• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.151-165
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• 2008

Objectives : To evaluate the effects of Head Acupuncture versus Upper and Lower Limbs Acupuncture on signal activation of Blood Oxygen Level Dependent(BOLD) fMRI on the Brain and Somatosensory Cortex. Subjects and Methods : 10 healthy normal right-handed female volunteer were recruited. The average age of the 10 subjects was 30 years old. The BOLD functional MRI(fMRI) signal characteristics were determined during tactile stimulation was conducted by rubbing 4 acu-points in the right upper and lower limbs($LI_1$, $LI_{10}$, $LV_3$, $ST_{36}$). After stimulation of Head Acupuncture in Sishencong($HN_1$), $GB_{18}$, $GB_9$, $TH_{20}$ of Left versus Upper and Lower Limbs Acupuncture($LI_1$, $LI_{10}$, $LV_3$, $ST_{36}$ of Right) and took off needles. Then the BOLD fMRI signal characteristics were determined at the same manner. Results : 1. When touched with cotton buds(sensory stimulation), left Parietal Lobe, Post-central Gyrus, primary somatosensory cortex(BA 1, 2, 3), and primary motor cortex(BA 4) were mainly activated. When $ST_{36}$ was stimulated, Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Cerebellum, and Posterior Lobe as well as Inter-Hemispheric displaying a variety of regions. 2. In signal activation before and after Head Acupuncture reaction, it showed signal activation after removing the acupuncture needle and right Somatosensory Association Cortex, Postcentral Gyrus, and Parietal Lobe were more activated. 3. In reactions of before and after Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture, it also showed signal activation after removing the acupuncture needle and bilateral Occipital Lobe, Lingual Gyrus, visual association cortex, and Cerebellum were activated. 4. After acupuncture stimulation, In Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture Group, left frontal Lobe, Precentral Gyrus and Bilateral parietal lobe, Postcentral Gyrus and Primary Somatosensory Cortex(BA 2) were activated. In Head Acupuncture Group, which has most similar activation regions, but especially right Pre-Post central Gyrus, Primary Somatosensory Cortex(BA 3), Primary Motor Cortex, frontal Lobe and Parietal Lobe were activated. Conclusions : When sensory stimulation was done with cotton buds on four acup-points($LI_1$, $LI_{10}4, $LV_3$, $ST_{36}$), while bilaterally activated, contralateral sense was more dominant. It showed consistency with cerebral cortex function. When $ST_{36}$ was stimulated Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Cerebellum, Posterior Lobe as well as Inter-Hemispheric were stimulated. In Head Acupuncture, it showed more contralateral activation after acupuncture. In Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture, it showed typically contralateral activation and deactivation of limbic system after acupuncture stimulation. Therefore, there were different fMRI BOLD signal activation reaction before and after Head Acupuncture vs Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture which might be thought to be caused by acu-points' sensitivity and different sensory receptor to response acupuncture stimulation.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.54-70
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• 1998

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of structural and functional changes of the brain in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Methods : The authors measured the regions of interest on the magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in 20 patients with paranoid schizophrenia(15 men and 5 women) and 23 control subjects(15 men and 8 women). We also assessed the neurocognitive functions with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Benton Neuropsychological Assessment, and the Weschler IQ test-Korean version, soft neurologic signs, and psychiatric symptoms in the patient group. Results : In the patient group, all ventricles and basal ganglia including caudate nucleus and globus pallidus were significantly enlarged. Although there were no significant differences between the two groups in the values of right frontal lobe and left temporal lobe, there was a tendency of decrease in the values of right frontal lobe and left temporal lobe. There were significant positive correlations between the values of ventricles and the frequency of previous hospitalization. However, there were no significant correlations between other values of regions of interest and clinical data. The value of the right frontal lobe was significantly correlated with the score of soft neurologic signs, which is suggestive of the neurodevelopmental abnormalities. There were significant correlations between the value of frontal lobe and the scores of the various subscales of Benton Neuropsychiatric Inventory. In contrast, the value of left amygdala and putamen showed significant correlation with the score of verbal IQ on the Weschler IQ test. Structural changes of the temporal lobe areas were related with the positive and general symptom scores on PANSS, while those of the basal ganglia were related with the negative symptom scores. Conclusions : These results suggest that the structural changes of the brain in the patients with schizophrenia show the dual process, which is suggestive that the enlarged ventricle show the neurodegenerative process, while enlarged basal ganglia, and shrinked right frontal and left temporal lobe show the neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Among these changes, structural changes of the frontal lobe related with various neuropsychological deficits, while those of left temporal lobe related with language abnormality. Relative to the relation between structural changes and psychiatric symptoms, structural changes of the temporal lobe areas were related with the positive and general symptoms, while those of the basal ganglia were related with the negative symptoms.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.70-79
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to find out the effects of electroencephalograph (EEG) power and coherence on cognitive function in normal elderly, non-demented elderly with mild cognitive impairment, and demented elderly during working cognition tasks. Forty elderly women (19 demented elderly, 10 non-demented elderly with mild cognitive impairment, 11 norma1 elderly) participated in this study, All subjects performed working cognition tasks with Raven's CPM while EEG signal was recorded, EEGs were measured continuously at rest and during the working cognition task. EEG power and coherence was computed over 21 channels: right and left frontal, central, parietal, temporal and occipital region. We found that there were more correct answers among normal elderly women than in other groups Owing the working cognition task, ${\Theta}$ wave at Fp1, Fp2 and F8, a wave at Fp2, ${\beta}$ wave at Fp1, Fp2. F4 and F8 of the frontal region was increased significantly in the demented elderly group. On the other hand. ${\Theta}$ wave at Fp1, Fp2 and F7, ${\beta}$ wave at Fp1, Fp2, F3 and F7 of the frontal region was increased significantly in the group of non-demented elderly with mild cognitive impairment. In contrast. in the normal elderly group, all of the ${\Theta}$ wave and ${\beta}$ wave at Fp1, Fp2, F3, F4, F7 and F8 of the frontal region (except ${\beta}$ wave at F3) was increased significantly, These results suggest that the nerves in prefrontal and right hemisphere regions were most active in the demented elderly group during problem solving, and the nerves in the prefrontal and left hemisphere lobe were most active in the group of non-demented elderly with mild cognitive impairment. In contrast, me majority of nerves in the frontal region were active in the normal elderly group.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.300-303
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• 2008

