• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.21-34
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• 2019

This study was an examination of the relevance and clinical significance of electroencephalographic (EEG) indexes (e.g., mental/physical stress and attention) and indexes of heart rate variability (HRV) with regard to cognitive function and physiological health conditions in elderly people. A device was used to record two-channel EEGs of the frontal lobe and a one-channel ECG simultaneously. Subjects were 76 people average aged 73. The significant findings are as follows: First, subjects whose intrinsic alpha rhythm had high amplitude, regardless of peak, showed higher resistance to mental stress and lower physical stress than did subjects with low-amplitutde intrinsic alpha rhythm. Second, HRV, SDNN, and RMSSD indexes showed strong positive correlations between the two groups of subjects regardless of the division of groups. Third, the alpha asymmetry of the left and right sides of the brain in subjects with low-amplitude intrinsic alpha rhythm was larger, and the delta/alpha ratio (reflecting physical stress) and theta/sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) ratio (showing the decline in attention) were bigger. Fourth, the subjects in whom intrinsic alpha rhythm peak occurred during slow rhythm had a higher theta/SMR ratio than did subjects whose peak occurred during fast rhythm, which was related to a steeper decline in attention. Therefore, the presence or absence of intrinsic alpha rhythm peak and amplitude on quantitative EEG may be an index reflecting the cognitive function and physiological health of elderly people.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 2016

Objectives : The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of language profiles according to whether or not Korean children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD) also have ADHD, and to examine the relationship with executive function. Methods : Participants in the study were boys with ADHD aged 6 to 11 years who visited the clinic from January 2012 to December 2013. In this study, 25 boys with ASD were included, and completed scales included the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised(K-ADI-R), Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(K-ADOS), Korean ADHD Rating Scale(K-ARS), and Korean-Conners' Parent Rating Scale(K-CPRS). They also completed neuropsychological tests and assessed language profiles. Patients were categorized into two groups(with ADHD and without ADHD). T-test and Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used for analysis. Results : Statistically, no difference was found in receptive and expressive language ability between the ASD groups with and without ADHD. However, a lower score in Test of Problem solving(TOPS) was observed for ASD with ADHD than for ASD without ADHD, with problem solving and finding cues showing significant differences. Conclusions : These findings suggest that language profiles in the ASD group without ADHD could be similar to those in the ASD group with ADHD, but comorbid ADHD could lead to more difficulty in linguistic ability for problem solving and could be related with executive function of the frontal lobe.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.337-345
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• 2014

The present study examined the effects of soybean-derived phosphatidylserine (SB-PS) on the learning and memory function and the neural activity in rats with trimethyltin (TMT)-induced memory deficits. The cognitive improving efficacy of SB-PS on the amnesic rats, which was induced by TMT, was investigated by assessing the Morris water maze test and by performing cholineacetyl transferase (ChAT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) immunohistochemistry. A positron emission tomography (PET) scanning the rat brain was by performed administer 18F-Fluorodeoxy-glucose (18F-FDG). The rats with TMT injection showed impaired learning and memory of the tasks and treatment with SB-PS produced a significant improvement of the escape latency to find the platform in the Morris water maze at the 2nd day compared to that of the MCT group. In the retention test, the SB-PS group showed increased time spent around the platform compared to that of the MCT group. Consistent with the behavioral data, SB-PS 50 group significantly alleviated the loss of acetyl cholinergic neurons in the hippocampus compared to that of the MCT group. Treatment with SB-PS significantly increased the CREB positive neurons in the hippocampus as compared to that of the MCT group. In addition, SB-PS groups increased the glucose uptake in the hippocampus and SB-PS 50 group increased the glucose uptake in the frontal lobe, as compared to that of the MCT group. These results suggest that SB-PS may be useful for improving the cognitive function via regulation of cholinergic marker enzyme activity and neural activity.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.11 no.3_4
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• pp.33-43
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• 2000

The distinction between short-term store (STS) and long-term store (LTS) has been made in the perspective of information processing. Memory system theorists have argued that memory could be conceived as multiple memory systems beyond the concept of a single LTS. Popular memory system models are Schacter & Tulving (994)'s multiple memory systems and Squire (987)'s the taxonomy of long-term memory. Those m models agree that amnesic patients have intact STS but impaired LTS and have preserved implicit memory. However. there is a debate about the nature of the long-term memory impairment. One model considers amnesic deficit as a selective episodic memory impairment. whereas the other sees the deficits as both episodic and semantic memory impairment. At present, it remains unclear that episodic memory should be distinguished from semantic memory in terms of retrieval operation. The distinction between declarative memory and nondeclarative memory would be the alternative way to reflect explicit memory and implicit memory. The research focused on the function of frontal lobe might give clues to the debate about the nature of LTS.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.50-61
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• 2002

Objectives:High nailfold plexus visibility can reflect central nervous system defects as an etiologic factor of schizophrenia indirectly. Previous studies suggest that this visibility is particularly related to the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and frontal lobe deficiency. In this study, we examined the relationships between nailfold plexus visibility, and various clinical variables and neuropsychological functions in schizo-phrenic patients. Methods:Forty patients(21males, 19 females) satisfying the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and thirty eight normal controls(20 males, 18 females) were measured for Plexus Visualization Score(PVS) by using the capillary microscopic examination. For the assessment of psychopathology, process-reactivity, premorbid adjustment, and neuropsychological functions, we used Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Ullmann-Giovannoni Process-Reactive Questionnaire(PRQ), Phillips Premorbid Adjustment Scale(PAS), Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale(KWIS), Continuous Performance Test(CPT), Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST), and Word Fluency Test. We also collected data about clinical variables. Results:PVS was correlated with PANSS positive symptom score and composite score negatively. There were no correlations between PVS and PRQ score, PAS score and neuropsychological variables respectively. Conclusions:This study showed that nailfold plexus visibility was a characteristic feature in some schizophrenic patients, and that higher plexus visibility was associated with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. There was no association between plexus visibility and neuropsychological functions.