• Laboraroty Animal Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.239-247
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• 2018

Bacopa monnieri is a medicinal plant with a long history of use in Ayurveda, especially in the treatment of poor memory and cognitive deficits. In the present study, we hypothesized that Bacopa monnieri extract (BME) can improve memory via increased cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in the dentate gyrus. BME was administered to 7-week-old mice once a day for 4 weeks and a novel object recognition memory test was performed. Thereafter, the mice were euthanized followed by immunohistochemistry analysis for Ki67, doublecortin (DCX), and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and western blot analysis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BME-treated mice showed moderate increases in the exploration of new objects when compared with that of familiar objects, leading to a significant higher discrimination index compared with vehicle-treated mice. Ki67 and DCX immunohistochemistry showed a facilitation of cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation following the administration of BME in the dentate gyrus. In addition, administration of BME significantly elevated the BDNF protein expression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, and increased CREB phosphorylation in the dentate gyrus. These data suggest that BME improves novel object recognition by increasing the cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation in the dentate gyrus, and this may be closely related to elevated levels of BDNF and CREB phosphorylation in the dentate gyrus.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.275-286
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand and analyze the current status of dementia management and rehabilitation services in Busan, South Korea, in response to the rapid increase of people with dementia due to the aging of the population. Methods: To investigate the current status of dementia rehabilitation in Busan, a survey was disseminated to dementia safety centers and day- and night-care centers in 16 districts/counties in Busan. Of the 209 day- and night-care centers, 23 institutes were registered in the National Health Insurance Service and received the highest grade (Grade A) in the institute evaluation that was implemented in each district. A telephone interview was conducted, and survey questions were related to the existence of an ongoing dementia rehabilitation program, program presenter, number of participants, progress method, program time, program duration, program contents, and participation path. Results: Dementia safety centers were implementing dementia prevention program, cognitive enhancing program, dementia program, self-help meeting and education program for family of dementia patient. The majority of the presenters of all four dementia-related programs were occupational therapists. The highest number of participants in the dementia prevention program was 15, and the highest number of participants in the cognitive enhancing program, dementia program, self-help meeting and education program for family of dementia patient was 10. All institutes' programs delivered group therapy. As for the time and frequency of the program, most dementia program included three-hour sessions five times a week. Most dementia prevention program, cognitive enhancing program, self-help meeting and education program for family of dementia patient included 60-minute sessions once a week. The most frequently observed program duration for the dementia prevention program and cognitive enhancing program was six months, and the most frequently observed duration for the dementia program was three months. Lastly, study participants most often reported that self-help meeting and education program for family of dementia patient lasted for two months. Among day- and night-care centers in Busan, programs related to cognition were implemented in 18 institutes, and the majority of the program presenters were social workers. Conclusion: In response to the rapidly growing number of dementia patients due to the aging of the population, this study examined the current status of dementia rehabilitation in Busan. The study results underscore the need to develop systems that consider the circumstances in Busan and continuously and systematically support dementia programs.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.189-201
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of McConnell taping and Kinesio taping on pain and lower extremity joint angles when patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) ascend stairs. Methods: Fifty young adults who were experiencing anterior knee pain due to PFPS were selected as participants. Then, 25 patients were randomly assigned to the McConnell taping group and 25 to the Kinesio taping group. Pain and lower extremity joint angle were measured while ascending stairs before and after the intervention. A paired t-test was performed to evaluate the amount of change in the parameter values after the intervention within the groups, and an independent t-test was used to compare the results of the groups. Results: In the within-group comparisons, a statistically significant difference was found in both groups between the anterior knee pain scale scores recorded before and after the intervention (p < 0.05). A statistically significant difference was also found between the groups (p < 0.05). Comparison of the lower extremity joint angles at initial contact, loading response, terminal stance, and pre-swing within the groups showed that there were statistically significant differences in the hip, knee flexion, abduction, lateral rotation, and dorsiflexion angles in both the McConnell and Kinesio taping groups (p < 0.05). There was also a statistically significant difference in all angles between the groups during the following events (p < 0.05): (1) at initial contact, (2) at loading response (except hip flexion angle), (3) at terminal stance (except hip flexion and lateral rotation angles), and (4) at pre-swing (except hip, knee abduction, and inversion angles). Conclusion: McConnell taping and Kinesio taping both effectively improved the occurrence of knee pain and the lower extremity joint angles during stair ascent in patients with PFPS. However, McConnell taping had a significant impact on pain reduction and lower extremity joint angles compared to Kinesio taping.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.605-611
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• 2016

