• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.1355-1358
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• 2006

The carvenous angioma is the secondary common disease which occupies about 8-15% of most central nervous systemic disorders following to the arterio-venous malformation. According to the damaged functional area, the patients experience some sort of motor weakness, seizure or hemorrhage. Nevertheless, general operations and radiologic methods are not considerable in those clinical cases mostly. Typicaliy, the conservative treatments are mainly recommendable choice as the other clinical options have variable side effects like post operative complications. in this case, a 73 year-old male diagnosed as the carvenous angioma, his motor weakness resulted from carvenous angioma has improved with oriental medical treatments. So, the authors report this case with a brief review of related lieratures.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.474-487
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• 2016

Itch is one of the most distressing sensations that substantially impair quality of life. It is a cardinal symptom of many skin diseases and is also caused by a variety of systemic disorders. Unfortunately, currently available itch medications are ineffective in many chronic itch conditions, and they often cause undesirable side effects. To develop novel therapeutic strategies, it is essential to identify primary afferent neurons that selectively respond to itch mediators as well as the central nervous system components that process the sensation of itch and initiate behavioral responses. This review summarizes recent progress in the study of itch, focusing on itch-selective receptors, signaling molecules, neuronal pathways from the primary sensory neurons to the brain, and potential decoding mechanisms based on which itch is distinguished from pain.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2011

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood and adolescence. Untreated hypertension adversely affects many organs including heart, brain, kidney and peripheral arteries. We reviewed the complication of central nervous system caused by pediatric hypertension. Cerebral blood flows are maintained constantly in response to changes in blood pressure by cerebral autoregulation. Severe hypertension which destructs cerebral autoregulation results in acute hypertensive encephalopathy syndrome, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Chronic pediatric hypertension induces learning disability and cognitive defect which are subclinical symptom prior to brain damage caused by severe hypertension. We should consider the effect of hypertension on pediatric brain because appropriate antihypertensive drugs could prevent these complications.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.371-380
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• 1998

Systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) is an autoimmune disease which may affect many different organs and disclose various clinical manifestations. Recently central nervous system(CNS) involvement has been recognized as an increasingly significant contributor to morbidity and mortality of SLE. The clinical manifestations of CNS-lupus are highly variable and range from mild cognitive dysfunction, movement disorder, headache, psychosis to life-threatening stroke and coma. Among the neuropsychiatric disorders encountered in patients with SLE, cerebrovascular disease has been a relatively rare complication. The diagnosis and management of CNS-lupus is difficult because of the lack of useful diagnostic methods. If cerebrovascular involvement is suspected, aggressive treatment such as high dose steroid, immunosuppressive therapy, plasma exchange may be required to reduce high mortality rate. We experienced 2 cases cerebrovascular dis eases occurring in SLE patients which presented with various neuropsychiatric manifestations. They were diagnosed as CNS-lupus by neuropsychiatric symptoms, brain MRI, and BEG, and showed good response to high dose steroid pulse therapy.

• 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.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.756-763
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• 2002

We have previously demonstrated that repeated injections of nicotine produced an increase in locomotor activity, dopamine(DA), release and c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens, one of the major projection areas of the central DA system. Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely used for the treatment of many functional disorders such as substance abuse and mental dysfunction. And many studies have shown that Coptidis Rhizoma has a suppressive effect on the central nervous system (CNS) and can affect the neurotransmitter systems in the CNS. In order to investigate whether acupuncture and Coptidis Rhizoma have an influence on nicotine-induced reinforcing and behavioral effects, we examined the effect of zusanli(ST36) and Coptidis Rhizoma on repeated nicotine-induced locomotor activity, and zusanli(ST36) on c-Fos expression as an important maker of postsynaptic neuronal activity in nucleus accumbens. Male SD rats received Coptidis Rhizoma (100mg/kg, p.o.) 30 min before injections of nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, s.c.) for 7 days. Rats were followed withdrawal for 3 days and one challenge for 1 day. Systemic challenge with nicotine produced a much larger increase in locomotor activity. Pretreatment with acupuncture at zusanli(ST36, 100Hz) and Coptidis Rhizoma decreased in nicotine-induced locomotor activity. These results demonstrated that reduction in locomotor activity by acupuncture at zusanli(ST36, 100Hz) and Coptidis Rhizoma may be mediated by reduction of dopamine release. Our results suggest that acupuncture at zusanli(ST36, 100Hz) and Coptidis Rhizoma may have therapeutic effect on nicotine addiction.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.13-24
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• 2005

