• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.27-38
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• 2006

Objectives : The aim of the present study was to evaluate Yandorak for the wide inflection and establishment of a diagnostic system. Methods : We analyzed the measurement value of Yandorak on fifty one patients with idiopathic facial paralysis and eighty four healthy persons from April 1, 2005 to March 1, 2006 by using Yangdorak(YDRAK-94N, Sord Medicom Co., Korea). Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 11.0 for Windows, Mann-Whitney test for the comparisons followed side(Right and Left), sex, palsy localization in Idiopathic facial paralysis and normal group and one-way ANOVA(Kruskal Wallis) for the comparisons followed age. p < .05 was considered significant statistically. Results The difference of the electric current value of all meridian except Bladder(BL) of normal group on both side extremity was not significant statistically, Electric current value of all meridian except Gall-Bladder(GB) was more higher in idiopathic facial paralysis group than in normal group. The measurement value of Yandorak followed sex and palsy localization were not significant statistically. Conclusion : It is suggested that the measurement value of six Hand Yang & Eum channel, Liver Meridian of Foot Gworeum(厥陰) and Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangmyeong(陽明) is more higher in idiopathic facial paralysis group than in normal group.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.220-229
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• 2013

Objectives : Electroacupuncture(EA) has been used effectively in producing analgesia on ankle sprain pain of humans and animals. Currently to examine the underlying mechanisms of the EA-induced analgesia, the effects of EA on weight-bearing forces(WBR) were examined at ankle sprain classified as grade 3 in rats. Methods : The severe ankle sprain classified as grade 3 was induced surgically by ankle ligament injury in the Sprague-Dawley rats. WBR of the affected foot were examined to evaluate effects and mechanism of EA(2 Hz, 1 ms pulse width, 2 mA intensity, for 15 min) which was applied to either SI6, GB34, or GB39 acupoints. The rats were pretreated with naltrexone(10 mg/kg, i.p.) as an opioid receptor antagonist or phentolamine(5 mg/kg, i.p) as an ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptor antagonist at 30 min before EA. Results : The daily repeat EA at either SI6, GB34, or GB39 showed significant analgesic effects on the severe ankle sprain. Particularly, daily EA at GB34 showed more potent analgesic effect than the others. In addition, the naltrexone pretreatment completely blocked the analgesic effect of EA at GB34, indicating the involvement of the endogenous opioid system in mediating the effect of EA at GB34. However, the phentolamine pretreament blocked analgesic effects of EA at either SI6 or GB39, indicating the involvement of ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptors in mediating the effect of EA at either SI6 or GB39. Conclusions : These data suggest that EA-induced analgesia on ankle sprain pain is mediated through either endogenous opioids or ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptors dependant on acupoint specific pattern.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.125-134
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• 2010

