• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.107-117
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• 2021

Background and objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a forest healing program in terms of depression, neuropsychological and physiological benefits for the elderly. Methods: For this purpose, we developed a forest therapy program for the elderly who are vulnerable to dementia and conducted a total of 11 sessions of forest therapy activities in a forest once a week. We measured the changes in depression, resting-state Electroencephalography(EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV) before and after the program. There were 60 subjects aged over 65 yesrs old. 30 subjects participated in the forest therapy program, and the other were in the control group. The Geriatric Depression Scale was used to measure the level of depression, neuroNicle FX2 (Laxtha, Korea) was used to measure the resting-state EEG, and photoplethymogram (ubpulse T1, Laxtha, Korea) was used to measure the HRV. Results: The results showed that the depression index of the experimental group improved with statistical significance after the program (experiment group = 3.267 decrease of the mean). In the EEG measurement, the alpha-peak frequency at rest (experimental group = 0.227 Hz increase of the mean) was improved (mean increase = 0.23 in the experimental group, p < .05). The high frequency of HRV, which represents the parasympathetic nerve activity of the body's autonomous response, was also significantly improved (mean increase = 0.396 in the experimental group, p < .05). Conclusion: The results suggest that the forest therapy program can reduce the cognitive, psychological and physical risk factors of dementia for the elderly at risk of cognitive decline. Therefore, forest therapy activities may be suitable for the prevention of dementia in the elderly.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.384-391
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• 2006

Variation of brain dynamics under Zen meditation has been one of our major research interests for years. One issue encountered is the inaccessibility to the actual meditation level or stage as a reference. In this paper, we propose an alternative strategy for investigating the human brain in response to external flash stimuli during Zen meditation course. To secure a consistent condition of the brain dynamics when applying stimulation, we designed a recording of flash visual evoked potentials (F-VEPs) based on a constant background EEG (electroencephalograph) frontal $\alpha-rhythm$ dominating activities that increase significantly during Zen meditation. Thus the flash-light stimulus was to be applied upon emergence of the frontal $\alpha-rhythm$. The alpha-dependent F-VEPs were then employed to inspect the effect of Zen meditation on brain dynamics. Based on the experimental protocol proposed, considerable differences between experimental and control groups were obtained. Our results showed that amplitudes of P1-N2 and N2-P2 on Cz and Fz increased significantly during meditation, contrary to the F-VEPs of control group at rest. We thus suggest that Zen meditation results in acute response on primary visual cortex and the associated parts.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.387-396
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• 2013

In this study, the influence of classroom smells (foot odor, hair smell, sour smell, and sweat smell) of male high school and sweat smell and the offensive odor substance (ammonia and butyric acid) on the electroencephalography (EEG) activities of 20 female volunteers, ranging in age from 30 to 50 were studied. The representative response of brainwave index by these smells stimuli was most pronounced on temporal lobes among the brain lobes. By comparison with background EEG activities on temporal lobes, the smells reduced the relative alpha band power (0.04~0.13) and increased the relative beta band power (0.02~0.06) and the relative gamma band power (0.03~0.09). The alpha wave was deactivated, high beta (18~30Hz) and gamma (30~50Hz) waves were remarkably activated. The order of EEG fluctuation caused by the smell stimulus is as follows; hair smell > butyric acid > foot odor, sour smell > ammonia > sweat smell. It means that the classroom smells cause an excessive brain arousal and straining and may be reducing one's attention and learning ability.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.293-305
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• 2016

