• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.184-196
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• 1998

With a rapid development of neuroscience, the theories related to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia have been changed a lot from a simple hyperdopaminergic one to the various complicated ones. Among these, the theories regarding prefrontal cortex(PFC) pathology as a cause of schizophrenia are gaining more recognition as the results of neuroimaging and neuropsychological tests in schizophrenia consistently report abnormalities in PFC. Therefore, we first reviewed the unique characteristics of PFC in anatomy, neurochemistry and neurophysiology to enhance an understanding of those ones. Secondly, various neurotransmitter, neurodevelopmental and neural network theories of schizophrenia introduced recently were reviewed in terms of PFC pathology.

• 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.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.16 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2009

Marchiafava-Bignami disease(MBD) is a rare complication of chronic alcoholism characterized by symmetrical demyelination of the corpus callosum. We report a case of MBD in a Korean patient having chronic alcohol dependence. The patient exhibited mental depression, weakness of all four limbs and dysarthria. Laboratory data showed mild hyponatremia. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) revealed unusual symmetrical resolving lesions of the putamen in addition to the typically observed lesion of the corpus callosum. The neurologic disturbances were gradually improved with the normalization of low plasma sodium levels. Marked improvement of abnormal MRI findings was noted after thiamine supplement, though the patient still exhibited severe cognitive impairment.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2011

Mood disorder is unlikely to be a disease of a single brain region or a neurotransmitter system. Rather, it is now generally viewed as a multidimensional disorder that affects many neural pathways. Growing neuroimaging evidence suggests the anterior cingulate-pallidostriatal-thalamic-amygdala circuit as a putative cortico-limbic mood regulating circuit that may be dysfunctional in mood disorders. Brain-imaging techniques have shown increased activation of mood-generating limbic areas and decreased activation of cortical areas in major depressive disorder(MDD). Furthermore, the combination of functional abnormalities in limbic subcortical neural regions implicated in emotion processing together with functional abnormalities of prefrontal cortical neural regions probably result in the emotional lability and impaired ability to regulate emotion in bipolar disorder. Here we review the biological correlates of MDD and bipolar disorder as evidenced by neuroimaging paradigms, and interpret these data from the perspective of endophenotype. Despite possible limitations, we believe that the integration of neuroimaging research findings will significantly advance our understanding of affective neuroscience and provide novel insights into mood disorders.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.115-117
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• 2014

Variety of biomarkers that are related to the Alzheimer's disease and its diagnosis and progress have been found. However, research lacks in predicting the reaction of the treatment. In addition, there is no definite treatment reaction to the disease but rather it is varied. The purpose of this review article is to study the research of the biomarkers that are able to predict the treatment reaction. There was a research that illustrated a relationship between plasma amyloid ${\beta}$ peptide, cerebrospinal fluid tau, neuroanatomical biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Polymorphisms in genes of the cholinergic markers AChE, BuChE, ChAT and PON-1 were found to be associated with better clinical response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Many pharmacogenetic studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of the lipoprotein apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on treatment response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. However, there is no significant influence of the APOE genotypes on treatment response. Further research is needed to find other predictors of treatment with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2023

Many psychiatric disorders are associated with brain functional dysfunctions and neuronal degeneration. According to the research so far, enhanced brain plasticity reduces neurodegeneration and recovers neuronal damage. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the most extensively studied neurotrophins in the mammalian brain that plays major roles in neuronal survival, development, growth, and maintenance of neurons in brain circuits related to emotion and cognitive function. Also, BDNF plays an important role in brain plasticity, influencing dendritic spines in the hippocampus neurogenesis. Changes in neurogenesis and dendritic density can improve psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions. BDNF has potent effects on brain plasticity through biochemical mechanisms, cellular signal pathways, and epigenetic changes. There are pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to increase the expression of BDNF and enhance brain plasticity. Non-pharmacological interventions such as physical exercise, nutritional change, environmental enrichment, and neuromodulation have biological mechanisms that increase the expression of BDNF and brain plasticity. Non-pharmacological interventions are cost-effective and safe ways to improve psychiatric symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.252-256
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• 1995

Corticotropin-releasing factor(CRF)를 분비하는 배양세포주는 CRF의 세포내 조절을 연구하는데 있어 훌륭한 체계가 된다. BE(2)-M17 및 BE(2)-C 세포주는 CRF를 생산하고 분비하며 forskolin 처치에 반응하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 저자들은 이들 세포주에 phorbol 에스테르, 즉 phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(TPA) 0.8, 4, 10, 20 nM, 및 nitric oxide(NO)의 신호전달 경로의 자극제(1-${\mu}M$ nitroprusside)와 차단제($1{\mu}M$ nitroprusside+$300{\mu}M$ $N^G$-methyl-D-arginine), 그리고 interleukin-$1{\alpha}$ (IL $1{\alpha}$ ; 4, 20, 100, 500 pM)를 처치하여 CRF를 의미있게 증가시켰으나 세포외 분비는 C 세포에서만 변화되었다. NOS계의 자극제와 차단제는 C 세포의 forskolin 효과를 의미있게 변화시켰다. IL$1{\alpha}$는 두 세포주에 대한 영향이 없었다. 상기 제제들에 대한 이들 세포의 반응이 중추신경계 CRF 신경들과 관련하여 논의되었다.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.80-84
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• 2003

Objective : Bipolar disorder is known to have strong genetic background and cellular immune activation. Based on the hypothesis that abnormalities of normal inhibitory control of T cell immunity can contribute to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder, we investigated the relationship between the first exon at position +49(A/G) polymorphism of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4(CTLA4) gene and bipolar disorder. Method : Among the Korean patients diagnosed as bipolar disorder according to DSM-IV, 90 patients without serious medical illness, neurologic illness, hormonal disorder, or concomitant mental illness were selected. The normal control group consisted of 149 age-and sex-matched subjects without current or past history of autoimmune diseases or mental disorder. DNA was extracted from whole blood and the exon 1 region of CTLA-4 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Gene typing was performed using single strand conformation polymorphism. Results : There were no significant differences in genotype frequencies of G/G, G/A, and A/A between the patients with bipolar disorder and the control group(48.9% vs 46.3%, 44.4% vs 39.6%, and 6.7% vs 14.1%, respectively). There were no significant differences in allelic frequencies of G and A between the patients with bipolar disorder and the control group(71.1% vs 66.1%, and 28.9% vs 33.9%, respectively). Conclusion : This study did not show the association of exon 1 polymorphism of CTLA-4 gene with bipolar disorder.