• 한국의학물리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국의학물리학회 2005년도 제30회 춘계학술대회
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• pp.89-92
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• 2005

The effects of acupuncture are complex and how it works is not entirely clear. Research suggests that the needling process, and other modalities used in acupuncture, may produce their complex effects on a wide variety of ways in the brain and the body. For example, it is theorized that stimulated nerve fibers transmit signals to the spinal cord and brain, thus activating parts of what is called the central nervous system. The spinal cord and brain then release certain hormones responsible for making us feel better overall and, more specifically, feel less pain. In fact, a study using images of the brain confirmed that acupuncture increases our pain threshold, which may explain its ability to produce long-term pain relief. Also, acupuncture may increase blood circulation and body temperature. It may also affect white blood cell activity (responsible for our immune function).

• 대한한방소아과학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.23-30
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• 2016

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate recent clinical studies on effect of acupuncture for strabismus in Korea and other countries. We have analyzed 10 years (from 2006 to 2015) of case studies and randomized controlled trials (RCT) on effect of acupuncture for strabismus. Methods The search database includes Oasis, KTKP (Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal), Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library. To narrow the search, the following key search terms were used: 'strabismus, acupuncture'. The search was limited to the publication date from 2006 to 2015. 7 case studies and 5 control studies were selected for analysis. Results and Conclusions 1. The acupuncture treatment is effective for paralytic strabismus 2. The studies used BL1, GB1, ST2, TE23, GB15, EX-HN5, ST1, and LI4 acupoints and also an electroacupuncture treatment, which is 15 minutes of extraocular muscle stimulation, was used. 3. Degree of strasbismus was tested by Ocular motor range test, Corneal light reflex test, Ocular abducent scale test (Scott and Kraft, Diploptic range test).

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.55-65
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• 2007

Qi intention. Temperature variations on the outer skin above measured at acupuncture points, PC8, LI4, and ST7. Results : The change of temperature in PC8 of the Qigong trainees were significantly higher than that of non-trainees ($0.97{\pm}0.20$ vs. $0.45{\pm}0.10$ respectively, p< 0.05 ). The change of temperature of the other acupoints areas was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions : Qi intention resulted in temperature change at the outer skin on the specific acupoints.

• 대한핵의학회지
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.456-464
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• 2000

목적: 뇌졸중 등을 포함한 신경질환에 여러 경혈이 사용되고 있는데 이에 대한 작용기전은 아직 불분명하며, 경혈과 뇌혈류의 변화, 그리고 뇌영역 간의 차이에 관한 연구는 없다. 본 연구는 뇌졸중에 사용되는 경혈인 백회, 인중, 합곡, 족삼리과 삼음교에서 체침 자극시 뇌혈류의 변화 여부와 이에 따른 뇌영역의 차이을 알아보고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 건강한 정상 성인 54명(남:여=34:20, 연령분포 $18{\sim}62$세)을 대상으로 하였다. 경혈에 따라 백회 6명, 인중 5명, 합곡 15명, 족삼리 16명, 그리고 삼음교는 6명에서 시행하였고, 대조군으로 이 중 6명에서 비경혈 부위를 자극하였다. Tc-99m ECD 925 MBq를 수사하고 5분 째 기저영상 촬영을 시작하였으며, 촬영시작 8분 째 각 경혈에 체침을 놓은 상태로 검사 끝까지 43분간 유지시켰다. 첫 촬영이 끝난 직후 동일양의 Tc-99m ECD를 주사하고 5분후 동일한 방법으로 두 번째 촬영을 하였다. IBM 컴퓨터에서 PC용 MATLAB과 윈도우용 SPM'97 이용하여 분석하였다. 결과: 백회의 경우 양측 전두엽 앞쪽, 우측 측열구(sylvian fissure) 주위의 전두엽과 측두엽, 좌측 측두엽 앞쪽과 소뇌반구 일부에서 의의있는 뇌혈류 증가가 관찰되었다. 인중의 경우 좌측 전전두엽에서 뇌혈류가 의의있게 증가하였고, 이에 인접한 우측 전두엽 일부에서 뇌혈류의 증가가 관찰되었다. 우측 합곡에서는 좌측 대뇌반구, 즉 좌측 전두엽 대부분, 측두엽 앞쪽 일부와 좌측 소뇌, 그리고 우측 전두엽 하방에서 의의있게 뇌혈류가 증가하였다. 우측 족삼리의 경우 좌측 측두엽, 우측 전두엽 하방과 측두엽 일부, 좌측 소뇌에서 뇌혈류가 증가되었다. 우측 삼음교에서는 좌측 전두엽 하방과 측두엽 전면부, 그리고 촤측 소뇌 일부에서 의의있게 뇌혈류가 증가되었다. 비경혈부위에서는 의의있는 뇌혈류 증가는 없었다. 결론: 체침은 뇌혈류를 증가시키고, 각 경혈은 특정한 뇌영역과 관련이 있음을 알았다. 따라서 체침은 뇌졸중에 효과가 있음을 암시하고, 효과적인 경혈을 선택하는데 기초가 될 것으로 생각되었다.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.79-89
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate various application methods of focused ultrasound and apply them to clinical use in Korean medicine. Methods : Search was performed using the search engines of electronic databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), ScienceON, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, Japan Science Technology Information Aggregator, Electronic (J-STAGE) and Citation Information by NII (CiNii), from inception to July 2023 without language limitation. Inclusion criteria were clinical studies including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and animal experimental studies related with focused ultrasound treatments for acupoints or meridian sinews. Results : Total 17 papers, 7 for RCT, 6 for in vivo animal studies, and other experimental studies, were finally selected. Indications used in studies were shoulder pain, back pain, chronic back pain, and degenerative knee arthritis. In experimental studies, studies on animal models of hypoxic ischemic brain damage and hyperlipidemia were also conducted. As for the acupoints, LR3, LI4, and ST36 were used in clinical studies and, in animal experimental studies, GV20, KI1, and ST36 were used. As for the dose, 4 studies below 3 W/cm² and 3 studies in the range of 0.625 to 5 W/cm² in clinical studies, and all studies did not exceed 5 W/cm². In animal experimental studies, 0.5 W/cm², 2 W/cm², 7.5 WW/cm², 15 W/cm², 10~20 W/cm² were used. In all three studies describing the penetration depth during irradiation, it was less than 1 cm. Conclusions : We suggest that focused ultrasound is an appropriate treatment tool for stimulating the acupoints to transfer heat energy. Future studies with rigorous and well-designed RCTs for various diseases will be required to ascertain the focused ultrasound stimulate acupoints or meridian sinews.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.407-414
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• 2016