Shunt infections are a common complication of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts, but the formation of a brain abscess related to a shunt system is very rare. A 44-year-old woman had a VP shunt inserted for hydrocephalus secondary to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. She suffered an episode of meningitis and sepsis 8 months after the shunt operation. After recovering from the meningitis, she complained of a loss of cognitive function. An enhancing mass was found in the frontal lobe, around the frontal horn of the lateral ventricle, and the ventricular catheter was embedded inside the mass. The ventricular catheter and cerebral abscess were removed using neuroendoscopy. We present an interesting case of a shunt-related brain abscess which illustrates the usefulness of neuroendoscopy.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 1997

Longterm memory is encoded in the neuronal connectivities of the brain. The most successful models of human memory in their operations are models of distributed and self-organized associative memory, which are founded in the principle of simulaneous convergence in network formation. Memory is not perceived as the qualities inherent in physical objects or events, but as a set of relations previously established in a neural net by simultaneousy occuring experiences. When it is easy to find correlations with existing neural networks through analysis of network structures, memory is automatically encoded in cerebral cortex. However, in the emergence of informations which are complicated to classify and correlated with existing networks, and conflictual with other networks, those informations are sent to the subcortex including hippocampus. Memory is stored in the form of templates distributed across several different cortical regions. The hippocampus provides detailed maps for the conjoint binding and calling up of widely distributed informations. Knowledge about the distribution of correlated networks can transform the existing networks into new one. Then, hippocampus consolidats new formed network. Amygdala may enable the emotions to influence the information processing and memory as well as providing the visceral informations to them. Cortico-striatal-pallido-thalamo-cortical loop also play an important role in memory function with analysis of language and concept. In case of difficulty in processing in spite of parallel process of informations, frontal lobe organizes theses complicated informations of network analysis through temporal processing. With understanding of brain mechanism of memory and information processing, the brain mechanism of mental phenomena including psychopathology can be better explained in terms of neurobiology and meuropsychology.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2010

Objective : This study is planned to determine the neurocognitive difficulties of hydrocephalic adults. Methods : The research group contained healthy adults (control group, n : 15), and hydrocephalic adults (n : 15). Hydrocephalic group consisted of patients with idiopathic aquaduct stenosis and post-meningitis hydrocephalus. All patients were followed with shunted hydrocephalus and not gone to shunt revision during last two years. They were chosen from either asymptomatic or had only minor symptoms without motor and sensorineural deficit. A neuropsychological test battery (Raven Standart Progressive Matrices, Bender-Gestalt Test, Cancellation Test, Clock Drawing Test, Facial Recognition Test, Line Orientation Test, Serial Digit Learning Test, Stroop Color Word Interference Test-TBAG Form, Verbal Fluency Test, Verbal Fluency Test, Visual-Aural Digit Span Test-B) was applied to all groups. Results : Neuropsychological assessment of hydrocephalic patients demonstrated that they had poor performance on visual, semantic and working memory, visuoconstructive and frontal functions, reading, attention, motor coordination and executive function of parietal lobe which related with complex and perseverative behaviour. Eventually, these patients had significant impairment on the neurocognitive functions of their frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. On the other hand, the statistical analyses performed on demographic data showed that the aetiology of the hydrocephalus, age, sex and localization of the shunt (frontal or posterior parietal) did not affect the test results. Conclusion : This prospective study showed that adult patients with hydrocephalus have serious neuropsychological problems which might be directly caused by the hydrocephalus; and these problems may cause serious adaptive difficulties in their social, cultural, behavioral and academic life.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.76-86
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• 1994

