• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.670-678
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• 2004

In oriental medicine, meridian is pathway of bio-energy, and basic an object of diagnosis/therapy. But, in western medicine, meridian has been accepted as action pathway of nerve-endocrine-immune system. Acupuncture effect has been regarded as not effect by transmission of bio-energy but action or response by stimulation. In this paper, when an acupuncturist's bio-energy is passed on(non-insulation) and when is not(insulation), we analysed electric potential on meridian/non-meridian to verify effect of acupuncture therapy. In the results, when bio-energy isn't passed on, bio-potential is reacted to only the first of 4 times acupuncture operating. But when bio-energy is passed on, it is reacted to 4 times, and potential on meridian is higher than that of on non-meridian. Electric potential for same acupuncture operating is different on non/meridians, which implies that physiological construction and bio-energy transmission material is different respectively. When is extracting acupuncture method, potential is higher than that of injection one. It implies that extracting method is more effect than injecting one, in aspect of acupuncture therapy effect. Therefore, acupuncture therapy effect is verified as effect of response by acupuncturist's bio-energy transmission rather than that by only acupuncture stimulus.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1-17
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• 2011

Objectives : This study aimed to review randomized controlled trials of acupuncture performed in South Korea that used sham acupuncture as a control group. Methods : The following databases were searched through the end of September 2011: Koreanstudies information service system (KISS), Korean medical database (KMbase), national discovery OR science leaders (NDSL), oriental medicine advance searching integrated system (OASIS), and research information service system (RISS). The following search terms were used: acupuncture AND (sham or placebo). The reference lists of searched articles and Korea institute of oriental medicine (KIOM) reports(2005~2009) were identified. The following data were extracted: year/first author, disease, number of participants, blinding, intervention, outcome, and result. Where appropriate, we performed meta-analysis. The methodological quality was assessed according to the Jadad scale and 'risk of bias' by Cochrane Handbook procedure. Results : Twenty-nine studies were included in this review. In eighteen studies, penetrating sham controls were used as the control intervention, whereas the remaining eleven studies adopted non-penetrating sham controls such as the Park Sham Device or blunt auricular acupuncture. Nine studies showed statistically significant difference in outcomes. Twelve studies concerning insomnia after stroke, chronic tension-type headache, idiopathic Parkinson's disease, Hwa-Byung, and smoking cessation were included in meta-analysis. A meta-analysis of insomnia after stroke only found significant difference(MD -4.31, 95% Cl -6.19 to -2.42, $p$<0.00001). In general, all of the studies showed low methodological quality(Jadad score: mean 2.1). Risk of bias by Cochrane Handbook procedure varied. Conclusions : The results of this study could not suggest conclusive evidence that acupuncture is more effective than sham acupuncture in several diseases. In the future, more studies with rigorous acupuncture trials using sham controls should be conducted.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.43-48
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• 2010

Objectives : This study is designed to evaluate the effect of conservative oriental medical treatment using Chuna manual therapy for meridian sinew system for snapping hip patient who have hip joint movement system impairment. Methods : 28-year old snapping hip patient who have hip joint movement system impairment was treated with conservative oriental medical treatment using Chuna manual therapy for meridian sinew system. The improvement of the patient was evaluated by Numerical rating scale(NRS), Snapping Sound Degree(SSD), Range of Motion(ROM). Results: After 13 times treatment, the patient had significant improvement in Numerical rating scale(NRS), Snapping Sound Degree(SSD), Range of Motion(ROM). Conclusions: If hip joint movement system impairment cause a snapping hip, we can treat with Chuna manual therapy for meridian sinew system.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.835-840
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• 2008

Acupuncture has long been contended to be effective in an ischemic stroke. A real-time monitoring of glutamate, an excitotoxin in the process of ischemic neuronal damage, in the striatum is tried in a rat model of global ischemia. Global ischemia was induced by the 11 vessel occlusion method for 10 minutes, during which acupuncture stimulation on GB34 and GB39 points was executed. Glutamate release in the rat striatum was monitored 256 times per second using real-time amperometric biosensor. Real time measurement data of 10 minutes prior to the induction of ischemia served as baseline data. Data acquisition continued for 30 minutes after the initiation of reperfusion. Peak concentration of glutamate release along with incidentally measured EEG and cerebral blood flow was compared between cases with and without acupuncture stimulation. Peak concentration of glutamate lowered when acupuncture stimulation was executed. A real time monitoring system of 11 vessel-occlusion induced global ischemia model was successfully established. The effect by acupuncture on acute global ischemia was successfully observed in this real-time monitoring setting, which may be one of the neuroprotective mechanism of acupuncture.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.41-49
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• 2002

Objectives : The aim of the present study is to observe effects of acupuncture related with the nerve system, Inferior mesenteric nerve activity(IMNA) was examined on BL60 acupuncture closely connected with the bladder and HT8 with little tied. Materials and methods : Acupunctures were performed during 100 seconds after stabilization. IMNA was measured by micromanipulator, preamplifier, mean arterial pressure(MAP) and heart rate were observed by blood pressure transducer, 4-channel transducer amplifier in anesthetized rat. Results : On BL60 acupuncture, the heart rate was not significantly decreased but IMNA, MAP were significantly decreased and Maximum peak of IMNA was increased during inserted acupuncture, decreased after ejected acupuncture respectively. On HT8 acupuncture, IMNA was decreased during acupuncture than before acupuncture but the others did not showed signigicant difference. Conclusions : Our results demonstrated a meridian interaction between BL60 acupoint in the bladder channel and Inferior mesenteric sympathetic nerve related to the bladder. This fact suggest that BL60 acupuncture have effect on the bladder through the nerve system. Meanwhile, IMNA was decreased during HT8 acupuncture. This result is supposed HT8 to have not meridian function but acupoint function by another mechanism. It needs to be closely examined other meridians and nerve by the optimal approaching method.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.77-88
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• 2004

