• Journal of Korean Medical Ki-Gong Academy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-58
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• 2009

1. The rapid increasing elderly population represents a significant increase in the population with dementia. So, studies on the method for the prevention of dementia are necessary. 2. In oriental medicine, the causes of dementia are based on the deficiency of Jeong(精;essence of the body), the lack of bone marrow, and abnormal brain function. Emotional stress, bad habits of lifestyle including eating habits are also responsible for dementia. They causes dementia by blocking the circulation of Gi(氣) such as Suseunghwagang(水升火降;ascending kidney water and descending heart fire) and suppressing the function of Danjeon(丹田; the hypogastric center). 3. Gochi(叩齒) is a sort of mastication that facilitate salivation and secretion of parotin, next step is swallowing saliva. These supplement Jeong(精) of the five viscera and the six entrails(五臟六腑), promote Suseunghwagang(水升火降), and advance the function of the hypogastric center (丹田) and activate the brain. 4. So this paper draw a conclusion that Gochi(叩齒) is negatively related to the causes of dementia and it will be useful in preventing dementia.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.61-74
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the short-term effects of bilateral masticatory training using an intraoral device on memory and concentration, which is an advanced form of Gochi, compared to the unilateral form with gum. Methods: Thirty young healthy participants (age, 16-30 years) were screened and randomly assigned to one of two sequences in a crossover design. The participants assigned to sequence A (n=15) performed bilateral mastication using an intraoral device with a total of 300 taps, followed by unilateral mastication using gum with the same number of repetitions and frequency, separated by a 7-day washout period. A reverse order was used for sequence B. The primary and secondary outcomes were the digit span test result and the symbol digit modality test and the word list recall results, respectively, which were conducted before and after each intervention. Results: Symbol digit modality test scores increased by 12.03±8.33 with bilateral mastication, which was significantly higher than that obtained with chewing gum (5.17 points;95% confidence interval: 0.99, 9.34; p<0.05). Changes in the digit span test and word list recall scores were not significantly different between the two groups. In the digit span test forward, symbol digit modality test, and word list recall test, bilateral mastication was not inferior to unilateral mastication in improving memory and concentration. Conclusions: Bilateral masticatory exercises using an intraoral device are not inferior to unilateral mastication with gum for improving memory in healthy young individuals. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of bilateral masticatory training on cognitive function.