Ketamine is an anesthetic with hypertensive effects, which make it useful for patients at risk of shock. However, previous ex vivo studies reported vasodilatory actions of ketamine in isolated arteries. In this study, we reexamined the effects of ketamine on arterial tones in the presence and absence of physiological concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) by measuring the isometric tension of endothelium-denuded rat mesenteric arterial rings. Ketamine little affected the resting tone of control mesenteric arterial rings, but, in the presence of 5-HT (100~200 nM), ketamine ($10{\sim}100{\mu}M$) markedly contracted the arterial rings. Ketamine did not contract arterial rings in the presence of NE (10 nM), indicating that the vasoconstrictive action of ketamine is 5-HT-dependent. The concentration-response curves (CRCs) of 5-HT were clearly shifted to the left in the presence of ketamine ($30{\mu}M$), whereas the CRCs of NE were little affected by ketamine. The left shift of the 5-HT CRCs caused by ketamine was reversed with ketanserin, a competitive 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptor inhibitor, indicating that ketamine facilitated the activation of 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptors. Anpirtoline and BW723C86, selective agonists of 5-$HT_{1B}$ and 5-$HT_{2B}$ receptors, respectively, did not contract arterial rings in the absence or presence of ketamine. These results indicate that ketamine specifically enhances 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptor-mediated vasoconstriction and that it is vasoconstrictive in a clinical setting. The facilitative action of ketamine on 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptors should be considered in ketamine-induced hypertension as well as in the pathogenesis of diseases such as schizophrenia, wherein experimental animal models are frequently generated using ketamine.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.425-432
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• 2016

In addition to classical synaptic transmission, information is transmitted between cells via the activation of extrasynaptic receptors that generate persistent tonic current in the brain. While growing evidence supports the presence of tonic NMDA current ($I_{NMDA}$) generated by extrasynaptic NMDA receptors (eNMDARs), the functional significance of tonic $I_{NMDA}$ in various brain regions remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that activation of eNMDARs that generate INMDA facilitates the ${\alpha}$-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-proprionate receptor (AMPAR)-mediated steady-state current in supraoptic nucleus (SON) magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs). In $low-Mg^{2+}$ artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF), glutamate induced an inward shift in $I_{holding}$ ($I_{GLU}$) at a holding potential ($V_{holding}$) of -70 mV which was partly blocked by an AMPAR antagonist, NBQX. NBQX-sensitive $I_{GLU}$ was observed even in normal aCSF at $V_{holding}$ of -40 mV or -20 mV. $I_{GLU}$ was completely abolished by pretreatment with an NMDAR blocker, AP5, under all tested conditions. AMPA induced a reproducible inward shift in $I_{holding}$ ($I_{AMPA}$) in SON MNCs. Pretreatment with AP5 attenuated $I_{AMPA}$ amplitudes to ~60% of the control levels in $low-Mg^{2+}$ aCSF, but not in normal aCSF at $V_{holding}$ of -70 mV. $I_{AMPA}$ attenuation by AP5 was also prominent in normal aCSF at depolarized holding potentials. Memantine, an eNMDAR blocker, mimicked the AP5-induced $I_{AMPA}$ attenuation in SON MNCs. Finally, chronic dehydration did not affect $I_{AMPA}$ attenuation by AP5 in the neurons. These results suggest that tonic $I_{NMDA}$, mediated by eNMDAR, facilitates AMPAR function, changing the postsynaptic response to its agonists in normal and osmotically challenged SON MNCs.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.113-118
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• 2006

