• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.261-267
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• 2018

In the present study, we assessed the effecs of fruit and vegetable bark resources rich in beneficial substances on the learning ability and memory improvement. It functions to inhibit the activity of acetylcholinesterase in brain tissue and improve cognitive functions in a simulation model of cognitive impairment induced by scopolamine. Hence, it can promote memory and learning ability. The formulation of the fruit and vegetable bark uses the extract of fruit and vegetable peels, which has long been used without causing toxicity in a wide range of food applications. Therefore, it can be used safely without a risk of side effects, even in the case of a long-term administration for the preventive purpose. Furthermore, the present study is a very beneficial study in the environment-friendly aspect in association with recycling of resources as it is based on the novel efficacies of fruit and vegetable barks which have been conventionally disposed as a refuse of fruits due to their poor sensory qualities despite the content of beneficial substances.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.81-92
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• 2001

Stress has been linked to the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of various psychiatric illnesses. Over the past few years, our understanding of the brain and neuroendocrine systems that are linked to stress responses has increased enormously. This article reviews a series of animal and human studies to understand what are the central pathways by which stress is perceived, processed, and transduced into a neuroendocrine response. We focus on the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(LHPA) axis and several neurotransmitter systems such as norepinephrine, CRF, serotonin, acetylcholine, and dopamine. LHPA stress circuit is a complex system with multiple control mechanisms which are altered in pathological states. CRF and related peptides in the central nervous system appear to enhance behavioral responses to stressors. Norepinephrine systems are also activated by stressors and cause the release of catecholamines from the autonomic nervous system. CRF-norepinephrine interaction makes a feed-forward system which may be important for an organism to mobilize not only the pituitary system but also the central nervous system, in response to environmental challenges. The interactions among several neurotransmitters and endocrine systems appear to play key roles in mediating various behavioral and psychological stress responses involving abnormal responses to stressors such as anxiety and affective disorders.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.341-346
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• 2008

In the present study, we assessed the effects of white ginseng and red ginseng extract on the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine. The cognition-enhancing effect of ginseng extracts was investigated using the Morris water maze and Y-maze test. Drug-induced amnesia was induced by treating animals with scopolamine (2 mg/kg, i.p.), an antagonist of muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor. Tacrine was used a positive control. Ginseng extract (200 mg/kg, p.o.), tacrine (10 mg/kg, p.o.) administration significantly reduced the escape latency during training in the Morris water maze (p<0.05). At the probe trial session, scopolamine significantly increased the escape latency on day 5 in comparison with control (p<0.01). The effect of ginseng extracts on spontaneous alternation in Y-maze was similar to that of scopolamine treated group. In addition, numbers of arm entries were similar in all experimental groups. Moreover, red ginseng extract significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity in the cortex and serum (p<0.05). Brain ACh contents of ginseng extract treated groups increased more than that of scopolamine group, which did not show statistically significant. These results suggest that ginseng extract may be useful for the treatment of cognitive impairment.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.526-531
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• 2020

Manganese ions contained in water phase are acting as a toxic substance in the human body and also known to affect the nervous system. In particular, effective treatment technology is required since manganese removal is difficult due to its high solubility in a wide pH range. In this study, Prinus densiflora bark was chemically modified with hydrogen peroxide, and the modified adsorbent was used for removing manganese ions in an aqueous solution. The modified adsorbent showed high removal capacity of 82.1 and 56.2%, respectively, at conditions of 5 and 10 mg/L manganese ions. Also, the adsorption isotherm from the data was applied to the theoretical equation. As a result, the adsorption behavior of manganese ions was better suited to the Langmuir than Freundlich model, and it was also found from kinematics that the pseudo-second order kinetic model was more suitable. In addition, the changes of Gibbs free energy indicated that the adsorption reaction became more spontaneously with increasing temperature. Consequently, these experimental results may be used as a water treatment technology which can efficiently treat manganese ions contained in water.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.597-604
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• 2018

Although the core mechanisms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are unknown, several ADHD-associated proteins have been studied. G-protein - coupled receptor kinase interacting protein-1 (GIT1) is a multifunctional adapter protein that affects neuron growth and dendrite formation. GIT1-deficient mice have shown ADHD-like behavior and also recovered through amphetamine treatment. In this study, gliotransmitters were investigated in both intracellular and extracellular space from GIT1-deficient mice. To measure the amount of gliotransmitters, primary astrocyte cultures were taken from the cerebral and cerebellar cortices of wild (WT), hetero (HE), and knock-out (KO) mice. Major gliotransmitters were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. It was observed that the amount of excitatory and inhibitory gliotransmitters were dependent on genotype and showed a change in excitation/inhibition ratios. Interestingly, the major excitatory gliotransmitter, glutamate, existed at the lowest level in WT mice, but the amount of inhibitory gliotransmitters, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine, varied depending on brain region. Remarkably, an increased amount of GABA was measured at the intracellular cerebrum in WT mice compared with KO mice. It was presumed that KO mice would secrete more inhibitory gliotransmitters to compensate for GIT1 depletion or else acquire a defect to reuptake-secreted GABA. This may be a possible mechanism for ADHD pathology.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.767-773
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anxiolytic-like effect of the methanol extract of Sophorae fructus (MESF) using elevated plus-maze (EPM), open field test, and horizontal wire test in mice. MESF was orally administered at doses of 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg to ICR mice 1 h before behavioral evaluation. The control group was given an equal volume of 10% Tween 80, and the positive control group was given diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.). The administration of MESF significantly increased the percentage of time spent in open arms and the entries into the open arms of the EPM compared with the 10% Tween 80-treated control group (p < 0.05). In addition, the anxiolytic-like activities of MESF were antagonized by flumazenil (a GABAA antagonist, 10 mg/kg) but not by WAY-100635 (a 5-HT1A antagonist, 0.3 mg/kg). Futhermore, there were no changes in the locomotor activity and myorelaxant effects of the experimental group, as opposed to the 10% Tween 80-treated control group. Therefore, these findings suggest that MESF promotes the anxiolytic-like activity mediated by the GABAergic nervous system in mice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.939-946
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• 2020

