• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.241-252
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• 2004

Purpose: Population based structural and functional maps of the brain provide effective tools for the analysis and interpretation of complex and individually variable brain data. Brain MRI and PET standard templates and statistical probabilistic maps based on image data of Korean normal volunteers have been developed and probabilistic maps based on cytoarchitectonic data have been introduced. A quantification method using these data was developed for the objective assessment of regional intensity in the brain images. Materials and Methods: Age, gender and ethnic specific anatomical and functional brain templates based on MR and PET images of Korean normal volunteers were developed. Korean structural probabilistic maps for 89 brain regions and cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps for 13 Brodmann areas were transformed onto the standard templates. Brain FDG PET and SPGR MR images of normal volunteers were spatially normalized onto the template of each modality and gender. Regional uptake of radiotracers in PET and gray matter concentration in MR images were then quantified by averaging (or summing) regional intensities weighted using the probabilistic maps of brain regions. Regionally specific effects of aging on glucose metabolism in cingulate cortex were also examined. Results: Quantification program could generate quantification results for single spatially normalized images per 20 seconds. Glucose metabolism change in cingulate gyrus was regionally specific: ratios of glucose metabolism in the rostral anterior cingulate vs. posterior cingulate and the caudal anterior cingulate vs. posterior cingulate were significantly decreased as the age increased. 'Rostral anterior'/'posterior' was decreased by 3.1% per decade of age ($P<10^{-11}$, r=0.81) and 'caudal anterior'/'posterior' was decreased by 1.7% ($P<10^{-8}$, r=0.72). Conclusion: Ethnic specific standard templates and probabilistic maps and quantification program developed in this study will be useful for the analysis of brain image of Korean people since the difference in shape of the hemispheres and the sulcal pattern of brain relative to age, gender, races, and diseases cannot be fully overcome by the nonlinear spatial normalization techniques.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2003

The common features of the behavioral inhibition and the action monitoring that are considered as one of the executive functions were investigated using event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and source localization analysis. The electrophysiological correlates of behavioral inhibition and action monitoring ate analyzed when the subjects performed the Go/NoGo task. Two ERP components of behavioral inhibition termed as N200 and P300 in NoGo condition were differ from those of Go condition, that is the amplitudes of NoGo N200 and P300 are largest on the fronto-central region, which may reflect the inhibitory control of frontal lobe required in NoGo condition. The error-related negativity (ERN) observed on the fronto-central region when the subjects committed error was much larger in amplitude and faster in latency than those of the correct-related negativity (CRN), which may indicate that the signal of action monitoring is much more required for the error response. The correlation analysis for the ERP components of behavioral inhibition and action monitoring revealed the significant negative correlation among the latencies of NoGo N200 and P300 and the amplitude of ERN, which may reflects that the faster subjects inhibit response, the more monitor their own action. The close relationship between behavioral inhibition and action monitoring was also supported by the results of source localization analysis, which showed the common neural sources of NoGo N200 and ERN was anterior cingulate cortex.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.161-170
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• 2013

Objectives : Our study aimed to investigate the sustained effects of sham (SHAM) and verum acupuncture (ACUP) into the post-stimulus resting state. Methods : In contrast to previous studies, in order to define the changes in resting state induced by acupuncture, changes were evaluated with a multi-method approach by using regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF). Twelve healthy participants received SHAM and ACUP stimulation right GB34 (Yanglingquan) and the neural changes between post- and pre-stimulation were detected. Results : The following results were found; in both ReHo and ALFF, the significant foci of; left and right middle frontal gyrus, left medial frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, and right posterior cingulate cortex, areas that are known as a default mode network, showed increased connectivity. In addition, in ReHo, but not in ALFF, brain activation changes in the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and the thalamus, which are associated with acupuncture pain modulation, were found. Conclusions : In this study, results obtained by using ReHo and ALFF, showed that acupuncture can modulate the post-stimulus resting state and that ReHo, but not ALFF, can also detect the neural changes that were induced by the acupuncture stimulations. Although more future studies with ReHo and ALFF will be needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn, our study shows that particularly ReHo could be an interesting method for future clinical neuroimaging studies on acupuncture.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2012

