• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.58-65
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• 2007

Objectives : Motivational factor is a unique contributor to the typically poor academic performance of children with ADHD. However, few study has directly intervened learning motivation in children with ADHD. We conducted this study to explore the direct effects of the learning motivation improvement program applied to children with ADHD. Method The program was designed in order to increase an interest-inducing educational intervention, an academic skills integration, a basic learning activity (reading, writing, and math), and children's self-esteem. We conducted the program twice a week (total 10 sessions) and assessed learning motivation, teaming attitude, self-esteem, academic performance, and problem behaviors of participating children. Results : After the program, teachers reported improvement in teaming motivation. In addition, parents notified sisnificant reduction of problem behaviors. Children reported improvement in a few domains of teaming motivation and learning attitude. Conclusion : While loaming motivation is regarded as an important factor in education, there have been few studies considering this issue in both educational and psychiatric fields. The teaming motivation improvement would be needed in both field in order to reduce the deficits in academic performance in children with ADHD.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.212-215
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined whether there is a difference in motor learning through short-term repetitive movement practice in stroke survivors with a unilateral brain injury compared to normal elderly participants. Methods: Twenty-six subjects who were divided into a stroke group (n=13) or sex-aged matched normal elder group (n=13) participated in this study. To evaluate the effects of motor learning, the participants conducted a tracking task for visuomotor coordination. The accuracy index was calculated for each trial. Both groups received repetitive tracking task training of metacarpophalangeal joint for 50 trials. The stroke group performed a tracking task in the upper extremity insi-lesional to the damaged hemisphere, and the normal elder group performed the upper extremity matched for the same side. Results: Two-way repetitive ANOVA revealed a significant difference in the interactions ($time{\times}group$) and time effects. These results indicated that the motor skill improved in both the stroke and normal elder group with a tracking task. On the other hand, the stroke group showed lesser motor learning skill than the normal elder group, in comparison with the amount of motor learning improvement. Conclusion: These results provide novel evidence that stroke survivors with unilateral brain damage might have difficulty in performing ipsilateral movement as well as in motor learning with the ipsilateral upper limb, compared to normal elderly participants.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.9
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• pp.911-921
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• 2008

Learning disabilities (LD) are heterogeneous group of disorders with evidences of genetic or familial trait, intrinsic to the individual and presume to be due to central nervous dysfunction. Learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are the two of the most common disorders in the population of school-age children. Typically academic achievements in children with learning disabilities are significantly lower than expected by their normal or above normal range of IQ. Although academic and cognitive deficits are hallmarks of children with LD, those children are also at risk for a broad range of behavioral and emotional problems. Almost all cases meet criteria for at least one additional diagnosis such as ADHD, developmental coordination disorder, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, tic disorder, among which ADHD is particularly predominant. Because of the response to the therapeutic intervention program is promising and positive when applied early, it is critical to recognize patients as early as possible. Pediatricians often are the first to hear from parents worried about a childs academic progress. It is not the responsibility of pediatrician to make a diagnosis, referring children for a diagnostic evaluation of LD is a reasonable first step. Pediatricians can make early referral of suspicious children by asking some serial short questions about basic and processing skills. With a basic knowledge about the clinical characteristics, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of LD, pediatricians also can provide primary counseling and education for parents at their outpatient clinical settings.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.118-127
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• 2014

Along with language, socialization is a unique feature of the human being. There is a continuous debate regarding whether the development of socialization is innate, and conducted by the environment in the growing process, or the result of the interaction of both aspects. If socialization is the result of the interaction with the environment or is an acquired developmental process, the following question rises. "Is there a 'critical period' for the development of socialization?" Although there are a huge number of studies seeking for treatment and solutions for developmental delay or deficits of socialization, it is very complicated question to answer. Historical figures such as 'Hugh Blair' of Borgue in England, and 'the wild boy of Aveyron' in France, seem to have innate socialization deficits. Nowadays patients with non-verbal learning disorder, social communication disorder, or autism spectrum disorder seem to have genetic defects. On the other hand, Harry Harlow's monkey experiments, hikikomori of Japan, Romanian orphans and patients with reactive attachment disorder seem to display social deficits due to environmental factors. However, it is not easy to clearly draw a line between innate or acquired factors. Therefore, rather than subdividing the diseases for etiological and pathophysiological approach to heterogenous groups with the common denominator of social deficit, and for the research of pathophysiology and treatment development, the authors suggest a comprehensive concept of "social dysfunction spectrum."

