• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.67-75
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• 2012

Zizyphi Spinosi Semen (ZSS) have been widely used for the treatment of insomnia in Asia. This experiment was performed to investigate whether methanol extract of ZSS (MEZSS) has hypnotic effects through the ${\gamma}$-amino butyric acid (GABA)ergic systems. MEZSS inhibited the locomotor activity. MEZSS enhanced pentobarbital-induced sleep behaviors. However, MEZSS itself did not induce sleep at higher dose, similar to muscimol. On the other hand, both pentobarbital and MEZSS increased the non rapid eye move (NREM) sleep, especially reducing the -wave electroencephalogram (EEG) activity in REM sleep. MEZSS showed similar effects with muscimol on potentiating chloride influx induced by pentobarbital. MEZSS significantly increased GABAA receptors ${\gamma}$-subunit expression and slightly decreased ${\beta}$-subunit expression in hypothalamus and thalamus, showing that subunit-expression was similar to diazepam. In addition, MEZSS enhanced the expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). In conclusion, it is suggested that MEZSS might augment pentobarbital-induced sleep behaviors through the modification of GABAergic systems.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.44-47
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• 2006

Background: The present study used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate the neural substrates for modified version of Treisman's visual search task. Methods: Two volunteers who gave informed consent participated MEG experiment. One was 27- year old male and another was 24-year-old female. All were right handed. Experiment were performed using a 306-channel biomagnetometer (Neuromag LTD). There were three task conditions in this experiment. The first was searching an open circle among seven closed circles (open condition). The second was searching a closed circle among seven uni-directionally open circles (closed condition). And the third was searching a closed circle among seven eight-directionally open circles (random (closed) condition). In one run, participants performed one task condition so there were three runs in one session of experiment. During one session, 128 trials were performed during every three runs. One participant underwent one session of experiment. The participant pressed button when they found targets. Magnetic source localization images were generated using software programs that allowed for interactive identification of a common set of fiduciary points in the MRI and MEG coordinate frames. Results: In each participant we can found activations of anterior cingulate, primary visual and association cortices, posterior parietal cortex and brain areas in the vicinity of thalamus. Conclusions: we could find activations corresponding to anterior and posterior visual attention systems.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.99-103
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• 1994

Single neuronal activities were recorded in the cuneate nucleus of awake rats during rest and running behavior. Movement-induced changes in somatic sensory transmission were tested by generating post-stimulus time histograms of these neurons' responses to stimulation through eleetrodes chronically implanted under the skin of the forepaw, during control resting behavior and during two standardized speeds of locomotor movement: slow (1.0 steps/s), fast (2.0 steps/s). The magnitudes of firing during these responses were measured and normalized as percentage increases over background firing. The averaged evoked unit responses were facilitated by $+59.3{\pm}12.5%\;and\;+25.6{\pm}5.4%$ (SEM) as compared with resting behavior, during slow and fast movement respectively. This is to be compared with the movement-induced sensory suppressions observed previously in the ventrobasal thalamus $(-31.0%{\pm}1.9%)$ and in the primary somatosensory cortex $(-71.2%{\pm}3.8%)$ of slowly running rats. These results suggest that afferent somatosensory information may be uniquely modulated at each sensory relay, such that it may be facilitated at brainstem level and then subjected to suppression at higher somatosensory nuclei during movement.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.524-527
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• 2010

Temporary disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after cerebral angiography is presumably caused by nonionic radiographic contrast medium (CM). We hereby report a case of 58-year-old woman who developed decreased mentality, global aphasia and aggravated right hemiparesis after cerebral angiography. Brain CT examination demonstrated gyriform enhancement throughout the left cerebral cortex and thalamus. MR diffusion did not reveal acute infarction. MR angiography did not show any stenosis, spasm or occlusion at the major cerebral vessels. Follow-up CT scan after 1 day did not show any gyriform enhancement. Worsened neurologic signs and symptoms were improved completely after 7 days. In the present study, disruption of the BBB with contrast medium after angiography seems to be the causative factor of transient neurologic deterioration.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.131-134
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• 2018

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is well known for detecting the presence of hemorrhagic transformation, microbleeds and the susceptibility of vessel signs in acute ischemic stroke. But in some cases, it can provide the tissue perfusion state as well. We describe a case of a patient with hyperacute ischemic infarction that had a slightly hypodense, patchy lesion at the left thalamus on the initial SWI, with a left proximal posterior cerebral artery occlusion on a magnetic resonance (MR) angiography and delayed time-to-peak on an MR perfusion performed two hours after symptom onset. No obvious abnormal signals at any intensity were found on the initial diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). On a follow-up MR image (MRI), an acute ischemic infarction was seen on DWI, which is the same location as the lesion on SWI. The hypointensity on the initial SWI reflects the susceptibility artifact caused by an increased deoxyhemoglobin in the affected tissue and vessels, which reflects the hypoperfusion state due to decreasing arterial flow. It precedes the signal change on DWI that reflects a cytotoxic edema. This case highlights that, in some hyperacute stages of ischemic stroke, hypointensity on an SWI may be a finding before the hyperintensity is seen on a DWI.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.59-63
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• 2012

