• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.17-29
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• 2022

Background and Purpose: Verbal and nonverbal fluency tests are the conventional methods for examining executive function in the elderly population. However, differences in impairments result in fluency tests in patients with mild cognitive impairments (MCIs) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in neural correlates underlying the tests still necessitate concrete evidence. Methods: We compared the test performances in 27 normal controls, 28 patients with MCI, and 20 with AD, and investigated morphological changes in association with the test performances using structural magnetic imaging. Results: Patients with AD performed poorly across all the fluency tests, and a receiver operating characteristics curve analysis revealed that only category fluency test discriminated all the 3 groups. Association, category, and design fluency tests involved temporal and frontal regions, while letter fluency involved the cerebellum and caudate. Conclusions: Category fluency is a reliable measure for screening patients with AD and MCI, and this efficacy might be related to morphological correlates that underlie semantic and executive processing.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.421-429
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• 2005

Purpose: It has been postulated that dopamine release in the striatum underlies the reinforcing properties of nicotine. Substantial evidence in the animal studies demonstrates that nicotine interacts with dopaminergic neuron and regulates the activation of the dopaminergic system. The aim of this study was to visualize the dopamine release by smoking in human brain using PET scan with $[^{11}C]raclopride$. Materials and Methods: Five male non-smokers or ex-smokers with an abstinence period longer than 1 year (mean age of $24.4{\pm}1.7$ years) were enrolled in this study $[^{11}C]raclopride$, a dopamine D2 receptor radioligand, was administrated with bolus-plus-constant infusion. Dynamic PET was performed during 120 minutes ($3{\times}20s,\;2{\times}60s,\;2{\times}120s,\;1{\times}180s\;and\;22{\times}300s$). following the 50 minute-scanning, subjects smoked a cigarette containing 1 mg of nicotine while in the scanner. Blood samples for the measurement of plasma nicotine level were collected at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, and 90 minute after smoking. Regions for striatal structures were drawn on the coronal summed PET images guided with co-registered MRI. Binding potential, calculated as (striatal-cerebellar)/cerebellar activity, was measured under equilibrium condition at baseline and smoking session. Results: The mean decrease in binding potential of $[^{11}C]raclopride$ between the baseline and smoking in caudate head, anterior putamen and ventral striatum was 4.7%, 4.0% and 7.8%, respectively. This indicated the striatal dopamine release by smoking. Of these, the reduction in binding potential in the ventral striatum was significantly correlated with the cumulated plasma level of the nicotine (Spearman's rho=0.9, p=0.04). Conclusion: These data demonstrate that in vivo imaging with $[^{11}C]raclopride$ PET could measure nicotine-induced dopamine release in the human brain, which has a significant positive correlation with the amount or nicotine administered bt smoking.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 1987

The distribution of hepatic veins within the liver in 28 Korean native cattles were observed. Vinylite solution was injected into hepatic veins of seventeen specimens for cast preparation. The angiography was prepared in eleven specimens by injecting 30% barium sulfate solution into hepatic veins, and then radiographed on a X-ray apparatus (Shimadzu 800 MA 120 Kvp). 1. About two thirds or three quarters of the circumference of the Vena cava caudalis was embedded in the liver. The embedded portion was about 14~19cm in length. 2. The principal branches of the hepatic veins were Vena hepatica sinistra, Vena hepatica media, Vena hepatica dextra and Vena hepatica dorsolateralis; the three main hepatic veins were Vena hepatica sinistra, Vena hepatica media and Vena hepatica dextra. 3. The Vena hepatica sinistra joins the Vena cava caudal is near the esophageal impression of the liver. It gave off three or five branches to the left lobe. 4. The Vena hepatica media joined at the Vena cava caudalis close to the Vena hepatica sinistra. In all cases, Vena hepatica media opened near the diaphragmatic part of the liver than the Vena hepatica sinistra. It ran obliquely through the medial part of right lobe and quadrate lobe, giving off branches on each side. 5. The Vena hepatica dextra consisted of one(25 cases, 89.29%) or two separate veins(3 cases, 10.71%), joining to the Vena cava caudalis between the right and caudate lobes. 6. The flap of membranous tissue covered the dorsal half of the entrance of the Vena hepatica sinistra, media et dextra into the Vena cava caudalis. 7. The vestige of the ductus venosus persisted in the 12~18 months old cattles. 8. The anastomosis was observed in the intralobar and interlobar areas.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.89-97
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of dopaminergic receptors (DR) in behavioral sensitization, as measured by locomotor activity, and the over-expression of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides after repeated administration of cocaine in mice. Repeated administrations of cocaine induced behavioral sensitization and CART over-expression in mice. The levels of striatal CART mRNA were significantly increased on the $3^{rd}$ day. CART peptides were over-expressed on the $5^{th}$ day in the striata of behaviorally sensitized mice. A higher proportion of $CART^+$ cells in the cocaine-treated mice were present in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell than in the dorsolateral (DL) part of caudate putamen (CP). The concomitant administration of both $D_1R$ and $D_2R$ antagonists, SCH 23390 ($D_1R$ selective) and raclopride ($D_2R$ selective), blocked cocaine induced-behavioral sensitization, CART over-expression, and cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate (cAMP)/ protein kinase A (PKA)/phospho-cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB) signal pathways. SCH 23390 more predominantly inhibited the locomotor activity, CART over-expression, pCREB and PKA activity than raclopride. Cocaine induced-behavioral sensitization was also attenuated in the both $D_1R$ and $D_2R$ knockout (KO) mice, respectively. CART over-expression and activated cAMP/PKA/pCREB signal pathways were inhibited in the $D_1R$-KO mice, but not in the $D_2R$-KO mice. It is suggested that behavioral sensitization, CART over-expression and activated cAMP/PKA/pCREB signal pathways induced by repeated administration of cocaine could be more predominantly mediated by $D_1R$.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.107-114
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• 1995

