• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.323-339
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• 2021

Objectives: This study investigates the effect of electro-acupuncture on aphasia after stroke. Methods: A search of OASIS, NDSL, PubMed, Cochrane, and CNKI was executed between 4 January 2021 and 4 February 2021, with no limitation on publication year. Extraction and selection from the studies were made by 3 authors. The quality of the studies was evaluated using Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) tool. Results: 10 studies met the selection criteria. As the treatment site for electro-acupuncture, GV20 (Baihui) was used the most. In all studies, the region located on the head was used for treatment without distinguishing between acupoints and areas of scalp acupuncture, and the stimulation was organized into 3 conditions: speed, intensity, and time. The outcome indicators used before and after treatment focused on the evaluation of language function and the degree of aphasia. The results showed that using electro-acupuncture with speech rehabilitation therapy for aphasia after stroke was more effective than using speech rehabilitation therapy alone. Conclusions: In this review, electro-acupuncture for aphasia after stroke was found to have a significant effect compared to the previous treatment alone. However, because of limitations, information was not reliable enough. Additional research is needed to produce more objective evidence.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.44-55
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• 2021

Objectives : The aim of this article is to compare the effect of the korean medicine alone with korean-western combination treatment to herpes zoster. Methods : Domestic databases(OASIS, NDSL, RISS, KISS, KTKP, KMBASE, DBPIA, KoreaMed, National Assembly Library) were used to search case study papers related to herpes zoster and korean medicine treatment. We searched them using the term 'Herpes zoster' or 'Ramsey Hunt' combinated with 'Acupuntcure', 'Herbal medicine' or 'Korean medicine'. Results : A total of 36 studies were selected and analyzed. 25 studies treated with korean medicine and 11 studies treated with korean-western combination treatment which include any western medication. Of these 36 papers, there were a total of 24 cases in which a VAS test was undertaken. According to 36 published papers, no statistically significant difference in the periods of treatment with korean medicine alone from those of korean-western combination treatment was found. Also, no statistical difference in the VAS changes per period with korean medicine alone from those with korean-western combination treatment was found. Conclusions : According to the results, These findings suggest that korean medicine treatment can be effective for the herpes zoster the same as korean-western combination treatment.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1089-1099
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cinnamon on the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) and to introduce its use in Korea. Method: We searched the experimental studies in electronic databases (PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang, CiNii, J-STAGE, Science ON, and OASIS) using the key search terms "cinnamic acid", "cinnamon", "cinnamomum", "Parkinson's disease", "Parkinson disease", "Parkinsonism", and "dopamine". This study only involved experimental studies (in vivo and in vitro) that adopted cinnamon as a single administration and measured indicators relating to Parkinson's disease, including parkin, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and dopamine. Results: A Total of 11 literature studies were selected, and they all showed that treatment with cinnamon has a neuroprotective effect. Cinnamon activated neuroprotective factors and restored neurotransmitters and it reduced the rate of oxidative stress and inflammation in neurons. As a result, cell viability was upregulated, while cell apoptosis and neurodegeneration were downregulated. Five in vivo studies, through behavioral tests, also confirmed that cinnamon recovers locomotor function in PD models. Conclusion: We identified that cinnamon is an effective neural protector and improves motor performance in behavioral testing in the experimental PD studies.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.993-1014
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• 2020

Objective: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. Antioxidant stress and inflammatory reactions are important causes of neurodegenerative diseases and are major causes of PD. Many animal experiments have been aimed at treating PD using the antioxidant effects of various traditional medicines and dietary supplements. This review reports the research investigating the antioxidant effects of herbs in in vivo PD models. Methods: The study consisted of a database search for articles related to PD and herbal treatments using the OASIS, NDSL, KTKP, Korean KISS, PubMed, Science Direct, CNKI, Wanfang, and J-STAGE databases. The search period was limited from the start of the search engine application to November 14, 2019. Studies were selected to confirm the antioxidant effects of herbal medicines in an in vivo PD model. Results: Eighty-two studies were summarized for plant species, extracts (or compounds), animal models, neurotoxins, and functional results. The most frequently used herbal materials were Bacopa monnieri, Camellia sinensis, Centella asiatica, and Withania somnifera. MPTP and 6-OHDA were the most commonly used neurotoxins for inducing PD. Most studies confirmed an increased expression and activation of antioxidant enzymes and a decrease in oxidative stress. Herbal materials showed their antioxidant effects regardless of the order of treatment and confirmed their possible use as treatments for the prevention and treatment of neurodegeneration. Conclusion: Many herbal medicines have antioxidant effects and are likely to be effective in delaying neurodegenerative damage by inhibiting or reducing oxidative stress by expression of antioxidant enzymes.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2021

Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of chuna manual therapy for rhinitis. Methods We performed a literature search using ten electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese Academic Journals(CAJ), Research Information Sharing Service(RISS), Dbpia, National Digital Science Library(NDSL), Koreanstudies Information Service System(KISS), Korean Medical database(KMbase), and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System(OASIS)) and two academic journals up to the end of April 2021. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which appraised the effect of chuna manual therapy (CMT) in the treatment of rhinitis. The risk of bias was evaluated from the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Results 4 appropriate RCTs were included and analyzed. The efficacy rate of the CMT group was statistically higher compared to the control group treated with medicine[RR 1.14 (95%CI 1.06 1.22), P<0.01]. Conclusions Based on results, CMT could be effective in rhinitis. However, evidence were limited due to small number of studies, lack of well-designed RCT and regional bias. Further well-designed research should be required to obtain stronger evidence.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.105-121
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• 2022

Objectives This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of electro-acupuncture for sciatica. Methods We searched 13 online databases (Kmbase, Research Information Sharing Service [RISS], National Digital Science Library [NDSL], Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System [OASIS], Koreanstudies, Koreantk, DBpia, PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, Medline, China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], J-stage) to find randomized-controlled clinical trials (RCTs) that used electro-acupuncture for sciatica. Efficacy rate and visual analogue scale (VAS) were mainly analyzed as a main evaluation criteria. Results Among 583 articles that were searched, 24 RCTs were finally selected and 18 RCTs were statistically analyzed. Electro-acupuncture was more effective than acupuncture in terms of efficacy rate (p<0.00001) and VAS (p<0.00001). Also, Electro-acupuncture was more effective than western medication in terms of efficacy rate (p=0.0005). However, the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture was not identified compared to physical therapy (p=0.42). Electro-acupuncture significantly improved efficacy rate when combined with physical therapy than physical therapy alone (p<0.0001). In addition, electro-acupuncture plus Chuna manual therapy compared to Chuna manual therapy alone showed positive results for efficacy rate (p=0.05) and VAS (p<0.0001). Conclusions Based on results, the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture for sciatica was identified. However, this study has limitations because the RCTs included in this study were small in number and published in a particular region. Although this study could be a groundwork for well designed research for sciatica.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.51-69
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of using Boyanghwano-tang(BYHWT) for diabetic retinopathy. Methods : We searched randomized controlled trials(RCTs) that used BYHWT for diabetic retinopathy in 10 databases(RISS, KISS, ScienceON, KCI, OASIS, DBpia, CNKI, Wanfang Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library) on August 12, 2023. Outcome measurements included total effective rate(TER) and visual acuity as the primary outcome measurements, and the secondary outcome measurements included fasting blood glucose(FBG), 2hPG, HbA1c, ET-1, NO, etc. The indicator of stability included adverse reactions. A meta-analysis was conducted according to TER, visual acuity, FBG. Results : A total of 8 randomized control trials were selected. The treatment group which used BYHWT showed significant improvement effects in TER and visual acuity compared to the control group which used western medicine or chinese patent medicine alone. TER: (RR: 1.22, CI 1.14 to 1.31, P=<0.00001), visual acuity: (RR: 2.06, CI 1.40 to 3.03, P=0.0002). Secondary outcome measurements including FBG also showed improvement in the treatment group compared to the control group. FBG: (MD: -0.15, CI -0.43 to 0.31, P=0.28). Adverse reactions were only mentioned in one study, which showed that no adverse reactions occurred in both the treatment and control groups. Conclusions : This study suggests that BYHWT is effective for diabetic retinopathy. However these findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the insufficient number of studies and unknown or high risk of bias in the included trials.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.31-54
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• 2024

