• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.313-353
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• 2023

Objectives: Heart failure is a chronic disease with increasing prevalence rates despite advancements in medical technology. Korean medicine utilizes herbal prescriptions to treat heart failure, but little is known about the specific herbal medicines comprising the network of herbal prescriptions for heart failure. This study proposes a novel methodology that can efficiently develop prescriptions and facilitate experimental research on heart failure by utilizing existing databases. Methods: Herbal medicine prescriptions for heart failure were identified through a PubMed search and compiled into a Google Sheet database. NetMiner 4 was used for network analysis, and the individual networks were classified according to the herbal medicine classification system to identify trends. K-HERB NETWORK was utilized to derive related prescriptions. Results: Network analysis of heart failure prescriptions and herbal medicines using NetMiner 4 produced 16 individual networks. Uhwangcheongsim-won (牛黃淸心元), Gamiondam-tang (加味溫膽湯), Bangpungtongseong-san (防風通聖散), and Bunsimgi-eum (分心氣飮) were identified as prescriptions with high similarity in the entire network. A total of 16 individual networks utilized K-HERB NETWORK to present prescriptions that were most similar to existing prescriptions. The results provide 1) an indication of existing prescriptions with potential for use to treat heart failure and 2) a basis for developing new prescriptions for heart failure treatment. Conclusion: The proposed methodology presents an efficient approach to developing new heart failure prescriptions and facilitating experimental research. This study highlights the potential of network pharmacology methodology and its possible applications in other diseases. Further studies on network pharmacology methodology are recommended.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.40-48
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate safety of postpartum herbal medicine by assessing the effect of taking herbal medicine of postpartum period on liver function. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 167 mothers who underwent liver function tests (LFT) within 3 months before and after childbirth among mothers who gave birth at ○○ Hospital between January 1, 2016 and May 31, 2018. Mothers with abnormally elevated LFT during pregnancy were excluded. Among 167 women, 6 women are herbal-medicine-group took herbal medicine for 5-6 weeks during postpartum period, and 161 patients are general -group who did not take herbal medicine. LFT Variation of Subjects before and after childbirth were compared between the two groups. And subjects who had elevated liver levels above the normal range after delivery were classified separately, the characteristics and causes of changes in liver levels were analyzed, and the presence or absence of drug-induced liver damage was confirmed. Results: Among a total of 167 subjects, there were 5 women in the herbal-medicine-group and 150 women in the general-group who had changes in liver values within the normal range after childbirth. Aspartate transaminase (AST) change before and after childbirth in the herbal-medicine-group was 3.40±1.82, and AST change in the general-group was 2.92±8.59, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.901). Increase of Alanine transaminase (ALT) before and after childbirth in the herbal-medicine-group was 5.60±3.65, and ALT change in the general-group was 8.01±11.81, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.651). There were 12 subjects who had elevated AST, ALT above the normal range after delivery, including 1 in the herbal-medicine-group and 11 in the normal mothers group. Valuation of 1 Subject of the herbal-medicine-group before and after delivery was 17 IU/L of AST and 52 IU/L of ALT. Because results of AST, ALT is under the standard to diagnose to liver damage, she was observed without any treatment. However the cause of AST, ALT elevation was not found in the chart, she was receiving treatment for diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The general-group had an average increase of AST 35.64±22.67 IU/L and ALT 53.00±26.80 IU/L. As a result of analyzing the cause, there were direct causes such as autoimmune hepatitis, chronic hepatitis B, and acute pyelonephritis. Abnormal elevations in liver levels were also found in mothers with hypothyroidism, diabetes, and fever of unknown cause, although they were not direct causes. Conclusions: To investigate the safety of taking herbal medicines, we assess the variation in AST and ALT within 3 months before and after delivery in the herbal-medicine-group and general-group. There was no significant difference between two groups.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.78-95
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the results of the 2022 Gyeonggi-do Oriental Medicine Fertility Treatment Support Project, review the outcomes and satisfaction of Oriental Medicine fertility support initiatives, and propose progressive fertility treatment support strategies by comparing them with the results of the past three years. Methods: Total of 242 women and 205 spouses participated in the Korean Medicine fertility treatment support project, which encompassed herbal medicine, acupuncture, and counseling treatments over a 3-month period, followed by a 3-month post-treatment follow-up. Data pertaining to patients' general, demographic, and fertility-related characteristics were collected before treatment initiation. During treatment, information regarding the treatments administered by Korean medical doctors was recorded, along with post-treatment outcomes and satisfaction levels. Safety assessments included pre- and post-treatment blood tests and monitoring for adverse events. Results: Among the 242 female subjects, 209 successfully completed the treatment program. Of these, 35 (16.7%) achieved pregnancy, with 30 (15%) attaining pregnancy through herbal monotherapy. Out of the 35 pregnancies, 17 were maintained, while 10 resulted in miscarriage. Notably, 83.8% of patients expressed satisfaction with the treatment outcomes. An analysis spanning three years revealed a continuous increase in the average age of patients, surpassing 38 years in 2022, a critical point in fertility decline age. Additionally, there was a notable rise in the prevalence of patients with a history of gynecological issues, advanced spouse age, and semen abnormalities, which is assumed to have contributed to the decrease in the pregnancy success rate. Conclusions: This study compares the clinical results of the 2022 Gyeonggi-do Korean Medicine Fertility Treatment Support Project with those of the past three years. Based on these findings, recommendations are made to enhance the project, including stricter age criteria for patient selection, enhanced specialized treatment tools for medical doctors, and combining Korean Medicine treatment and medical assisted reproductive technologies, all aimed at increasing pregnancy success rates. These results provide a foundation for the development of fertility support projects and related policies.