Epilepsy has continued to provide challenges to epileptologists, as a significant proportion of patients continue to suffer from seizures despite medical and surgical treatments. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a new therapeutic modality that has the potential to improve quality of life and occasionally be curative for patients with medically refractory epilepsy who are not surgical candidates. Several groups have used DBS in drug-resistant epilepsy cases for which resective surgery cannot be applied. The promising subcortical brain structures are anterior and centromedian nucleus of the thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, and other nuclei to treat epilepsy in light of previous clinical and experimental data. Recently two randomized trials of neurostimulation for controlling refractory epilepsy employed the strategies to stimulate electrodes placed on both anterior thalamic nuclei or near seizure foci in response to electroencephalographically detected epileptiform activity. However, the more large-scale, long-term clinical trials which elucidates optimal stimulation parameters, ideal selection criteria for epilepsy DBS should be performed before long. In order to continue to advance the frontier of this field, it is imperative to have a good grasp of the current body of knowledge.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.103-112
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• 2018

Pathological laughing and crying (PLC) is a condition defined by relatively uncontrollable episodes of laughter, crying or both. PLC is an uncommon symptom usually caused by cerebral lesions. Midbrain involvement causing PLC is extremely unusual and the exact mechanism by which this condition develops is poorly understood. We recently experienced a 51-year-old woman who were diagnosed as PLC after midbrain infarction. She was treated by acupuncture, pulsed electromagnetic therapy (PEMT). After 6 weeks treatment, Pathological Laughter and Crying Scale (PLACS), Korean version of the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (K-SARA) are decreased and Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) is increased. Treatment of traditional Korean Medicine could be effective for stoke rehabilitation including post-stroke PLC. And we have considered mechanism of PLC associated with midbrain lesion, dysfunction of cortex-thalamus-hypothalamus-basal ganglia-mesencephalon and faciorespiratory nuclei pathways, cerebro-ponto-cerebellar pathways and damaged serotonergic neurotransmission can cause this based on recent neurobiology of emotion. To define exact mechanism and find effective treatment, further studies are needed.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.257-262
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• 2001

Cheiro-oral syndrome is characterized by a partial sensory disturbance in one hand and the ipsilateral oral comer. Its lesion is on the sensory track, and it is comparatively small. Most studies are case studies. These studies reported less than 10 cases. We studied two cases. In one, we observed intracranial hemorrhage involving left thalamus, posterior limb of internal capsule about 5cc in brain computed tomographic scan. The case was shown paresthesia of the right hand and ipsilateral comer of the mouth. The patient also complained about disturbing dysstereognosis and disorder of graphaesthesia. In the other case, we observed nodular calcification at the left basal ganglia external capsule in brain computed tomographic scan. The patient also complained about dysesthesia of the right thumb and index finger, fatigue and verbal disturbance. These cases appeared to be typical strokes in the acute phase, but after acute phase, they had dysethesia in the hand and periord for three months.

• 방사선산업학회지
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.139-144
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• 2017

To evaluation of clinical usefulness for B1+RMS limits, we compared image quality of Routine, Specific absorption rate (SAR) and Root mean square (RMS) protocol. 5 volunteers underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan of the brain using three different protocols. We draw Region of interest ROI in cortex, white matter, gray matter, putamen and thalamus of axial plan. Signal to noise ratio (SNR) were evaluated in each area and Contrast to noise ration (CNR) were evaluated between white matter and gray matter. Qualitative evaluation was used to score each ROI. B1+RMS is confirmed its usefulness compared to conventional SAR standard on the aspect of improvement of image quality, reduction of scan time and easy adjusting parameter.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제46권8호
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• pp.461-469
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• 2023

The tail of the striatum (TS) is located at the caudal end in the striatum. Recent studies have advanced our knowledge of the anatomy and function of the TS but also raised questions about the differences between rodent and primate TS. In this review, we compare the anatomy and function of the TS in rodent and primate brains. The primate TS is expanded more caudally during brain development in comparison with the rodent TS. Additionally, five sensory inputs from the cortex and thalamus converge in the rodent TS, but this convergence is not observed in the primate TS. The primate TS, including the caudate tail and putamen tail, primarily receives inputs from the visual areas, implying a specialized function in processing visual inputs for action generation. This anatomical difference leads to further discussion of cellular circuit models to comprehend how the primate brain processes a wider range of complex visual stimuli to produce habitual behavior as compared with the rodent brain. Examining these differences and considering possible neural models may provide better understanding of the anatomy and function of the primate TS.