Doh-Eui Kim

Associations of cigarette smoking with intracranial atherosclerosis in the patients with acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND Although cigarette smoking has been established as an important risk factor for stroke, the effect on the atherosclerotic stenosis, which are based on observational studies, have been controversial. We set out to examine the differences in the risk factors between smokers and nonsmokers and to investigate the association of cigarette smoking with cerebral arterial stenosis. METHODS A total of 989 consecutive patients with acute noncardioembolic ischemic stroke were prospectively enrolled from June 2004 to January 2010. The risk factor profiles were compared between smokers and nonsmokers. We analyzed the degree of stenosis in all MRA, and evaluated influencing factors in the patients with intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) and extracranial atherosclerosis (ECAS) who were randomly matched by age and sex. RESULTS There were differences in the distribution of risk factors between the 467 (70.0%) nonsmokers and the 215 (30.0%) smokers. Nonsmokers were older (71.7±11.0 versus 61.7±12.0, p<0.001) and had a higher frequency of hypertension than smokers had (75.4% versus 64.0%, p=0.002). When smokers and nonsmokers were age- and sex-matched, smoking was more prevalent in patients with ICAS than with ECAS (32.9% versus 28.2%). Conditional regression analysis revealed that smoking and hypertension increased the odds of ICAS [smoking, odds ratio (OR): 1.83, p=0.026; hypertension, OR: 1.84, p=0.01], whereas hyperlipidemia increased the odds of ECAS (OR: 1.87, p=0.034). CONCLUSION The distributions of the major risk factors for ischemic stroke were different between smokers and nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking may be more associated with ICAS than with ECAS after adjusting for potential risk factors.

The Relationship Between Sleep Disturbance and Functional Status in Mild Stroke Patients

Objective To investigate the sleep state of mild stroke patients and relationship between sleep disturbance and functional status. Methods A total of 80 acute stroke patients were enrolled in this study. The criteria for inclusion in the study was as following: 1) first stroke, 2) cognitive function preserved enough to perform the test (Mini Mental State Examination ≥24), 3) good functional levels (Modified Rankin Scale ≤3), 4) upper extremity motor function preserved enough to perform occupational tests (hand strength test, Purdue pegboard test, 9-hole peg test, and Medical Research Council score ≥3), and 5) less than 2 weeks between the stroke and the assessment. Quality of sleep was assessed by using Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS). Activities of daily living was assessed by using the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and depressed mood was assessed by using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Gross and fine motor function of the upper extremity was assessed by using hand strength test (Jamar dynamometer), Purdue pegboard test, and the 9-hole peg test. Results The results of the occupational assessment were fine in the good sleepers. The PSQI, ESS, and ISI were correlated with some of the assessment tools (BDI, MBI, Purdue pegboard, 9-hole peg, and hand strength). Conclusion In conclusion, this study emphasizes that sleep disturbance can affect the functional status in mild acute stroke patients. Therefore, clinicians must consider sleep status in stroke patients and need to work to control it.

Association of Internal Border Zone Infarction with Middle Cerebral Artery Steno-Occlusion

Background: Demonstrating the precise anatomical area of the internal border zone (IB) by brain imaging has been unclear, and it is not well known which relevant arteries are associated with IB infarction. Methods: Patients with IB infarctions were selected from 748 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke. The IB infarctions were identified by coronal diffusion-weighted imaging, excluding lesions over the upper pole of the lateral ventricle. The angiographic findings of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA), on contrast-enhanced MRA, were evaluated in the patients with and without IB infarction. Results: Thirty patients met the criteria for an IB infarction: 7 had MCA steno-occlusion without ICA disease, and 23 had ICA steno-occlusion. Sixty-one patients had ICA steno-occlusion without IB infarction. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a more than moderate degree of steno-occlusion of the MCA was a significant factor (OR, 11.32; p = 0.006) associated with IB infarction; whereas that of the ICA was not significant (OR, 2.19; p = 0.298). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that IB infarctions were associated with MCA steno-occlusion. ICA disease resulting in IB infarctions would be expected to have significant MCA steno-occlusion causing hemodynamic compromise.

Abnormal Nocturnal Behavior due to Hypoglycemia in a Patient with Type 2 Diabetes.