In the primary sensory neuron of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN), the peripheral axon supplies a large number of annulospiral endings surrounding intrafusal fibers encapsulated in single muscle spindles while the central axon sends only a few number of synapses onto single ${\alpha}-motoneurons({\alpha}-MNs)$. Therefore, the ${\alpha}-{\gamma}$ linkage is thought to be very crucial in the jaw-closing movement. Spike activity in a ${\gamma}-motoneuron\;({\gamma}-MN)$ would induce a large number of impulses in single peripheral axons by activating many intrafusal fibers simultaneously, subsequently causing an activation of ${\alpha}-MNs$ in spite of the small number of synapses. Thus, the activity of ${\gamma}-MNs$ may be vital for modulation of jaw-closing movements. Independently of such a spindle activity modulated by ${\gamma}-MNs$, somatic depolarization in MTN neurons is known to trigger the oscillatory spike activity. Nevertheless, the trafficking of these spikes arising from the two distinct sources of MTN neurons is not well understood. In this short review, switching among multiple functional modes of MTN neurons is discussed. Subsequently, it will be discussed which mode can support the ${\alpha}-{\gamma}$ linkage. In our most recent study, simultaneous patch-clamp recordings from the soma and axon hillock revealed a spike-back-propagation from the spike-initiation site in the stem axon to the soma in response to a somatic current pulse. The persistent $Na^+$ current was found to be responsible for the spike-initiation in the stem axon, the activation threshold of which was lower than those of soma spikes. Somatic inputs or impulses arising from the sensory ending, whichever trigger spikes in the stem axon first, would be forwarded through the central axon to the target synapse. We also demonstrated that at hyperpolarized membrane potentials, 4-AP-sensitive $K^+$ current ($IK_{4-AP}$) exerts two opposing effects on spikes depending on their origins; the suppression of spike initiation by increasing the apparent electrotonic distance between the soma and the spike-initiation site, and the facilitation of axonal spike invasion at higher frequencies by decreasing the spike duration and the refractory period. Through this mechanism, the spindle activity caused by ${\gamma}-MNs$ would be safely forwarded to ${\alpha}-MNs$. Thus, soma spikes shaped differentially by this $IK_{4-AP}$ depending on their origins would reflect which one of the two inputs was forwarded to the target synapses.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.17-27
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• 2003

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) modulates cortical excitability beyond the duration of the rTMS trains themselves. Depending on rTMS parameters, a lasting inhibition or facilitation of cortical excitability can be induced. Therefore, rTMS of high or low frequency over motor cortex may change certain aspects of motor learning performance and cortical activation. This study investigated the effect of high and low frequency subthreshold rTMS applied to the motor cortex on motor learning of sequential finger movements and brain activation using functional MRI (fMRI). Three healthy right-handed subjects (mean age 23.3) were enrolled. All subjects were trained with sequences of seven-digit rapid sequential finger movements, 30 minutes per day for 5 consecutive days using their left hand. 10 Hz (high frequency) and 1 Hz (low frequency) trains of rTMS with 80% of resting motor threshold and sham stimulation were applied for each subject during the period of motor learning. rTMS was delivered on the scalp over the right primary motor cortex using a figure-eight shaped coil and a Rapid(R) stimulator with two Booster Modules (Magstim Co. Ltd, UK). Functional MRI (fMRI) was performed on a 3T ISOL Forte scanner before and after training in all subjects (35 slices per one brain volume TR/TE = 3000/30 ms, Flip angle $60^{\circ}$, FOV 220 mm, $64{\times}64$ matrix, slice thickness 4 mm). Response time (RT) and target scores (TS) of sequential finger movements were monitored during the training period and fMRl scanning. All subjects showed decreased RT and increased TS which reflecting learning effects over the training session. The subject who received high frequency rTMS showed better performance in TS and RT than those of the subjects with low frequency or sham stimulation of rTMS. In fMRI, the subject who received high frequency rTMS showed increased activation of primary motor cortex, premotor, and medial cerebellar areas after the motor sequence learning after the training, but the subject with low frequency rTMS showed decreased activation in above areas. High frequency subthreshold rTMS on the motor cortex may facilitate the excitability of motor cortex and improve the performance of motor sequence learning in normal subject.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2023

