• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2004

Purpose : Information about electrical activity inside the brain during fMRl scans is very useful in monitoring physiological function of the patient or locating the spatial position of the activated region in the brain. However, many additional noises appear in the EEG signal acquired during the MRI scan. Gradient induced noise is the biggest one among the noises. In this work, we propose a gradient noise reduction method using the independent component analysis (ICA) method. Materials and Methods : We used a 29-channel MR-compatible EEG measurement system and a 3.0 Tesla MRI system. We measured EEG signals on a subject lying inside the magnet during EPI scans. We selectively removed the gradient noise from the measured EEG signal using the ICA method. We compared the results with the ones obtained with conventional averaging method and PCA method. Results : All the noise reduction methods including the averaging and PCA methods were effective in removing the noise in some extent. However, the proposed ICA method was found to be superior to the other methods. Conclusion : Gradient noise in EEG signals acquired during fMRI scans can be effectively reduced by the ICA method. The noise-reduced EEG signal can be used in fMRI studies of epileptic patients or combinatory studies of fMRI and EEG.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2009

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the quantitative evaluation of the corticospinal tract (CST) at the multiple levels by using functional MRI (fMRI) co-registered to diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Materials and Methods : Ten normal subjects without any history of neurological disorder participated in this study. fMRI was performed at 1.5 T MR scanner using hand grasp-release movement paradigm. DTT was performed by using DtiStudio on the basis of fiber assignment continuous tracking algorithm (FACT). The seed region of interest (ROI) was drawn in the area of maximum fMRI activation during the motor task of hand grasp-release movement on a 2-D fractional anisotropy (FA) color map, and the target ROI was drawn in the cortiocospinal portion of anterior lower pons. We have drawn five ROIs for the measurement of FA and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) along the corona radiata (CR) down to the medulla. Results : The contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1) was mainly found to be activated in all subjects. DTT showed that tracts originated from SM1 and ran to the medulla along the known pathway of the CST. In all subjects, FA values of the CST were higher at the level of the midbrain and posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC) than the level of others. Conclusion : Our study showed that co-registered fMRI and DTT has elucidated the state of CST on 3-D and analyzed the quantitative values of FA and ADC at the multiple levels. We conclude that co-registered fMRI and DTT may be applied as a useful tool for clarifying and investigating the state of CST in the patients with brain injury.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.93-104
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to investigate brain activity both during the processing of a scientific hypothesis about biological phenomena and mental arithmetic using 3.0T fMRI at the KAIST. For this study, 16 healthy male subjects participated voluntarily. Each subject's functional brain images by performing a scientific hypothesis task and a mental arithmetic task for 684 seconds were measured. After the fMRI measuring, verbal reports were collected to ensure the reliability of brain image data. This data, which were found to be adequate based on the results of analyzing verbal reports, were all included in the statistical analysis. When the data were statistically analyzed using SPM2 software, the scientific hypothesis generating process was found to have independent brain network different from the mental arithmetic process. In the scientific hypothesis process, we can infer that there is the process of encoding semantic derived from the fusiform gyrus through question-situation analysis in the pre-frontal lobe. In the mental arithmetic process, the area combining pre-frontal and parietal lobes plays an important role, and the parietal lobe is considered to be involved in skillfulness. In addition, the scientific hypothesis process was found to be accompanied by scientific emotion. These results enabled the examination of the scientific hypothesis process from the cognitive neuroscience perspective, and may be used as basic materials for developing a learning program for scientific hypothesis generation. In addition, this program can be proposed as a model of scientific brain-based learning.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.568-580
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the brain activities by 4-types of Generating Process of Scientific Emotion (GPSE) in the hypothesis-generating biological phenomena by using fMRI. Four-types of GPSE were involved in the Basic Generating Process (BGP), Retrospective Generating Process (RGP), Cognitive Generating Process (CGP) and Attributive Generating Process (AGP). For this study, we made an experimental design capable of validating the 4-types of generating process (e.g. BGP, RGP, CGP and AGP), and then measured BOLD signals of 10 pre-service teachers' brain activities by 3.0T fMRI system. Subjects were 10 healthy females majoring in biology education. As a result, there were clear differences among 4-types of GPSE. Brain areas activated by BGP were at right occipital lobe (BA 17), at left thalamus and left parahippocampal gyrus, while in the case of RGP, at left superior parietal lobe (BA 8, 9), at left pulvinar and left globus pallidus were activated. Brain areas activated by CGP were the right posterior cingulate and left medial frontal gyrus (BA 6). In the case of AGP, the most distinctively activated brain areas were the right medial frontal gyrus (BA 8) and left inferior parietal lobule (BA 40). These results would mean that each of the 4-types of GPSE has a specific neural networks in the brain, respectively. Furthermore, it would provide the basis of brain-based learning in science education.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.235-244
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the appropriateness of gustatory features in product design affect product evaluation and accompanied response by using functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI). Through the pilot survey, we categorized the product designs into two groups based on the level of the appropriateness. The total of 40 product designs were selected as the experimental stimuli. 15 right-handed participants(mean age = 23.33, SD = 1.7) were scanned with 3T MRI machine(ISOL Tech, Oxford OR63). The experimental stimuli were passively presented inside the scanner. In post scanning session, participants were asked to measure their preference and buying intention to the product designs. The results show that both the preference and buying intention were significantly higher for the high appropriateness condition compared to those of low appropriateness designs. Caudate nucleus and putamen, areas related to the positive reward such as monetary acquisition showed greater activation in response to the designs of high appropriateness condition, compared to the low appropriateness designs.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.157-163
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• 2001

