The Grey Zone in Multiple Sleep Latency Test for Diagnosis of Narcolepsy: A Survey of Korean Neurologist

Objectives@#Clinicians often depend on the results of the the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) for diagnosing narcolepsy, but the diagnosis can be confusing when there is a co-existence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study is aimed to address the diagnostic tendency and the strategies of treatment for narcolepsy and other hypersomnia in the grey zone. @*Methods@#We performed a web-based survey of Korean neurologists who were interested in narcolepsy and had experience with sleep studies. @*Results@#The results of this survey present their concerns according to the severity of comorbid OSA in analyzing the results of the MSLT. @*Conclusions@#This study also might help by providing the opinions of experienced Korean neurologists for the assessment and management of excessive daytime sleepiness.

A Case of Successful Treatment of Sleepwalking Caused by Sleep Apnea Through Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Somnambulism or sleepwalking is a disorder classified as non-rapid eye movement sleep parasomnia and is common in adolescents. Sleep fragmentation occurs frequently in somnambulism, and waking up and wandering are the main symptoms of the disorder. Our patient was a 14-year-old male with a 3-year history of sleepwalking at night when he visited our sleep clinic. A polysomnography was performed for the evaluation of parasomnia. Our patient was diagnosed as having parasomnia overlap syndrome with moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy was prescribed for the OSA. After 12 weeks of CPAP, not only did the patient’s OSA symptoms resolve but somnambulism disappeared. Previous reports of overlap syndrome with OSA and somnambulism also supported the use of CPAP treatment for patients with both OSA and somnambulism.

Survey on Public Awareness of Neurology in Korea

Background@#Neurology in Korea is a field of clinical practice and research that has been developing for over 30 years, but due to its relatively short history, public awareness is low compared to other clinical fields. The Korean Neurological Association conducted a survey to evaluate the Korean public’s awareness of neurology and the necessity of a name change. This study details the second survey conducted on the topic, with the first being conducted in 2013. The two surveys were compared to identify how the public’s awareness of neurology has improved since 2013 and determine how this can be improved. @*Methods@#The survey was conducted by Gallup Korea, where 1,000 participants were randomly selected and interviewed through telephone surveys. @*Results@#Of the 1,000 participants, 78.5% were familiar with Neurology, similar to the results of the 2013 survey. Meanwhile, when asked about neurological diseases, only 27.9% of the participants recognized neurological diseases correctly. The most accurately recognized symptoms related to Neurology were tremors (57.8%), strokes (55.5%), and dizziness (49.7%). In 2013, 61.7% of the participants thought a name change was necessary. In comparison, only 38.4% responded it needed to change in the recent survey. @*Conclusions@#The preference for Neurology’s current name in Korea has improved since 2013 despite no significant change in the public’s awareness of neurology. More active public relations activities are needed to improve awareness of neurology in the future.

Sleep Disorders and Risk of Motor Vehicle Accident

Driving is a complicated process that demands coordination between a range of neurocognitive functions, including attention, visuo-perception, and appropriate judgment, as well as sensory and motor responses. Therefore, several factors may reduce the driving performance of an individual, such as sleepiness, distraction, overspeeding, alcohol consumption, and sedative drugs, all of which increase the hazard of motor vehicle accidents. Among them, drowsy driving is a major cause of traffic accidents, leading to more serious injuries as compared to other causes of major traffic accidents. Although sleep disorders have been highly associated among drowsy drivers, they are often untreated and unrecognized as a disease. In particular, obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy are some sleep disorders that are highly related to traffic accidents. Insomnia, which can cause inadequate sleep duration and promote sedative effects from sleeping pills, may also cause traffic accidents. These conditions are especially applicable to commercial bus or truck drivers, nocturnal workers, and shift workers, who are highly vulnerable to drowsy driving. Therefore, assertive screening and management of sleep disorders are necessary in general private drivers and relevant occupational drivers.

