• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.31 no.6 s.261
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• pp.686-693
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• 2007

To perceive body movement, the nervous system uses multi-sensory cues such as vision, vestibular signals, and somatosensation. Among the multi-sensory modality, the previous researchers reported that the lower limb somatosensation plays an important role on maintaining postural balance. In this study, we examined the contribution of somatosensory cues to linear motion perception by measuring the detection threshold of the direction of linear motion with and without lower limb somatosensory constraints. Six healthy male volunteers participated in randomly ordered 33 single sinusoidal acceleration trials with the stimulus at 0.25Hz with peak magnitude ranged from 0 to 8mG. After each stimulus, subjects reported their perceived direction of motion by button press. Results showed that the reduced lower limb somatosensation significantly increased perception threshold. Without constraints, mean threshold was $0.82{\pm}0.23mG$, while it was $1.23{\pm}0.35mG$ with reduced lower limb somatosensation. The results suggest that without visual cues, perception of the movement direction strongly depends on the lower limb somatosensory information.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.969-970
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• 2011

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.678-686
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• 2011

When one sensor cannot provide information by sensory deficit or loss, the sensory information can be provided by substituting other sensors for the defected sensor. This sensory substation might be influence on the deteriorated motion perception that consists of multi-sensory information such as visual, vestibular and somatosensory information. In this study, to investigate whether the additional sensation by sensory substitution could be integrated into the motion perception, we examined the effect of substituted postural sway sensation on the directional perception of body movement. Deteriorated motion perception by the reduced plantar sensation was enhanced under sensory substitution condition that provided the body sway information as the plantar vibratory stimulus. These results imply that the additional sensation might be integrated into and improve the motion perception.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2010

This study details the neuroscientific concept of somatosensation, general sensory stimulation therapy and virtual reality therapy. Somatosensation is a method that the human body uses to accept information from the inner and outer parts of the body. A traditional sensory stimulation therapy was designed to maximize neural recovery, but the neural recovery is most effective when the therapeutic environment is similar to real life. The virtual reality provides natural environment that users may perceive as meaningful and even participants with significant impairment can perform some of the activities of their daily lives within the virtual environment. The virtual reality will become a complementary part of somatosensory rehabilitation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.985-986
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• 2010

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1185-1190
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• 2011

The lower limb somatosensory deficit observed among peripheral neuropathy patients is partially related to the decline in their balance ability. In general, balance ability has been examined by measuring the postural response (i.e., action). However, body motion is induced by integrated multisensory cues (i.e., motion perception). In this study, we hypothesized that the reduced lower limb somatosensation might also lower motion perception. We induced lower limb sensory deficits through ischemia and then measured the cutaneous sensory sensitivity and directional motion perception. The sensory deficit was successfully induced, and it also lowered the motion perception. However, the center of pressure (COP) variation did not significantly change under the sensory deficit. This result implies that measuring motion perception could enable the detection of precursors of sensory deficits.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.332-338
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of postural control and locomotion on improvement of two point discrimination (TPD), stereognosis (ST) through somatosensory training (SST) on the upper limb (UL). Methods: The subjects were 20 hemiplegia patients who have problems with unilateral neglect after stroke. The patients were divided into two groups, the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). In the EG, SST for TPD, ST was performed 18 times, three times a week for six weeks, together with physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT). In the CG conventional PT and OT without SST was performed for six weeks. Several assessment tools were used in comparison of groups; two point discrimination test (TPDT) on forearm (F), thenar (T), hypothenar (TH), thumb tip (TH-T), index finger tip (IN-T), stereognosis test (ST), postural assessment scale for stroke (PASS), and clinical test of sensory interaction on balance (CTSIB) and timed up and go test (TUG). Results: In the CG, conventional PT and OT resulted in statistically improved TPDT (F), ST, PASS, and TUG. In the EG, SST resulted in statistically improved TPDT (F, T, HT, TH-T, IN-T), ST, PASS, and TUG. TPDT-T, ST, and CTSIB with length of displacement with eye open (LDEO) also showed significant improvement between the groups. Conclusion: In both groups TPDT ST, PASS and TUG, and SST had effects on the UL and TPDT, ST and static postural control had greater effects compared with the PG. Therefore, we could assume that TPD and ST are very important in performing human activities including postural control and locomotion.