• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.1253-1259
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• 2003

Backgroud : Seizures in the neonate are relatively common and their clinical features are different from those in children and adults. The study aimed to provide the clinical profiles of neonatal seizure in our hospital. Methods : A total of 41 newborns with seizures were enrolled in this study over a period of three years. They were evaluated with special reference to risk factors, neurologic examinations, laboratory data, neuroimaging studies, EEG findings, seizure types, response to treatment, and prognosis, etc. Results : The average age at onset of seizures was $6.1{\pm}4.6days$ and the majority of patients(42%) had multifocal clonic seizure and 24% had subtle seizure. Factors that are known to increase risk of neonatal seizures include abnormal delivery history, birth asphyxia, and electrolyte imbalance, etc. However, they remain obscure in about 20% of cases. More than 50 percent showed abnormal lesions on neuroimaging studies such as brain hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, brain infarction, cortical dysplasia, hydrocephalus, etc. and 17 out of 32 patients showed abnormal electroencephalographic patterns. Phenobarbital was tried as a first line antiepileptic drug and phenytoin was added if it failed to control seizures. The treatments were terminated in the majority of patients during the hospital stay. The overall prognosis was relatively good except for those with abnormal EEG background or congenital central nervous system malformations. Conclusion : Neonatal seizures may permanently disrupt brain development. Better understanding of their clinical profiles and appropriate management may lead to a reduction in neurological disability in later childhood.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.629-636
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• 2002

Purpose : Our study was aimed to investigate the characteristics of seizures as well as to determine whether the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression(nNOS) of hippocampus has an affect in the hyperthermic seizure in developing rat. Methods : Hyperthermic seizures were repeatedly induced twice a week for four weeks in 20-day old Spraque-Dowley rats. Fifty two rats were used as a hyperthermic group and 30 rats used as a normothermic control group. Hyperthermic seizures were induced in a water bath at $45^{\circ}C{\pm}1$ for 4 min. The characteristics of seizures were recorded. Using western blot, hippocampal nNOS expression was measured in normothermic control, hyperthermic non-seizure, and hyperthermic seizure groups, respectively. Results : Eighty seven percent of hyperthermia exposed rats showed generalized tonic-clonic seizure most frequently. The duration of seizure was ranged from 12 to 145 sec(mean 55 sec) and the latency to seizure ranged from 158 to 240 sec(mean 204 sec). The duration of seizure was prolonged but there was no significant difference in the seizure latency as the rat exposed more number of hyperthermia. Interestingly, the expression level of hippocampal nNOS in hyperthermic seizure and hyperthermic non-seizure groups was not different from each other, however, the expression in these groups was lower than that of the control group. Conclusion : Our results indicate that nNOS do not have an affect in this repeated hyperthermic seizures. Further studies are required to clarify a role of nNOS in hyperthermic seizure.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.167-174
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• 2001

A 54-year old male patient who was suffering from bipolar I disorder for 19 years and was admitted to the National Bugok Mental Hospital due to a depressive episode, was referred to the Kosin University Gospel Hospital. On arrival at the emergency room, he had confused mentality with disorientation, memory impairment, hypomania, marked anxiety and hyperirritability. The change of neuromuscular activity such as ataxia, gait disturbance, tremor, shivering, myoclonus and epileptic seizures was also shown. In addition, the symptoms and signs of autonomic instability including diaphoresis, tachycardia, hypotension, fever and facial flushing were noticed. The above symptoms developed after the administration of sertraline successive to the discontinuation of fluoxetine without any washout period. The degree of severity seemed to be severe because he had epileptic seizures, fever and hypotension. He was recovered from the severe serotonin syndrome by the supportive symptomatic treatment with sodium valproate, clonazepam, lorazepam and cyproheptadine after cessation of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during hospitalization. Therefore, this rare case of severe serotonin syndrome was reported and related literatures were also reviewed.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.271-274
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• 2013

Brain insults, including neurotrauma, infection, and perinatal injuries such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, generate inflammation in the brain. These inflammatory cascades induce a wide spectrum of cytokines, which can cause neuron degeneration, have neurotoxic effects on brain tissue, and lead to the development of seizures, even if they are subclinical and occur at birth. Cytokines are secreted by the glial cells of the central nervous system and they function as immune system mediators. Cytokines can be proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory. Interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-8 are proinflammatory cytokines that activate additional cytokine cascades and increase seizure susceptibility and organ damage, whereas IL-1 receptor antagonist and IL-10 act as anti-inflammatory cytokines that have protective and anticonvulsant effects. Therefore, the immune system and its associated inflammatory reactions appear to play an important role in brain damage. Whether cytokine release is relevant for the processes of epileptogenesis and antiepileptogenesis, and whether epileptogenesis could be prevented by immunomodulatory treatment should be addressed in future clinical studies. Furthermore, early detection of brain damage and early intervention are essential for the prevention of disease progression and further neurological complications. Therefore, cytokines might be useful as biomarkers for earlier detection of brain damage in high-risk infants.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2009

Epileptifrom discharges were induced in the telencephalon of the adult zebrafish via perfusion with pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), bicuculline methiodide, kainic acid-treated artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF), and $Mg^{2+}$-free aCSF. Ginseng total saponin [GTS ($50{\mu}g/ml$)] was shown to attenuate the occurrence rate of epilpetiform discharges by 50-75%, compared to the control. Ginsenoside $Rg_1$ ($130{\mu}M$) reduced the epileptiform discharges in the isolated telencephalon and delayed the occurrence of behavioral seizures observed from the adult zebrafish placed in the PTZ (10 mM)-containing aquarium water. However, Re was not effective in the suppression of epileptiform discharges and behavioral seizures. These results indicate that $Rg_1$ may be useful in the control of epileptiform discharges and effective in controlling behavioral seizures, and that the zebrafish can be used as a model animal for the testing of potential anticonvulsant drugs.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.81-85
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• 2011

