• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.657-664
• /
• 2007

Stroke patients need regular medical treatments and rehabilitation training from their doctors. However, severe aftereffects caused by stroke allow them minimum activities, which make it difficult for them to visit doctor. Recently, electric brain stimulation treatment has been found to be better way compared to conventional ones and many are interested in using this method for the treatment of stroke. In this study, we have developed a remote medical treatment system using wireless electric brain stimulator that can help the stroke patients to get a treatment without visiting their doctors. The developed remote medical treatment system connects the doctors to the brain stimulator implanted in the patients via the internet and ZigBee communication built in the brain stimulator. Also, the system receives personal information of the connected patients and cumulates the total records of electric stimulation therapy in a database. Doctors can easily access the information for better treatment planning with the help of graphical visualization tools and management software. The developed remote medical treatment system can be applied to the electric stimulation treatments for other brain diseases with a minor change.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.514-517
• /
• 2008

Ubiquitous healthcare (U-healthcare) system is one of potential applications of embedded system. Conventional U-healthcare systems are used in health monitoring or chronic disease care based on measuring and transmission of various vital signs. However, future U-healthcare system can be of benefit to more people such as stroke patients which have limited activity by providing them proper medical care as well as continuous monitoring. Recently, an electric brain stimulation treatments have been found to be a better way compared to conventional ones and many are interested in using the method toward the treatment of stroke. In this study, we proposed a remote medical treatment system using ZigBee-based wireless electric brain stimulator that can help them to get a treatment without visiting their doctors. The developed remote medical treatment system connects the doctors to the brain stimulator implanted in the patients via the internet and ZigBee communication built in the brain stimulator. Also, the system receive personal information of the connected patients and cumulate the total records of electric stimulation therapy in a database. Doctors can easily access the information for better treatment planning with the help of graphical visualization tools and management software. The developed remote medical treatment system can extend their coverage to outdoors being networked with hand-held devices through ZigBee.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.228-231
• /
• 2007

The intracranial hemorrhage in regions remote from the site of initial operations is unusual but may present as fatal surgical complication. We report a rare case of multiple, sequential, remote intracranial hematomas after cranioplasty in a patient who did not have any prior risk factors. A 51-years-old man was transferred to the hospital after a head trauma. The brain computed tomography (CT) revealed acute subdural hemorrhage on the right hemisphere with prominent midline shifting. After performing decompressive craniectomy and hematoma removal, the patient recovered without any complications. However, the patient showed neurological deterioration immediately after cranioplasty, which was done three months after the first surgery. There was extensive hemorrhage in the posterior fossa remote from the site of the initial operation site. The brain CT taken soon after removing this hematoma evacuation displayed large epidural hematoma on the left hemisphere. This case represents posterior fossa hemorrhage after supratentorial procedure and sequential delayed hematoma on the contralateral supratentorial region thus seems very rare surgical complications. Despite several possible pathogenetic mechanisms for such remote hematomas, there are usually no clear cut relationships with each case as in our patient. However, for the successful outcome, prompt evaluation and intensive management seem mandatory.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.366-370
• /
• 2001

Objective : The authors present three cases of brain tumors in which epidural hematomas(EDHs) were developed postoperatively in the remote areas from craniotomy sites. The preventive tactics as well as possible mechanisms of development of remote EDH are discussed. Material and Methods : The magnetic resonance imagings of three patients revealed a left lateral ventricular mass located just aside of foramen Monro in a 27-year-old male, a large cystic mass in the temporal lobe in a 35-year-old male, and a partially calcified pineal mass in a 27-year-old male patient. The surgical removals of these tumors were performed without any noticeable events during surgery via left frontal transcortical transventricular approach for lateral ventricular tumor, left temporal craniotomy for cystic temporal tumor, and right occipital transtentorial approach for pineal tumor. Results : Postoperative EDHs remote from the sites of craniotomy were detected by the immediate postoperative computerized tomographic scans. We obtained good outcomes without any morbidity in all three patients with emergent evacuation of the hematoma. The pathologic diagnoses were lateral ventricular ependymoastrocytoma, temporal craniopharyngioma and mixed germinoma of the pineal region. Conclusion : It is postulated that a sudden reduction of intracranial pressure(ICP) at the time of tumor removal may strip the dura from the inner table of the skull to cause EDH from the remote site of craniotomy. Gradual reduction of ICP with slow drainage of cerebrospinal fluid before tumor removal as well as lowering the head position of patient during surgery might be helpful for preventing this unusual complication.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.145-152
• /
• 2017

Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is an intrinsic phenomenon whereby 3~4 consecutive ischemia-reperfusion cycles to a remote tissue (non-cardiac) increases the tolerance of the myocardium to sustained ischemia-reperfusion induced injury. Remote ischemic preconditioning induces the local release of chemical mediators which activate the sensory nerve endings to convey signals to the brain. The latter consequently stimulates the efferent nerve endings innervating the myocardium to induce cardioprotection. Indeed, RIPC-induced cardioprotective effects are reliant on the presence of intact neuronal pathways, which has been confirmed using nerve resection of nerves including femoral nerve, vagus nerve, and sciatic nerve. The involvement of neurogenic signaling has been further substantiated using various pharmacological modulators including hexamethonium and trimetaphan. The present review focuses on the potential involvement of neurogenic pathways in mediating remote ischemic preconditioning-induced cardioprotection.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.118-120
• /
• 2013

We report a rare case of remote cerebellar hemorrhage after intradural disc surgery at the L1-2 level. Two days after the spine surgery, patient complained unexpected headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. From the urgently conducted brain CT, it was reported that the patient had cerebellar hemorrhage. Occipital craniotomy and hematoma evacuation was performed, and hemorrhagic lesion on the right cerebellum was effectively removed. After occipital craniotomy, the patient showed signs of improvement on headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. He was able to leave the hospital after two weeks of initial operation without any neurological deficit. Remote cerebellar hemorrhage following spinal surgery is extremely rare, but may occur from dural damage of spinal surgery, accompanied with cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Early diagnosis is particularly important for the optimal treatment of remote cerebellar hemorrhage.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.240-243
• /
• 2012

Dural tears can occur during spinal surgery and may lead to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage which is rarely involved in remote cerebellar hemorrhage. Only a few of cases of simultaneous cerebral and cerebellar hemorrhage have been reported in the English literature. We experienced a case of multiple remote cerebral and cerebellar hemorrhages in a 63-year-old man who exhibited no significant neurologic deficits after spinal surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed 4 days after the surgery showed a large amount of CSF leakage in the lumbosacral space. The patient underwent the second surgery for primary repair of the dural defect, but complained of headache after dural repair surgery. Brain MRI taken 6 days after the dural repair surgery revealed multifocal remote intracerebral and cerebellar hemorrhages in the right temporal lobe and both cerebellar hemispheres. We recommend diagnostic imaging to secure early identification and treatment of this complication in order to prevent serious neurologic deficits.

• 대한핵의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1997.05a
• /
• pp.148-148
• /
• 1997

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.501-504
• /
• 2009

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage (RCH) is rare but potentially lethal as a complication of spinal surgery. We recently experienced a case of RCH in a 61-year-old man who showed mental deterioration after lumbar spinal surgery. There was dural tearing with subsequent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) loss during the surgery. Brain computed tomography scan revealed cerebellar hemorrhage, 3rd and 4th ventricular hemorrhage and pneumocephalus. He underwent suboccipital craniectomy and hematoma removal. The most important pathomechanism leading to RCH after spinal surgery has been known to be venous bleeding due to caudal sagging of cerebellum by rapid leak of large amount of CSF which seems to be related with this case. Dural repair and minimizing CSF loss after intraoperative dural tearing would be helpful to prevent postoperative RCH.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.57 no.5
• /
• pp.379-385
• /
• 2015

Chronic subdural hematomas mainly occur amongst elderly people and usually develop after minor head injuries. In younger patients, subdural collections may be related to hypertension, coagulopathies, vascular abnormalities, and substance abuse. Different techniques can be used for the surgical treatment of symptomatic chronic subdural hematomas : single or double burr-hole evacuation, with or without subdural drainage, twist-drill craniostomies and classical craniotomies. Failure of the brain to re-expand, pneumocephalus, incomplete evacuation, and recurrence of the fluid collection are common complications following these procedures. Acute subdural hematomas may also occur. Rarely reported hemorrhagic complications include subarachnoid, intracerebral, intraventricular, and remote cerebellar hemorrhages. The causes of such uncommon complications are difficult to explain and remain poorly understood. Overdrainage and intracranial hypotension, rapid brain decompression and shift of the intracranial contents, cerebrospinal fluid loss, vascular dysregulation and impairment of venous outflow are the main mechanisms discussed in the literature. In this article we report three cases of different post-operative intracranial bleeding and review the related literature.