• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1444-1450
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• 2012

The purpose of the present research is to investigate the effects of acute soccer game on serum levels of neurotrophins and neurocognitive function. The subjects of the research were 15 healthy male adolescents. The subjects underwent two experiments: one experiment in the soccer game treatment (SOC) condition, and the other in the self-study treatment (CON) condition. Blood samples were collected at three times: before treatment (Pre), after treatment (Post), and 2 hours post treatment (Post-2 h) for the analyses of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). For the measurements of neurocognitive functions, the Stroop Color-Word test was performed at blood collecting times. The results of the research showed that the serum levels of BDNF, NGF, and IGF-1 were significantly increased after the soccer game (p<0.05), and significantly higher in SOC than CON at Post (p<0.05). In the Stroop Color-Word test, significantly increased scores were observed in SOC at Post (p<0.05), and significantly higher in SOC than in CON at Post and Post-2 h (p<0.05). These results suggest that acute soccer game has positive effects on neurocognitive functions by increasing the neurotrophins.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.181-188
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• 2005

Objectives:Hwa-byung has been studied clinically for several years and introduced as Korean Culture- Bound Syndrome. However, the definition and the diagnostic method are not yet clarified, and there has not been any sufficient comparative study on this disease entity. This study was conducted to determine the clinical symptoms and the profile of the neurocognitive functions in Hwa-byung(HB) and Major Depressive Disorder(MDD), and We wish to identify any critical factors that differentiate the disorders. Methods:A total of 102 participants were examined, including 34 participants with MDD, 34 with HB, and 34 healthy controls. The MDD and HB patients were recruited from among inpatients and outpatients at the National Medical Center for the period from May to December of 2004. As a major diagnostic tool of MDD, diagnostic reference of DSM-IV-TR was used and as HB's diagnostic tool, We used computerized neurocognitive function test. Psychiatric symptomatology was evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), and Symptom Checkist-90-Revision(SCL-90-R). Oneway ANOVA, Scheffe post-hoc test and Chi-Squre Tests were used for statistical analysis. Results:The participants in three groups did not differ in terms of age, sex, and education. Assessment of BDI indicated that the MDD group had significantly higher total score than the HB group. MDD and HB groups showed significantly higher total scores on the SCL-90-R in comparison to the controls. The MDD group was found to have significantly more symptoms of depression than the HB group, based on the depression subscale of the SCL-90-R. The computerized neurocognitive function test suggest several results 1) Within the memory domain, it was found that one of the two memory tests in MDD and HB groups were significantly impaired in comparison to the control group. 2) Within the attention domain, it was found that only the MDD group was significantly impaired in comparison to the control group. 3) Within the higher cortical function domain, it was found that significant impairment exist in MDD group and HB group compared to the control group; the severity of impairment was found to be more profound in the MDD group than in the HB group. Conclusion:These results suggest that both HB group and MDD group have significantly decreased neurocognitive function than the control group, and neurocognitive function of the HB group is better than that of the MDD group.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.68-76
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• 2019

Objective : The goal of this study was to investigate the characteristics of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs), and associated neurocognitive functions as seen in visitors for military designation process. Methods : This retrospective study included 111 males aged 18 to 24 years among three groups: 41 visitors for military designation process (VMD), 21 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and 49 healthy subjects. We collected the results of the Young Schema Questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, three neurocognitive tests as well as their clinicodemographic data. We analyzed the differences in EMSs between these three groups, and the correlations among the identified EMSs and neurocognitive performances within the VMD group. Results : Compared with both the OCD and healthy groups, the evaluation of the VMD group showed significantly higher scores in mistrust/abuse (F=6.4, p=0.002), vulnerability to harm (F=6.6, p<0.0001) and negativity/pessimism schema (F=7.3, p<0.0001), even when controlling for depression scores and levels of education. These three schemas also exhibited significant negative correlations with the score of Stroop test with r ranging from -0.34 to -0.44. Conclusion : These findings suggest that people who are likely to have difficulties adjusting to living in a military life may have psychological vulnerabilities related to certain EMSs. Further studies are warranted to test the clinical potentials of these findings, such as a treatment target and a predictor factor.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.155-163
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• 2019

