• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.147-158
• /
• 2003

Objective:The differences of various neurocognitive functions, including attention, memory, motor function, and higher cognitive function were compared between PTSD patients and normal control subjects. Also, correlation with PTSD symptom severity and neurocognitive functions were evaluated between PTSD patients and normal control subjects. Method:We assessed the neurocognitive functions by computerized neurocognitive test(CNT) batteries. The visual continuous performance test(CPT) and digit span test, finger tapping test and Wisconsin card sorting test(WCST) were executed. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised(IES-R) was used in the evaluation of the severity of PTSD. Result:The PTSD patients showed significantly impaired neurocognitive performance in all of the items, compared with normal control subjects. The relation between impairment in neurocognitive functions and symptom severity showed significant correlations. Conclusion:These results imply that PTSD patients have impaired neurocognitive functions concerning with specific brain areas, especially the frontal area. For the thorough evaluation of further neurocognitive functions, more detailed evaluation items of neurocognitive functions and brain imaging studies are necessary in the future study.

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

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.107-115
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of an exercise program on frontal lobe cognitive function in seniors. Methods: The participants were 42 seniors using a health center in Seoul (experimental group) and 28 seniors using a facility for elders in Seoul (control group). The exercise program was carried out for 16 weeks from April to August 2007. The frontal lobe cognitive function, which includes short term memory, attention, immediate memory, delayed memory, verbal fluency and motor function, was measured by the Digit Span Forward test, Trail Making test, Immediate recall words test, Delayed recall words, Controlled oral word association test and Finger tapping test. The collected data were analyzed by Fisher's exact test, Chi-square, t-test, and ANCOVA using the SAS program. Results: The major findings of this study were as follows: Attention (p=.009), immediate memory (p=.005), delayed memory (p=.009), and verbal fluency (p=.004) improved after the exercise program. Conclusion: In this study, the exercise program was effective in improving frontal lobe cognitive function in elders. So it provides basic information for further nursing education on exercise programs which will be effective for prevention of early cognitive function decline in normally aging elders.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.173-191
• /
• 2010

Damage detection plays a very important role to the maintenance of bridge structures. Traditional damage detection methods are usually based on structural dynamic properties, which are acquired from pre-installed sensors on the bridge. This is not only time-consuming and costly, but also suffers from poor sensitivity to damage if only natural frequencies and mode shapes are concerned in a noisy environment. Recently, the idea of using the dynamic responses of a passing vehicle shows a convenient and economical way for damage detection of bridge structures. Inspired by this new idea and the well-established tap test in the field of non-destructive testing, this paper proposes a new method for obtaining the damage information through the acceleration of a passing vehicle enhanced by a tapping device. Since no finger-print is required of the intact structure, this method can be easily implemented in practice. The logistics of this method is illustrated by a vehicle-bridge interaction model, along with the sensitivity analysis presented in detail. The validity of the method is proved by some numerical examples, and remarks are given concerning the potential implementation of the method as well as the directions for future research.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.487-494
• /
• 2021

Piezoelectric generators use direct piezoelectric effects that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Many studies were attempted to fabricate piezoelectric generators using piezoelectrics such as ZnO, PZT, PVDF. However, these various inorganic/organic piezoelectric materials are not suitable for bio-implantable devices due to problems such as brittleness, toxicity, bio-incompatibility, bio-degradation. Thus, in this paper, piezoelectric generators were prepared using a silk fibroin film which is bio-compatible by dip-coating method. The silk fibroin films are a mixed state of silk I and silk II having stable β-sheet type structures and shows the d₃₃ value of 8~10 pC/N. There was a difference in output voltages according to the thickness. The silk fibroin generators, coated 10 times and 20 times, revealed the power density of 16.07 μW/cm² and 35.31 μW/cm² using pushing tester, respectively. The silk fibroin generators are sensitive to various pressure levels, which may arise from body motions such as finger tapping, foot pressing, wrist shaking, etc. The silk fibroin piezoelectric generators with bio-compatibility shows the applicability as a low-power implantable piezoelectric generator, healthcare monitoring service, and biotherapy devices.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.215-222
• /
• 2024

Because collagen is inherently piezoelectric, research is being actively conducted to utilize it to harvest energy. In this study, a collagen solution was prepared using edible low-molecular-weight peptide collagen powder, and collagen films were fabricated using a dip coating method. The collagen films prepared by dip coating showed a smooth surface without defects such as pinholes or cracks. Dehydrothermal treatment of the collagen films was performed to induce a stable molecular structure through cross-linking. The collagen film subjected to dehydrothermal treatment at 110 ℃ for 24 h showed a thickness reduction rate of 19 %. Analysis of the collagen films showed that the crystallinity of the collagen film improved by about 7.9 % after dehydrothermal treatment. A collagen film-based piezoelectric nanogenerator showed output characteristics of approximately 13.7 V and 1.4 ㎂ in a pressure test of 120 N. The generator showed a maximum power density of about 2.91 mW/m² and an output voltage of about 8~19 V during various human body movements such as finger tapping. The collagen film-based piezoelectric generator showed improved output performance with improved crystallinity and piezoelectricity after dehydrothermal treatment.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2016

