• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.183-192
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• 2005

This study compared cerebral lateralization index based on the area of neural activation with that based on the intensity of neural activation. For this purpose, 8 right-handed male college students (the mean age - 23.5 years) and 10 right-handed male college students (the mean age - 25.1 years) participated respectively in researches on visuospatial and verbal task brain function. Functional brain images were taken from 3T MRI using the single-shot EPI method. The result of measuring cerebral lateralization index based on the area of neural activation suggested that the right hemisphere is dominant in visuospatial tasks and the left one is in verbal tasks. However, the dominance is not sufficient to locate the exact part of the brain for these tasks. When cerebral lateralization index was computed based on the intensity of neural activation, it was derived that the area of cerebral lateralization closely related to visuospatial tasks is the superior parietal lobe, and the area of cerebral lateralization closely related to verbal tasks is the inferior and middle frontal lobes. Thus, cerebral lateralization index by area based on the intensity of neural activation as proposed by this study can determine the dominance of the cerebrum by area, so is helpful for accurate and quantitative determination of cerebral lateralization.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2011

Objectives : Cerebral laterality is thought to be an important marker for neurodevelopment. Prenatal testosterone could influence both cerebral laterality and 2nd to 4th finger length ratio(2D : 4D). EEG coherence and 2D : 4D were examined to investigate the relationship between prenatal testosterone level and cerebral laterality. Methods : EEG was recorded in 24 healthy subjects in the eyes closed resting state. Differences in 2D : 4D finger ratio were used to discriminate "masculine finger type" and "feminine finger type" groups. The 2D : 4D ratio was lower and greater than one for the "masculine finger type" group and "feminine finger type" group, respectively. We used coherence analysis to estimate the cortical functional connectivity. Results : There were statistically meaningful relationships among cerebral functional connectivity, sex and finger ratio. Man and masculine finger type group showed higher intra-hemispheric coherence than those of woman and feminine finger type group. Woman and feminine finger type group showed higher inter-hemispheric coherence than those of man and masculine finger type group. Conclusions : These results imply that prenatal testosterone might act as important determinants of cerebral laterality. Further examination of the relationship between 2D : 4D and EEG coherence in schizophrenia could give some clues for the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia genesis.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.23 no.1 s.178
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• pp.209-215
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• 2006

The present study purposed to examine differences between 20s and 40s in visuospatial performance, the number of activated yokels and cerebral lateralization using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). For this study, eight college students in their twenties (21.5 years on the average) and six adults in their forties (45.7 years on the average) participated in the experiment. Functional brain images were taken from 37 MRI using the single-shot EPI method. Compared to the twenties the forties showed lower visuospatial performance and longer reaction time. In addition, compared to the twenties the forties had a smaller number of activated yokels and less cerebral lateralization. The results of this study show that people's visuospatial performance and number of activated yokels decrease with aging. In addition, they also suggest that cerebral lateralization decreases in order to supplement the lowering of visuospatial performance, which in turn symmetrizes the activation of the left and right hemisphere.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.180-187
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• 2004

The present study attempted to investigate the effects of supply of highly concentrated (30%) oxygen on human ability of visuospatial cognition and cerebrum lateralization. compared to air of normal oxygen concentration (21%). The experiment consisted of two runs, one fur visuospatial cognition test with normal air (21% of oxygen) and for visuospatial cognition test with more oxygen in the air (30% of oxygen). Each run was composed of four blocks and each block included eight control tasks and five visuospatial tasks. Functional brain images were taken from 3T MRI using the single-shot EPI method. The result of task performance showed the accuracy increased at 30%＇s concentration of oxygen rather than 21%＇s. There were more activations observed at the left and right hemisphere, but there was decrease cerebrum lateralization with 30% oxygen administration. Thus, it is concluded that the positive effect on the visuospatial cognitive performance level by the highly concentrated oxygen administration was due to increase of cerebrum activation and decrease of cerebrum lateralization

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2000

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern of cerebral response to motor tasks in patients with schizophrenia compared with normal subjects using functional MRI. Materials and methods ; Nine right handed-schizophrenic patients and six right-handed normal subjects were included. We used right hand movement as task. Series of 120 consecutive echo-planar images per section were acquired during three cycles of task and rest activations. Lateralization index of cortical response was measured and compared between patients and normal subjects. Results ; Right hand motor task was associated with greater activation in left sensorimotor cortex than the right in normal subjects. Schizophrenia patients showed relatively decreased activation in left cortex and increased activation in right cortex compared with normal subjects. In one patient, reversed lateralization was noted. Conclusion : Normal hemispheric asymmetry of cortical response to motor task was found in different pattern in schizophrenia. Our result is consistent with functional disturbance of motor circuitry in this disorder. Functional MRI will play an important role in diagnosis and research of this disorder.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.151-160
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• 2014

Objectives Prenatal testosterone is known to influence both cerebral laterality and 2nd to 4th digit ratio (2D : 4D). Epigenetic changes are thought to play some role in it. We studied sex-related differences between 2D : 4D and cerebral laterality in patients with schizophrenia and controls to examine the effects of prenatal testosterone in the development of schizophrenia. Methods Forty one men (18 schizophrenic patients and 23 controls) and 40 women (17 schizophrenic patients and 23 controls) were recruited from one psychiatric hospital in Korea. The 2D : 4D and electroencephalographic (EEG) coherence in 19 channels (66 pairs of interhemispheric coherence and 54 pairs of intrahemispheric coherence) were measured. The sex-related statistical analyses between 2D : 4D and EEG coherence in controls and patients with schizophrenia were performed using multiple regression. Results In male patients, the relationship between 2D : 4D and right intrahemispheric EEG coherence showed mainly positive correlation in delta and theta frequency bands, while it showed negative correlation in male controls. In female patients, the relationship between 2D : 4D and interhemispheric EEG coherence showed stronger positive correlation in alpha and beta frequency bands, while it showed weaker positive correlation in female controls. Conclusions Low prenatal testosterone may play certain roles in altered correlation between 2D : 4D and cerebral laterality in schizophrenia and the development of schizophrenia by epigenetic mechanism.