Publications by authors named "Wonhye Lee"
Article Synopsis
- Transcranial ultrasonic neuromodulation (tFUS) is a new method using focused ultrasound to non-invasively control brain activity, showing promise for both healthy individuals and those with neurological disorders.
- Over the past ten years, there has been a surge in tFUS studies, reviewed here from 2013 to 2023, examining its effects on different brain regions in healthy and clinical populations.
- The findings highlight tFUS's excellent safety profile and potential for treating various CNS conditions, while also providing valuable insights for future research in brain mapping and therapy.
Article Synopsis
- Transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) is a non-invasive treatment method targeting specific brain areas, but its accuracy is hindered by the skull's interference.
- To address this, the study introduces a neural network-based framework that uses a 3D conditional generative adversarial network (3D-cGAN) for real-time acoustic simulation during tFUS, improving navigation accuracy.
- Testing showed that the new simulation-guided navigation (SGN) system achieves high accuracy with acceptable errors in acoustic pressure and position, making real-time predictions feasible.
Article Synopsis
- A study evaluated the impact of transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) on EEG responses in healthy individuals, focusing on the primary somatosensory cortex and its thalamic projections.
- Stimulation typically elicited EEG responses for the non-dominant hand, but not all participants reported feeling the sensations, suggesting a disconnect between brain activity and perception.
- FUS stimulation improved connectivity in sensorimotor areas and showed no adverse effects, indicating its potential for long-term neuroplasticity and therapeutic applications in neurological disorders.
Article Synopsis
- Anti-epileptic drugs like phenytoin (PHT) can have reduced effectiveness due to plasma protein binding (PPB) that keeps the active drug molecules inactive in the bloodstream.
- Researchers developed a low-intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) method that helps to release PHT from binding proteins, increasing its effectiveness in targeted brain regions.
- In a study with rats having chronic mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, FUS combined with PHT significantly decreased seizure activity without causing damage to brain tissue or the blood-brain barrier.
Article Synopsis
- - Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) allows precise brain stimulation in both surface and deeper brain areas without using anesthesia, providing valuable insights for human applications through a study on awake sheep.
- - Researchers tested different pulse durations to stimulate the motor cortex (M1) and thalamus, finding that shorter pulse durations (0.5 and 1 ms) produced stronger electromyography (EMG) responses in the opposite hind limb compared to longer pulses (2 ms).
- - The study confirmed that tFUS is safe for use in awake animals, with no observed abnormalities in behavior or histology after stimulation, highlighting the potential for this technique in neuromodulation research.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines cognitive impairments in patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) using the WAIS-IV, highlighting a lack of previous evaluations in this area.
- Results indicate that BD-I patients performed significantly worse than healthy controls, particularly in working memory and processing speed.
- Key factors predicting cognitive performance in BD-I include overall symptom severity and manic symptoms, suggesting targeted interventions for improving cognitive functioning can be developed based on these findings.
Article Synopsis
- Preclinical studies hint that low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) could help Alzheimer's patients by potentially opening the blood-brain barrier (BBB), reducing amyloid buildup, and enhancing cognitive function.
- In a clinical trial with eight AD patients, tFUS was applied to the right hippocampus, but no BBB opening was observed; however, immediate recall and recognition memory showed significant improvements.
- PET scans revealed increased cerebral glucose metabolism in the right hippocampus, correlating with better memory performance, indicating short-term cognitive benefits from tFUS despite the lack of BBB opening; further research is needed to confirm efficacy and safety.
Article Synopsis
- There is a pressing need for new designs in 3D bioprinting technologies to improve scalability and material compatibility, particularly by moving away from harmful UV light sources.
- The researchers developed a novel 3D printing platform using an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) microdisplay which utilizes visible light, allowing for safer and more versatile printing processes.
- The platform successfully supports biocompatible inks for quick photoinitiation and enables the effective growth of human cells on printed biological substrates, paving the way for cost-effective and high-throughput manufacturing of diverse functional structures.
Article Synopsis
- Transcranial pulsed low-intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) was tested on awake sheep to see how it affects brain areas, specifically targeting the motor cortex and thalamus.
- The study measured muscle responses using electromyography (EMG), finding that excitation from FUS increased EMG amplitude in the limb opposite to the sonication site, while suppressive sonication decreased EMG signals during movement.
- Behavioral and histological assessments showed no brain damage from the application, indicating that FUS can safely and reversibly modulate brain activity, suggesting its future potential in combined therapeutic and diagnostic applications (theragnostics).
Article Synopsis
- High-intensity ultrasound enhances skin permeability for hydrophobic medications like lidocaine, while low-intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) temporarily disrupts drug-plasma protein binding to boost anesthetic effects of hydrophilic lidocaine hydrochloride.
- In experiments, FUS was applied using a specific pulse mode to test its effects on lidocaine concentration and pain response in rats.
- Results showed that FUS increased the amount of unbound lidocaine, indicating enhanced availability, but applying FUS alone did not affect sensory nerve responses, whereas lidocaine administration did decrease them.
Article Synopsis
- A pilot study examined the effects of low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) on patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), focusing on its impact on the blood-brain barrier, cerebral glucose metabolism, and cognition.
- The study involved four AD patients receiving tFUS targeting the hippocampus, and assessments included MRI, PET scans, and cognitive tests before and after the procedure.
- Results indicated improved glucose metabolism in specific brain regions and mild cognitive improvements, with no adverse effects reported, suggesting potential benefits of tFUS in AD that warrant further research.
Article Synopsis
- * tFUS can either increase or decrease brain excitability and may create lasting changes in neural connections even after the ultrasound is turned off, which is crucial for recovery therapies.
