• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.211-215
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to preserve the corticospinal tract during surgery and assess more accurately the motor performance in brain tumor patients around the motor cortex. TceMEP is not entirely reliable, even though there has been no change in waveforms due to a mixture of false positive and false negative signals. For a more detailed examination, DCS was employed to selectively stimulate the motor cortex. In both cases, the indications could find the region to which the cortex was responsible, and constantly check and examine the changes in amplitude, thereby preserving the motor pathway and performing surgery. On the other hand, patients who did not implement the DCS but did implement the TceMEP experienced a decrease in their postoperative motor performance. DCS is a very useful examination and it is a method that can reduce the post-surgery disorder that may occur in patients with the TceMEP in brain tumor surgery.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.190-197
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• 2012

Ginseng has a long history of use for health enhancement, and there is some evidence from animal studies that it has a beneficial effect on cognitive performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Korean red ginseng on cognitive performance in humans. A total of 15 healthy young males with no psychiatric or cognitive problems were selected based on an interview with a board-certified psychiatrist. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of 4,500 mg red ginseng or placebo for a 2-week trial. There were 8 subjects in the red ginseng group and 7 subjects in the placebo group. All of the subjects were analyzed with the Vienna test system and a P300 event-related potential (ERP) test. There were no significant differences in the Vienna test system scores between the red ginseng group and the placebo group. In the event-related potential test, the C3 latency of the red ginseng group tended to decrease during the study period (p=0.005). After 2 wk, significant decreases were observed in the P300 latencies at Cz (p=0.008), C3 (p=0.005), C4 (p=0.002), and C mean (p=0.003) in the red ginseng group. Our results suggest that the decreased latency in ERP is associated with improved cognitive function. Further studies with a higher dosage of ginseng, a larger sample size, and a longer follow-up period are necessary to confirm the clinical efficacy of Korean red ginseng.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2001

Background: Meralgia paresthetica(MP) which is characterized by paresthesias and sensory impairment without motor weakness in the anterolateral aspects of the thigh is produced by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve(LFCN). Even though the diagnosis of MP is mostly based on the clinical symptoms, electrophysiologic study is mandatory to confirm the disease objectively. It has been known that Somatosensory evoked potential(SSEP) study of LFCN is a simple and very useful method to evaluate MP, so we studied SSEP of LFCN in normal adults and offer normal values. Materials and Methods: Thirty six normal adults(23 males and 13 females) ages from 21 to 73 years old($mean{\pm}SD$:$42.06{\pm}15.74$) were studied SSEP of LFCN bilaterally. The stimulation site was anterolateral aspect of thighs and the recording site was Cz'. Results: The mean values($mean{\pm}SD$) of $LP_0$, $SP_0$, $LN_1$ and $SN_1$ of all subjects were 35.10(${\pm}2.42$), 33.80(${\pm}2.4$), 43.68(${\pm}1.88$) and 42.16(${\pm}2.12$) and the mean values($mean{\pm}SD$ of $DP_0$, $DN_1$ and DA(${\mu}V{\pm}SD$ were 1.30(${\pm}1.14$), 1.52(${\pm}1.38$) and 0.32(${\pm}0.33$). Conclusion: For the diagnosis of MP. comparison of latency difference between both sides is more reliable than simple value of latency itself because of individual differences of body types. According to our results. the latency difference should be less than 2 msec and the amplitude difference was less than 1.6 times in normal adults.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.681-688
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• 2009

To better delineate the changes in corticospinal excitability when older adults are asked to observe and/or imagine actions, 22 right-handed older adults without neurological abnormalities were included in this study. The amplitude and latency of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) by transcranial magnetic stimulation were recorded in the abductor pollicis brevis of the dominant hand during passive observation/imagery/active observation of slow/fast action of abduction of right thumb and also at resting state. Thus, active observation showed better changes than passive, but slow and fast action revealed no difference at all.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.96-103
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• 2005

The motor recovery mechanism of a 21-year-old male monoparetic patient with cerebral palsy, who had complained of a mild weakness on his right hand since infancy, was examined using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). The patient showed mild motor impairment on the right hand. MRI located the main lesion on the left precentral knob of the brain. fMRI was performed on this patient as well as 8 control subjects using the Blood Oxygen Level Dependent technique at 1.5 T with a standard head coil. The motor activation task consisted of finger flexionextension exercises at 1 Hz cycles. TMS was carried out using a round coil. The anterior portion of the coil was applied tangentially to the scalp at a 1.0 cm separation. Magnetic stimulation was carried out with the maximal output. The Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs) from both Abductor Pollicis Brevis muscles (APB) were obtained simultaneously. fMRI revealed that the unaffected (right) primary sensori-motor cortex (SM1), which was centered on precentral knob, was activated by the hand movements of the control subjects as well as by the unaffected (left) hand movements of the patient. However, the affected(right) hand movements of the patient activated the medial portion of the injured precentral knob of the left SM1. The optimal scalp site for the affected (right) APB was located at 1 cm medial to that of the unaffected (left) APB. When the optimal scalp site was stimulated, the MEP characteristics from the affected (right) APB showed a delayed latency, lower amplitude, and a distorted figure compared with that of the unaffected (left) APB. Therefore, the motor function of the affected (right) hand was shown to be reorganized in the medial portion of the injured precentral knob.