• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.3-13
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• 2000

There is nothing that is harmless ; the dose alone decides that something is no poison(Paracelsus, 1493-1541). So, in a point of view to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of drug therapy in a way that minimize the drug toxicity, the knowledges of the drug-ineractions as well as the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles of every therapeutic drug used in the medical clinic cannot be emphasized too much. Many drug interactions can be predicted if the pharmacokinetic properties, pharmacodynamic mechanisms of action of the interacting drugs are known, and most adverse interactions can be avoided. In this paper, the clinical importance, classification, and general principles of clinical drug-interactions are presentated with a few explanatory examples.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2000

Avariety of symptoms can occur following traumatic brain injury(TBI) or other types of acquired brain injury. These symptoms can include problems with short-term memory, attention, planning, problem solving, impulsivity, disinhibition, poor motivation, and other behavioral and cognitive deficit. These symptoms may respond to certain drugs, such as dopaminergic agents. Amantadine may protect patients from secondary neuronal damage after brain injury as a effect of NMDA receptor antagonists and may improve functioning of brain-injured patients as a dopaminergic agonist. Clinically, based on current evidence, amantadine may provide a potentially effective, safe, and inexpensive option for treating the cognitive, mood, and behavioral disorders of individuals with brain injury. The rationales for using amantadine are discussed, and pertinent literatures are reviewed.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2000

As the clinical practice of using more than one drug at a time increase, the clinician is faced with ever-increasing number of potential drug interactions. Although many interactions have little clinical significances, some may interfere with treatment or even be life-threatening. This review provides a better understanding of drug-drug interactions often encountered in pharmacotherapy of depression. Drug interactions can be grouped into two principal subdivisions : pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic. These subgroups serve to focus attention on possible sites of interaction as a drug moves from the site of administration and absorption to its site of action. Pharmacokinetic processes are those that include transport to and from the receptor site and consist of absorption, distribution on body tissue, plasma protein binding, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamic interactions occur at biologically active sites. In this review, emphasis is placed on antidepressant medications, how they are metabolized by the P450 system, and how they alter the metabolism of other drugs. When prescribing antidepressant medications, the clinician must consider the drug-drug interactions that are potentially problematic.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.34-45
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• 2000

Pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder is a rapidly evolving field. Mood stabilizers and anticonvulsants have varying biochemical profiles which may predispose them to different adverse effects and drug-drug interactions. Several of the new anticonvulsants appear less likely to have the problems with drug-drug interaction. To provide more effective combination pharmacotherapies, clinicians should be allowed to anticipate and avoid pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug-drug interactions. We reviewed the role of cytochrome P450 isozymes in the metabolism of the drugs and their interactions. The drug-drug interactions of several classes of drugs which used as mood stabilizers and new anticonvulsants, some of which may have psychotropic profiles, are discussed mainly in this article. Finally, potential pharmacokinetic interactions between the benzodiazepines and other coadministered drugs are discussed briefly.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.283-287
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• 1998

The mother was 24 years old, primipara, and had been taking carbamazepine 400mg(serum concentration $5.0-8.5{\mu}g/ml$) during pregnancy without any clinical seizures. A male baby with physical malformation was delivered on week 39. The malformation is extradigit(polydactily) on X-ray of right foot and left mild hydronephrosis on ultrasonography and renal scan with radioactive material. We reported this rare case and reviewed related articles about teratogenic effect of carbamazepine, mechanism of action and prevention of teratogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.197-202
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• 2011

Subsyndromal anxiety disorder indicates mental states of having anxiety symptoms not fulfilling criteria for anxiety disorders. Despite of the lack of previous objective findings of the subsyndromal anxiety disorder, its clinical importance has increased. It can cause many kinds of clinical anxiety symptoms and functional disabilities. But the early intervention and early treatment make it possible not only to attenuate the anxiety symptoms and functional disabilities but also to prevent disease progression to a full syndromal anxiety disorder. In this article, we will review the previous studies about the subsyndromal anxiety disorder and discuss its clinical characteristics and importance.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.169-175
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• 2011

Stress, a risk factor of major depression induces cytokine mediated inflammation and decreased neurogenesis. In patients with major depression, significant increases of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been consistently reported. The pro-inflammatory cytokines can stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to release glucocorticoids. In the brain, microglia and play a role of immune activation in response to stress. Increased pro-inflammatory cytokine play a role in restricting neurogenesis in the brain. Although neurogenesis may not be essential for the development of depression, it may be required for clinically effective antidepressant treatment. Hence, stimulation of neurogenesis is regarded as a promising strategy for new antidepressant targets. This review introduces changes in neurotransmitter, cytokine and neurogenesis in major depression and explores the possible relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokines and neurogenesis related to stress in major depression.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2006

Depression is the leading cause of disease-related disability among women. Postpartal depression (PPD) can produce substantial clinical, economic, and psychosocial impairment, not only for the women experiencing it but also for the women's children and family. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding the accurate detection and appropriate treatment of depression is mandatory in women of childbearing age. This review focused on the current knowledge of PPD.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2006

Depressive disorder is one of well-known major public health problems in Korea. The socioeconomic burden of depression is growing bigger and bigger. Therefore, the Korean government decided to establish the clinical research center for depression for better care of patients with depression. One of the major task of the center is the development of Korean clinical practice guideline for depressive disorders. This guideline should reflect the clinical situation in Korea and meet Korean physicians' needs. In addition, it should be feasible and easy to use. We reviewed the present status of the guideline development in Korea and other countries, and introduces the scope, method, and goals of Korean clinical practice guideline for depression.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.83-87
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• 1996

The effects of disulfiram implantation therapy have three components : placebo, pharmacological, and psychological effects, However, considering the fact that there is no reported DER(disulfiram-ethanol reaction) in placebo implanted patients and the absorption of implanted disulfiram is not sufficient to produce DER, the major effect of disulfiram implantation is psychological rather than placebo and pharmacological one, Recently, there have been great efforts to develop a new farm of disulfiram which could exert a real pharmacological effect through the heightened bioavailability, To illustrate several examples, there are copolymer consisting of disulfiram and polymer such as polyethylene glycol and PLGA(polyglycolic-co-L-lactic acid) and depot in which disulfiram is dissolved into saline solution containing 5% w/v carboxymethylcellulose or 0.1% polysorbate 80. On the other hand, there has been a continuous research about Me-DTC, an active metabolite of disulfiram, which inhibit ALDH (acetaldehyde dehydrogenase) more potently even at a smaller amount than disulfiram. In the future. In is hoped to develop a new form of disulfiram with high bioavailability at a small amount.