- * While studies show tFUS is effective and safe, there is a need for comprehensive safety guidelines due to varying parameters across animal and human studies, particularly concerning safe acoustic intensity and mechanical impacts on tissue.
Although social cognitive impairments are evident in patients with schizophrenia across many cultures, psychosocial interventions are less used in Eastern countries. Despite a growing emphasis on community care in mental health services in Eastern countries, the synergistic effects of social cognitive intervention strategies on routine community mental health services are not well documented. This study aimed to adapt a group-based social cognitive skills training (SCST) program for use in a Korean context and evaluate its feasibility and preliminary effects among community-dwelling individuals with schizophrenia.
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- This study explores the relationship between childhood trauma, anxiety, and impulsivity in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), noting limited research on this connection.
- The research involved 36 BD patients and 29 healthy individuals, assessing their experiences of trauma and anxiety alongside brain structure using MRI to analyze gray matter volumes.
- Findings indicate that childhood trauma, anxiety, and impulsivity are interconnected in BD, with specific brain regions showing reduced gray matter volume correlating with higher trauma and anxiety scores, suggesting these neural changes could help predict the progression of BD.
Article Synopsis
- Plasma protein binding (PPB) significantly influences the effectiveness of drugs targeting the central nervous system by impacting the amount of drug that can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
- Researchers used a technique called focused ultrasound (FUS) to non-invasively disrupt PPB of phenytoin, an anti-epileptic drug, resulting in a 27.7% increase in the unbound drug concentration.
- In animal studies, targeted FUS treatment of one side of the brain led to enhanced drug uptake in that side without overheating or damaging the BBB, paving the way for potential new approaches in drug delivery.
Article Synopsis
- There is a growing demand for region-specific, noninvasive treatments for neurologic and psychiatric disorders, with transcranial focused ultrasound technology emerging as a promising option.
- This technology can temporarily and reversibly disrupt the blood-brain barrier with high precision, allowing for the delivery of therapeutic agents directly into the brain.
- Ongoing research is expanding from small animals to nonhuman primates and humans, focusing on the technique's efficacy, safety, and potential for clinical application in treating various neurologic conditions.
Article Synopsis
- * The study focused on the effects of FUS on brain excitability in sheep, testing different sonication parameters on the primary sensorimotor area and thalamus.
- * Results indicated that FUS can transiently and safely modulate brain activity without causing tissue damage, supporting further human research.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers have developed a non-invasive technique using focused ultrasound (FUS) and microbubble agents to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in sheep brains for potential medical applications.
- Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI confirmed the localized opening of the BBB, with specific acoustic pressures affecting permeability; lower pressure (0.48 MPa) was effective, while higher pressure (0.58 MPa) caused minor hemorrhage.
- The study found no abnormal behavior in animals during the two-month recovery period, suggesting that careful monitoring is necessary to ensure safety when applying this method to humans.
Article Synopsis
- - The study assessed the reliability and validity of the Korean Anxiety Screening Assessment (K-ANX) for detecting anxiety disorders in 613 participants using various statistical methods.
- - The K-ANX demonstrated high internal consistency (α=0.97) and was suggested to have a one-factor structure, correlating strongly with established anxiety measures like the Beck Anxiety Inventory and GAD-7.
- - Results indicated that the K-ANX is a more effective screening tool, showing better sensitivity (0.795) and specificity (0.937) compared to other existing anxiety assessments.
Current Status of Cognitive Remediation for Psychiatric Disorders: A Review.
Front Psychiatry
October 2018
Article Synopsis
- Cognition plays a crucial role in daily life and quality of life, with cognitive impairments commonly seen in various psychological disorders, affecting normal functioning.
- Enhancing cognitive function through cognitive remediation (CR) has shown significant promise over the past 50 years, particularly in the treatment of schizophrenia, and more recently in disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and anorexia nervosa.
- This study reviews recent CR research, proposes a modern definition of CR, and evaluates the existing evidence and popular CR programs globally.
Article Synopsis
- Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) offers a new, non-invasive way to stimulate the brain with high precision and depth, making it important to study its effects on awake animals rather than relying solely on anesthesia, which can skew results.
- Researchers created a small tFUS device that can be attached to rats' skulls, allowing for brain stimulation while the animals are alert and moving freely, which revealed a more robust response in their physical movements compared to when they were anesthetized.
- Overall, this study demonstrates that using awake models for tFUS research could lead to more accurate insights into the effects of brain stimulation, as it reduced variability in responses while maintaining the safety of the animals.
The Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient.
Psychiatry Investig
August 2018
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) by comparing results from participants with high-functioning autism (HFA) and normal participants.
- - Results showed that the Korean AQ had good internal consistency, higher scores in the HFA group compared to controls, and strong correlation with the Empathy Quotient (EQ), confirming its discriminant and concurrent validity.
- - The study concluded that the Korean version of the AQ is a reliable and valid tool for assessing high-functioning autism in the Korean population, with a recommended cut-off score of 23 for screening.
Article Synopsis
- * Parents completed a questionnaire to evaluate home conditions and parenting styles, while children underwent various neurocognitive tests to assess their development.
- * Findings indicated that positive parenting attitudes, like nurturing and tolerance, are linked to fewer behavior problems in children and better cognitive function, even amid economic challenges.
Article Synopsis
- Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) is a non-invasive technique that can stimulate deep brain areas with high precision.
- Previous studies had focused on the short-term effects of FUS, but this research investigated whether FUS can have lasting effects that last for 30 minutes or more.
- The findings showed that FUS applied to rats led to long-lasting changes in brain activity, suggesting that this method might be capable of inducing neuroplasticity.