The Availability of Quantitative Assessment of Pain Perception in Patients With Diabetic Polyneuropathy

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of the quantitative assessment of pain perception (QAPP) in diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) patients. METHODS: Thirty-two subjects with DPN were enrolled in this study. The subjects’ pain perception was assessed quantitatively. Current perception threshold (CPT) and pain equivalent current (PEC) were recorded. All patients were tested with a nerve conduction study (NCS) for evaluation of DPN and pain-related evoked potential (PREP) for evaluation of small fiber neuropathy (SFN) on bilateral upper and lower limbs. All patients were asked to participate in tests such as visual analogue scale (VAS) and SF-36 Health Survey Version 2 to evaluate their subjective pain and quality of life, respectively. RESULTS: The PEC of QAPP showed significant correlations with VAS (p=0.002) and physical function surveyed with SF-36 Health Survey Version 2 (p=0.035). The results of QAPP had no correlation with NCS, but there was a significant relationship between the CPT of QAPP and PREP (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: The QAPP may be useful not only in providing objective evaluations of subjective pain in patients with DPN but also in the assessment of diabetic SFN.

Bilateral Anterior Opercular Syndrome With Partial Kluver-Bucy Syndrome in a Stroke Patient: A Case Report

Bilateral anterior opercular syndrome and partial Kluver-Bucy syndrome are associated with bilateral middle cerebral artery lesions. The combination of these two syndromes has only been reported in a child with limbic encephalitis. In this case, a 44-year-old woman with bilateral middle cerebral artery infarction, which occurred 2 years prior, could walk independently. However, she showed automatic-voluntary dissociation and anarthria with preserved writing skills. She also presented hypersexuality, hypermetamorphosis, and memory disturbances. Here, we report a case of an adult stroke patient who suffered from bilateral anterior opercular syndrome accompanied by partial Kluver-Bucy syndrome.

Bilateral Anterior Opercular Syndrome With Partial Kluver-Bucy Syndrome in a Stroke Patient: A Case Report

Bilateral anterior opercular syndrome and partial Kluver-Bucy syndrome are associated with bilateral middle cerebral artery lesions. The combination of these two syndromes has only been reported in a child with limbic encephalitis. In this case, a 44-year-old woman with bilateral middle cerebral artery infarction, which occurred 2 years prior, could walk independently. However, she showed automatic-voluntary dissociation and anarthria with preserved writing skills. She also presented hypersexuality, hypermetamorphosis, and memory disturbances. Here, we report a case of an adult stroke patient who suffered from bilateral anterior opercular syndrome accompanied by partial Kluver-Bucy syndrome.

Analysis of the Risk Factors and Psychotropics' Role in the Falls of the Dementic Elderlies in a Nursing Home

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the risk factors of the falls of the dementic elderlies in the nursing home. Especially we investigated how the psychotropics affect them in the aspect of the falling tendency. METHODS: We investigated the falls of the 262 patients living in the Seoul JungGae Nursing Home for six month since March 1 1999. Among these we recruited 182 patients whom the exclusion criteria was applied to, and then we measured the relative risks of risk factors known from the previous studies. RESULTS: The incidence rate of falls is 40.1/100person year. The relative risk of gender, age, disease of central nervous system, chronic illness, cognitive function, antipsychotics, antidepressants and anxiolytics had no significance (p>0.05). BADL, mobility, mood stabilizers were related with the falls significantly, and the relative risks were 0.904 (95%CI 0.840-0.973), 1.744 (95%CI 1.064-2.858), 4.683 (95%CI 1.412-15.532) relatively. CONCLUSIONS: The average rate of falling was 40.1/100person year showing less frequent accidents than that of other foreign studies, which was assumed the large number the care-givers and sitting life style on the floor helped preventing the elderlis' falling. Although The gender, age, disease of central nervous system, chronic illness, cognitive function, antipsychotics, antidepressants and anxiolytics did not influence the rate of the falling tendendy of the elderlies, the mobility and impaired activity of daily living increased the rate of their falling. The elderlies taking psychotropics more fell than others not taking pills. The imbalance between the mobile potency and imposed real activity causes the falls. When the psychotropics affect negatively on the mobility, it increases the falling rate of the elderlies. On the other hands, when these affect positively, these prevent elderlies falling.