• 한방안이비인후피부과학회지
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.156-163
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Korean medical treatments on idiopathic bilateral strabismus. Methods : We treated a 43-year-old male idiopathic bilateral strabismus patient who was told to wait without a prescription as there was no problem in intraocular pressure test, fundus test, brain computed tomography, brain magnetic resonance imaging and angiography test, and cerebrospinal fluid test. The patient was admitted to Cheonan Korean medical hospital for 3 months to get Korean medical treatments including acupuncture, electroacupuncture, vapor treatment, pharmacopuncture therapy. The degree of improvement in idiopathic bilateral strabismus was determined by the objective measures of internal and external rotation disorders, and the patient's subjective opinions on eye pain and double vision discomfort. Results : The results of this patient showed distinct improvements on objective measures of internal and external rotation disorders in both eyes. Distance from the outer corner of the right eye when abducted decreased from 7mm to 0mm, and left eye decreased from 7mm to 0mm. Distance from the inner corner of the right eye when adducted decreased from 5mm to 0mm, and left eye decreased from 4mm to 0mm. In addition, eye pain decreased from 10 to 0 and diplopia decreased from 10 to 2 according to the patient's subjective opinions. Conclusions : This study shows the possibility that such medical treatment in Koreans can improve the rare idiopathic bilateral perspective among strabismus patients.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.156-168
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• 2023

Objectives : This study aimed to determine the status of thermal stimulation devices approved in Korea for medical applications over the past 10 years, and based on this, to obtain insight for future thermal treatment in Korean medical institutions. Methods : We searched the item classification list entitled "Regulations on Medical Device Items and Rating by Item" from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Notice No. 2021-24, 2021 (Enforced March 19, 2021; www.mfds.go.kr) for individually licensed heaters using the terms "heat" and "heating". Results : We identified 17 items of thermal stimulation product group, of which 1,308 devices were licensed by February 4, 2022, and 53.2% of them (n=696) were devices with valid permits for distribution in Korea. Among the licensed devices, heating pad systems under/overlay (electric, home use) were approved the most, but combinational stimulator (for medical use, home use; Grade 2) accounted for the highest percentage among the current valid permission. Moxibustion apparatuses were licensed separately for electrical use and non-electrical use, and occupied a low percentage of the total devices. We analyzed 307 devices that were accompanied by technical documents and found that the heat sources were wires in 145 (47.2%), infrared rays in 44 (14.3%) and ultrasonic waves in 42 (13.7%) devices. Most (83.1%) devices were used for pain relief, while other applications included beauty, cancer treatment, maintenance of infant body temperature, and healing fractures. Conclusions : Thermal stimulation devices accounted for about 0.9% of all medical devices, and among them, combinational stimulators and heating pad systems under/overlay had the most valid permits. Thermal stimulation devices using heating wires and infrared rays were the most prevalent, and most were used to relieve pain. In order to develop a range of thermal stimulation devices that can be utilized in Korean medical institutions, it is imperative that they have potential applications beyond pain management, addressing various medical purposes. To achieve this, foundational research is necessary to effectively apply diverse heat sources based on medical objectives.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제44권5호
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• pp.904-910
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• 2023