Objectives : There has been a need for developing and establishing operational curriculum for the education of acupuncture, but defining the level and step of the acupuncture education in clinical perspectives was not thoroughly recognized so far. Methods : We analysed the usage of acupuncture points in the official textbook to recognize the most frequently used acupoints in clinical medicine. It was found that $ST_{36}$ $LI_4$ $SP_6$ $HT_7$ $LR_3$ $CV_{12}$ $BL_{23}$ $CV_6$ $BL_{20}$ $CV_4$ $LI_{11}$ $PC_6$ $KI_3$ $GB_{20}$ $GV_{20}$ $GB_{34}$ $BL_{18}$ $GV_{14}$ $BL_{17}$ $BL_{40}$ are the most frequently used 20 acupuncture points and GB(足少陽擔經), CV(任脈), ST(足陽明胃經) are the most frequently used meridians. Results : The $ST_{36}$, $GB_{34}$, $LI_{11}$ and GB(足太陽膀胱經) meridian are most frequently used for muskuloskeletal disease, $ST_{36}$, $LI_4$, $LI_{11}$ and GB(足太陽膀胱經) meridian are most frequently used for neuromuskular disease, and $ST_{36}$, $CV_{12}$, $BL_{20}$ and CV(任脈) meridian are most frequently used for the digestive system disorders. Conclusions : This study was the first systematic approach to get essential acupuncture points for the education of clinical perspectives of TKM especially for the acupuncture and moxibustion. We found that the $ST_{36}$, $GB_{34}$, $LI_{11}$ and GB(足太陽膀胱經) are the most frequently used acupuncture point and meridian. This study will be used for the development of TKM clinical curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.136-145
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial was to examine how acupuncture treatment at Shinmun(HT7) affects the brain activity and the autonomic nervous system(ANS), using electroencephalograms(EEG) and heart rate variability(HRV). Methods : Eighteen healthy volunteers participated in two separate experiments: in each experiment, either real acupuncture(RA) or non-penetrating sham acupuncture(SA) was applied at HT7 in random sequences to each person. The EEG and HRV measurements were conducted simultaneously before and during the acupuncture stimulation for 5 minutes, respectively. Resulting EEG and HRV parameters were compared between RA and SA groups. To assess differences according to the stress levels for participants, subgroup analysis was performed based on the results of the stress response index questionnaire. Results : In the results, acupuncture stimulation at HT7 increased ${\alpha}$ band in EEG. In the HRV analysis, heart rate was decreased significantly but HF and RMS-SD were increased in the RA group, compared with those of the SA group. In the subgroup analysis by stress level, participants in the RA group with high stress exhibited an increased in ${\alpha}$ band in their EEG while the low stress participants showed decrease or little increase in the band. For the SA group, ${\alpha}$ band reported relatively moderate changes in all channels. Conclusions : Our results showed that acupuncture induces changes in brain activation and the ANS. Acupuncture was related to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. The brain activities of the participants were different depending on the stress level.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.136-145
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• 2010

Objectives: Electroacupuncture according to Voll (EAV) has been used to quantify the skin's electrical resistance and conductance over acupuncture points that, based on traditional Chinese medicine, represent the state of health or disease of the organ or tissue. However, it doesn't have enough objective data yet, so the purpose of this study was to aid in the use of EAV in analysis of cerebrovascular disease risk factors. Methods: This study researched the clinical statistics of 216 cases: cerebrovascular attack (CVA) group 43, control group 173. We measured control meridian points (CMP) on hands and feet and the cardio ankle vascular index (CAVI) which represents atherosclerosis severity, and sex, age, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity. The data were then analyzed by t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression. Results: Between the CVA and control groups, there were not statistically significant differences in CMP. However, logistic regression analysis of the presence of CVA, mean of CMP heart and lung, sex, age, DBP (diastolic blood pressure), and HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol showed that the risk of CVA was 1.1 times increased with CMP heart (p=0.002), in men was 4.12 times higher than in women (p=0.001), 1.09 times higher with age (p=0.000), 1.04 times higher with DBP (p=0.045), while was lower by 0.924 times with CMP lung (p=0.005) and 0.957 times with HDL cholesterol (p=0.006). Conclusion: Although there were not clear evidence or mechanisms about EAV, this study showed that if we study EAV further, we may be able to apply EAV as an objective instrument of oriental medicine in cerebrovascular disease.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.12
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• pp.710-717
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• 2009

The researchers and planners are using patent/paper map system to analyze the research trend, but we can't use the existing analysis system because of the specialty of korean traditional medicine. Thus we deduced the analysis models from preceding research and system and designed 14 analysis models which are composed of basic, detail and complex models. We verified the analysis models using papers which has 'meridian' keyword among 16,000 papers stored in OASIS. From the analysis result, we know that the meridian study has just entered in the maturity and is closely related with other parts of korean traditional medicine as physiology etc. And we verified the proposed analysis model from the comparison with the analysis models of preceding systems. The analysis model will be used for the development of Korean traditional medicine paper map analysis service scenario and system.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.35-47
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• 2010