This study was to investigate the anatomical evidence of anxiety. MRI was used to study 11 patients with panic disorder and 15 patients with complex partial seizure, and 21 controls. The regions of interest in the MRI were measured with computer-assisted planimetry using the AutoCad and digitizer. The following results were obtained ; 1) The mean age was 49.7(12.4) years in patients with panic disorder and 30.1(7.5) years in patients with complex partial seizure. 2) There were na signi ficant differences between 3 groups in the values of cerebral area, temporal lobe, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, parahippocampus, amygdala, third ventricle and VBR. The right parahippocampal region which attracted most attention in neurobiological studies regarding anxiety, tended to be larger in both study groups compared to the control group, but with no statistical significance. 3) There was lett-right reversal of temporal lobes in both study groups. And these are mainly due to asymmetrical increase in area of the temporal lobe on right side. These results suggest that temporal lobe, especially right temporal, is the anatomical correspondence of anxiety and functional activation of temporo-limbic system may be accompanied by the structural change of temporal lobe.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.317-322
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• 2003

TrkA is an essential component of the high affinity NGF receptor necessary to the mediate biological effects of the neurotrophins NGF. Here we report on the expression of TrkA in the olfactory bulb and basal nucleus of Mongolian gerbil brain during the postnatal development. The expressions of TrkA were identified in a immunohistochemical method. Higher levels of TrkA immunoreactivity were detected in septum than that in olfactory bulb and caudate putamen (CPu). But TrkA was not observed before postnatal days (PND6) in olfactory bulb and PND9 in CPu. No TrkA-positive cell was detectable in the olfactory fiber layer. Several regions, such as olfactory bulb and CPu, showed weak labeling. These data show that expression of TrkA is developmentally regulated during postnatal Mongolian gerbil brain development and suggest that high affinity neurotrophinreceptors mediate a transient response to neurotrophins in many regions during the brain ontogeny.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.453-460
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• 2013

Objective : There is a rich literature confirming the default mode network found compatible with task-induced deactivation regions in normal subjects, but few investigations of alterations of the motor deactivation in patients with intracranial lesions. Therefore, we hypothesized that an intracranial lesion results in abnormal changes in a task-induced deactivation region compared with default mode network, and these changes are associated with specific attributes of allocated regions. Methods : Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a motor task were obtained from 27 intracranial lesion patients (mean age, 57.3 years; range 15-78 years) who had various kinds of brain tumors. The BOLD fMRI data for each patient were evaluated to obtain activation or deactivation regions. The distinctive deactivation regions from intracranial lesion patients were evaluated by comparing to the literature reports. Results : There were additive deactivated regions according to intracranial lesions : fusiform gyrus in cavernous hemangioma; lateral occipital gyrus in meningioma; crus cerebri in hemangiopericytoma; globus pallidus, lateral occipital gyrus, caudate nucleus, fusiform gyrus, lingual gyrus, claustrum, substantia nigra, subthalamic nucleus in GBM; fusiform gyrus in metastatic brain tumors. Conclusion : There is increasing interest in human brain function using fMRI. The authors report the brain function migrations and changes that occur in patients with intracranial lesions.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.76-84
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• 2020