Stroke is one of the leading causes of neurological disability worldwide and stroke patients exhibit a range of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric impairments. GPR88 is an orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is highly expressed in striatal medium spiny neurons; its deletion results in poor motor coordination and motor learning. There are currently no studies on the involvement of GPR88 in stroke or in post-stroke brain function recovery. In this study, we found a decrease in GPR88 protein and mRNA expression levels in an ischemic mouse model using Western blot and real-time PCR, respectively. In addition, we observed that, among the three types of cells derived from the brain (brain microvascular endothelial cells, BV2 microglial cells, and HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells), the expression of GPR88 was highest in HT22 neuronal cells, and that GPR88 expression was downregulated in HT22 cells under oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions. Moreover, pretreatment with RTI- 13951-33 (10 mg/kg), a brain-penetrant GPR88 agonist, ameliorated brain injury following ischemia, as evidenced by improvements in infarct volume, vestibular-motor function, and neurological score. Collectively, our results suggest that GPR88 could be a potential drug target for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, including ischemic stroke.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2001

A new scale named LCL(Logically Classified Level) has been developed to judge the status of the spasticity quantitatively implementing a pcndulum test in this study. Total 30 parameters have been used to develop the new scale. One representative parameter that can represent the dominant characteristics of spasticity has been chosen through statistical analysis. 20 parameters among 30 parameters uscd in the statistical analysis were newly developed and 10 parameters were from previous studies. The new 20 parametcrs were developed using combinations of pcndulum test characteristics. ie anglc, angular velocity. musclo midel. and EMG. 11 parameters among 30 parameters have showed strong correlations each other, Finally. L11 that showed consistency at every case has been chosen to be a representative parameter among the 11 parameters. 28 patients data were separated into 4 groups. A regression equation to predict the trend of patients of L11 has been made. The paramcter L11 was tested to prove its usabilitics for various cases of patients. The new LCL scale is expected to be a quantitative scale, and to replace the MAS(Modified Ashworth Scale) that is not a quantitative scale. Especially it is also expected that the new scale could be used to plan a treatmcnt period. methods, and intensity. as it can evaluate the status of patient's in detail.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.7-22
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• 2021

Objective : The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of virtual reality interventions (VRIs) on cognitive function in individuals with stroke through a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Methods : We reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) the last 10 years using academic databases. PubMed, MEDLINE, and CINAHL were used for international studies, and DBpia, KISS, Kyoboscholar, and e-article were used for Korean studies. For the quantitative meta-analysis, subgroups of outcomes were classified into general cognitive function (G-CF), attention and memory (A&M), and executive function (EF). Results : Nine RCTs were analyzed. The total number of participants was 271 (140 in the experimental group). The effect size (Cohen's d) was estimated using a random effects model. The effect sizes of the outcome subgroups of were as follows: small to medium for G-CF (d=0.422; 95% CI: 0.101~0.742; p=0.010), small for A&M (d=0.249; 95% CI: -0.107~0.605; p=0.170), and medium for EF (d=0.666; 95% CI: 0.136~1.195; p=0.014). Conclusion : Considering the various stimuli provided by the virtual environment and the results from available research, virtual reality should be applied to interventions for integrated cognitive functions. In addition, it would be appropriate to be used as an additional intervention to traditional cognitive rehabilitation for stroke.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.69-83
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• 2023

Objective : This study, as a preliminary study, applied an Information & Communication Technology (ICT) home-based program to elderly people aged 65 years or older to confirm the effect of the cognitive enhancement program and to find the possibility of remote rehabilitation. Methods : This study from August to October 2022, three subjects were selected and the intervention was conducted for about 2 months. This intervention was conducted using Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination, Korean version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), Computer Cognitive Senior Assessment System, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale to evaluate cognitive improvement before and after the program. The therapist remotely set the level of cognitive training according to the subject's level through weekly feedback. Results : After the intervention, all subjects showed improved scores in most items of the MoCA-K conducted before and after the intervention. In addition, among the items of Cotras-pro, upper cognition, language ability, attention, visual perception, and memory were improved. Conclusion : Cognitive rehabilitation training using an ICT home-based program not only prevented dementia but also made it habitual. Through this study, it was confirmed that remote rehabilitation for the elderly could be possible.