• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.323-328
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• 2008

A patient with respiratory disorders such as a sleep apnea is increasing as the obese patient increase on the modern society. Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) devices are used in curing patient with respiratory disorders and turn out to be efficacious for patients of 75%. However, these devices are required for evaluating their performance to improve their performance by the mechanical breathing simulator. Recently, the mechanical breathing simulator was studied by the real time feedback control. However, the mechanical breathing simulator by an open loop control was specially required in order to analyze the effect of flow rate and pressure after operating the breathing auxiliary devices. Therefore the aims of this study were to make the mechanical breathing simulator by a piston motion and a valve function from the characteristic test of valve and motor, and to duplicate the flow rate and pressure profiles of some breathing patterns: normal and three disorder patterns. The mechanical simulator is composed cylinder, valve, ball screw and the motor. Also, the characteristic test of the motor and the valve were accomplished in order to define the relationship between the characteristics of simulator and the breathing profiles. Then, the flow rate and pressure profile of human breathing patterns were duplicated by the control of motor and valve. The result showed that the simulator reasonably duplicated the characteristics of human patterns: normal, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), mild hypopnea with snore and mouth expiration patterns. However, we need to improve this simulator in detail and to validate this method for other patterns.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.44-52
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• 2018

Background: The deep cervical flexor (DCF) muscles have a crucial role in the management of neck pain. For preventing neck pain by activation of the DCF, craniocervical flexion (CCF) is an effective exercise. However, sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle is considered to affect negatively the activation of the DCF. SCM muscle which is an accessory muscle for respiration is activated differently depending on types of breathing patterns. It's not certain that breathing patterns affect the SCM and DCF muscles thickness during CCF exercise. Objects: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of breathing patterns on the SCM and DCF muscles thickness during CCF exercise. Methods: Forty-five subjects participated in this study, and they were classified according to their breathing pattern, as follows: costodiaphragmatic breathing (CDB) and upper costal breathing (UCB) groups. Ultrasonographic imaging of the SCM and DCF muscles was performed during five incremental levels of CCF during tidal breathing and expiration. Results: There was a significant interaction between the breathing pattern and the phase of CCF for percentage of SCM muscle thickness changes (p<.05). In phase 1 CCF, a percentage of SCM muscle thickness changes was increased in the UCB group than in the CDB group (p<.05). There was an increase in DCF muscles thickness with each additional CCF phase (p<.05). Conclusion: Recruitment of SCM muscle was increased in the UCB group while performing CCF with a low intensity. There were no significant differences on DCF recruitment between the breathing pattern groups. Higher CCF exercise intensities elicited a higher DCF recruitment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.81-89
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• 2018

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to monitor the performance of breathing exercises by patients with lumbar instability who had altered breathing patterns. METHODS: To investigate the effects of breathing exercises on spinal posture, mobility, and stabilization in patients with lumbar instability with altered breathing patterns, 30 adult participants were enrolled on the basis of the selection criteria and randomly assigned to the breathing exercise group (BEG) or trunk stabilization exercise group (SEG). A pre-test was performed prior to the intervention exercise program. The intervention exercise program consisted of 15 sessions (three sessions per week for 5 weeks) between August and September of 2016. The post-test was performed on the 6th week of intervention. RESULTS: Pre- and post-test comparisons of BEG and SEG revealed significant improvements in all tested items in the SEG, except for spinal mobility, while significant improvements in spinal postures 1 and 2, spinal mobility, and stabilization were found in the BEG. Between-group comparisons revealed that there were no significant differences in spinal posture 1, spinal posture 2, spinal mobility, or stabilization, whereas significant differences were found in spinal posture 2 and spinal mobility, with the BEG showing greater improvements than the SEG. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings in the present study, it is believed that breathing exercises have important effects on spinal posture, mobility, and stabilization in patients with lumbar instability who have altered breathing patterns.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2022

Background: We developed a machine vision technology program that tracks patients' real-time breathing and automatically analyzes their breathing patterns. Materials and Methods: To evaluate its potential for clinical application, the image tracking performance and accuracy of the program were analyzed using a respiratory motion phantom. Changes in the stability and regularity of breathing were observed in healthy adult volunteers according to whether the breathing pattern mirrored the breathing guidance. Results and Discussion: Displacement within a few millimeters was observed in real-time with a clear resolution, and the image tracking ability was excellent. This result was consistent even in the sections where breathing patterns changed rapidly. In addition, the respiratory gating method that reflected the individual breathing patterns improved breathing stability and regularity in all volunteers. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that this technology can be used to set the appropriate window and the range of internal target volume by reflecting the patient's breathing pattern during radiotherapy planning. However, further studies in clinical populations are required to validate this technology.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.63-73
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• 2020

Purpose: To investigate breathing-related changes in the balance ability of healthy adults. Methods: The participants were 36 healthy adults in their 20s and 30s. All participants were trained in three breathing (neutral, thoracic, and abdominal) methods one week before measurements. We used AccuSway to measure each participant's balance ability, using each breathing technique, in two postures (bipedal and unipedal). Results: During the bipedal balance task, abdominal breathing produced significant increases in path length and sway velocity. Abdominal breathing resulted in significant changes in sample entropy at the anteroposterior location compared with neutral breathing (p<.05). In the normalized anteroposterior location, there were significant changes in backward movement during thoracic and abdominal breathing compared with those during neutral breathing (p<.05). During the unipedal balance task, path length and sway velocity increased significantly during voluntary breathing compared with those during neutral breathing (p<.05). There was a significant change in backward movement when abdominal breathing-compared with neutral breathing-was used in the normalized anteroposterior location (p<.05). In the normalized left-right location, there was a significant shift to the right during thoracic breathing compared with that during neutral breathing (p<.05). Conclusion: Compared with neutral breathing, altered voluntary breathing patterns affect balance in healthy adults. Our results indicated that that static balance was more affected by abdominal breathing than by neutral breathing. Future studies should examine variables such as the breathing volume, rhythm, and method.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.334-339
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• 2023