Objectives: This research was performed in order to observe the neuropsychological implication and functional anatomical source of event related potentials(ERP) by studying of correlations between event related potentials and neuropsychological tests. Methods: The latency and voltage of P100 of visual evoked potential (VEP), and N120 and P300 of event related potentials were studied in 56 patients and their correlations with neuropsychological tests were computed. Results: The tests showing significant correlation with latency P100 were visual continous performance test(VCPT) and contingent continous performance test(CCPT) without any significant correlation with voltage of P100. In latency of N120 category test and verbal IQ of KWIS showed significant correlation, and in voltage of N120, finger tapping test, VCPT, CCPT and digit symbol test displayed significant correlations. The latency of P300 had significant correlation with trail making A test and Stroop test. In the voltage of P300 significant correlations were shown with trail making B test, digit symbol test and Wechsler memory scale, finger tapping test, stroop test, VCPT and CCPT. Conclusion : N120 may be considered to reflect the function of medial frontal lobe and P300 may be considered to be developed from the subcortical connection of medial temporal lobe, hippocampus, thalamus, basal ganglia and medial frontal lobe.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-69
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• 2017

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and concurrent validity of the computerized cognitive function test system (called CNFT) for evaluating the cognitive function and to provide its normative data. Methods : For this purpose, 140 normal adults participated in a investigation to provide the normative data of CNFT. 40 normal adults participated in an evaluating experiment to verify the reliability and validity. CNFT consists of attention, memory, sensori-motor coordination, and frontal lobe & higher cognitive function domains. Because CNFT is a computerized evaluation tool, all results and operations are processed consistently and automatically. Results : In the results, as the age of subjects increased, the average accuracy decreased and response time increased. Additionally, memory and frontal lobe & higher cognitive function was lower than other domains. Test-retest reliability of 2 weeks interval was highly correlated (r=.48~.85) and there is no significant difference between test and retest scores. CNFT was highly correlated with computerized neurocognitive function test (r=.67~.79; p<.05). Conclusion : Normative data of CNFT were obtained, and the guidelines for the interpretation were provided. A reliable and valid clinically applicable computerized cognitive function test was developed.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 1999

Objectives: We studied correlations between neuropsychological tests and perceptual disorder in patients with head trauma and psychiatric patients in order to explore the functional localization of brain in perceptual disorders. Methods: Halstead Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery, Korean Wechsler Intelligent Scale, and Minnesota Multiphasic Peronality Inventory(MMPI) were administered to one hundred ninteen patients consisting of sixty nine psychiatric patients and fifty patients with brain damage. We tested the correlation between results of neuropsychological tests and peceptual disorder scale PDS) made from nine items related with perceptual disorder in MMPI. T-tests between twenty one higher scorers and seventeen lower scorers of PDS were also performed in the psychiatric group. Results: In brain damage group, significant correlations were found in tests related with function of frontal lobe such as category tests, trail making tests, tactual performance test, and fingertip number writing test, and significant correlations were also noted in the tests related with function of right hemisphere such as tactual performance test, performance, picture completion, picture arrangement and block design. Tests related with subcortical function such as digit symbol test, arithmetic and digit span were signigicantly correlated, too. In psychiatric group, there were significant differences of PDS in the tests related with function of right hemisphere such as picture completion, block design, and right laterality index, and in the tests related with function of left hemisphere such as comprehension, vocabulary, and similarities. Conclusion: Perceptual disorder seems to be related with functions of frontal lobe, right hemisphere, and subcortex in both groups. In a psychiatric group, left hemisphere may be also partially related with perceptual disorder.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.225-232
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• 2023

Cognitive dysfunction is relatively less considered a complication of hypertension. However, there is sufficient evidence to show that high blood pressure in middle age increases the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in old age. The greatest impact on cognitive function in those with hypertension is on executive or frontal lobe function, similar to the area most damaged in vascular dementia. Possible cognitive disorders associated with hypertension are vascular dementia, Alzheimer disease, and Lewy body dementia, listed in decreasing strength of association. The pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with hypertension includes brain atrophy, microinfarcts, microbleeds, neuronal loss, white matter lesions, network disruption, neurovascular unit damage, reduced cerebral blood flow, blood-brain barrier damage, enlarged perivascular damage, and proteinopathy. Antihypertensive drugs may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Given the high prevalence of dementia and its impact on quality of life, treatment of hypertension to reduce cognitive decline may be a clinically relevant intervention.