• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.295-300
• /
• 1995

Late-onset schizophrenia(LOS) is a controversial entity. It has been thought that onset of schizophrenia is limited to early adulthood, but many European psychiatrists have reported on the occurrence of schizophrenia in late life. DSM-III restricted the diagnosis of schizophrenia to patients with onset of illness before age 45 years. But, DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and ICD-10 recognize no upper limit to the age at onset of schizophrenia. Patients with LOS have more visual, tactile, and olfactory hallucinations. Patients with LOS have more persecutory delusions, premorbid schizoid personality traits, and less affective blunting. The course of illness was favorable in LOS. We present four cases of LOS. Their detailed clinical features are reported hear with brief review.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.41-47
• /
• 2016

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common causes of dementia. It can exhibit a variety of clinical symptoms including cognitive decline, cognitive fluctuation, visual hallucinations, parkinsonism, REM sleep behavior disorder, hypersensitivity to neuroleptics and autonomic dysfunctions. Despite more well-known criteria for DLB, there are often misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. It gives a lot of clinical burden to the clinician as well as to patients and families. When reducing the misdiagnosis, the burden of all will be reduced. The special concern and solicitation are needed in order not to miss the diagnosis when the cardinal features of DLB may not be volunteered by patients and the caregivers. To control the symptoms, clinicians must find and reduce drugs that can have the negative effects on DLB symptoms. There is limited evidence about specific interventions but available data suggest cholinesterase inhibitors improve the cognitive and behavioral symptoms and menmantine slightly improves the global impression.

• 대한상한금궤의학회지
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.79-88
• /
• 2014

Objective : We report efficacy of Daeseunggi-tang on auditory hallucination in schizophrenia. From this, we can expect therapeutic possibility of herbal medicine chosen by 'A disease pattern identification diagnostic system based on Shanghanlun provisions' in schizophrenia. Methods : Daeseunggi-tang written in YangMyeong-JiWiByeong is applied to 31-year-old patient who diagnosed as schizophrenia and hospitalized for 3months taking antipsychotics. The patient was treated for a year. Results : Scores in Auditory Hallucination appended to PANSS and K-BDI were highly decreased. The patient takes no antipsychotics anymore for now. Conclusions : Auditory hallucination in Schizophrenia which needs antipsychotics can be managed by herbal medicine chosen by 'A disease pattern identification diagnostic system based on Shanghanlun provisions'.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.785-788
• /
• 2007

Chun-Kwang(癲狂) is a oriental medical term which has psychosis or similar symptoms. It is similar to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in western medicine. Recently we have treated a patient with Chun-Kwang showed psychomotor epilepsy symptoms. He usually has gotten vertigo in the morning, and then suffered from hallucinations. There was no evidence of organic abnormality in the brain. We treated the patient with oriental medical therapy. The result of treatment was effective partially.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.115-121
• /
• 2002

Objectives: Although sleep paralysis (SP) has been known as one of the symptoms of narcolepsy, recently it has become recognized as occurring frequently in the general population. However, the prevalence of SP and its associated factors in patients with major psychiatric disorders remain unknown. This study investigated the prevalence of SP and a variety of associated experiences in those patients. Methods: The subjects were 160 psychiatric patients and 143 age- and sex-matched controls. The Korean version SP questionnaire as well as the Sleep-Wake Schedule, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Insomnia Severity Index were administered to all the subjects. The patients were referred from Dong-A University Hospital and consisted of 74 diagnosed as schizophrenia (47.7%), 26 as bipolar disorder (16.8%) and 55 as major depression (35.5%). Results: Nearly 42% of the patient group and 39% of the control group had experienced at least one episode of SP in their lifetime, with no significant difference between the groups. However, the patient group had experienced SP more frequently than the control group. Among all subjects, no gender difference in SP incidence was found. The peak age of onset was in the range of 16-25 years for both groups. Over eight tenths of both groups reported hallucinations and over seven tenths of both groups experienced fear accompanying SP. Conclusion: This study shows that there is no difference in the lifetime prevalence of SP between psychiatric patients and the general population, whereas frequency of SP experience is higher in psychiatric patients. Terrifying hallucinations and fearful feelings frequently accompany SP in both groups.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.407-412
• /
• 2006

Bioluminescence single-site immunometric assay for methamphetamine (MA) using the native aequorin, a photoprotein, as a signal generator was developed for the first time. MA is a potent sympathomimetic amine with stimulant effects on the central nervous system. MA abuse induces hallucinations and, thus, may cause a serious social problem. The single-site immunometric MA assay was optimized and its dose-response behavior was examined. The dose-response curve shows that the detection limit is 1.1 ${\times}$ $10^{-10}$ M and a dynamic range is four orders of magnitude with 15 $\mu$g/mL BSA-MA conjugate and 1.0 ${\times}$ $10^{-8}$ M anti-MA antibody-biotin conjugate. In order to evaluate this assay, the structurally similar compounds, amphetamine, ephedrine, norephedrine, benzphetamine and N-4-(aminobutyl)methamphetamine were examined for their crossreactivity. None of these five compounds showed any cross-reactivity. Additionally, an artificial urine solution spiked with MA was analyzed by the MA assay, and the result of the analysis demonstrated the usefulness of the present assay for the determination of MA in urine.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.97-103
• /
• 2013

