• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.231-239
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• 2005

Purpose: Investigation of the quality of life (QoL), family support and associated variables in patients with Parkinson's disease. Methods: The data were collected from 102 patients registered in the neurology department of C University Hospital. QoL was assessed using the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) and Family Support Scale. Modified Hoehn and Yahr (H & Y) stages were obtained from an interview and clinical examination by a neurologist. Collected data were analyzed using the SAS program. Results: The participants' PDQ-39 average score was 34.34. The scores were significantly higher for participants who were older, who had a job and who were over 2.5 on the H & Y stage. The average for Family support scores was 41.6. Participants who had a living spouse, religion and a job scored higher than those who did not. PDQ-39 score had a positive correlation with age, job, and H & Y stage. Family support and PDQ-39 score were also positively correlated. Conclusion: It is recommended a program involving family that improves family support and be developed and that it be varied according to different H & Y stages, in order to improve QoL.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.83-91
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• 2020

Objective: The study aimed to develop a functional performance index that evaluates the functional performance of Parkinson's patients, i.e., to integrate biomechanical measurements of walking, balance, muscle strength and tremor, and to use multiple linear regression with stepwise methods to identify the most suitable predictors for the progression of disease. Method: A total of 60 subjects were tested for sub-variables of four factors: walking, balance, isometric strength and hand tremors. Potential independet variables were extracted through correlation analysis of the sub-variables and dependent variables, Hoehn & Yahr scale. And then, a stepwise multiple regression analysis using the potential independent variables was performed to identify predictor of Hoehn & Yahr scale. Results: First, the results of the study showed that physical composition and gait had a relatively more correlated with the progression of the disease, compared to balance and hand tremor. Second, Parkinson's functional performance is characterized by dynamic pattern of walking, such as foot clearance and turning angle (TA) of walking, and a high-explained regression model is completed. Conclusion: The study emphasized the importance of walking variables and body composition in minor pathological features compared to Parkinson's patient's balancing ability and hand tremor. Specifically, it revealed that dynamic walking patterns functionally characterize patients. The results are worth considering when assessing functional performance related to the progression of the disease at the site.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.275-279
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to quantify the clinical assessment of rigidity at wrist in patients with Parkinson's disease. The experimental system was designed that the effect of gravity was negated by restricting motion at the horizontal plane and inertia was predetermined from a biomechanical measurement. Forty five patients with Parkinson's disease participated in this study. Viscoelastic properties were calculated from the experimental data acquired during intermittent passive movement of wrist. Viscoelastic constants correlated well with the rigidity scores of UPDRS, i.e., Spearman's r=0.733 and 0.905 for spring and damping constants, respectively. The results suggest that viscoelastic properties can be used as quantitative measures of rigidity.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.172-183
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• 2003

Objective : This study was designed to determine whether manual acupuncture therapy is effective for symptoms of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Methods : Nineteen patients consecutively enrolled in this study. The subjects were divided into two groups : the first group (n=12) discontinued antiparkinsonian drug treatment, the second group (n=7) continued antiparkinsonian drug treatment Acupuncture therapy was performed twice a week for 8 weeks. In the first group, the acupuncture was performed after 2 weeks of drug wash-out period. The patient's symptoms were assessed at pre-treatment, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the acupuncture by unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS), modified Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) stage, Schwab & England activity of daily living and Freezing of Gait Questionnaire(FOGQ). Results : In the first group that discontinued. antiparkinsonian drug treatment, the total UPDRS scores were significantly improved after 4 weeks (p=0.0l4) and after 8 weeks (p=0.049) compared to the pre-treatment. Particularly, the scores of UPDRS III were significantly improved after 8 weeks (p=0.032). In the second group that continued antiparkinsonian drug treatment, the total UPDRS scores were significantly improved after 4 weeks (p=0.027) and after 8 weeks (p=0.018). Particularly, the scores of UPDRS II were significantly improved after 4 weeks (p=0.042) and after 8 weeks (p=0.043), and UPDRS IV were significantly improved after 8 weeks (p=0.043). The scores of ADL were significantly improved after 8 weeks (p=0.046). Conclusion : This study suggests that manual acupuncture therapy is effective for the improvement of certain symptoms in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.735-742
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• 2001

