• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.59-70
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• 2004

The purpose of this study were to determine the changes between pre, during, intermed, post of each two groups of 16 persons and to compare the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) at shenmen of auricular point on experimental pressure pain and tactile threshold measured at both ulnar styloid process and medial malleoli. Sixteen healthy adult men and women, aged 20 to 28 years, were assigned randomly to eight of one groups. Control group received TENS to exception of auricular point. Experimental group received TENS to shenmen of auricular point. Experimental pressure pain and tactile pain threshold at the both ulnar styloid process and medial malleoli was determined with algometer and von frey filament before 10 minute, during 10 minute, intermediate and post 30 min of treatment. In pressure pain and tactile threshold showed a statistically significant increase(p<0.05) ipsilateral and contralateral of treatment group. These results suggest that TENS at shenmen of auricular point has the capability to higher pressure pain and tactile threshold in whole body.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.83-95
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• 2008

Objective : The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Lung, Shenmen, and Endocrine point which were treated with auricular acupuncture therapy to stop smoking. Methods : 120 volunteers who wanted to be treated with auricular acupuncture therapy to stop smoking were divided into three groups; the treatment method for group A consisted of acupuncturing Lung point, group B consisted of acupuncturing Shenmen point and group C consisted of acupuncturing Endocrine point. The treatment was given twice per week for 8 weeks and the changes in amount of daily smoking, desire to smoking, taste of smoking and nicotine dependence as well as subjective symptoms were studied. Results : Statistically, the study showed that changes in amount of daily smoking, desire for smoking, taste of smoking and nicotine dependence were decreased significantly in all groups. Desire to smoke in group B and taste of smoking in group C were markedly decreased. The study of the subjective symptoms showed an improvement. Many participants said that they breathed easier after the treatment and group A had the highest rate. Group B fell asleep easier and Group C improved the appetite. Conclusion : Acupuncturing Lung, Shenmen, and Endocrine point showed the effects on decreasing smoking rates and the effects of individual characteristics. Therefore the acupuncture treatment with 3 points is expected to decrease smoking and to improve the health of smokers.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.85-106
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• 2003

Studies have shown that both the psychomotor stimulant effects and rewarding properties of addictive drugs, including morphine, are sensitized by repeated drug administration and it is suggested that both of these effects are mediated by the same or closely overlapping dopamine systems. Specifically, the mesolimbic dopamine system has been implicated in the reinforcing and sensitizing properties of morphine. In oriental medicine, Shenmen (HT7) point on the heart channel has been used to treat mental and psychosomatic disorders. This study was designed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on acute and repeated morphine-induced changes in extracellular dopamine levels using in vivo microdialysis and morphine-induced behavioral changes. In the morphine sensitization experiment, male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated twice a day for three days with increasing doses of morphine (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, s.c.) or with saline. After 15 days of withdrawal, rats were challenged with morphine hydrochloride (5mg/kg, s.c.). Acupuncture was applied at bilateral Shenmen (HT7) points for 1 min after the morphine challenge. In the acute experiment, rats also received acupuncture for 1 min after an injection of morphine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Results showed that acupuncture at the specific acupoint HT7, but not at control points (tail) significantly decreased both dopamine release and behavior induced by a systemic morphine challenge or a single sc morphine injection in the acute animals. These results suggest that reduction in sensitization may be one mechanism whereby acupuncture alleviates morphine craving in addicts.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.510-517
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• 2003

Studies have shown that both the psychomotor stimulant effects and rewarding properties of addictive drugs, including morphine, are sensitized by repeated drug administration and it is suggested that both of these effects are mediated by the same or closely overlapping dopamine systems. Specifically, the mesolimbic dopamine system has been implicated in the reinforcing and sensitizing properties of morphine. In oriental medicine, Shenmen (HT7) point on the heart channel has been used to treat mental and psychosomatic disorders. This study was designed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on acute and repeated morphine-induced changes in extracellular dopamine levels using in vivo microdialysis and morphine-induced behavioral changes. In the morphine sensitization experiment, male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated twice a day for three days with increasing doses of morphine (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, s.c.) or with saline. After 15 days of withdrawal, rats were challenged with morphine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Acupuncture was applied at bilateral Shenmen (HT7) points for 1 min after the morphine challenge. In the acute experiment, rats also received acupuncture for 1 min after an injection of morphine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Results showed that acupuncture at the specific acupoint HT7, but not at control points (tail) significantly decreased both dopamine release and behavior induced by a systemic morphine challenge or a single sc morphine injection in the acute animals. These results suggest that reduction in sensitization may be one mechanism whereby acupuncture alleviates morphine craving in addicts.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.328-332
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• 2010

Acupuncture has been used for the treatment and prevention of stress-related disorders. In the present study, the effect of electroacupuncture on the behavioral and biochemical responses to restraint stress was evaluated in rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats underwent to immobilization stress for 21 days (6 hours/day). Electroacupuncture (2 Hz, 2 mA, and 10 minutes) was applied either to the acupuncture point HT7 (Shenmen) or the nonacupuncture point in the tail for the last 7 days. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: the normal group (n=10, without the restraint stress), the stress group (n=10, with restraint stress), the HT7 group (n=10, with restraint stress and electroacupuncture to HT7), and the NA group (n=10, with restraint stress and electroacupuncture to the nonacupuncture point). The anxiety-related behavior was tested using the elevated plus maze and the Vogel test on day 22. The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in the locus coeruleus was measured by immunohistochemistry. R maze and the Vogecreased the response of the anxiety-related behavior. The number of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells were also increased. The HT7 group showed a significant decrease of anxiety-related behavioral response, compared to the stress group. The tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive expression was also decreased in the HT7 group. These findings suggestthat electroacupuncture to HT7 might play a role in reducing the stress-related responses, which may be helpful for the treatment of stress-related disorders.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.55-63
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• 2013

