• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.131-141
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• 2006

A visual decision by clinical experts like physical therapists is a best way to detect onset and offset time of muscle activation. The current computer-based algorithms are being researched toward similar results of clinical experts. The new algorithm in this paper has an ability to extract a trend from noisy input data. Kalman smoother is used to recognize the trend to be revealed from disorderly signals. Histogram of smoothed signals by Kalman smoother has a clear boundary to separate muscle contractions from relaxations. To verify that the Kalman smoother algorithm is reliable way to detect onset and offset time of muscle contractions, the algorithm of Robert P. Di Fabio (published in 1987) is compared with Kalman smoother. For 31 templates of subjects, an average and a standard deviation are compared. The average of errors between Di Fabio's algorithm and experts is 109 milliseconds in onset detection and 142 milliseconds in offset detection. But the average between Kalman smoother and experts is 90 and 137 milliseconds in each case. Moreover, the standard deviations of errors are 133 (onset) and 210 (offset) milliseconds in Di Fabio's one, but 48 (onset) and 55 (offset) milliseconds in Kalman smoother. As a result, the Kalman smoother is much closer to determinations of clinical experts and more reliable than Di Fabio's one.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.209-220
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• 2000

Spasticity, an abnormal increase in resting muscle tone, is one of the most common symptoms of stroke, and its management is becoming a major issue in rehabilitation. The aims of this study are to determine the effects of electroacupuncture(EA), TENS and neuromuscular electric stimulation(NMES) on spasticity, as well as the possibility of tissue comliance method as a spasticity scale. 45 stroke patients participated in a study of the effects on hemiplegic spasticity of EA, TENS and NMES. Spasticity was measured by modified Ashworth scale on the upper extremity and tissue compliance measurement, penetration mm/kg, on Susamni(LI10) area at just before and after stimulation, and 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours and 24 hours after stimulation. The acupuncture points were applied to Kokchi(LI11), Susamni(LI10), Hapkok(LI4) and Oegwan(TE5) of the affected limb. The electrodes were placed unilaterally on LI11 to LI10 and TE5 to LI4. EA with biphasic wave, 60Hz, 0.4 msec pulse duration and low intensity was applied continuously for 20 minutes. TENS with high frequency, low intensity was applied. NMES was applied with spasticity program for 20 minutes. Each electric stimulation was done on extensor muscles group of forearm for 20 minutes. EA and NMES groups were found to produce a statistically significant decrease(p〈0.05) of spasticity and these effects lasted up to 30 minutes after stimulation. There was no definite correlation between the modified Ashworth scale and tissue compliance measurement. But tissure compliance method was found to be possible as a quantitative measurement on spasticity. There was no significant correlation between the effects of EA and NMES and the characteristics of patient, but significant correlation between the effects of EA and NMES and the modified Ashworth scale.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2018

Backgrounds : In 2017, National Health Insurance implemented the pilot insuring project for Chuna manual therapy(CMT). 65 Korean Medicine(KM) hospitals and clinics were selected in the project to monitor the provision of insured CMT. Objectives : This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CMT for low back pain provided in the real world setting. Methods : Patients with low back pain who agreed to participated in the study were enrolled and requested to complete questionnaires. Patients who received CMT regardless of receiving other KM therapies were classified to Chuna group, and patient who received KM therapies without CMT to KM group. Pain(pain-VAS) and back function(KODI, Oswestry disability index-Korean version), quality of life were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Additionally, patients who received CMT twice and more, and who's pain-VAS 20 and over were included, and patients who used pain injection were excluded in the analysis. Results : Of 371 patients who completed all questionnaire (mean age=42.6years, SD=12.45; 61% female), 96 were excluded, 170 were in Chuna group, and 105 were in KM group. Proportions of patients who had low back pain for more than twelve weeks in the Chuna group and KM group were 57.7% and 24.8%, respectively. Pain and back function were significantly improved on 4weeks and 8weeks in both groups, but there was no difference between two groups. For the patients in the sub-acute and chronic stage(>=12 weeks), change of total KODI scores in the Chuna group was higher than KM group(p=0.013) at 4weeks. Conclusions : CMT with other KM therapies can improve back function in the sub-acute and chronic patients. For insurance policy decision, economic evaluation of CMT is needed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.133-140
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• 2016