Objectives : The aim of this study was to compare severity, neurocognitive functions, and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) according to the degree of temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) in Korean patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. Methods : Participants were 114 elderly subjects diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment in this cross-sectional study. MTA in brain MRI was rated with standardized visual rating scales (Scheltens scale) and the subjects were divided into two groups according to Scheltens scale. Severity was evaluated with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). Neurocognitive functions was evaluated with the Korean version of Short Blessed Test (SBT-K) and the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease assessment packet (CERAD-K). BPSD was evaluated with the Korean version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (K-NPI). Independent t-test was performed to compare severity, neurocognitive functions, and BPSD between two groups. Results : The group with high severity of MTA showed significantly lower scores in CDR, SBT-K, MMSE-KC, modified Boston naming test, word list recognition, and word list memory (p<0.05). There were no differences in K-NPI scores between two groups. Conclusions : Severity and neurocognitive functions of dementia had significant positive association with MTA, but BPSD had no association with MTA. Evaluating MTA seems to have potential benefit in diagnosing and treating neurocognitive impairments in the elderly. Further evaluation is needed to confirm the association between certain brain structures and BPSD.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2010

Objective : This study is planned to determine the neurocognitive difficulties of hydrocephalic adults. Methods : The research group contained healthy adults (control group, n : 15), and hydrocephalic adults (n : 15). Hydrocephalic group consisted of patients with idiopathic aquaduct stenosis and post-meningitis hydrocephalus. All patients were followed with shunted hydrocephalus and not gone to shunt revision during last two years. They were chosen from either asymptomatic or had only minor symptoms without motor and sensorineural deficit. A neuropsychological test battery (Raven Standart Progressive Matrices, Bender-Gestalt Test, Cancellation Test, Clock Drawing Test, Facial Recognition Test, Line Orientation Test, Serial Digit Learning Test, Stroop Color Word Interference Test-TBAG Form, Verbal Fluency Test, Verbal Fluency Test, Visual-Aural Digit Span Test-B) was applied to all groups. Results : Neuropsychological assessment of hydrocephalic patients demonstrated that they had poor performance on visual, semantic and working memory, visuoconstructive and frontal functions, reading, attention, motor coordination and executive function of parietal lobe which related with complex and perseverative behaviour. Eventually, these patients had significant impairment on the neurocognitive functions of their frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. On the other hand, the statistical analyses performed on demographic data showed that the aetiology of the hydrocephalus, age, sex and localization of the shunt (frontal or posterior parietal) did not affect the test results. Conclusion : This prospective study showed that adult patients with hydrocephalus have serious neuropsychological problems which might be directly caused by the hydrocephalus; and these problems may cause serious adaptive difficulties in their social, cultural, behavioral and academic life.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of bio-signal devices for the diagnosis, assessment, and analysis of neurocognitive disorder in Korean medicine (KM) hospitals and clinics. Methods: A questionnaire was developed to survey the current status of medical device use, and diagnosis and interventions for patients with cognitive disorders in KM hospitals and clinics. November 11~December 2, 2019, 114 responses (71.9% completed) were collected by internet-based questionnaires from the members of the Korean society of Oriental Neuropsychiatry. Results: The clinical requests were in the descending order of hematology analyzer, ultrasound imaging system, and electroencephalography among the 15 most commonly used devices of which research would support for their clinical usability. The biosignal-based devices showed the highest research demands for patients with mild cognitive impairment rather than more severe stages of cognitive impairment. Prevention rather than diagnosis, or several treatment regimens was the strongest clinical area of the KM for patients with neurodegenerative cognitive impairment. Many responded that five to 10 minutes of test duration and 20,000 won to 30,000 won of cost would be appropriated for a new device to be developed. Conclusions: There were strong demands for the development of bio-signal devices for neurocognitive disorders among the KM doctors. Specifically, it showed high needs for the technology that can be used in the prevention area of cognitive disorders. Additionally, new medical devices to assess cognitive functions and to obtain KM pattern-related information were the high needs.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 1997

