• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.90-98
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• 2004

Traumatic brain injury is an insult to the brain caused by an external physical force, that may product a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in impairment of cognitive abilities or physical function. The purposes of this study were to overview injury mechanism and neural plasticity of traumatic brain injury. Injury mecanism includes exitotoxicity, production free radical, inflammation and apoptosis. Furthermore traumatic brain injury has protective mechanisms includes production of neural growth factor, heat shock protein, anti-inflammatory cytokines.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.515-522
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• 2015

Notch signaling is a key regulator of neuronal fate during embryonic development, but its function in the adult brain is still largely unknown. Mind bomb-2 (Mib2) is an essential positive regulator of the Notch pathway, which acts in the Notch signal-sending cells. Therefore, genetic deletion of Mib2 in the mouse brain might help understand Notch signaling-mediated cell-cell interactions between neurons and their physiological function. Here we show that deletion of Mib2 in the mouse brain results in impaired hippocampal spatial memory and contextual fear memory. Accordingly, we found impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity in Mib2 knock-out (KO) mice; however, basal synaptic transmission did not change at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses. Using western blot analysis, we found that the level of cleaved Notch1 was lower in Mib2 KO mice than in wild type (WT) littermates after mild foot shock. Taken together, these data suggest that Mib2 plays a critical role in synaptic plasticity and spatial memory through the Notch signaling pathway.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.140-161
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze 181 papers about brain-based learning appeared in domestic scientific journals from 1989 to May of 2012 and suggest application conditions in elementary science education. The results of this study summarizes as follows; First, learning activity suggested by brain-based learning study is mainly explained by working of brain function. Learning activity explained by brain-based learning study are divided into 'learning according to specialized brain function, learning according to brain function integration and learning beyond specialization and integration of hemispheres'. Second, it searched how increased knowledge of brain structure and function affects learning. Analysis from this point of view suggests that brain-based learning study affects learning in many ways especially emotion, creativity and learning motivation. Third, brain-based learning study suggests various possibilities of learning activity reflecting brain plasticity. Plasticity which is one of most important characteristics of brain supports the validity of learning activity as learning disorder treatment and explains the possibility of selective increment of brain function by leaning activity and the need of whole-brain approach to learning activity. Fourth, brain-based learning brought paradigm shifts in education field. It supports learning sophistication on the understanding of student's learning activity, guides learning method that reflects the characteristics of subject and demands reconstruction of curriculum. Fifth, there are many conditions to apply brain-based learning in elementary science education field, learning environment that fits brain-based learning, change of perspectives on teaching and learning of science educators and development of brain-based learning curriculum are needed.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.37-51
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• 2008

Purpose : This paper focuses on the emerging concept that adult central nervous system neurogenesis can be regulated by various physical activity, enriched environment, and pathological conditions. Neurogenesis-the production of new neuron-is an ongoing process that persists in the adult brain of mammalian, including humans. Result : The adult brain was thought be limited in its regenerative function. However, this concepts changed, recent evidence of neurogenesis in certain adult brain areas such as SVZ(subventricular zone) and SGZ(subgranular zone) in hippocampus, raised possibility for improved treatment for patient with stroke. Neural plasticity has an adaptive purpose, because an ability of the brain to change in response to peripheral stimulation, physical activity, experience, and injury. Conclusions : The major function of the neurogenesis in adult brain seems to be replacing the neuron that die regularly in discrete adult brain regions. These cells are capable of functionally integrating into neighboring neural cells, and reconnecting to the correct neural networks. This review suggest that various intervention, including physical activity, voluntary movement training, skilled forelimb reaching training, and enriched environment, induced neural cell production in certain adult brain, and associated with functional recovery after stroke.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Damage in the periphery or spinal cord induces maladaptive plastic changes along the somatosensory nervous system from the periphery to the cortex, often leading to chronic pain. Although the role of neural circuit remodeling and structural synaptic plasticity in the 'pain matrix' cortices in chronic pain has been thought as a secondary epiphenomenon to altered nociceptive signaling in the spinal cord, progress in whole brain imaging studies on human patients and animal models has suggested a possibility that plastic changes in cortical neural circuits may actively contribute to chronic pain symptoms. Furthermore, recent development in two-photon microscopy and fluorescence labeling techniques have enabled us to longitudinally trace the structural and functional changes in local circuits, single neurons and even individual synapses in the brain of living animals. These technical advances has started to reveal that cortical structural remodeling following tissue or nerve damage could rapidly occur within days, which are temporally correlated with functional plasticity of cortical circuits as well as the development and maintenance of chronic pain behavior, thereby modifying the previous concept that it takes much longer periods (e.g. months or years). In this review, we discuss the relation of neural circuit plasticity in the 'pain matrix' cortices, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex and primary somatosensory cortex, with chronic pain. We also introduce how to apply long-term in vivo two-photon imaging approaches for the study of pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic pain.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.457-460
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• 2014

