• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1186-1197
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• 2022

Objectives: A case study about the effectiveness of integrative Korean medicine treatment in a psychogenic tremor patient. Case presentation: A 36-year-old male diagnosed with psychogenic tremor with low back pain underwent 29 days of inpatient treatment and 4 weeks of outpatient treatment. His pattern identification was a psychogenic tremor of the weakness of the heart and gall bladder (SimDamHeoGup) type. The treatments were herbal medicine and acupuncture. He took Cheongshimondam-tang for 29 days and Chunwangbosim-dan for 6 weeks when he had symptoms. He also received acupuncture for 20 minutes twice a day at GB20 (Pungji), L14 (Hapgok), HT4 (Yeongdo), PC6 (Naegwan), HT7 (Sinmun), GB34 (Yangleungcheon), ST36 (Joksamni), SP6 (Sameumgyo), and LR3 (Taechung). After 8 weeks of treatment, the Fahn Tolosa Marin rating (FTM) scale of his tremor, at rest, dropped from Grade 4 on both upper extremities, trunk, and both lower extremities at the time of admission to Grade 2 in both upper extremities and trunk, and Grade 0 in both lower extremities at the time of discharge. His Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) score decreased from 38 to 7, and his numerical rating scale (NRS) decreased from 8 to 1 for low back pain and from 9 to 2 for tremor. A follow-up visit to the hospital 2 months after the end of treatment confirmed continued symptom improvements and no significant side effects. Conclusions: This study suggests the possibility of treating psychogenic tremor using only Korean medicine treatments. Further studies with control groups and long-term follow-up are needed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1272-1280
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• 2018

Introduction: The aim of this study is to report the effect of Ling-Gui-Gan-Zao-Tang (LGGZT) effectively improves anxiety disorder following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Case Presentation: 50-year-old female with traumatic brain injury after falling down from golf cart. After injury, symptoms like anxiety disorder, diarrhea, dizziness, headache were occurred. She took medications like antidepressants, antianxiety drugs and antipsychotic agent, but symptoms deteriorated consistently. After being prescribed LGGZT, patients' symptoms were significantly improved. Result of Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R-K) was changed from 24 to 5 and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was changed from 21 to 3. Also, side effects were not observed during the treatment period. Conclusion: LGGZT can be considered as an effective treatment for anxiety disorder following traumatic brain injury.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.267-279
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of the investigation was to identify the effects of purposeful activities combined with music on upper extremity function, motivation, and mood in acute stroke patients. Methods: For the study, 19 acute stroke inpatients were recruited at a general hospital in Korea. The patients were allocated between an experimental group (n=9) and a control group (n=10). The experimental group performed purposeful activities with their preferred music, and the control group carried out purposeful activities without music. The 2 groups received the treatments 30 min per day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks. Measurements were taken before and after intervention, including a manual function test (MFT) for measuring upper extremity function, a volitional questionnaire (VQ) for assessing motivation, and the Beck depression inventory (BDI) and Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) for assessing mood. Results: In post-treatment measurement, both groups showed greater MFT, VQ, and BDI scores than in pre-treatment. Significantly greater VQ and BDI changes were represented in the experimental group as compared to the control group. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, purposeful activities combined with music have a positive effect on motivation and depression in acute stroke patients.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2006

Background : Some reports have suggested that decreased nitric oxide metabolites($NO_x$) and activity of nitric oxide synthase could be related to the pathophysiology of depression. We evaluated plasma levels of $NO_x$ in pregnant women with and without postpartum depression at prenatal and postnatal period. Methods : The plasma concentrations of $NO_x$ were measured in 104 pregnant women in the third trimester and at 6 weeks postpartum and in 64 normal controls. The severity of depression and anxiety was measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS), Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), and Beck Anxiety Scale(BAI). Results : Plasma $NO_x$ levels at 6 weeks postpartum were significantly lower in cases of postpartum major depression(EDPS scores${\geq}$13 points) than in cases without depression(EDPS scores${\leq}$9 points). Plasma $NO_x$ levels had significantly negative correlation with EPDS scores at 6 weeks postpartum. Conclusion : We demonstrate that decreased plasma $NO_x$ is associated with postpartum depression. Further studies are required to determine whether individual serum concentration of plasma $NO_x$ alone could predict maternal depression.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.219-227
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• 2019