Disturbances in memory are the most common problem in patients with an organic mental syndrome. Other patients with significant psychiatric disorders also often have difficulty with memory. So it is very important in the clinical practice of psychiatry to understand the biological and neurocognitive mechanisms of memory proessing, and to develop the assessment tools with which memory function can be evaluated reliably and validly. Moreover, memory researches provide an important viewpoint from which we can understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of major neuropsychiatric illnesses. This article focuses on our understanding of memory functions in clinical and neurobiological aspects. The relevant material will be presented in four parts : 1) terminologies needed in defining major stages of various types of memory processing : 2) neurochemical and neuroanatomical basis of memory processing : 3) brief bed-side screening tests and more comprehensive neuropsychological tests for the evaluation of memory function : 4) the characteristics of memory dysfunction in several major psychiatric illnesses.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.140-148
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• 2015

Objectives The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between degenerative changes in brain [i.e., global cortical atrophy (GCA), medial temporal atrophy (MTA), white matter hyperintensities (WMH)] and neurocognitive dysfunction in Korean patients with Alzheimer's disease. Methods A total of 62 elderly subjects diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease were included in this study. The degenerative changes in brain MRI were rated with standardized visual rating scales (GCA or global cortical atrophy, MTA or medial temporal atrophy, and Fazekas scales) and the subjects were divided into two groups according to the degree of degeneration for each scale. Cognitive function was evaluated with Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) and several clinical features, including apolipoprotein E ${\varepsilon}4$ status, lipid profile and thyroid hormones, were also examined. Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were performed to analyze the relationship between the degree of cerebral degeneration and neurocognitive functions. Results Demographic and clinical features, except for the age, did not show any significant difference between the two groups divided according to the degree of cerebral degenerative changes. However, higher degree of GCA was shown to be associated with poorer performance in verbal fluency test, word list recall test, and word list recognition test. Higher degree of MTA was shown to be associated with poorer performance in Mini-Mental State Examination in the Korean Version of CERAD Assessment Packet (MMSE-KC), word list recognition test and construction praxis recall test. Higher degree of white matter hyperintensities was shown to be associated with poorer performance in MMSE-KC. Conclusions Our results suggest that severe brain degeneration shown in MRI is associated with significantly poorer performance in neurocognitive tests in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, the degree of GCA, MTA and white matter hyperintensities, represented by scores from different visual rating scales, seems to affect certain neurocognitive domains each, which would provide useful information in clinical settings.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2021

Objectives : The aim of this study was to compare activities of daily living (ADLs) according to degenerative changes in brain [i.e., medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA), white matter hyperintensities] and to examine the association between neurocognitive functions and ADLs in Korean patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods : Participants were 111 elderly subjects diagnosed with AD or MCI in this cross-sectional study. MTA in brain MRI was rated with standardized visual rating scales (Scheltens scale) and the subjects were divided into two groups according to Scheltens scale. ADLs was evaluated with the Korean version of Blessed Dementia Scale-Activity of daily living (BDS-ADL). Neurocognitive function was evaluated with the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease assessment packet (CERAD-K). Independent t-test was performed to compare ADLs with the degree of MTA. Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to analyze the relationship between ADLs and neurocognitive functions. Results : The group with high severity of the MTA showed significantly higher BDS-ADL scores (p<0.05). The BDS-ADL score showed the strongest correlation with the word list recognition test among sub-items of the CERAD-K test (r=-0.568). Findings from the hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that the scores of MMSE-K and word list recognition test were factors that predict ADLs (F=44.611, p<0.001). Conclusions : ADLs of AD and MCI patients had significant association with MTA. Our study, which identifies factors correlated with ADLs can provide useful information in clinical settings. Further evaluation is needed to confirm the association between certain brain structures and ADLs.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.139-147
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• 2023

Background and Purpose: Dual walking task such as crossing over an obstacle may serve as an excellent tool for predicting early cognitive decline. Thus, this study aimed to investigate correlation between walking while crossing over an obstacle and executive functions under different gait phases to validate the use of walking with an obstacle for predicting early cognitive decline. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 48 elderly individuals from 2 day-care centers and 3 welfare-centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi, Korea. Executive function tests (Trail Making Test, Stroop test) and dual walking tests (gait speed, cadence, stance time, gait cycle time) were performed and compared using partial correlation analysis. Results: There were significant correlations between executive function and most of the gait variables (stance time, cadence, and gait cycle time) (p<0.05) when crossing over an obstacle while walking. Especially, stance time exhibited significant correlations with most executive functions (p<0.05). Conclusions: When evaluating executive function during walking with an obstacle, post-obstacle-crossing phase and stance time need to be observed.