PURPOSE
This study was to investigate the effects of upper meridian massage on cerebral blood flow, emotions, and sleep of the institutionalized elderly.
METHODS
This study was a nonequivalent control group pre- and post-test design. The participants were 50 elderly (26 in the experimental group; 24 in the control group) living in the institutions. Data were collected between July 9 and September 1, 2011. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and chi2-test, Repeated Measures ANOVA, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Each participant in the experimental group received the upper meridian massage for 10 minutes, 4 times per week for 2 weeks. Each participant's cerebral blood flow and self-reported questionnaires were tested before treatment, after 1 week and 2 weeks during treatment sessions.
RESULTS
There were significant differences in sleep and emotions after 1 week and 2 weeks during treatment sessions. But cerebral blood flow measured by common carotid artery pulsatility index (CCA PI) and common carotid artery resistance index (CCA RI) demonstrated significant differences in 2 week point in time.
CONCLUSION
These results indicated that upper meridian massage could be an effective intervention for improving cerebral blood flow, emotions, and sleep of the institutionalized elderly.

Citations

• Effects of Non-Pharmacological Interventions to Improve the Sleep of Korean Elderly: A Systematic Review
  Yunhee Park, Hyun Jung Yun
  Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing.2022; 29(1): 67.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of the phytoncides on serum cortisol level, vital signs and life stress of college students.
METHODS
This study was nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design. The subjects consisted of 60(control group: 28, experimental group: 32). The phytoncides mixed the pine(pinus sylvestris) oil with the cypress(cupressus sempervirens) oil in the same rate. In the experiment, it was put in an aroma-necklace bottle and inhaled 3 times per day(9AM, at noon, before going to bed) for 2 weeks. The data were analyzed by the SPSS version 12.0 program.
RESULTS
In the experimental group systolic BP(F=15.603, p=.000), diastolic BP(F=29.489, p=.000) and serum cortisol level(F=4.968, p=.000) were significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: The phytoncides inhalation is a partly help to reduce college students' life stress. The phytoncides is the incense of the familial tree. We recommended to examine what differences between the green shower and the phytoncides inhalation for the stress reduction.

PURPOSE
This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of foot reflexo-massage on physical, psychological, and physiological parameters in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. METHOD: This study was employed non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest time series experimental design. The subjects of this study were 47 elderly patients with osteoarthritis of the knee from two different nursing homes in Deajeon. The patients were divided into two groups; 26 patients in experimental group, the rest in control group. Each patient in experimental group received the 30-minute foot reflexo-massage, 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The dependent variables of each patient were measured before treatment, after 2 weeks and after 4 weeks during the treatment session. The collected data was analyzed using the Social Package Social Science(version 10.0) software program. RESULT: There were significant differences in the flexion angle of both knees; the flexion and extension muscle strength of both knees; systolic blood pressure; POMS; plantaris skin temperature and blood velocity of dorsalis pedis artery between the two groups over different the three measurement times. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that foot reflexo-massage could be an effective intervention to improve physical, psychological and physiological parameters for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of oral cryotherapy on oral mucositis in the patients who receiving high-dose ARA-C plus Mitoxantrone chemotherapy regimen. There were total of ten patients who received the chemotherapy regimen for 13 months ; 5 patients for the experimental group, while the others for the control group. The tool used for assess degree of oral mucositis was the Oral Assessment Guide(OAG) which was developed by Elier, Burger, Peterson in 1988. []The experimental group received oral cryotherapy range from 30minutes before the Mitroxantrone IV infusing to 30minutes after the high-dose ARA-C IV infusing. The control group was not treated by oral cryotherapy. The effect of this treatment was analyzed with the OAG score. The collected data were analysed with, mean, Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test according to characteristics of variables. The results were as follows : 1. There were no statistical difference in general characteristics(age, sex, cycle of the chemotherapy, smoking, alcohol) between the two groups, so the homogeneity of two groups was established. There were no differences in the OAG Scores between the two groups statistically. 2. The subjects of this study suffered the neutropenia from 5.6 days to 24.6 days after starting chemotherapy. During the neutropenia period the average OAG scores in the experimental group were lower than that of the control group(experimental group was 9.17+/-1.91, control group was 9.33+/-1.10). 3. The mean OAG of experimental group for 21 days was 204.72+/-20.61, while the mean of control group for 21 days was 206.23+/-15.97. There were, however, no differences between the experimental and the control groups statistically. The subjects of the experimental group expressed more comfortable oral condition than those of the past cycle and they would like to try oral cryotherapy again for the next chemotherapy. The subjects of this study suffered the neutropenia from 5.6 days to 24.6 days after starting chemotherapy. During the neutropenia period the average OAG scores in the experimental group were lower than that of the control group(experimental group was 9.17, control group was 9.33). 5 subjects of the study group complained of numbness, 3 subjects complained of slight headache, and 2 subjects expressed teeth and abdominal discomfort. However, these signs occurred temporarily and were resolved rapidly after cessation of the cryotherapy. It was I recommended that replication with larger sample.