• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2009

Purpose: In order to examine difference in the activity of potential of spinal neurons and cortical neurons according to muscle contraction type in post stroke hemiplegic subjects and healthy subjects, the present study conducted an experiment as follows. Methods: The subjects in the experimental group were 17 left-side hemiplegic subjects (9 female, 8 male; mean age, 63.41$\pm$9.86 years) with the right hand as the dominant hand selected among post stroke hemiplegic subjects, and 17 age matched healthy control subjects (10 female, 7 male; mean age, 64.12$\pm$12.07 years). Movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) were measured using surface electromyography and electroencephalography while concentric and eccentric movements were made alternately. Results: As to the pattern of the activity of MRCP, which indicates the activity of motor cortical neurons, we found that the amplitude is high (p<0.01), the length of excitement is short (p<0.01) and the ascending gradient of amplitude to the peak increases (p<0.05) in post stroke hemiplegic subjects' lesion sites different from healthy subjects. Conclusion: The activity of cortical neurons was no difference in activity according to contraction type was observed in post stroke hemiplegic subjects' lesion sites. This suggests that there is no distinction in the activity of cortical neurons between concentric contraction and eccentric contraction. Accordingly, if post stroke hemiplegic subjects' activity of motor cortex is analyzed by measuring MRCPs, it is considered useful in research on neural plasticity or as a ground of clinical effects in the area of physical therapy for the central nervous system.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.187-202
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• 2018

Objectives : Non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation is one of therapeutic interventions to change in neural excitability of the cortex. Transcranial electro-acupuncture (TEA) can modulate brain functions through changes in cortical excitability as a model of non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation. Some composites of fermented Scutellaria baicalenis (FSB) can activate intercellular signaling pathways for activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor that is critical for formation of neural plasticity in stroke patients. This study was aimed at evaluation of combinatory treatment of TEA and FSB on behavior recovery and cortical neural excitability in rodent focal stroke model. Methods : Focal ischemic stroke was induced by photothrombotic injury to the motor cortex of adult rats. Application of TEA with 20 Hz and $200{\mu}A$ in combination with daily oral treatment of FBS was given to stroke animals for 3 weeks. Motor recovery was evaluated by rotating bean test and ladder working test. Electrical activity of cortical pyramidal neurons of stroke model was evaluated by using multi-channel extracellular recording technique and thallium autometallography. Results : Compared with control stroke group who did not receive any treatment, Combination of TEA and FSB treatment resulted in more rapid recovery of forelimb movement following focal stroke. This combination treatment also elicited increase in spontaneous firing rate of putative pyramidal neurons. Furthermore expression of metabolic marker for neural excitability was upregulated in peri-infract area under thallium autometallography. Conclusions : These results suggest that combination treatment of TEA and FSB can be a possible remedy for motor recovery in focal stroke.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.182-185
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• 2007

Acute stroke with isolated monoparesis manifesting as distal weakness of a single lower extremity has rarely been described. We report two patients with small cortical infarction who had distal weakness of a single lower extremity. In both cases, diffusion-weighted image [DWI] was used to detect small lesions in the contralateral cortex. These cases illustrate that small cortical infarction can cause isolated monoparesis limited to distal part of the leg and it may be misdiagnosed as spinal lesions, especially when lower back pain and transient sensory symptoms are accompanied. In case of the abrupt onset of weakness limited to one lower limb, the possibility of stroke should be considered and careful attention to identify cortical lesions using magnetic resonance imaging, especially DWI is required.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.63-77
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• 2001

Objectives : In acute stage of CVA, many patients experience Bugibultong as a symptom. Daesiho-tang is one of the most useful prescriptions for constipated stroke patients. This study investigated the effects of Daesiho-tang extracts on hypoxic E18 cortical neuroblast. Methods : To evaluate the effect of Daesiho-tang extracts on enuronal death caused by hypocia the neuronal viability and protein expressions of NMDA receptor subunits, ${\alpha}CaMK$ II PDE2 PSD95 densin-180, $eEF-l{\alpha}$ and GFAP were investigated. Results : We guessed that Daesiho-tang extracts worked to protect against cell damage through effecting on the protein expression of PSD(post synatpic density), especially increase of ${\alpha}CaMK$ II, $eEF-l{\alpha}$ PDE2, PSD95 and densin-180 Conclusions : According to the above results, it is supposed that Daesiho-tang is clinically applicable to stroke patients in the acute stage.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.98-103
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• 2022

Purpose: New therapeutic approaches have emerged to improve gait ability in patients with brain damage, such as action observation learning (AOT), auditory cueing, motor imagery etc. We attempted to investigate the effects of AOT with auditory cueing (AOTAC) on gait function in patients with stroke. Methods: The eighteen stroke patients with a unilateral hemiparesis were randomly divided into three groups; the AOTAC, AOT, and control groups. The AOTAC group (n=8) received training via observing a video that showed normal gait with sound of footsteps as an auditory cue; the AOT group (n=6) receive action observation without auditory stimulation; the control group (n=5) observed the landscape video image. Intervention time of three groups was 30 minutes per day, five times a week, for four weeks. Gait parameters, such as cadence, velocity, stride length, stance phase, and swing phase were collected in all patients before and after each training session. Results: Significant differences were observed among the three groups with respect to the parameters, such as cadence, velocity, stride length, and stance/swing phase. Post-hoc analysis indicated that the AOTAC group had a greater significant change in all of parameters, compared with the AOT and control groups. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that AOTAC may be an effective therapeutic approach to improve gait symmetry and function in patients with stroke. We believe that this effect is attributable to the change of cortical excitability on motor related to cortical areas.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.125-129
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• 2009