Purpose: Hallux valgus (HV) is one of the most common chronic foot disorders, occurring when the first toe deviates laterally toward the other toe. HV impairs muscle strength and affects gait function (postural sway and gait speed). Thus, this study aims to investigate using the FDM system the effect of wearing braces on gait while wearing a virtual reality (VR) device. Methods: This study was conducted on 28 healthy adults with HV of 15 degrees or more. To compare differences in walking, depending on whether a toe brace can be worn, the subject walked without wearing anything, walked after wearing the VR device, and walked after wearing the VR device and the toe brace, and the FDM system was used for the gait ability measurement analysis. Results: As a result of a one-way repeated analysis of variance, the walking speed-related variables (cadence, velocity, etc.) in the HV group were higher during comfortable walking. In addition, walking while wearing a VR device and walking while wearing a VR device and a toe brace demonstrated more significant values in terms of six gait parameters (double stance phase, loading response, stage, stage, stage, and stage). The maximum pressure of the forefoot was significantly reduced when walking while wearing a VR device and a toe brace compared to comfortable walking, but in all variables, there was no statistically significant difference between walking while wearing a VR device and walking while wearing a VR device and a toe brace. Conclusion: Orthosis with a VR device during gait (OVG) and gait with a VR device (GVR) affect gait in HV patients. However, there was no significant difference between GVR and OVG. Thus, it is necessary to conduct experiments on various HV angles and increase the duration of wearing the toe brace.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.157-166
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• 2014

ATP in quantity co-stored with neurotransmitters in the secretory vesicles of neurons, by being co-released with the neurotransmitters, takes an important role to modulate the stimulus-secretion response of neurotransmitters. Here, in this study, the modulatory effect of ATP was studied in $Ca^{2+}$ channels of cultured rat adrenal chromaffin cells to investigate the physiological role of ATP in neurons. The $Ca^{2+}$ channel current was recorded in a whole-cell patch clamp configuration, which was modulated by ATP. In 10 mM $Ba^{2+}$ bath solution, ATP treatment (0.1 mM) decreased the $Ba^{2+}$ current by an average of $36{\pm}6%$ (n=8), showing a dose-dependency within the range of $10^{-4}{\sim}10^{-1}mM$. The current was recovered by ATP washout, demonstrating its reversible pattern. This current blockade effect of ATP was disinhibited by a large prepulse up to +80 mV, since the $Ba^{2+}$ current increment was larger when treated with ATP ($37{\pm}5%$, n=11) compared to the control ($25{\pm}3%$, n=12, without ATP). The $Ba^{2+}$ current was recorded with $GTP{\gamma}S$, the non-hydrolyzable GTP analogue, to determine if the blocking effect of ATP was mediated by G-protein. The $Ba^{2+}$ current decreased down to 45% of control with $GTP{\gamma}S$. With a large prepulse (+80 mV), the current increment was $34{\pm}4%$ (n=19), which $25{\pm}3%$ (n=12) under control condition (without $GTP{\gamma}S$). The $Ba^{2+}$ current waveform was well fitted to a single-exponential curve for the control, while a double-exponential curve best fitted the current signal with ATP or $GTP{\gamma}S$. In other words, a slow activation component appeared with ATP or $GTP{\gamma}S$, which suggested that both ATP and $GTP{\gamma}S$ caused slower activation of $Ca^{2+}$ channels via the same mechanism. The results suggest that ATP may block the $Ca^{2+}$ channels by G-protein and this $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocking effect of ATP is important in autocrine (or paracrine) inhibition of adrenaline secretion in chromaffin cell.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2020

Objective : The purpose of this study is to present an analysis model in developing an inclusive response for safety hazards and disaster preventive information system for vulnerable people to the disaster including persons with disabilities, and those with specific needs. Methods : In this study, the persona analysis method is used to analyze fictitious characters that correspond to various characteristics such as age, disability, environment, occupation, etc. in terms of the scenario of some particular disaster subjects. Based on the user's communication problems derived from the persona analysis, focused group interview and ICF based analysis were implemented to identify needs and arbitration methods. Results : The needs from persona analysis and ICF-based communication items analysis identifies the factors that make each fictitious character difficult in terms of communication in obtaining the benefits consistent with the purpose of the service. The study derives service requirements that can provide arbitration or facilitation methods to increase communication ability of the users. Conclusion : Through the persona analysis method, difficulties that could occur when receiving disaster information using communication devices were identified and analyzed in conjunction with communication problems described in the ICF. In building information services for the prevention of safety hazards and disasters, this study presented a model that uses the persona analysis method and the ICF classification system to derive user requirements for accessible information system.