Objectives : To characterize the thermal properties of traditional warm needle and new warm needle with various air flows as an important environmental factor and to suggest the necessity of maintaining suitable environment of clinics to maximize their efficacy. Methods : We measured the temperature characteristics of traditional moxa warm needle and new moxa charcoal warm needle by applying an automatic temperature acquisition system with thermocouples while external various air flows were supplied. Temperatures of two positions at the needle body were measured while a moxa cone burned. Typical temperature characteristics like peak temperature, duration, curve shape and the efficiency of the heat stimuli by heat amount analysis were executed. Results : Both warm needles showed similar temperature curve with an increase in the air flow. Peak temperature and duration of effective heat decreased with the air flow, as shown in indirect moxibustion on garlic. The temperature change pattern by the air flow became more apparent when the total combustion heat was compared with the effective heat. The values from two positions on the needle body were significantly different, showing a distance dependency from the heat source of warm needle acupuncture. Conclusions : Thermal properties of warm needle acupuncture was observed variously with surrounding air flow of 0.0 - 0.7 m/s. It emphasized the importance of environmental control as well as the warm needle itself such as heat source and needle. The latter has already been known to deliver designated heat to subjects. It also indicated the importance of education and skill of the practitioners of warm needle acupuncture.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.333-338
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• 2011

Black ginseng (BG) has been widely used as herbal treatment for improving physiological function. In order to investigate the neuroprotective action of this herbal medicine, we examined the influence of BG on the learning and memory of rats using the Morris water maze, and we studied the effects of BG on the central cholinergic system and neural nitric oxide synthesis in the hippocampus of rats with neuronal and cognitive impairment. After middle cerebral artery occlusion was applied for 2h, the rats were administered BG (100 or 400 $mgkg^{-1}$, p.o.) daily for 2 weeks, followed by training and performance of the Morris water maze test. The rats with ischemic insults showed impaired learning and memory on the tasks. Treatment with BG produced improvement in the escape latency to find the platform. Further, the BG groups showed a reduced loss of cholinergic immunoreactivity and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d)-positive neurons in the hippocampus compared to that of the ISC group. These results demonstrated that BG has a protective effect against ischemia-induced neuronal and cognitive impairment. Our results suggest that BG might be useful for the treatment of vascular dementia.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.59-65
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• 2006

Objectives : By comparing the correspondence of Three Eums and Yangs (三陰三陽) to calendr in ${\ulcorner}Somun\;Make'ae{\lrcorner}$ with twelve principal divinatory symbols, this paper intends to explain the exterior and interior of meridian system using the phenomena of the trigrams from Juyeok(卦). It also tries to relate the phenomena of the trigrams with the characteristics of the original Gi (本氣) of Three Em and Yangs tough the interpretation of Three Eums and Yangs assigned to twelve principal divinatory symbols. Methods : This paper compares the correspondence of Three Eums and Yangs to calendar in ${\ulcorner}Somun\;Make'ae{\lrcorner}$ with twelve principal divinatory symbols. By this, it traces the making of the exterior and interior relationship between Taeeum (太陰)-Yangmyeong (陽明), Soeum (少陰)-Taeyang (太陽), and Gworeum (厥陰)-Soyang (少陽) through the phenomena of trigrams assigned to Three Eums and Yangs. It also interprets Three Em and Yangs assigned to twelve principal divinatory symbols, using the original Gi of the six atmospheric influences(六氣). Results and Conclusions : Three Eums and Yangs in ${\ulcorner}Somun\;Make'ae{\lrcorner}$ signify the six meridians of the leg. Soeum (少陰) is assigned to October in ${\ulcorner}Somun\;Make'ae{\lrcorner}$ but it is more appropriate to assign it to July. If Soeum (少陰) is assigned to July, Three Eums and Yangs have phenoma of the trigrams with Em and Yang lines (陽爻) counter to each other, and can be explained as the exterior and interior relationship. lastly, in case of Three Eums and Yangs assigned to twelve principal divinatory symbols, the phenomena of the trigrams can be interpreted as the original Gi of Three Eums and Yangs.

• Journal of TMJ Balancing Medicine
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• v.5 no.sup
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• pp.11-18
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• 2015

Therapeutic effect of Yinyang Balancing Appliance (YBA) of functional cerebrospinal therapy (FCST) for meridian and neurologic yinyang balance was observed in a trigeminal neuralgia case. One Trigeminal neuralgia case was managed with YBA on temporomandibular joint (TMJ), combined with acupuncture. Clinical outcome measurement was performed by subjective rating and clinical observations. The patient's subjective rating and clinical symptoms showed improvement immediately after the initial treatment and this improvement maintained over the follow-up period. Although it is not clear whether the effect is temporary in its nature, a positive effect was observed and further clinical and biological research on FCST is expected.