• Title/Summary/Keyword: Cognitive Functions

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Regional Grey and White Matter Changes in the Brain Reward System Among Patients with Alcohol Dependency

  • Park, Mi-Sook;Seok, Ji-Woo;Kim, Eun-Ye;Noh, Ji-Hye;Sohn, Jin-Hun
    • Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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    • v.20 no.4
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    • pp.113-126
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    • 2017
  • The purpose of the study was to find grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volume reduction in the brain reward system among patients with alcohol dependency. This study investigated regional GM and WM in chronic alcoholic patients, focusing primarily on the reward system, including principal components of the mesocorticolimbic reward circuit as well as cortical areas with modulating and oversight functions. Sixteen abstinent long-term chronic alcoholic men and demographically matched 16 healthy control men participated in the study. Morphometric analysis was performed on magnetic resonance brain scans using voxel-based morphometry (VBM)-diffeomorphic Anatomical Registration through Exponentiated Liealgebra (DARTEL). We derived GM and WM volumes from total brain and cortical and subcortical reward-related structures. Morphometric analyses that revealed the total volume of GM and WM was reduced and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was increased in the alcohol group compared to control group. The pronounced volume reduction in the reward system was observed in the GM and WM of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), GM of the amygdala, GM and WM of the hippocampus, WM of the thalamus, GM and WM of the insula, GM of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), GM of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), GM of the cingulate cortex (CC), GM and WM of the parahippocampal gyrus in the alcohol group. We identified volume reductions in WM as well as GM of reward system in the patients with alcohol dependency. These structural deficits in the reward system elucidate underlying impairment in the emotional and cognitive processing in alcoholism.

A Study on the Wearing Conditions for the Development of Toddler's Indoor Clothing -Focus on 3 to 6-Year Old Toddlers- (유아(幼兒) 실내복 개발을 위한 착의실태 조사 -만 3~6세 유아를 중심으로-)

  • Nam, Young-Ran;Choi, Hei-Sun;Kim, Eun-Kyong
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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    • v.35 no.11
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    • pp.1309-1321
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    • 2011
  • Clothes for a 3 to 6 year-old toddler should be made in consideration of their behavioral characteristics since it is when the physical ability of toddlers has rapidly developed and their social, emotional, and cognitive development are increasingly active. Indoor clothes are the item that consumers prefer because they provide the function of outside underwear when functioning as outerwear when indoors that is used frequently for toddlers. We analyzed the wearing condition and the uncomfortable aspects of toddler's clothes worn indoors through consumer surveys of toddler wear. This study gathers data for the development of indoor clothing that is useful for 3-6 year old toddlers. Consumer surveys indicate that the clothes most worn indoors were underwear (69.4%). The most important aspect in the selection of indoor clothes was the suitability for activities (29%). The preferred colors for indoor clothes were found to be pastel-tone colors (66%). Regarding the uncomfortable aspects of indoor clothes, knees of the clothes (36.8%) have the most naps and the breast of the clothes (37.8%) dirty quickly. Knee parts (35.4%) become worn easily; in addition, the material for the knee area is likely to have naps and require special functions. In conclusion, designing toddler clothing requires elaborated design techniques that consider the characteristics of the subject group and reduce inconveniences. This study will serve as preliminary data to develop ultimate products that have the functionality to meet gender behavior characteristics and the aesthetics for toddlers 3 to 6 years of age.

The Relationship of Dysfunctions Degree, Daily Living Activity, Depressiveness and Quality of Life among the Elderly Suffering from Stroke (뇌졸중 노인의 기능장애 정도, 일상생활 수행능력, 우울과 삶의 질 간의 관계)

  • Park, In-Sook;Kim, Do-Yeon;Kang, Chang-Yeol
    • The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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    • v.5 no.2
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    • pp.173-186
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    • 2011
  • The purpose of this study was to know dysfunctions degree, daily living activity, depression and quality of life among stroke elderly person; and to know what kind of factors affecting to quality of life of the stroke elderly person; after that provide a fundamental data to nursing arbitration plan about increase height quality of life of the stroke elderly person. The study subjects were collected 119 people, over than 60 age, who were diagnosed with stoke in D hospital, living in B city. The data was collected by using personal interviews and questionnaire, from Nov 2008 to Jan 2009. The questionnaire were Pre-Stroke MRDS(Modified Rankin Disability Scale), Barthel-ADL(Activities of Daily Living), K-IADL(Korean-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living), GDS-15(Geriatric Depression Scale-15-question form) methods. The pre-stroke MRDS was appeared a functional obstacle. The mean score of activity of daily living was 18.24 which showed the subjects were mildly disabled, the score of instrumental activities of daily living was 7.94 which showed the mildly abled, and score of depressiveness was 7.41 which showed the subjects were mildly depression. There was a significantly correlation among MRDS, ADL, IADL, depressiveness and quality of life. Through these study result, important to check the old subjects' depressiveness, cognitive functions, daily living abilities, dysfunctions degree to main tain their quality of life.

