• The Korean Journal of Legal Medicine
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.146-152
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• 2018

We investigated the neural correlates of accurate eyewitness memory retrieval using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. We analyzed oxygenated hemoglobin ($HbO_2$) concentration in the prefrontal cortex during eyewitness memory retrieval task and examined regional $HbO_2$ differences between observed objects (target) and unobserved objects (lure). We found that target objects elicited increased activation in the bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, which is known for monitoring retrieval processing via bottom-up attentional processing. Our results suggest bottom-up attentional mechanisms could be different during accurate eyewitness memory retrieval. These findings indicate that investigating retrieval mechanisms using functional near-infrared spectroscopy might be useful for establishing an accurate eyewitness recognition model.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제35권6호
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• pp.190-194
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• 2023

Purpose: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to brain damage caused by external forces or trauma. TBIs can vary in severity and result from accidents, falls, sports injuries, assaults, or other forms of physical trauma. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is known have roles in various cognitive functions. We report on a patient with traumatic brain injury who showed prefrontal symptoms after injury of thalamocortical connections between mediodorsal nuclei (MD) of thalamus and PFC. Methods: A 54-year-old, male patient suffered a TBI as a result of a heavy object falling on his head. After onset of TBI, he showed typical symptoms of prefrontal lobe injury, including personality changes, memory impairment, and general cognition problem. The thalamocortical connections between MD and PFC (ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and obrbitofrontal cortex (OFC)) were reconstructed using diffusion tensor tractography. In terms of fractional anisotropy value, the right thalamocortical connections to the OFC were significantly lower than those of control subjects. Results: The value of mean diffusivity in the right thalamocortical connections to the DLPFC was significantly higher than that of control subjects. By contrast, both VLPFC and left OFC showed significant decrement in the tract volume of thalamocortical connections compared with that of control subjects. Conclusion: We reported on a patient who showed cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairment due to global injury of the thalamocoritcal connections between MD and PFC following TBI.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.334-339
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• 2023

Objective: The present study is designed to delve deeper into the realm of fibromyalgia (FM) symptom management by investigating the effects of diaphragmatic breathing on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in women diagnosed with FM. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), the study aims to capture real-time PFC activation patterns during the practice of diaphragmatic breathing. The overarching objective is to identify and understand the underlying neural mechanisms that may contribute to the observed clinical benefits of this relaxation technique. Design: A case report Methods: To achieve this, a twofold approach was adopted: First, the patient's breathing patterns were meticulously examined to detect any aberrations. Following this, fNIRS was employed, focusing on the activation dynamics within the PFC. Results: Our examination unveiled a notable breathing pattern disorder inherent to the FM patient. More intriguingly, the fNIRS analysis offered compelling insights: the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) displayed increased activation. In stark contrast, regions of the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) manifested decreased activity, especially when benchmarked against typical activations seen in healthy adults. Conclusions: These findings, derived from a nuanced examination of FM, underscore the condition's multifaceted nature. They highlight the imperative to look beyond conventional symptomatology and appreciate the profound neurological and physiological intricacies that define FM.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.109-114
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• 2017

Purpose: The ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) is responsible for regulation of consciousness. In this study, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we attempted to reconstruct the thalamocortical projections between the intralaminar thalamic nuclei and the frontoparietal cortex in normal subjects. Methods: DTI data were acquired in 24 healthy subjects and eight kinds of thalamocortical projections were reconstructed: the seed region of interest (ROI) - the intralaminar thalamic nuclei and the eight target ROIs - the medial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, premotor cortex, primary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, and posterior parietal cortex. Results: The eight thalamocortical projections were reconstructed in each hemisphere and the pathways were visualized: projections to the prefrontal cortex ascended through the anterior limb and genu of the internal capsule and anterior corona radiata. Projections to the premotor cortex passed through the genu and posterior limb of the internal capsule and middle corona radiata; in contrast, projections to the primary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, and posterior parietal cortex ascended through the posterior limb of the internal capsule. No significant difference in fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, and fiber volume of all reconstructed thalamocortical projections was observed between the right and left hemispheres (p>0.05). Conclusion: We reconstructed the thalamocortical projections between the intralaminar thalamic nuclei and the frontoparietal cortex in normal subjects. We believe that our findings would be useful to clinicians involved in the care of patients with impaired consciousness and for researchers in studies of the ARAS.

• 생물정신의학
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.225-234
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• 2017

Objectives Local gyrification reflects the early neural development of cortical connectivity, and is regarded as a potential neural endophenotype in psychiatric disorders. Several studies have suggested altered local gyrification in patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the alterations in the cortical gyrification of whole brain cortices in patients with BD-I. Methods Twenty-two patients with BD-I and age and sex-matched 22 healthy controls (HC) were included in this study. All participants underwent T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The local gyrification index (LGI) of 66 cortical regions were analyzed using the FreeSurfer (Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging). One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the difference of LGI values between two groups adjusting for age and sex as covariates. Results The patients with BD-I showed significant hypogyria in the left pars opercularis (uncorrected-p = 0.049), the left rostral anterior cingulate gyrus (uncorrected-p = 0.012), the left caudal anterior cingulate gyrus (uncorrected-p = 0.033). However, these findings were not significant after applying the multiple comparison correction. Severity or duration of illness were not significantly correlated with LGI in the patients with BD-I. Conclusions Our results of lower LGI in the anterior cingulate cortex and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in the BD-I group implicate that altered cortical gyrification in neural circuits involved in emotion-processing may contribute to pathophysiology of BD-I.

• 한국과학교육학회지
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.647-667
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• 2010

이 연구의 목적은 과학 교수-학습프로그램을 평가하기 위한 두뇌기반 분석틀을 개발하는 것이다. 분석틀의 개발을 위해, 이 연구는 과학 교수-학습과 관련된 선행연구들로부터 교수-학습 프로그램의 분석항목을 3가지로 범주화 하였다: 인지, 동기, 감성. 첫 번째로, 각 항목에 관련된 두뇌활성 영역을 파악하기위하여 과학수업과 관련된 두뇌 기능에 대한 93편의 뇌과학 문헌들을 분석하였다. 두 번째로, 두뇌의 해부학적 영역별로 범주화된 연구결과를 바탕으로 과학 교수-학습프로그램 분석을 위한 분석틀을 제작하였다. 분석틀의 제작은 R & D 방법을 따랐다. 그 결과, 두뇌활성 결과들은 대뇌 피질, 보상계, 변연계의 세 영역으로 범주화되어 나타났다. 이를 바탕으로 개발된 두뇌기반 과학 교수-학습 프로그램 분석틀인 'CORE Brain Map'은 양측 배외측전전두피질, 양측 복외측 전전두피질, 양측 안와전두피질, 전대상이랑, 양측 두정피질, 양측 측두피질, 양측 후두피질, 양측 해마, 양측 편도체, 양측 측좌핵, 양측 선조체 그리고 중뇌영역으로 구성된다. 두뇌기반 과학 교수-학습프로그램 분석틀은 다양한 과학 교수-학습프로그램의 분석 및 진단에 활용 가능할 것으로 전망된다.