Objective: This study aims to measure cognitive load levels by analyzing the EEG of Koreans and foreigners, when they read a Korean text with care selected by level from the grammar and vocabulary aspects, and compare the cognitive load levels through quantitative values. The study results can be utilized as basic data for more scientific approach, when Korean texts or books are developed, and an evaluation method is built, when the foreigners encounter them for learning or an assignment. Background: Based on 2014, the number of the foreign students studying in Korea was 84,801, and they increase annually. Most of them are from Asian region, and they come to Korea to enter a university or a graduate school in Korea. Because those foreign students aim to learn within Universities in Korea, they receive Korean education from their preparation for study in Korea. To enter a university in Korea, they must acquire grade 4 or higher level in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), or they need to complete a certain educational program at each university's affiliated language institution. In such a program, the learners of the Korean language receive Korean education based on texts, except speaking domain, and the comprehension of texts can determine their academic achievements in studying after they enter their desired schools (Jeon, 2004). However, many foreigners, who finish a language course for the short-term, and need to start university study, cannot properly catch up with university classes requiring expertise with the vocabulary and grammar levels learned during the language course. Therefore, reading education, centered on a strategy to understand university textbooks regarded as top level reading texts to the foreigners, is necessary (Kim and Shin, 2015). This study carried out an experiment from a perspective that quantitative data on the readers of the main player of reading education and teaching materials need to be secured to back up the need for reading education for university study learners, and scientifically approach educational design. Namely, this study grasped the difficulty level of reading through the measurement of cognitive loads indicated in the reading activity of each text by dividing the difficulty of a teaching material (book) into eight levels, and the main player of reading into Koreans and foreigners. Method: To identify cognitive loads indicated upon reading Korean texts with care by Koreans and foreigners, this study recruited 16 participants (eight Koreans and eight foreigners). The foreigners were limited to the language course students studying the intermediate level Korean course at university-affiliated language institutions within Seoul Metropolitan Area. To identify cognitive load, as they read a text by level selected from the Korean books (difficulty: eight levels) published by King Sejong Institute (Sejonghakdang.org), the EEG sensor was attached to the frontal love (Fz) and occipital lobe (Oz). After the experiment, this study carried out a questionnaire survey to measure subjective evaluation, and identified the comprehension and difficulty on grammar and words. To find out the effects on schema that may affect text comprehension, this study controlled the Korean texts, and measured EEG and subjective satisfaction. Results: To identify brain's cognitive load, beta band was extracted. As a result, interactions (Fz: p =0.48; Oz: p =0.00) were revealed according to Koreans and foreigners, and difficulty of the text. The cognitive loads of Koreans, the readers whose mother tongue is Korean, were lower in reading Korean texts than those of the foreigners, and the foreigners' cognitive loads became higher gradually according to the difficulty of the texts. From the text four, which is intermediate level in difficulty, remarkable differences started to appear in comparison of the Koreans and foreigners in the beginner's level text. In the subjective evaluation, interactions were revealed according to the Koreans and foreigners and text difficulty (p =0.00), and satisfaction was lower, as the difficulty of the text became higher. Conclusion: When there was background knowledge in reading, namely schema was formed, the comprehension and satisfaction of the texts were higher, although higher levels of vocabulary and grammar were included in the texts than those of the readers. In the case of a text in which the difficulty of grammar was felt high in the subjective evaluation, foreigners' cognitive loads were also high, which shows the result of the loads' going up higher in proportion to the increase of difficulty. This means that the grammar factor functions as a stress factor to the foreigners' reading comprehension. Application: This study quantitatively evaluated the cognitive loads of Koreans and foreigners through EEG, based on readers and the text difficulty, when they read Korean texts. The results of this study can be used for making Korean teaching materials or Korean education content and topic selection for foreigners. If research scope is expanded to reading process using an eye-tracker, the reading education program and evaluation method for foreigners can be developed on the basis of quantitative values.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.560-564
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• 2010

Purpose : Electroencephalography (EEG) findings can play a critical role in a variety of decisions, including initiation and withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) therapy. Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) are predictor of recurrent seizures. We investigated IEDs in EEG after AED therapy and related factors in epileptic children. Methods : The subjects were 257 children [151 males and 106 females; age, 6.79 (3.40) years; duration of therapy, 2.48 (1.85) years] diagnosed with epilepsy at the Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Hospital between January 2001 and December 2007, who received AEDs for more than 6 months. EEG was performed at the intervals of 6-12 months. We divided patients into 4 groups according to IED detection before and after AEDs treatment. Related clinical factors, including gender, age at the start of treatment, seizure type, cause of seizure, AED frequency, seizure control, duration of AED therapy, and background activity were investigated in the 4 groups. Results : Generalized epilepsy was relatively frequen in patients who did not show IEDs in last follow-up EEG. There were no clinically significant differences according to gender, age at the start of treatment, cause of seizure, AED frequency, seizure control, duration of AED medication, and background activity in the 4 groups ($P$>0.05). Conclusion : IEDs changed after AED treatment in one-third of the patients. Generalized epilepsy is positive factor for negative IEDs in last follow-up EEG.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.06c
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• pp.291-296
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• 1998

In the experiment carried out on 20 college students, recorded were frontal, temporal and occipital EEG, skin conductance response, skin conductance level, heart rate and respiration rate during listening to two music fragments with different affective valences and white noise administered immediately after negative visual stimulation. Analysis of physiological patterns observed during the experiment suggests that affective auditory stimulation with music is able to selectively modulate autonomic and cortical activity evoked by preceding aversive visual stimulation and to restore initial baseline levels. On other hand, physiological responses to white noise, which does not possess emotion-eliciting capabilities, evokes response typical for orienting reaction after the onset of a stimulus and is rapidly followed by habituation. Observed responses to white noise were similar to those specific to attention only and had no evidence for any emotion-related processes. Interpretation of the obtained data is considered in terms of the role of emotional and orienting significance of stimuli, dependence of effects on the background physiological activation level and time courses of attention and emotion processes. Physiological parameters are summarized with regard to their potential utility in differentiation of psychological processes induced by auditory stimuli.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.05
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• pp.430-433
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• 1997

