• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.651-656
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• 2011

Although prosthetic training was received, most of amputees mainly depend on visual feedback to use prostheses, not on cutaneous and proprioceptive sensibility. Our objective of this study was to determine if there are changes in the somatosensory sensibility of amputees compared to non-amputees using multi-channel vibration stimulation system. One transradial amputees and ten non-amputees were involved. To investigate changes of residual somatosensory sensibility at stump, we set up custom-made vibration stimulation system including eight actuators (4 medial and 4 lateral) and GUI-based acquisition system. The results showed that there was similar pattern of subjective response at most of channels among group as stimulation increases. However, amputees' subjective response at channel 8 for 238Hz vibration was more sensitive than that of healthy persons. With respect to channels, response at channel 4 (medial) corresponding region to flexor carpi ulnaris for transradial amputees was most sensitive than other channels. In addition, sensitivity of four medial channels was on average about 0.5 scale than that of four lateral channels. Somatosensory sensibility was amputee, women, and men in sensibility order.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.1587-1588
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• 2011

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.33-33
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.140-147
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• 2002

시상은 체감각 정보를 처리하는데 있어서 매우 중요한 역할을 하는 부위이다. 본 연구는 운동장애 환자의 시상에서 뉴론의 활동 특성을 알아보기 위해 수행되었다. 그 결과 체감각으로서의 운동자극에 반응하는 뉴론이 essential tremor (ET) 환자의 nucleus ventralis intermedius (VIM)에서 발견되었다. ET 환자 뉴론의 평균 활동율(firing rate)은 Parkinson's disease (PD) 환자 보다 높았다. 또한 ET 환자의 VIM에서 운동자극에 반응하는 뉴론의 평균 활동율은 PD 환자 보다 높았다. 하지만 촉각자극(touch)에 반응하는 nucleus ventralis caudalis (VC) 뉴론의 활동율은 ET와 PD 집단간에 차가 없었다. Bursting activity를 나타내는 뉴론은 nucleus ventralis oralis anterior (VOP)에서 ET집단이 PD 집단보다 적었다. tremor cell은 VIM에서 PD 보다 ET집단이 더 적었다. 이러한 결과는 체감각 자극에 반응하는 시상 뉴론의 특성이 운동장애의 유형에 따라 서로 다르다는 것을 시사한다.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.652-672
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• 1996

Dysfunction of the inferior alveolar nerve may result from trauma, diseases or iatrogenic injury. The development and refinement of an objective method to evaluate this clinical problem is highly desirable and needed, especially concerning for an increasing medico-legal issue. Evoked potential techniques have attracted considerable attention as a means of assessing the function and integrity of nerve pathways. The purpose of this study was to characterize the Sensory Evoked Potentials(SEPs) and Somatosensory Evoked Potentials(SSEPs) elicited by electrical stimulation of mental nerve. SEPs and SSEPs were measured and analyzed statistically before and after needle injury on the inferior alveolar nerve of Sprague-Dawalye rats. Measuring SEPs was more sensitive in evaluation of the recovery of sensory function from inferior alveolar nerve injury then measuring SSEPs but we measured SSEPs in the hope of providing a safe, simple and objective test to check oral and facial sensibility, which is acceptable to the patient. We stimulated mental nerve after needle injury on the inferior alveolar nerve and SEPS on the level of mandibular foramen and SSEPs on the level of cerebral cortex were recorded. Threshold, amplitude, and latency of both of SEPs and SSEPs were analyzed. The results were as follows ; 1. Threshold of SEPs and SSEPs were $184{\pm}14{\mu}A$ and $164{\pm}14{\mu}A$ respectively. 2 SEPs were composed of 2 waves, i.e., N1 N2 in which N1 was conducted by II fibers and N2 was conducted by III fibers. 3. SSEPS were composed of 5 waves, of which N1 and N2 shower statistically significant changes(p<0.01, unpaired t-test). 4. SEPs and SSEPs were observed to be abolished immediately after local anesthesia and recovered 30 minutes later. 5. SEPs were abolished immediately after injury. N1 of SSEPs was abolished immediately and amplitued of N2 was decreased($20.7{\pm}12.2%$) immediately after 23G needle injury, but N3, N4 and N5 did not change significantly. Recovery of waveform delayed 30 minutes in SEPs and 45 minutes in SSEPs. 6. The degree of decrease in amplitude of SEPs and SSEPs, after 30G needle injury was smaller than those with 23G. SEPs recorded on the level of mandibular foramen were though to be reliable and useful in the assessment of the function of the inferior alveolar nerve after injury. Amplitude of SSEPs reflected the function and integrity of nerve and measuring them provided a safe, simple and abjective test to check oral and facial sensibility. These results suggest that measuring SEPs and SSEPs are meaningful methods for objective assessment in the diagnosis of nerve injury. N1 and N2 of SSEPs can be useful parameters for the evaluation of the nerve function following a needle injury.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.183-185
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• 2009