This study examined the convergent relationship of stress factors related to the depression level(CES-D) of a college student. The questionnaire was used using an unregistered self-administered questionnaire for 304 students from a college located in J area from Nov. 12, 2018 to Dec. 14, 2018. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis results are as follows: The depression level of respondents turned out to be significantly higher in following groups: a group in which job seeking stress(CMI) is higher, a group in which academic burnout(MBI-SS) is higher, a group in which anxiety(BAI) are higher. The results show explanatory power of 60.7%. The results of the study indicate that the efforts, to decrease job seeking stress, to decrease academic burnout and, to decrease anxiety, are required to decrease the depression level among college students. These results can be utilized in various interventional efforts for academic counseling and guidance, job counseling, and psychological and emotional stability that lowers the depression level in college students. Following studies requires the presentation and analysis of structural models for the structural model that effects the depression levels of college students.

• 대한상한금궤의학회지
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.45-59
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was conducted to confirm the reproducibility of the diagnosis of greater yin disease (太陰病) and the efficacy of herbal treatment using Gyejigajakyak-tang or Gyejigadaehwang-tang in somatic symptom disorder (SSD). We also further refined the characteristics of greater yin disease in SSD. Methods: We analyzed the demographic and treatment data of seven patients with SSD from four Korean medical clinics. The reliability of diagnosis and the efficacy of the treatments were evaluated by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), a numerical rating scale (NRS), and the patients' statements. Finally, we analyzed patients according to the diagnostic points of Shanghanlun provision 273. Results: Seven SSD patients took Gyejigajakyak-tang or Gyejigadaehwang-tang. The mean age of the patients was 52.1±15.8 years old, and the herbal medication period was 82.2±38.2 days. At the first visit, the patients showed hypochondriasis, obvious stress, and a severe BAI score (40.4±10.9). The NRS significantly decreased from 8.9±1.6 to 0.7±0.7 after the treatments. There were no side effects reported. As a result of analyzing these 7 cases, hypochondriasis, obvious stress, and anxiety were identified, which had been previously suggested as 自痛, 因爾, and 結硬. Conclusions: We confirmed the reproducibility of greater yin disease in 7 SSD cases from 4 medical institutions. These results imply that there could be a considerable relation between SSD and greater yin disease as defined by the Shanghanlun provisions.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2017

Objective : Korean employees tend to release their stress by alcohol drinking. This study aimed to investigate the association between job stress and problematic drinking in Korean employees. Methods : The study participants were 72,119 employees who attended health screenings and responded to the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Korea (AUDIT-K), Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form (KOSS-SF), Center for Epidemiologic Study-Depression (CES-D), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and questionnaire on suicidal ideation and sociodemographic characteristics. We investigated the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the problematic drinking group ($AUIDT-K{\geq}12$) and used binary logistic regression to determine the impact of job stress on problematic drinking. Results : Age, gender, marital status, education year, sleep duration, obesity, smoking, suicidal ideation, and depression and anxiety showed significant differences between the problematic drinking group and normal group. Among the various kinds of job stresses, job insecurity and lack of reward were associated with problematic drinking. Conclusion : The result of this study suggested that certain kinds of job stress might be associated with problematic drinking in Korean employees.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.39-47
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• 2022

