• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 1993

To understand and evaluate the patients who were referred for psychiatric consultation from medical departments, the authors reviewed the concept of disease, psychological reaction to disease, problems on psychiatric diagnosis and evaluation which were encountered at the medical ward. In addition, we reviewed what psychiatrists should do during consultation.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.149-192
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• 2024

People with mental illness are generally either unaware of their illness or unwilling to voluntarily seek treatment, which makes treatment difficult and the pain mainly passed on to their families. Accordingly, non-face-to-face treatment, in which the patient is diagnosed by interviews with the family and unannounced medication, in which medication is secretly administered through the family, can be performed, and this has been considered a necessary evil. Even considering realistic aspects such as the special nature of mental health care and families' suffer, not-informed treatment without consent violates not only medical laws, but also human rights of mentally ill patients. Above all, if the patient finds out about this late, the trust between the patient, family, and doctor is completely broken, and a treatment is absolutely refused. Japan's Chiba decision, which presents exceptional conditions for allowance might be a solution. However, it would not be a right solution, considering that it could lead to long-term unannounced medication and completely cut off treatment through therapeutic dialogue. Ultimately, it need to approach this problem and seek alternatives through restoration of therapeutic dialogue.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2016

Objectives : Somatic symptoms after the exposure of psychological trauma frequently developed. However, the somatic symptoms are not covered under the diagnostic criteria of posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) in detail, although they are often associated with social and occupational functioning and patient-doctor relationships. The aim of this article is to highlight the potential mechanisms, the common manifestations, and the treatment of the somatic symptoms. Methods : This article studied the somatic symptoms searched using academic search engines like PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, KoreaMed and KISS from the earliest available date of indexing to March 31, 2016. Results : The mechanism of somatic symptoms after the exposure was described as psychological and physiological aspects. Psychological mechanism consisted of psychodynamic theory, cognitive behavioral theory, and others. Physiological mechanism involved changes in neuroendocrine and immune system, autonomic nervous system and central nervous system. Somatization associated with psychological trauma manifested various health conditions on head and neck, chest, abdominal, musculoskeletal, and dermatological and immune system. Few studies described the standardization of treatment for the somatic symptoms. Conclusions : Clinicians and disaster behavioral health providers should think of the accompanying somatic symptoms during intervention of psychological trauma and PTSD. Further studies are needed on the somatic symptoms seen in psychological trauma and PTSD.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2006

Objectives : Headache is a clinical symptom that more than 90% of all individuals experience during their life time. This article provides a current concept of tension-type and migraine headaches and summarizes the effects of biofeedback treatment and/or relaxation techniques. Methods : The following terms were used for Pubmed/Medline search : biofeedback, relaxation, physiological, behavioral, nonpharmacological, headache, tension-type headache, and migraine. A review of references from relevant literature was also conducted to collect reports not identified in the Pubmed/Medline search. Interviews with experts on biofeedback were also included in this review. Results : Headache is a psychophysiological symptom that can be treated by some behavioral interventions including biofeedback and relaxation. Literatures on biofeedback and/or relaxation have consistently reported significant therapeutic effects on headaches. Important factors that we have to consider, when we apply to headache patients with biofeedback and relaxation techniques, were also presented. Conclusion : The available evidence suggests that biofeedback and relaxation techniques are effective treatments for the patients with headaches and can be provided to the patients as monotherapy or combination therapy with medication.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2006.02a
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• pp.91-96
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• 2006

현대의학의 발전으로 많은 질병들의 치료율이 개선되고 있으나, 암은 여전히 낮은 치료율과 약제 내성 및 부작용으로 많은 환자들이 의학적 고통 뿐 아니라 정신적, 경제적 문제점들을 호소하고있다. 이와같은 문제점은 동일한 병리학적 특성을 가지는 종양이라도 사람마다 그 생물학적 특성이 다르며, 동일한 환자안에서도 종양의 시기에 따라 다양한 특성의 세포들이 공존하며 다양한 문제를 발생하는 tumor heterogeneity에서 기인하게된다. 다행히 최근의 분자생물학의 발전과 인간유전체연구들의 활성화로 이와같은 다양한 암의 특성과 환자들의 특성을 이해하는 연구 방법들의 개발로 환자의 특성에 맞는 항암제를 효율적으로 투여하는 맞춤치료를 향한 노력을 지속하고 있다. 이와같은 맞춤치료의 일환으로 약제의 환자에서의 반응과 부작용을 예측하고자 최신의 high-throughput 기법을 도입한 것이 Pharmacogenomics이다. 즉, 지금까지의 항암치료는 암의 종류에 따라 임상연구 결과에 근거한 항암제를 선택하고 있다. 그러나 앞서 설명한 것처럼 암의 특성과 환자 반응의 다양화로 실제 항암효과는 기대에 미치지 못하여 많은 수의 환자들이 치료에 내성을 보일 뿐 아니라 치명적인 부작용으로 새로운 문제에 대면하게 되었다. 따라서 각 항암제011 최대의 효과를 보이며 최소의 부작용을 나타내는 최선의 치료책을 선정하는 것이 중요한 과제이다. 이를 위해서 암환자의 치료 단계에서 정확한 진단 및 병기 설정, 생물학적 특성 이해 뿐 아니라, 치료 반응을 예측할 수 있는 생물학적 표지자를 찾고자 하는 노력의 결과로 현재 임상에 사용되는 몇 가지 종양표지자를 포함하여 다양한 유전자 칩들이 연구단계에 있다. 특히 다양한 생물학적 현상이 많은 유전자들의 변화에 의한다는 근거하여 약제의 효과와 부작용을 예측할 수 있는 표지자 발굴도 DNA chip 등의 high-throughput technology를 사용하여 그 특이도와 민감도가 향상된 표지자 발굴이 시도되고 있다. 아직은 시작단계이고 많은 검증이 필요하나 여러 가지 가능성의 증거들로 멀지않은 시기에 맞춤치료가 가능하리라 기대하며, 암 연구에 있어서 pharmacogenomics의 현황을 소개하고자 한다.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.70-77
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• 2021

