• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2000

Objectives: This study was performed to examine the characteristic cardiovascular response patterns associated with the imagination and discussion of anger-provoked events in patients with hwa-byung. Methods: Forty-three female patients with hwa-byung were evaluated with the Korean version of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety, Beck Depression Inventory, and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression just before the task. Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS) and Vividness of the event (VIVID) during the imagination and discussion of the event were evaluated immediately after tasks. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) during baseline, rest, and tasks were also evaluated. Results: Both startle and recovery responses of BP, startle response of HR, SUDS, and VIVID in discussion task were significantly larger than in the imagination task. Conclusion: Results suggest that it is undesirable for the patients to excessively and repeatedly recall and talk about the anger events.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2013

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder and characterized by positive symptom (i.e., delusions, hallucinations), negative symptom (i.e., lack of emotion, social withdrawal), and cognitive impairment. Previously, we reported that the ethanolic extract of Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina attenuated the MK-801-induced schizophrenia-like behaviors such as prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits and cognitive impairment in mice. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether danshensu isolated from P. vulgaris var. lilacina attenuates MK-801-induced sensorimotor gating dysfunction (PPI deficits), hyperlocomotion, and memory impairment in mice. Acute administration of danshensu (1, 3, or 10 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated the MK-801-induced PPI deficits in the acoustic startle response test. We also observed that the impaired recognition memory induced by MK-801 was attenuated by danshensu (1 mg/kg) in the novel object recognition test. However, danshensu failed to reverse the MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion in the open-field test. Collectively, the present results indicate danshensu would be an active agent for treating neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2013

Neural stem cells are found in adult mammalian brain regions including the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG) and the subventricular zone (SVZ). In addition to these two regions, other neurogenic regions are often reported in many species. Recently, the subcallosal zone (SCZ) has been identified as a novel neurogenic region where new neuroblasts are spontaneously generated and then, by Bax-dependent apoptosis, eliminated. However, the development of SCZ in the postnatal brain is not yet fully explored. The present study investigated the precise location and amount of neuroblasts in the developing brain. To estimate the importance of programmed cell death (PCD) for SCZ histogenesis, SCZ development in the Bax-knockout (KO) mouse was examined. Interestingly, an accumulation of extra neurons with synaptic fibers in the SCZ of Bax-KO mice was observed. Indeed, Bax-KO mice exhibited enhanced startle response to loud acoustic stimuli and reduced anxiety level. Considering the prevention of PCD in the SCZ leads to sensory-motor gating dysfunction in the Bax-KO mice, active elimination of SCZ neuroblasts may promote optimal brain function.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.53-68
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• 2001

This study was performed to investigate the anti-depression effect of Guibiondamtang in rat model of depression. The rats in the experiment were stratified into 3 groups, ie, Guibiondamtang, saline, normal (non-stressed) groups. Chronic exposure to mild unpredictable stress such as white noise, flashing lights and restriction of food and water, causes the behavioral symptoms correspondent to depression. Consumption of 1% sucrose solution fell in rats exposed to CMS for 4 weeks. In the open field test , the exploratory activity ie. locomotion and centering decreased after CMS. We then evaluated the sucrose consumption and activity during 4 weeks of treatment with experimental drugs. The results were as follows: 1) There was no relation between sucrose intake and weight. 2) The Guibiondamtang(歸脾溫膽湯) group reinstated sucrose consumption within 5-6 weeks while having no influence on sucrose intake in normal group. 3) The Guibiondamtang(歸脾溫膽湯) group restored some exploratory activity in the open field test. 4) The Guibiondamtang-group had a-reduced potentiated startle response.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 1999.03a
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• pp.221-230
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• 1999

Automobile horn's psychoacoustic characteristic and significance as a anturalistic signal of danger makes it a valuable auditory stimulus to study such psychophysiological responses as startle, orienting and defense reactions. However, comparison and differentiation of physiological responses to commercially available horns is a complicated task due to small contrast of technical features of horns and influence of such processes as habituation on physiological outcome with increased number of auditory stimulation trials. In the study on 10 college students we performed comparative analysis of tonic and phasic reactivity of physiological responses mediated by autonomic nervous system in order to identify role of habituation and decrement of autonomic responsivity, as well as possibility o differentiate subjectively most and least preferred and subjectively more appropriate horns according to physiological manifestations. It was showed that electrodermal and cardiovascular reactivity have concurrent patterns of adaptation to repeated stimulation, namely skin conductance variables habituated, cardiac reactivity failed to show signs of habituation, while vascular component of response were facilitated demonstrating marked sensitization. Differentiation of Physiological responses to horns with respect to their subjective rating scores was possible, however electrodermal reactivity was effective only at the first block of trials, while phasic and tonic cardiovascular reactivity differentiate responses during whole course of experiment. There are discussed possible autonomic mechanisms involved in mediation of observed results.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.107-119
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• 1997

Objectives: The psychophysiologic response pattern between healthy subjects and patients with generalized anxiety disorder, and the relationship among anxiety rating scales and those patterns in patients were examined. Methods: Twenty-three patients with generalized anxiety disorder(AD) and 23 healthy subjects were evaluated by Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety(HRSA) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory before baseline stressful tasks. Subjective Units of Distress were evaluated just before baseline period, immediately after stressful tasks, at the end of the entire procedure, and psychophysiologic measures, i.e., skin temperature(ST), electromyographic activity(EMG), heart rate(HR), electrodermal response(EDR) during baseline & rest and during two psychologically stressful tasks (mental arithmetic, TM; talk about a stressful event, TT) were also evaluated. Results: 1) AD group showed significantly higher EMG level during rest after stressful tasks and higher HR level during all period except TM compared to control group. 2) AD group showed lower change in the startle response(SR) of ST, in the SR & the recovery response(RR) of EMG during TM, and in the RR of EDR immediately after TM than control group. AD group showed that the RR of EDR was significantly lower than the SR during stressful tasks. 3) We found that there was significantly negative correlation between state anxiety and the RR of EDR after TT in AD group. We also found that there were significantly positive correlations between HRSA score and the SRs of EDR during stressful tasks, and between state anxiety and the SR of EDR during TT. Conclusion: Our results suggest that patients with generalized anxiety disorder show higher autonomic arousal than healthy subjects and decreased physiologic flexibility or reduced autonomic flexibility.