PURPOSE: This study's aim was to investigate the effects of an action observational training in subactue stroke patients with moderate impairment. METHODS: 22 participants (men=13, women=9) with hemiparesis were randomly assigned to action observation training group or task-oriented training group. Patients in both group underwent a patient-specific multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. Participants in the action observation group (mean age, $62.78{\pm}9.85$) were asked to watch the video scene, in the knowledge that they would then attempt to perform the same movement task after watching. The control group (mean age, $61.49{\pm}8.64$) practiced the same tasks, without watching the video. To evaluate upper limb function, the upper extremity part of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment upper extremity and the Box and Block Test were used. The modified Barthel index was used to assess ADLs, and the modified Ashworth scale were used to assess spasticity in the upper extremity. RESULTS: The action observational training group exhibited greater changes in the Fugl-Meyer assessment upper extremity (P<0.05; 95% CI, 0.929 - 6.403), the Box and Block test (P<0.05; 95% CI, 0.086 - 5.913), and the modified Barthel index (P<0.01; 95% CI, 2.483 - 12.627) between groups. And the modified Ashworth scale (P>0.05; 95% CI, -0.402 to 0.624) did not show significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that action observational training may be more helpful to improve upper-extremity function than physical training only in subactue patients with moderate impairment after stroke.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.361-366
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of high voltage pulsed current (HVPC) stimulation on proliferative activities of basal keratinocytes by measured nucleolar organizer region (NOR) expression and thickness of spinous layer in aged rat skin. Fifty-one weeks old twelve male Sprague-Dawley rats (300∼350g) were divided into control and HVPC stimulation groups. Each animal's hair on the back were removed. The HVPC stimulation group received an negative monophasic twin peak pulsed current stimulation with 50 V, while the control group was given the same treatment without electricity. The rats were sacrificed after 3 weeks. The biopsy specimens were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin and stained with hematoxyline-eosin and silver nitrate. The thickness of basal to granular layer of the epidennis were measured using a light microscope and computerized image analysis system. The number of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) were counted using a light microscope and computerized image analysis system and calculated as the mean number of AgNOR per nucleus in the basal keratinocyte. By using a Student's t-test, an increase in the thickness of basal-spinous layer (P<0.001) of epidermis can be observed in HVPC stimulation rats as compared with the control rats, whereas the thickness of the granular layer is not affected. A Student's t-test showed a significantly higher mean NOR number per nucleus of the basal keratinocyte in the HVPC stimulation rats than control rats (P<0.001). There was significantly positive correlation between the NOR number and the thickness of basal-spinous layer (r=0.80, P<0.05). These results suggest that the HVPC stimulation may increase the thickness of spinous layer in the epidennis due to increased proliferative activities of basal keratinocytes in epidennis in aged rat skin.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.1-23
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• 2010

