• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.71-87
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• 2022

Purpose: This study examines the daylighting design factors of Korean dementia nursing homes, in order to realize a therapeutic environment based on the therapeutic effect of light in the rapidly aging trend with an huge increase in the population of dementia in Korea. Methods: Through literature reviews, this study aims to theoretically examine the therapeutic light environment for the elderly with dementia, derive daylighting design factors of Korean dementia nursing homes, and analyze their detailed design factors. Results: The result of this study can be summarized into two points. The first one is that the daylighting design factors reflected in dementia nursing homes are derived into six factors: building layout, windows, glazing, shading devices, spaces, and interior finishings that determine the availability of daylight. The second one is that the detailed daylighting design factors are shown as primary and secondary detailed design factors, and the main values to be considered when applying these factors into dementia nursing homes are analyzed as maximizing daylight availability, optimization of the possibility of therapeutic view, and anti-glare. Implications: The daylighting design factors will contribute to maximizing the availability of daylight, optimizing the possibility of view, and minimizing the glare in the living spaces of dementia nursing homes in Korea.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2020

The prevention of cognitive decline and dementia is an increasingly important global public health priority due to an increase in the percentage of the elderly population. Dementia, a severe cognitive disorder, not only negatively impacts the patients' quality of life but also creates a substantial burden for caregivers. This review introduced recent advances regarding the protective effects of dairy product intake against dementia and cognitive decline. Recent epidemiological studies have suggested that specific components of dairy products including bioactive peptides, colostrinin, proline-rich polypeptides, α-lactalbumin, vitamin B₁₂, calcium, and probiotics might promote healthy brain function during aging. Additionally, oleamide and dehydroergosterol in Camembert cheese have been suggested as agents capable of reducing microglial inflammatory responses and neurotoxicity. The intake of neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory compounds in meals is safe and easy, hence nutritional approaches, including dairy product consumption, serve as a promising intervention for the prevention of neurodegenerative disorders.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2018

Objectives The incidence of degenerative diseases is increasing as society ages, and this increased the economic burden on society. Oxidative stress was also under suspicion as one of the causes. Recent studies have found that Curcuma longa Rhizoma had antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anticancer effects. Through this study, we figure out trends in Curcuma longa Rhizoma research and evaluate the therapeutic potential of Curcuma longa Rhizoma for dementia. Methods The search was made using domestic and international internet search sites. "Naver academic," "Google scholar," "Korea institute of oriental medicine (KIOM OASIS)," "Korean traditional knowledge portal (KTKP)," "Library of Congress," "Research information sharing service (RISS)," "National Digital Science Links (NDSL)," and "Pub med" are used to search. The searched for words were "turmeric," "Curcuma longa Rhizoma," "antioxidant," and "nerve regeneration." Results It could be seen that a lot of research done on Curcuma longa recently. In previous studies, the most common research disease was cancer. In previous studies, the most common effects of Curcuma longa was antioxidant and anticancer. Curcumin, Vitamin B1, and various essential oils were the functional components of Curcuma longa Rhizoma. Curcuma longa Rhizoma performs DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS radical cation decolorization activity; it inhibits NO and iNOS. Conclusion The destruction of nerve cells due to oxidative stress is a cause of dementia. Curcuma longa Rhizoma have antioxidant effects. Therefore, we believed that it is an effective treatment for dementia. Various studies will be made on Curcuma longa Rhizoma.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.182-190
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• 2007

