• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.201-209
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• 2014

The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of selective $ET_A$ receptor antagonist, ambrisentan on hyperhomocysteinemia-induced experimental vascular dementia. L-methionine was administered for 8 weeks to induce hyperhomocysteinemia and associated vascular dementia in male rats. Ambrisentan was administered to L-methionine-treated effect rats for 4 weeks (starting from $5^{th}$ to $8^{th}$ week of L-methionine treatment). On $52^{nd}$ day onward, the animals were exposed to the Morris water maze (MWM) for testing their learning and memory abilities. Vascular endothelial function, serum nitrite/nitrate levels, brain thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), brain reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, and brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were also measured. L-methionine-treated animals showed significant learning and memory impairment, endothelial dysfunction, decrease in/serum nitrite/nitrate and brain GSH levels along with an increase in brain TBARS levels and AChE activity. Ambrisentan significantly improved hyperhomocysteinemia-induced impairment of learning, memory, endothelial dysfunction, and changes in various biochemical parameters. These effects were comparable to that of donepezil serving as positive control. It is concluded that ambrisentan, a selective $ET_A$ receptor antagonist may be considered as a potential pharmacological agent for the management of hyperhomocysteinemia-induced vascular dementia.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2005

Purpose:We investigated the effect of menopausal duration on cognitive function using adjunctive hormone replacement therapy(HRT) in postmenopausal women with depression. Method:Twelve postmenopausal women with depressive disorder were enrolled. Six patients having menopausal duration of less than 3 years was assigned to the short duration group and six patients of more than 3 years to the long duration group. Each patient was treated with conjugated equine estrogen(1.25mg) plus medroxyprogesterone(5mg) for 8 weeks. Cognitive performance was measured by the Verbal Memory Test, Visual Memory Test, Trail Making Test, Digit Symbol Test, and Attention Shift Test. The Beck Depression Inventory was used for evaluation of depressed mood. The reproductive hormone levels were also measured. Results:The long duration group showed the lower performance only in Trail Making Test B compared with the short duration group at baseline. After 8 weeks, the long duration group performed significantly better in the Trail Making Test B compared with the short duration group. The differences in change of depressive mood and gonadal hormone level between two groups were not significant. Conclusion:Menopausal duration before HRT may influence the effect of estrogen on cognition in some cognitive domains. This might be related with estrogen receptor hypersensitivity which induced by the longer estrogen deficiency.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.224-230
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• 2011

In order to develop silk peptide (SP) preparations possessing cognition-enhancing effect, several candidates were screened through in vitro assays, and their effectiveness was investigated in facilitated brain aging model rats. Incubation of brain acetyl-cholinesterase with SP-PN (1-1,000 ${\mu}g/ml$) led to inhibition of the enzyme activity up to 35%, in contrast to a negligible effect of SP-NN. The expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) mRNA of neural stem cells expressing ChAT gene (F3.ChAT) was increased by 24-hour treatment with 10 and 100 ${\mu}g/ml$ SP-NN (1.35 and 2.20 folds) and SP-PN (2.40 and 1.34 folds). Four-week subcutaneous injections with D-galactose (150 mg/kg) increased activated hippocampal astrocytes to 1.7 folds (a marker of brain injury and aging), decreased acetylcholine concentration in cerebrospinal fluid by 45-50%, and thereby impaired learning and memory function in passive avoidance and water-maze performances. Oral treatment with SP preparations (50 or 300 mg/kg) for 5 weeks from 1 week prior to D-galactose injection exerted recovering activities on acetylcholine depletion and brain injury/aging as well as cognitive deficit induced by D-galactose. The results indicate that SP preparations restore cognitive functions of facilitated brain aging model rats by increasing the release of acetylcholine, in addition to neuroprotective activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2013

