• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.72-79
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• 2019

Background: The aim of this study was to review clinical efficacy of acupuncture treatment of mild cognitive impairment. Methods: Randomized controlled trials that performed acupuncture treatment for mild cognitive impairment were retrieved from 6 online databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, NDSL, OASIS) on September $30^{th}$, 2018. Studies were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were reviewed by Risk of Bias assessment. Results: In total, 21 studies were included in this review. All studies were Chinese (19 studies published in Chinese and 2 in English). The sample size, 50 to 100, and the number of treatment times, 20 to 30, were the largest range in all studies. The most treatments performed was 30. The longest treatment period was 56 days, which accounted for 33% of the studies. The most frequently used evaluation index was the Mini Mental State Examination followed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, each used 17 times and 15 times, respectively. The most frequently used acupoints were GV20, EX-HN1, GB20, and GV24, which accounted for 47% of total number of acupoints used. In 48% of the studies, needle retention time was 30 minutes. Western medicine treatment was the most common control group. Most studies reported that the intervention group was statistically significantly different to the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that acupuncture for mild cognitive impairment was effective. However, it is difficult to confirm this conclusion because the quality of most of these studies were of low quality.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.279-283
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• 2019

Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture, a treatment that injects Hominis placenta extract into acupoints, has been suggested in the literature and researches that it could be used for cognitive decline. We experienced a case of mild neurocognitive disorder treated with Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture. Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture could be a possible treatment modality producing substantial clinical result in cognitive function which is assessed with Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), Korean Version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), and Korean-Dementia Rating Scale (K-DRS). A 84-year-old man with mild neurocognitive disorder received Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture on GV20, CV12, and bilateral ST36 for a month. The results of neuropsychological examination showed increase in scores after treatment of Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture. Before treatment, they were 15 points for MoCA-K, and 120 points for K-DRS (7.6%), but after treatment, they elevated by 21 points for MoCA-K and 137 points for K-DRS (100%). MMSE-DS score was 28 points, unchanged before and after treatment. It did not cause any side-effect. Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture could be a safe option for treating mild neurocognitive disorder.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of a 12-week combined cognitive and physical exercise program on cognitive and physical functions in older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Design: A one-group pretest-posttest study. Methods: Twelve participants with MCI engaged in a weekly 60-minute session of combined cognitive and physical exercise program. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), while physical function was evaluated through measures of muscle strength, postural balance, and walking capabilities. Muscle strength assessments included the arm curl test, handgrip strength, and the 5 sit-to-stand test. Postural balance was evaluated using the one-leg stance test, timed up-and-go test, functional reach test, and four square step test. Walking function was analyzed through a gait analysis device. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were compared to determine the effects of the exercise program. Results: The results demonstrated significant improvements in MoCA, arm curl test, timed up-and-go test, walking speed, and cadence following the 12-week intervention (p<0.05). MoCA scores revealed enhanced cognitive performance, while measures of muscle strength, including the arm curl test, exhibited significant changes. Improvements in timed up-and-go test scores indicated enhanced mobility, accompanied by increased walking speed and cadence, as evidenced by gait analysis. Conclusions: This study suggests that a structured 12-week program incorporating both cognitive and physical exercises can lead to meaningful improvements in cognitive and physical functions among older adults with MCI.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.83-91
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• 2022

Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate changes in dual-task performance according to age and difficulty of cognitive tasks for the in community-dwelling elderly populations, as well as to examine their changes in hand dexterity according to age and cognitive function. Methods: A total of 135 people aged 65 years old and over participated in the study. To evaluate each participant's dual-task performance, each participant completed a dual task. To assess their cognitive function, the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K) and the Korean version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) were the tools used. Participants were divided into three groups based on their age: 65-69 years, 70-79 years, and 80-89 years. Results: The findings showed that age groups and the difficulty of the cognitive task significantly affected the amount of time required for dual-task performance (p<.001). Additionally, the dual-task correct response rate (CRR) decreased significantly with age groups and the difficulty of the cognitive task (p<.001). The amount of time required for finger dexterity performance increased significantly with age groups (mean score±standard deviation [SD]; 19.46±2.26 in subjects aged 65-69 years; 21.92±2.61 in subjects aged 70-79 years; and 23.82±2.92 in subjects aged 80-89 years; p<.001). Moreover, as a result of the correlation between hand dexterity and cognitive function, MoCA-K was -0.563 and MMSE-K was -.412, showing a statistically significant correlation (p<.001). Conclusions: Age and the difficulty of the cognitive task affect the community-dwelling elderly populations in terms of dual-task performance and dual-task CRR. In addition, aging and general cognition have an impact on hand dexterity. Based on the results of this study, it is anticipated that the results will serve as a reference for domestic clinical trials that confirm cognitive decline in the elderly using dual task and hand dexterity evaluation.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.185-198
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the effectiveness of Korean medicine treatment in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among a group of community dwelling elderly. Methods: Two-hundred and twenty-nine elderly living in a community and diagnosed with MCI were recruited. Participants were evaluated with various instruments such as the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) and the Korean version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K). Korean medicine treatment consisted of herbal medicine, acupuncture, and pharmacoacupuncture. The change in cognitive ability was assessed by using the MMSE-DS and the MoCA-K. Data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN 22.0 using the paired t-test, and the ANOVA. Results: The MMSE-DS and the MoCA-K score generally increased after six months of Korean medicine treatment and the differences in both instruments were statistically significant. Additionally, some consecutive participants maintained long-term cognitive improvement. When analyzed specifically by herbal medicine group based on syndrome differentiation and pharmacoacupuncture group, most showed improvement in the MMSE-DS and the MoCA-K but not all data were statistically significant. The satisfaction score was mostly high and most participants were willing to re-participate in the program. Conclusions: Korean medicine treatment may contribute to the improvement and prevention of cognitive decline in the elderly. However, further systematic research based on large scale sample data and standardized protocols is needed to uplift the welfare and mental health of the elderly.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.402-411
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a cognitive enhancement program combined Silbot on cognitive function, depression, and dementia prevention behavior in the elderly complaining of subjective memory decline. The subjects were 170 elderly people living in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, and the study was performed at a welfare center. A total of 20 sessions program using Silbot and physical activity was developed and applied, and were evaluated using the Korean version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (K-MoCA), Geriatric depression Scale(GDS) , and Dementia Prevention Behavior before and after intervention. As a result of the study, the cognitive enhancement program combined Silbot showed statistically significant changes in cognitive function (t=-4.49, p<.001) and depression (t=2.58, p=.023) in the elderly. Therefore, it is expected that the cognitive enhancement program using Silbot will be a useful program that can enhance the cognitive function of the elderly and reduce depression.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.389-404
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• 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate acupuncture therapy for post-stroke cognitive disorder to suggest the methods of a study about acupuncture therapy. Methods: Several academic databases were used in this study, including National Digital Science Library (NDSL), National Assembly Library of Korea, Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal, Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Korean studies Information Service System (KISS), Korean Medical Database (KMBASE), Korea Med, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), PubMed, MEDLINE with Full Text, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Keywords used were "중풍", "뇌졸중", "인지장애", "침", "acupuncture", and "cognitive disorder". Results: Ultimately, 28 papers were investigated. that were mainly published in 2012 and 2016. Of these, More than two-thirds received a score of one or less on the Jadad scale. Acupuncture points such as GV20, GV24, PC6, EX-HN1, SP6, and GV26 were most frequently used. The treatment duration was mostly 30 minutes or less, and the treatment cycle was mostly for four weeks. Dilatational wave was generally used in pulse wave form, and amplitude of electricity was increased until patients were able to endure. G6805 was generally used in electric acupuncture apparatus. According to results of acupuncture treatment, assessments such as the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) and the Montreal Cognitive Function Assessment Scale (MoCA) showed statistically significant improvements in 28 studies. Conclusions: Future research is needed to standardize the treatment of acupuncture, and more diversified high quality papers should be published to help clarify the therapeutic effects of acupuncture and the mechanisms of cognitive disorder post-stroke.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.450-461
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• 2022

A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical study was used to determine the cognitive functions related to working memory (WM) and antioxidant properties of fermented Laminaria japonica (FLJ) on healthy volunteers. Eighty participants were divided into a placebo group (n = 40) and FLJ group (n = 40) that received FLJ (1.5 g/day) for 6 weeks. Memory-related blood indices (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF; angiotensin-converting enzyme; human growth hormone, HGH; insulin-like growth factor-1, IGF-1) and antioxidant function-related indices (catalase, CAT; malondialdehyde, MDA; 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine, 8-oxo-dG; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) were determined before and after the trial. In addition, standardized cognitive tests were conducted using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Batteries. Furthermore, the Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (K-WAIS)-IV, and the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) were used to assess the pre and post intake changes on WM-related properties. According to the results, FLJ significantly increased the level of CAT, BDNF, HGH, and IGF-1. FLJ reduced the level of TBARS, MDA, and 8-oxo-dG in serum. Furthermore, FLJ improved physical activities related to cognitive functions such as K-WAIS-IV, MoCA-K, Paired Associates Learning, and Spatial Working Memory compared to the placebo group. Our results suggest that FLJ is a potential candidate to develop functional materials reflecting its capability to induce antioxidant mechanisms together with WM-related indices.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2016

Purpose: To investigate the post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) and to analyze the factors affecting the quality of life (QoL) of survivors of critical illness. Methods: Subjects were 114 outpatients who had been discharged from intensive care units of a university hospital in B city, Korea. From July 30 through September 30, 2015, PICS was assessed using the Korean Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale, Korean Instrumental/Activities of Daily Living (K-I/ADL) index, and handwriting transformation, while physical and mental health-related QoL was measured using the SF-12. Results: Of the subjects, 39.5% were screened for mild cognitive disorder and 23.7% experienced handwriting transformation after discharge. Multiple regression analysis revealed that restraint application, current job, time of ${\geq}36$ months after discharge, depression, anxiety, and handwriting transformation accounted for 40.9% of the physical health-related QoL, and depression, anxiety and experience of delirium accounted for 62.4% of the mental health-related QoL. Conclusions: It is necessary to make efforts to reduce restraint application in intensive care units and prevent the occurrence of delirium, with the objective of reducing PICS and improving the QoL of critical illness survivors.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.69-83
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• 2023

Objective : This study, as a preliminary study, applied an Information & Communication Technology (ICT) home-based program to elderly people aged 65 years or older to confirm the effect of the cognitive enhancement program and to find the possibility of remote rehabilitation. Methods : This study from August to October 2022, three subjects were selected and the intervention was conducted for about 2 months. This intervention was conducted using Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination, Korean version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), Computer Cognitive Senior Assessment System, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale to evaluate cognitive improvement before and after the program. The therapist remotely set the level of cognitive training according to the subject's level through weekly feedback. Results : After the intervention, all subjects showed improved scores in most items of the MoCA-K conducted before and after the intervention. In addition, among the items of Cotras-pro, upper cognition, language ability, attention, visual perception, and memory were improved. Conclusion : Cognitive rehabilitation training using an ICT home-based program not only prevented dementia but also made it habitual. Through this study, it was confirmed that remote rehabilitation for the elderly could be possible.