Objectives: Our study aims to investigate the clinical and polysomnographic variables associated with subjective sleep perception. Methods: Among the patients who underwent nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) at the Center for Sleep and Chronobiology of Seoul National University Hospital from May 2018 to July 2019, 109 diagnosed with insomnia disorder based on DSM-5 were recruited for the study, and their medical records were retrospectively analyzed. Self-report questionnaires about clinical characteristics including Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Beck depression inventory (BDI), and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) were completed. Subjective sleep quality was measured using variables of subjective total sleep time (subjective TST), subjective sleep onset latency (subjective SOL), subjective number of awakenings, morning feeling after awakening, and sleep discrepancy (subjective TST-objective TST) the morning after PSG. Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses were used to determine the factors associated with subjective sleep perception. Results: In patients with insomnia, subjective TST was negatively correlated with Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO) (p = 0.001) and N1 sleep (p = 0.039) parameters on polysomnography. Also, it was negatively correlated with PSQI (p < 0.001) and BDI (p = 0.014) scores. Sleep discrepancy was negatively correlated with PSQI score (p = 0.018). Morning feeling was negatively correlated with PSQI (p = 0.019) and BDI (p < 0.001) scores. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that subjective sleep perception is associated with PSG variables (WASO and N1 sleep) and with PSQI and BDI scores. In clinical practice, it is helpful to assess and manage insomnia patients in consideration of objective sleep variables, subjective sleep quality, and depressed mood, which can influence subjective sleep perception.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2016

Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings, impoverished fantasy life, and concrete and poorly introspective thinking. Alexithymic patients have been reported to show a stable deficit with regard to processing and regulating emotions. Eating disorders are characterized by a persistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behavior that significantly impairs physical health or psychosocial functioning. Like alexithymic patients, patients with eating disorders show the impaired capacity to process and regulate emotions. There is a robust body of literature showing patients with eating disorders are more alexithymic than healthy controls. Specifically, patients with eating disorders experience difficulties identifying and describing emotions. Childhood maltreatment can increase the risk for depression and alexithymia, which can in turn lead to disordered eating symptoms. Also, higher levels of alexithymia are correlated with a less favorable clinical outcome in patients with eating disorder. Therefore, treatments to help processing and regulating emotions of eating disorder patients with pronounced alexithymic traits may seem to lead to a higher possibility of recovery.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2020

Objectives : This study investigated lifetime experiences of trauma, treatment retention, and psychiatric symptoms among outpatients with panic disorder after initiation of pharmacotherapy. Our research hypothesis was that panic patients with childhood trauma would display more severe symptoms and less treatment retention compared to those without such history. Methods : A total of 135 first-visit outpatients with DSM-IV panic disorder were approached during the period from March 2012 to August 2016. Fifty-three patients (39%) either refused or returned incomplete questionnaires, leading to a final sample size of 82. Participants completed the Trauma History Screen, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Abbreviated PTSD checklist. Results : The number of lifetime trauma was significantly correlated with treatment retention (rho=-0.269, p=0.015). Among subtypes of trauma, only childhood physical abuse was significantly correlated with treatment retention (rho=-0.298, p=0.007). Conclusions : Our results indicated that psychological trauma, particularly of an interpersonal nature from childhood, can affect pharmacotherapy treatment retention in panic disorder. This may be mediated by poor patient-doctor relationships originating from trust issues among childhood trauma survivors or lack of perceived improvement due to the more severe symptoms and unfavorable course experienced by those with childhood trauma. Further studies are needed to explore the reasons for poor treatment adherence in this population.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.72-78
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• 2023

Objectives : This study aims to identify various psychiatric symptoms and psychosomatic symptoms caused by COVID-19 infection and investigate their long-term impact. Methods : A systematic literature review was conducted, selecting papers from domestic and international databases using keywords such as "COVID-19" and "psychosomatic." A total of 16 papers, including those using structured measurement tools for psychosomatic symptoms, were included in the final analysis. Results : Psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms have been reported in acute COVID-19 infection, while long-term post-COVID symptoms include chest pain and fatigue. The frequency of long-term psychosomatic symptoms has been estimated to be 10%-20%. Factors contributing to these symptoms include psychological and social stress related to infectious diseases, gender, elderly age, a history of psychiatric disorders, and comorbid mental illnesses. It is suggested that systemic inflammation, autoimmune responses, and dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system may be involved. Conclusions : Psychosomatic symptoms arising after COVID-19 infection have a negative impact on quality of life and psychosocial functioning. Understanding and addressing psychiatric aspects are crucial for symptom prevention and treatment.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.118-124
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• 2023

Objectives : Depressive disorder and anxiety disorder frequently co-occur, even at sub-threshold level. This study aims to identify network structure of co-morbid depression and anxiety at symptom level in nonclinical population and to reveal the central symptoms and bridge symptoms of the co-morbidity. Methods : This study was based on 2022 Asan Youth Mental Health Screening. Patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7) were used to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms of 810 young adult participants from community sample. Network structure of co-morbid depressive and anxiety symptoms was estimated by Isingfit model. Results : Depressed mood, Restlessness and Nervousness were the most central symptoms in the network. Bridge symptoms between anxiety and depression were Restlessness and Irritability. Conclusions : This study revealed key central symptoms and bridge symptoms of co-morbid depression and anxiety in nonclinical population and provided potential insight for treatment targets to reduce co-morbidity.