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with a decline in cognitive abilities. Dementia is one of the aged related mental problems and a characteristic symptom of Alzheimer's disease. Nootropic agents like piracetam and cholinesterase inhibitors like $Donepezil^{\circledR}$ are used in situations where there is organic disorder in learning abilities, but the resulting side-effects associated with these agents have limited their utility. Foeniculum (F.) vulgare Linn. is widely used in Indian traditional systems of medicines and also as a house remedy for nervous debility. The present work was undertaken to assess the potential of F. vulgare as a nootropic and anti-cholinesterase agent in mice. Exteroceptive behavioral models such as Elevated plus maze and Passive avoidance paradigm were employed to assess short term and long term memory in mice. To delineate the possible mechanism through which F. vulgare elicits the anti-amnesic effects, its influence on central cholinergic activity was studied by estimating the whole brain acetylcholinesterase activity. Pretreatment of methanolic extract of fruits of F. vulgare Linn. for 8 successive days, ameliorated the amnesic effect of scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg) and aging induced memory deficits in mice. F. vulgare extract significantly decreased transfer latencies of young mice and aged mice, increased step down latency and exhibited significant anti-acetyl cholinesterase effects, when compared to piracetam, scopolamine and control groups of mice. F. vulgare might prove to be a useful memory restorative agent in the treatment of dementia seen in the elderly.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.138-144
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• 2004

Therapeutic effect of a Kampo medicine, Choto-san, in patients with vascular dementia was demonstrated by a double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial. To clarify the therapeutic efficacy of Choto-san, anti-ischemic effect in mice, hypotensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), anti-oxidative effects in vitro, and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-blocking activity using Xenopus oocytes were studied. (1) Pretreatment with Choto-san (0.75-6.O g/kg, P.O.) or a component herb Chotoko (Uncaria genus: 75 - 600 mg/kg, P.O.) prevented ischemia-induced impairment of spatial learning behaviour in mice. Indole alkaloids- and phenolic fractions extracted from Chotoko also improved significantly the learning deficit. (2) Subchronic administration of Choto-san (0.5 g/kg, p.o.) caused a significant hypotensive effects in SHR. (3) Choto-san, Chotoko, and the phenolic constituent, (-) epicatechin, significantly protected the NG108-15 cell injury induced by $H_20_2$ exposure in vitro and also inhibited lipid peroxidation in the brain homogenate. (4) Indole alkaloids, rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline (1-100 uM), reversibly reduced NMDA-induced current in the receptor-expressed Xenopus oocytes. These results suggest that anti-vascular dementia effects of Choto-san are mainly due to the effect of Chotoko. From these results, it is possible to make a novel dietary supplement through several extraction steps from Chotoko.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.353-355
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• 2022

We report a case of an 80-year-old Korean man with chronic cerebral paragonimiasis who presented with progressive memory impairment. He suffered from pulmonary paragonimiasis 60 years ago and has been experiencing epilepsy since the age of 45. He began experiencing memory and cognitive deterioration 3 years ago. He visited the neuropsychiatric department of our hospital to check his symptoms and health from a year ago. Contrast-enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging study revealed calcifications and cystic lesions encompassing the right temporo-occipital region. Encephalomalatic changes were also observed in the right occipital and temporal areas. The anti-Paragonimus specific IgG antibodies in his serum showed a strong positive response. The neuropsychological test results showed a Global Deterioration Scale of 4 and a Clinical Dementia Rating Scale of 1. The chronic cerebral paragonimiasis lesions in the patient's right temporo-occipital region might induce the dementic change.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.337-346
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• 2019

To develop a new antidementia acetycholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor from edible mushrooms, the inhibitory effects on AChE of water and ethanol extracts from various edible mushrooms were measured. Among the tested compounds, 70% ethanol extracts from Tremella fuciformis showed the highest AChE inhibitory activity, at 25.3% (IC₅₀: 9.9 mg). Water extracts from the fruiting body of Pleurotus ostreatus (Heuktari) showed AChE inhibitory activity of 20.2% (IC₅₀: 12.4 mg). However, the yield (40.8%) from Pleurotus ostreatus (Heuktari) was higher than that from Tremella fuciformis (5.0%). Therefore, we selected Pleurotus ostreatus (Heuktari) as the most promising candidate for a mushroom containing anti-dementia AChE inhibitors. The AChE inhibitor from Pleurotus ostreatus (Heuktari) was optimally extracted when its fruiting body was treated with water for 6 h at 30℃. The anti-dementia effects of the partially purified AChE inhibitor from Pleurotus ostreatus (Heuktari) were observed in PC12 nerve cells.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.257-261
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• 2001