This study was performed to investigate whether the spinal cholinergic and serotonergic analgesic systems mediate the relieving effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic cold allodynia in rats. The cold allodynia induced by an oxaliplatin injection (6 mg/kg, i.p.) was evaluated by immersing the rat's tail into cold water ($4^{\circ}C$) and measuring the withdrawal latency. EA stimulation (2 Hz, 0.3-ms pulse duration, 0.2~0.3 mA) at the acupoint ST36, GV3, or LI11 all showed a significant anti-allodynic effect, which was stronger at ST36. The analgesic effect of EA at ST36 was blocked by intraperitoneal injection of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist (atropine, 1 mg/kg), but not by nicotinic (mecamylamine, 2 mg/kg) receptor antagonist. Furthermore, intrathecal administration of $M_2$ (methoctramine, $10{\mu}g$) and $M_3$ (4-DAMP, $10{\mu}g$) receptor antagonist, but not $M_1$ (pirenzepine, $10{\mu}g$) receptor antagonist, blocked the effect. Also, spinal administration of $5-HT_3$ (MDL-72222, $12{\mu}g$) receptor antagonist, but not $5-HT_{1A}$ (NAN-190, $15{\mu}g$) or $5-HT_{2A}$ (ketanserin, $30{\mu}g$) receptor antagonist, prevented the anti-allodynic effect of EA. These results suggest that EA may have a significant analgesic action against oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain, which is mediated by spinal cholinergic ($M_2$, $M_3$) and serotonergic ($5-HT_3$) receptors.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.36-44
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• 1999

Objectives: It has been well known that electroacupuncture(EA) has an analgesic effect and there is a pain control system in the central nervous system(CNS). The pain control system is composed of three major nuclei, which are periaqueductal gray(PAG), raphe nuclei, and the pain inhibitory complex located in the spinal cord. It has been suggested that the analgesic effect of EA might be the result of activation of the pain control system in the CNS. However, there may be a possibility that other nuclei are also involved in this pain modulation. Thus, we investigated whether the posterior intralaminar thalamic nuclei (PTIN) are involved in the pain modulation. Methods: To measure the level of pain, the jaw opening reflex (JOR) was used as a pain index. The magnitude of JOR is estimated by averaging the area of 10 successive responses. JOR was evoked by tooth-pulp stimulation with bipolar electrode carrying stimulus with the following parameters: intensity ranging from 420uA to 680ulA, 0.3ms duration of square pulse, and 0.5 Hz. Hapkog($LI_4$) and Taechung ($LR_3$) were the chosen acupoints. The Hapkog point was stimulated ipsilaterally at 5V, 3 Hz, for 15min in total, and the Taechung was stimulated at 2-3 V, 3 Hz, and for a total of 15 or 30 minutes. Different intensities of stimulation were given the PITN; one was given at $300{\mu}A$ and the other was at 500uA. The position stimulated in these nuclei by Paxinos Atlas was AP; from bregma $-4.0{\sim}-4.3mm,\;L; 0.5{\sim}1.8mm,\;D;\;4.8{\sim}6.3mm$. Results: The Hapkog point had a significant analgesic effect (P<0.05). However, the Taechung point had no effect. Both types of stimulation in the PITN did not reveal any analgesic effects. Conclusions: From these results, it was suggested that the posterior intralaminar thalamic nuclei are not involved in the modulation of pain.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.1-11
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• 2009

