[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to investigate correlation between head posture and proprioceptive function in the cervical region. [Subjects and Methods] Seventy-two subjects (35 males and 37 females) participated in this study. For measurement of head posture, the craniovertebral angle was calculated based on the angle between a horizontal line passing through C7 and a line extending from the tragus of the ear to C7. The joint position sense was evaluated using a dual digital inclinometer (Acumar, Lafayette Instrument, Lafayette, IN, USA), which was used to measure the joint position error for cervical flexion and extension. [Results] A significant negative correlation was observed between the craniovertebral angle and position sense error for flexion and extension. [Conclusion] Forward head posture is correlated with greater repositioning error than a more upright posture, and further research is needed to determine whether correction of forward head posture has any impact on repositioning error.

Background: Flexible flatfoot is a condition characterized by the deformations of the foot where the calcaneus is pronated by weight support. Flat feet can affect balance and the entire chain of motion, causing indirect problems in adjacent joints. We investigated the effects of short foot exercise (SFE) using visual feedback on the static balance and function of proximal joints in subjects with flexible flat feet. Method and analysis: This study involved 30 participants who were assigned to either of the 2 groups: the flexible flatfoot group (n = 15, 8 men and 7 women, aged 22.00 ± 2.07 years) and normal foot group (n = 15, 7 men and 8 women, aged 22.13 ± 1.55 years). All subjects performed the SFE with visual feedback. SFE programs were performed 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week, for a total of 5 weeks. The static balance and accuracy of knee joint motions were compared before and after training. Results: There was a significant difference in static balance pre- and post-exercise in the flatfoot group but not in the normal foot group. Moreover, in the flatfoot group, the accuracy of knee joint motions was significantly different between pre- and post-exercise in the closed chain but not in the open chain. Conclusion: This study examined the influence of SFE using visual feedback on the balance and accuracy of knee joint movements in subjects with flatfoot and demonstrated that this exercise, using visual feedback, improved the balance and accuracy of knee movement.

Background: This study aimed to identify the effect of cervical stabilization exercise with visual feedback on the craniovertebral angle and proprioception in subjects with forward head posture. Methods: Thirty healthy adults were recruited in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to the stabilization exercise with visual feedback (SE-VF) group (N = 15) or stabilization exercise group (N = 15). The SE-VF group performed cervical stabilization exercise while sitting on a chair without a backrest and checking their side profile in real-time via a monitor 3-m away. The stabilization exercise group performed the same cervical stabilization exercise as the SE-VF group but without visual feedback. Craniovertebral angle (CVA) was measured to quantify forward head posture, and the proprioception of the subjects was evaluated. Results: There was a significant interaction between group and time in CVA and proprioception (P < .05). Additionally, there was no significant difference pre-intervention between the groups (P > .05); however, there was a significant difference post-intervention (P < .05) in CVA and proprioception. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the cervical stabilization exercise with visual feedback was effective for the proprioception of subjects. Moreover, the results suggest that visual feedback is effective in cervical stabilization exercise.

Many studies have investigated the evidence for tactile and visual interactive responses to activation of various brain regions. However, few studies have reported on the effects of visuo-tactile multisensory integration on the amount of brain activation on the somatosensory cortical regions. The aim of this study was to examine whether coincidental information obtained by tactile stimulation can affect the somatosensory cortical activation using functional MRI. Ten right-handed healthy subjects were recruited for this study. Two tasks (tactile stimulation and visuotactile stimulation) were performed using a block paradigm during fMRI scanning. In the tactile stimulation task, in subjects with eyes closed, tactile stimulation was applied on the dorsum of the right hand, corresponding to the proximal to distal directions, using a rubber brush. In the visuotactile stimulation task, tactile stimulation was applied to observe the attached mirror in the MRI chamber reflecting their hands being touched with the brush. In the result of SPM group analysis, we found brain activation on the somatosensory cortical area. Tactile stimulation task induced brain activations in the left primary sensory-motor cortex (SM1) and secondary somatosensory cortex (S2). In the visuo-tactile stimulation task, brain activations were observed in the both SM1, both S2, and right posterior parietal cortex. In all tasks, the peak activation was detected in the contralateral SM1. We examined the effects of visuo-tactile multisensory integration on the SM1 and found that visual information during tactile stimulation could enhance activations on SM1 compared to the tactile unisensory stimulation.

We attempted to investigate whether acupuncture stimulation at HT7 can have an effect on brain activation patterns and alcohol abstinence self‐efficacy. Thirty‐four right‐handed healthy subjects were recruited for this study. They were randomly assigned into two groups: the HT7 (Shenmen) group and the LI5 (Yangxi) group. Acupuncture stimulation was performed using a block paradigm during fMRI scanning. Additionally, the Korean version of Alcohol Abstinence Self‐Efficacy Scale (AASES) was used to determine the effect of acupuncture stimulation on self‐efficacy to abstain from alcohol use. According to the result of fMRI group analysis, the activation induced by HT7 stimulation was found on the bilateral postcentral gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, inferior frontal gyrus, claustrum, insula, and anterior lobe of the cerebellum, as well as on the left posterior lobe of the cerebellum (p < 0.001, uncorrected). According to the AASES analysis, the interaction effect for gender and treatment was marginally significant (F(1, 30) = 4.152, p = 0.050). For female group, the simple main effect of treatment was significant (F(1, 11) = 8.040, p = 0.016), indicating that the mean change score was higher in the HT7 stimulation than in the LI5 stimulation. Therefore, our study has provided evidence to support that HT7 stimulation has a positive therapeutic effect on the alcohol‐related diseases.