Quantitative Electroencephalography Reflects Inattention, Visual Error Responses, and Reaction Times in Male Patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

OBJECTIVE: Quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) has been increasingly used to evaluate patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between qEEG data and symptom severity in patients with ADHD. METHODS: Fifteen patients with ADHD and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Electroencephalography was assessed in the resting-state, and qEEG data were obtained in the eyes-closed state. The Korean version of the ADHD Rating Scale (K-ARS) and continuous performance tests (CPTs) were used to assess all participants. RESULTS: Theta-band (4-7 Hz) power across the brain was significantly positively correlated with inattention scores on the K-ARS, reaction times and commission errors on the CPTs in ADHD patients. Gamma-band (31-50 Hz) power was significantly positively correlated with the results of the auditory CPTs in ADHD patients. The theta/alpha (8-12 Hz) and theta/beta (13-30 Hz) ratios were significantly negatively correlated with commission and omission errors on auditory CPTs in ADHD patients. No significant correlations between qEEG relative power and K-ARS and CPT scores were observed in HCs. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that qEEG may be a useful adjunctive tool in patients with ADHD.

Muscle Strength and Functional Capacity after Arthroscopic ACL Reconstruction using Patellar Tendon Autograft / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Traditionally, evaluation after ACL reconstruction has been focused on physical characteristics and measures of knee stability. Recently, however, reliance on such criteria has been refuted based on the lack of a strong relationship between these measures and both the patient s perception of knee function and return to sports activity. In present study, preoperative and postoperative physical examinations, isokinetic dynamometer, arthrometer test and functional tests were performed on 17 patients with chronic anterior cruciate ligament tears treated by arthroscopic reconstruction using autogenous bone-patellar tendon-bone graft with at least 1 year of follow-up. Muscle power, joint stability and functional recovery were checked for functional evaluation by specific methods. Lysholm score rating scale and functional tests (single leg hop test, vertical jump test, timed single jump test) were performed preoperatively and 6, 12 months postoperatively. Pivot-shift test, Lachman test, anterior drawer test, thigh circumference index and Cybex II+ isokinetic dynamometer test were done preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12 months postoperatively. KT-2000 arthrometer test was done at last follow-up. Lysholm score has showed increasing tendency at 6, 12 months postoperatively (p < 0.01). In Cybex study, deficit percentage of peak torque and total work of the quadriceps and hamstrings was same or slightly decreased at 3, 6 months, but have decreased at 1 year follow-up (p < 0.01). Functional tests and physical examinations have also showed improving tendency at 12 months (p < 0.01). Arthrometer test revealed no significant laxity of the knee joint at last follow-up. In conclusion, muscle strengh and functional capacity in ACL reconstructed knee showed significant improvement at postoperative one year compared with preoperative status. It was considered that arthroscopic reconstruction using autogenous bone-patellar tendon-bone graft is one of the useful method for chronic anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Prevalence of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease and Correlation Between Thyroid Autoantibody and Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody in Myasthenia Gravis Patients / 대한내분비학회지

BACKGROUND: There were several reports that thyroid autoimrnune disease commonly found in myasthenia gravis patients. We performed this study to determine the prevalence of thyroid autoimmune disease as well as analyze correlation between acetylcholine receptor antibody and various thyroid autoantibadies among the myasthenia gravis patients in Korea. METHOD: The patient group, 48 patients, diagnosed as myasthenia gravis from January 1985 to December 1995 at the department of Neurology, Internal medicine at Dongsan Medical Center was compaired to the control group, 40 patients, with no age and sex difference from the patient group. The samples were collected from both group for the measure of the values of acetylcholine receptor antibody, thyroid autoantibody and thyroid hormones. RESULT: 1) The values of acetylcholine receptor antibody in myasthenia gravis group and control group were 5.78+-0.7nM and 0.05+-0.06nM respectively. Of 48 patients with myasthenia gravis, 38 patients have been measured acetylcholine receptor antibody value > 0.5nM, Their mean average value was 7.24+-0.66nM. 2) The severe myasthenia gravis group with value of acetylcholine receptor antibody 0.5nM and severe myasthenia gravis group with value of acetylcholine receptor antibody 0.5nM showed thyroglobulin antibody value of 159.6+-79.91IU/mL versus 56.86+-32.99IU/mL. also thyroid microsomal antibody value showed 159.0+-79.9IU/mL and 23.633+-0.19IU/mL respectively. 3) Of 48 myasthenia gravis patients, 12 patients (24%) had high value of antithyroglobulin antibody or anti-microsomal antibody and 5 patients (10%) had both antibodies at the same times. In contrast, only 3 patients (8%) were observed with high value of either one of antibodies. Patient with both antibodies was not observed in normal control group. CONCLUSION: According to the datas we have obtained, appearence of the thyroid autoantibody is significantly greater in severe myasthenia gravis group than normal control group. Therefore it is suggested that the prevalence of thyroid autoimmune disease is higher in severe myasthenia gravis group than mild myasthenia gravis group or normal control group.

