• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.132-140
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• 2007

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder that is mainly caused by dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra. Several radiopharmaceutics have been developed to evaluate the integrity of dopaminergic neuronal system. In vivo PET and SPECT imaging of presynaptic dopamine imaing are already applied to Parkinson's disease and other parkinsonism, and can demonstrate the dopaminergic dysfunction. This review summarized the use of the presynaptic dopaminergic imaging in PD as biomarkers in evaluation of disease progression as well as in diagnosis of PD.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.390-400
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• 2006

Purpose: To develop & to examine the effect of a Tailored Exercise Program (TEP) on physical fitness in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Method: In a two-group pre-and post-test design, from a total 41 participants. 21 were assigned th the experimental group find the remainder to the control group. The experimental group participated in a 4-day a week, 8 week program in which one session a week was by direct instruction with the self-help group and two sessions a week were by videotaped instruction at home by themselves. The control group did not receive any intervention. Results: The eight week TEP in patients with PD was found to be significantly effective in enhancing muscle strength, ankle flexibility, and balance. However instrumental activities of daily living was not changed by the intervention. Conclusion: These results suggest that TEP can have an effect on physical fitness in patients with PD. Further research with a larger sample and for a longer follow up period is needed to expand our understanding of the effects of TEP for patients with PD.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.87-99
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• 2024

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. It has no cure, but current treatments can relieve symptoms and maintain quality of life. As PD progresses, controlling its symptoms becomes difficult. Here, we present the treatment of two patients with idiopathic PD using traditional Korean medicine (TKM) and temporomandibular joint balancing therapy (TBT). We measured the progress of the two patients using the unified PD rating scale (UPDRS) and the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scale. Combined treatment of TKM and TBT decreased the total UPDRS score from 52 to 26 after 21 days in case 1, while it decreased the total UPDRS score from 91 to 65 after 20 days in case 2. In both patients, the HY scale score was maintained at 3, and no adverse events were observed. Thus, the combined treatment of TKM and TBT can produce a treatment response in PD patients.

• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.37-45
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• 2020

Purpose: Symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) include tremors, bradykinesia, and rigidity. The purpose was to explore the effects of breathing, meditation and qigong on the improving of insight, behavior, mood discomfort, depression, anxiety, and olfactory dysfunction, which are PD non-motor symptoms. Methods: Three stages of An's-4444 healing breathing, An's Gwanjeong healing meditation, and healing qigong performed 12 times for 80 minutes at a time in subjects with PD (11 patients), and pre- and post-measurements compared and evaluated. Results: The Integrated Parkinson's Rating Scale (UPDRSI) for mood discomfort after 12 healings was 69%. The Depression Scale (61%) for HAMD, and 64% for Anxiety (HAMA)), and the smell identification test (TSI) for a trial for olfactory dysfunction, improved to 82%, respectively. However, the numerical values after one month after 12 healing were almost same in all four scales. This means that the healing effect maintained until after one month. Conclusions: An's healing breathing, meditation and qigong therapy significantly improved insight, behavior, and mood discomfort, and non-motor symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and olfactory dysfunction. These results suggest that An's breathing, meditation and qigong therapy are valuable as a primary therapy to improve and heal non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients. Further research in biomedical science is needed.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.308-313
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• 2023

Phenotypic features such as ataxia and loss of motor function, which are characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD), are expected to be very closely related to cerebellum function. However, few studies have reported the function of the cerebellum. Since the cerebellum, like the cerebrum, is known to undergo functional and morphological changes due to neuroinflammatory processes, elucidating key functional factors that regulate neuroinflammation in the cerebellum can be a beneficial therapeutic approach. Therefore, we employed PD patients and MPTP-induced PD mouse model to find cytokines involved in cerebellar neuroinflammation in PD and to examine changes in cell function by regulating related genes. Along with the establishment of a PD mouse model, abnormal shapes such as arrangement and number of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum were confirmed based on histological finding, consistent with those of cerebellums of PD patients. As a result of proteome profiling for neuroinflammation using PD mouse cerebellar tissues, fetuin-A, a type of cytokine, was found to be significantly reduced in Purkinje cells. To further elucidate the function of fetuin-A, neurons isolated from cerebellums of embryos (E18) were treated with fetuin-A siRNA. We uncovered that not only the population of neuronal cells, but also their morphological appearances were significantly different. In this study, we found a functional gene called fetuin-A in the PD model's cerebellum, which was closely related to the role of cerebellar Purkinje cells of mouse and human PD. In conclusion, morphological abnormalities of Purkinje cells in PD mice and patients have a close relationship with a decrease of fetuin-A, suggesting that diagnosis and treatment of cerebellar functions of PD patients might be possible through regulation of fetuin-A.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.46
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• pp.289.1-289.10
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• 2018