Abnormal nocturnal behavior can have many causes, including primary sleep disorder, nocturnal seizures, and underlying medical or neurological disorders. A 79-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes was admitted for evaluation of abnormal nocturnal behavior. Every night at around 04:30 she was observed displaying abnormal behavior including leg shaking, fumbling with bedclothes, crawling around the room with her eyes closed, and non-responsiveness to verbal communication. Polysomnography with 20-channel electroencephalography (EEG) was performed. EEG showed that the posterior dominant rhythm was slower than that observed in the initial EEG, with diffuse theta and delta activities intermixed, and no epileptiform activity. The serum glucose level was 35 mg/dL at that time, and both the EEG findings and clinical symptoms were resolved after an intravenous injection of 50 mL of 50% glucose. These results indicate that nocturnal hypoglycemia should be considered as one of the possible etiologies in patients presenting with abnormal nocturnal behavior.

Periodic Limb Movements During Sleep Are Not Associated With Hypertension in a Clinical Cohort of Korean Adults

BACKGROUND There is growing evidence of increased cardiovascular risk including hypertension in patients with periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS). In a multiethnic cohort study, the association between prevalent hypertension and PLMS varied according to ethnicity. We evaluated whether PLMS are associated with hypertension in Koreans. METHODS We enrolled 1,163 subjects who had polysomnography (PSG) from 2 tertiary hospitals. All subjects completed a sleep questionnaire before the PSG study. Coincidental hypertension was recorded according to past medical history. We analyzed the association between periodic limb movement index (PLMI), periodic limb movement associated with arousal index (PLMAI), and coincidental hypertension. Covariates were age, sex, body mass index (BMI), restless legs syndrome, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), arousal index, and average oxygen saturation. RESULTS A total of 304 subjects (26.1%) had hypertension. The proportion of subjects with hypertension in the PLMI ≥ 15 category was higher than that in the PLMI < 15 category (32.4% vs. 25.0%; P = 0.04). The proportion of subjects with hypertension in the PLMAI ≥ 1 category was 32.6%, which was higher than that in the PLMAI < 1 category (24.6%; P = 0.02). In a multivariate regression model, neither PLMI (odds ratio [OR], 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75-1.68) nor PLMAI (OR, 1.21; 95% CI 0.83-1.76) were associated with hypertension. Statistical significance was found between coincidental hypertension and the following variables: age, smoking history, BMI, and AHI. CONCLUSIONS In a retrospective hospital-based study, there was no association between coincidental hypertension and PLMI/PLMAI in Koreans.

Accuracy of residual apnea-hypopnea index obtained using the continuous positive airway pressure device: application of new version 2.0 scoring rules for respiratory events during sleep

PurposeContinuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices can estimate apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) using respiratory event detection algorithms. In 2012, rules for manually scoring respiratory events during sleep were updated to version 2.0. The purpose of the present study was to compare residual AHI determined using the Sleepstyle HC608 CPAP device (HC) with those determined by the new manual scoring (NM) rules during CPAP titration in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).MethodsFifty-seven patients underwent CPAP titration with HC. Correlations were assessed between AHI determined by NM and HC. The AHI, the apnea index (AI), and the hypopnea index (HI) were evaluated separately.ResultsThe mean AHI as assessed using diagnostic polysomnography (PSG) was 53.9 ± 22.4. During CPAP titration, respiratory events were effectively suppressed (HC-AHI, 4.2 ± 6.0; NM-AHI, 6.0 ± 5.8). Lower HI and AHI were obtained using HC compared to NM (HC-HI, 2.9 ± 3.6 and NM-HI, 5.2 ± 4.2, p < 0.001; HC-AHI, 4.2 ± 6.0 and NM-AHI, 6.0 ± 5.8, p < 0.001). Additionally, HC reported higher AI compared to NM (HC-AI, 1.3 ± 2.8; NM-AI, 0.9 ± 2.2, p = 0.002). NM-AI (ß = 1.017, p < 0.001), NM-HI (ß = −0.599, p < 0.001), and NM-arousal index (ß = −0.058, p = 0.042) were associated with greater differences between HC-AHI and NM-AHI in multivariate regression analysis.ConclusionsOur findings indicate differences in scoring respiratory events between our CPAP device and new version 2.0 manual scoring and suggest that residual AHI values should be carefully interpreted.