• Title/Summary/Keyword: Cognitive Functioning

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Dual-Task Training Effect on Cognitive and Body Function, β-amyloid Levels in Alzheimer's Dementia Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

  • Nam, Seung-Min;Kim, Seong-gil
    • The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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    • v.33 no.3
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    • pp.136-141
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    • 2021
  • Purpose: Dementia is a disease in which cognitive function declines, leading to deterioration of body functions and activities of daily living. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of dual-task training, including cognitive tasks, on cognitive and body function and β-amyloid levels in Alzheimer's dementia patients. Methods: 34 inpatients diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia at a nursing hospital located in South Korea. The patients were randomly divided into a dual-task group (n=16) and a single-task group (n=18). Each group was trained for 30 minutes three times a week for eight weeks. The MMSE-K was used to measure the patients' cognitive function. To assess the patients' static balance ability, their LOS was measured using BioRescue. while dynamic balance was measured using the BBS. The 10MWT were conducted to evaluate the patients' walking ability. Blood analysis was performed to measure levels of β-amyloid. Results: Both groups exhibited statistically significant improvements in gait function after the training (p<0.05). The dual-task group exhibited statistically significant differences in cognitive function, static and dynamic balance function, and β-amyloid levels after training (p<0.05). A significant difference was observed between the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Dual-task training were found to be effective in improving cognitive and bodily functioning and reducing β-amyloid levels in Alzheimer's dementia patients. Thus, this may be suggested as an effective exercise method for the treatment and early prevention of Alzheimer's dementia.

High School Students' Preferences of Concrete and Formal Operational Levels of Instructions in CAI (구체적 조작수준과 형식적 조작수준의 CAI 형태에 대한 학생의 선호경향)

  • Kim, Young-Soo
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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    • v.6 no.2
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    • pp.9-13
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    • 1986
  • This study was designed to investigate students' preferences of instructional modes in CAI which have concrete of formal operational level instructions. Thirty five students of the high school in America were assessed using Longeot test and were given CAI material on the Apple II e computer. The results of this study showed that students who were only capable of functioning at the concrete level of operations frequently preferred to attempt formal operational level instructions for which they were not capable of success. Further, formal operational students frequently preferred concrete operational instructions. There was also no significant difference in the selection of formal operational level of instructions between concrete and formal operational students. There was also no significant correlation between the number of selected formal operational level instructions and the Longeot test score. These results suggested the student's preference to a cognitive developmental level of instruction in CAI was independent of his or her cognitive developmental level.

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The use of Amantadine in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients (외상성 뇌손상환자에서 Amantadine의 사용)

  • Jung, Han Yong;Kim, Yang Rae
    • Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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    • v.7 no.1
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    • pp.55-63
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    • 2000
  • Avariety of symptoms can occur following traumatic brain injury(TBI) or other types of acquired brain injury. These symptoms can include problems with short-term memory, attention, planning, problem solving, impulsivity, disinhibition, poor motivation, and other behavioral and cognitive deficit. These symptoms may respond to certain drugs, such as dopaminergic agents. Amantadine may protect patients from secondary neuronal damage after brain injury as a effect of NMDA receptor antagonists and may improve functioning of brain-injured patients as a dopaminergic agonist. Clinically, based on current evidence, amantadine may provide a potentially effective, safe, and inexpensive option for treating the cognitive, mood, and behavioral disorders of individuals with brain injury. The rationales for using amantadine are discussed, and pertinent literatures are reviewed.

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Effects of the Sensory Impairment on Functioning Levels of the Elderly (노인의 감각장애와 기능상태에 관한 연구)