Survey on Public Awareness of Neurology in Korea

Background@#Neurology in Korea is a field of clinical practice and research that has been developing for over 30 years, but due to its relatively short history, public awareness is low compared to other clinical fields. The Korean Neurological Association conducted a survey to evaluate the Korean public’s awareness of neurology and the necessity of a name change. This study details the second survey conducted on the topic, with the first being conducted in 2013. The two surveys were compared to identify how the public’s awareness of neurology has improved since 2013 and determine how this can be improved. @*Methods@#The survey was conducted by Gallup Korea, where 1,000 participants were randomly selected and interviewed through telephone surveys. @*Results@#Of the 1,000 participants, 78.5% were familiar with Neurology, similar to the results of the 2013 survey. Meanwhile, when asked about neurological diseases, only 27.9% of the participants recognized neurological diseases correctly. The most accurately recognized symptoms related to Neurology were tremors (57.8%), strokes (55.5%), and dizziness (49.7%). In 2013, 61.7% of the participants thought a name change was necessary. In comparison, only 38.4% responded it needed to change in the recent survey. @*Conclusions@#The preference for Neurology’s current name in Korea has improved since 2013 despite no significant change in the public’s awareness of neurology. More active public relations activities are needed to improve awareness of neurology in the future.

Sleep Disorders and Risk of Motor Vehicle Accident

Driving is a complicated process that demands coordination between a range of neurocognitive functions, including attention, visuo-perception, and appropriate judgment, as well as sensory and motor responses. Therefore, several factors may reduce the driving performance of an individual, such as sleepiness, distraction, overspeeding, alcohol consumption, and sedative drugs, all of which increase the hazard of motor vehicle accidents. Among them, drowsy driving is a major cause of traffic accidents, leading to more serious injuries as compared to other causes of major traffic accidents. Although sleep disorders have been highly associated among drowsy drivers, they are often untreated and unrecognized as a disease. In particular, obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy are some sleep disorders that are highly related to traffic accidents. Insomnia, which can cause inadequate sleep duration and promote sedative effects from sleeping pills, may also cause traffic accidents. These conditions are especially applicable to commercial bus or truck drivers, nocturnal workers, and shift workers, who are highly vulnerable to drowsy driving. Therefore, assertive screening and management of sleep disorders are necessary in general private drivers and relevant occupational drivers.

Proposal for Prevention of Drowsy Driving-Related Motor Vehicle Accidents in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is known to be associated with various health concerns, including sleepiness, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, diminished quality of life, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke. OSA-induced sleepiness at the wheel reduces vigilance and driving performance, which significantly increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents. Sleepiness-induced motor vehicle accidents are characterized by high morbidity and mortality. OSA is a well-established significant risk factor for drowsy driving-related motor vehicle accidents, which can be prevented through appropriate treatment. However, currently no clinical guidelines or regulations are available for evaluation or management of the risk of motor vehicle accidents in patients with OSA in Korea. In this review, we discuss the risk of motor vehicle accidents in patients with OSA, the effects of positive airway pressure therapy as a preventive measure to reduce this risk, and the published recommendations for OSA in other countries with regard to fitness to drive. We propose recommendations for screening, evaluation, and treatment of OSA with regard to the risk of motor vehicle accidents, which would serve as useful practical guidelines for sleep specialists in clinical practice. Further research is warranted to establish optimal strategies for effective improvements in OSA-related traffic safety.

Proposal for Preventing Motor Vehicle Accident Related to Drowsy Driving in Patients With Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by irresistible sleep attacks, hypersomnolence, cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle tone provoked by emotion), and sleep paralysis. Individuals with narcolepsy are at a high risk of experiencing sleepiness while driving leading to road traffic accidents. To prevent such accidents, some countries have regulations for commercial and noncommercial drivers with narcolepsy. Evaluating sleepiness is essential. Therefore, several subjective reports and objective tests were used to predict the possibility of car crashes or near-misses. Brain stimulants are effective in treating narcolepsy and can reduce daytime sleepiness in these patients. However, no guideline has been established for the driving safety of patients with narcolepsy in Korea. The Korean Sleep Research Society has prepared this proposal for preventing motor vehicle accidents caused by drowsy driving in patients with narcolepsy.

Antiepileptic Drug Selection According to Seizure Type in Adult Patients with Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that is mainly treated using antiepileptic drugs.Several antiepileptic drugs such as phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, and ethosuximide were developed in the early 20th century. More than 10 types of antiepileptic drugs have been developed since the 1990s, and there are now more than 20 antiepileptic drugs in active clinical use. The choice of antiepileptic drugs is based on the clinical features of the seizure types, electroencephalogram findings, epileptic syndrome, and drug stability. Currently there are 19 antiepileptic drugs approved by the Korean Food and Drug Administration, 18 of which (with the exclusion of brivaracetam) are covered by the National Health Insurance Service in Korea. We reviewed the selection of antiepileptic drugs according to the classification of epileptic seizures.

