• Clinical Nutrition Research
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.154-167
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• 2023

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) associated with liver failure is accompanied by hyperammonemia, severe inflammation, depression, anxiety, and memory deficits as well as liver injury. Recent studies have focused on the liver-brain-inflammation axis to identify a therapeutic solution for patients with HE. Lipocalin-2 is an inflammation-related glycoprotein that is secreted by various organs and is involved in cellular mechanisms including iron homeostasis, glucose metabolism, cell death, neurite outgrowth, and neurogenesis. In this study, we investigated that the roles of lipocalin-2 both in the brain cortex of mice with HE and in Neuro-2a (N2A) cells. We detected elevated levels of lipocalin-2 both in the plasma and liver in a bile duct ligation mouse model of HE. We confirmed changes in cytokine expression, such as interleukin-1β, cyclooxygenase 2 expression, and iron metabolism related to gene expression through AKT-mediated signaling both in the brain cortex of mice with HE and N2A cells. Our data showed negative effects of hepatic lipocalin-2 on cell survival, iron homeostasis, and neurite outgrowth in N2A cells. Thus, we suggest that regulation of lipocalin-2 in the brain in HE may be a critical therapeutic approach to alleviate neuropathological problems focused on the liver-brain axis.

• 한국과학교육학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.487-497
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• 2010

이 연구의 목적은 교사의 교수-학습 방식(범주생성형 vs. 범주이해형)이 학생의 분류능력에 어떤 영향을 미치는지를 두뇌 수준에서 규명하는 것이다. 이를 위해 대학교에 재학 중인 24명의 건강한 오른손잡이 학생들이 이 연구에 참여하였다. 이들은 생성 집단과 이해 집단의 두 집단으로 나뉘어 12주간의 서로 다른 학습프로그램을 체험하였다. 연구 참여자들의 과제수행 과정에서의 두뇌활성을 측정하기 위하여 학습프로그램 경험 전후에 fMRI 측정과 지필 검사를 실시했다. 연구결과에 따르면, 분류범주생성 과제의 수행에서 생성집단은 교수-학습 경험 후 대뇌피질 영역과 기저핵 영역이 함께 증가되었으며, 선택-갈등과 관련된 전두피질 영역과 해마옆이랑의 활성감소가 나타났다. 반면 이해집단은 의미 있는 활성변화가 나타나지 않았다. 분류범주이해 과제의 수행에서는 이해집단이 교수-학습 경험 후 대뇌피질 영역과 해마옆이랑의 활성증가가 있었으며, 우측 전두피질부와 소뇌의 활성감소가 있었다. 이와 같은 사실은 특정 교수-학습 양식에 의해 학생이 경험하는 학습양식은 이와 관련된 학생의 특정 두뇌 시스템의 발달을 강화 혹은 약화 시킬 수 있게 된다는 것을 보여준다. 아울러 이러한 연구결과는 두뇌 맞춤형 과학적 분류 학습프로그램 개발을 위한 근거자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

• 인지과학
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.357-373
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• 2006