Recently, a traditional medicine called Gouteng-san, which consists of eleven herbs, was reported to be effective in treating vascular dementia with a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Gout-eng-san is also used for patients with vascular dementia in combination with Si-Wu-Tang. The effect of Gouteng-san and Si-Wu-Tang on deficit of learning behavior was investigated using step-down passive avoidance task in mice. Hot-water extract of Gouteng-san (1.5 and 6 g/kg, p.o.) significantly prolonged the step-down latency shortened by scopolamine. The extract of Uncaria hook (150 mg/kg, p.o.), one of the component herb of Gouteng-san, significantly prevented the decrease in the latency after scopolamine. Hot-water extract of Si-Wu-Tang (1.5 and 6 g/kg of dried herbs, p.o.) prevented dose-dependently scopola-mine-induced disruption qf learning behavior. Si-Wu-Tang also prevented the ischemia-induced deficit of learning behavior. Both hot water extract of peony and angelica (1.5 g/kg, p.o.), which are component herbs qf Si-Wu-Tang, prevented the scopolamine-induced learning behavior deficit. Scopolamine (10 uM) suppressed long-term potentiation (LTP) of population spike in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampal slices. Peoniflorin (0.1~ 1uM) extracted from paeony root significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced inhibition of LTR These results suggest that improvement of deficit of learning behavior by Gouteng-san and Si-Wu-Tang is mediated by direct and/or indirect activation of the cholinergic system in the brain.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.304-313
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• 2017

These days, as the average span of population's life increases, the number patients of dementia also increases. But Research on Korean medicine is stilled limited. The research evaluates the effect of the extract from Cornus officinalis S.et Z on cognitive impairment induced by scopolamine in mice. The mice were randomly divided into five groups of ten mice. The normal group was treated with only 0.9% saline. The control group was treated with scopolamine (5 mg/kg, i.p.). The positive control group was treated with tacrin. The C100, 200 group was treated with C. officinalis extracts 100, 200 mg/kg. Memory-related behaviors were evaluated using a morris water maze and a passive avoidance test. Protein levels of BDNF, p-CREB (ser133), immunohistochemistry staining, and cholinergic activities were measured in brain tissue. The effects of C. officinalis extract significantly increased acetylcholine concentration and decreased acetylcholinesterase activity. The C. officinalis extract affected memory formation. Also, to confirm expression of protein BDNF, p-CREB (ser133) in the hippocampus, the researchers observed that immunohistochemistry and western blot increased in C. officinalis extract. These results suggest that C. officinalis provides a significant neuroprotective effect against scopolamine-induced cholinergic system and cognitive impairment.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.612-624
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• 2023

The gut-brain axis encompasses a bidirectional communication pathway between the gastrointestinal microbiota and the central nervous system. There is some evidence to suggest that probiotics may have a positive effect on cognitive function, but more research is needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn. Inflammation-induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may affect cognitive function. To confirm the effect of probiotics on oxidative stress induced by LPS, the relative expression of antioxidant factors was confirmed, and it was revealed that the administration of probiotics had a positive effect on the expression of antioxidant-related factors. After oral administration of probiotics to mice, an intentional inflammatory response was induced through LPS i.p., and the effect on cognition was confirmed by the Morris water maze test, nitric oxide (NO) assay, and interleukin (IL)-1β enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay performed. Experimental results, levels of NO and IL-1β in the blood of LPS i.p. mice were significantly decreased, and cognitive evaluation using the Morris water maze test showed significant values in the latency and target quadrant percentages in the group that received probiotics. This proves that intake of these probiotics improves cognitive impairment and memory loss through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms.