• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2000

Authors evaluated alterations of observable metabolite ratios between the cerebral lesion and the contralateral region related to the clinical symptomatic side in levodopa-treated Parkinson's disease (PD) and investigated correlation between age in patients with PD and metabolite ratios of the lesion. Patients with levodopa-treated PD (n = 54) and age-matched normal controls (n = 15) underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) examinations using a stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) pulse sequence that provided 2$\times$2$\times$2 cm3 volume of interest in the selected regions of substantia nigra (SN) and putamed-globus pallidus (PG). To evaluate dependence of metabolite ratios on age, we divided into two groups (i.e., younger and older age). We quantitatively measured N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline-containing compounds (Cho), inositols (Ins), and the sum of glutamate (Glx) and GABA levels and obtained proton metabolite ratios relative to Cr using a Marquart algorithm. Compared with the contralateral region, a significant neuronal laterality of the NAA/Cr ratio in the lesion of SN related to the clinical symptomatic side was established (P = 0.01), but was not established in the lesion of PG (P = 0.24). Also, Cho/Cr ratio tended toward significance in the lesion of SN (P = 0.07) and was statistically significant in the lesion of PG(P = 0.01). Compared with that in the younger age group, NAA/Cr ratio in the older age was decreased in the lesion of SN (P = 0.02), while NAA/Cr ratio was not statistically significant in the lesion of PG ( P = 0.21). Significant metabolic alterations of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios might be closely related with functional changes of neuropathological process in SN and PG of levodopa treated PD and could be a valuable finding for evaluation of the PD. A trend of NAA/Cr reduction, being statistically significant in older patients, could be indicative of more pronounced neuronal damage in the SN of the progressive PD.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.272-279
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• 2007

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the discriminating nature of $^{123}I-FP-CIT$ SPECT in patients with parkinsonism. Methods: $^{123}I-FP-CIT$ SPECT images acquired from the 18 normal controls; NC ($60.4{\pm}10.0$ yr) and 237 patients with parkinsonism ($65.9{\pm}9.2$ yr) were analyzed. From spatialIy normalized images, regional counts of the caudate, putamen, and occipital lobe were obtained using region of interest method. Binding potential (BP) was calculated with the ratio of specific to nonspecific binding activity at equilibrium. Additionally, the BP ratio of putamen to caudate (PCR) and asymmetric Index (ASI) were measured. Results: BPs of NC $3.37{\pm}0.57,\; 3.10{\pm}0.41,\; 3.23{\pm}0.48$ for caudate, putamen, whole striatum, respectively) had no significant difference with those of essential tremor; ET ($3.31{\pm}0.64,\; 3.06{\pm}0.61,\; 3.14{\pm}0.63$) and Alzheimer's disease; AD (3.33 $\pm$0.60, 3.29$\pm$0.79, 3.31$\pm$0.70), but were higher than those of Parkinson's disease; PD (1.92$\pm$0.74, 1.39$\pm$0.68, 1.64$\pm$0.68), multiple system atrophy; MSA (2.36$\pm$1.07, 2.16$\pm$0.91, 2.26$\pm$0.96), and dementia with Lewy body; DLB (1.95$\pm$0.72, 1.64$\pm$0.65, 1.79$\pm$0.66)(p<0.005). PD had statisticalIy lower values of PER and higher values of ASI than those of NC (p<0.005). And PD had significantIy lower value of PCR, higher ASI and lower BP in the putamen and whole striatum than MSA (p<0.05). Conclusion: Dopamine transporter image of $^{123}I-FP-CIT$ SPECT was a good value in differential diagnosis of parkinsonism.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2017

Purpose: Neuroinflammation is mediated by activation of microglia implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Inhibition of neuroinflammation may be an effective solution to treat these brain disorders. Petalonia binghamiae is known as a traditional food, based on multiple biological activities such as anti-oxidant and anti-obesity. In present study, the anti-neuroinflammatory potential of Petalonia binghamiae was investigated in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Methods: Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Production of nitric oxide (NO) was examined using Griess reagent. Expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was detected by Western blot analysis. Activation of nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) signaling was examined by nuclear translocation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65 subunit and phosphorylation of $I{\kappa}B$. Results: Extract of Petalonia binghamiae significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated NO production and iNOS/COX-2 protein expression in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. Pretreatment with Petalonia binghamiae suppressed LPS-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65 nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of $I{\kappa}B$. Co-treatment with Petalonia binghamiae and pyrrolidine duthiocarbamate (PDTC), an $NF-{\kappa}B$ inhibitor, reduced LPS-stimulated NO release compared to that in PB-treated or PDTC-treated cells. Conclusion: The present results indicate that extract of Petalonia binghamiae exerts anti-neuroinflammation activities, partly through inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling. These findings suggest that Petalonia binghamiae might have therapeutic potential in relation to neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.2027-2032
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• 2007