Objectives : This study was performed to examine the effectiveness of auricular acupuncture to adult men on smoking cessation. Methods : 47 smoking people was divided two groups : experimental group(treated with auricular acupuncture therapy, n=22) and control group(not treated with auricular acupuncture therapy, n=25). We used Lung point, Shenmen point and Endocrine point twice a week for 4 weeks to experimental group. We assessed the changes in amount of daily smoking, desire of smoking, taste of smoking and nicotine dependence as well as subjective symptoms were studied. Results : The experimental group showed significant decrease in amount of daily smoking, desire of smoking, taste of smoking and nicotine dependence. Subjective symptoms also showed improvement comparing to control group. Conclusions : Acupuncturing lung, shenmen, and endocrine point showed effectiveness on decreasing smoking rates and subjective symptoms. Therefore the auricular acupuncture therapy is expected to helpful to smoking cessation and improve the health of smokers.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.190-193
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• 2001

A 33-year-old woman diagnosed as livedo reticularis came to this hospital on October 14th, 1995. She complained of cold feet, ulceration on both ankles at the first OPD visit. We have diagnosed as 'Taeumin Ban-Chang-Byoung'. And we have applied acupunctures(Auricular Acupuncture + Acupuncture) and herb durgs. Auricular acu-points are Heart, Lungs, Shenmen, Adrenal. Herb drugs are Yuldahansotang or Chengpesagantang. After 3 treatments, she felt her feet warm. After 32 treatments, ulceration has disappeared. Even though we can't say that Ban-Chang-Byoung is livedo reticularis. But we can assume that two are related on the basis of the context of 'Dongyisoosebowon'.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.7 no.1 s.12
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• pp.53-61
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• 2004

Substantial evidence suggests that behavioral and reinforcing effects of cocaine can be mediated by the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. It has been shown that repeated injections of cocaine produce increase in locomotor activity, expression of the immediate-early gene, c-fos in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which was one of the main dopaminergic terminal areas. Herbal-acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention has been widely used for the treatment of many functional disorders such as drug abuse. Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) and its main component, berberine (BER) were selected as herbal medicine of herbal-acupuncture. Both medicines have been known to have the therapeutic effect on the central nervous system. In order to investigate the effects of CR and BER herbalacupuncture at shenmen (HT7) point (CR/H and BER/H) on the cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization, the influence of CR/H and BER/H on repeated cocaine-induced locomotor activity, the change of c-Fos expression in the brain by immunohistochemistry were examined. Male SD rats were given CR/H (0.4mg/kg) and BER/H (0.1mg/kg) 30 min before daily injections of cocaine hydrochloride (15mg/kg. i.p.) 10 days. After 3 days withdrawal, rats received a challenge injection of cocaine (15mg/kg, i.p.). Systemic challenge with cocaine produced much larger increased locomotor activity, accumbal Fos-like immunoreactivity in the NAc. Pretreatment with CR/H and BER/H significantly inhibited cocaine-induced locomotor activity, the change of c-Fos expression in the rats. Our data demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization by CR/H and BER/H were closely associated with the reduction of presynaptic dopamine release in the NAc. These results suggest that CR/H and BER/H can be effectively applied to cocaine addiction.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.197-209
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• 2018

Purpose: To examine the effects of auricular acupressure on symptoms of patients with allergic rhinitis and their quality of life. Methods: A quasi experimental was used with a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest method involving 56 adult outpatients who were seen in the Allergy & Asthma clinic at a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul, Korea. The experimental group (n=28) received 2 weeks of auricular acupressure to the Shenmen, wind stream, endocrine, adrenal, and lung acupuncture points; no acupressure was provided to the control group (n=28). Outcome measures included Total Nasal Symptom Score used to assess nasal symptoms, and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire to assess the quality of life. Repeated measure ANOVA and independent t-test were used to calculate statistical significance. Results: The experimental group showed significant improvements in terms of allergic rhinitis symptoms (p<.001) and on the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (p<.001) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Finding in this study indicate that auricular acupressure can be used as a nursing intervention to alleviate nasal symptoms and improve rhinoconjuctivitis quality of life in allergic rhinitis patients.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.81-92
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of auricular acupressure on anxiety and sleep among patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Methods: A nonequivalent control group nonsynchronized design was employed. The experimental group received auricular acupressure on specific acupoints (shenmen, heart, kidney, subcortex), and the control group received auricular acupressure on helix 1, helix 2, helix 3, and helix 4 three times a day for three weeks. A total of 60 women were divided into an experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) group. Patient recruitment occurred between May and August 2019. The collected data were analyzed by a chi-square test, paired t-test, and independent t-tests using the SPSS 21.0 program. Results: There was a significant decrease in anxiety(t=4.61, p=<.001) and increase in sleep(t=3.81, p=<.001) in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusions: The findings confirm that auricular acupressure is an effective nursing intervention to decrease anxiety felt by patients undergoing chemotherapy and to increase the quality of their sleep.