Background: Determination of inter-method differences between clinically available volumetry methods are essential for the clinical application of brain volumetry in a wider context. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the inter-method reliability and differences between the Siemens morphometry (SM) software and the NeuroQuant (NQ) software. Materials and Methods: MR images of 86 subjects with subjective or objective cognitive impairment were included in this retrospective study. For this study, 3D T1 volume images were obtained in all subjects using a 3T MR scanner (Skyra 3T, Siemens). Volumetric analysis of the 3D T1 volume images was performed using SM and NQ. To analyze the inter-method difference, correlation, and reliability, we used the paired t-test, Bland-Altman plot, Pearson's correlation coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and effect size (ES) using the MedCalc and SPSS software. Results: SM and NQ showed excellent reliability for cortical gray matter, cerebral white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid; and good reliability for intracranial volume, whole brain volume, both thalami, and both hippocampi. In contrast, poor reliability was observed for both basal ganglia including the caudate nucleus, putamen, and pallidum. Paired comparison revealed that while the mean volume of the right hippocampus was not different between the two software, the mean difference in the left hippocampus volume between the two methods was 0.17 ml (P < 0.001). The other brain regions showed significant differences in terms of measured volumes between the two software. Conclusion: SM and NQ provided good-to-excellent reliability in evaluating most brain structures, except for the basal ganglia in patients with cognitive impairment. Researchers and clinicians should be aware of the potential differences in the measured volumes when using these two different software interchangeably.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.211-219
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• 2008

목적 : 전통적으로 태충($LR_3$)과 양릉천($GB_{34}$)은 운동기능과 관련된 질환에 사용되어 왔다. 우리는 두뇌에 신경독을 주입하여 파킨슨병 쥐모델을 제작하였고, 쥐는 운동기능이 손상되고 도파민성 신경세포가 선택적으로 소멸하였다. 병증 모델 쥐에게 태충과 양릉천에 자침한 결과 운동기능이 개선되고 신경세포보호효과가 나타남을 관찰한 바 있다. 이에 실제로 태충과 양릉천에 자침하여 운동기능과 관련된 추체외로 영역에서 신경의 활성화가 나타나는지를 fMRI를 통하여 관찰하였다. 방법 : 자침은 수기침을 선택하였으며, 혈위는 (1) 태충, (2) 양릉천, (3) 태충+양릉천의 세군데를 설정하였고, 자침에 대한 대조자극으로 피부자극을 채택하였다. fMRI 스캐너는 3T를 사용하였고 뇌신경 활성화의 신호는 BOLD(blood-oxygen-level dependant)를 관찰하였다. 두뇌에서 관찰부위는 중뇌를 중심으로 추체외로로 한정하였다. 결과 : 태충에 자침하였을 때 두뇌의 substantia nigra, subthalamic nucleus, red nucleus, pons 등이 활성화 되었다. 양릉천에 자침하였을 때 substantia nigra, subthalamic nucleus, caudate nucleus, thalamus가 활성화 되었다. 태충과 양릉천에 동시에 자침하였을 때는 substantia nigra, subthalamic nucleus, red nucleus, globus pallidus가 활성화되었다. 대조자극에 의해서는 위의 영역들이 활성화되지 않았다. 결론 : 태충, 양릉천, 태충+양릉천 자극은 대뇌에서 추체외로 영역을 활성화시키며 특히 substantia nigra의 활성화는 파킨슨병과 같은 질환의 조절가능성을 시사한다.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.159-169
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• 2009

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the difference of brain activities in viewing a common emotional situation according to perspective-taking. Methods : Using fMRI, brain activities were measured while performing the task viewing a common emotional situation on either self-perspective or third-person perspective in fourteen healthy men. The relatively activated brain areas on each perspective were investigated, then the relationship between the activated brain regions and the scores of self report about some emotion or empathic ability were explored. Results : The relatively activated brain areas on self-perspective were bilateral paracentral lobule(BA 5), right postcentral gyrus(BA 3), right precentral gyrus(BA 4), left superior temporal gyrus(BA 22), left medial frontal gyrus(BA 6), whereas on third-person perspective right inferior frontal gyrus(BA 47), left caudate body and tail, right superior temporal gyrus(BA 38), right medial frontal gyrus(BA 8) were activated. The relative activity of left superior temporal gyrus on self-perspective was positively correlated with the score of Beck Depression Inventory. Conclusion : This study demonstrated that the activated brain region according to perspective-taking were different while viewing a common emotional situation. The depressive feeling would have an influence on the brain activity related to perspective-taking.