ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Regional differences in nerve resting membrane potential have been associated with susceptibility to entrapment neuropathy. The aim of this study was to test whether the different susceptibilities to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) of median nerve motor axons supplying the second lumbrical (L2) and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscles could be explained in this way. METHODS: Computerized nerve-excitability testing was used to examine the excitability properties of the median motor axons of both L2 and APB in 24 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Although some excitability measurements differed between the L2 and APB motor axons, estimates of resting membrane potential (RMP) by model fitting indicated no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Differences in RMP cannot account for the relative sparing of L2 axons in severe CTS. SIGNIFICANCE: L2 sparing in CTS most likely has an anatomical rather than a biophysical basis.
Subject(s)
Axons , Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/diagnosis , Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/physiopathology , Membrane Potentials , Models, Theoretical , Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology , Adult , Axons/physiology , Electric Stimulation/methods , Female , Humans , Male , Median Nerve/physiopathology , Membrane Potentials/physiology , Middle AgedABSTRACT
This study examined 1-year persistency with cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) for the treatment of elderly Alzheimer's dementia (AD) patients in Korea. Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service database from January 2005 to June 2006 was used. Patients aged 65 or older with AD diagnosis who were first prescribed a ChEI were included. The 1-year persistence, persistency rate, and switching patterns during the follow-up period were identified. Mean time to drug discontinuation was analyzed, and persistency rates between different patient factors were compared. The 1-year persistency rate of newly treated 6,461 AD patients was 24.0%, while 50% of study patients discontinued treatment by 91 days from initiation. Persistency rates of female patients (22.8%), patients in rural areas (12.7%), and primary care (10.2%) were relatively low (p < 0.001). Persistency rate differed between age groups (p < 0.001). Overall proportion of switching was 6.6%. The 1-year persistency rate of ChEIs for AD patients in Korea did not reach those of previous researches in other countries. Patients less likely to remain on therapy should be especially monitored to optimize treatment persistence.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy , Cholinesterase Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Medication Adherence/statistics & numerical data , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Alzheimer Disease/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Male , Pharmacoepidemiology , Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Republic of Korea/epidemiology , Rural Population , Sex Factors , Survival Analysis , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Pharmacovigilance plays a vital role in ensuring that patients receive appropriate medical products that are safe and effective. This paper aims to describe the history of pharmacovigilance in Korea and introduce the establishment and goal of the KIDS. METHODS: In Korea, the adverse drug reactions (ADR) reporting system was launched in 1988 by the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and spontaneous ADR reports have been collected from health care professionals and the general public. Although the ADR reporting system has begun, the reporting rate was very low in the first 10 years, and safety actions were done passively in response to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA)'s safety alert and communications. RESULTS: Therefore, the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management (KIDS) was established in April 2012 as a new initiative for pharmacovigilance. CONCLUSIONS: The KIDS will continue to contribute to the improvement of Korean pharmacovigilance by collecting, managing, and analyzing consumer-centered drug safety information.