Object : This study was carried out to investigate the bowel disorders following parkinson's disease. Methods : We studied 2 patients with constipation followed by parkinson's disease. Both were diagnosed as COLONOTONIA - according to 8 Constitution medicine. Case 1 was treated with methods of 8 Constitution therapy and herbal medication(Sopoongsoongee-won). Case 2 was treated with method of 8 Constitution therapy only. Conclusions : After treatment, symptom of constipation were improved in both case.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.11-20
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to obtain some knowledge about the scalp acupuncture treatment on Parkinson's disease for the future practice and the research from the clinical studies in China. Methods : The literatures were searched using the database-China Academic Journals(CAJ) (2006-2011). Clinical studies of scalp acupuncture for Parkinson's disease-Randomized controlled trial(RCT), case control study, case series, case report- were included. Results : Of 65 articles, 12 Clinical studies met our inclusion criteria. Three case series reported a significant improvement in the patients with Parkinson's disease by scalp acupuncture, and 9 RCTs reported a significant effectiveness of scalp acupuncture as a monotherapy or as a combination therapy with Madopa Tablet(Levodopa + Benserazide HCl) treatment. Conclusions : The results of this study could be used for the future study about scalp acupuncture for Parkinson's disease.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify whether virtual reality-based exercise could improve on balance, gait and fall efficacy in patients with Parkinson's disease. Methods : Ten patients with Parkinson's disease were randomly divided into either an experimental or control group. The experimental subjects performed vertual reality-based exercise, whereas the control subjects performed conventional physical therapy for 4 weeks. The balance, gait and fall efficacy of all subjects were assessed by using the Measurement Training and Documentation (MTD) balance system, force platform system, Korean version of Berg Balance scale (K-BBS), 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and Korean version of Fall efficacy scale (K-FES) at pre training and post training. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze change before and after intervention in intra-group. Mann Whitney U test was used to analyze changes of all variables in inter-groups. Results : Subjects in the experimental group showed significant improvements in difference of weight distribution, K-BBS scores, antero-posterior and medio-lateral sway length, ground reaction force (GRF), 6MWT, and step length following training. The changes of difference of weight distribution, K-BBS scores, AP Sway Length, GRF, 6MWT, step length and K-FES scores in the experimental group were significantly more than them of the control group. Conclusion : The result of this study suggest that virtual reality-based exercise training is an intervention to improve on balance, gait, and falls efficacy in patients with Parkinson's disease.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.3-15
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• 2013

The acoustic analysis of diadochokinesis(DDK) has been used to evaluate dysarthria. However, there has not been an automatic method to evaluate dysarthria. The aim of this study was to introduce a new automated program to measure DDK tasks and to apply this to clinical patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease(IPD). Fourty-seven patients with IPD and a healthy control group of twenty participants were selected with every DDK task recorded three times. Twenty-five acoustic parameters in the program were developed. The relevant parameters were times of DDK, pitch related parameters, intensity parameters which were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA. Significant differences between the groups were found in the times of DDK, pitch related parameters, and intensity parameters. The findings indicated that the pitch of control group was more stable than that of the IPD. Even though the patients with IPD had a higher intensity value, this phenomenon was caused by the weakness of the IPD group who could not control their speech with a breath.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.90-96
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• 2020

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is the second most common disorder after Alzheimer's disease. PD includes both "motor" and "non-motor" symptoms, one of which is pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of pain in patients with PD. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 250 patients diagnosed with PD, 70% of which had mild to moderate PD (stages 2/3 of Hoehn and Yahr scale). The average age was 67.4 years, and the average duration since PD diagnosis was 7.1 years. Relevant data collected from PD patients were obtained from their personal medical history. Results: The prevalence of pain was found to be high (82%), with most patients (79.2%) relating their pain to PD. Disease duration was correlated with the frequency of intense pain (R: 0.393; P < 0.05). PD pain is most frequently perceived as an electrical current (64%), and two pain varieties were most prevalent (2.60 ± 0.63). Our findings confirm links between pain, its evolution over time, its multi-modal character, the wide variety of symptoms of PD, and the female sex. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that the pain felt by PD patients is mainly felt as an electrical current, which contrasts with other studies where the pain is described as burning and itching. Our classification is innovative because it is based on anatomy, whereas those of other authors were based on syndromes.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1081-1091
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was done to identify the risk factors associated with falls among patients with Parkinson's Disease(PD). Method: A retrospective study design was used through the collection of physiological and physical health, and psychosocial functions. Results: Of the 100 participants, fifty-nine(59%) reported one or more falls and seventy-one(71%) reported one or more near-falls. Anaverage 34.7 falls and 150.3 near-falls were reported in the previous year per person. Stage of PD, foot problems, balance, fear of falling, and activities of daily living were significantly associated with an increased risk of falls. Conclusion: The findings confirm the high risk of falling in PD patients. Also these results have implications for developing fall prevention programs for PD patients.