본 논문에서는 후취자극 제어장치를 이용하여 후각자극에 대한 인간의 뇌의 활성화 영역을 뇌기능자기공명영상(functional magnetic resonance imaging : fMRI)장치로 측정 또는 가시화하고 이의 임상적용에 대한 기초자료를 마련하고자 하였다. 우선 후각에 이상이 없고 코 수술 경험이 없는 오른손잡이 피험자 4명을 대상으로 5번에 걸쳐 Echo Plannar Imaging(EPI)에 의한 혈액산소농도의존(blood oxygen level dependent : BOLD)법을 이용하여 후각자극에 의한 뇌기능자기공명영상 실험을 수행하였다. 후각자극은 MRI 장치에서 사용할 수 있도록 제작된 후취제어장치를 사용하였으며, 제시된 향은 천연 향의 일종인 lavender-like fragrance를 사용하였다. 향의 제시는 후각의 피로도를 감안하여 3회의 휴식기관과 2회의 자극기간을 각 30초씩 번갈아 시행하였으며, 동시에 5초 간격으로 각 절편 당 30 영상을 연속적으로 획득하였다. Correlation법으로 0.4∼0.7의 문턱치(threshold)범위에서 통계 처리된 뇌의 활성화 영상은 EPI영상과 같은 부위의 T1 강조영상에 overlapping 시켰다. 호흡에 의한 artifact를 제거하기 위해 실험실에 만든 장치로 호흡을 측정하여 post-processing 할 때 반영하였다. 이렇게 얻어진 fMRI 영상의 신호변화를 관찰하여 활성 영역의 위치를 분석하였다. 그 결과 후각자극에 의해 뇌의 전두엽 피질(frontal cortex), 소뇌(cerebellum), 그리고 뇌교(pons)에서 활성화된 신호를 발견할 수 있었다. 또한, 측두엽(temporal lobe)과 뇌섬(insula)에서도 의미 있는 신호가 관찰되었다. 그러나, 일차 후각영역인 piriform cortex와 entorhinal cortex, amygdaloid complex, 그리고 이차후각영역인 orbitofrontal cotex에서는 그다지 많은 빈도로 신호가 발견되지 않았다. 결론적으로 BOLD법을 이용한 fMRI에 의하여 후각자극에 대한 뇌의 활성화영역을 관찰할 수 있었으며, 후각자극에 대한 뇌의 기능을 연구하는데 있어서 중요한 정량적 자료를 제공할 수 있다는 점을 확인할 수 있었다.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2011

Purpose: The contribution of the supplementary motor area (SMA) to the control of voluntary movement has been revealed. We investigated the changesin the SMA for motor learning of the reaching movement in stroke patient using functional MRI. Methods: The subject was a right-handed 55 year-old woman with left hemiparesis due to an intracerebral hemorrhage. She performed reaching movement during fMRI scanning before and after reaching training in four weeks. The motor assessment scale and surface EMG were used to evaluate the paretic upper limb function and muscle activation. Results: In the fMRI result, contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1) was activated before and after training. SMA was only activated after training. In addition, muscle activation of the paretic upper limb was similar to that of the unaffected upper limb after training. Conclusion: These findings suggest SMA is related to the execution of a novel movement pattern resulting in motor learning in stroke patients.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2005