We present the preliminary algorithms for automatic sleep scoring. According to the Rechtschaffen & Kales[3]'s critera, we developed six events detectors and eight parameters which contain the background information of signals, such as EEG, EMG, EOG. With the calculated parameters, we scored each epoch by IF-THEN rules, ANFIS for REM preiods, and finally Neural Network for unobvious epochs. The typical point of this algorithm is that the epoch which had good data sets were calculated in the first stage, and unobvious epochs were postponed until the final stage. After staging the good epochs, we classified unobvious epochs by the dominant stage of previous and posterior epochs.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2006

Neurofeedback, also known as EEG biofeedback or neurotherapy, is a new therapy differentiated from biofeedback in that brain waves are monitored to study brain itself as well as its functions. Needless to say, it has originated from biofeedback, however it has established itself as an independent and specialized therapy in the field of neurotherapy. In order to have a better understanding of neurofeedback we are going to have a look into its historical and theoretical background first and then we will explain how it can be used clinically. Neurofeedback was clinically introduced for epilepsy for the first time and its effect was proved. Since then it has been used successfully for a number of psychiatric disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), anxiety, anxiety and mood disorder, sleep disorder, substance dependency, etc. Furthermore, it has been used for non-psychiatric or psychosomatic symptoms, such as headache, chronic pains, chronic fatigue symptoms, etc. Recently, it has been also used for non-medical areas, such as improvement of peak performance for sports and art activities, enhancement of cognitive function, etc, making the neurofeedback a very promising field for its potential and effectiveness.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.345-353
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• 2013

Objective: This research measured physiological and psychological effects of Vibroacoustic stimulation(VA) to scapular and sacrum of supine position on the mattress. Background: When vibroacoustic stimulation applies to human body, it has a positive influence on physiological and psychological effects by stimulating the organs, tissues and cells of whole body. Method: This experiment was conducted to 10 normal males in two conditions: no stimulation and vibroacoustic stimulation. No stimulation experiment was executed as a supine position for 30 minutes without any vibrational stimulus, while vibroacoustic stimulation was transmitted by the vibrational speaker, which uses 40Hz frequency. Subjects had a laser Doppler flowmeter probe in scapular, sacrum, and also had 8 channel electroencephalogram(EEG) measurement sensor in the scalp. Blood pressure and skin temperature were measured in two conditions with an underlying posture for 30 minutes. Additionally, blood flow rate and EEG were measured before and after for two minutes on two conditions. Results: According to the vibroacoustic stimulation, blood flow rate and skin temperature were increased, while blood pressure was decreased. When using vibroacoustic stimulation compared to no stimulation, blood flow rate went approximately two times higher, and skin temperature also higher 3~4 times. Furthermore, the relative alpha power of brain wave was significantly increased when we applied to vibroacoustic stimulation. Conclusion: This experiment tested the VAT embedded in mattress in two conditions. According to this experiment, VAT decreases blood pressure, improves not only a physiological effect on blood flow rate as well as skin temperature, but also psychological functions by increasing relative alpha power. Application: The results of the publishing trend analysis might help physiological and psychological effects of vibroacoustic stimulation.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.135-145
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• 2006

Background: Parkinson's disease is movement disorder due to dopaminergic deficiency. It has been noted that cognitive dysfunction also presented on Parkinson's disease patients. But, it is not clear whether such a cognitive dysfunction was a dopaminergic dysfunction or cholinergic dysfunction. Using linear and non-linear analyses, we analysed the effect of cognitive and motor symptom on EEG change. Methods: EEGs were recorded from patients with Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, and normal controls during rest. We calculated the power spectrum, correlation dimension and Lyapunov exponent by using 'Complexity'program. The power spectrum, correlation dimension, and Lyapunov exponent were compared between Parkinson's disease patients and essential tremor patients. Results: Theta power was increased in Parkinson's disease patient group. Correlation dimension was increased in Parkinson's disease patients. Positive correlation was noted between MMSE and correlation dimension, and negative correlation was noted between MMSE and Lyapunov exponent. Lyapunov exponent was decreased in Parkinson's disease patient. Conclusions: We conclude that the state of Parkinson's disease patient is characterized by increased correlation dimension and decreased Lyapunov exponent.