• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 2022

This study aimed to examine the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome by reviewing published randomized controlled trials. Among the 186 studies retrieved from 7 online databases (PubMed, Cochrane library, CNKI, NDSL, RISS, OASIS, KMbase) on October 29, 2021, 4 studies were selected according to the inclusion, exclusion criteria, and were evaluated using risk of bias. Control groups for electroacupuncture were wearing a splint at night, traditional acupuncture, and medication. Methods such as total effective, functional status scale, symptom severity scale, electromyography, tip pinch strength, visual analogue scale, numeric rating scale, and ultrasound were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Electroacupuncture was reported to have significant treatment results compared with the control group in methods such as total effectiveness, electromyography, and tip pinch strength. However, the quality of the studies (using risk of bias) does not allow reliable conclusions to be made. Many high quality (low risk of bias) randomized controlled trials are needed to examine the efficacy of electroacupuncture treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.49-78
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• 2022

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Korean Medicine Therapy (KMT) for the treatment of Chemotherapy-induced Cognitive Impairment (CICI) through systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as proceeding research to further research the efficacy of KMT for CICI patients. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA). The RCTs on the efficacy of KMT for treatment of CICI were searched by structured search strategies in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library, CAJD, KISS, NDSL, KoreaMed, and OASIS. The searched RCTs were screened by inclusion and exclusion criteria. We evaluated the quality of the method in the included studies using the Jadad score and Cochran ROB tool. The efficacy outcomes were the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Clinical total Effective Rate (CER) of CICI. They were analyzed using mean difference for continuous variable or Relative Risk (RR) for Dichotomous variable in the random-effect model. The RevMan 5.3 program was used for meta-analysis. Results: We included 19 RCTs, including 653 participants, in the systematic review and meta-analysis. There were favorable results for the KMT group after the intervention compared with the pharmacotherapy group, physiotherapy group, and combined treatment group. KMT group showed improvement using CER and VAS compared with exercises, but their heterogeneities were slightly significant. KMT was more effective compared to the Rehabilitation program in CER and the subgroup analysis results showed that KMT had a significant difference compared to other therapies in VAS, to Medication therapy in CER. Conclusions: KMT presented reasonable evidence on improving the Clinical total Effective Rate and Visual Analogue Scale in CICI patients. However, further evaluation in future research is required.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.418-438
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• 2023

Objective: This study was conducted to review the effects of herbal medicine on respiratory diseases induced by the treatment of particulate matter in in vivo animal models. Methods: Literature searches were performed in seven databases (Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, KISS, KTKP, OASIS, and ScienceON). After the searched studies were screened based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria, the publication date, origin, used animals, induction of particulate matter models, herbal medicine used for intervention, study design, outcome measure, and results of studies were analyzed. Results: Among a total of 972 studies primarily searched, 34 studies were finally included in our study. Of this number, 29 studies induced animal models by using only particulate matter, and 5 studies induced animal models with respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, by using particulate matter and other materials. In the selected studies, the treatments of herbal medicine in particulate matter models suppressed oxidative stress and inflammation in lung tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and blood as well as lung injury in histological analysis. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that herbal medicine is effective in treating respiratory diseases induced by particulate matter. These results are also expected to be useful data for designing further studies. However, more systematically designed in vivo studies related to particulate matter are needed.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.73-91
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• 2023

