• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.137-142
• /
• 2013

Oral Medicine includes temporomandibular disorder, orofacial pains such as neuropathic pain, soft tissue diseases, halitosis, laser treatment, snoring, sleep apnea and identification through forensic dentistry etc. Such diseases are relatively common and cause great inconvenience and pain to the patients, as well as incur fatal health scare at times. In terms of oral medicine, the number of orofacial patients is growing due to a change in the life style and an increased stress as time goes in contemporary society and the demand of areas requiring oral medical professionalism, such as soft tissue lesions, snoring and sleep apnea, forensic dentistry evaluation and others are rapidly ascending. Consequently, among the areas in dental science, the calls for the expertism in oral medicine and its role are mounting. Analyzing the distribution according to disease entity, symptoms, duration of disease, and the prehistory courses of new patients visiting the department of oral medicine in a year provides information of the role and the relative importance of oral medicine in prospect and enables effective diagnosis and treatments for the patients. Therefore, in the present study, by analyzing new patients visiting the oral medicine clinic in our dental hospital for a year and by evaluating the role and the professionalism in future oral medicine, the authors concluded the followings: 1. It was founded that new patients to oral medicine mainly had temporomandibular disorders, soft tissue diseases, and neuropathic pains. 2. The number of patients with temporomandibular disorder appeared to be the highest percentage and the order within this was the patients with combined disorders, muscle disorder, and internal derangement of joint disc. 3. The number of patients with xerostomia appeared to be the highest percentage within soft tissue disease, followed by lichen planus and recurrent apthous ulcers. 4. The number of patients with burning mouth syndrome appeared to be the highest percentage within neuropathic pain.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.442-452
• /
• 2020

Backgroud: Sleep deprivation (SD) impairs learning and memory by inhibiting hippocampal functioning at molecular and cellular levels. Abnormal autophagy and apoptosis are closely associated with neurodegeneration in the central nervous system. This study is aimed to explore the alleviative effect and the underlying molecular mechanism of stem-leaf saponins of Panax notoginseng (SLSP) on the abnormal neuronal autophagy and apoptosis in hippocampus of mice with impaired learning and memory induced by SD. Methods: Mouse spatial learning and memory were assessed by Morris water maze test. Neuronal morphological changes were observed by Nissl staining. Autophagosome formation was examined by transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescent staining, acridine orange staining, and transient transfection of the tf-LC3 plasmid. Apoptotic event was analyzed by flow cytometry after PI/annexin V staining. The expression or activation of autophagy and apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western blotting assay. Results: SLSP was shown to improve the spatial learning and memory of mice after SD for 48 h, accomanied with restrained excessive autophage and apoptosis, whereas enhanced activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway in hippocampal neurons. Meanwhile, it improved the aberrant autophagy and apoptosis induced by rapamycin and re-activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling transduction in HT-22 cells, a hippocampal neuronal cell line. Conclusion: SLSP could alleviate cognitive impairment induced by SD, which was achieved probably through suppressing the abnormal autophagy and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. The findings may contribute to the clinical application of SLSP in the prevention or therapy of neurological disorders associated with SD.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.174-181
• /
• 2001

Objectives : The author investigated the rate of diagnostic agreement between consultants and consultees and concordance ratings on the consultees' recommendation to examine the interactive collaborativeness and find the factors that influence the reflectiveness on treatment. Methods : The subjects were 54 patients with delirium selected from 583 cases referred from other departments who were admitted to Hanyang University Kuri Hospital from July 1, 1995 to Dec. 31, 1997. The information on demographic data, diagnostic impression, symptoms, management before consultation, psychiatric recommendation, management after consultation, diagnoses at the referring departments and the psychiatric department on delirium was obtained by medical records and consultation papers retrospectively. The reflectiveness of the psychiatric recommendation was divided into complete concordance, partial concordance, and nonconcordance and among them the complete and partial concordance were considered for concordance. The reflectiveness was compared among all the departments and between medical unit and surgery unit. Results: The rate of diagnostic agreement on the cause of delirium was highest(85.7%) in organic brain syndrome and lowest in general medical condition(0%). There was no statistically significant differences between medical unit and surgery unit. Neither differences were there among all the departments. In comparing symptoms affecting the reflectiveness, it was 73.5% in impulsive and aggressive behavioral changes, whereas 40.0% in behavioral changes. Reflectiveness of psychiatric recommendation showed higher scores in the case of behavioral changes. The cases of sleep problem showed higher scores of reflectiveness. When these two symptoms of behavioral change and sleep problem were compared as one factor, the results suggested that there were significant differences. The cases with both two symptoms showed 80% in reflectiveness, and the cases with only one symptom or no symptoms showed 44.8% in reflectiveness. There were no statistical significances between concordance ratings and symptoms such as disturbance of consciousness, disorientation, and hallucination that cannot be easily evaluated at the referring departments. Conclusions : The rate of diagnostic agreement on the cause of delirium was highest in the case of organic brain syndrome in which lesions can be easily recognized. The factors that influence the reflectiveness of psychiatric recommendation were behavior changes and sleep disorders in the symptoms of evaluated cases.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.726-740
• /
• 2023