Background: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are associated with cerebrovascular risk factors and cognitive dysfunction among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, whether CMBs themselves are associated with PD is to be elucidated. Methods: We analyzed the presence of CMBs using 3-Tesla brain magnetic resonance imaging in non-demented patients with PD and in age-, sex-, and hypertension-matched control subjects. PD patients were classified according to their motor subtypes: tremor-dominant, intermediate, and postural instability-gait disturbance (PIGD). Other cerebrovascular risk factors and small vessel disease (SVD) burdens were also evaluated. Results: Two-hundred and five patients with PD and 205 control subjects were included. The prevalence of CMBs was higher in PD patients than in controls (16.1% vs. 8.8%; odds ratio [OR], 2.126; P = 0.019); CMBs in the lobar area showed a significant difference between PD patients and controls (11.7% vs. 5.9%; OR, 2.234; P = 0.032). According to the motor subtype, CMBs in those with PIGD type showed significant difference from controls with respect to the overall brain area (21.1% vs. 8.9%; OR, 2.759; P = 0.010) and lobar area (14.6% vs. 4.9%; OR, 3.336; P = 0.016). Among PD patients, those with CMBs had higher age and more evidence of SVDs than those without CMBs. Conclusion: We found that CMBs are more frequent in PD patients than in controls, especially in those with the PIGD subtype and CMBs on the lobar area. Further study investigating the pathogenetic significance of CMBs is required.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.196.2-197
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• 2003

Parkinson's disease (PO) is a widespread neurodegenerative disorder. Even though PD has been studied in many aspects, it is still unknown the molecular signaling mechanisms linking reactive oxygen species (ROS) and neuronal apoptosis in PD. A better understanding of cellular mechanisms that occur in Parkinson's disease is essential for development of new therapies. In this study we investigated the signaling molecules involved in neuronal apoptosis induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells as a model cellular system. (omitted)

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.734-740
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• 2015

Recent studies report that a history of antidepressant use is strongly correlated with the occurrence of Parkinson' disease (PD). However, it remains unclear whether antidepressant use can be a causative factor for PD. In the present study, we examined whether tricyclic antidepressants amitriptyline and desipramine can induce dopaminergic cell damage, both in vitro and in vivo. We found that amitriptyline and desipramine induced mitochondria-mediated neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells. When injected into mice on a subchronic schedule, amitriptyline induced movement deficits in the pole test, which is known to detect nigrostriatal dysfunction. In addition, the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta was reduced in amitriptyline-injected mice. Our results suggest that amitriptyline and desipramine may induce PD-associated neurotoxicity.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.153-159
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• 2002

Parkinson's disease(PD) is characterized by chronic progress of mesencephalic dopaminergic neuronal death. Diagnostic criteria for PD require at least two of three motor sign: tremor, rigidity, or bradykinesia. Levodopa and the dopamine agonists are considerd first-line drug therapy. In the book ‘dongyi soose bowon(東醫壽世保元)’, Soyangin Gihwangbeakho-tang(地黃白虎湯) is used at Soyangin Interior-overheated-disease. This case is patient who is 69 years old lady, suffered by the tremor of jaw and a slight rigidity, bradykinesia etc. This patient was classified as Soyangin by features, somatotype and emotional patterns. She improved in the tremor of jaw and others with Gihwangbeakho-tang for 67days. The result revealed that Soyangin-Gihwangbeakho-tang was effected on the tremor of jaw and others with Parkinson's disease patient.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.246-251
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• 2016

This study investigated the effects of (-)-sesamin on memory deficits in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-lesioned mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). MPTP lesion (30 mg/kg/day, 5 days) in mice showed memory deficits including habit learning memory and spatial memory. However, treatment with (-)-sesamin (25 and 50 mg/kg) for 21 days ameliorated memory deficits in MPTP-lesioned mouse model of PD: (-)-sesamin at both doses improved decreases in the retention latency time of the passive avoidance test and the levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and homovanillic acid, improved the decreased transfer latency time of the elevated plus-maze test, reduced the increased expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, and increased the reduced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB). These results suggest that (-)-sesamin has protective effects on both habit learning memory and spatial memory deficits via the dopaminergic neurons and NMDA receptor-ERK1/2-CREB system in MPTP-lesioned mouse model of PD, respectively. Therefore, (-)-sesamin may serve as an adjuvant phytonutrient for memory deficits in PD patients.