가상현실은 감각기관에 전달하는 정보를 조작하여 가상의 경험을 피험자에게 제공하고, 사람은 가상현실에서 제공하는 감각적인 정보를 뇌에서 통합하여 상황을 판단한다. 그러한 판단을 통해 가상현실이 얼마나 실제와 같은지 아닌지 지각하고 판단하게 된다. 이렇게 어떤 특정한 또는 이해할 수 있는 장소에 존재한다고 생각하는 인간의 지각상태를 나타내는 요소를 '현존감'이라고 한다. 가상의 환경을 사용자가 실제처럼 느끼고 그 내용을 받아들이도록 하는 것은 중요한 목표이다. 또한 현존감은 가상현실에서 경험하게 되는 여러 가지 감각적인 정보들을 통하여 느끼는 종합적인 느낌을 반영한다. 따라서 여러 가지 감각적인 정보들을 통합하는 과정에서 현존감과 관련된 뇌의 메커니즘이 존재할 것이다. 현존감은 매체를 통한 정보전달 시, 매체에서 전달되는 여러 가지 정보나 자극에 대한 사용자의 지각 및 인식과 중요한 관련이 있기 때문에 현존감의 정도는 개인이 지각하는 정보의 명확성에 영향을 준다. 이를 알아보기 위해서 사회적인 상황에서의 명확성의 차이를 가지는 내용을 아바타를 통해 전달하고 피험자가 그 내용을 바탕으로 추론해보는 가상현실을 구성하였다. 그리고 피험자가 전달받은 내용을 바탕으로 추론하는 동안 뇌 영역 활성화의 차이와 가상현실에 대한 현존감 점수가 관련된 뇌 영역을 알아보았다. 실험 결과 우측 혀이랑, 우측 쐐기소엽, 좌측 혀이랑, 우측 방추상이랑, 좌측 하측두이랑, 전대상피질 그리고 우측 후대상피질에서 유의미한 양의 상관관계가 있었다. 본 연구는 가상현실을 통한 정보의 전달 시 현존감의 영향을 뇌 기능영상 촬영을 통해서 내부 메커니즘의 측면에서 살펴보았다는 것에 의의가 있다.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.118-130
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients with post-concussion syndrome (PCS) using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and automatic whole brain segmentation. Materials and Methods: Forty-two consecutive mTBI patients with PCS who had undergone post-traumatic MR imaging, including DCE MR imaging, between October 2016 and April 2018, and 29 controls with DCE MR imaging were included in this retrospective study. After performing three-dimensional T1-based brain segmentation with FreeSurfer software (Laboratory for Computational Neuroimaging), the mean K^trans and v_p from DCE MR imaging (derived using the Patlak model and extended Tofts and Kermode model) were analyzed in the bilateral cerebral/cerebellar cortex, bilateral cerebral/cerebellar white matter (WM), and brainstem. K^trans values of the mTBI patients and controls were calculated using both models to identify the model that better reflected the increased permeability owing to mTBI (tendency toward higher K^trans values in mTBI patients than in controls). The Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation test were performed to compare the mean K^trans and v_p between the two groups and correlate K^trans and v_p with neuropsychological tests for mTBI patients. Results: Increased permeability owing to mTBI was observed in the Patlak model but not in the extended Tofts and Kermode model. In the Patlak model, the mean K^trans in the bilateral cerebral cortex was significantly higher in mTBI patients than in controls (p = 0.042). The mean v_p values in the bilateral cerebellar WM and brainstem were significantly lower in mTBI patients than in controls (p = 0.009 and p = 0.011, respectively). The mean K^trans of the bilateral cerebral cortex was significantly higher in patients with atypical performance in the auditory continuous performance test (commission errors) than in average or good performers (p = 0.041). Conclusion: BBB disruption, as reflected by the increased K^trans and decreased v_p values from the Patlak model, was observed throughout the bilateral cerebral cortex, bilateral cerebellar WM, and brainstem in mTBI patients with PCS.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제26권7호
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• pp.540-544
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• 2003

Morphine, an analgesic with significant abuse potential, is considered addictive because of drug craving and psychological dependence. It is reported that repeated treatment of morphine can produce conditioned place preference (CPP) showing a reinforcing effect in mice. CPP is a useful method for the screening of morphine-induced psychological dependence. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the methanolic extract of Coptis japonica (MCJ) on morphine-induced CPP in mice. Furthermore, we examined c-fos expression in the parietal cortex, piriform cortex, striatum, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus of the morphine-induced CPP mouse brain. Treatment of MCJ 100 mg/kg inhibited morphine-induced CPP. Expression of c-fos was increased in the cortex, striatum, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus of the morphine-induced CPP mouse brain. These increases of expression were inhibited by treatment with MCJ 100 mg/kg, compared to the morphine control group. Taken together, these results suggest that MCJ inhibits morphine-induced CPP through the regulation of c-fos expression in the mouse brain.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2011