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and Parkinson's disease, are caused by neuronal cell death. Apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, excitotoxicity or ischemia are discussed to play a role of neuronal cell death. In order to find the candidate of neuroprotective agent, neuroprotective activity of some medicinal plants was investigated with in vitro assay system using glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in primary cultures of rat cortical cells. The aqueous methanolic extracts of twenty-seven medicinal plants were evaluated the protective effects against glutamate-injured excitotoxicity in rat cortical cells at the concentration of 50 $\mu$g/ml and 100 $\mu$g/ml, respectively. Among them, extracts of Lonicera japonica, Taraxacum platycarpum, Polygonum aviculare, Gardenia jasminoides, Forsythia viridissima, Lygodium japonicum, Panax notoginseng, Akebia quinata, Anemarrhena asphodeloides and Phellodendron amurense showed significantly neuroprotective activities against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in primary rat cortical cells.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.192-196
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• 2014

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of high and low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on motor cortical excitability and the balance function in subacute stroke patients. Twenty-four subjects were randomly assigned to either the high frequency (HF) rTMS group, or the low frequency (LF) rTMS group, with 12 subjects each. All subjects received routine physical therapy. In addition, both groups performed a total of 20 sessions of rTMS for 20 minutes, once a day, 5 times per week, for a 4-week period. In the HF rTMS group, 10 Hz rTMS was applied daily to the hotspot of the lesional hemisphere; and in the LF rTMS group, 1 Hz rTMS was applied daily to the hotspot of the nonlesional hemisphere. Motor cortex excitability was determined by motor evoked potentials, and the balance function was evaluated by use of the Balance Index (BI) and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), before and after the intervention. The change rate in the value of each variable differed significantly between the two groups (p<0.05). Furthermore, significant differences were observed between all post-test variables of the two groups (p<0.05). In the HF rTMS, significant differences were found in all the pre- and post-test variables (p<0.05). On the other hand, in the LF rTMS, significant difference was observed only between the pre- and post-test results of BI and BBS (p<0.05). The findings demonstrate that HF rTMS can be more helpful in improving the motor cortical excitability and balance function of patients with subacute stroke treatment than LF rTMS, and that it may be used as a practical adjunct to routine rehabilitation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.333-335
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• 2007

A 56-year-old woman presented with the numbness and pain in the left hand in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd finger area that developed suddenly 7 days prior to admission. In nerve conduction velocity test, the deterioration of nerve conduction velocity as well as the reduction of the potential amplitude were detected. After diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, the open median nerve release was performed. Nonetheless, the preoperative symptoms did not change. The magnetic resonance images [MRI] of brain revealed a cerebral infarction in sensoricortical area of parietal lobe. The patient was referred to the department of neurology, and after conservative treatment, her symptoms were improved.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2005

Xuesaitong Ruanjiaonang (XR), a soft capsule containing Panax notoginseng saponins as main ingredients, is believed to remove extravasated blood and increase cerebral blood flow by improving blood circulation, and therefore, has been used in China to treat ischemic stroke or hemiplegia caused by cerebral thrombosis. To characterize pharmacological actions of XR, the present study evaluated its effects on neuronal cell damage induced by various oxidative insults or excitotoxic amino acids in primary cultured rat cortical cells. The neuronal cell viability was not affected by XR with the exposure for 2 h at the concentrations tested in this study ($10{\sim}1000\;{\mu}g/ml$). However, significant reduction of the cell viability was observed when the cultured cells were exposed to XR at $1000\;{\mu}g/ml$ for 24 h. XR was found to concentration-dependently inhibit the oxidative neuronal damage induced by $H_{2}O_2$, xanthine/xanthine oxidase or $Fe^{2+}$/ascorbic acid. In addition, it dramatically inhibited the excitotoxic damage induced by glutamate or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). We found that the NMDA-induced neurotoxicity was inhibited more effectively and potently than the glutamate-induced toxicity. Moreover, XR was found to exert mild inhibition of lipid peroxidation induced by $Fe^{2+}$/ascorbic acid in rat brain homogenates and some 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity. Taken together, these results demonstrate neuroprotective and antioxidant effects of XR, showing inhibition of oxidative and excitotoxic damage in the cultured cortical neurons, as well as inhibition of lipid peroxidation and its radical scavenging activity. Considering that excitotoxicity and oxidative stress pl ay crucial roles in neuronal cell damage during ischemia and reperfusion, these results may provide pharmacological basis for its clinical usage to treat ischemic stroke.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 1996

The reactivity of the sulfhydryl (thiol) group of homocysteine has been associated with an Increased risk of atherosclerosis, thrombosis and stroke. Thiols also react with nitric oxide (NO, an endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) ), forming S-nitrosothiols that have been reported to have potent vasodilatory and antiplatelet effects and been expected to decrease adverse vascular effects of homocysteine. The present study was aimed to Investigate whether the S-nitrosation of homocysteine modulates the neurotoxic effects of homocysteine. An 18 hour-exposure of cultured rat cortical neurons to homocysteine ( >1 mM) resulted in a significant neuronal cell death. At comparable concentrations ( <10 mM), however, S-nitrosohomocysteine did not induce neuronal cell death. Furthermore, S-nitrosohomocysteirle partially blocked NMDA-mediated neurotoxicity. S-nitrosohomocysteine also decreased NMDA-mediated increases in intracellular calcium concentration. The present data indicate that in brain nitric oxide produced from neuronal and nonneuronal cells can modulate the potential, adverse properties of homocysteine.