• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.118-128
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of electrical stimulation on healing of impaired wound and alteration of mast cells in experimental diabetic rats. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups : incision (control), diabetes+incision (diabetes) and diabetes + incision + electrical stimulation (D/ES). Diabetes was induced in rats by streptozotocin (STZ) injection (60 mg/kg, one time) and 20 mm length incision wounds were created on the back after shaving hair. The electrical stimulation rats were treated with a current intensity of 30~50 V at 120 pps and $140{\mu}s$ for 10 days from 3 days after STZ injection. The lesion and adjacent skin tissues were fixed with 10% buffered formalin, embedded with paraffin. For wound healing analysis, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and picrosirius red staining were performed. Mast cells (MC) were stained with toluidine blue (pH 0.5) and quantified at ${\times}200$ using a light microscope. The density of keratinocyte proliferation and microvessels in skin tissues were analyzed using a computerized image analysis system on sections immunostained with proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin (${\alpha}$-SMA), respectively. The results showed that the wound healing rate, collagen density and neoepidermis thickness, density of PCNA-positive cells and density of ${\alpha}$-SMA-positive vessels were significantly higher in D/ES rats than in diabetic rats. The density of MCs and degranulated MCs in D/ES rats were also significantly higher than those in diabetic rats. These findings suggest that the electrical stimulation may promote the tissue repair process by accelerating collagen production, keratinocyte proliferation and angiogenesis in the diabetic rats, and MCs are required for wound healing of skin in rats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.123-132
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• 2020

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of both lower extremities proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation training with functional electrical stimulation on the balance and gait of stroke patients. METHODS: Ten patients with stroke were divided randomly into two groups of five patients each who met the selection criteria. The training was conducted five times a week, for 60 minutes. The experimental group received both lower extremities proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation training with functional electrical stimulation while the control group received general physical therapy with functional electrical stimulation. RESULTS: The timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test result was statistically significant after the intervention in the experimental group (p<.041). Berg Balance Scale (BBS) assessment was statistically significant after the intervention in the experimental group (p<.047) and between the experimental and control groups (p<.012). The cadence assessment was statistically significant after intervention in the experimental group (p<.031) and between the experimental and control groups (p<.015). The stride length assessment was not statistically significant after intervention in the experimental group and between the experimental and control groups. Gait velocity assessment was statistically significant after the intervention in the experimental group (p<.031) and between the experimental and control groups (p<.015). CONCLUSION: Both lower extremities proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation training with functional electrical stimulation had positive effects on the balance and gait of stroke patients.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.288-293
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of gait training using functional electrical stimulation on the improvement of hemiplegic patients' functions for balance and gait velocity. The subjects of the experiment were determined to be 10 each hemiplegic patients who had been diagnosed with stroke or brain damage six months or longer earlier assigned to an experimental group and a control group respectively. The subjects were evaluated before the experiment using Tetrax and 10M gait tests, received gait training five times a week for four weeks using functional electrical stimulation and were evaluated after the experiment in the same method as used in the evaluation before the experiment. In order to examine differences between the experimental group that received gait training using functional electrical stimulation and the control group that was treated by functional electrical stimulation and received gait training thereafter, differences between before and after the experiment were analyzed using paired sample t-tests and differences in changes after the experiment between the experimental group and the control group were analyzed using independent sample t-tests in order to compare the two groups with each other. Experimental results showed significant differences in weight bearing, balance and gait velocity between before and after the experiment in the experimental group(p<.05). In the control group, whereas weight bearing and gait velocity did not show any significant difference between before and after the experiment(p>.05), balance showed significant differences(p<.05). Weight bearing, balance and gait velocity change rates showed significant differences between the experimental group and the control group(p<.05). In conclusion, it was indicated that gait training using functional electrical stimulation is effective for enhancing stroke patients' weight bearing rates, balance abilities and gait velocity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.39-48
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• 2020