Objectives : This study used a network pharmacology approach to elucidate the efficacy and molecular mechanisms of Daehwangmokdanpitang (DHMDPT) on Psoriasis. Methods : Using OASIS databases and PubChem database, compounds of DHMDPT and their target genes were collected. The putative target genes of DHMDPT and known target genes of psoriasis were compared and found the correlation. Then, the network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.10.1. The key target genes were screened by Analyzer network and their functional enrichment analysis was conducted based on the Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Pathways to predict the mechanisms. Results : The result showed that total 30 compounds and 439 related genes were gathered from DHMDPT. 264 genes were interacted with psoriasis gene set, suggesting that the effects of DHMDPT are closely related to psoriasis. Based on GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathways, 'Binding', 'Cytokine Activity', 'Receptor Ligand Activity' 'HIF-1 signaling pathway', 'IL-17 signaling pathway', 'Toll-like receptor signaling pathway', and 'TNF signaling pathway' were predicted as functional pathways of 16 key target genes of DHMDPT on psoriasis. Among the target genes, IL6, IL1B, TNF, AKT1 showed high correlation with the results of KEGG pathways. Additionally, Emodin, Acetovanillone, Gallic acid, and Ferulic acid showed a high relevance with key genes and their mechanisms. Conclusion : Through a network pharmacological method, DHMDPT was predicted to have high relevance with psoriasis. This study could be used as a basis for studying therapeutic effects of DHMDPT on psoriasis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.51-69
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of using Boyanghwano-tang(BYHWT) for diabetic retinopathy. Methods : We searched randomized controlled trials(RCTs) that used BYHWT for diabetic retinopathy in 10 databases(RISS, KISS, ScienceON, KCI, OASIS, DBpia, CNKI, Wanfang Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library) on August 12, 2023. Outcome measurements included total effective rate(TER) and visual acuity as the primary outcome measurements, and the secondary outcome measurements included fasting blood glucose(FBG), 2hPG, HbA1c, ET-1, NO, etc. The indicator of stability included adverse reactions. A meta-analysis was conducted according to TER, visual acuity, FBG. Results : A total of 8 randomized control trials were selected. The treatment group which used BYHWT showed significant improvement effects in TER and visual acuity compared to the control group which used western medicine or chinese patent medicine alone. TER: (RR: 1.22, CI 1.14 to 1.31, P=<0.00001), visual acuity: (RR: 2.06, CI 1.40 to 3.03, P=0.0002). Secondary outcome measurements including FBG also showed improvement in the treatment group compared to the control group. FBG: (MD: -0.15, CI -0.43 to 0.31, P=0.28). Adverse reactions were only mentioned in one study, which showed that no adverse reactions occurred in both the treatment and control groups. Conclusions : This study suggests that BYHWT is effective for diabetic retinopathy. However these findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the insufficient number of studies and unknown or high risk of bias in the included trials.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.113-121
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze the treatment mechanism of Thread-embedding acupuncture, which is used in Korean medicine beauty treatment. Methods : After searching papers published up to January 1, 2023 using the keyword "Thread-embedding" through the OASIS site, we selected beauty papers that mentioned the treatment mechanism of Thread-embedding acupuncture. Results : A total of 60 papers were retrieved: 19 papers on the topic of cosmetic diseases, 35 papers on the theme of other diseases, and 6 papers written unrelated to diseases. Among the 19 papers on the topic of cosmetic diseases, one unreadable paper was excluded. Among the 18 papers, we finally selected 6 papers that mentioned treatment mechanisms: 2 on facial wrinkles, 2 on obesity, 1 on breast enlargement, and 1 on transdermal hydration. The treatment mechanism of Thread-embedding acupuncture is that in the case of facial wrinkles, polydioxanone(PDO) is embedded to fill the volume, and as it decomposes, it causes a tissue reaction around the area. In obesity, it promotes fat decomposition by improving circulation, and promotes breast enlargement and elasticity through collagen formation. In transdermal hydration, it induces the production of surrounding fibers to increase skin elasticity and moisture. Conclusions : Thread-embedding acupuncture appears to have a cosmetic effect through a mechanism that promotes the production of collagen and elastic fibers in the subepidermal dermal layer and increases the activity of skin moisturizing factors during the absorption process after the PDO suture is embedded.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.88-112
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze the oriental medical treatments of burning mouth syndrome, understand the tendency of treatment, and apply it to clinical settings. Methods : We collected case reports, retrospective cohort studies and RCT studies related to oriental medical treatments of burning mouth syndrome using domestic and Chinese databases(CNKI, KISS, RISS, OASIS, KCI). Search terms include 'Burning Mouth Syndrome', 'BMS', 'Burning Tongue', '灼口综合征', and 'oriental medicine', 'oriental medical treatment', 'Korean medicine' and '中医'. A search was conducted by appropriately combining keywords. Results : A total of 27 papers were included in the analysis. Among them, 9 are case studies, 1 is a retrospective cohort study, 1 is a before and after study and 16 are RCT studies. Treatments for burning mouth syndrome included herbal medicine, acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, acupoint injection, auricular acupuncture treatment, external use herbal medicine and gargling. In all studies, symptoms of burning mouth syndrome were alleviated after oriental medical treatments. In 14 RCT studies comparing western medical treatments, the results of the treatment group that included oriental medical treatments were found to be more significant, except for one. Conclusions : As a result of the study, oriental medical treatments are effective in treating burning mouth syndrome. In the future, we hope that clinical research related to oriental medical treatments of burning mouth syndrome will be actively conducted so that evidence-based treatment can be implemented.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.603-620
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• 2023

Objectives: This study reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of herbal medicine on sleep disorders associated with Parkinson's disease and suggests a better research process. Methods: We searched for RCTs for herbal medicine treatments for sleep disorders related to Parkinson's disease on July 31, 2023 using eight databases (PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], the Research Information Service System [RISS], Science ON, the Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System [OASIS], and the Korea Citation Index [KCI]). Cochrane's risk of bias tool was used to assess the quality of the RCTs. Results: A total of 16 RCTs met all the inclusion criteria, and in most reports, the treatment group showed a significant improvement in sleep disorders compared to the control group. Total effective rate (TER), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), TCM Symptom Score (TSS), Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), etc., were used as evaluation indicators. Conclusion: Herbal medicine is a potential treatment for sleep disorders associated with Parkinson's disease. However, the selected RCTs were of poor quality, and it is necessary to perform more systematic studies.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.170-188
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the diagnostic factors of Damjeok in the literature. Methods: This study used the databases of five (Mediclassics, RISS, KMbase, OASIS, CNKI) to analyze diagnostic factors of Damjeok. Literatures published by May 2023 were assessed and we classified 91 literatures dealing with diagnostic factors by 5 categories, 'characteristics', 'location', 'symptom', 'pulse wave & tongue feature', and 'eating habits & lifestyle'. Results: Damjeok is mainly formed at the stomach in the form of lump or hard seed, and it can be observed in other regions or even the whole body by its trait of floating. Damjeok mainly shows symptoms of the digestive system and also causes various symptoms associated with the respiratory system and infection, musculoskeletal system, urogenital system, neuropsychiatric system and cardiovascular system. Regarding pulse wave and tongue feature, a slippery wave and greasy coated tongue are typical features of Damjeok. Additionally, bad eating habits and a lack of exercise have been described as a factor that cause and aggravate Damjeok. Conclusions: The two most important factors in the diagnosis of Damjeok are abdominal stiffness by physical examination and digestive symptoms, and these correspond to the definition of a syndrome. Diagnostic factors based on literature evidence will provide clues to the clinical diagnosis of Damjeok syndrome.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.189-200
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the current state of quantitative literature evidence for the prescription of 56 herbal medicines covered by health insurance that have been studied in Korea for the past 30 years, to evaluate the reliability of the evidence, and to find out the research direction of herbal medicine prescription in the future. Methods: 56 kinds of herbal medicine prescriptions were searched in domestic literature search databases OASIS, DBpia, and overseas PubMed, classified into chemistry, toxicity, cells, animals, clinical cases, and clinical trial studies, and built into an EBM pyramid structure. Results: When classified according to research contents, there were 61 cases (7.5%) of physicochemical analysis to identify constituent substances, 80 cases (9.8%) of toxicity evaluation, and 672 cases (82.7%) of efficacy evaluation. The efficacy evidence was classified according to the evidence-based medical pyramid structure: 196 cell trials (29.1%), 372 animal trials (55.4%), 89 case and case reporting series (13.3%), 7 comparative case studies (1.1%), and 8 randomized control clinical trials (1.2%). In the pyramid composition, the basis for the validity of 56 kinds of herbal medicines prescribed was 568 cases (84.5%) in cell and animal units, which could not be said to be highly reliable. There was no relationship between the ranking of quantitative literature evidence for herbal medicine prescriptions and the ranking of salary administration. Conclusions: In an era that continues to require scientific evidence for herbal medicine, traditional herbal medicine should secure the basis for safety validity even for the 10th most frequent prescription among 56 herbal medicine prescriptions for consumers. In particular, traditional herbal medicine should increase the quantitative and qualitative level of case reports on related herbal medicine prescriptions, focusing on each clinical society, and move toward comparative case studies and randomized clinical trial so that traditional herbal medicine is positioned as Evidence-based medicine.