Automatic Derivation of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Settings: Comparison with In-Laboratory Titration

Background@#and PurposeThis study was designed to investigate differences in the final recommended pressure setting between that derived from an autotitrating continuous positive airway pressure (APAP) device and manual in-laboratory continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration, as well as the factors that influence pressure differences in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). @*Methods@#This study enrolled 50 patients with OSA. All patients underwent both APAP titration and manual CPAP titration. We obtained the average device pressure ≤90% of the time (APAP90) from the downloaded manual for the APAP machine and the optimal pressure obtained by manual CPAP titration (CPAPmanual). We placed the subjects into three groups based on the pressure difference (ΔP) obtained by subtracting CPAPmanual from APAP90: 1) Prequal (ΔP=0), 2) CPAPmanual+ (ΔP ≤−1), and 3) APAP90+ (ΔP ≥1). Regression analysis was conducted to identify predictive factors associated with ΔP. @*Results@#The values of APAP90 and CPAPmanual were 9.50±3.03 cmH2O and 9.48±2.71 cmH2O (mean±SD), respectively (p=0.95). The Prequal, CPAPmanual+, and APAP90+ groups comprised 9 (18%), 23 (46%), and 18 (36%) subjects, respectively. Regression analyses revealed that male sex [β=3.539, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.040–7.039], body mass index (BMI) (β=0.186, 95% CI=0.020–0.352), and average usage per day (β=0.768, 95% CI=0.077–1.459) were associated with ΔP. @*Conclusions@#While the mean pressure in the overall cohort did not differ significantly between APAP90 and CPAPmanual, there was a discordance majority showing different single pressures obtained when applying the two titration methods. Being Male, having an increased BMI, and having an increased average usage per day of APAP were significantly correlated with increased ΔP in this study.

Task-Specific Oromandibular Dystonia in a Telemarketer

No abstract available.

Improved Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Adherence with Pillow Height Change: A Case Report

In this case report, we tried to see the relationship between the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patient and the height of pillow. The patient was 41-year old female with OSA and had trouble adjusting to CPAP therapy due to the high pressure of the CPAP. We performed a overnight polysomnography for 8 hours in hospital and compared the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) score and optimal CPAP pressure after changing the height of the pillow. The lower pillow setting had lower AHI score and lower optimal CPAP pressure which made the patient to feel more comfortable while sleeping. In conclusion, height of the pillow deserves consideration as a factor to promote CPAP adherence with lowering pressure, especially in the patients who are suffering with high pressure CPAP therapy.

The Effect of Gender on Catastrophic Health Expenditure in South Korea: Gender-Based Approach by Subgroup Analysis / 보건행정학회지

BACKGROUND: Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) occurs when medical expenditure of a household passes over a certain ratio of household income. This research studied the effect of gender on CHE based on Korea Health Panel data. METHODS: This study implemented binary logistic regression model to figure out whether gender affects CHE and how different gender groups show pattern of CHE process. With gender, age, marital status, income level, economic activity, membership of private insurance, existence of chronic disease, and self-rated health were included in the model. RESULTS: Results showed that females faced CHE 1.5 times more than males (odds ratio, 1.241). Also, main determinants of CHE in female groups were marital status, while age and economic activity status were significant in male groups. Subgroup analysis displayed that married female under 35 years old are located in intersectionality of CHE including pregnancy and delivery, multiple health risk behaviors, mental stress, and relatively vulnerable social status due to lower income. Meanwhile, both gender above 50 years old faced remarkably high chance of CHE, which seems to be caused by complex health risk behaviors and chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: Such results implied not only that gender is an important determinant of CHE, but also other determinants of CHE differ according to gender, which suggests a necessity of gender-based CHE support and rescue policy.