  • 송미순
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.678-693
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    • 1993
  • The purposes of this study were to describe the level of vision and hearing impairments, depression and functional capacity, among Korean institutionalized elderly and to examine the relation-ship between sensory impairments, depression, and functional capacity in these people. The final pupose was to test the cognitive function path model using sensory competencies as predictors. A convenience sample of thirty nine male and 90 female subjects with a mean age of 80.5 were the subjects of this study. The subjects were tested for cognitive function, and vision and hearing impairments. Physical function and social function were measured by observation of designated task performance by the subjects. Their level of de-pression was measured using a Geriatric Depression Scale administered through an interview. Individual subjective ratings of hearing and vision were marked by the subjects, on a ladder scale. The results of the study showed that 48.8% of the subjects had a hearing impairment, 63.5% had a vision impairement, and 36.4% had both a vision and hearing impairement. The four sensory groups (no sensory impairement, hearing impairement, vision impairement, hearing and vision impairement) were tested for differences in depression, physical function, social behavior and cognitive function. The only significant difference that was found was in cognitive function, between the no sensory impairement group and the hearing and vision impairement group(F=3.25, P<.05), Subjective ratings of hearing showed a significant correlation with cognitive function(r=.34, p<.001) and with social behavior(r=.31, p<.001). There was no correlation between subjective vision ratings and cognitive function or social behavior. However there was a significant correlation between vision and hearing(r=.49, p<.001). There was also a significant negative correlation between age and vision(r=-.21, p<.01) and between age and hear-ing(r=-.34, p<.001). There was a significant correlation between depression and physical function (r=-.32, p<.001) but there was no correlation between depression and cognitive function or social behavior. Based on the literature review and the result, this study, a path model of sensory competence-> cognitive function- >social behavior was developed and tested : Perceived vision and perceived hearing were the exogenous variahles and cognitive function and social behavior were the endogeneous variables in the model. The path analysis result demonstrated an accept-able fit (GFI=.997, AGFI=.972, X$^2$=.72 (p=.396), RMSR=.019) between the data and the model. There was a significant direct effect($\beta$=.38) of perceived hearing on cognitive function. There was a significant direct effect ($\beta$=.32) of cognitive function on social behavior. The total effect of hearing on social behavior was $\beta$=.32 including the indirect effect ($\beta$=.12) . However perceived vsion had little effect ($\beta$=-.08) on cognitive function. The result of path analysis confirms that hearing levels influence cognitive function, and both hearing and cognitive function levels influence social behavior. However, vision has little effect on cognitive function or on social behavior. For the next study, a combined model of the pre viously developed environment - >depression- > physical and social function model, and the present cognitive function model, should be tested to further refine the functional capacity model. There also a need for longitudinal study of functional capacity and sencory competence in order to better understand how declining sensory competence influences functional capacity and how it effects in-creasing dependency and nursing needs in the elderly.

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Social Cognitive Theory and Medical Education: How Social Interactions Can Inform Learning (사회인지이론과 의학교육: 어떻게 사회적 상호작용을 통해 학습이 일어나는가)

  • Kim, Hae Won
    • Korean Medical Education Review
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.67-76
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    • 2020
  • The structures and processes of medical education have changed little since the publication of Flexner's report, which stressed the scientific orientation of medical education and the curricular structure of 2 years of formal knowledge education and 2 years of clinical experience. However, the previous perspectives on medical education are facing challenges, and these call for new pedagogy and theories on which to base medical education practice. Considering that social dimensions of learning have been emphasized in practice, perspectives that integrate these aspects are needed. Among the various learning theories, social cognitive theory refers to the theoretical framework which contends that learning occurs within interactions with others and environments. From a social cognitive standpoint, learning through observation is a critical component in human functioning. Indeed, observational learning has particular significance in medical education in that it provides the context for which the importance and meaning of role models can be understood. In addition, as theoretical constructs such as self-efficacy and outcome expectations allow us to establish an effective learning environment, exploring the concepts of the theory could be beneficial to medical education practice. In this context, the present review article aims to provide a glimpse of the fundamental assumptions and theoretical concepts of social cognitive theory and discusses the implications the theory has on teaching and learning. Further, a review of previous studies could help explain how the theory has informed medical education practice. Finally, the author will conclude with the implications and limitations of applying social cognitive theory in medical education.

The Analysis of K-WISC-IV Profiles in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (고기능 자폐 스펙트럼 장애 아동의 K-WISC-IV 프로파일 분석 및 융합적 적용)

  • Cho, Eun-Young;Kim, Hyun-Mi;Song, Dong-Ho;Cheon, Keun-Ah
    • Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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    • v.8 no.7
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    • pp.341-348
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    • 2017
  • The aim of this study is to distinguish children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the norm group by identifying their Intelligence with Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (K-WISC-IV) profile analysis. The article were administered to 90 children with high-functioning ASD (6-16) years and has surveyed the average of the Full scale IQ, index scores, and subtest scores of K-WISC-IV. Also, this study has conducted a single-subject T-test in order to verify whether Full scale IQ, index scores, subtest scores are different from those of the norm group. The results show that children with high-functioning ASD achieved significantly lower scores on Processing Speed Index, compared to the norm group. Furthermore, their scores in Comprehension, Picture Concept, Picture completion, Coding, and Symbol Search were significantly lower than those of the norm group. It is likely that what have turned out to be the cognitive weaknesses of high-functioning ASD children by K-WISC-IV analysis, including slow process speed, low social judgement, and difficulty in visual stimuli in everyday life are interrelated to their unique characters.