Alzheimer's disease (AD), most common form of dementia is characterized that memory deficit and loss of cognitive function. The Codonopsis lanceolata (C.lanceolata) was treated by high hydrostatic pressure process and fermentation. This study was evaluated cognitive enhancing effect C.lanceolata extract by high hydrostatic pressure process and fermentation and compared with common C.lanceolata extract using Morris water maze and passive avoidance test. And their neuroprotective effect on glutamate induced oxidative stress in HT22 cell was investigated by MTT assay. High hydrostatic pressure process and fermented C.lanceolata extract (HFCE) and common C.lanceolata extract (CCE) (100 and 300 mg/kg) were administered to mice. Results showed HFCE enhanced cognitive function than CCE as shown by decrease in escape latency time. HFCE increased the latency time of the passive avoidance test compared to CCE. Furthermore, HFCE showed significant neuroprotective effect against glutamate cytotoxicity in HT22 cells. These results indicate that high hydrostatic pressure process and fermented more improve spatial cognitive ability of C. laanceolata.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.287-293
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• 2014

Alzheimer's disease (AD), most common form of dementia is characterized that memory deficit and loss of cognitive function. This study was evaluated cognitive enhancing effect of water and ethanol extracts of Codonopsis lanceolata and compared using Morris water maze and passive avoidance test. The water and 70% ethanol extracts (100, 300 and 500 mg/kg) were administered to mice. The neuroprotective effect on glutamate-induced cell death in HT22 cells was additionally investigated using MTT assay. Results showed 70% ethanol extract of Codonopsis lanceolata enhanced cognitive function than water extract, as shown by decrease in escape latency time in Morris water maze test. In passive avoidance test, 70% ethanol extract also increased the latency time compared to the water extract. Furthermore, 70% ethanol extract significantly protected neuronal cell against glutamate cytotoxicity and showed higher than neuroprotective effect of water extract. These results indicate that 70% ethanol extract more improve spatial cognitive ability and protected neuronal cells than water extract.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.311-330
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• 2008

The effect of spatial attention gradually decreases as a function of the distance between the locus of attention and a target. According to this hypothesis, we tested the spatial-effect profile of visual attention when it operates on perception and memory. Experiment 1 measured accuracy of discriminating the color of a simultaneously masked target after presenting a pre-cue to either at the target location or away from the target (perception-intensive task). Experiment 2 measured accuracy of recognizing the color of several items at and around the pre-cued location (memory-intensive task). In the perception-intensive condition, the accuracy gradually dropped as the distance between the cue and target location increases. However, in the memory-intensive condition, subjects remembered only the item at the cued location. This suggests spatial attention in a memory-intensive process would operate on object-based representations. Experiment 2 showed the object-based effect observed in Experiment 1 can be also present in perception under a special circumstance. The results indicate that spatial attention can operate on object-based representations in a memory-intensive process whereas it flexibly can operate either on location-based or object-based representations in a perception-intensive process.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.302-312
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine whether Phellodendri Cortex extract (PCE) could improve learning and memory impairments caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in the rat brain. The effect of PCE on modulating pro-inflammatory mediators in the hippocampus and its underlying mechanism were investigated. Injection of LPS into the lateral ventricle caused acute regional inflammation and subsequent deficits in spatial learning ability in the rats. Daily administration of PCE (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, i.p.) for 21 days markedly improved the LPS-induced learning and memory disabilities in the Morris water maze and passive avoidance test. PCE administration significantly decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin-$1{\beta}$, and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA in the hippocampus, as assessed by RT-PCR analysis and immunohistochemistry. Together, these findings suggest that PCE significantly attenuated LPS-induced spatial cognitive impairment through inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in the rat brain. These results suggested that PCE may be effective in preventing or slowing the development of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, by improving cognitive and memory function because of its anti-inflammation activity in the brain.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2009