Background and Objectives : Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely used for the treatment of many functional disorders such as substance abuse and mental dysfunction. Clinical trials are currently underway to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of drug addiction. Yet, there are still many unanswered questions about the basic mechanism of acupuncture. Studies have shown that both the psychomotor stimulant effects and rewarding properties of addictive drugs, including morphine, are sensitized by repeated drug administration and raised the possibility that both of these effects may be linked to the same or closely overlapping the mesolimbic dopamine systems. Neiguan (PC6) point on the pericardium channel which is associated with the brain and its mental function, has been used to treat mental, psychosomatic disorders and gastroenterological disorders. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on repeated morphine-induced changes in extracellular dopamine levels using in vivo microdialysis and to measure the effect of acupuncture on Fos-like immunoreactivity. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated twice a day for three days with increasing doses of morphine (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, s.c.) or with saline. After 15 days of withdrawal, rats were challenged with morphine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Acupuncture was applied at bilateral Neiguan (PC6) points for 1 min after the morphine challenge. Results showed that acupuncture at the specific acupoint PC6, but not at control points (tail and HE8) significantly decreased Fos-like immunoreactivity induced by a systemic morphine challenge or a single s.c. morphine injection in the morphine-repeated animals. Results and Conclusions : These results suggest that reduction in sensitization may be one mechanism whereby acupuncture alleviates morphine craving in addicts. Moreover, in a more general sense these results suggest that acupuncture can be used as a therapeutic intervention for correcting reversible malfunction of the body by direction of brain pathway and thus acupuncture can contribute to the biochemical balance in the central nervous system by regulating neurotransmitters.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.982-992
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• 2005

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely used for the treatment of many functional disorders such as substance abuse and mental dysfunction. Clinical trials are currently underway to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of drug addiction. Yet, there are still many unanswered questions about the basic mechanism of acupuncture. Studies have shown that both the psychomotor stimulant effects and rewarding properties of addictive drugs, including morphine, are sensitized by repeated drug administration and raised the possibility that both of these effects may De linked to the same or closely overlapping the mesolimbic dopamine systems. Neiguan (PC6) point on the pericardium channel which is associated with the brain and its mental function, has been used to treat mental, psychosomatic disorders and gastroenterological disorders. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on repeated morphine-induced changes in extracellular dopamine levels using in vivo microdialysis and to measure the effect of acupuncture on repeated morphine-induced behavioral changes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated twice a day for three days with increasing doses of morphine (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, s.c.) or with saline. After 15 days of withdrawal, rats were challenged with morphine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Acupuncture was applied at bilateral Neiguan (PC6) points for 1min after the morphine challenge. Results showed that acupuncture at the specific acupoint PC6, but not at control points (tail and HE8) significantly decreased both dopamine release, behavior induced by a systemic morphine challenge or a single s.c. morphine injection in the morphine-repeated animals. These results suggest that reduction in sensitization may be one mechanism whereby acupuncture alleviates morphine craving in addicts. Moreover, in a more general sense these results suggest that acupuncture can be used as a therapeutic intervention for correcting reversible malfunction of the body by direction of brain pathway and thus acupuncture can contribute to the biochemical balance in the central nervous system by regulating neurotransmitters.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.586-591
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• 2002

Bruxism can be generally regarded as a diurnal clenching or nocturnal teeth grinding or a combination of both. Clenching of the teeth is forceful closure of the opposing dentition in a static relationship of the mandible to the maxilla, whereas grinding of the dentition is forceful closure of the opposing dentition in a dynamic maxillo-mandibular relationship as the mandibular arch moves through various excursive positions. The causes of bruxism are not yet discovered clearly, but most consistently mentioned cause is psychological stress. Bruxism can be also associated with sleep disorders, medication, and disturbances of the central nervous system. There is no permanent treatment method of bruxism, so the objectives for management of bruxism are reduction of psychological stress and treatment of signs and symptoms of bruxism by occlusal adjustment, occlusal splint, systemic medication and physical therapy. These cases report present three cases of children with bruxism. The bruxism was reduced in these patients wearing occlusal splint.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.7 no.1 s.12
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• pp.53-61
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• 2004

Substantial evidence suggests that behavioral and reinforcing effects of cocaine can be mediated by the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. It has been shown that repeated injections of cocaine produce increase in locomotor activity, expression of the immediate-early gene, c-fos in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which was one of the main dopaminergic terminal areas. Herbal-acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention has been widely used for the treatment of many functional disorders such as drug abuse. Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) and its main component, berberine (BER) were selected as herbal medicine of herbal-acupuncture. Both medicines have been known to have the therapeutic effect on the central nervous system. In order to investigate the effects of CR and BER herbalacupuncture at shenmen (HT7) point (CR/H and BER/H) on the cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization, the influence of CR/H and BER/H on repeated cocaine-induced locomotor activity, the change of c-Fos expression in the brain by immunohistochemistry were examined. Male SD rats were given CR/H (0.4mg/kg) and BER/H (0.1mg/kg) 30 min before daily injections of cocaine hydrochloride (15mg/kg. i.p.) 10 days. After 3 days withdrawal, rats received a challenge injection of cocaine (15mg/kg, i.p.). Systemic challenge with cocaine produced much larger increased locomotor activity, accumbal Fos-like immunoreactivity in the NAc. Pretreatment with CR/H and BER/H significantly inhibited cocaine-induced locomotor activity, the change of c-Fos expression in the rats. Our data demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization by CR/H and BER/H were closely associated with the reduction of presynaptic dopamine release in the NAc. These results suggest that CR/H and BER/H can be effectively applied to cocaine addiction.