Objectives : The object of this study is to investigate the balance/imbalance of skin capacitances between left and right meridians, and to analyze the change patterns of electric energy on meridians with the lapse of time. Method : Electric potential was measured on five source points (LU9, PC7, HT7, LI4, SI4) bilaterally for 4 hours. The energy balance/imbalance between left and right was investigated, and the change patterns with time were analyzed. Results and Conclusions : The amplitude of meridian energy on five source points and the energy balance/imbalance between left and right were varied in each individual. When a source point showed a balanced meridian energy bilaterally, the change patterns of meridian energy with time were similar between left and right. While, when it showed an imbalanced energy between left and right, the change patterns of meridian energy were also different between left and right. Through this study, we proposed a new diagnostic method of meridian energy.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.162-174
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• 2021

Objectives : We aimed to identify the antidepressant effect of liver tonification acupuncture treatment (ACU (LT); KI10, LR8, LU8, LR4) and four gate acupuncture treatment (ACU (FG); LI4, LR3) and its brain neural activity in the normal and chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced mouse model. Methods : Firstly, normal mice were given ACU (LT) or ACU (FG) and the c-Fos expressions in each brain region were analyzed to examine brain neural activity. Secondly, CRS was administered to mice for 4 weeks, then ACU (LT) or ACU (FG) was performed for 2 weeks. The depression-like behavior was evaluated using open field test (OFT) before and after acupuncture treatment. Then, the c-Fos expressions in each brain region were analyzed to examine brain neural activity. Results : In normal mice, ACU (FG) regulated brain neural activities in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and periaqueductal gray. ACU (LT) changed more brain regions in the prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, striatum, and hippocampus, including those altered by ACU (FG). In CRS-induced model, ACU (LT) alleviated depression-like behavior more than ACU (FG). Also, brain neural activities in the motor cortex area 2 (M2), agranular ventral part and piriform of insular cortex (AIV and Pir), and cornu ammonis (CA) 1 and CA3 of hippocampus were changed by ACU (LT), and those of AIV and CA3 were also changed by ACU (FG). As in normal mice, ACU (LT) resulted in changes in more brain regions, including those altered by ACU (FG) in CRS model. M2, Pir, and CA1 were only changed by ACU (LT) in depression model, suggesting that these brain regions reflect the specific effect of ACU (LT). Conclusions : ACU (LT) relieved depression-like behavior more than ACU (FG), and this acupuncture effect was associated with modulation of brain neural activities in the motor cortex, insular cortex, and hippocampus.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.125-141
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• 2008

Objective : The aim of this study is to investigate the curative effect of Bee Venom Acupuncture Therapy for pain and limited R.O.M (range of motion) of shoulder in stroke patients. Methods : The subjects of this study were 6 patients with shoulder pain in stroke sequelae. Routine Oriental Medical programs (Acupunture, moxibustion, herbal medicine and physical therapy) were maintained for each subject throughout this study. Single subject ABABAB design was adopted. Each period was 4 days as a rule. Only during the treatment period, Bee Venom Acupuncture Therapy was provided as intervention at the acupoints of LI15(Gyeonu),　TE14(Gyeollyo), GB21(Gyeonjeong), LI14(Bino). The change of pain was measured with a Visual Analogue Scale(VAS). The pain threshold was measured using pressure algometer at the same acupoints where Bee Venom Acupuncture Therapy was provided. And the R.O.M of shoulder joint (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, external rotation, internal rotation) was measured as well. Analysis was performed by Bayesian analysis using WinBUGS for the comparison of treatment(Bee Venom Acupuncture Therapy) and non-treatment. Results : The median overall improvement for difference in VAS was -2.219(-3.213, -1.175), for difference in external rotation of shoulder R.O.M was 9.992(-2.298, 18.49), for difference in tenderness score of LI14(Bino) by pressure algometer was 5.05(0.6283, 7.762). 95% credibility intervals being shown in brackets. However, the median overall improvement for difference in the other measurements was not significant. Conclusion : This study suggests that Bee Venom Therapy may be applicable to decrease pain and improve R.O.M of shoulder in hemiplegia patients with stroke. Further elaborated single subject designs need to be accumulated to confirm the effects of Bee Venom Acupunture Therapy on shoulder pain in patients with stroke sequelae.