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder and characterized by positive symptom (i.e., delusions, hallucinations), negative symptom (i.e., lack of emotion, social withdrawal), and cognitive impairment. Previously, we reported that the ethanolic extract of Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina attenuated the MK-801-induced schizophrenia-like behaviors such as prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits and cognitive impairment in mice. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether danshensu isolated from P. vulgaris var. lilacina attenuates MK-801-induced sensorimotor gating dysfunction (PPI deficits), hyperlocomotion, and memory impairment in mice. Acute administration of danshensu (1, 3, or 10 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated the MK-801-induced PPI deficits in the acoustic startle response test. We also observed that the impaired recognition memory induced by MK-801 was attenuated by danshensu (1 mg/kg) in the novel object recognition test. However, danshensu failed to reverse the MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion in the open-field test. Collectively, the present results indicate danshensu would be an active agent for treating neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.259-263
• /
• 1999

Nefazodone, a newer antidepressant is a phenylpiperazine derivative that inhibits the reuptake of both norepinephrine and serotonin, and antagonizes $5-HT_{2A}$ and ${\alpha}_1$ adrenergic receptors. Compared with SSRIs, nefazodone caused the fewer activating symptoms, adverse gastrointestinal effects(nausea, diarrhea, anorexia) and adverse effects of sexual function, but is associated with the more dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, visual disturbances and confusion. We report on 4 cases of visual disturbances and hallucinations in patients taking nefazodone. It is not certain what mechanisms mediated these side effects, but three mechanisms are possible. 1) Nefazodone, as a 5-HT2 antagonist, might induce visual disturbances. 2) mCPP, metabolite of nefazodone might contribute to the hallucination through action on 5-HT receptor. 3) Dopaminergic enhancing activity of nefazodone might cause hallucination. These case report raises the possibility that dose-related perceptual disturbances may exist with nefazodone. The fact emphasizes the need to pay close attention to all possible drug interactions, particularly in patients treated with multiple psychoactive agents, older patients, and patients with decreased hepatic function.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.56 no.5
• /
• pp.448-450
• /
• 2014

Nefopam, a centrally acting analgesic, has been used to control postoperative pain. Reported adverse effects are anticholinergic, cardiovascular or neuropsychiatric. Neurologic adverse reactions to nefopam are confusion, hallucinations, delirium and convulsions. There are several reports about fatal convulsive seizures, presumably related to nefopam. A 71-year-old man was admitted for surgery for a lumbar spinal stenosis. He was administered intravenous analgesics : ketorolac, tramadol, orphenadrine citrate and nefopam HCl. His back pain was so severe that he hardly slept for several days; he even needed morphine and pethidine. At 4 days of administration of intravenous analgesics, the patient suddenly started generalized tonic-clonic seizures for 15 seconds, and subsequently, status epilepticus; these were not responsive to phenytoin and midazolam. After 3 days of barbiturate coma therapy the seizures were controlled. Convulsive seizures related to nefopam appear as focal, generalized, myoclonic types, or status epilepticus, and are not dose-related manifestations. In our case, the possibility of convulsions caused by other drugs or the misuse of drugs was considered. However, we first identified the introduced drugs and excluded the possibility of an accidental misuse of other drugs. Physicians should be aware of the possible occurrence of unpredictable and serious convulsions when using nefopam.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.48-54
• /
• 2007

Objectives : This study aimed to examine the relationship between behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD) and patient and caregiver QOL in Alzheimer's disease(AD). Methods : Fifty-one AD patients and their caregivers participated. Measures about patients were Neuropsychiatric Inventory(NPI), Korean version of QOL-Alzheimer's Disease(KQOL-AD), Activities of Daily Living(ADL), Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR), and Korean version-Mini Mental State Examination(K-MMSE). Caregiver QOL was assessed with KQOL-AD and General Health Questionnaire/Quality of Life-12(GHQ/QOL-12). Results : Patient QOL-AD on patient ratings was negatively correlated with appetite/eating change and NPI scores. Patient QOL-AD on caregiver ratings was negatively correlated with hallucinations, depression/dysphoria, and NPI scores. Caregiver QOL assessed by the GHQ/QOL-12 was negatively correlated with agitation/aggression, depression/dysphoria, and NPI scores and was negatively correlated with distress related to agitation/aggression, depression/dysphoria, and NPI scores. Conclusion : BPSD of AD patients was associated with low QOL of both patients and caregivers. Thus, interventions of BPSD were needed to improve both patient and caregiver QOL.