• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.202-222
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• 2003

Chronic upper extremity hemiparesis is a leading cause of functional disability after stroke. The purpose of this study were to identify effects of a 6weeks repetitive bilateral arm training on upper motor function and the reorganization of motor network. Four chronic stroke patients participated in this study. They performed for 6 consecutive weeks, 3 days a week, 30 minutes a day. In the single group study, four 5-minute periods per session of bilateral arm training were performed with the use of a custom-designed arm training machine. The results of this study was as follows. 1. Following the 6weeks period of RBAT, patient exhibited a improvement in FMA and BBT. 2. Following the 6weeks period of RBAT, it showed improvement in reaching time, symbol digit substitution and finger tapping speed of KCNT. 3. fMRI activation after RBAT showed a focal map in lesional cortical area and perilesional motor areas. These fMRI data suggest that hemodynamics response to RBAT reflect sensorimotor reorganization in contralateral hemisphere. In conclusion, these date suggest that improved upper extremity function induced by repetitive bilateral arm training after stroke is associated with reorganization of motor network as a neural basis for the improvement of paratic upper extremity function.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.135-139
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare EEG topographical maps in patients with chronic stroke after action observation physical training. Methods: Ten subjects were recruited from a medical hospital. Participants observed the action of transferring a small block from one box to another for 6 sessions of 1 minute each, and then performed the observed action for 3 minutes, 6 times. An EEG-based brain mapping system with 32 scalp sites was used to determine cortical reorganization in the regions of interest (ROIs) during observation of movement. The EEG-based brain mapping was comparison in within-group before and after training. ROIs included the primary sensorimotor cortex, premotor cortex, superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal lobe, and visual cortex. EEG data were analyzed with an average log ratio in order to control the variability of the absolute mu power. The mu power log ratio was in within-group comparison with paired t-tests. Results: Participants showed activation prior to the intervention in all of the cerebral cortex, whereas the inferior frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, and inferior parietal cortex were selectively activated after the training. There were no differences in mu power between each session. Conclusion: These findings suggest that action observation physical training contributes to attaining brain reorganization and improving brain functionality, as part of rehabilitation and intervention programs.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.11
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• pp.71-74
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• 1997

MR acoustic sound or noise due to gradient pulsings has been one of the problems in MRI, both in patient scanning as well as in many areas of psychiatric and neuroscience research, such as brain fMRI. Especially in brain fMRI, sound noise is one of the serious noise sources which obscures the small signals obtainable from the subtle changes occurring in oxygenation status in the cortex and blood capillaries. Therefore, we have studied the effects of acoustic or sound noise arising in fMR imaging of the auditory, motor and visual cortices. The results show that the acoustical noise effects on motor and visual responses are opposite. That is, for the motor activity, it shows an increased total motor activation while for the visual stimulation, corresponding (visual) cortical activity has diminished substantially when the subject is exposed to a loud acoustic sound. Although the current observations are preliminary and require more experimental confirmation, it appears that the observed acoustic-noise effects on brain unctions, such as in the motor and visual cortices, are new observations and could have significant consequences in data observation and interpretation in future fMRI studies.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.170-179
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the spatiotemporal cortical activation pattern and functional connectivity during visual perception of words. 61 channel recordings of electroencephalogram were obtained from 15 subjects while they were judging the meaning of Korean, English, and Chinese words with concrete meanings. We examined event-related potentials (ERP) and applied independent component analysis (ICA) to find and separate simultaneously activated neural sources. Spectral analysis was also performed to investigate the gamma-band activity (GBA, 30-50 Hz) which is known to reflect feature binding. Five significant ERP components were identified and left hemispheric dominance was observed for most sites. Meaningful differences of amplitudes and latencies among languages were observed. It seemed that familiarity with each language and orthographic characteristics affected the characteristics of ERP components. ICA helped confirm several prominent sources corresponding to some ERP components. The results of spectral and time-frequency analyses showed distinct GBAs at prefrontal, frontal, and temporal sites. The GBAs at prefrontal and temporal sites were significantly correlated with the LPC amplitude and response time. The differences in spatiotemporal patterns of GBA among languages were not prominent compared to the inter-individual differences. The gamma-band coherence revealed short-range connectivity within frontal region and long-range connectivity between frontal, posterior, and temporal sites.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2003