At central synapses, activity-dependent synaptic plasticity has a crucial role in information processing, storage, learning, and memory under both physiological and pathological conditions. One widely accepted model of learning mechanism and information processing in the brain is Hebbian Plasticity: long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). LTP and LTD are respectively activity-dependent enhancement and reduction in the efficacy of the synapses, which are rapid and synapse-specific processes. A number of recent studies have a strong focal point on the critical importance of another distinct form of synaptic plasticity, non-Hebbian plasticity. Non-Hebbian plasticity dynamically adjusts synaptic strength to maintain stability. This process may be very slow and occur cell-widely. By putting them all together, this mini review defines an important conceptual difference between Hebbian and non-Hebbian plasticity.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.79-94
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• 2002

Polarisation of biological and psychosocial aspects of psychiatry is nowadays main stream. Current knowledges of the interaction between biology and psychology make it possible to consider a truly integrative approach of the two aspects. Research findings suggest that the neuronal plasticity is the key mechanism to answer how the mental function work to an environmental stimuli and how the psychotherapeutic approach work on the brain. Advances in neuroscience research have led to a more sophisticated understanding of how psychotherapy may affect brain function. Even though there have been a tremendous efforts to find out the neurobiological mechanism of mental function, the answer is at best premature. In this article, research findings about of neuronal plasticity, implicit memory, animal studies which were associated with psychotherapy and psychological aspects were reviewed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.351-360
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• 2013

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of observed action gait training on stroke patients. METHODS: 22 subjects were randomized into two groups. The observed action gait training performed that watched a video of normal gait before gait training and the general gait training without watching it. The experimental group(n=11) performed observed action gait training and the control group(n=11) performed general gait training. Both group received gait training for 3 times per week during 8 weeks. RESULTS: The experimental group showed significant differences in the cadence, gait velocity, stride, step, single limb support, double limb support, stride length and step length(p<.05). The control group showed significant differences only in the stride(p<.05). CONCLUSION: The observed action gait training affected coordination and weight shift, as well as symmetry of the body. Plasticity of the brain was facilitated by repetitive visual and sensory stimulation. The observed action gait training promoted the normal gait by watching the normal gait pattern. In conclusion, motor learning through the sensory stimulation promotes brain plasticity that could improve motor function, and observed action gait training indirectly identified stimulated brain activities.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.511-517
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• 2014

MicroRNAs are non-coding short (~23 nucleotides) RNAs that mediate post-transcriptional regulation through sequence-specific gene silencing. The role of miRNAs in neuronal development, synapse formation and synaptic plasticity has been highlighted. However, the role of neuronal activity on miRNA regulation has been less focused. Neuronal activity-dependent regulation of miRNA may finetune gene expression in response to synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Here, we provide an overview of miRNA regulation by neuronal activity including high-throughput screening studies. We also discuss the possible molecular mechanisms of activity-dependent induction and turnover of miRNAs.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.239-244
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• 2009

New neurons are continually generated in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus and in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles of the adult brain. These neurons proliferate, differentiate, and become integrated into neuronal circuits, but how they are involved in brain function remains unknown. A deficit of adult hippocampal neurogenesis leads to defective spatial learning and memory, and the hippocampi in neuropsychiatric diseases show altered neurogenic patterns. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is not only affected by external stimuli but also regulated by internal growth factors including BDNF, VEGF and IGF-1. These factors are implicated in a broad spectrum of pathophysiological changes in the human brain. Elucidation of the roles of such neurotropic factors should provide insight into how adult hippocampal neurogenesis is related to psychiatric disease and synaptic plasticity.