• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2014

Objectives : Postural instability and gait difficulty(PIGD) can develop in all Parkinson's disease patients, especially late in the disease course, but does not respond well to conventional dopamine treatment. This study aimed to report three cases of PIGD in Parkinson's disease patients treated with Korean and Western medicine treatment. Methods : We used acupuncture, bee venom acupuncture, herbal medicine and moxibustion to treat patients during hospitalization. They continued Western medication and received rehabilitation treatment. We observed the changes of PIGD using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS). Results : After treatment, PIGD symptoms improved and UPDRS scores were decreased. Especially, scores of falling, walking, gait and postural stability subsections related with PIGD were decreased. In addition, general conditions of patients were improved. Conclusions : This study suggests that Korean medicine treatment could be effective in the treatment of PIGD in Parkinson's disease patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.559-563
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• 2013

This study aims to quantify the effects of medication (Med) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) on resting rigidity in patients with Parkinson's disease. We tested 10 limbs of five patients under each of four treatment conditions: 1) baseline, 2) DBS, 3) Med, 4) DBS + Med. Rigidity at the wrist joint was assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The examiner randomly imposed flexion and extension movement on patient's wrist joint. Resistance to passive movement was quantified by viscoelastic properties. Not only rigidity score but also damping constant showed improvements in rigidity by DBS and Med treatments (p<0.05). This indicates that the viscosity can represent the change in rigidity due to DBS as well as Med, which was manifested by UPDRS score.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2024

Objectives: This study investigated the pattern identification (PI) and clinical index of Parkinson's disease (PD) for personalized diagnosis and treatment. Methods: This prospective observational multi-center study recruited 100 patients diagnosed with PD from two Korean medicine hospitals. To cluster new subtypes of PD, items on a PI questionnaire (heat and cold, deficiency and excess, visceral PI) were evaluated along with pulse and tongue analysis. Gait analysis was performed and blood and feces molecular signature changes were assessed to explore biomarkers for new subtypes. In addition, unified PD rating scale II and III scores and the European quality of life 5-dimension questionnaire were assessed. Results: The clinical index obtained in this study analyzed the frequency statistics and hierarchical clustering analysis to classify new subtypes based on PI. Moreover, the biomarkers and current status of herbal medicine treatment were analyzed using the new subtypes. The results provide comprehensive data to investigate new subtypes and subtype-based biomarkers for the personalized diagnosis and treatment of PD patients. Ethical approval was obtained from the medical ethics committees of the two Korean medicine hospitals. All amendments to the research protocol were submitted and approved. Conclusions: An objective and standardized diagnostic tool is needed for the personalized treatment of PD by traditional Korean medicine. Therefore, we developed a clinical index as the basis for the PI clinical evaluation of PD. Trial Registration: This trial is registered with the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) (KCT0008677)

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.240-244
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to compare finger tapping (FT) movement of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with normal subjects. A gyrosensor system was used for the measurement of FT movement, because it provides angular velocity free from the gravitational artifact and it can be used during clinical FT test listed in unified PD rating scale (UPDRS). Forty PD patients (age: 65.7 ${\pm}$ 11.1 yrs, H&Y stage:2.3 ${\pm}$ 0.5), 14 age-matched elderly subjects (65${\pm}$3.9 yrs) and 17 healthy young subjects (24${\pm}$2.1yrs) participated in this study. Angular velocity of finger tapping movement was measured in both right and left index finger. As quantitative measures, root-mean-squared (RMS) angular velocity, RMS angle, peak power and total power were used. ANOVA showed that all measures were significantly different among three groups (p<0.001) in all quantitative measures. Post-hoc test revealed that all quantitative measures except peak power in patients with PD were significantly smaller than in both healthy elderly and young subjects (p<0.01). This suggests that the measures developed in this study can distinguish patients with PD from normal subjects.

• 재활복지
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.237-255
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• 2014

Idiopathic Parkinson disease(IPD) is an neurodegenerative disease caused by the loss of dopamine cells in the substantia nigra, a region of midbrain. Its major symptoms are muscular rigidity, bradykinesia, resting tremor, and postural instability. An estimated 70~90% of patients with IPD also have hypokinetic dysarthria. Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) has been reported to be successful in relieving the core motor symptoms of IPD in the advanced stages of the disease. However, data on the effects of STN-DBS on speech performance are inconsistent. A medline literature search was done to retrieve articles published from 1987 to 2012. The results were narrowed down to focus on speech performance under STN-DBS based perceptual, acoustic, and/or aerodynamic analyses. Among the 32 publications which dealt with speech performance after STN-DBS indicated improvement(42%), deterioration(29%), mixed results(26%), or no change(3%). The most favorite method was found to be based upon acoustic analysis by using a vowel prolongation and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS). For the purpose of verifying the effect of the STN-DBS, speech evaluation should be undertaken on all speech components such as articulation, resonance, phonation, respiration, and prosody by using a contextual speech task.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.774-790
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• 2023

Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of Korean medicine treatments in two patients with Parkinson's disease complaining of discomfort stemming from postural instability and gait disturbance (PIGD). Methods: Two patients were treated for 3 months. They visited the clinic once a week for the first month and thereafter once every 2 weeks. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and a three-dimensional gait analysis were performed at the first visit and at 1, 2, and 3 months thereafter. Results: In Case 1, gait speed, stride length, and swing phase increased. Double support decreased until 2 months after treatment but increased slightly after 3 months. Among the kinematic parameters, tilt and rotation increased. The total UPDRS Part III score decreased from 51 points to 29 points after 3 months of treatment. In Case 2, gait speed, stride length, and swing phase increased, but double support decreased. Among the kinematic parameters, tilt, rotation, and obliquity decreased. The total UPDRS Part III score decreased from 11 points to 7 points after 3 months of treatment. Conclusions: This study suggests that Korean medicine can be an effective treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease who experience discomfort due to PIGD.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.114-120
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: A pivotal role of oxidative stress has been emphasized in the pathogenesis as well as in the disease progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). We aimed at investigating serum levels of antioxidant vitamins and elucidating whether they could be associated with the pathogenesis and progression of PD. MATERIALS/METHODS: Serum levels of retinol, ${\alpha}$- and ${\gamma}$-tocopherols, ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-carotenes, lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthin and ${\beta}$-cryptoxanthin were measured and compared between 104 patients with idiopathic PD and 52 healthy controls matched for age and gender. In order to examine the relationship between antioxidant vitamins and the disease progression, multiple group comparisons were performed among the early PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage I and II, N = 47), advanced PD (stage III and IV, N = 57) and control groups. Separate correlation analyses were performed between the measured antioxidant vitamins and clinical variables, such as Hoehn and Yahr stage and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor score. RESULTS: Compared to controls, PD patients had lower levels of ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-carotenes and lycopene. ${\alpha}$-carotene, ${\beta}$-carotene and lycopene levels were significantly reduced in advanced PD patients relative to early PD patients and were negatively correlated with Hoehn and Yahr stage and UPDRS motor score in PD patients. No significant differences were found in serum levels of retinol, ${\alpha}$- and ${\gamma}$-tocopherols, and other carotenoids between PD patients and controls. No significant correlations were found between these vitamin levels and clinical variables in PD patients. CONCLUSTIONS: We found that serum levels of some carotenoids, ${\alpha}$-carotene, ${\beta}$-carotene and lycopene, were lower in PD patients, and that these carotenoids inversely correlated with clinical variables representing disease progression. Our findings suggest that decreases in serum ${\alpha}$-carotene, ${\beta}$-carotene and lycopene may be associated with the pathogenesis as well as progression of PD.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.26-35
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• 2008

Objective : In the evaluation of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), most neurologists only see their patients during a limited period of their fluctuating 24-hour-a-day lives. This study aimed to assess the short-term outcome of STN stimulation for patients with advanced PD evaluated in a 24-hour monitoring unit for movement disorder (MUMD) using a prospective protocol. Methods : Forty-two patients with advanced PD consecutively treated with bilateral STN stimulation using multi-channel microelectrode recording were included in this study. All patients were evaluated using a 24-hour MUMD with a video recording/editing system and were evaluated with a prospective protocol of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Hoehn and Yahr Staging, Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living, levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD), Short Form-36 Health Survey, and neuropsychological tests. Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain were performed prior to and six months after surgery. Results : All patients were evaluated at three and six months after surgery. There was a rapid and significant improvement of the motor symptoms, especially in tremor and rigidity, after STN stimulation with low morbidity. Dyskinesia was markedly decreased with much lowered LEDD values by 50% after STN stimulation. 1.5T MR images were safely taken according to the manufacturer's guidelines at six months after surgery without any adverse effects in 41 patients treated with STN stimulations. Conclusion : Evaluations in a 24-hour monitoring unit could reduce the dose of medication efficiently to an optimal level with patients' comfort and improve the clinical symptoms in harmony with STN stimulation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.142-147
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to report the effect of Korean medicine and acupuncture in jaw tremor with Agitation. We studied two inpatients who had jaw tremor with agitation in the OO University Korean medicine hospital. They was treated with acupuncture (LU8, LR4, HT3, LR2) and herbal medicine. The effect of treatment was evaluated by Visual Analog Scale(VAS) and motor examination of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRSIII). Both VAS of jaw tremor symptom and agitation and UPDRSIII score of tremor were decreased. The result suggest the combination treatment of herbal medicine and acupuncture might be effective for the jaw tremor with agitation.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.134-141
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• 2012

Object : This clinical study is to report the effects of Chengsimyeonjatang-gamibang on tremors. Methods : Two patients was treated with Chengsimyeonjatang-gamibang and acupuncture that was applied at LU8, LR4, HT3, LR2, GV20, GB20. The effect of treatment was evaluated by Visual Analog Scale(VAS) and Motor examination of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRSIII). Results : After Korean medicine treatment, the patients' VAS and UPDRSIII scores were decreased and conditions were improved. Conclusions : The Korean medicine treatment of Chengsimyeonjatang-gamibang and acupuncture might be effective for the tremors.