• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.155-161
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• 2015

In the paper, we developed the mobile based rehabilitation system for patients with upper extremity hemiplegia after stroke and evaluated clinical usefulness and effectiveness of the system. The sensors built in the smartphone were used to track patients' upper limb motion and the movements was transferred to the tablet PC through bluetooth connection so that the game contents could be interact with the movements. The rehabilitation game contents was based on Brunnstrom stage(B-stage), and was designed to lead accurate movement of upper limb. For the clinical evaluation of the effectiveness, 11 patients were recruited and make them perform an exercise of their wrist, shoulder, and forearm using the system for two weeks. The change of upper limb motor function was measured using fugl-meyer assessment(FMA), Brunnstrom stage(B-stage). And the change of quality of life was measured using EuroQoL-5 Dimension(EQ-5D), Beck Depression Inventory(BDI). The results showed significant improvement in upper limb function but not in quality of life. We verified mobile based rehabilitation program could be useful and effective for the clinical use.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.59-71
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• 2020

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of posture balance and muscular strength before and after exercise by conducting a health gymnastics program for the elderly with chronic diseases of musculoskeletal system. Methods : The subjects of this study were 32 elderly people who had no experience participating in the musculoskeletal system linkage gymnastics program over 65 years old in a rural area in H city, Gyeonggi-do. The data were analyzed by computerized processing with SPSS 23.0. Results : The results of the study were as follows: First, the average of muscular strength before and after gymnastics according to general characteristics was significant in average according to age, presence of spouse, education level, and cohabitation type. Second, the subjects exercised for 2 days a week, and 25.59(±0.51) minutes on average. Third, the change of balance of the face (t=2.993, p=.011), shoulder (t=3.811, p=.002) and pelvic left and right (t=3.584, p=.004) was statistically significant in the posture balance. Fourth, muscular strength was statistically significant in motor function of AMS, SMS, and FMS (p<0.001). Conclusion : Therefore, after applying the health gymnastics program, the improvement of posture balance and muscular strength of the elderly became apparent, so it is necessary to disseminate this gymnastics program. The health gymnastics program is expected to positively improve the quality of life for the elderly.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.162-169
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• 1994

Blockade of cervicothoracic sympathetic ganglion (stellate ganglion controls pain on face, head, neck, shoulder, upper limbs, and upper chest, including their viscera and sympathetically maintained pain. This procedure also increases blood flow to the above areas and relieves hyperreactivity of sympathetic nervous system. Clinically, repeated stellate ganglion blocks with local anesthetic agent may become difficult with complications such as accidental intravascular or subdural injection, recurrent laryngeal nerve or bracheal plexus paralysis, pneumothorax and edema on injection site. Therefore, at times long-term cervicothoracic ganglion block with neurolytics is necessitated but its applications are prohibited by the critical structures surrounding ganglion. There are also few reports of neurolytic stellate ganglion block. This study was performed to observe the complications, gross changes of surrounding structures, and microscopic findings of ganglion cells after neurolytic block and to certify the possibility of clinical use of neruolytic stellate ganglion block. The unilateral superior cervical sympathetic ganglion of rabbit was blocked with absolute ethyl alcohol 0.4 ml at the level of cricoid cartilage. Normal ganglion was used as a control and 5 animals were sacrificed at each intervals of 7, 15 and 50 days after block. The results were as follows; 1) All experimental animals showed no specific changes of behavior, motor function. No necrotic tissues were present in the block area during the observation period. There were some gross scar tissues along the fascia of muscles surrounding the needle injection site, but gross atrophy of muscles or injured major vessels were not found. 2) Microscopically, structures of normal ganglion of rabbit were very similar to those of humans. Seven days after absolute ethyl achohol injection there were marked edema of ganglion cells and nuclei with irregular nuclear membrane. Some of the ganglion cells lost their nuclei and showed degenerative changes. Fifteen days after block, cell edema were decreased and loss of the Nissl's body was prominant. The ganglion cell structures looked close to normal but the cytoplasm and nucleus were generally contracted 50 days after block. These results suggest absolute ethyl alcohol injection on cervical sympathetic ganglion with above method mainly blocks pre- and post-synaptic fibers and the long-term neurolytic blockade of this ganglion may be possible in rabbits.