Objective: The present study is designed to delve deeper into the realm of fibromyalgia (FM) symptom management by investigating the effects of diaphragmatic breathing on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in women diagnosed with FM. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), the study aims to capture real-time PFC activation patterns during the practice of diaphragmatic breathing. The overarching objective is to identify and understand the underlying neural mechanisms that may contribute to the observed clinical benefits of this relaxation technique. Design: A case report Methods: To achieve this, a twofold approach was adopted: First, the patient's breathing patterns were meticulously examined to detect any aberrations. Following this, fNIRS was employed, focusing on the activation dynamics within the PFC. Results: Our examination unveiled a notable breathing pattern disorder inherent to the FM patient. More intriguingly, the fNIRS analysis offered compelling insights: the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) displayed increased activation. In stark contrast, regions of the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) manifested decreased activity, especially when benchmarked against typical activations seen in healthy adults. Conclusions: These findings, derived from a nuanced examination of FM, underscore the condition's multifaceted nature. They highlight the imperative to look beyond conventional symptomatology and appreciate the profound neurological and physiological intricacies that define FM.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.64-69
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• 2017

Purpose: Breathing can be controlled either unconsciously or consciously. In Asian countries, various conscious breathing-control techniques have been practiced for many years to promote health and wellbeing. However, the exact mechanism underlying these techniques has not yet been established. The purpose of this study is to explore the physiological mechanism explaining how conscious breathing control could affect the autonomic nervous system, brain activity, and mental changes. Methods: The coupling phenomenon among breathing rhythm, heart rate variability, and brain waves was explored theoretically based on the research hypothesis and a review of the literature. Results: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is a well-known phenomenon in which heart rate changes to become synchronized with breathing: inhalation increases heart rate and exhalation decreases it. HRV BFB training depends on conscious breathing control. During coherent sinusoidal heart rate changes, brain ${\alpha}$ waves could be enhanced. An increase in ${\alpha}$ waves was also found and the synchronicity between heart beat rhythm and brain wave became strengthened during meditation. Conclusion: In addition to the effect of emotion on breathing patterns, conscious breathing could change heart beat rhythms and brainwaves, and subsequently affect emotional status.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.279-284
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of head posture and respiratory pattern on muscle activities of sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and scalene during maximal respiration. The seventeen subjects with upper-costal breathing pattern were participated in this study. Surface electromyography was used to measure the muscles activities of SCM and scalene. The volume and velocity of inspiration were monitored by using the spirometer in each subject. Each subject was performed the 3-cycle of respiration in each condition. The mean values of three peak muscle activity in each muscle were used in the data analysis. A2 (head posture: forward head posture: FHP vs. neutral posture) X 2 (breathing pattern: costal vs. diaphragmatic) repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the normalized muscle activities of the SCM and scalene. The results showed that the muscle activities of SCM and scalene in diaphragmatic breathing were significantly lower than those in costal breathing for each head posture (p<.0125). The muscle activities of SCM in neutral position were lower than those in forward head position during costal breathing (p<.0125). The diaphragmatic breathing in neutral position of head is recommended to decrease the tension of the accessory inspiratory muscles during respiration in neck-pain patients with FHP.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.11-16
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• 2002

Indoor air environment is one of the most important factors that affect resident's health and comfort level. In this paper, the influence of ventilation efficiency with different types of furniture arrangement at breathing zone in a room was analyzed by numerical simulation based on computational fluid dynamics(CFD). The furniture layout of students' bedroom have been classified by three different patterns so that SVE3(scale for ventilation efficiency3) in the rooms was analyzed for air flow distribution. According to the results of the study, SVE3 has the maximum value in spaces between furnitures and each comer of the room. The furniture arrangement influences the ventilation efficiency. It was con finned that ventilation effective in a room is not uniformly distributed as compared the breathing zone with all the area in a room. It means that a study of ventilation efficiency was considered relatively with target zone(a residential or breathing zone) and all the area in a space.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.140-143
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• 2004

To appropriately control or compensate breathing motion of targets in thorax or abdomen during radiotherapy is still demanding. Our idea is that a visual signal may help regulate patient's breathing pattern, by controlling its amplitude and cycle. The system involving breathing control with a visual signal for aperture maneuver with controlled breath (AMC) has been developed. A thermocouple is used to detect the temperature change due to patient's breathing. The system also consists of a mask, in which the thermocouple is installed, an operational amplifier, a converter, etc. Patients were instructed to control their respiration by breathing following the visuals signal, as watching a display that shows both patients' current breathing pattern and the signal. The patterns of patients' controlled breathing and the signals coincided well. Therefore, when AMC technique is applied, a target moves in the range that is 60 % less than the range of free breathing motion with the help of the system and so target margins can be reduced significantly. This study reveals that a visual signal is not only useful to control patient's breathing but also clinically effective.