Objectives : Characteristic symptoms, including hyperactivity and easy distractibility, in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suggest that their brain status, even at rest, might differ from that of healthy children. This study was conducted in order to determine whether resting state brain activity is compromised in medication-naive children with ADHD. Methods : Twenty medication-naive children with ADHD (mean age $10.3{\pm}2.5$) and 28 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (mean age $10.3{\pm}2.0$) underwent measurements for resting state brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Among resting state related-independent components (RSICs) extracted from fMRI data using independent component analysis, a significant difference in RSICs was observed between groups, using a mixed Gaussian/gamma model. Results : Except for IQ, which was higher in the healthy control group, no demographic difference was observed between the two groups (p<.001). Significantly less activation of one RSIC, which includes the bilateral precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex, occipito-temporal junction, and anterior cingulate cortex, was observed in the ADHD group, compared with the control group (p<.05). Conclusion : An abnormal RSIC, posterior default mode network (DMN), was observed in the medication-naive ADHD group. Results of our study suggest that abnormality of posterior DMN is one of the main pathophysiologies of ADHD.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.403-414
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• 2011

The current study examined brain regions associated with aesthetic experience to fractal images using functional MRI. The aesthetic estimations of the images showed that there is a general consensus regarding the perception of beautiful images. Out of 270 fractal images, fifty images rated highest(beautiful images) and fifty images rated lowest(non-beautiful images) were selected and presented to the participants. The two conditions were presented using the block design. Frontal lobes, cingulate gyri, and insula, the areas related to the cognitive and emotional processing in aesthetic experience, were activated when beautiful images were presented. In contrast, the middle occipital gyri and precuneus, the areas associated with experience of negative emotions, were activated when non-beautiful images were presented. The conjunction analysis showed activations in temporal areas in response to beautiful images and activations in parietal areas in response to non-beautiful images. These results indicate that beautiful images elicit semantic interpretations whereas non-beautiful images facilitate abstract processes.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.05
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• pp.92-94
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• 1997

By measuring the increase of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during the activation tasks, we can describe the brain regions that participate in certain specific functions. In this study, we composed the functional maps of verbal and nonverbal memory by performing the rCBF positron emission tomography (PET) activation studies and analyzing the differences between control and each activation state. Successive four tasks, which consist of one control state and three different activation tasks, were performed on 6 normal volunteers. All images were spatially normalized on standard atlas and the differences between control and activation states were statistically analyzed. The verbal memory activated predominantly left-sided structures, especially left superior temporal cortex, and the nonverbal short-term memory activated the right frontal cortex. Also, some regions ,where is thought to be related with short-term memory system, such as cingulate gyrus and hippocampus were activated. We conclude that biological validity of the brain regions for verbal and nonverbal memory could be tested using rCBF PET imaging technique and statistical analysis.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.684-694
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• 2021

Resting-state Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging(fMRI) data detects the temporal correlations in Blood Oxygen Level Dependent(BOLD) signal and these temporal correlations are regarded to reflect intrinsic cortical connectivity, which is deactivated during attention demanding, non-self referential tasks, called Default Mode Network(DMN). The relationship between fMRI and anatomical connectivity has not been studied in detail, however, the preceded studies have tried to clarify this relationship using Diffusion Tensor Imaging(DTI) and fMRI. These studies use method that fMRI data assists DTI data or vice versa and it is used as guider to perform DTI tractography on the brain image. In this study, we hypothesized that functional connectivity in resting state would reflect anatomical connectivity of DMN and the combined images include information of fMRI and DTI showed visible connection between brain regions related in DMN. In the previous study, functional connectivity was determined by subjective region of interest method. However, in this study, functional connectivity was determined by objective and advanced method through Independent Component Analysis. There was a stronger connection between Posterior Congulate Cortex(PCC) and PHG(Parahippocampa Gyrus) than Anterior Cingulate Cortex(ACC) and PCC. This technique might be used in several clinical field and will be the basis for future studies related to aging and the brain diseases, which are needed to be translated not only functional connectivity, but structural connectivity.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.317-332
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• 2012