Effect of whole body vibration exercise on intracerebral hemorrhage in rats. Intracerebral hemorrhage is one of the most devastating types of stroke. This disease is known to cause severe neurological damage and also has a very high mortality rate. In the present study, the effects of whole body vibration exercise on memory capability and apoptotic neuronal cell death in the hippocampal CA1 region following intracerebral hemorrhage in rats were investigated. Intracerebral hemorrhage was induced by injection of collagenase into the hippocampal CA1 region using a stereotaxic instrument. The rats were divided into 5 groups: the sham-operation group, the hemorrhage-induction group, the hemorrhage-induction and 8 Hz vibration exercise group, the hemorrhage-induction and 16 Hz vibration exercise group, and the hemorrhage-induction and 24 Hz vibration exercise group. The animals in the whole body vibration exercise groups received whole body vibration at 8 Hz, 16 Hz, and 24 Hz, respectively for 30 min once a day during 14 consecutive days. In the present results, the apoptotic neuronal cell death in the hippocampal CA1 region was significantly increased following induction of intracerebral hemorrhage, resulting in memory impairment. Whole body vibration exercise suppressed hemorrhage-induced apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region. This suppressive effect of whole body vibration exercise also alleviated hemorrhage-induced memory impairment. Here in this study, we have shown that whole body vibration exercise inhibited intracerebral hemorrhage-induced apoptotic neuronal cell death and thus facilitated recovery of brain function following intracerebral hemorrhage.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.11
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• pp.457-466
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• 2021

This study sought to identify the effectiveness of training programs by developing mobile app-based training programs to enhance memory, attention, and language function, which is known to be vulnerable to menopause women. It was conducted on 40 Climacteric woman between 40 to 60 years complaining about cognitive function decline. The mobile app-based cognitive training was an 8 week program. There were a total of 24 sessions and each session took 20-30 minutes, three times per week. The survey was carried out including a baseline study pre and post intervention study. The research variables were objective cognitive function (overall cognitive function, memory, attention, and language function), subjective cognitive function and quality of life. The cognitive training program showed a significant increase in overall cognitive function(t=-8.688, p<.001), memory(t=-4.765, p<.001), attention : number of correct answers(t=-7.293, p<.001), language high frequency response speed(Z=-2.179, p=.036), language low frequency response speed(Z=-2.737, p=.009) and quality of life (t=-3.358, p=.002). However, there was no significant difference in the scores for subjective cognitive function. The cognitive training program was found to be an effective intervention for improving the cognitive function of Climacteric women. It could be used as a cognitive intervention tool that is accessible at home without expert help.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.976-988
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• 2002

The aim of this study was to examine the memory and attention enhancement effect of YMG-1 and YMG-2, which are modified herbal extracts from Yukmijihwang-tang (YMJ). YMJ, composing six herbal medicine, has been used for restoring the normal functions of the body to consolidate the constitution, nourishing and invigorating the kidney functions for hundreds years in Asian countries. A series of studies reported that YMJ and its components enhance memory retention, protects neuronal cell from reactive oxygen attack and boost immune activities. Recently the microarray analysis suggested that YMG-1 protects neurodegeneration through modulating various neuron specific genes. A total of 55 subjects were divided into three groups according to the treatment of YMG-1 (n=20), YMG-2 (n=20) and control (C; n=15) groups. Before treatments, all of subjects were subjected to the assessments on neuropsychological tests of K-WAIS test, Rey-Kim memory test, and psychophysiological test of Event-Related Potential (ERP) during auditory oddball task and repeated word recognition task. They were repeatedly assessed with the same methods after drug treatment for 6 weeks. Although no significant effect of drug was found in Rey-Kim memory test, a significant interaction (P = .010, P < 0.05) between YMG-2 and C groups was identified in the scores digit span and block design, which are the subscales of K-WAIS. The very similar but marginal interaction (P = .064) between YMG-1 and C groups was found too. In ERP analysis, only YMG-1 group showed decreasing tendency of P300 latency during oddball task while the others tended to increase, and it caused significant interaction between session and group (p= .004). This result implies the enhancement of cognitive function in due to consideration of relationship between P300 latency and the speed of information processing. However, no evidence which could demonstrate the significant drug effect was found in neither amplitude or latency. These results come together suggest that YMG-1, 2 may enhance the attention, resulting in enhancement of memory processing. For elucidating detailed mechanism of YMG on learning and memory, the further studies are necessary.