• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.452-457
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• 2016

If human body is exposed to the continuous stress, it becomes allostasis load which is the condition of homeostasis broken. Its evolutional ecologic point of view and the relation with chiljeongsnag which is a theory in Oriental Medicine were investigated. Upon evolutional ecologic point of view by Maynard Smith, people can be divided by Hawks and Doves resulting in different types of allostasis in response of the stress. Hawks people who are active and aggressive get easily anger in the stressful situation to be vulnerable to the inflammatory hepatic diseases by enhancing Th1 immune system. On the other hand, Doves people who are passive and calm get easily depressed with sadness in the stressful situation to be vulnerable to the allergic pulmonary diseases by enhancing Th2 immune system. According to constitution theory of Oriental Medicine, Yangin and Eumin show the different features of responses to the stress generating Chiljeongsang. With excessive stress continuously, Yangin consider the feeling of anger mainly resulting in Qi reversal and liver damage, while Eumin consider the feeling of sadness mainly in consumption of Qi and lung damage. Hawks and Yangin, and Doves and Eumin show the common behaviors in response to the stress demonstrating the similar features including allostasis load and Chiljeongsang. In the clinical practices with the stressful patients, the viewpoint to consider the behaviors and feelings of the subjects to receive the stress simultaneously can be the new approaching method in Psychosomatic Medicine.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.209-216
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• 2015

Stress is now recognized as a universal premorbid factor associated with many risk factors of various chronic diseases. Acute stress may induce an individual's adaptive response to environmental demands. However, chronic, excessive stress causes cumulative negative impacts on health outcomes through "allostatic load". Thus, monitoring the quantified levels of long-term stress mediators would provide a timely opportunity for prevention or earlier intervention of stressrelated chronic illnesses. Although either acute or chronic stress could be quantified through measurement of changes in physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of various metabolic hormones, it is still elusive to interpret whether the changes in circulating levels of stress mediators such as cortisol can reflect the acute, chronic, or diurnal variations. Both serum and salivary cortisol levels reveal acute changes at a single point in time, but the overall long-term systemic cortisol exposure is difficult to evaluate due to circadian variations and its protein-binding capacity. Scalp hair has a fairy predictable growth rate of approximately 1 cm/month, and the most 1 cm segment approximates the last month's cortisol production as the mean value. The analysis of cortisol in hair is a highly promising technique for the retrospective assessment of chronic stress. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(4): 209-216]

• Journal of Convergence Korean Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.25-44
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• 2023

Objectives: Gaming disorder has been viewed as a disease in the DSM-5 and ICD-11. Its essential symptoms are loss of control over gaming, gaming becoming a markedly prioritized activity over other activities of daily living, and continued and excessive use of gaming despite negative problems occurring. Methods: Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to gaming disorder because the striatal pathways related to reward develop earlier than the control regions of the prefrontal cortex. It is also associated with decreased dopamine D2 receptors. Addiction is related to 'want' and is explained by incentive-sensitization. In addition, allostasis, in which homeostasis is continuously achieved at a new target value, is also related to gaming disorder. In addition, personality causes, unchangeable factors, and external factors can influence on the onset of gaming disorder. Results: Prevention is the best solution for gaming disorder, and the role of parents is important. For gaming disorder, bupropion is used, cognitive-behavioral therapy and family-based therapy are also beneficial. Herbal medicine treatment such as Antler velvet and ginseng can be effective. Electroacupuncture and acupuncture using PC6, SP6, and LR3 has a correlation with relieving Internet craving. Ear-acupuncture was also effective in treating addiction. Conclusion: Psychologically, 'want' is an intense longing for reward and motivation, and is related to addiction. This 'want' may rather be related to avoidance, and game addiction in children and adolescents may be due to wanting to escape from academic stress or avoidance of comparison. Therefore, the importance of 'like', which gives pleasure in itself, increases. It can also be explained with Sasang Constitutional Medicine.