Objectives: The aim of this case report is to present the effects of Korean medicine treatment in a patient with left facial paraesthesia, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, and post-traumatic neck pain induced by cerebral infarction. Methods: A 26-year-old male patient was treated with Cheongpa-Jeon H, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture (Shinbaro2), and Chuna Therapy for 24 days of hospitalization. Left facial paraesthesia, TMJ pain, and post-traumatic neck pain were assessed with a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and EuroQoL-5 Dimension (EQ-5D). Post-traumatic neck pain was assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Results: After 24 days of treatment, the patient's left facial paraesthesia and left arm tingling sensation were relieved from NRS 6 to NRS 2. Left TMJ pain was reduced from NRS 5 to NRS 2. The EQ-5D score increased from 0.138 to 0.73. The NDI score decreased from 71.11 to 37.78. Conclusion: These results show that left facial paraesthesia, TMJ pain, and post-traumatic neck pain can be relieved with Korean medicine treatment. However, further well-designed studies are required to confirm these findings.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.31-44
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• 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study is to check the research trends of pharmacopuncture treatment in nerve entrapment syndrome, identify specific techniques, identify which pharmacopuncture are used, and provide directions for future research. Methods This study was conducted based on the five steps suggested by Arksey and O'Malley. We searched five domestic databases (Research Information Sharing Service, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korean studies Information Service System, Science ON, and KMBASE) and identified studies with key search terms like "nerve entrapment" And "pharmacopuncture" until June 23, 2023. Results Twenty-nine studies were finally selected. among them, 25 papers were non-comparative studies (86.2%). The most common disease was carpal tube syndrome (n=10). All the investigated studies were treated by injecting pharmacopuncture into the pathway of the entraped nerve. The depth of pharmacopuncture injection was mentioned only in 13 studies. As for the pharmacopuncture used, sweet bee venom was 8 studies and bee venom was 6 studies, and about half of the pharmacopuncture manufactured with Bee venom as the main component accounted for. Conclusions This study is a scoping review of the pharmacopuncture treatment for nerve entrapment, which was first conducted in Korea. The treatment is mainly performed on the path way of the entraped nerve. After that, it is necessary to study the standardization of the specific technique method of pharmacopuncture and the uniformity of evaluation criteria.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.29-49
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• 2024

Objectives The purpose of this study is to systemically review the recent studies in the Korean medicine treatments for torticollis. Methods We search the clinical studies from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2023. The studies were searched through 10 databases (Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korean studies Information Service System, Research Information Sharing Service, Korean Medical Database, ScienceON, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure). Results A total of 19 studies were included in the study. 12 studies were case report studies, 5 studies were randomized controlled trials, 2 studies were non-randomized controlled trials. Of the 19 interventions, Chuna was the most used in this study and of the 28 evaluation tools, Sternocleidomastoid thickness was the most used in this study except efficiency rate. All 19 studies had improvements after treatment, and 8 studies had statistically significant improvements. As a result of the study, we found that Chuna, GB, GB20, BL10, Glycyrrhiza uralensis were commonly used Korean medicine treatments for torticollis. Conclusions We analyzed the Korean medicine treatments for torticollis. Through this study, we found that the Korean medicine was effective for torticollis. However, more research is needed to confirm the more detailed effect.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.101-134
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• 2024

Objectives The purpose of this study is to observe the effectiveness of acupotomy treatment for lateral epicondylitis by comparing it with various control groups. Methods We searched 11 domestic and international databases for systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The subjects were studies published from January 1, 2017 to September 1, 2023, and only randomised controlled trials were included. Results 208 studies were searched, of which 21 studies were finally selected. Among the studies published after 2017, the largest number of studies was published in 2019. The average number of participants per study was 72.28±20.26 and the average age was in the 40s. The most frequent intervention in the study was acupotomy alone, and the treatment most often mentioned as a control group was local nerve block. The most used evaluation tool is efficiency. Acupotomy+manipulation had statistically better effect than that of local nerve block in terms of pain (standard mean difference -1.87, 95% confidence interval, -2.18 to -1.57, p<0.00001) and elbow joint function (standard mean difference 2.25, 95% confidence interval, 1.65 to 2.86, p<0.00001). Conclusions As a result of the meta-analysis, the effect of acupotomy added manual therapy treatment was statistically significant compared to the local nerve block frequently used for lateral epicondylitis. Based on these results, it appears that more research on combination treatments other than acupotomy treatment will be needed. Also, it appears that more large-scale randomized controlled studies that strictly adhere to the standards for reporting interventions in controlled trials of acupuncture, risk of bias 2 criteria will be needed.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2024

Cognitive reserve (CR) is a concept that can explain the discrepancies between the pathologic burden of the disease and clinical manifestations. It refers to the individual susceptibility to age-related brain changes and pathologies related to Alzheimer's disease, thus recognized as a factor affecting the trajectories of the disease. The purpose of this study was to explore the current states of clinical studies on neural substrates of CR in Alzheimer's disease using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We searched for clinical studies on CR using fMRI in the Pubmed, Cochrane library, RISS, KISS and ScienceON on August 14, 2023. Once the online search was finished, studies were selected manually by the inclusion criteria. Finally, we analyzed the characteristics of selected articles and reviewed the neural substrates of CR. Total thirty-four studies were included in this study. As surrogate markers of CR, not only education and occupational complexity, but also composite score and questionnaire-based method, which cover various areas of life, were mainly used. The most utilized methods in resting-state fMRI were independent component analysis, seed-based analysis, and graph theory analysis. Through the analysis, we demonstrated that neuroimaging techniques could capture the neural substrates associated with cognitive reserve. Moreover, functional connectivity of brain regions centered on prefrontal and parietal cortex and network areas such as default mode network showed a significant correlation with CR, which indicated a significant association with cognitive performance. CR may induce differential effects according to the disease status. We hope that this perspective on cognitive reserve would be helpful when conducting clinical researches on the mechanisms of traditional Korean medicine for Alzheimer's disease in the future.