Objectives: This study assessed the effectiveness of Hwanggigyejiomul-tang for postoperative breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) by a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: A search was conducted using keywords such as "breast cancer", "lymphedema", "edema", "Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction", "Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu tang", and "Hwanggigyejiomul tang" in 10 databases (PubMed, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, CNKI, CiNii, RISS, KISS, ScienceON, OASIS, DBpia) on February 11, 2024. There were no limits on the publication period and language, and the quality of the studies was evaluated using Cochrane's risk of bias tool. A meta-analysis was performed based on the outcome measurements, such as total effective rate (TER), increase in shoulder joint mobility (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction), Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), and visual analog scale (VAS) using Review Manager Web. Results: Eleven RCTs were selected. The treatment group (Hwanggigyejiomul-tang-gagambang or hapbang with control group intervention) showed a more statistically significant effect compared with the control group (physical therapy or western medicine) in TER (upper limb circumference change), TER (upper limb edema grade change), increase in flexion angle, increase in extension angle, increase in adduction angle, FMA, and VAS. Conclusions: Hwanggigyejiomul-tang is effective in treating postoperative BCRL. However, because of the low quality of the included studies, more clinical studies are required to increase the possibility of clinical use.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.101-116
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• 2012

Objectives : This study aims to analyze the papers of the east-west medical combined treatment and suggest the research direction. Methods : 183 research papers were collected by using 25 keywords including combination(in korean words, 병용), collaborative practice(in korean words, 협진) in Korean Medical Database(KMbase) and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System(OASIS). We analysed the type of studies, the kind of diseases, the treatment method, the kind of herbs and drugs in frequent use, and the result of research. Results : Among the analysed 183 papers, clinical studies are 89 cases and experimental studies are 94. 5 cases of clinical studies are Randomized Controlled Trial(RCT). The cancer(50 papers) and diseases of the circulatory system(25 papers) occupied mostly in treatment studies. Because Combined treatment was actively progressed in oriental medicine, treatment was mainly applied the combined oriental medical treatment with herbs and western drugs. In herbal medicine, Mahwangyounpae-tang(麻黃潤肺湯) and Eunkyo-San(銀翹散) were frequently used in the papers. In western drugs, Cyclophosphamide, Cisplatin, and Mitomycin C were frequently used in the papers. 154 papers introduced the treatment effect, 14 papers announced the safety, and 4 papers mentioned the side effect. Conclusions : We suggested several future research direction as follows. Clinical studies based on experiment studies must be more activated and many RCT shoud be shown. Experimental group in clinical studies should be clearly separated to confirm the treatment method is effective or isn't effective. Studies about the side effect must be expanded, and every study should be confirmed both the treatment effect and safety.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.488-509
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• 2021

Purpose: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a chronic syndrome accompanied by repetitive digestive symptoms that appear in the upper gastrointestinal tract and are not caused by specific diseases. Psychological symptoms like anxiety, depression, insomnia, and somatization are frequently observed in FD. The purpose of this study was to review the effect of herbal medicine on the psychological symptoms that accompany FD. Methods: Database search (PubMed, EMBASE, KISS, Kmbase, KoreanMed, NDSL, OASIS, CNKI) was performed on February 24, 2021; a total of 1825 studies were searched. After the screening, 22 studies were included. Results: The studies were assessed by Cochrane RoB 2 and sorted into a table according to psychological symptoms. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate the effect of herbal medicine. Twenty of the twenty-two studies reported that herbal medicine was significantly more effective than the control group. Only three of the studies did not have a high risk of bias. Conclusion: Herbal medicine was significantly effective with or without Western medicine and had fewer adverse effects. Severe adverse effect was not reported. Psychological symptoms in FD affect onset and duration of FD, and some FD patients want to be treated for their anxiety before other symptoms. Reliable information about treatment for the psychological symptoms of FD is lacking. We reviewed the effect of herbal medicine treatment in this study, the results of which could be selected for primary or secondary treatment for FD.