ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Alcohol-induced blackout (blackout) is a typical early symptom of cognitive impairment caused by drinking. However, the first onset age of blackout or the duration after onset of blackout has not been directly compared in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in cognitive function to the first start age of blackouts and their duration. METHODS: Thirty-one male subjects were included in this study. Their age at the first blackout and the duration after the onset of blackout were investigated. Neuropsychological tests were conducted to determine their attention, memory, and executive function. Subjects were divided into three groups according to their age of the first onset blackout (group O1, 40 years). Subjects were also divided into three groups by duration after the onset of blackout (P1, 30 years). We then examined differences in neurocognitive function among these groups. RESULTS: O1 tended to have a lower memory score than O2 (F = 3.28, p = 0.053). Significant differences were observed in attention and executive function between groups P1 and P3 (Digit Span_backward: F = 6.07, p < 0.05; visual span_forward: F = 4.19, p < 0.05; executive intelligence quotient: F = 3.55, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Greater memory impairment was detected in subjects having an earlier age of the first blackout. The longer the duration after the onset of blackout, the more impaired their attention and executive function skills.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Age of Onset , Alcohol-Induced Disorders , Amnesia, Retrograde , Cognition Disorders , Cognition , Drinking , Executive Function , Intelligence , Memory , Neuropsychological TestsABSTRACT
We present two cases of acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) during the second trimester of pregnancy managed by mechanical ventilation, high dose corticosteroids. We described clinical course, laboratory data and imaging studies. Case 1) A 29-year-old woman, G1P1, was referred for aggravated continuous coughing, sputum and dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain and mild fever for 3 weeks at 24(+3) weeks of gestation. There were coarse breathing sounds with crackles on the both lung field. Her chest X-ray showed diffuse haziness in both lungs with suspicious nodular opacities and suggested pneumonia. HRCT showed diffuse ground glass opacities with interstitial thickening and suspicious fine nodular infiltration in both lungs suggesting acute interstitial pneumonia combined with ARDS. Because her symptoms were more aggravated, she was performed mechanical ventilation treatment. After that, she was performed cesarean hysterotomy and delivered a dead male 850grams. After her symptoms were much more improved. All antibiotics were stopped and reduced the doses of steroids, she was discharged with t-tube capped state. Case 2) A 33-year-old woman, G1P1, was referred for continuous coughing, sputum and dyspnea for 3 months and low abdominal discomfort at 24(+4) weeks of gestation. There were coarse breathing sounds with rales on the both lung field. Her chest X-ray showed diffuse haziness in both lungs with suspicious nodular opacities and suggested interstitial pneumonia. HRCT showed diffuse ground glass opacities with some intralobular and interlobular interstitial thickening and suspicious fine nodular infiltration in both lungs suggesting acute interstitial pneumonia or miliary TBc combined with ARDS. She was treated with antibiotics, oxygen, high dose corticosteroids, and tocolytics. There was no evidence of TBc in the bronchoscopy. She showed decreased mentality and decreased O2 saturation below 90% in spite of mechanical ventilation, high dose steroids and IVGV therapy. She delivered a boy of 870 g (Apgar score 1/5). After delivery, she was expired due to combined aggravating DIC. Her baby was expired at the next day, too. The outcome of AIP is fatal, reporting 59~100% mortality rate. The clinical course, laboratory data and treatment are not well established due to rarity of this disease entity. Chest X-ray and HRCT may be helpful in diagnosis and high dose steroid and immunosuppressive agents usually used but the efficacy is not guaranteed.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Pregnancy , Pregnancy , Adrenal Cortex Hormones , Anti-Bacterial Agents , Bronchoscopy , Chest Pain , Cough , Dacarbazine , Diagnosis , Dyspnea , Fever , Glass , Hysterotomy , Immunosuppressive Agents , Lung , Lung Diseases, Interstitial , Mortality , Oxygen , Pneumonia , Pregnancy Trimester, Second , Respiration, Artificial , Respiratory Sounds , Sputum , Steroids , Thorax , Tocolytic AgentsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to examine whether MMPI scores could discriminate between normal group and exaggerated pain group and predict treatment prognosis in exaggerated pain group. METHODS: For psychological evaluation, MMPI was administered to 37 low back pain patients and 36 normal controls. MMPI findings in two groups were compared, using t-test and discriminant function analysis. Nineteen patients of exaggerated low back pain group contacted by telephone were questioned about treatment satisfaction degree. And satisfaction group(9 patients)nd dissatisfaction group(6 patients)s MMPI findings were compared. RESULT: Hy, Hs, D scale scores in exaggerated pain group were higher than in control group. In discriminant function analysis by Hs, Hy, and D, percent of correctly classified 'gouped' cases was 74%. Discriminant function of Hy scale was the highest and that of D scale was the lowest. In satisfaction degree study, no finding was significant. CONCLUSION: MMPI findings were effective in discriminating between exaggerated pain group and normal control group. Further researches will need more structured and comprehensive approach.