• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2012

Electrical impedance tomography(EIT) can produce functional images with conductivity distributions associated with physiological events such as cardiac and respiratory cycles. EIT has been proposed as a clinical imaging tool for the detection of stroke and breast cancer, pulmonary function monitoring, cardiac imaging and other clinical applications. However EIT still suffers from technical challenges such as the electrode interface, hardware limitations, lack of animal or human trials, and interpretation of conductivity variations in reconstructed images. We improved the KHU Mark2 EIT system by introducing an EIT electrode interface consisting of nano-web fabric electrodes and by adding a synchronized biosignal measurement system for gated conductivity imaging. ECG and respiration signals are collected to analyze the relationship between the changes in conductivity images and cardiac activity or respiration. The biosignal measurement system provides a trigger to the EIT system to commence imaging and the EIT system produces an output trigger. This EIT acquisition time trigger signal will also allow us to operate the EIT system synchronously with other clinical devices. This type of biosignal gated conductivity imaging enables capture of fast cardiac events and may also improve images and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by using signal averaging methods at the same point in cardiac or respiration cycles. As an example we monitored the beat by beat cardiac-related change of conductivity in the EIT images obtained at a common state over multiple respiration cycles. We showed that the gated conductivity imaging method reveals cardiac perfusion changes in the heart region of the EIT images on a canine animal model. These changes appear to have the expected timing relationship to the ECG and ventilator settings that were used to control respiration. As EIT is radiation free and displays high timing resolution its ability to reveal perfusion changes may be of use in intensive care units for continuous monitoring of cardiopulmonary function.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.345-351
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• 2005

The purpose of this double-blind study was to evaluate clinical effects of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection on myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) involving upper trapezius and compare with those of lidocaine injection. 21 patients presenting with active TrP1 and/or TrP2 in the upper trapezius over 6 months were selected for this study. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups; one group injected with BTX-A (15 unit of $Botox^{(R)}$ / 0.3 ml per trigger point (TrP)) and the other group injected with 0.5% lidocaine (0.3 ml /TrP). The clinical effects were evaluated by VAS and PPT at baseline, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after treatment. BTX-A group showed persistent decrease of VAS values and increase of PPT values following treatment. While there was no significant difference in VAS values between BTX-A and lidocaine groups (p=0.347), there was significant difference in PPT values after treatment between two groups (p=0.000). The subjects received BTX-A showed noticeable improvement in PPT values after treatment, suggesting more reliable effect of BTX-A injection compared with lidocaine injection. The results of this study support that the direct injection of BTX-A to a TrP is an effective and safe treatment for MPS involving upper trapezius.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.198-205
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to identify whether cutaneous sensory (CS) changes induced by mechanical intervention(MI) increases the trigger point threshold and muscle tone of the same spinal segment to neck disc patients. Thirty persons with Neck disc patients were recruited in this experiment. The subjects consisted of 10 men and 20 women. The mechanical stimulus group induced CS changes for 5 minutes using the Graston instrument and the control group received no action. The CS changes were estimated by using the Von Frey Filament, PPT changes were measured by using the pressure threshold meter and msucle tone changes were measured by using Myotone pro. CS threshold increased significantly when MI was applied (p<0.05). On the same spinal segment, increases in the right infraspinatus PPT and muscle tone was observed (p<0.05) and decreases in the right trapezius PPT was observed(p<0.05). However, the PPT and muscle tone changes in other muscles were not significantly different. Furthermore, the control group CS, PPT and muscle tone were not significantly different. As a result, CS changes induced by MI make to change PPT and muscle tone on the same spinal segment. Therefore, application of MI to the same spinal segment may be of clinical significance as a new rehabilitation method for increasing pain threshold, muscle tone and pain control in neck disc patients.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.23-37
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• 2004

Fibromyalgia syndrome(FMS) is a chronic pain disorder of unknown etiology characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches and pains, stiffness, and general fatigue, disturbed sleep and sleepiness. Frequently misdiagnosed, FMS is often confused with myofascial pain syndrome, polymyalgia rheumatica, polymyositis, hypothyroidism, metastatic carcinoma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, or systemic lupus erythematosus, any of which may occur concomitantly with FMS. The management of FMS often begins with a thorough examination and a diagnosis from a physician who is formally trained in tender-point/trigger-point recognition. An initial diagnosis provides reassurance to the patient and often reduces the anxiety and depression patterns associated with FMS. The most common goals in the management of FMS are (1) to break the pain cycle, (2) to restore sleep patterns, and (3) to increase functional activity levels. Because FMS is a multifactorial syndrome, it is likely that the best treatment will encompass multiple strategies. Medication with analgesics and antidepressants and also physiotherapy, are often prescribed and give some relief. The other most effective intervention for long-term management of FS to date is physical exercise. Physical therapists can instruct patients in the use of heat at home (moist hot packs, heating pads, whirlpools, warm showers or baths, and hot pads) to increase local blood flow and to decrease muscle spasm and tension. Also instruct patients in the proper use of cold modalities (ice packs, ice massage, and cool baths) to anesthetize localized areas of pain (tender points) and break the pain cycle. Massage and tender-point massage also may promote muscle relaxation. To date, the two most important interventions for the long-term management of FS are patient education and physical exercise. Lately, is handling FMS and Chronic Fatigue syndrome(CFS) together, becuase FMS and CFS are poorly understood disorders that share similar demographic and clinical characteristics. Because of the clinical similarities between both disorders it was suggested that they share a common pathophysiological mechanism, namely, central nervous system dysfunction.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.188-190
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• 2012