[ ${\alpha}$ ]-Synuclein is the major component of Lewy bodies and responsible for the amyloid deposits observed in Parkinson's disease. Ordered filamentous aggregate formation of the natively unfolded ${\alpha}$-synuclein was investigated in vitro with the periodic ultrasonication. The ultrasonication induced the fibrillation of ${\alpha}$-synuclein, as the random structure gradually converted into a ${\beta}$-sheet structure. The resulting fibrils obtained at the stationary phase appeared heterogeneous in their size distribution, with the average length and height of $0.28\;{\mu}m{\pm}0.21\;{\mu}m$ and $5.6\;nm{\pm}1.9\;nm$, respectively. After additional extensive ultrasonication in the absence of monomeric ${\alpha}$-synuclein, the equilibrium between the fibril formation and its breakdown shifted to the disintegration of the preexisting fibrils. The resulting fragments served as nucleation centers for the subsequent seed-dependent accelerated fibrillation under a quiescent incubation condition. This self-seeding amplification process depended on the seed formation and subsequent alterations in their properties by the ultrasonication to a state that accretes the monomeric soluble protein more effectively than their reassociation of the seeds back to the original fibrils. Since many neurodegenerative disorders have been considered to be propagated via the seed-dependent amyloidosis, this study would provide a novel aspect of the significance of the seed structure and its properties leading to the acce]erated amyloid formation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether medication and deep brain stimulation (DBS) have differential effects on the speed and amplitude of bradykinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Five PD patients with implanted DBS electrodes (age: $60.6{\pm}7.4yrs$, H&Y stage: $3.1{\pm}0.2$) participated in this study. FT (finger tapping) movement was measured using a gyrosensor system in four treatment conditions: Med (Medication)-off/DBS-off, Med-off/DBS-on, Med-on/DBS-off and Med-on/DBS-on. Quantitative measures representing average speed and amplitude of FT movement included root-mean-squared (RMS) angular velocity and RMS angle. One-way repeated measures ANOVA showed that RMS angular velocity of Med-on/DBS-on was significantly greater than those of Med-off/DBS-off and Med-off/DBS-on (p < 0.01) whereas RMS angle was not different among conditions (p = 0.06). Two way repeated measures ANOVA showed that only medication improved RMS angular velocity (p < 0.01), whereas both medication and DBS had no significant effect on RMS angle (p > 0.02). Effect size of RMS angular velocity was greater than that of RMS angle in both medication and DBS. This suggests that medication and DBS have differential effects on FT bradykinesia and velocity and amplitude impairments may be associated with different functional aspects in PD.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.1001-1004
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• 2006

The m-calpain activity hydrolyzing a fluorogenic substrate of N-Succinyl-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-7-amino-4-methylcourmarin (LLVY-AMC) was significantly stimulated by more than two-fold in the presence of 5$\mu$M $\alpha$synuclein at $15{^{\circ}C}$. The stimulation was also confirmed with azocasein. The stimulation of the peptide hydrolyzing activity required structural intactness of $\alpha$-synuclein since the C-terminally or N-terminally modified proteins such as $\beta$-synuclein, $\alpha$-syn1-97, and $\alpha$-syn61-140 did not increase the proteolytic activity. Instead, however, the N-terminally truncated $\alpha$-syn61-140 was shown to drastically suppress the calpain activity. Since the N-terminal truncation was known to be the primary cleaving event of calpain-mediated proteolysis of $\alpha$-synuclein and the $\alpha$-syn61-140 has been demonstrated to be resistant against the calpain digestion, it has been proposed that the intracellular calpain activity could be regulated in a reciprocal manner by $\alpha$-synuclein and its proteolyzed C-terminal fragment. Based on the results, a possible physiological function of $\alpha$-synuclein has been suggested as a calpain regulator which contains both stimulatory and inhibitory activities.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.324-333
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a simulation module for teaching home health care and evaluate the applicability of the program to nursing students' practical training. Methods: The simulation module was developed based on the National League for Nursing Jeffries Simulation Theory. The theme of the developed scenario was teaching nasogastric tube feeding to the caregiver of patient with Parkinson disease. Participants were 61 nursing students who had learned tube feeding, and participated in the questionnaire survey after the simulation training. Results: The evaluation of simulation design showed the highest score on feedback/guided reflection, and was highly evaluated in the order of objectives/information, problem solving and fidelity. The educational practice of the simulation was highly evaluated in the order of active learning, high expectation and diversity of learning. The nursing students showed high satisfaction and self-confidence after the simulation education. Conclusion: We suggest that the developed simulation module can be applied to practical training for home health care. In the future, the change of self-efficacy, clinical judgment and performance ability of the students after the simulation education should be identified. Also, various simulation modules related to the community health nursing competencies should be continuously developed and verified.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.546-555
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• 2014

