PURPOSE: This study examined the effect of visual feedback squat on the core muscle thickness of young adults experiencing back pain. METHODS: Thirty adult men and women who experienced back pain were assigned randomly to 15 members of the visual feedback squat group (VSG) and 15 of the normal squat group (NSG) to train three times a week for a total of eight weeks. The core muscle thickness was compared prior to the test for four weeks and eight weeks after the test by dividing it into warm-up exercise, main exercise, and 10 minutes finishing exercise. Before, and four weeks and eight weeks later, the thickness of the core muscle was compared using an ultrasonic imaging system. Repeated measured ANOVA was performed to compare the groups, and a Bonferroni test was performed as a post-hoc test to assess the significance of the timing of the measurements in each group according to the periods. An independent t-test was conducted to test the significance between the groups according to the measurement points. RESULTS: A significant change in the main effects of time and interactions of the time difference in muscle thickness of transvers abdominis were observed between the visual feedback squat and control groups according to the measurement point (p<0.05). No significant difference in the muscle thickness of both muscles was observed between the groups with the exception of the right abdominis (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that visual feedback squat exercise is expected to have positive effects on the development of transverse abdominis in core muscles.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Feedback, Sensory ; Female ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Muscles ; Ultrasonography ; Warm-Up Exercise ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on behavioral intentions to practice COVID-19 preventive behaviors using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 519 restaurant customers' responses was collected in this study through an online self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on socio-demographic factors. One-way analysis of variance and t-test were conducted to determine differences in the constructs from the TPB according to age and sex.The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). RESULTS: SEM revealed the positive effect of knowledge about COVID-19 on attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in restaurants. Attitude, subjective norm, behavior intention, and knowledge positively affected COVID-19 preventive behavior intentions in restaurants. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study confirmed that the TPB is helpful in elucidating the determinants of consumers' intention to practice COVID-19 preventive behavior in restaurants. These findings can help policy makers and professionals provide material for further public health interventions and inform them about awareness-raising, guidelines, and health education programs.

This study was conducted to investigate whether memory accuracy can be assessed by analyzing electrophysiological responses (i.e., electroencephalography [EEG]) for retrieval cues related to the witnessed scene. Specifically, we examined the different patterns of EEG signals recorded during witnessed (target) and unwitnessed (lure) stimuli using event-related potential (ERP) analysis. Moreover, using multivariate pattern analysis, we also assessed how accurately single-trial EEG signals can classify target and lure stimuli. Participants watched a staged-crime video (theft crime), and the EEG signals evoked by the objects shown in the video were analyzed (n=56). Compared to the target stimulus, the lure stimulus elicited larger negative ERPs in frontal brain regions 300 to 500 milliseconds after the retrieval cue was presented. Furthermore, the EEG signals observed 450 to 500 milliseconds after the retrieval cue was presented showed the best classification performance related to eyewitness memory, with the mean classification accuracy being 56%. These results suggest that the knowledge and techniques of cognitive neuroscience can be used to estimate eyewitness memory accuracy.
Brain ; Classification ; Cognitive Neuroscience ; Cues ; Electroencephalography ; Evoked Potentials ; Machine Learning ; Memory

We investigated the neural correlates of accurate eyewitness memory retrieval using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. We analyzed oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO₂) concentration in the prefrontal cortex during eyewitness memory retrieval task and examined regional HbO₂ differences between observed objects (target) and unobserved objects (lure). We found that target objects elicited increased activation in the bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, which is known for monitoring retrieval processing via bottom-up attentional processing. Our results suggest bottom-up attentional mechanisms could be different during accurate eyewitness memory retrieval. These findings indicate that investigating retrieval mechanisms using functional nearinfrared spectroscopy might be useful for establishing an accurate eyewitness recognition model.
Cognitive Neuroscience ; Memory ; Oxygen ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; Spectrum Analysis

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) induces dysfunction of the orofacial muscles, leading to morphologic alteration of the face and dental malalignment. Early diagnosis and treatment of SDB is required in pediatric patients to ensure normal facial growth. Myofunctional therapy (MFT) is a modality for the treatment of SDB and prefabricated appliances can be used. Herein 2 cases of malocclusion with SDB, in which MFT with a prefabricated appliance was used for orthodontic treatment, have been described. SDB was diagnosed based on clinical symptoms taken by interview and home respiratory polygraphy. In both cases, SDB was improved using prefabricated appliance for MFT. However, resolution of crowding depended on the degree of crowding.
Child ; Crowding ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Malocclusion ; Muscles ; Myofunctional Therapy ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes

This study was conducted to investigate whether memory accuracy can be assessed by analyzing electrophysiological responses (i.e., electroencephalography [EEG]) for retrieval cues related to the witnessed scene. Specifically, we examined the different patterns of EEG signals recorded during witnessed (target) and unwitnessed (lure) stimuli using event-related potential (ERP) analysis. Moreover, using multivariate pattern analysis, we also assessed how accurately single-trial EEG signals can classify target and lure stimuli. Participants watched a staged-crime video (theft crime), and the EEG signals evoked by the objects shown in the video were analyzed (n=56). Compared to the target stimulus, the lure stimulus elicited larger negative ERPs in frontal brain regions 300 to 500 milliseconds after the retrieval cue was presented. Furthermore, the EEG signals observed 450 to 500 milliseconds after the retrieval cue was presented showed the best classification performance related to eyewitness memory, with the mean classification accuracy being 56%. These results suggest that the knowledge and techniques of cognitive neuroscience can be used to estimate eyewitness memory accuracy.

