Joo EY; Noh HJ; Kim JS; Koo DL; Kim D; Hwang KJ; Kim JY; Kim ST; Kim MR; Hong SB. Brain gray matter deficits in patients with chronic primary insomnia. 2013;36(7):999-1007.

The observed differences in the clinical and radiological features of psRLS and psPLMS suggest that the pathophysiologies of the two conditions are distinct. Further research is needed to understand the pathophysiologies of primary RLS and PLMS.

PurposeThis study determined the seroprevalence of herpes virus 2 in gravidas and the differences between herpes virus 2-infected and healthy gravidas. The need to screen gravidas for herpes virus 2 was also evaluated.Materials and MethodsA retrospective analysis involving 500 gravidas who underwent herpes virus 2 serologic testing and delivery in our hospital between January 2009 and August 2010 was performed. All patients in the study group were classified as herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2) positive, and all cases were analyzed with respect to the clinical course of the pregnancy, pregnancy outcome, obstetric complications, and neonatal outcomes. SPSS software (version 14.0) was used for statistical analysis. A chi-square test and Student's t-test were used for statistical analysis.ResultsIn the current study, the herpes virus 2 seroprevalence rate in gravidas was 17%. There was no significant difference in the rates of preterm delivery, premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor, and intrauterine growth restriction between the herpes virus 2-infected gravidas and the healthy control group. The rates of spontaneous abortion and sexually transmitted disease were higher in the herpes virus 2 infection group than the healthy control group.ConclusionAfter educating gravidas on genital herpes and, if gravidas thereafter consent to herpes virus 2 screening, the risk of neonatal herpes virus 2 infections can be reduced. In addition, examination of gravidas for sexually transmitted diseases would increase as would appropriate treatment.

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Hemichorea-hemiballism (HCHB) was infrequently related to cortical lesions such as tumor or infarction. Although functional derangement of the basal ganglia (BG) or the thalamus (Th) was suggested, pathomechanism of HCHB secondary to cortical lesions remains uncertain. We recruited the patients with HCHB secondary to cerebrovascular diseases, excluding other causes such as hyperglycemia. All the patients were studied with brain magnetic resonance imaging/angiography (MRI/MRA) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Those with only cortical abnormalities in neuroimaging studies were sorted out as the cases of cortical HCHB. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis of SPECT was performed to investigate the pathomechanism of cortical HCHB. Ten patients (three males and seven females) were included in our study. Six patients had acute BG lesions with SPECT abnormalities, and one had old BG lesions with abnormal SPECT. Three patients were classified as cortical HCHB with lesions only in the frontal and parietal cortices in MRI and SPECT. SPM analysis revealed additional hypoperfusion in frontal areas, leaving BG and Th free of any perfusion abnormalities. Although cortical HCHB was strictly defined by MRI and SPECT, cortical HCHB was not uncommon (30 %). Further analysis showed intertwined networks among the frontal and parietal lobes for cortical HCHB. Cortical dysfunction is important in the pathogenesis of cortical HCHB even without significant involvement of BG and Th.

Background and PurposeThe aims of this study were to elucidate the cognitive functions of narcoleptics and determine whether intelligence protects against cognitive dysfunction and depressive mood in these patients.MethodsSixty-six subjects (33 narcoleptics, 33 controls) were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests and an individual standardized intelligence test. The cognitive functions of the narcoleptic patients and the healthy controls were compared, as were those of high-IQ and mid-to-low-IQ narcoleptic patients.ResultsNarcoleptics exhibited significantly lower scores in the Corsi Block-Tapping Test forward and backward, and the digit symbol tests, and significantly higher Beck Depression Inventory scores than the controls. However, verbal attention, verbal-visual long-term memory, and executive function task scores did not differ significantly between patients and controls. The mid-to-low-IQ patient group had lower mean digit span backward test, phonemic and semantic fluency Controlled Oral Word Association Test and Korean version of the Boston Naming Test scores, and a higher total score and general depressive symptoms subscales Beck Depression Inventory score than the high-IQ patient group. However, controls exhibited no IQ-related differences in cognitive performance or depressive mood. Patients in the high-IQ group exhibited impaired visual attention and working memory as compared with controls.ConclusionsThe findings of the present study show that narcolepsy patients have deficits in visual attention and visual working memory, and tend to feel more general depressive symptoms but not somatic symptoms than their control, nonnarcoleptic counterparts. In addition, it appears that higher intelligence protects against cognitive dysfunction and depressive mood.

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