• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.112 no.4
• /
• pp.544-553
• /
• 2023

The purpose of this study was to reveal the thermal comfort and physiological and psychological effects of spending time in broad-leaved forests in suumer. Thirty-one university students (with an average age of 21.4 ± 2.1 years) participated in the study, and a within-subjects experimental design methodology was used. The participants moved to an experimental site (with a crown closure of 76.6%) or a control site (25.9%), sat on a chair to eliminate the impact of movement, and rested for 5 minutes with closed eyes. At this time, thermal comfort, heart rate variability, heart rate, and forehead temperature were continuously measured. After that, blood pressure and pulse rate were measured, and a subjective evaluation was conducted. As a result, spending time at an experimental site showed a statistically significant decrease in the predicted mean vote and the percentage of dissatisfied values, enhancement of parasympathetic nerve activity, decrease of forehead temperature, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, pulse rate, and improvement of personal thermal sensation (thermal sensation vote and comfort sensation vote). In conclusion, it was found that a forest with high crown closure reduces thermal stress and induces physiological and psychological relaxation.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.123-135
• /
• 2005

Objective : The aim of this study was to rivew systemically literature and clinical trials in the treatment of urinary incontinence or lower urinary tract syndrome(LUTS). Methods : Computerized literature searches were carried out on two electronic database, and computerized searching on some korea oriental medicine journals in library of Kyung-Hee Medical center. Results : 1. Three reports of review study, six reports of experimental study and fourteen reports of clinical trials were collected and reviewed. Three reports of review study were all printed in the korea oriental medicine journal. From 2000, researches and studies have been increased in quantity and improved in quality. 2. Urinary disturbance include variable symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms, urinary incontinence, in theaspect of Oriental medicine these symptoms are anurin, dysuria, urinary incontinence, nochumal enuresis, uracratia and so on. 3. Roughly physiological procedure of Acupuncture in Treatment of Urianry Disturbance may be that effect of acupuncture stimulation for parasympathetic nerve, sleep-arousal system in cerebrum, pontine/spinal urination center and pudendal/pelvic nerve affect bladder in expansion of bladder capacity, inhibition of urinary contraction and affection in periurethral muscle by continuous excitement of spinal annular circuit and synapse of neuron. 4. Clinical result for acupuncture treatment in urinary disturbance is summarized that acupuncture treatment in urianation disturbance of Neurogenic Bladder, Incontinence, Cycitis, Nocturnal Enuresis, Prostatitis/Pelvic Pain Syndrom and so on is significant clinical trials and technique. Conclusion : Hereafter, in the old age society these variable urinary disturbance patients are increased and desire of treatment may be also increased. So study of various and formal treatment and tecnnique is needed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.227-234
• /
• 2012

In this study, the masking effect of olfactory stimulus on the awakening state due to sound stimuli while driving using Graphic Driving Simulator was observed through the response of autonomic nervous system. The test was conducted for 11 males in their twenties. The siren of ambulance car was presented to them as auditory stimulus for 30 secs while driving in a situation of high way in the condition of both peppermint and control, respectively, and LF/HF ratio of HRV (Heart Rate Variability), the activity index of sympathetic nerve, and GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) response were examined. The test was proceeded in the order of three stages, that is, sound stimuli (test 1), driving performance, and sound stimuli (test 2), and fragrance stimulus, driving performance, and sound stimuli (test 3), and the physiological signal of GSR, HRV was measured in the whole stages. As a result of test, comparing the results of before and after auditory stimulus test (1) (p < 0.01), test (2) (p < 0.05), and test (3) (p < 0.01), driving performance test (2) (p < 0.01), test (3) (p < 0.01), and olfactory stimulus test (3) (p < 0.05), respectively, GSR response increased, showing significant difference in all the tests. It indicates that when auditory stimulus was presented to the subjects, they were in the awakening state as sympathetic nervous system got activated. As a result of comparing auditory stimulus while driving before and after presenting olfactory stimulus, there was no significant difference in GSR response. The LF/HF ratio of HRV increased, showing a significant difference only in test (2) (p < 0.05), and in driving performance test (2) (p < 0.05) in auditory stimulus, however, it showed no significant difference in olfactory stimulus. As a result of comparing auditory stimulus while driving before and after presenting olfactory stimulus, there was a decrease, showing significant difference (p < 0.05) in LF/HF ratio of HRV. That is, it means that the activation of sympathetic nervous system decreased, and that parasympathetic nervous system got activated. From these results, it was observed that while driving, the awakening level due to auditory stimulus was settled with olfactory stimulus. In conclusion, it was drawn that while driving, olfactory stimulus could have the masking effect on auditory stimulus.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.108 no.3
• /
• pp.440-453
• /
• 2019