Acupuncture has been shown to have therapeutic effects on many mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse in human and animal studies. Maternal separation (MS) is a risk factor in the development of mood-related disorders such as depression. This study investigated the effects of acupuncture during MS by evaluating locomotion as behavioral markers of depression and by observing changes in c-Fos expression in the limbic system (hippocampus, amygdala and cingulate cortex) to elucidate the mechanism of the therapeutic effect. The employed acupoint, Shinmun (HT7), has been clinically used to treat mental disorders. MS for 7 days beginning on postnatal day 14 induced a significant decrease in locomotion, while acupuncture treatment at acupoint HT7 resulted in a significant increase in locomotion. c-Fos immunoreactive cells in area dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus were increased in the MS group, but significantly decreased in the acupuncture group. These findings suggest that acupuncture has an effect on the depression-like disorder caused by MS, possibly by modulating c-Fos expression in DC of the hippocampus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.757-765
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• 2011

Many studies have suggested that the behavioral and reinforcing effects of morphine are induced by hyperactivation of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, which results in increases in locomotor activity, c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In order to investigate the effect of wild ginseng (WG) on treating morphine addiction, we examined the behavioral sensitization of locomotor activity and c-Fos and TH expression in the rat brain using immunohistochemistry. Intraperitioneal injection of WG (100 and 200 mg/kg), 30 min before administration of a daily injection of morphine (40 mg/kg, s.c.), significantly inhibited morphine-induced increases in c-Fos expression in NAc and TH expression in VTA as well as in locomotor activity, as compared with Panax ginseng. It was demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of WG on the behavioral sensitization after repeated exposure to morphine was closely associated with the reduction of dopamine biosynthesis and postsynaptic neuronal activity. It suggests that WG extract may be effective for inhibiting the behavioral effects of morphine by possibly modulating the central dopaminergic system and that WG might be a useful resource to develop an agent for preventing and treating morphine addiction.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 2009

Objective: Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has emerged as an important optical imaging modality in non-invasive medical diagnostics. Hence, the aim of this study is to measure the similarity of the diagnosis by a traditional method using doctor's hand for feeling of pulse and by the non-contact/non-invasive pulse analyzing system using OCT on Chon(寸), Kwan(關), Chuk(尺). Method: Four korean medical doctors and the non-contact/non-invasive pulse analyzing system using OCT have measured the rapidity, the dimension, and the power of pulse waves of 25 volunteers. First, four korean medical doctors measured pulse waves of volunteers. During measuring, four doctors were separated from each other and so were volunteers. And then, the pulse waves of volunteers were measured by OCT. This was performed on the right Chon(寸), Kwan(關), Chuk(尺). Results: The study showed that the traditional method and the OCT based method had the 88% matches on the values of the slow and rapid pulse condition (遲數), 64% matches on the values of the small and big pulse condition(微細弱緩大[洪]), and 72% matches on the values of the weak and strong pulse condition(虛實). Conclusions: Based on the high similarities of the measurements of two approaches, we suggest that the OCT based pulse diagnosis method is useful for compensating the traditional method for the pulse diagnosis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.698-704
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to figure out which acupoints are selected to treat nuchal pain and attempt to analyze the meaning of those acupoints in current clinical trials. We searched ten electronic databases and manually checked related Korean journals and references. We included randomized controlled trials(RCT), clinical controlled trials(CCT), case reports/series, and literature reviews using acupojnts to treat nuchal pain. We investigated the frequency of selected acupoints. We included 31 articles in this study. The most frequently adopted acupoints were GB20(77.41%), followed by GB21(61.29%). In distribution according to meridian system, BL was the most(25.60%), followed by Extra points of Dong-Shi(12.19%). Selected acupoints for treat nuchal pain were considered to be affected by flow of meridian system. It is necessary for more studies to provide clinical guideline of acupoint selection.

• 대한상한금궤의학회지
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.71-78
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• 2014

Objective : This study reports the effect of Gamchosasim-tang on atopic dermatitis. Methods : According to shanghanlun six meridian patterns diagnostic system, We diagnosed Taeyang-byung kyeolhyung. The symptoms of atopic dermatitis were worsen when the patient had bad sleeping habits by stress(心煩不得安). So the patient treated with Gamchosasim-tang for 3 months. The severity of atopic dermatitis was evaluated by SCORAD index, EASI and pictures. Results : After the treatment, SCORAD index and EASI decreased $75.9{\rightarrow}27.9$, $19{\rightarrow}5.7$ each. And sleeping habits also improved. Conclusions : Gamchosasim-tang improved the symptoms of atopic dermatitis on this study. Although Gamchosasim-tang is not an usual treatment for atopic dermatitis, we could prescribe the medicine due to shanghanlun six meridian patterns diagnostic system. And Further research would be needed the relation between bad sleeping habits cased by stress(心煩不得安) and Gamchosasim-tang.