Cellular Immune Respones in Myasthenia Gravis

To investigate the cellular immune response in myasthenia gravis (MG), serum levels of interleukin-2(IL-2), soluble IL-2 receptor(sIL-2R) and neopterin were measured in 48 patients with MG, and these levels were compared with those in 22 healthy controls Also, the relationship of serum levels of IL-2. sIL-2R and neopterin to disease severity and thymic histology, and the changes of above laboratory indexes were observed according to thymectomy. Serum IL-2 was not detected in controls. But was detected in 56% of MG patients. Mean levels of serum sIL-2R were significantly increased in MG patients compared with controls (p<0.01), and mean levels of serum neopterin were increased, but not statistically significant in MG patients compared with controls. Mean levels of serum sIL-2R were significantly increased in the groups of grade IIB and m compared with the groups of grade I and IIA(p<0.01) Among 20 thymectomized MG patients, mean levels of serum sIL-2R were significantly increased in patients with thymoma compared with those with involuted thymus(p<0.05). In the follow-up study of serum levels of IL-2, slL-2R and neopterin after thymectomy, the detection rate of serum IL-2 was significantly decreased in patients more than 1 year after thymectomy compared with those before thymectomy (P<0.05), and mean levels of serum sIL-2R and neopterin were significantly decreased in patients more than 1 year after thymectomy compared with those before thymectomy (P< 0.01, p<0.05). These decrements reflected the clinical improvement. These results suggest that the cellular immune responses with T cell and macrophage activation are relevant to the pathogenesis of MG. Serum sIL-2R level is correlated with disease severity, and serum IL-2, sIL-2R and neoptrin levels may represent markers of disease activity after thymectomy.

The Findings of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Pontential(BAEP) and Somatosensory Evoked Potential(SSEP) in Head Injury

There were 84 cases of brainstem auditory evoked potential(BAEP) and 90 cases of somatosensory evoked potential(SSEP) from the 124 cases of head injury. The studies were performed within the first three days after head injury in most cases and after ten days in emergency operative cases. The results of BAEP and SSEP studies recorded from 67 normal volunteers were used as a control group. The latency, amplitude and wave pattern of the evoked potential were examined and a peak or interpeak latency were considered abnormal when it exceeded the corresponding mean(2SD found in the control group. The wave patterns were arranged in BAEP as grade I:all waves were normal; grade II: waves I, II, III were abnormal;grade III:waves IV, V, VI were abnormal;grade IV:all waves were abnormal. In SSEP as grade I:all waves were normal;grade II:N13 wave was abnormal;grade III:N19wave was abnormal;grade IV:all waves were abnormal. The abnormal findings by percentage were:47.6% in latency of BAEP, 68.9% in latency of SSEP, 49.4% in wave pattern of BAEP and 87.8% in wave pattern of SSEP. The BAEP was superior to SSEP in correlation to clinical parameters including GCS, duration of coma, basal cisterns in initial brain CT scan and Glasgow outcome scale(GOS). As a BAEP criterion, the wave V latency and the BCT(III-V interpeak latency) and as a SSEP criterion, the central conduction time(N19-N13) were more correlated to duration of coma and GOS. The appearance of the basal cisterns on initial brain CT is significantly correlated with wave V and BCT of BAEP only. Grade I and II were reliable predictors of a good prognosis. Therefore, we concluded that BAEP and SSEP are adjunctively diagnostic tests for determining the outcome of head injuried patients.