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to summarize the effect of stretch stimulus on muscle contraction facilitation. Methods : Some studies of the stretch reflex. ${\gamma}-motor$ system, and the effect of stretch stimulus on muscle activation were reviewed. Results : To facilitate muscle contraction, before the movement is started, the prime mover is in stretched position. The patient must be instructed to occur voluntary muscle contraction after quick stretching. It elicits the functional stretch reflex to produce a more powerful and functional contraction. The intensity of muscle contraction depends on two ways. One is firing rate of ${\alpha}-motor$ neuron by sensory information from the periphery induced in stretched position and stretch reflex. The other is excitation level of the cortical motor area and the corresponding motor neurons. Conclusions: To activate central nervous system and to increase firing rate of ${\alpha}-motor$ neuron. the therapist should apply quick stretch for the patient with stretched position and the patient should make voluntary muscle contraction.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.1-17
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• 1996

To demonstrate the clinical usefulness of electroencephalography (EEG) and factors increasing the usefulness of EEG, the authors evaluated each relationship between EEG related factors and clinical variables, and neuroimaging studies (CT and MRI)-related factors, and factors which are related with routine neurological examination for 207 patients who had been evaluated with both of EEG and neuroimaging study(CT or/and MRI). The results were as follows: 1) Abnormality of EEG findings had significant relationships with chief complaints, diagnosis, medication use, seizure attack, pathological reflex, and level of consciousness. However there were no significant correlations between abnormality of EEG findings and neuroimaging studies (CT and MRI)- related factors. 2) Laterality of EEG findings had significant relationships with abnormality, laterality, and focality of CT findings, and also with abnormality of MRI findings. But there were no significant correlations between laterality of EEG findings and clinical variables, and neurological examination-related factors. 3) Anterior-posterior distribution of EEG findings was significantly related with medication use. 4) Focality of EEG findings had significant relationships with sex, sensory dysfunction sign, and cerebellar dysfunction sign. But there were no significant correlations between focality of EEG findings and neuroimaging studies(CT and MRI) related factors. 5) Abnormal EEG pattern had significant correlations with various factors, such as age, chief complaints, duration from onset of symptom to taking MRI, seizure attack, abnormality and nature of lesion in CT findings, cortical atrophy in MRI findings, motor dysfunction sign, sensory dysfunction sign, and pathological reflex. 6) With abnormality on sleep activation, age, age of onset, seizure attack, ventricular enlargement in CT findings, and abnormality of MRI findings were significantly correlated. 7) With abnormality on hyperventilation activation, duration of illness and laterality of MRI findings were significantly correlated. Above results may suggest that abnormality of EEG findings is more closely related with functional change of the brain than structural changes of the brain and laterality of EEG findings is vice versa. And also that medication use has an influence on anterior versus posterior distribution of EEG findings and focality of EEG findings is not related with structural changes of the brain. Activation with sleep may be effective to show age differences and provocation of seizure activity and hyperventilation may be effective to detect the abnormal EEG findings by cerebrovascular insufficiency.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.398-405
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• 2015

Background: Ginseng has been used as a tonic for invigoration of the human body. In a previous report, we identified a novel candidate responsible for the tonic role of ginseng, designated gintonin. Gintonin induces $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient in animal cells via lysophosphatidic acid receptor activation. Gintonin-mediated $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient is linked to anti-Alzheimer's activity in transgenic Alzheimer's disease animal model. The previous method for gintonin preparation included multiple steps. The aim of this study is to develop a simple method of gintonin fraction with a high yield. Methods: We developed a brief method to obtain gintonin using ethanol and water. We extracted ginseng with fermentation ethanol and fractionated the extract with water to obtain water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions. The water-insoluble precipitate, rather than the water-soluble supernatant, induced a large $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient in primary astrocytes. We designated this fraction as gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF). Results: The yield of GEF was approximately 6-fold higher than that obtained in the previous gintonin preparation method. The apparent molecular weight of GEF, determined using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was equivalent to that obtained in the previous gintonin preparation method. GEF induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient in cortical astrocytes. The effective dose (ED50) was $0.3{\pm}0.09{\mu}g/mL$. GEF used the same signal transduction pathway as gintonin during $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient induction in mouse cortical astrocytes. Conclusion: Because GEF can be prepared through water precipitation of ginseng ethanol extract and is easily reproducible with high yield, it could be commercially utilized for the development of gintoninderived functional health food and natural medicine.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.609-619
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• 2024

