• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.99-118
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• 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study is to review and analyze the trends in prospective clinical research (PCR), project, clinical study protocol of Korean medicine (KM) for dementia. Methods: We searched PCRs of KM on dementia in six electronical databases, up to January 28, 2021. Moreover, the clinical research protocol and projects of KM for dementia were searched. Results: Total eight PCRs, nine projects, and three clinical study protocols were included. In the PCRs, there were one randomized controlled trial, five before and after study, and two comparative group before-after studies. Four of them used herbal medicine, two used acupuncture, one study used both herbal medicine and acupuncture, and the other one used moxibustion. Jowiseungchung-tang was the most frequently used herbal medicine. BL62, KI6 were used in electro-acupuncture, auricular-Shenmen in auricular acupuncture, and GV20 in moxibustion. The most frequent outcome was Korean-Dementia Rating Scale (K-DRS). One reported significant increase in K-DRS score, one reported 60% improvement, and the other studies mostly reported no significant difference. In the projects including 20 clinical studies of dementia, herbal medicine, integrative medicine and acupuncture were mainly used. In the protocols, herbal medicine, complex KM intervention, and integrative medicine were used. Conclusions: Currently, the number of PCRs of KM for dementia is very scarce. Therefore, the researcher's interest in this field and national research support should be made more, and the quality of clinical research in the future can be further improved by supplementing the limitations of previously published clinical research.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.213-221
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• 2014

Objectives : We report a case of a patient with oculomotor nerve palsy accompanied by diabetes mellitus complication to show the efficacy of a treatment with Korean medical complex therapy. Methods & Results : We treated one patient by acupuncture, electroacupuncture, pharmacopuncture, herbal medication and Korean medical physical therapy. We measured the severity change in physical examination and had a result that the patient's symptom had improved. Conclusions : We suggest that Korean medical therapy including acupuncture, electroacupuncture, pharmacopuncture, herbal medication and Korean medical physical therapy have an effect with diabetes-associated oculomotor nerve palsy.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.184-199
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• 2012

Objectives: There is a steady increase in the prevalence of obesity worldwide and obesity is often accompanied by inflammation. Although much emphasis has been placed on the adipose tissue inflammation in obesity, a study with herbal medicine is few. This study aimed to investigate the antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory effect of a complex herbal medicine (CHM) composed of Cornus officinalis, Dioscorea rhizoma, Aurantii fructus, and Mori Foliumon on obese type 2 diabetes mice. Methods: Type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity were induced by Surwit's high fat, high sucrose diet for 8 weeks. Mice were divided into ND (normal diet, n=10), HFD (high fat and high sucrose diet, n=10), CHM (high fat and high sucrose diet with complex herbal medicine, n=10) and Met (high fat and high sucrose diet with metformin, n=10) groups. The body weight, fructosamine and OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) were measured. After 8 weeks the blood samples of all mice were taken from the heart, and lipid profiles were measured. Epididymal fat pad, histological size of the adipocyte tissue and liver weights were measured. Inflammatory markers such as leptin and adipocyte tissue macrophage were measured to evaluate the effect of CHM on adipocyte tissue inflammation. Results: Compared with the HFD group, there was an improvement in OGTT and epididymal fat decreased in the CHM group. White adipocyte size and adipocyte tissue macrophage decreased in CHM group. Conclusions: These results suggest that CHM has antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory effects in high fat, high sucrose diet induced obese mice.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1190-1196
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• 2002

Selaginella Tamariscina is widely used in the traditional oriental herbal medicine for its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer effects. The effects of aqueous extracts of Selaginella Tamariscina (ST) on the cell viability and induction of apoptotic cell death were investigated in A549, Raw 264.7, C6-glioma. Jurkat and HL-60 cells. The cell viability after treating with extract of Selaginella Tamariscina was quantified by MTT assay method. The results showed that ST decreased the cell viability in HL-60 and Jurkat cells not in A549, Raw 264.7 and C6-glioma cells. And we also observed the chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation in HL-60 and Jurkat cells. The enzyme activity of caspase-3, tightly regulated by an apoptosis activating complex, were markedly increased in HL-60 cells treated with the ST by dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, our results suggest that the extract of Selaginella Tamariscina may induce the selective apoptotic cell death in HL-60 and Jurkat cells via activation of caspase-3.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.131-144
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• 2016

Objective : This study is to review the effect of herbal medicines on treatment of Allergic Rhinitis in animal models reported in Korean domestic journals.Methods : The Databases(NDSL, Koreantk, OASIS, KISS) are searched with terms as Allergic Rhinitis. among them, only animal study reports were reviewed. Animal model, intervention, and observation methods of measuring indicators were extracted.Results : 27 articles were reviewed. All studies used OVA to induce Allergic Rhinitis. 7 studies used simple herbal medicines, 20 studies used complex herbal medicines, To evaluate the effect of the Herbal medicines, 23 studies used immunological examination, 18 studies used histological examination, 16 studies used hematologic examination, 3 studies used macroscopy The evidences of 5 studies is insufficient to show that Herbal medicines are effective for treatment of Allergic Rhinitis.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.143-151
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• 2016