Objectives: This review investigated the research on warm herbal foot bath therapy (WHFT) for insomnia. Methods: A search was conducted on the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database to collect relevant studies published up to August 29, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing WHFT and sleeping pills in patients with insomnia were included. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool. The results of the meta-analysis were presented as risk ratios (RRs) or mean differences (MDs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 11 RCTs were included. WHFT as monotherapy resulted in a significantly higher total effective rate (TER) (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.36; I²=25%) and an improved Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global sore (MD, -3.10; 95% CI, -4.24 to -1.95; I²=73%) compared to benzodiazepines. Additionally, WHFT as a combined therapy with benzodiazepines resulted in a significantly higher TER (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.27; I²=0%) and an improved PSQI global score (MD, -2.23; 95% CI, -4.09 to -0.38; I²=80%) compared to benzodiazepines alone. In network analysis visualizing the components of HWFT, four clusters were discovered, and Polygoni Multiflori Ramuls and Ziziphi Spinosae Semen were the key herbs used in WHFT. Overall, the methodological quality of the included studies was poor. Conclusions: There was limited evidence that WHFT as a monotherapy or combined therapy was effective in improving insomnia. The findings can be used as basic data for future WHFT research in South Korea.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.69-73
• /
• 2005

The flavonoid, quercetin, is a low molecular weight substance found in apple, tomato and other fruit. Besides its antioxidative effect, quercetin, like other flavonoids, has a wide range of neuropharmacological actions including analgesia, and motility, sleep, anticonvulsant, sedative and anxiolytic effects. In the present study, we investigated its effect on mouse 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 ($5-HT_{3A}$) receptor channel activity, which is involved in pain transmission, analgesia, vomiting, and mood disorders. The $5-HT_{3A}$ receptor was expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and the current was measured with the two-electrode voltage clamp technique. In oocytes injected with $5-HT_{3A}$ receptor cRNA, quercetin inhibited the 5-HT-induced inward peak current ($I_{5-HT}$) with an $IC_{50}$ of $64.7{\pm}2.2{\mu}M$. Inhibition was competitive and voltage-independent. Point mutations of pre-transmembrane domain 1 (pre-TM1) such as R222T and R222A, but not R222D, R222E and R222K, abolished inhibition, indicating that quercetin interacts with the pre-TM1 of the $5-HT_{3A}$ receptor.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.25 no.8
• /
• pp.953-959
• /
• 2015

Optogenetics is the combination of optical and molecular strategies to control designated molecular and cellular activities in living tissues and cells using genetically encoded light-sensitive proteins. It involves the use of light to rapidly gate the membrane channels that allows for ion movement. Optogenetics began with the placing of light-sensitive proteins from green algae inside specific types of brain cells. The cells can then be turned on or off with pulses of blue and yellow light. Using the naturally occurring algal protein Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), a rapidly gated light-sensitive cation channel, the number and frequency of action potentials can be controlled. The ChR2 provides a way to manipulate a single type of neuron while affecting no others, an unprecedented specificity. This technology allows the use of light to alter neural processing at the level of single spikes and synaptic events, yielding a widely applicable tool for neuroscientists and biomedical engineers. An improbable combination of green algae, lasers, gene therapy and fiber optics made it possible to map neural circuits deep inside the brain with a precision that has never been possible before. This will help identify the causes of disorders like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, addiction, sleep disorder, and autism. Optogenetics could improve upon existing implanted devices that are used to treat Parkinson’s disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other ailments with pulses of electricity. An optogenetics device could hit more specific subsets of brain cells than those devices can. Applications of optogenetic tools in nonneuronal cells are on the rise.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.547-555
• /
• 2014