Kikuchi's disease (KD) is an idiopathic and self-limiting necrotizing lymphadenitis that predominantly occurs in young females. It is common in Asia, and the cervical lymph nodes are commonly involved. Generally, KD has symptoms and signs of lymph node tenderness, fever, and leukocytopenia, but there are no reports on treatment for the associated myofacial pain. We herein report a young female patient who visited a pain clinic and received a trigger point injection 2 weeks before the diagnosis of KD. When young female patients with myofascial pain visit a pain clinic, doctors should be concerned about the possibility of KD, which is rare but can cause severe complications.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.217-224
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• 2001

A prevalence of temporomandibular disorders(TMD) based on the clinical sign and symptom in 155 patients were investigated. History taking with interview chart and clinical examination were performed. Age and gender of the patients, duration of TMD, location of pain, joint sound, limitation of mouth opening and more detailed diagnostic name were identified. The results of this study were as follows: 1. TMD was more prevalent in female than in male. TMD was the most prevalent at the age of 20s and decreased with age. 2. Acute TMD was more prevalent than chronic one. 3. About ninety percent of TMD patients had pain. Pain had mainly a unilateral origin. Muscle pain was mainly related with the masseter muscle. 4. Joint sound was identified in about fifty-six percent of the TMD patients and unilateral joint sound was more prevalent than bilateral one. 5. Limitation of mouth opening was observed in about forty percent of the TMD patients. 6. In TMD patients, muscle dysfunction was the most prevalent one. In muscle disorders local muscle soreness was the most prevalent one. In joint disorders, capsulitis was the most prevalent one. In muscle-joint disorders, trigger point pain with retrodiscitis was the most prevalent one.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.689-695
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• 2009

Chemically synthesized small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) can specifically knock-down expression of target genes via RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. To date, the length of synthetic siRNA duplex has been strictly maintained less than 30 bp, because an early study suggested that double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) longer than 30 bp could not trigger specific gene silencing due to the induction of non-specific antiviral interferon responses. Contrary to the current belief, here we show that synthetic dsRNA as long as 38 bp can result in specific target gene silencing without non-specific antiviral responses. Using this longer duplex structure, we have generated dsRNAs, which can simultaneously knock-down expression of two target genes (termed as dual-target siRNAs or dsiRNAs). Our results thus demonstrate the structural flexibility of gene silencing siRNAs, and provide a starting point to construct multifunctional RNA structures. The dsiRNAs could be utilized to develop a novel therapeutic gene silencing strategy against diseases with multiple gene alternations such as viral infection and cancer.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.109-113
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• 2006

Objective : This study is to report the effect of Scolopendrid Herbal Acupuncture on a patient suffering from the pain of Hip Adductors after operation for hip fracture. Methods : First we had treated the patient with the pain of Hip Adductors by acupuncture and herb medication(活絡湯), but we did't get remarkable improvement in condition of patient. So we added to treat his pain site with Scolopendrid Herbal Acupuncture. And then we evaluated his pain by VAS(Visual Analog Scale). Results : 1. Scolopendrid Herbal Acupuncture had a very excellent effect on relieving pain and inflammation of Hip Adductors after operation for hip fracture. 2. It appears that Scolopendrid Herbal Acupuncture is very effective against Trigger Point of muscle and pain site fixed.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.261-275
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• 2007

Parkinson's Disease is a well known degenerative disease which result's in the depletion of dopamin-producing neurons in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra. This is a chronic, progressive disorder characterized by progressive muscular rigidity, pill-rolling tremor, flexed posture, shuffling gate and akinesia. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of an oxygen therapy with various scales on symptoms of Parkinson's disease. We treated his disease with Oxygen treatment , including herbal medicine acupuncture, and trigger point therapy, and we evaluated the clinical progress of the patient using UPDRS and H- Y stage. After treatment for about 1-month, the chief complaints and tremor symptoms were improved. This study suggests that oxygen therapy is significantly effective in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.119-122
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• 2006

Upper thoracic back pain can be musculoskeletal in origin or it could be visceral referred pain, which may be indicative of a serious medical condition. We experienced a case of a 55-years-old female patient who complained of upper thoracic back pain for 1 month, which started 10 days after a traffic accident. She described the pain as being a dull, constant nagging sensation with an intensity of 4/10 on the visual analogue scale. Her pain did not subside after trigger point injection of the rhomboid and trapezius muscles. She reported intermittent palpitation, which indicated that the cardiovascular or pulmonary systems were involved. She was diagnosed with pulmonary thromboembolism by the imaging studies. Refractory upper thoracic back pain should be investigated to rule out this treatable, but potentially fatal condition.