We investigated the neural correlates of accurate eyewitness memory retrieval using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. We analyzed oxygenated hemoglobin (HbOâ‚‚) concentration in the prefrontal cortex during eyewitness memory retrieval task and examined regional HbOâ‚‚ differences between observed objects (target) and unobserved objects (lure). We found that target objects elicited increased activation in the bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, which is known for monitoring retrieval processing via bottom-up attentional processing. Our results suggest bottom-up attentional mechanisms could be different during accurate eyewitness memory retrieval. These findings indicate that investigating retrieval mechanisms using functional nearinfrared spectroscopy might be useful for establishing an accurate eyewitness recognition model.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: With the aim of facilitating the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative proposed two stages based on the memory performance: early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI) and late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI). The current study was designed to investigate structural differences in terms of surface atrophy and microstructural changes of the hippocampus in EMCI and LMCI. METHODS: Hippocampal shape modeling based on progressive template surface deformation was performed on T1-weighted MRI images obtained from 20 cognitive normal (CN) subjects, 17 EMCI patients, and 20 LMCI patients. A template surface in CN was used as a region of interest for diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis. Cluster-wise group comparison was performed based on DTI indices within the hippocampus. Linear regression was performed to identify correlations between DTI metrics and clinical scores. RESULTS: The hippocampal surface analysis showed significant atrophies in bilateral CA1 regions and the right ventral subiculum in EMCI, in contrast to widespread atrophy in LMCI. DTI VBM analysis showed increased diffusivity in the CA2–CA4 regions in EMCI and additionally in the subiculum region in LMCI. Hippocampal diffusivity was significantly correlated with scores both for the Mini Mental State Examination and on the Modified Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale. However, the hippocampal diffusivity did not vary significantly with the fractional anisotropy. CONCLUSIONS: EMCI showed hippocampal surface changes mainly in the CA1 region and ventral subiculum. Diffusivity increased mainly in the CA2–CA4 regions in EMCI, while it decreased throughout the hippocampus in LMCI. Although axial diffusivity showed prominent changes in the right hippocampus in EMCI, future studies need to confirm the presence of this laterality difference. In addition, diffusivity is strongly correlated with the cognitive performance, indicating the possibility of using diffusivity as a biomarker for disease progression.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Anisotropy ; Atrophy ; Biomarkers ; Disease Progression ; Hippocampus* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Neuroimaging*

BACKGROUND: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with motor neuron disease (MND) is a syndrome of progressive changes in behavior, language, muscle weakness and atrophy due to loss of function of neurons in the frontal and temporal lobes and in motor neurons. Etiology and pathogenesis of FTD with MND are still uncertain. CASE REPORT: A 71-year-old man presented with a 2-year history of progressive muscle weakness and cognitive deficits. We diagnosed this patient as FTD with MND by neurological examination, electromyography, brain imaging and neuro-psychological evaluation. We also confirmed antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in this patient as a way to rule out secondary causes of MND. CONCLUSIONS: This was a very rare case of FTD with MND in APS. We should focus study on the possible role of autoimmune pathogenesis in FTD with MND.
Aged ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome* ; Atrophy ; Cognition Disorders ; Electromyography ; Frontotemporal Dementia* ; Humans ; Motor Neuron Disease* ; Motor Neurons* ; Muscle Weakness ; Neuroimaging ; Neurologic Examination ; Neurons ; Temporal Lobe

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Disability associated with activities of daily living (ADL) is the basis of dementia diagnosis and is an important factor in the care of dementia patients. The status of awareness and burden of ADL disability in dementia patients was investigated six years ago and used as an important reference for “Il-sang-ye-chan” campaign. They were re-investigated in six years and compared with previous results. METHODS: The survey included caregivers of 100 dementia patients listed at the four regional dementia centers. Structured open and closed questions about ADL were asked. Assessments included age, sex, education level, economic status, severity of dementia, caregiving pattern, current statues and cognition of ADL, and caregiver needs. RESULTS: The cognition of ADL was still very low (43%). Increased stress among caregivers was the biggest burden, and they frequently suffered from outing disability (56%), recent memory loss (48%), and loss of bowel/bladder control (40%). The economic burden has been greatly reduced compared with the burden six years ago and the needs of caregivers were still highly about educational guide lines or programs. CONCLUSIONS: Continued interest and further investigation into ADL disability of dementia patients are needed. Korean Dementia Association will further expand the “Il-sang-ye-chan” program: via a multi-domain cognitive intervention program under the Care for ADL in dementia and Relieve symptoms in Dementia Project.
Activities of Daily Living ; Caregivers ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Humans ; Memory Disorders