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of integrating transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation into treadmill gait training by applying functional electrical stimulation on the spasticity, balance, and gait ability of chronic stroke patients METHODS: Twenty participants were assigned randomly to two groups: the treadmill gait training group with applied functional electrical stimulation (FES) with integrated transcutaneous electricalstimulation (TENS) (experimental group, EG, n = 10) and the treadmill gait training group with FES (control group, CG, n = 10). Both groups received treadmill gait training with FES for 30 minutes a time, four times a week, during five weeks. The experimental group received additional TENS on their L3, L5, and S2 dermatome for 30 minutes before the interventions. The spasticity, balance, and gait ability were evaluated before and after the training to compare the intergroup and intragroup changes. RESULTS: Both groups showed significant improvements in the static, dynamic balance, and gait ability (p < .05), but did not show any significant changes in the muscle tone. The EG showed significant improvements in the static balance ability and gait cycle compared to the CG (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Treadmill gait training combined with FES with integrated TENS is an effective method for improving the static balance and gait cycle. On the other hand, the effects of treadmill gait training with FES on spasticity need to be studied further.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2007

Low power laser and neuromuscular electrical stimulation have been utilized in many clinical applications for the treatment of musculoskeletal lesion. This study was to investigate the effects of low power He-Ne IR laser and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on the change of the serum biochemical components in experimentally induced muscle injured rats. The twenty Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly assigned to the 4 groups: the normal group (n=5), the control group (n=5), the low power laser irradiation group (LLI) (n=5) and the neuromuscular electrical stimulation group (NMES) (n=5). The experimentally induced muscle injury was induced by the subcutaneous injection of a 0.1 ml Freund's Complete Adjuvant into the right hind paw and calf muscles in control, LLI and NMES groups. The LLI group was irradiated with He-Ne IR laser for 5 minutes every day during 10 days. Also, the NMES group was electrically stimulated 15 minutes every day during 10 days. The normal and control groups were not received with any therapeutic intervention. The authors performed tests which were the concentration of the serum biochemical components to detect the effects of therapeutic interventions. The results were as follows: 1. The level of the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was significantly decreased in the LLI and NMES groups compare to the control group. 2. The level of the serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was significantly decreased in the LLI and NMES groups compare to the control group. 3. The level of the serum creatine kinase (CK) was significantly decreased in the LLI and NMES groups compare to the control group. From the results, we could come to the conclusion that low power laser and neuromuscular electrical stimulation could be accelerating healing processes of skeletal muscle injury and further clinical work will be required.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.241-249
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• 1997

The aim of the present study is to examine the brainstem sites where the electrical stimulation produces a suppression of dorsal horn neuron responses of neuropathic rats. An experimental neuropathy was induced by a unilateral ligation of L5-L6 spinal nerves of rats. Ten to 15 days after surgery, the spinal cord was exposed and single-unit recording was made on wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in the dorsal horn. Neuronal responses to mechanical stimuli applied to somatic receptive fields were examined to see if they were modulated by electrical stimulation of various brainstem sites. Electrical stimulation of periaqueductal gray (PAG), n. raphe magnus (RMg) or n. reticularis gigantocellularis (Gi) significantly suppressed responses of WDR neurons -to both noxious and non-noxious stimuli. Electrical stimulation of other brainstem areas, such as locus coeruleus. (LC) and n. reticularis paragigantocellularis lateralis (LPGi), produced little or no suppression. Microinjection of morphine into PAG, RMg, or Gi also produced a suppression as similar pattern to the case of electrical stimulation, whereas morphine injection into LC or LPGi exerted no effects. The results suggest that PAG, NRM and Gi are the principle brainstem nuclei involved in the descending inhibitory systems responsible for the control of neuropathic pain. These systems are likely activated by endogenous opioids and exert their inhibitory effect by acting on WDR neurons in the spinal cord.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.103-110
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• 1997