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a rare disorder characterized biochemically by the increased excretion of porphyrins and porphyrin precursors, including delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG). AIP has variable clinical manifestations, such as acute abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, constipation, peripheral neuropathy, seizures, tachycardia, and hypertension. A 16-year-old girl presented with recurrent abdominal pain, vomiting, hypertension, seizures, hypercholesterolemia, and red urine. AIP was confirmed by clinical features and increased 24-hour urine ALA and PBG. AIP should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who have abdominal pain, hypertension, and seizures when the results of all other tests are normal.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.37-54
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• 2020

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the treatment and treatment's effect for seizures disease in children by reviewing Korean clinical studies. Methods 13 articles which were published from August, 2002 to August, 2016 were obtained from the National discovery for science leader (NDSL), Research information sharing service (RISS), Google Scholar, and Oriental medicine advanced searching integrated system (OASIS) by using keyword 'Seizure', 'Convulsion', and 'Epilepsy'. Results Most of the study cases were with epilepsy children. The most frequently used herbal medicine was Gwakhyangjeonggi-san gami, and the most commonly used acupoints were LI4 and LR3. Treatment periods range from 13 days to 14 months, and all of the seizures were completely cured or relieved after the treatments. Conclusions This study shows that there are common symptoms and treatments for seizures in children. The reported different treatments can be used in primary medical care. Developing guideline standards of the seizure treatments can be possible with further studies.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 1999

Hippocampal slice models can be a powerful tool to study the mechanism of partial epilepsy. Despite the loss of connection with the rest of the brain, in vitro hippocampal slice preparations allow detailed physiological and pharmacological studies, which would be impossible, in vivo. There are several methods to induce electrographic seizures on hippocampal slice models. Those are electrical pulse train stimulation, 0 $Mg^{2+}$ artificial cerebrational fluid and high concentration of extracelluar $K^+$ on bath. Among them, the electrically triggered seizure may mimic the physiological communication between neuronal populations without any deterioration of normal physiologic and chemical status of the hippocampal slice models. Presumably, such communication from hyperexcitable areas to other neuronal populations is involved in the development of epilepsy. Electrographic seizures in hippocampal slice models occur in the network of neurons that are involved in epileptic seizures in the hippocampus in vivo. Because these models have many advantages and are very valuable to research of epileptogenesis on partial epilepsy, I would like to introduce the electrophysiological methods to induce electrographic seizure or epilepsy on hippocampal slice models briefly in this paper.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.251-259
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• 2021

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) is a neuropsychiatric condition that causes a transient alteration of consciousness and loss of self-control. PNES, which occur in vulnerable individuals who often have experienced trauma and are precipitated by overwhelming circumstances, are a body's expression of a distressed mind, a cry for help. PNES are misunderstood, mistreated, under-recognized, and underdiagnosed. The mind-body dichotomy, an artificial divide between physical and mental health and brain disorders into neurology and psychiatry, contributes to undue delays in the diagnosis and treatment of PNES. One of the major barriers in the effective diagnosis and treatment of PNES is the dissonance caused by different illness perceptions between patients and providers. While patients are bewildered by their experiences of disabling attacks beyond their control or comprehension, providers consider PNES trivial because they are not epileptic seizures and are caused by psychological stress. The belief that patients with PNES are feigning or controlling their symptoms leads to negative attitudes of healthcare providers, which in turn lead to a failure to provide the support and respect that patients with PNES so desperately need and deserve. A biopsychosocial perspective and better understanding of the neurobiology of PNES may help bridge this great divide between brain and behavior and improve our interaction with patients, thereby improving prognosis. Knowledge of dysregulated stress hormones, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and altered brain connectivity in PNES will better prepare providers to communicate with patients how intangible emotional stressors could cause tangible involuntary movements and altered awareness.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 2020

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that affects millions of people worldwide and is usually managed using currently available antiepileptic drugs, which result in adverse effects and are ineffective in approximately 20-25% of patients. Thus, there is growing interest in the development of new antiepileptic drugs with fewer side effects. In a previous study, we showed that a Rehmannia glutinosa (RG) water extract has protective effects against electroshock- and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures, with fewer side effects. In this study, the objective was to identify the RG components that are responsible for its anticonvulsant effects. Initially, a number of RG components (aucubin, acteoside, catalpol, and mannitol) were screened, and the anticonvulsant effects of different doses of catalpol, mannitol, and their combination on electroshock- and chemically (PTZ or strychnine)-induced seizures in mice, were further assessed. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor binding assay and electroencephalography (EEG) analysis were conducted to identify the potential underlying drug mechanism. Additionally, treated mice were tested using open-field and rotarod tests. Catalpol, mannitol, and their combination increased threshold against electroshock-induced seizures, and decreased the percentage of seizure responses induced by PTZ, a GABA antagonist. GABA receptor binding assay results revealed that catalpol and mannitol are associated with GABA receptor activity, and EEG analysis provided evidence that catalpol and mannitol have anticonvulsant effects against PTZ-induced seizures. In summary, our results indicate that catalpol and mannitol have anticonvulsant properties, and may mediate the protective effects of RG against seizures.