A 57-year-old male patient was diagnosed as Incomplete cervical spinal cord injury and Neurogenic bladder after falling accident and suffered from tetraplegia and urinary retention. The patient was hospitalized and treated with Complex Korean Medical treatment such as acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, bee venom pharmacopuncture and herbal medication for 13 weeks. International Standard for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) was adopted to evaluate the functional recovery and Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) was adopted to evaluate the recovery of activities of daily living (ADL). After treatment, Total scores of ISNCSCI and K-MBI were improved. Also patient's micturition reflex was recovered and symptoms of neurogenic bladder were improved. This result shows that Korean Medical treatment may be an effective treatment option for spinal cord injury and neurogenic bladder patients. Further clinical studies are needed to clarify the effect of Korean Medical treatment on spinal cord injury.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.320-324
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• 2021

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common degenerative spinal condition that can have unpredictable improvement and worsening of symptoms which include low back pain, radiating pain, claudication, and degenerative lumbar scoliosis affecting quality of life. In this study, thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) was used as a conservative treatment for LSS in combination with complex Korean medicine treatments (acupuncture, herbal medicines, and physical therapy). The treatment was evaluated using the numerical rating scale, walking distance and duration, and inclination of radiological lumbar scoliosis according to antalgic posture. TEA was performed 27 times between June 8, 2020, and March 16, 2021. The patient showed improvement in numerical rating scale score from 7 to 2, pain-free walking distance from 10 m to 900 m, and scoliosis inclination following treatment. The findings of this study suggest that TEA may be helpful in the treatment of LSS.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.145-153
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• 2019

Objectives: This case is significant as a rare observational record at the Korean medical practice field. This case reports progression of co-administration of Korean herbal medicines and conventional medicines for cough in patients with myocardial infarction relapse suspected of developing acute respiratory infection. Methods: First, the chest radiography, CBC count and urinalysis were performed to estimate patient's systematic condition. After the estimated diagnosis, the patient was treated with modified Dingchuan decoction, antibiotics, and complex syrup for cough. We used the Cough-Specific Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (CQLQ) to assess patient's respiratory symptoms. Results: Co-administration of Korean herbal medicines and conventional medicines resulted improving of cough and sputum symptoms. Laboratory analysis items and total score of CQLQ also showed significantly improved results. Adverse effects were not observed. Conclusions: In this case, we concluded that co-administration of Korean herbal medicine and conventional medicine may be an effective therapy for the treatment of cough in patients with myocardial relapse of developing acute respiratory infection.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2023

Objectives: This study was conducted to observe the progression of symptoms according to the treatment period of patients with social anxiety disorder who received complex Korean medicine treatment. Methods: The medical records of 25 patients who were diagnosed with social anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and received complex Korean medicine treatment (herbal medicine, acupuncture, and Korean psychotherapy) for 12 weeks were analyzed. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Korean-Social Avoidance and Distress scale (K-SAD), and the Korean-Fear of Negative Evaluation (K-FNE) were measured at the initial hospital visit and during the 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. Missing values were replaced with the average evaluation index value at that time. Results: 1) Statistically significant changes in STAI-X1, STAI-X2, BDI-II, BAI, K-SAD, and K-FNE scores were seen according to the time of treatment. 2) When scores were compared between each treatment time point, STAI-X2 and BDI-II showed statistically significant changes between the initial visit and four weeks of treatment, the initial visit and eight weeks of treatment, and the initial visit and 12 weeks of treatment. STAI-X1 and K-FNE showed statistically significant changes between the initial visit and eight weeks of treatment and the initial visit and 12 weeks of treatment. There was a statistically significant change in BAI scores between the initial visit and the 12th week of treatment. Conclusions: Complex Korean medicine treatment alleviated anxiety, depression, fear, and avoidance of social situation symptoms in patients with social anxiety disorder. The longer the treatment period, the more symptoms tended to be alleviated. However, the evidence should be supplemented with prospective, controlled research.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.1101-1108
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• 2023

We report the case of a lung transplantation patient whose cough and dyspnea symptoms improved after receiving complex Korean medicine treatment. Lung transplantation provides a solution to many end-stage patients with lung disease who are refractory to conventional treatment, but the five-year survival rate of lung transplantation remains around 50%, and even surviving patients suffer from side effects, including infection, respiratory difficulty, and gastrointestinal problems. A 66-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease was advised to undergo lung transplantation surgery when she suffered from dyspnea and failing respiratory symptoms after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and contracting pneumonia. Approximately five months after receiving a bilateral lung transplantation operation, she experienced acute pulmonary thromboembolism, and even after receiving anticoagulation therapy, she still struggled with cough and respiratory difficulty. After she received complex Korean medicine treatments, including herbal medicine, cupping therapy, and electrical moxibustion, we observed a decrease in inflammation, alleviation of symptoms such as cough and dyspnea, and improvement of pulmonary function and exercise capacity.