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive tool used to study aspects of human brain physiology, including motor function and the pathophysiology of various brain disorders. A brief electric current passed through a magnetic coil produces a high-intensity magnetic field, which can excite or inhibit the cerebral cortex. Although various brain regions can be evaluated by TMS, most studies have focused on the motor cortex where motor evoked potentials (MEPs) are produced. Single-pulse and paired-pulse TMS can be used to measure the excitability of the motor cortex via various parameters, while repetitive TMS induces cortical plasticity via long-term potentiation or long-term depression-like mechanisms. Therefore, TMS is useful in the evaluation of physiological mechanisms of various neurological diseases, including movement disorders and epilepsy. In addition, it has diagnostic utility in spinal cord diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and demyelinating diseases. The therapeutic effects of repetitive TMS on stroke, Parkinson disease and focal hand dystonia are limited since the duration and clinical benefits seem to be temporary. New TMS techniques, which may improve clinical utility, are being developed to enhance clinical utilities in various neurological diseases.

• 감성과학
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.101-112
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• 2017

We investigated the neural representation of reward probability recognition and its neural connectivity with other regions of the brain. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we used a simple guessing task with different probabilities of obtaining rewards across trials to assay local and global regions processing reward probability. The results of whole brain analysis demonstrated that lateral prefrontal cortex, inferior parietal lobe, and postcentral gyrus were activated during probability-based decision making. Specifically, the higher the expected value was, the more these regions were activated. Fronto-parietal connectivity, comprising inferior parietal regions and right lateral prefrontal cortex, conjointly engaged during high reward probability recognition compared to low reward condition, regardless of whether the reward information was extrinsically presented. Finally, the result of a regression analysis identified that cortico-subcortical connectivity was strengthened during the high reward anticipation for the subjects with higher cognitive impulsivity. Our findings demonstrate that interregional functional involvement is involved in valuation based on reward probability and that personality trait such as cognitive impulsivity plays a role in modulating the connectivity among different brain regions.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.71-80
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• 1998

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is one of the main enzymes involved in the formation and metabolism of the neurotransmitter glutamate. In the present study, we investigated the distribution of the GDH-immunoreactive cells in the rat brain using monoclonal antibodies against bovine brain GDH isoprotein. GDH-immunoreactive cell were distributed in the basal ganglia, thalamus and the nuclei belong to substantia innominata, and its connecting area, subthalamic nucleus, zona incerta, and substantia niqra. We could see GDH-immunoreactive cells in the hippocampus, septal nuclei associated with the limbic system, the anterior thalamic nuclei connecting between the hypothalamus and limbic system, and its associated structures, amygdaloid nuclear complex, the dorsal raphe and median raphe nuclei and the reticular formation of the midbrain. The GDH-immunoreactive cells were shown in the pyramidal neurons of the cerebral cortex, the Purkinie cells of the cerebella cortex, their associated structures, ventral thalamic nuclei and the reticular thalamic nuclei that seem to function as neural conduction in the thalamus.

• 대한전자공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전자공학회 2003년도 하계종합학술대회 논문집 Ⅲ
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• pp.1243-1246
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• 2003

It is known that structure of Human's brain information system is controlled by cerebral cortex mainly. Cerebral cortex is divided by sensory area, motor area and associated area largely. Sensory area takes part in information from environment and motor area is actuation by decision as associated area determined. It is possible to copy brain information system by input-output pattern. but there is difficulty in modeling of memorizing new information. Such action is performed by Limbic Lobe and Papez circuit which is controlled by intrinsic emotion. So we need of definition of emotion's role in decision. In this paper, we define roles of emotion in intrinsic decision using Dynamic Cognitive Maps(DCMs). The emotion is evaluated by outside information then intrinsic decision performed as how much emotion variated. The dynamic cognitive maps take part in emotion evaluating process.

• 한국HCI학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국HCI학회 2007년도 학술대회 1부
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• pp.780-783
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• 2007

A Many studies have been made on the prediction of human voluntary movement intention in real-time based on invasive or non-invasive methods to help severely motor-disabled persons by offering some abilities of motor controls and communications. In the present study, we have developed an internet game driven by and/or linked to a brain-computer interface (BCI) system. Activities of two single neuronal units recorded from either hippocampus or prefrontal cortex of SD rats were used in real time to control two-dimensional movements of a robot, or a game object.