Objectives: Recently, many studies have reported beneficial effects from the application of laser and light-emitting diode (LED) therapy for cerebral nervous disease. Transcranial laser therapy and LED therapy may be an effective method to treat diseases of the cerebral nervous system. This study aims to discuss the possibility of laser and LED therapy for cerebral nervous disease by reviewing literature about its effectiveness. Methods: We searched papers using PubMed, Science Direct, CINAHL, KTKP, Oasis and NDSL, using the keywords "Laser therapy, low-level", "Transcranial laser", "Transcranial light emitting diode" and "stroke", "traumatic brain injury", "dementia", "anxiety", "cognitive", "emotional effects", "psychiatric disorder", "multiple sclerosis", "Parkinson's disease". The search range included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical case series. Reviews and animal experiments were not included. Studies not matched with inclusion criteria were excluded. Results: A total 1,119 studies were found. 1,100 were excluded from scanning titles and abstracts and finally 9 articles were selected. Among the 9 articles, 5 were RCTs, one was a controlled study, and the other 3 were case reports. They reported that transcranial laser therapy and LED treatment had beneficial effects from photobiomodulation to the cerebral nervous system. Clinical evaluation factors showed favorable trends. Conclusions: Transcranial laser therapy and LED therapy seem to be effective to the cerebral nervous system and they may be a favorable choice for cerebral nervous disease.

• KIISE Transactions on Computing Practices
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2018

The assessment and rehabilitation of patients with cognitive dysfunction is a field that currently requires assistive technology. While the paper-and-pencil test, such as the line tracing test (LTT), is one of the most commonly used assessment methods for cognitive dysfunction, it has become time-consuming due to its manual characteristic. The aim of this study was therefore to establish a computer-based real-time assessment system for patients without compromising the usefulness of the conventional paper-and-pencil based user tools. A digital pen-based assessment and rehabilitation system, the ePen System, could eliminate the time required for manual assessment while maintaining the measurement accuracy. The proposed system may assist rehabilitation specialists to assess and diagnose patients with unilateral visual neglect. This system can be applied to a range of assessment and rehabilitation modalities based on pen and paper. It can also be used for various patients such as those with Parkinson's disease, stroke, or different forms of brain lesions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.245-251
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• 2004

The effects of fetal mesencephalic cell grafts on the restoration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic function were studied in the intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. Four weeks after lesioning, transplantation of ventral mesencephalic cells from embryonic day 14 fetuses showed the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive cells and fiber outgrowth in the grafted striatum, and significantly ameliorated symptomatic motor behavior of the animals, as determined by apomorphine-induced rotation. Furthermore, in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), the numbers of TH + cells and fibers were markedly restored. Dopamine content of ipsilateral SNc was close to that of contralateral SNc $(91.9{\pm}9.8%)$ in the transplanted animals, while the ratio was approximately 32% in sham-grafted animals. These results indicate that grafted cells restored the activity for the dopaminergic neurons located in SNc, although they were transplanted into striatum. In addition, we showed that the implanted fetal cells expressed high level of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), suggesting that the transplanted fetal cells might serve as a dopamine producer and a reservoir of neurotrophic factors. These results may be helpful in consideration of the therapeutic transplantation at early stage of PD.