As imaging technology develops, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have contributed to the understanding of brain function by providing anatomical structure of the brain and functional imaging related to information processing. Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) techniques can provide useful information about functions of the nervous system. However, systematic studies regarding information processing of pain have not been conducted. The purpose of this study was to detect brain activation during painful electrical stimulation using MEMRI with high spatial resolution. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were divided into 3 groups: normal control, sham stimulation, and electric stimulation. Rats were anesthetized with 2.5% isoflurane for surgery. Polyethylene catheter (PE-10) was placed in the external carotid artery to administrate mannitol and MnCl2. The blood brain barrier (BBB) was broken by 20% D-mannitol under anesthesia mixed with urethane and a-chloralose. The hind limb was electrically stimulated with a 2Hz (10V) frequency while MnCl2 was infused. Brain activation induced by electrical stimulation was detected using a 4.7 T MRI. Remarkable signal enhancement was observed in the primary sensory that corresponds to sensory tactile stimulation at the hind limb region. These results suggest that signal enhancement is related to functional activation following electrical stimulation of the peripheral receptive field.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 1998

The sense of touch has both objective and subjective characteristics. During hand evaluation of the fabrics. psycho physiological processes such as emotion and stimulation. On other site, the mode of touch (passive vs. active) is also capable to modulate somatosensory responses. I.e., suppress somatocensory perception during active electrocortical responses to passive and active touch of the textiles with different subjective emotional preference. The study was carried out on 36 female college students. Physiological signals were acquired by Grass and BIOPAC 100 systems with AcqKnowledge variables, namely heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), pulse transit time (PTT), respiration rate (RSP) and skin conductance parameters (SCL, amplitude, risetime and number of SCRs) were analyzed for baseline and stimulation conditions. Analysis was manifested in a form of moderate HR acceleration. RSP increase, RSA decrease (lowered vagal tone), decreased PTT and increased electrodermal activity (increased SCL, several SCRs) that reflects general sympathetic activation. Parietal EEG effects (on contra-lateral side to stimulated hand)were featured by short-term alpha-blocking, slightly reduced theta, significantly increased delta and enhanced fast beta activity with few variations across stimuli. The main finding of the study was that most and least preferred textures exhibited significant differences in autonomic (HR, RSP, PTT, SCR, and at less extent in RSA and SCL) and electrocortical responses (delta, slow and fast alpha, fast beta relative power). These differences were recorded both in passive and active stimulation modes, thus demonstrating reproducibility of distinction between most and least emotionally preferred tactile stimuli, suggesting influence of psychological factors, such as emotional property of stimulus, on physiological outcome.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.355-361
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• 2013

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the gender-differences in vibrotactile responses(sensitivity and displeasure) of residual forearm simulated by vibration stimulation in upper limb(trans-radial) amputees. Background: Several studies have reported that vibration stimulation using the haptic vibrator is one the most effective methods for delivering sensation to an amputees. However, few studies have reported the perception to haptic vibratory stimulus, particularly sensitivity and displeasure. Method: We set up a custom-made vibration stimulation system that included 6 actuators(3 medial parts and 3 lateral parts) and a graphical user interface(GUI)-based acquisition system to investigate changes in residual somatosensory sensibility and displeasure in the forearm of upper limb(trans-radial) amputees. Vibration actuators were attached at the 25%-point on the proximal forearm. Stimulation with 32Hz, 64Hz, or 149Hz of frequency was used for the sensitivity tests and with 32~257Hz of frequency was used for the discomfort experiments. The subjective responses were evaluated on a 10 point scale. Results: The results showed that vibrotactile sensory perception in male amputees were higher than that in female amputees. In male amputees, the response at lateral area of forearm was the most sensitive than medial area; but, female amputees showed similar sensitive areas. Subjects did not experience any discomfort during vibrotactile stimuli. Conclusion: Vibrotactile response in the amputees was dependent on gender as well as area stimulated by vibration. Application: The results might contribute to develop the vibrotactile feedback system for the amputees.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.705-710
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• 2012

Research involving discomfort or pain related to haptic vibratory stimulation the for prosthesis users of myoelectrical hand is very lacking. Our objective of this study was to evaluate the displeasure and sensitivity of areas in forearm using vibration stimulation system between upper limb amputees and non-amputees. Twenty transradial amputees and forty non-amputees (20 youth, 20 elderly) were involved. We set up custom-made vibration stimulation system including eight actuators (4 medial parts and 4 lateral parts) and GUI-based acquisition system, to investigate changes of residual somatosensory sensibility and displeasure at proximal 25% of forearm. Eight vibration actuators were attached to the circumference of proximal 25% point of forearm at regular intervals. Sensitivity tests were used to stimulate the 120Hz and discomfort experiment was used to 37 ~ 223Hz. The subjective responses were evaluated by 10 point scale. The results showed that both groups were similar in sensitive areas. Response at around of radius was most sensitive than other areas in all subjects. Elderly group do not appear discomfort of vibrotactile; however, youth group and amputee presented discomfort of vibrotactile. Prosthesis with a vibrotactile feedback system should be developed considering the sensitivity. Furthermore, Future studies should investigate the scope of application of that principle.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.365-374
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• 2005

Pain has at least two dimensions such as somatosensory qualities and affect and patients are frequently asked to score the intensity of their pain on a numerical pain rating scale. However, the use of a undimensional scale is questionable in view of the belief, overwhelmingly supported by clinical experience as well as by empirical evidence from multidimensional scaling and other sources, that pain has multidimensions such as sensory-discrimitive, motivational-affective and cognitive-evaluative The study of pain has recently received much attention, especially in understanding its neurophysiology by using new brain imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography(PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), both of which allow us to visualize brain function in vivo. Also the new brainimaging devices allow us to evaluate the patients pain status and plan To treat patients objectively. Base4 on our findings we presented what are the new brain imaging devices and the results of study by using brain imaging devices.