• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.410-416
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• 2007

This paper presents quantitative analysis of a training system based on an unstable platform and a visual interactive system for improving sense of equilibrium. The training system consists of an unstable platform, a force plate, a safety harness, a monitoring device, and a personal-computer. To confirm the effects of the training system, fifteen young volunteers and five elderly volunteers went through a series of balance training using the system. During the training, we measured relevant parameters such as the time a subject maintain his or her center of pressure on a target, the time a subject moves his or her center of pressure to the target, and the mean absolute deviation of the trace before and after training with this system and training programs to evaluate the effects of the training. The results showed that the training system can successfully assess the gradual improvement of the postural control capability of the subject in the system and showed a possibility of improving balance of the subject. Moreover, the significant improvement in the postural capability of the elderly subject suggests that elderly subjects can benefit more from the training using the system for the improvement of sense of equilibrium.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.636-646
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• 2007

Adequate postural control depends on the spatial and temporal integration of vestibular, visual, and somatosensory information. Especially, the musculoskeletal function is essential to maintain the postural control. The experimental studies was performed on the muscular activities in the lower extremities during maintaining and moving exercises on an unstable platform with Magneto Rheological(MR) dampers. The unstable platform of the developed system was controlled by electric currents to the MR dampers. A subject executed the maintaining and moving exercises which are presented through the display monitor. The electromyographies of the eight muscles in lower extremities were recorded and analyzed in the time and the frequency domain: the muscles of interest were rectus femoris(RF), biceps femoris(BF), tensor fasciae latae(TFL), vastus lateralis(VL), vastus medialis(VM), gastrocnemius(Ga), tibialis anterior(TA), Soleus(So). The experimental results showed that the muscular activities differed in the four moving exercises and the nine maintaining exercises. For the anterior-posterior pattern, the TA showed highest activities; for the left-right pattern, the TFL; for the 45, $-45^{\circ}$ pattern, the TFL and TA. Also, the rate of the increase in the muscular activities were affected by the condition of the unstable platform with MR dampers for the maintaining and moving exercises. The experimental results suggest that the choice of different maintaining and moving exercises could selectively train different muscles in various intensity. Futhermore, the findings suggested that the training using this system can improve the ability of postural control.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.647-656
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of vibratory stimulus as somatosensory inputs on the postural control in human standing. To study these effects, the center of pressure(COP) was observed while subjects were standing on a stable and an unstable support with co-stimulated mechanical vibrations to flexor ankle muscles(tibialis anterior tendon, achilles tendon) and two plantar zones on both foot. The COP sway measurement was repeated twice in four conditions: (1) with visual cue and vibration, (2) without visual cue and vibration, (3) with visual cue and without vibration, (4) without visual cue and with vibration. The calculated parameters were the COP sway area and the distance, the median frequency and the spectral energy of COP sway in three intervals $0.1{\sim}0.3,\;0.3{\sim}1,\;1{\sim}3Hz$. The results showed that vibratory stimulus affect postural stability. The reduction rate of the COP sway with vibratory stimulus were higher on the unstable support because the effect of postural stability increases when afferent nervous flow is more activated by vibration on unstable support. If unclear visual or vibratory information is received, one type of information is compared with the other type of sensory information. Then the input balance between visual and vibratory information is corrected to maintain postural stability. These findings are important for the rehabilitation system of postural balance control and the use of vibratory information.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.18-29
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• 2005

목적: 아로마테라피는 진통 효과, 항우울 및 항불안 효과를 가지는 것으로 알려진 대체 의학의 한 종류이다. 본 연구는 유방암 환자에서 아로마 오일로 손 마사지를 교육시킨 후 대조군과 비교하여 활력 징후, 통증의 강도, 우울, 그리고 스트레스에 미치는 영향을 비교 분석하여 아로마 자가 치료의 효능을 검증 하고자 하였다. 방법: 20세 이상 유방암 환자 32명을 연구대상으로 하였으며, 비맹검 무작위 방법을 이용하였다. 아로마 자가-치료군(n=15)은 2주간 집에서 스스로 아로마 오일(프랑켄센스 버가못, 라벤더)을 사용하여 하루 2회 손 마사지를 시행하도록 하였고, 대조군(n=17)에게는 어떠한 중재도 하지 않았다. 두 군 모두에서 0, 1, 3 주에 3회에 걸쳐 통증 강도(Visual Analogue Scale: VAS, $0{\sim}10cm$), 불안(State-anxiety in State Trait Anxiety Inventory: STAI) 및 우울(Beck Depression Inventory Scales: BDIS), 스트레스(Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument: BEPSI수정판) 등을 조사하여 두 군 간의 자가치료 전, 후의 변화량 차이를 비교하였다. 또한 아로마 자가치료 후 환자의 동반 증상 변화도 설문지를 통해 분석하였다. 결과: 통증 강도는 대조군과 비교시 아로마 자가 치료군에서 의미 있게 감소하였다(VAS score $0.83{\pm}1.01\;vs\;0.38{\pm}0.86$, P=0.0046). 동반 증상의 수도(P=0.044), 우울 정도(P=0.001) 그리고 불안정도도아로마 자가 치료군(P=0.008)에서 2주 후 의미 있게 감소하였으나, 대조군은 오히려 증가하였다. 그러나, 스트레스 정도는 두 군 사이에 유의한 차이를 보이지 않았다($0.05{\pm}0.85\;vs\;0.04{\pm}0.20$ P=0.1519), 우울 정도, 불안 정도, 스트레스 정도는 자가치료 순응도가 좋을수록 감소하는 경향을 보였으나, 통계적으로 유의하지는 않았다. 아로마 자가 치료군에서 수축기 혈압은 약간 증가하였으나 통계학적 의의는 없었다($4.53{\pm}14.43mmHg\;vs\;0.0{\pm}7.22mmHg$, P=0.152). 자가 치료군에서 환자들은 두통(20%), 감각이상(6.7%), 오심(6.7%) 등의 부작용을 호소했으나, 이들 모두 일시적인 것으로 자가치료를 중단할 정도는 아니었다. 결론: 유방암 환자들에게 아로마 손 마사지 교육을 시킨 후 자기 스스로 2주간 시행한 결과, 통증강도, 우울 및 불안 정도가 의미 있게 감소하였다.