• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.205-213
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• 1997

The aim of this study is to find the relationship between interictal psychiatric symptoms and seizure-related variables such as structural changes, regional interictal perfusion changes, the number of interictal epileptic discharges and the presence of accompanying generalized tonic clonic seizure(GTC). The subjects were 75 patients (47 males : mean age $28.3{\pm}7.7$) with intractable epilepsy, Interictal psychiatric symptoms were rated by Symptom Checklist-90-R(SCL-90-R). Each of 4 seizure variables was measured by MRI, $^{99m}TC-HMPAO$ SPECT and the prolonged EEG monitoring. The mean SCL-90-R subscale T-scores and the ratio of the patients with definite psychiatric symptoms(T-score > 65 at any one subscale of SCL-90-R) were compared among the groups with different seizure variables. Demographic variables and clinical variables were not statistically different among the groups with different seizure variables. The patients with right mesial temporal sclerosis had higher mean SCL-90-R scores for obsessive compulsive symptom, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility and psychotic symptoms than the patients with left mesial temporal sclerosis, and they also showed higher ratio of definite psychiatric symptoms. The presence of interictal epileptic discharges was related with higher T-scores of paranoid subscale. The areas of hypoperfusion, the presence of the GTC, and other clinical seizure variables showed no significant influences on the mean SCL-90-R subscale T-scores. from these results, the authors speculated that interictal subictal epileptic dischrages may be related with psychiatric symptoms of the intractable epileptic patients, especially with right mesial temporal sclerosis.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 1995

Forty patients meeting DSM-III-H criteria for panic disorder and 51 normal controls were assessed with the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised(PDQ-R), a self-rating scale designed to assess Axis II personality disorders and traits. Results replicated previous findings of a preponderance of dependent, avoidant, and histrionic features. But our result showed other features such as paranoid, schizotypal, borderline, and antisocial traits also. Patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of their personality traits(high or low). These groups were compared in various panic symptomatology and SCL-90-R. None of the specific symptom dimensions in panic disorder, i.e. panic, anxiety, agoraphobia, social impairment, or chronicity was different between groups. Rather, high personality trait groups were found to have significantly more symptomatology in SCR-90-R than low personality groups. Result indicated that patients exhibiting a greater number of personality traits were also significantly more symptomatic. The results suggested a possible link beteween panic disorder and personality disorder. And, general factors such as depression, social or interpersonal sensitivity might provide a much better explanation of personality disorders in panic patients.