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to observe the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast changes due to the reaction of human brain at a gustatory sense in response to a salty-taste stimulation. Materials and Methods : Twelve healthy, non-smoking, right-handed male subjects (mean age: 25.6, range: 23-28 years) participated in this salty-taste stimulus functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) study. MRI scans were performed with 1.57 GE Signa, using a multi-slice GE-EPI sequence according to a blood-oxy-gen-level dependent (BOLD) experiment paradigm. Scan parameters included matrix size $128\times128$, FOV 250 mm, TR 5000 msec, TE 60 msec, TH/GAP 5/2 mm. Sequential data acquisitions were carried out for 42 measurements with a repetition time of 5 sec for each taste-stimulus experiments. Analysis of fMRI data was carried out using SPM99 implemented in Matlab. NaCl solution $(3\%)$ was used as a salty stimulus. The task paradigm consisted of alternating rest-stimulus cycles (30-second rest, 15-second stimulus) for 210 seconds. During the stimulus period, NaCl-solution was presented to the subject's mouth through plastic tubes as a bolus of delivered every 5 sec using -processor controlled auto-syringe pump. Results : Insula, frontal opercular taste cortex, amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) were activated by a salty-taste stimulation $(NaCl,\;3\%)$ in the fMRI experiments. And dosolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was also significantly responded to salty-taste stimuli. Activation areas of the right side hemisphere were more superior to the left side hemisphere. Conclusion : The results of this study well correspond to the fact that both insula, amygdala, OFC, DLPFC areas are established as taste cortical areas by neuronal recordings in primates. Authors found that laboratory-developed auto-syringe pump is suitable for gustatory fMRI study. Further research in this field will accelerate to inquire into the mechanism of higher order gustatory process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.175-181
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• 2001

본 연구의 목적은 사람들이 언어과제와 공간지각과제을 수행하는 동안 활성화되는 뇌 영역의 차이를 규명하는 것이다. 428명의 대학생을 대상으로 집단 심리실험을 수행하여, fMRI 연구를 위한 실험참여자로 17명의 오른손잡이 여대생을 선정하였다. 17명 중 8명은 언어능력은 뛰어나지만 공간지각능력이 떨어지고, 나머지 9명은 언어능력은 빈약하지만, 공간지각능력이 우수한 사람들이었다. fMRI 실험에 사용된 패러다임에는 언어과제와 공간지각과제가 각각 8block으로 구성되었으며, 각 block은 동일한 과제 3문항을 포함하였다. fMRI 이미징은 1.5T Siemens Vision Scanner로 수집되었으며, Single-shot EPI 기법으로 (TR/TE : 3840/40ms, flip angle : 90, FOV : 220, 64x64 matrix) 이미지를 스캔하였다. 자료분석은 SPM-99 소프트웨어를 사용하였다. 감산(subtraction)분석결과, 언어능력이 뛰어난 집단에서는 양측 대상회(bilateral cingulate gyri)와 좌측 상두정엽 (left superior parietal lobe)이 더 많이 활성화되었고, 언어능력이 떨어지는 집단에서는 양측 전두엽 (both frontal lobes)이 더 많이 활성화되었다. 공간지각능력이 떨어지는 집단에서는 우측 시상 (right thalamus)과 좌측 측-후두엽 (left temporooccipital)이 더 많이 활성화되었다. 언어능력이나 공간지각능력이 우수한 집단에서는 공통적으로 대상회 (cingulate gyri)가 활성화되었다.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.477-483
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• 2007

We have measured EOG and fMRI simultaneously to investigate whether eye movement (blinking mechanism) might influence functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal response in the primary visual cortex. $T2^*-weighted$ Echo-Planar Imaging (EPI) with concurrent electrooculogram (EOG) was acquired in four subjects while they viewed a fixation point and a checkerboard with a flickering rate of 8Hz. With the help of EOG information we divided the experimental blocks into two different conditions: fixation and moving eye. We have compared the fMRI data of these two conditions. Our results have shown that there is no difference between these two conditions. This might suggest that eye blinking does not affect BOLD signal changes in the primary visual cortex. This means further that eye blinking can be ignored in data processing.