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the association between subjective distress symptoms and argon welding among workers in Gyeongnam Province shipyard. Method: 31 argon and 29 non-argon welding workers were selected as study subjects in order to measure concentrations of personal dust, welding fumes and other hazardous materials such as ZnO, Pb, Cr, FeO, MnO, Cu, Ni, $TiO_2$, MgO, NO, $NO_2$, $O_3$, $O_2$, $CO_2$, CO and Ar. An interviewer-administered questionnaire survey was also performed on the same subjects. The items queried were as follows: age, height, weight, working duration, welding time, welding rod amounts used, drinking, smoking, and rate of subjective distress symptoms including headache and other symptoms such as fever, vomiting and nausea, metal fume fever, dizziness, tingling sensations, difficulty in breathing, memory loss, sleep disorders, emotional disturbance, hearing loss, hand tremors, visual impairment, neural abnormality, allergic reaction, runny nose and stuffiness, rhinitis, and suffocation. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 18. Data are expressed as the mean ${\pm}SD$. An ${\chi}^2$-test and a normality test using a Shapiro wilk test were performed for the above variables. Logistic regression analysis was also conducted to identify the factors that affect the total score for subjective distress symptoms. Result: An association was shown between welding type (argon or non-argon welding) and the total score for subjective distress symptoms. Among the rate of complaining of subjective distress symptoms, vomiting and nausea, difficulty breathing, and allergic reactions were all significantly higher in the argon welding group. Only the concentration of dust and welding fumes was shown to be distributed normally after natural log transformation. According to logistic regression analysis, the correlations of working duration and welding type (argon or non-argon) between the total score of subjective distress symptoms were found to be statistically significant (p=0.041, p=0.049, respectively). Conclusion: Our results suggest that argon welding could cause subjective distress symptoms in shipyard workers.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.724-733
• /
• 2020

Objective: Overactive bladder syndrome refers to the symptom of frequent urination, as the function of the bladder is so sensitive that the bladder muscles contract regardless of the patient's intent and the patient feels the need to urinate quickly. Overactive bladder syndrome is common among the elderly, especially in women, and the prevalence increases with increasing age. Overactive bladder can decrease social activity, increase isolation, and decrease quality of life due to sleep disorders caused by night urination; therefore, active treatment is required. In this study, we report the effects of Korean medical treatment on a Korean hospital patient with overactive bladder symptoms, including urine frequency, urine incontinence, and night urination that began at a similar time to an onset of coughing. Methods: We treated the patient with herbal medicines and acupuncture therapy. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), and a numeric rating scale (NRS) were used to assess symptom changes. Results: The patient with urine frequency, urine incontinence, and nocturia was hospitalized for 8 days, and the overall symptoms of overactive bladder syndrome were improved. Conclusion: The results indicate that Korean medical treatment is effective in patients with overactive bladder syndrome.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.319-332
• /
• 2017

Objectives: The present study aimed to provide clinical evidence on the effect of herbal medicine, Hyeolbuchukeo-tang or Xuefu Zhuyu decoction for the treatment of primary insomnia using a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: This study included RCTs that verified the effects of Hyeolbuchukeo-tang or Xuefu Zhuyu decoction for the treatment of primary insomnia. Literature searches of English, Chinese and Korean databases were performed, and the selected literature was assessed for investigating the risk of bias. Results: The analysis included 10 RCTs. The Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders-3 was most frequently used to define the diagnostic criteria for Hyeolbuchukeo-tang or Xuefu Zhuyu decoction intervention in patients with primary insomnia. The effective rate was the most commonly used outcome measure. A meta-analysis revealed that the effective rate, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Athens Insomnia Scale in the Modified Xuefu Zhuyu decoction (MXZD) group were higher compared to Western Medicine (WM) group (RR: 1.17, 95% Cl: 1.08 to 1.26, p<0.0001, $I^2$=0/MD: -1.29, 95% Cl: -2.09 to -0.49, p=0.002, $I^2$=0%/MD: -0.99, 95% Cl: -1.81 to -0.18, p=0.02, $I^2$=15%). The effective rate of the MXZD+WM group was significantly different compared to the WM group (RR: 1.28, 95% Cl: 1.11 to 1.47, p=0.0006, $I^2$=2%). The included RCTs were of relatively poor quality and had small sample sizes. Conclusions: Treatment with Hyeolbuchukeo-tang or Xuefu Zhuyu decoction was found to be effective in treating primary insomnia. However, the included RCTs were of relatively poor quality and had small sample sizes. It is hypothesized that this study could serve as a foundation for further clinical studies on the development of diagnosis and treatment methods for primary insomnia based on Korean medicine.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.7-26
• /
• 2016

The present study aimed at investigating the strengths and weaknesses of a mobile personal health record (PHR) application and identifying its impacts on consumer health information behavior. For the study, twenty-seven college students used a PHR application for three months, based on which the study conducted paper-based interviews with them. The results of content analysis highlighted the benefits of the PHR such as supporting preventive healthcare and motivating and providing specific guidelines for healthy lifestyles by utilizing visual interface design, sharing the data with family and assisting caregivers to manage patients' healthcare, and above all enhancing the interaction between patients and healthcare professionals. However, the study found the drawbacks of the PHR such as a lack of data entry for strength training and the incompatibility with other healthcare applications. The participants were motivated to change their health behaviors in ways such as getting rid of sleep disorders, avoiding alcohol and smoking tobacco, and losing weight, and changing eating habits. Some consumers improved self-efficacy by changing their health behaviors, while the PHR provided emotional supports to the consumers who wanted to improve their health. The present study has an academic significance because the study of PHR is a burgeoning area in Korea. The study provides insights for promoting health and medical information services to cope with the paradigm shift of healthcare fields.