No abstract

Objectives: This study examined the effectiveness of Korean medical treatment for two patients complaining of discomfort after receiving Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.Methods: The patients were hospitalized for 50 days and 12 days, respectively. They were treated with herbal medicine, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and moxibustion. We used the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) on numbness in extremities and headache, Manual Muscle Testing Grading System (MMT), Criteria for Sweating Categorization, and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to evaluate the clinical effects of the treatment.Results: In Case 1, headache improved from peak NRS 9 and average NRS 7 on admission day to both NRS 3 on discharge. The SF-36 score was also increased, suggesting that the quality of life was improved. In Case 2, numbness in the extremities improved from NRS 8 on the day before admission to NRS 2 on discharge, and general condition also improved.Conclusions: This study suggests that Korean medicine can be an effective treatment for patients who experience long-lasting discomfort after being vaccinated with COVID-19, but with no abnormal findings in the examination.

Background. Kami Guibi-tang (KGT), a traditional Korean herbal medicine is mainly used to treat insomnia and nervousness. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) are the main treatments for mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a degenerative brain disease. However, currently no drug can fundamentally treat AD or reverse the advanced cognitive decline. This clinical study explored the efficacy and safety of adding KGT to AChEI for cognitive function in mild AD. Methods. This was a pilot study for a larger randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants between 55–90 years diagnosed with mild AD were recruited from Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, Korea. They were randomized to receive either KGT or placebo for 24 weeks, in addition to their regular AChEI. The primary outcome was treatment efficacy, as assessed by the relative amount of change over the study period in total scores on the Dementia version of the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB-D). Changes in SNSB subscores were assessed as secondary outcomes. Safety parameters, including adverse events and abnormalities in blood tests, electrocardiograms, and brain magnetic resonance imaging were also monitored. Results. Between March 2018 and November 2020, seven participants each in the KGT group and the placebo group completed the 24-week trial. There were no significant changes in SNSB-D total or subindex scores for either group ( p  = 0.69 and 0.63, respectively), and no significant differences were observed between them ( p = 0.71 ). No adverse events related to KGT were reported. We also compared and analyzed the results of a previous pilot study conducted on amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) using protocol of this study. The aMCI group showed a significant improvement in the total SNSB-D score, especially in the memory domain, compared to the mild AD group ( p  = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively). The Korean Mini-Mental State Exam and Korean Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scores also significantly improved in the aMCI group ( p  = 0.01 and 0.02, respectively). Conclusions. Compared to placebo, adding KGT to AChEI did not significantly improve cognitive function in SNSB in patients with mild AD. We suggest that KGT would have a positive effect on patients with early stages of cognitive impairment such as aMCI. The findings could assist design larger, longer-term clinical trials of KGT use in elderly patients with mild AD. This study was registered in the Korean Clinical Trial Registry on December 26, 2017, with the CRIS approval number KCT0002904.

This case report determines the effects of Korean medicine treatment on a pontine hemorrhage with a cavernous malformation. In this study, Korean medicine treatments, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and moxibustion, were administered for 30 days. During the hospitalization period, evaluations were performed using the Scott and Kraft Scale, eye movement, 9-gaze photography, the House-Brackmann grading system, and Yanagihara’s unweighted grading system on days 1, 12, and 30. The Scott and Kraft Scale increased from -4 to -2, while eye movement increased from 43.1% to 72.3%. The House-Brackmann grading system improved from 4 to 2, and Yanagihara’s unweighted grading system increased from 13 to 31. We also discovered that the movement of the left eye was improved by 9-gaze photography. Our findings suggest that Korean medicine treatment has potential effects on esotropia and facial palsy caused by a pontine hemorrhage with a cavernous malformation.

Background Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is often considered a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and represents a key therapeutic target for early intervention of AD. However, no treatments have been approved for MCI at present. Our previous pilot study has shown that Kami Guibi-tang (KGT), a traditional herbal prescription widely used in Korean medicine for treating amnesia, might be beneficial for improving general cognitive function of aMCI patients. We will conduct a larger-scale clinical trial to validate the findings of our pilot study and further examine the efficacy and safety of KGT in aMCI. Methods This trial is designed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 84 aMCI patients will be recruited and randomized into the treatment and control groups. Participants will be administered either KGT or placebo granules for 24 weeks, with a follow-up period of 12 weeks after the last treatment. Primary outcomes will include changes in cognitive performance assessed using a neuropsychological test battery, called the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery, between the baseline, post-intervention visit, and follow-up visit (24th and 36th week, respectively). Secondary outcomes will involve the rate of progression to AD, changes in neuroimaging signals assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), and task-based fMRI, and changes in blood biomarkers measured by the ratio of plasma amyloid-β 42/40 levels (Aβ42/Aβ40) between the baseline and post-intervention visit (24th week). For safety assessments, blood chemistry tests and electrocardiograms (ECG) will also be performed. Discussion This study aims to provide confirmatory evidence of the effect of the Korean herbal medicine, KGT, on improving cognitive function in patients with aMCI. We will identify the possible mechanisms underlying the effects of KGT using neuroimaging signals and blood biomarkers. Trial registration Korean Clinical Trial Registry (https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/16918; Registration number: KCT0007039; Date of registration: February 24, 2022).