• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.40-45
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• 2014

Objectives : Mild cognitive impairment(MCI) and dementia of Alzheimer's type(AD) are characterized by progressive decline of cognitive abilities and a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms like depression. Among various diagnostic tools of AD, many studies showed that elevated levels of serum total homocysteine are associated with increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders. We investigated whether elevated homocysteine concentrations are associated with depressive symptoms in MCI and AD. Methods : A total of 86 patients diagnosed with MCI or AD participated. Total serum homocysteine levels in fasting blood samples were measured. We examined cognitive symptoms by MMSE-KC, Global Deterioration Scale(GDS), Clinical dementia rating(CDR) and depressive symptoms by Korean version of Geriatric Depression Scale(K-GDS). Results : The total serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in MCI with depression than in MCI without depression. There was no significant difference in the mean homocysteine levels between AD patients with depression and AD patients without depression. The total homocysteine levels showed a negative correlation with MMSE-KC and a positive correlation with CDR, GDS. Conclusions : These findings suggest that elevated homocysteine level is a risk factor for the decline of cognitive function and depression. We found a significant relationship between elevated serum homocysteine level and depressive symptoms in MCI. But our study had several limitations, thus more research is needed to confirm this finding.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.42-49
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• 2019

Objectives : Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a life-saving therapy for patients with terminal liver disease. Many studies have focused on recipients rather than donors. The aim of this study was to assess the emotional status and personality characteristics of LDLT donors. Methods : We evaluated 218 subjects (126 male, 92 female) who visited Daegu Catholic University Medical Center from August 2012 to July 2018. A retrospective review of their preoperative psychological evaluation was done. We investigated epidemiological data and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 questionnaire. Subanalysis was done depending on whether subjects actually underwent surgery, relationship with the recipient, and their gender. Results : Mean age of subjects was $32.19{\pm}10.91years$. 187 subjects received LDLT surgery (actual donors) while 31 subjects didn't (potential donors). Donor-recipient relationship included husband-wife, parent-children, brother-sister etc. Subjects had statistical significance on validity scale L, F, K and all clinical scales compared to the control group. Potential donors had significant difference in F(b), F(p), K, S, Pa, AGGR, PSYC, DISC and NEGE scales compared to actual donors. F, D and NEGE scales were found to be predictive for actual donation. Subanalysis on donor-recipient relationship and gender also showed significant difference in certain scales. Conclusions : Under-reporting of psychological problems should be considered when evaluating living-liver donors. Information about the donor's overall psychosocial background, mental status and donation process should also be acquired.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.15-24
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• 2003

Objectives: The object of this study was to compare perceived stress and quality of life among patients with HIV infection, patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and normal controls. Methods: Stress response inventory(SRI) and Symptom checklist 90-Revised(SCL-90-R) were used to measure perceived stress responses and psychopathology. Smithklein Beecham quality of life scale was used to measure quality of life. Results: Patients with HIV infection scored significantly higher on scores of tension, anger, depression, fatigue and frustration subscale of the SRI than those with pulmonary tuberculosis and normal controls. Scores of the SCL-90-R, somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism subscale were also significantly higher in patients with HIV infection than those with pulmonary tuberculosis and normal controls. Patients with HIV infection scored significantly lower in quality of life than those with pulmonary tuberculosis. In patients with HIV infection, age had a significantly negative correlation with scores of somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism subscale of the SCL-90-R. but the level of education had a significantly positive correlation with somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism subscale of the SCL-90-R. Conclusion: The results suggest that patients with HIV positive were likely to have higher levels of perceived stress response and psychopathology, and lower quality of life than those with pulmonary tuberculosis and normal controls.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.120-129
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• 2002

Objectives : The object of this study was to compare perceived stress and quality of life among patients with HIV infection, patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and normal controls Methods: Stress Response Inventory(SRI) and Symptom checklist 90-Revised(SCL-90-R) were used to measure perceived stress responses and psychopathology. Smithklein Beecham quality of life scale was used to measure quality of life. Results : Patients with HIV infection scored significantly higher on scores of tension, anger, depression, fatigue and frustration subscale of the SRI than those with pulmonary tuberculosis and normal controls. Scores of the SCL-90-R, somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism subscale were also significantly higher in patients with HIV infection than those with pulmonary tuberculosis and normal controls. Patients with HIV infection scored significantly lower in quality of life than those with pulmonary tuberculosis. In patients with HIV infection, age had a significantly negative correlation with scores of somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism sub scale of the SCL-90-R. but the level of education had a significantly positive correlation with somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism sub scale of the SCL-90-R. Conclusion : The results suggest that patients with HIV positive were likely to have higher levels of perceived stress response and psychopathology, and lower quality of life than those with pulmonary tuberculosis and normal controls.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.119-129
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine cognitive and psychological characteristics of patients who visited psychiatric outpatient clinic with military service suitability issues. Methods : Since January, 2017 to September, 2018, patients were recruited from the department of psychiatry of university hospital. Participants were diagnosed using DSM-5 criteria by board certified psychiatrists. And each of participants tested with K-WAIS-IV, K-SCL-95 by clinical psychologist. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0. Results : The results indicated 24.6% of the patients have significantly low level of intellectual functioning. and 10.8% of the patients have borderline level of intellectual functioning, and 26.3% of them were below average. The results of psychological characteristics showed patients have cautious and potentially dangerous level of depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, and suicidal idea. And PTSD subscale's mean score was above problematic level. Next, we divided patients into two groups based on question of whether the patient is eligible to serve in the military service or not arises from recruitment process or army training center. But two group didn't differ significantly. And for further analyses, we also divided patients into two groups based on if they got single psychiatric diagnosis or more than one psychiatric diagnosis. Conclusions : The results indicated that group which has coexisting psychiatric disorders were more depressed, had higher level of anger and aggression, and had more serious levels of suicidal ideas than single psychiatric diagnosis group. The implications and limitations were discussed along with some suggestions for the future studies.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.286-294
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to confirm the mental health and quality of life by type-D personality of the patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The participants in the study were 111 hospitalized patients with CAD at a hospital in Gyeonggi-do. The type-D personality was assessed by the Type-D Personality Scale (DS14). The mental health was measured with Symptom Checklist-90-Revision (SCL-90R) while quality of life was assessed with World Health Quality of Life Assessment Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). The data analysis revealed that 36.1% of CAD patients were identified as having type-D personality traits. Non type-D personality patients have shown better mental health state than type-D personality patients (p<.001) have. The level of quality of life in the type D personality patients were significantly lower than that of non type-D counterparts (p<.001). It is necessary for type-D personality to be considered, when the nursing intervention programs for improving the mental health and quality of life of the patients with CAD are developed.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.140-146
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• 2013