Neurodegenerative diseases are marked by the accumulation of toxic misfolded proteins in neurons. Therefore, strategies for the effective prevention and clearance of aggregates are crucial for therapeutic interventions. Cytoplasmic dynein plays a crucial role in the clearance of aggregates by transporting them to the cell center, where lysosomes are enriched and the aggregates undergo extensive autophagic degradation. Previously, we reported evidence for the activation of dynein by N-acetylglucosamine kinase (NAGK) and Reln. In the present study, we explored the effects of NAGK and Reln upregulation on the clearance of aggregates. To upregulate NAGK and Reln genes in HEK293T cells (a human embryonic kidney cell line), CRISPR/dCas9 activation systems (CASs) were used with specific plasmids encoding target-specific 20 nt guide RNA. The effects of this genetic modulation were analyzed in Huntington's disease cellular models, including HEK293T cells and primary mouse cortical cells, where external mutant huntingtin (mHtt, Q74) aggregates were induced. The results showed that the CAS activation of NAGK or Reln, or their combination, significantly reduced the proportion of cells with Q74 aggregates (aggresomes). This effect was reversed by Ciliobrevin D (a dynein inhibitor) and chloroquine (an autophagy inhibitor), indicating the role of dynein-mediated autophagy in aggregate clearance. These findings provide the basis for therapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing neuronal health through targeted gene activation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.75-75
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• 2003

Purpose: To investigate whether or not acupuncture of GB34 produces a significant response of the modulation of somatomotor areas by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. Methods: The acupoint, GB34, located in the back of the knee, is known to be effective in recovering motor function after stroke. Using 3T MRI scanner, functional MR imaging of the whole brain was performed in 12 normal healthy subjects during two stimulation paradigms; acupuncture manipulation on GB 34 and sham points. This study investigates the activation of the motor cortex elicited by a soft and an intensified stimulation of GB 34. Three different paradigms were carried out to detect any possible modulation of the Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) response in the somatomortor area to motor stimulation through acupuncture. Results: Group analysis from seven individuals showed that bilateral sensorimotor areas (BA 3,4,6 and 7) showed stimulation related BOLD signal contrast of approximately 6% whereas very few areas were activated when sham stimulation is given. Conclusions: The present study shows that acupuncture fMRI study can be safely conducted in 3T MRI environment, and acupuncture stimulation in GB34 modulates the cortical activities of the soma- to motor area in human. The present findings may shed light on the CNS mechanism of motor function by acupuncture and form a basis for future investigations of motor modulation circuits in the stroke patients. Acknowledgement: This study was supported by a grant of the Mid and Long Term Nuclear RID Plan Program, Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.9-16
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• 2018

Objective : The aim of this research was to provide EEG (electroencephalogram) basic data in clinical areas through identifying measurement tools, measurement methods, and evaluation and analysis method of the EEG which is a neurological change measurement of patients with brain injury. Methods : Previous studies were found in an electronic database (e.g., PubMed, Science Direct). The keyword search terms were 'Electroencephalography', 'stroke', 'intervention OR training'. Results : Utilitizing brain-computer interface, the EEG, which is a tool for measuring the effects of rehabilitation through changes of brain activation state. Also, it could identify functional brain reorganization mechanism. Whenever a research utilized the EEG, which is composed of various channels, different types of electrode, and varied electrode locations. Conclusions : Through this review, we found that Electroencephalography is possible to neurologically verify the effectiveness of intervention and formulate an intervention strategy for efficient occupational therapy.