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of watching a two-dimensional (2D) forest video and a virtual reality (VR) forest video on stress reduction in adults. Experiments were conducted in an artificial climate room, and 40 subjects participated. After inducing stress in the subjects, subjects watched a 2D gray video, 2D forest video, or VR forest video for 5 mins. The autonomic nervous system activity was evaluated continuously in terms of measured heart rate variability during the experiment. After each experiment, the subject's psychological state was evaluated using a questionnaire. The 2D forest video decreased the viewer's stress index, increased HF, and reduced heart rate compared with the 2D gray video. The VR forest video had a greater stress index reduction effect, LF/HF increase effect, and heart rate reduction effect than the 2D gray video. Psychological measurements showed that subjects felt more comfortable, natural, and calm when watching the 2D gray video, 2D forest video or VR forest video. We also found that the 2D forest video and VR forest video increased positive emotions and reduced negative emotions compared to the 2D gray video. Based on these results, it can be concluded that watching the 2D forest and VR forest videos reduces the stress index and heart rate compared with watching the 2D gray video. Thus, it is considered that the 2D forest video increases the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, and the VR forest video increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. The increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system upon watching the VR forest video is judged to be positive sympathetic nerve activity, such as novelty and curiosity, and not negative sympathetic activity, such as stress and tension. The results of this study are expected to be the basis for examining the visual effects of forest healing, with hope that the utilization of VR, the technology of the fourth industrial revolution in the forestry field, will broaden.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.108-117
• /
• 2023

Objectives : Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is characterized by the manifestation of a variety of physical symptoms, but little is known about differences in autonomic nervous system activity according to symptom severity, especially within patient groups. In this study, we examined differences in heart rate variability (HRV) across symptom severity in a group of SSD patients to analyze a representative marker of autonomic nervous system changes by symptoms severity. Methods : Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for patients who were diagnosed with SSD based on DSM-5 from September 18, 2020 to October 29, 2021. We applied inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) methods to generate more homogeneous comparisons in HRV parameters by correcting for selection biases due to sociodemographic and clinical characteristic differences between groups. Results : There were statistically significant correlations between the somatic symptom severity and LF (nu), HF (nu), LF/HF, as well as SD1/SD2 and Alpha1/Alpha2. After IPTW estimation, the mild to moderate group was corrected to 27 (53.0%) and the severe group to 24 (47.0%), and homogeneity was achieved as the differences in demographic and clinical characteristics were not significant. The analysis of inverse probability weighted regression adjustment model showed that the severe group was associated with significantly lower RMSSD (β=-0.70, p=0.003) and pNN20 (β=-1.04, p=0.019) in the time domain and higher LF (nu) (β=0.29, p<0.001), lower HF (nu) (β=-0.29, p<0.001), higher LF/HF (β=1.41, p=0.001), and in the nonlinear domain, significant differences were tested for SampEn15 (β=-0.35, p=0.014), SD1/SD2 (β=-0.68, p<0.001), and Alpha1/Alpha2 (ß=0.43, p=0.001). Conclusions : These results suggest that differences in HRV parameters by SSD severity were showed in the time, frequency and nonlinear domains, specific parameters demonstrating significantly higher sympathetic nerve activity and reduced ability of the parasympathetic nervous system in SSD patients with severe symptoms.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.486-494
• /
• 2000

Background : The dominant innervation of airway smooth muscle is parasympathetic fibers which are carried in the vagus nerve. Activation of these cholinergic nerves releases acetylcholine which binds to $M_3$ muscarinic receptors on the smooth muscle causing bronchocontraction. Acetylcholine also feeds back onto neuronal $M_2$ muscarinic receptors located on the postganglionic cholinergic nerves. Stimulation of these receptors further inhibits acetylcholine release, so these $M_2$, muscarinic receptors act as autoreceptors. Loss of function of these $M_2$ receptors, as it occurs in animal models of hyperresponsiveness, leads to an increase in vagally mediated hyperresponsiveness. However, there are limited data pertaining to whether there are dysfunctions of these receptors in patients with asthma. The aim of this study is to determine whether there are dysfunction of $M_2$ muscarinic receptors in asthmatic patients and difference of function of these receptors according to severity of asthma. Method : We studied twenty-seven patients with asthma who were registered at Pulmonology Division of Korea University Hospital. They all met asthma criteria of ATS. Of these patients, eleven patients were categorized as having mild asthma, eight patients moderate asthma and eight patients severe asthma according to severity by NAEPP Expert Panel Report 2(1997). All subjects were free of recent upper respiratory tract infection within 2 weeks and showed positive methacholine challenge test ($PC_{20}$<16mg/ml). Methacholine provocation tests were performed twice on separate days allowing for an interval of one week. In the second test, pretreatment with the $M_2$ muscarinic receptor agonist pilocarpine($180{\mu}g$) through inhalation was performed be fore the routine procedures. Results : Eleven subjects with mild asthma and eight subjects with moderate asthma showed significant increase of $PC_{20}$ from 5.30$\pm$5.23mg/ml(mean$\pm$SD) to 20.82$\pm$22.56mg/ml(p=0.004) and from 2.79$\pm$1.51mg/ml to 4.67$\pm$3.53mg/ml(p=0.012) after pilocarpine inhalation, respectively. However, in the eight subjects with severe asthma significant increase of $PC_{20}$ from l.76$\pm$1.50mg/ml to 3.18$\pm$4.03mg/ml(p=0.161) after pilocarpine inhalation was not found. Conclusion : In subjects with mild and moderate asthma, function of $M_2$ muscarinic receptors was normal, but there was a dysfunction of these receptors in subjects with severe asthma. ηlese results suggest that function of $M_2$ muscarinic receptors is different according to severity of asthma.