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.88-95
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• 2020

Accurate localization of the seizure onset zone is important for better seizure outcomes and preventing deficits following epilepsy surgery. Recent advances in neuroimaging techniques have increased our understanding of the underlying etiology and improved our ability to noninvasively identify the seizure onset zone. Using epilepsy-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols, structural MRI allows better detection of the seizure onset zone, particularly when it is interpreted by experienced neuroradiologists. Ultra-high-field imaging and postprocessing analysis with automated machine learning algorithms can detect subtle structural abnormalities in MRI-negative patients. Tractography derived from diffusion tensor imaging can delineate white matter connections associated with epilepsy or eloquent function, thus, preventing deficits after epilepsy surgery. Arterial spin-labeling perfusion MRI, simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG)-functional MRI (fMRI), and magnetoencephalography (MEG) are noinvasive imaging modalities that can be used to localize the epileptogenic foci and assist in planning epilepsy surgery with positron emission tomography, ictal single-photon emission computed tomography, and intracranial EEG monitoring. MEG and fMRI can localize and lateralize the area of the cortex that is essential for language, motor, and memory function and identify its relationship with planned surgical resection sites to reduce the risk of neurological impairments. These advanced structural and functional imaging modalities can be combined with postprocessing methods to better understand the epileptic network and obtain valuable clinical information for predicting long-term outcomes in pediatric epilepsy.

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

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.211-219
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• 2016

Background: Panax ginseng root is used in traditional oriental medicine for human health. Its main active components such as saponins and polysaccharides have been widely evaluated for treating diseases, but secondary active components such as oligosaccharides have been rarely studied. This study aimed to assess the impact of water-soluble ginseng oligosaccharides (WGOS), which were isolated from the warm-water extract of Panax ginseng root, on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in mice and its antineuroinflammatory mechanisms. Methods: We investigated the impact of WGOS on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in mice by using Morris water maze and novel object recognition task. We also analyzed the impact of WGOS on scopolamine-induced inflammatory response (e.g., the hyperexpression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 and astrocyte activation) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) immunohistochemical staining. Results: WGOS pretreatment protected against scopolamine-induced learning and memory deficits in the Morris water maze and in the novel object recognition task. Furthermore, WGOS pretreatment downregulated scopolamine-induced hyperexpression of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 mRNA and astrocyte activation in the hippocampus. These results indicate that WGOS can protect against scopolamine-induced alterations in learning and memory and inflammatory response. Conclusion: Our data suggest that WGOS may be beneficial as a medicine or functional food supplement to treat disorders with cognitive deficits and increased inflammation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2020

SHP2 is an unusual protein phosphatase that functions as an activator for several signaling pathways, including the RAS pathway, while most other phosphatases suppress their downstream signaling cascades. The physiological and pathophysiological roles of SHP2 have been extensively studied in the field of cancer research. Mutations in the PTPN11 gene which encodes SHP2 are also highly associated with developmental disorders, such as Noonan syndrome (NS), and cognitive deficits including learning disabilities are common among NS patients. However, the molecular and cellular mechanism by which SHP2 is involved in cognitive functions is not well understood. Recent studies using SHP2 mutant mice or pharmacological inhibitors have shown that SHP2 plays critical role in learning and memory and synaptic plasticity. Here, we review the recent studies demonstrating that SHP2 is involved in synaptic plasticity, and learning and memory, by the regulation of the expression and/or function of glutamate receptors. We suggest that each cell type may have distinct paths connecting the dots between SHP2 and glutamate receptors, and these paths may also change with aging.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2016

We investigated the effect of Selaginella tamariscina extract on the learning and memory impairments in scopolamine-induced (5 mg/kg, i.p.) dementia rats. Rats treated with oral tacrin (20 mg/kg, p.o.) as positive control group and S. tamariscina extract 100, 200mg/kg, p. o. (SME 100, SME 200) as experimental group had significantly reduced scopolamine-induced memory deficits in the passive avoidance test. The acetylcholine content were paralleled the results of the behavior experiment. The acetylcholine contents of the experimental groups (SME 200 group) was higher than that of control group. We also evaluated expression of VAchT, vesicular acetylcholine transporter. SME was significantly increased VAchT expression on hippocampus of scopolamine-induced dementia rats. We suggest that S. tamariscina might exert a significantly neuro-protective effect on cognitive impairment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.708-712
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• 2020

Vacuolar protein sorting (VPS) 26b is a newly discovered member of the retromer complex; it is encoded by a single-copy gene located on mouse chromosome 9, and the complex has been reported as being composed of proteins VPS26, VPS29, and VPS35. We have previously shown that mice lacking VPS26b exhibited no significant body size or health issues. Although retromer components are widely expressed in mouse tissue, their roles have not yet been completely elucidated. The current study investigates whether the VPS26b-associated retromer complex can be used as a neurodegeneration model. Previously, we observed a significant reduction in VPS35 and VPS29 in the brain cells of in VPS26b-deficient mice as well as an absence of the VPS26b-VPS29-VPS35 retromer complex despite the normal presence of VPS26a-VPS29-VPS35. Recent studies have suggested that low levels of VPS35 can lead to Alzheimer's disease-like phenotypes including cognitive memory deficits. In this study, we successfully demonstrate an association between the absence of the VPS26b-VPS29-VPS35 retromer complex, reduced cell density in the CA3 region of the hippocampus, and learning disability in VPS26b knock-out mice. The results also indicate that the VPS26b-associated retromer complex affects neurodegenerative disorders and learning processes.