A Conceptual Framework for an Information Behavior Model Based on the Collaboration Perspective between User and System for Information Retrieval

  • Yangyuen, Wachira;Phetkaew, Thimaporn;Nuntapichai, Siwanath
    • Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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    • v.8 no.3
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    • pp.30-46
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    • 2020
  • This research aimed (1) to study and analyze the ability of current information retrieval (IR) systems based on views of information behavior (IB), and (2) to propose a conceptual framework for an IB model based on the collaboration between the system and user, with the intent of developing an IR system that can apply intelligent techniques to enhance system efficiency. The methods in this study consisted of (1) document analysis which included studying the characteristics and efficiencies of the current IR systems and studying the IB models in the digital environment, and (2) implementation of the Delphi technique through an indepth interview method with experts. The research results were presented in three main parts. First, the IB model was categorized into eight stages, different from traditional IB, in the digital environment, which can correspond to all behaviors and be applied to with an IR system. Second, insufficient functions and log file storage hinder the system from effectively understanding and accommodating user behavior in the digital environment. Last, the proposed conceptual framework illustrated that there are stages that can add intelligent techniques to the IR system based on the collaboration perspective between the user and system to boost the users' cognitive ability and make the IR system more user-friendly. Importantly, the conceptual framework for the IB model based on the collaboration perspective between the user and system for IR assisted the ability of information systems to learn, recognize, and comprehend human IB according to individual characteristics, leading to enhancement of interaction between the system and users.

A retrospective analysis of outpatient anesthesia management for dental treatment of patients with severe Alzheimer's disease

  • So, Eunsun;Kim, Hyun Jeong;Karm, Myong-Hwan;Seo, Kwang-Suk;Chang, Juhea;Lee, Joo Hyung
    • Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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    • v.17 no.4
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    • pp.271-280
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    • 2017
  • Background: The number of patients with Alzheimer's disease is growing worldwide, and the proportion of patients requiring dental treatment under general anesthesia increases with increasing severity of the disease. However, outpatient anesthesia management for these patients involves great risks, as most patients with Alzheimer's disease are old and may show reduced cardiopulmonary functions and have cognitive disorders. Methods: This study retrospectively investigated 43 patients with Alzheimer's disease who received outpatient anesthesia for dental treatment between 2012-2017. Pre-anesthesia patient evaluation, dental treatment details, anesthetics dose, blood pressure, duration and procedure of anesthesia, and post-recovery management were analyzed and compared between patients who underwent general anesthesia or intravenous sedation. Results: Mean age of patients was about 70 years; mean duration of Alzheimer's disease since diagnosis was 6.3 years. Severity was assessed using the global deterioration scale; 62.8% of patients were in level ${\geq}6$. Mean duration of anesthesia was 178 minutes for general anesthesia and 85 minutes for intravenous sedation. Mean recovery time was 65 minutes. Eleven patients underwent intravenous sedation using propofol, and 22/32 cases involved total intravenous anesthesia using propofol and remifentanil. Anesthesia was maintained with desflurane for other patients. While maintaining anesthesia, inotropic and atropine were used for eight and four patients, respectively. No patient developed postoperative delirium. All patients were discharged without complications. Conclusion: With appropriate anesthetic management, outpatient anesthesia was successfully performed without complications for dental treatment for patients with severe Alzheimer's disease.

Understanding Neurogastroenterology From Neuroimaging Perspective: A Comprehensive Review of Functional and Structural Brain Imaging in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

  • Kano, Michiko;Dupont, Patrick;Aziz, Qasim;Fukudo, Shin
    • Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.512-527
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    • 2018
  • This review provides a comprehensive overview of brain imaging studies of the brain-gut interaction in functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Functional neuroimaging studies during gut stimulation have shown enhanced brain responses in regions related to sensory processing of the homeostatic condition of the gut (homeostatic afferent) and responses to salience stimuli (salience network), as well as increased and decreased brain activity in the emotional response areas and reduced activation in areas associated with the top-down modulation of visceral afferent signals. Altered central regulation of the endocrine and autonomic nervous responses, the key mediators of the brain-gut axis, has been demonstrated. Studies using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging reported abnormal local and global connectivity in the areas related to pain processing and the default mode network (a physiological baseline of brain activity at rest associated with self-awareness and memory) in FGIDs. Structural imaging with brain morphometry and diffusion imaging demonstrated altered gray- and white-matter structures in areas that also showed changes in functional imaging studies, although this requires replication. Molecular imaging by magnetic resonance spectroscopy and positron emission tomography in FGIDs remains relatively sparse. Progress using analytical methods such as machine learning algorithms may shift neuroimaging studies from brain mapping to predicting clinical outcomes. Because several factors contribute to the pathophysiology of FGIDs and because its population is quite heterogeneous, a new model is needed in future studies to assess the importance of the factors and brain functions that are responsible for an optimal homeostatic state.