We investigated brain activity during the performance of the intelligence task by a science high school student group (n=8) and a foreign language high school student group (n=5). Both groups scored in the top 1% on intelligence tests (science high school group: RAPM mean score=34.0, WAIS mean IQ=139.6; foreign language high school group: RAPM mean score=33.8, WAIS mean IQ=147.2). Analysis of brain activity during the performance of the intelligence task showed that both groups had brain activity in certain areas, including the left and right prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, and anterior cingulate. The science high school group showed the highest activity in the right parietal cortex, which is related to visuo-spatial working memory, whereas the foreign language high school group showed the highest activity in the left prefrontal cortex, which is related to verbal working memory. The foreign language high school group showed higher brain activity than the science high school group in the left precentral gyrus which is related to the motion of the tongue and lips. These results show that the science high school group utilized the visuo-spatial area, whereas the foreign language high school group utilized the verbal area during the performance of the intelligence task. This suggests that the major thinking process differs depending on the gifted students' primary field of study, although they are doing the same task.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.153-165
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• 2017

Objectives : Recent neuroimaging studies focus on dysfunctions in connectivity between cognitive circuits and emotional circuits: anterior cingulate cortex that connects dorsolateral orbitofrontal cortex and prefrontal cortex to limbic system. Previous studies on pediatric depression using DTI have reported decreased neural connectivity in several brain regions, including the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, superior longitudinal fasciculus. We compared the neural connectivity of psychotropic drug naïve adolescent patients with a first onset of major depressive episode with healthy controls using DTI. Methods : Adolescent psychotropic drug naïve patients(n=26, 10 men, 16 women; age range, 13-18 years) who visited the Korea University Guro Hospital and were diagnosed with first onset major depressive disorder were registered. Healthy controls(n=27, 5 males, 22 females; age range, 12-17 years) were recruited. Psychiatric interviews, complete psychometrics including IQ and HAM-D, MRI including diffusion weighted image acquisition were conducted prior to antidepressant administration to the patients. Fractional anisotropy(FA), radial, mean, and axial diffusivity were estimated using DTI. FMRIB Software Library-Tract Based Spatial Statistics was used for statistical analysis. Results : We did not observe any significant difference in whole brain analysis. However, ROI analysis on right superior longitudinal fasciculus resulted in 3 clusters with significant decrease of FA in patients group. Conclusions : The patients with adolescent major depressive disorder showed statistically significant FA decrease in the DTI-based structure compared with healthy control. Therefore we suppose DTI can be used as a bio-marker in psychotropic drug-naïve adolescent patients with first onset major depressive disorder.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.102-105
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• 2017

In adolescents, sleep deprivation problem is getting worse, and increased caffeine consumption is considered to relieve the stress caused by sleep deprivation and academic burden. In this study, immediate neurologic effects of caffeine intake on adolescents were evaluated in three high school students using the ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid (GABA)/creatine ratio on magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). MEGA-PRESS MRS and TE 135 ms single voxel MRS were performed in the anterior cingulate cortex before and after drinking a cup of coffee, which contained 104 mg of caffeine. GABA and creatine were measured on LCModel 6.3, respectively. In all three students, GABA/creatine ratios were decreased after caffeine intake. The GABA/creatine ratios obtained before caffeine intake were decreased after caffeine intake in all the three adolescents. In this preliminary study, caffeine intake caused an immediate decrease in the GABA/creatine ratio in the brain and it may be related to the neurologic effects of caffeine on an adolescent's brain.