Objectives: We compared the characteristics of the pain threshold and pain experience between demented group and non-demented group. Methods: This study was part of Gangwon projects for early detection of dementia in 2010. We recruited 8302 local resident ages over 65 years old. Of theses, 1259 people who scored low MMSE were selected and 365 of them completed CERAD-K(Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's disease). Finally, 90 in non-demented group and 57 in demented group(mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease) were analyzed. Pain threshold was experimentally measured by pressure algometer and we investigated the pain experience, by Brief pain inventory (BPI), a self-report test. Results: In the demographic characteristics, there are more female, higher ages, lower education in the demented group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the pain threshold. On the BPI results, 'shoulder pain', 'the number of pain' and 'interference of working' were significantly more prevalent in non-demented group. However, there are no significant differences between the groups in the 'pain severity', 'prevalence of pain' and 'pain treatment'. Conclusions: Demented group report less pain experience but, still perceived pain. It support previous studies that patient with dementia have increased pain tolerance but preserved pain threshold. Thus, active pain assessment and treatment for patients with dementia is needed.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.71-78
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• 2014

Objectives : Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD) represent significant clinical problems, resulting in functional decline, caregiver distress, institutionalization and increased mortality. A recent study showed gender differences have important role in the development of BPSD, but relationship between BPSD and gender has never been studied in Korea. This study was designed to examine whether patients with Alzheimer's disease show gender differences in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD). Methods : Ninety-eight subjects with Alzheimer's disease were included in this study. We carried out history taking and cognitive assessment for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease based on DSM-IV. Cognitive impairment and BPSD were measured using the Mini Mental State Examination(MMSE), Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR) and the Korean Neuropsychiatric Inventory(K-NPI). Independent samples t-test was used to examine the differences across gender in BPSD. Correlation analysis between MMSE, CDR, GDS and NPI was performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results : There were no significant gender differences between the gender in BPSD. We found statistically significant negative correlations between MMSE with NPI total score, and with scores of several sub-domains such as hallucination. Conclusions : This study showed that gender differences in BPSD are not significant. Further research is necessary to identify whether BPSD affect gender differences or individual differences.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• 제9권8호
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• pp.265-272
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• 2018

This study is a descriptive study to investigate the factors influencing the level of cognitive function among elderly living alone according to the presence of dementia risk factors. We conducted a simple questionnaire, GDS-K and MMSE-DS tests to investigate the risk of dementia among 143 elderly people living alone in the community. The results showed that the major factors influencing the cognitive function of the elderly people living alone were education, age, depression status, smoking, leisure activities, and gender. In order to develop strategies for the prevention of dementia in the elderly people living alone, it is necessary to change lifestyle and provide various management methods to identify risk factors that negatively affect cognitive function and to help cognitive health.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.184-190
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• 2016

Objectives : This study analyzed the differences of body mass index(BMI) in Korean patients with Alzheimer's diseases(AD), Mild Cognitive Impairment(MCI), and healthy controls to verify whether low BMI is associated with cognitive impairment. Furthermore, this study also sought to examine any association between BMI and Mini Mental State Examination-Korean version(MMSE-K), Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR), and Global Deterioration Scale(GDS). Methods : A total of 257 subjects were included in the study. History taking, mental status examination, physical examination and neurocognitive function test were carried out for the diagnosis of AD and MCI. The subjects' demographic data and presence of diseases were also surveyed. The overall cognitive function and severity of diseases were assessed using MMSE-K, GDS, and CDR. Results : The order of BMI was found to be healthy controls>MCI>AD, with statistically significant differences among the groups. The order of MMSE-K scores was similar, with healthy controls>MCI>AD in statistically significant differences. The healthy controls had the lowest CDR and GDS scores, and AD patients had the highest scores. There was a significant positive correlation between BMI and MMSE scores(r=0.238, p=0.000). BMI was negatively correlated with CDR(r=-0.174, p=0.008) as well as with GDS(r=-0.233, p= 0.000). Conclusions : Measuring BMI of patients with AD or MCI is expected to be meaningful in that BMI could be a clinical indicator of AD. We expect this to be beneficial for the diagnosis, prevention, and therapeutic approach of AD and also expect large-scale, long-term longitudinal studies to follow.