to adequately predict which patients are at high risk of DIND.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.467-472
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• 2004

Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) is a useful diagnostic method to measure cerebral blood flow velocity in various cerebral disorders. However, we haven't data enough to be available for young persons, especially in the twenties in Korea. This study was performed to collect the basic data of the cerebral blood flow velocity and to understand the cerebral physiology in the twenties. We determined the mean velocities of middle, anterior, and posterior cerebral artery, and vertebral and basilar artery (MCA-V, ACA-V, PCA-V, VA-V, and BA-V, respectively) in eighty-two healthy volunteers. For evaluating cerebral autoregulation, only the MCA- V was measured under various conditions such as stable, apnea, and hyperventilation state. Right and left MCA-V were 80.66±14.03 and 83.22±14.40 cm/sec at stable state, 90.13±17.47 and 90.26±16.38 cm/sec at apnea, and 54.83±11.09 and 55.33±10.74 cm/sec at hyperventilation. Right and left ACA-V were 49.11±15.71 and 48.19±13.75 cm/sec. Right and left PCA-V were 39.44±9.12 and 37.91±6.74 cm/sec. Right and left VA-V were 33.65±9.26 and 36.l8±10.39 cm/sec. BA-V was 48.49±11.16 cm/sec. Right and left MCA- V, V A-V, and right ACA- V and PCA- V in women were higher than those of men (P<0.05). No significant differences were found between men and women in the others. These findings indicate that cerebral hemodynamics and autoregulation were normal in young people in their twenties. The velocities of MCA, ACA, PCA, and BA were high values in women as compared with men.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.94-100
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• 2005

Purpose : This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of 3T-TOF MR angiography (3T-TOF MRA) compared with transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) and conventional angiography (CA) in patients with suspected cerebral infarction. Materials and Methods : Fifty four patients with clinical symptoms of cerebral infarction were involved in this study, and had undergone 3T-TOF MRA and TCD, with CA in 11 patients. On the basis of divisions of the carotid artery, four groups were designated: group I, both vertebral arteries and basilar artery; group II, segment between 2 cm below bifurcation of common carotid artery and genu portion of internal carotid artery; group III, segment between petrous portion of internal carotid artery and bifurcation of anterior and middle cerebral artery; group IV, from bifurcation of anterior and middle cerebral artery to thier distal branches. Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed the vascular imaging and stenosis in 3T-TOF MRA, TCD, and CA. Results : A total of 432 arteries, 108 in each group, were available. The assessment of vascular imaging quality in 3T-TOF MRA is scored 2.98, 2.96, 2.91, 2.88 in 4 groups, respectively. Agreement among 3T-TOF MR angiography, TCD, and CA was high. Conclusion : 3T-TOF MR angiography may be useful method for the assessment of stenotic lesions of cranial vasculature in patients with cerebral infarction.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.582-595
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• 2022

Objectives: To investigate the effects of acupuncture at GV20 and EX-HN1 on cerebral blood flow (CBF) velocity and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in the middle cerebral arteries (MCA) and anterior cerebral arteries (ACA) and to compare the effects to acupuncture at GV20. Methods: The study was a randomized, crossover trial that included 10 healthy men aged 20 to 29 years who underwent acupuncture treatment four times with a washout period of one week. The CBF velocity and CVR were measured by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) on both MCAs at the first and second visits, and both ACAs at the third and fourth visits. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups (A and B) before the first and third visits. Group A received two phases of acupuncture intervention at a single GV20 point and a combination of GV20 and EX-HN1 acupoints. Group B received the same interventions, but in the reverse order. Results: The increase in CO₂ reactivity was significantly higher for the combination acupoints of GV20 and EX-HN1 than for the GV20 single acupoint in both MCAs (Right: 136 to 178, p=0.017; Left: 127 to 191, p=0.017) and ACAs (Right: 133 to 158, p=0.013; Left: 122 to 168, p=0.025). No significant change was noted in the corrected velocity at PETCO₂ 40 mmHg, blood pressure, or heart rate. Conclusions: The findings suggest that improvement of the CBF in the MCA and ACA after GV20 acupuncture increases when acupuncture is also performed at EX-HN1. These results clinically support the combined use of EX-HN1 and GV20 to treat disorders of MCA and ACA circulation.