Objective: This study aims investigating the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on hand function of children with spastic cerebral palsy. Methods: The participants of this study are 20 children with spastic cerebral palsy aged between 11 to 16 years old. All the subjects underwent 24 sessions of FES during 8 weeks. Each FES was 20 minutes per session, and 3 sessions of FES were provided in a week. Measurements used to assess hand function are Jebsen Hand Function Test, Modified Ashworth Scale and 3D Motion Analysis. After establishment of the baseline for each client by all the measurements, reevaluations were performed every 2 weeks using Jebsen Hand Function Test and the Modified Ashworth Scale. The 3D Motion Analysis was performed only before- and after the 8 weeks of FES treatment. Results: After the FES, there was significant decrease in completed time for the all 6 subtasks of Jebsen Hand Function Test were (p<.05) and also significant decrease in spasticity score of Modified Ashworth Scale as well (p<.05). 3D Motion Analysis showed that the hand tapping and the finger tapping has been significantly improved (p<.05), and the pronation-supination movement of lower arm has been significantly improved as well. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is evidenced that functional electrical stimulation is effective treatment for hand function of children with cerebral palsy. For future research, it is recommended to examine various protocols of FES including impact of long-term application.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.25-35
• /
• 2017

Objective : The aims of this study was to investigate the effects of modified constraint induced movement therapy(CIMT) on upper extremities function of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Methods : The participants of this study are 4 children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy aged between 8 to 11 years old. During the modified CIMT period, the unaffected hand of the subjects was restrained by a hand splint for 8 weeks, five days per week, five hours a day. And the affected upper extremity was strongly trained by performing functional tasks, which were individually structured use of the affected arm. Measurements used to assess hand function are Jebsen Hand Function Test, and 3D Motion Analysis. The Jebsen Hand Function Test was performed repeatedly every two weeks. The 3D Motion Analysis was performed before and after the 8 weeks of modified constraint induced movement therapy. Results : After the modified CIMT, there was a significant improvement in completed time for the 6 tasks of Jebsen Hand Function Test(p<.05). 3D Motion Analysis was that the finger tapping and the hand tapping has been significantly decreased (p<.05), and the pronation-supination movement has been significantly increased as well(p<.05). Conclusion : In the results of this study, it is evidenced that modified CIMT is effective treatment for upper extremities function of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. For future research, it is recommended to examine various periods and protocol of modified CIMT including impact of long periods application.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.65-73
• /
• 2014

Objectives This study aimed to identify the differences and the profiles of cognitive deficits in remitted patients with schizophrenia and first-degree relatives of schizophrenic probands. Methods A total of 26 remitted states of schizophrenia patients were included in the study and the same number of unaffected first-degree relatives of schizophrenic probands and healthy controls were matched for age, sex, years of education. Cognitive function of all participants was measured by using the Digit span test, the Continuous performance test, the Rey auditory & visual learning test, the Complex figure test, the Verbal fluency test, the Wisconsin card sorting test and the Finger tapping test. The effects of subsyndromal symptomatology and general intelligence score were controlled. Results Schizophrenia patients' group showed more significant impairment than other groups in verbal memory (learning, immediate recall, delayed recall), visual memory (copy, immediate recall, delayed recall) and cognitive flexibility domains. The family group and the patient group commonly performed significantly worse than healthy controls in working memory and verbal fluency (category) tests. There were no differences in sustained attention, psychomotor performance. Conclusions Our research shows that the deficit in working memory and verbal fluency could be strong candidates of endophenotypic marker in schizophrenia.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.43-48
• /
• 2009

We investigated the nutritional state of B vitamins and the neuropsychological functions in 25 subjects, aged $63.1{\pm}6.3$ years, residing in rural areas of Korea. Nutritional states of thiamin, riboflavin, and pyridoxine were assessed enzymatically in the erythrocytes, and folate concentrations were measured microbiologically in the plasma and erythrocytes. A battery of composite neuropsychological test was administered to the subjects. Plasma folate was correlated with the total intelligence score (p=0.049). Folate levels in the erythrocytes were correlated with the performance intelligence scores such as block design (p=0.017) and picture arrangement (p=0.016). The red cell folate was correlated with memory scores such as general memory (p=0.009) and delayed recall (p=0.000). Although it did not reach statistical significance, verbal memory (p=0.053) was highly correlated with the red cell folate. The red cell folate was also correlated positively with the percent of conceptual level response number score (p=0.029), and negatively with the grooved pegboard test score for the non-dominant hand (p=0.010). Fine motor coordination was also influenced by folate nutrition, as finger tapping scores in both hands were significantly correlated with red cell folate (dominant hand; p=0.026, non-dominant hand; p=0.004). Other B vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin $B_6$ were not as strongly correlated with neuropsychological function test scores as folate was. These results suggest that folate nutrition influences neuropsychological function test scores significantly in humans. Further studies are needed to explore the relationship between folate or other vitamin B nutrition and neuropsychological functions and the implications thereof.