A Study on Method for Promoting Interaction in L2 Classroom Using Clickers (Clicker를 활용한 한국어 교실 상호 작용 증진 방안 연구)

  • Ryoo, Hye Jin
    • Journal of Korean language education
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.53-82
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    • 2014
  • This study aims to find the method to promote interaction in L2 classrooms. Active interaction between learner-to-learner and learner-to-teacher in L2 classroom plays an important role in language acquisition. In light of this, L2 classroom would benefit with the help of learning tools such as Clickers which helps learners to express their level of understanding during the process of learning itself. This is because the anonymity of Clickers allows learners to express their needs without the social risks associated with speaking up in the class. It allows for an evaluative feedback loop where both learners and teachers understand the level of progress of the learners, better enabling classrooms to adapt to the learners' needs. Eventually this tool promotes participation from learners, This is in turn, believed to be effective in fostering classroom interaction, allowing learning to take place in a more comfortable yet vibrant way. This study is finalized by presenting the result of an experiment conducted to verify the effectiveness of this approach when teaching pragmatic aspect of the Korean expressions with similar semantic functions. As a result of the research, the learning achievement of learners in the experimental group was found higher than the learners' in a control group. Analyzing the data collected from a questionnaire given to the learners, the study presented data suggesting that this approach increased the scope of interactivity in the classroom, thus enhancing more active participation among learners. This active participation in turn led to a marked improvement in their communicative abilities.

The Brainwave Analyzer of Server System Applied Security Functions (보안기능을 강화한 뇌파 분석 서버시스템)

  • Choi, Sung-Ja;Kang, Byeong-Gwon;Kim, Gui-jung
    • Journal of Digital Convergence
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    • v.16 no.12
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    • pp.343-349
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    • 2018
  • Electroencephalograph(EEG) information, which is an important data of brain science, reflects various levels of information from the molecular level to the behavior and cognitive stages, and the explosively amplified information is provided at each stage. Therefore, EEG information is an intrinsic privacy area of an individual, which is important information to be protected. In this paper, we apply spring security to web based system of spring MVC (Model, View, Control) framework to build independent and lightweight server system with powerful security system. Through the proposal of the platform type EEG analysis system which enhances the security function, the web service security of the EEG information is enhanced and the privacy of the EEG information can be protected.

Alternate Reality Game Based Education in College (대학에서 대체현실게임기반 교육방법)

  • Chang, Hee-dong
    • Journal of Digital Convergence
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    • v.17 no.8
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    • pp.415-422
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    • 2019
  • The college students who are in the game generation have different cognitive characteristics from the previous generations, and the phenomena of attention loss in the existing education methods such as lectures are generally seen. This results in a problem that the satisfaction of the university education is lowered. To solve this problem, it is possible to improve students' interest and concentration by using game-based educational methods. In this paper, we propose a method of university education using alternative reality game. The prototype was implemented and tested to verify that the proposed method is suitable for the university environment and can be operated. Through the test results, we confirmed that the proposed method meets the requirements of the university education field and that the required functions are functioning normally. In addition, according to the results of the questionnaire surveyed for the students, it shows that the proposed alternative game method based on the alternative reality game will be more effective in attracting students and improving concentration than the current education method.

Association of Health Outcomes with Frailty in Community-Dwelling Korean Older Adults: An Integrative Review (국내 지역사회 거주 노인의 허약과 건강결과 간의 관계에 대한 통합적 고찰)

  • Son, Youn-Jung;Lee, Suk Jeong;Choi, Yu Ri
    • Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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    • v.26 no.1
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    • pp.5-18
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    • 2019
  • Purpose: Frailty is associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. We aimed to review the relationships between frailty and health outcomes in community-dwelling Korean elderly individuals. Methods: Whittemore and Knafls' framework for conducting integrative reviews was used. PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and six Korean databases were searched. For analysis, the study included articles written in English and Korean published between January 1960 and June 2018. Of the total 1,488 studies found in the databases, we analyzed 15 studies that met the quality of the evaluation criteria. Results: The prevalence of frailty in Korean elderly individuals ranged from 6.5% to 11.7% when divided into three levels of frailty. The health outcomes assessed in relation to frailty were divided into five domains: quality of life, physical health, psychosocial health, health behavior, and health care quality. Frailty was negatively associated with all five domains. Conclusions: Our study suggested that nurses should be aware of the limitations in the physical and cognitive functions of frail elderly individuals and provide tailored interventions for Korean elderly individuals. Furthermore, a large-scale study is needed to develop the Korean model of the frailty assessment tool and to verify the conceptual model of this study.