Objectives and methods : The Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) were published in five journals in 2001 and 2002. These guidelines, in the form of a checklist and explanations for use by authors and journal editors, were designed to improve reporting of acupuncture trials, particularly the interventions, thereby facilitating their interpretation and replication. Subsequent reviews of the application and impact of STRICTA have highlighted the value of STRICTA as well as scope for improvements and revision. To manage the revision process a collaboration between the STRICTA Group, the CONSORT Group, and the Chinese Cochrane Centre was developed in 2008. An expert panel with 47 participants was convened that provided electronic feedback on a revised draft of the checklist. At a subsequent face-to-face meeting in Freiburg, a group of 21 participants further revised the STRICTA checklist and planned dissemination. Results : The new STRICTA checklist, which is an official extension of CONSORT, includes six items and 17 sub-items. These set out reporting guidelines for the acupuncture rationale, the details of needling, the treatment regimen, other components of treatment, the practitioner background, and the control or comparator interventions. In addition, and as part of this revision process, the explanations for each item have been elaborated, and examples of good reporting for each item are provided. In addition, the word "controlled" in STRICTA is replaced by "clinical", to indicate that STRICTA is applicable to a broad range of clinical evaluation designs, including uncontrolled outcome studies and case reports. Conclusions : It is intended that the revised STRICTA, in conjunction with both the main CONSORT Statement and extension for nonpharmacologic treatment, will raise the quality of reporting of clinical trials of acupuncture.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.142-155
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate of utilization, kinds and effective complementary-alternative therapy in elder arthritics, and then utilize the results as basic data for nursing intervention for elder arthritics. Study subjects consisted of 157 elder arthritics over 60 years old, data were collected through a structured questionnaire and face to face interviews. Data collection was done from July 2001 to August 2001. Subjects were sampled out from outpatients of department of rehabilitation of a university hospital in S city, outpatients of a local hospital in D city, and outpatient at public heath center in K and S city. Sexual distribution of subjects showed male 19.1% and the female 80.9%. The diagnosis distribution showed degenerative arthritis at 91% and reumatoid arthritis at 8.9% Duration of arthritics was 10 years over by 46.5%, duration of hospital treatment was 1-5 years by 41% The degree of pain by arthritis pointed out a mean point of 3.37 on a 5-point numeric scale 94.2% of subjects have experience complementary-alternative therapies used. Of the kind the subjects used, physiotherapy occupied 38.2%, Oriental medicine 36.3%, physical exercise 35.7%, nutritional therapy 22.3%, animal diet 8.9%, herbal diet 3.8%. The hardest thing due to arthritis represented disability in daily life by 59.8% and the pain problem by 30.5%. In conclusion, results of the study reveal that elder arthritics have used physiotherapy, Oriental medicine, physical exercise. Concrete strategies for nursing intervention about these complementary-alternative therapy are required to the established soon.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.3358-3365
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Sorbus commixta (SC), Geranium thunbergii (GT) and their mixture (SC:GT=1:1, MIX) on inhibition of bone loss and chondral defect. To examine their activities, we measured the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells and performed tartrate-resistant acid phosphate (TRAP) staining in osteoclast differentiated from Raw264.7 cells. To investigate the influence on chondrocyte differentiation, we performed alcian-blue staining in chondrocyte differentiated from ATDC5 cells. All of SC, GT and MIX did not increase ALP activity in MG-63 cells. However, SC and mixture (SC:GT=1:1, MIX) significantly inhibited osteoclastic differentiation. And they also induced chondrocyte differentiation. These results suggest that SC and GT may have a potential for the treatment of bone loss and chondral defect by suppression of osteoclast differentiation and stimulation of chondrocyte differentiation. Therefore, clarification of their mechanisms and active components will be needed.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.425-431
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of Achyranthes Radix(AR) and electroacupuncture(EA) in rats with rheumatoid arthritis induced by type II collagen for 28 days. Control group was daily administered 0.9% NaCl 0.5 $m{\ell}$, Group I was daily administered 0.9% NaCl 0.5 $m{\ell}$ to arthritic rats, Group II was orally administered with Achyranthes Radix 500 mg/kg 0.5 $m{\ell}$ to arthritic rats. Group III was given 2 Hz EA of chok samni acupoint(ST36) in the test group for 30 min/days to arthritic rats. Group IV was daily orally administered with Achyranthes Radix 500 mg/kg 0.5 $m{\ell}$ and 2 Hz EA of chok samni acupoint(ST36) in the test group for 30 min/days to arthritic rats. This studies have been designed to evaluate the hind paw edema, assessment of arthritis indices, analgetic effects by analysis of blood chemistry(WBC, CRP, ALP, AST). In each group, histologic observations, Safranin O-fast green stain were observed and analyzed. The following results were obtained. Group II, III, IV were significantly decreased arthritis indices and the rate of paw edema compared with Group I . Especially group IV was the most significantly decreased. The WBC, CRP, AST, ALT was that Group II, III, IV were significantly decreased compared with Group I . In conclusion, Achyranthes Radix and Ea contribute to the improvement of blood chemistry and change in safranin O-fast green by knee joint of arthritic rats.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.139-147
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in brain activities when Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) is used alone compare to NDT is combined with intradermal acupuncture (IDA) treatment, using functional infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) Methods Three children less than 7 year-old with cerebral palsy were participated. On their first visit, only NDT was used. After a week, they were treated with both NDT and IDA. During the treatment, fNIRS was used to measure any changes in their brain activities. Results In first patient with NDT, oxyhemoglobin level was increased during Standing exercise and Gait training compared to resting state. When the patient was treated with NDT and IDA, oxyhemoglobin level was decreased during Standing exercise and Gait training compared to resting state, and the result was significant (p<0.05). In second patient, oxyhemoglobin level was decreased in Gait training compared to resting state when NDT was used, but the level was increased when NDT and IDA were used in Gait training compared to resting state (p<0.05). In third patient, the difference in oxyhemoglobin levels between Gait training and resting state was significant (p<0.05). Conclusions Treatment involving both NDT and IDA has more potential to improve brain activities compared to that of NDT alone, and no adverse effect was reported. In order to confirm the finding, larger scale randomized controlled trials are needed.