Objective : This study investigated brain functional connectivity in male firefighters who showed subclinical post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Methods : We compared the data of 17 firefighters who were not diagnosed with PTSD and 18 healthy controls who had no trauma exposure. The following instruments were applied to assess psychiatric symptoms: Korean version of the Post-traumatic stress disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5-K), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). For all subjects, functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed, and functional connectivity was compared between the two groups (family-wise error-corrected p<0.05). Additionally, correlations between psychiatric symptoms and functional connectivity were explored. Results : The following connectivity was higher than that of healthy controls: 1) the central opercular cortex-superior temporal gyrus, 2) planum polare-parahippocampal gyrus, 3) angular gyrus-amygdala, and 4) temporal fusiform cortex-parahippocampal gyrus. The functional connectivity of 1) the lateral occipital cortex-inferior temporal gyrus, 2) superior parietal lobule-caudate, and 3) middle temporal gyrus-thalamus were lower in firefighters. In firefighters, the connectivity of the planum polare-parahippocampal gyrus showed a negative correlation with the severity of arousal symptoms (rho=-0.586, p=0.013). The connectivity of the middle temporal gyrus-thalamus showed a positive correlation with the severity of intrusion (rho=0.552, p=0.022) and arousal symptoms (rho=0.619, p=0.008). The connectivity of the temporal fusiform cortex-parahippocampal gyrus was negatively correlated with intrusion (rho=-0.491, p=0.045) and arousal (rho=-0.579, p=0.015). Conclusion : Our results indicate that the brain functional connectivity is associated with occupational trauma exposure in firefighters without PTSD. Therefore, this study provides evidence that close monitoring and early intervention are important for firefighters with traumatic experience even at a subthreshold level.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1066-1071
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• 2010

To evaluate the effect of horticultural therapy (HT) on the emotional improvement of depressed patients, computer-based heart rate variability (HRV) was compared with self-report scale (SRS) known as existing subjective evaluation method. SRS included four test areas: mental stress scale (MSS), physical stress scale (PSS), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and Beck depression inventory (BDI). HRV was itemized into four parameters: standard deviation of the N-N intervals (SDNN), square root of mean squared difference of successive N-N intervals (RMSSD), total power (TP), and low-frequency/high-frequency ratio (LF/HF ratio). Thirty patients with depression at the same mental hospital participated in this study. 15 patients of the treatment group received HT once a week for three months, but the control group did not during the same period. As a result, the emotional improvement in treatment group was clearly identified through HRV as well as SRS. The significant difference was shown at three test areas (MSS, BAI, and BDI, $p$ < 0.001) in SRS and at one parameter (total power, $p$ < 0.05) in HRV. There was noticeable increase in SDNN, RMSSD, and LF/HF ratio in treatment group after HT activity, but no significant difference. Although all parameters of HRV did not show significance, the possibility of HRV as an objective evaluation method to HT was recognized in this study. These results also implied that HT was efficient in the mental and physical regeneration of the depressed patients in both subjective and objective evaluation methods.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2019

Objectives : This study aimed to compare the psychosocial characteristics among patients with functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID), adults with functional gastrointestinal symptoms, and normal control group and investigate factors related to quality of life (QoL) of FGID patients. Methods : 65 patients diagnosed with FGID were selected. 79 adults were selected as normal control group based on the Rome III diagnostic criteria, and 88 adults who showed functional gastrointestinal symptoms were selected as "FGID positive group". Demographic factors were investigated. Psychosocial factors were evaluated using the Korean-Beck Depression Inventory-II, Korean-Beck Anxiety Inventory, Korean-Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and WHO Quality of Life Assessment Instrument Brief Form. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare differences among groups. Pearson correlation test was used to analyze correlations between QoL and psychosocial factors in patients with FGID. Results : There were group differences in the education level. Depression (F=29.012, p<0.001), anxiety (F=27.954, p<0.001) and Childhood trauma (F=7.748, p<0.001) were significantly higher in FGID patient group than in both FGID-positive and normal control group. Social support (F=5,123, p<0.001), Resilience (F=9.623, p<0.001) and QoL (F=35.991, p<0.001) were significantly lower in the FGID patient group than in others. QoL of FGID patients showed a positive correlation with resilience (r=0.475, p<0.01), and showed a negative correlation with depression (r=-0.641, p<0.01), anxiety (r=-0.641, p<0.01), and childhood trauma (r=-0.278, p<0.05). Conclusions : FGID patients have distinctive psychosocial factors compared to the both FGID-positive and normal control group. Therefore, the active interventions for psychosocial factors are required in the treatment of patients with FGID.