KJCKorea
Journal Central

Objectives: Extended reality technology offers an innovative opportunity to enhance self-directed learning through interactive processes in healthcare education. This study aims to analyze research trends in the application of extended reality technologybased educational content in the field of healthcare. Methods: Through literature search, selection, and exclusion processes based on predefined criteria, we conducted an analysis of domestic healthcare studies employing extended reality technology, ultimately selecting and examining 39 relevant publications. Results: The analysis reveals diverse applications of extended reality across various fields such as medicine, dentistry, and nursing. Positive effects, including increased academic satisfaction, immersion, and interest, are observed, alongside challenges like media usage difficulties and cybersickness. Conclusions: Future research should focus on the development and application of extended reality-based educational content in diverse healthcare curricula, emphasizing both educational approaches and continuous technological advancements.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop educational content for a smartphone app on oral muscle training and examine its effects on the elderly population. Methods: A total of twelve training sessions were delivered through the smartphone app over a six-week period, from late August to early October 2023. Each session lasted approximately 60 minutes. Participants were followed up after the program. Results: The experimental group showed significant improvements in oral health before and after using the smartphone app. These improvements included decreased dental plaque (p<0.05) by 0.69 units, decreased gingivitis (p<0.001) by 0.99 units, decreased tongue plaque (p<0.01) by 1.11 units, increased salivary secretion rate (p<0.001) by 0.73 units, increased hard palate strength (p<0.001) by 5.25 units, and increased soft palate strength (p<0.01) by 6.82 units. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significant improvements in dental plaque (p<0.001), gingivitis (p<0.001), and tongue coating (p<0.01). Conclusions: This study found that oral muscle strengthening training using the smartphone app effectively improved oral health in the elderly. The developed app content has the potential to be a valuable tool for promoting oral health in this population within their daily routines. However, further efforts are needed to ensure clear communication and effective utilization of the training program through user training or educational materials.

Objectives: The pulp is the center of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels. The condition in which the pulp becomes inflamed due to caries or periodontitis is called pulpitis. Pulpitis is a difficult-to-treat disease and causes peripheral nerve tissue changes and severe pain; however, the relationship between neuronal activity and voltage-gated sodium channel 1.7 (Nav1.7) expression in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) during pulpitis has not been well studied. In this study, we found that experimentally induced pulpitis activates Nav1.7 expression in the periphery, leading to neuronal overexpression in the TG. Thus, we sought to identify ways to regulate this process. Methods: Acute pulpitis was induced in rat maxillary molars by treating the pulp with allyl isothiocyanate (AITC). Three days later, in vivo optical imaging was used to record and compare neural activities in the TG. Western blotting was used to identify molecular changes in terms of the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Fos, transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), and collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP2) in the brain stem. Results: The results confirmed the neurological changes in the TGs of the pulpitis model, and histological and molecular biological evidence confirmed that increased Nav1.7 expression induced by pulpitis leads to pain. Furthermore, selective inhibition of Nav1.7 resulted in changes in neural activity, suggesting that pulpitis induces increased Nav1.7 expression, and that effective control of Nav1.7 could potentially reduce pain. Conclusions: The inhibition of overexpressed Nav1.7 channels may modulate nociceptive signal processing in the brain and effectively control pain associated with pulpitis.