Cognitive-Enhancing Effect of Dianthus superbus var. Longicalycinus on Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Mice

  • Weon, Jin Bae;Jung, Youn Sik;Ma, Choong Je
    • Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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    • v.24 no.3
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    • pp.298-304
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    • 2016
  • Dianthus superbus (D. superbus) is a traditional crude drug used for the treatment of urethritis, carbuncles and carcinomas. The objective of this study was to confirm the cognitive enhancing effect of D. superbus in memory impairment induced mice and to elucidate the possible potential mechanism. Effect of D. superbus on scopolamine induced memory impairment on mice was evaluated using the Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests. We also investigated acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) expression in scopolamine-induced mice. HPLC-DAD analysis was performed to identify active compounds in D. superbus. The results revealed that D. superbus attenuated the learning and memory impairment induced by scopolamine. D. superbus also inhibited AChE levels in the hippocampi of the scopolamine-injected mice. Moreover, D. superbus increased BDNF expression in the hippocampus. Eight compounds were identified using HPLC-DAD analysis. The content of 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid was higher than contents of other compounds. These results indicated that D. superbus improved memory functioning accompanied by inhibition of AChE and upregulation of BDNF, suggesting that D. superbus may be a useful therapeutic agent for the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Implementation of Serious Games with Language-Based Cognitive Enhancement for BIF Children (경계선지적기능 아동을 위한 언어기반 인지강화 기능성 게임 구현)

  • Ryu, Su-Rin;Park, Hyunju;Chung, Dong Gyu;Baik, Kyoungsun;Yun, Hongoak
    • Journal of Digital Contents Society
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    • v.19 no.6
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    • pp.1051-1060
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    • 2018
  • This study aims to propose instituting the serious games of language-based cognitive enhancement for the BIF children. The program consists of 4 cognitive areas (perception, attention, working memory, knowledge inference) in 4 language dimensions (phoneme, word, sentence, discourse). 16 games of 4 areas/2 dimensions with 3 difficulty levels were implemented in a mobile station and pilot-tested to children including BIFs. The results from the pilot tests supported for the validity and effectiveness of our games: Children's game performance correlated with their IQ scores (overall and sub-areas) revealing significant differences between the groups. The stroop scores in pre-and-post training hinted the increase of children's cognitive control.

A Study on Interaction Pattern, Learning Attitude, Task Performance by Meta-cognitive Level in Web-Based Learning (웹 기반 학습자의 메타인지수준별 학습활동분석 -간호학 대학원 학생을 중심으로-)

  • Lee, Sun-Ock;Suh, Min-Hee
    • The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.323-331
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    • 2012
  • Purpose: Level of meta-cognition of students has been regarded as one of the crucial factors on web-based learning. This study aimed to describe interaction type in small group discussion of the nursing graduate students and to investigate learning consequences and interaction types in group discussion on meta-cognition level. Method: Twenty six graduate nursing students attending the class on-line at the K university in Seoul were included in the study. We measured their meta-cognition level and learning attitude. We also scored their individual and group reports as well as analyzed interaction type by reviewing the dialogue of the group discussion. Results: The participants showed low frequency of exploratory interaction and high frequency of integrative interaction in the cognitive interaction category. They showed frequent modification interaction in the meta-cognitive interaction category. Interestingly, the students with lower level of meta-cognition achieved significantly greater scores in the individual assignments. High functioning group consisting of the students with high meta-cognitive level produced greater group report. Conclusion: A new strategy is needed to encourage in-depth interaction in a group discussion of nursing students. Meta-cognitive level of the students should be considered to form a small group for discussion in order to improve group activities.

Water-soluble ginseng oligosaccharides protect against scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment by functioning as an antineuroinflammatory agent

  • Xu, Ting;Shen, Xiangfeng;Yu, Huali;Sun, Lili;Lin, Weihong;Zhang, Chunxiao
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.40 no.3
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    • pp.211-219
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    • 2016
  • Background: Panax ginseng root is used in traditional oriental medicine for human health. Its main active components such as saponins and polysaccharides have been widely evaluated for treating diseases, but secondary active components such as oligosaccharides have been rarely studied. This study aimed to assess the impact of water-soluble ginseng oligosaccharides (WGOS), which were isolated from the warm-water extract of Panax ginseng root, on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in mice and its antineuroinflammatory mechanisms. Methods: We investigated the impact of WGOS on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in mice by using Morris water maze and novel object recognition task. We also analyzed the impact of WGOS on scopolamine-induced inflammatory response (e.g., the hyperexpression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 and astrocyte activation) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) immunohistochemical staining. Results: WGOS pretreatment protected against scopolamine-induced learning and memory deficits in the Morris water maze and in the novel object recognition task. Furthermore, WGOS pretreatment downregulated scopolamine-induced hyperexpression of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 mRNA and astrocyte activation in the hippocampus. These results indicate that WGOS can protect against scopolamine-induced alterations in learning and memory and inflammatory response. Conclusion: Our data suggest that WGOS may be beneficial as a medicine or functional food supplement to treat disorders with cognitive deficits and increased inflammation.