The experiments were carried out to elucidate the relationships between neurogenic effects of electrical transmural nerve stimulation and effect of adenosine 5'-triphosphate(ATP) to purinoceptor on the urinary bladder smooth muscle of pig. The results were as follows : 1. The contractile responses induced by electrical transmural nerve stimulation(10V or 20V, 0.5msec, 10sec) were the frequency(2~64Hz) dependent manner. 2. The contractile response induced by carbachol was responsed with a dose-dependent manner and the maximum contractility was $10^{-4}M$. 3. The contractile responses induced by ATP were increased in a dose-dependent manner ($10^{-5}{\sim}10^{-3}M$). 4. The contractile response induced by electrical transmural nerve stimulation(10V, 2~32Hz, 0.5msec, 10sec) was partially blocked by the treatment with atropine($10^{-5}M$), and was powerfully inhibited by 3 times of addition with ATP($10^{-5}M$). 5. The contractile response induced by electrical transmural nerve stimulation(10V, 2~32Hz, 0.5msec, 10sec) was partially blocked by the treatment with atropine($10^{-5}M$), and was completely blocked by the desensitization of the $P_{2X}$-purinoceptor using ${\alpha}$, ${\beta}$-methylene ATP($5{\times}10^{-5}M$). These results suggest that purinergic nerve was innervated, and ATP and acetylcholine was released by the electrical transmural nerve stimulation in urinary bladder smooth muscle of pig.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1996 no.11
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• pp.240-242
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• 1996

Use of electrical stimulation for diagnosis and treatment of pyhsiolgocial impairment on the auditory system was reported by many researchers since 1800. Unfortunately, there were no standard methods or theoretical bakground for choosing stimulus conditions because of the lack of understanding on the transmission of sound through the auditory pathways. Therefore, if we could find the mechanisms of normal and abnormal functions for the system objectively, it may be possible to establish the conditions for the appropriate treatment This study was devised with three experimental conditions of electrical stimulation(0.1, 1, and 10mA) to verify the effect of electrical stimulation on the auditory system. ABRs and ECochGs were obtained from 3 Guinea Pigs before and after each stimulation, and five parameters were extracted from ABR and ECochG waveforms. The results showed that the mean differences of the first peaks of ABR, I, before and after all the stimulus conditions were significant at the significant level of p<0.05. Also, amplitude of ECochGs peak(AP) showed higher degrees of differences for the electrical stimulation than that of ABRs. Based on the results of this experiment establishment of an electrical model which characterizes the auditory system could be achieved by computer simulation. This will lead to the design of most accurate model for the real auditory system, which provide the quantitive information regarding diagnosis and treatment.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2019

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of abdominal functional electrical stimulation on peak cough flow and forced vital capacity in patients with cervical spinal cord injury. Methods : The study examined 20 patients with cervical spinal cord injury. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups. All subjects performed conservative physical therapy for 30 minutes. The experimental group also underwent abdominal functional electrical stimulation for at least 20 minutes per day. Abdominal functional electrical stimulation was applied to the rectus abdominis muscle twice each day, three times a week, for four weeks. In all subjects, the peak cough flow was measured using a peak flow meter and forced vital capacity was assessed using a spirometer. Results : The experimental group showed a significant increase in peak cough flow and forced vital capacity in pre-post measurements (p<.05), while the control group showed a significant increase only in peak cough flow. Conclusion : These findings suggest that conservative physical therapy in combination with the abdominal functional electrical stimulation can improve peak cough flow and forced vital capacity in patients with cervical spinal cord injury.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.29-36
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• 2024

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of functional electrical stimulation during gait training on the gait, balance, and lower extremity function of chronic stroke patients. METHODS: A total of 20 subjects diagnosed with chronic stroke were randomly divided into experimental group that performed functional electrical stimulation during gait training, and a control group applied with only functional electrical stimulation, with 10 subjects in each group. RESULTS: In the Berg Balance Scale, the experimental group ranged from 19.80 ± 4.93 to 24.30 ± 6.63 and the control group ranged from 39.40 ± 12.72 to 40.10 ± 13.18, which showed significant differences (p < .05), and there was a significant difference between the groups (p < .05). In 10 Meter Walk Test, the experimental group ranged from 28.70 ± 4.03 to 26.42 ± 3.56, which showed significant differences (p < .05), and there was a significant difference between the groups (p > .05). In Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale-Lower extremity, the experimental group ranged from 22.70 ± 4.49 to 25.30 ± 4.39 and the control group ranged from 21.10 ± 5.34 to 25.30 ± 4.49, which showed significant differences (p < .05), and there was no significant difference between the groups (p > .05). CONCLUSION: Functional electrical stimulation during gait training may be suggested as an effective program for improving gait, balance, and lower extremity function of stroke patients. Therefore, functional electrical stimulation during gait may be recommended as part of the rehabilitation program for chronic stroke patients.