Electroencephalographic Abnormalities in the Screening for Pilot Applicants in Korea

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Electroencephalography (EEG) is often used as a screening tool for selecting pilots despite controversy regarding its contribution to aviation safety. We investigated EEG abnormalities in Korean commercial pilot applicants in order to identify the usefulness of EEG screening in this population. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the EEG results of 740 unselected pilot applicants who underwent waking EEG at Inha University Hospital from January 2013 to May 2017. EEG recording was performed for 30 minutes, which included 3 minutes of hyperventilation and intermittent photic stimulation. RESULTS: The pilot applicants were predominantly male (95.3%) and had a mean age of 27.8 years (range: 16–40 years). Nine of them (1.2%) exhibited EEG abnormalities; the most common abnormality (six applicants) was a small amount of generalized irregular slow activities, while the other three applicants (0.4%) exhibited epileptiform discharges, with two showing generalized spike-and-wave complexes and one showing a few spike-and-wave complexes in the left frontotemporal area. The two applicants with generalized spike-and-wave complexes were found to have experienced clinical seizures by a neurologist during detailed history-taking. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that 2 of 740 pilot applicants (0.3%) were diagnosed with epilepsy by routine EEG screening in an unselected population. Considering the low predictive value of EEG without the relevant clinical history in an unselected healthy young population, our findings raise questions regarding the cost-effectiveness of the current EEG screening protocol applied to pilot applicants. We suggest that a more-targeted and standardized EEG screening approach be applied to pilot applicants with epilepsy risk factors or a seizure history as determined by thorough medical history-taking.

Sleep Related Problems as a Nonmotor Symptom of Dentatorubropallidoluysian Atrophy

Dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of a cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat encoding a polyglutamine tract in the atrophin-1 protein. Unlike other CAG repeat diseases, sleep related problems have not been reported in patients with DRPLA. There was a 65-year-old man and his family with DRPLA. They suffered from seizure, gait disturbance, and cognitive decline. The patients commonly showed dream enacting sleep disorder, insomnia. The results from overnight polysomnography showed rapid eye movement (REM) without atonia in patients with DRPLA. The man died 2 years after diagnosis and was subjected for brain autopsy. We report REM sleep behavior disorders in patients with DRPLA confirmed with polysomnography with pathological description of the patient.

The Effect of Rivastigmine Transdermal Patch on Sleep Apnea in Patients with Probable Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the effect on sleep of rivastigmine transdermal patch in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Patients with probable AD underwent a sleep questionnaire, overnight polysomnography and neuropsychological tests before and after rivastigmine transdermal patch treatment. We analyzed the data from enrolled patients with AD. RESULTS: Fourteen patients with probable AD were finally enrolled in this study. The respiratory disturbance index after the rivastigmine patch treatment was improved in patients with probable AD and sleep breathing disorder, compared with that of before treatment (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Rivastigmine transdermal patch application are expected to improve the symptoms of sleep disordered breathing in patients with probable AD. Further placebo controlled studies are needed to confirm these results.

Vivid Dreaming after Acetyl-L-Carnitine Administration: A Report of Two Cases

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), an acetylated form of L-carnitine, is able to influence the activity of cholinergic neurons, cell membrane stabilization and enhancing mitochondrial function. A 52-year-old woman was referred to neurology clinic for memory impairment within 1 year. She was administered ALC as dose of 1,500 mg per day for improving memory decline. After 14 days from administrating ALC, she complained vivid dreams at every night. Vivid dream was disappeared after ceasing ALC. Another patient, a 72-year-old man, visited neurology clinic for cognitive decline for 2 years. After 20 days from administering ALC with dose of 1,500 mg per day, he also suffered from vivid dreams at every night. His previous stable sleep was also restored after ceasing ALC. ALC supplementation may present vivid dreams as a side effect. Possibility of vivid dream as a side effect should be considered during the management with oral ALC.

Bruxism Secondary to Hypoxic Brain Injury Treated With Botulinum Toxin-A

No abstract available.

Therapeutic Exercise Strategies in Patients with Dementia

Numerous studies have reported that physical activity and exercise training has beneficial effects in not only healthy elderly individuals, but also patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Although various types of exercise appear to present positive effect for cognitive function, there is no definite exercise guideline as treatment or disease modifying strategies in dementia. The purpose of current article is to review the literatures related to the effect of exercise on cognitive function and to suggest the therapeutic exercise strategies in patients with dementia. Further prospective, longitudinal investigations using this exercise guideline should be warranted to prove the beneficial effects of exercise on cognitive function in patients with dementia.

Bilateral Dysgeusia as a Presenting Symptom of the Unilateral Thalamic Infarction

No abstract available.