• Journal of Interdisciplinary Genomics
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2020

Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging and identification of causative genes led to the recognition of a new group of disorders named neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). NBIA is a group of inherited disorders characterized by abnormal iron deposition in the brain, usually in the basal ganglia. The disorder shares the clinical features of movement disorders and is accompanied by varying degrees of neuropsychiatric abnormalities. In this review, the causative genes, clinical presentations, neuroimaging features, and pathological findings are summarized.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2005

Tic disorder including Tourette's disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that appears in childhood and characterized by the presence of motor and vocal tics. Childhood-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is suggested to be a phenomenologically and etiologically distinct subtype of OCD, bearing a close genetic relationship to tic-disorders. Tourette's disorder and OCD are comorbid in $40-75\%$ of patients initially diagnosed with either disorder. Basal ganglia and cortico-striato-thalamic circuits are implicated in the pathophysiology of both disorders and these disorders have similar clinical features. Over the past decades, the progress in research on Tourette's disorder and OCD has been extraordinary. This review describes some of important insights from these work, involving these areas : 1) clinical implication 2) genetics and epidemiology 3) brain imaging study 4) neuroche-mistry 5) pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS).

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.12-20
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• 1999

In order to understand the pathogenesis and progression of some synaptic loss related neuropsychiatric diseases, We attempted to develop a computer model in this study. We made a simple autoassociative memory network remembering numbers, transformed it into a disease model by pruning synapses, and measured its memory performance as a function of synaptic deletion. Decline in performance was measured as amount of synaptic loss increases and its mode of decline is sudden or gradual according to the mode of synaptic pruning. The developed computer model demonstrated how synaptic loss could cause memory impairment through a series of computer simulations, and suggested a new way of research in neuropsychiatry.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.70-76
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• 1995

A few researchers have reported that major depression may be associated with higher levels of positive acute phase proteins(APPs), such as haptoglobin(Hp), ${\alpha}1$-antitrypsin(${\alpha}1AT$), ceruloplasmin(Cp) and lower levels of negative APPs(visceral proteins), such as albumin(Alb) and transferrin(Tf). Elevated levels of positive APPs and a drop in negative APPs constitute important indicators of immune activation. This study was designed to investigate whether altered serum concentrations of positive APPs and of negative APPs reflect the state of depression. Twenty patients who fulfilled DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive disorder and for dysthymic disorder and twelve normal healthy controls were included. The authors measured positive APPs(Hp, ${\alpha}1AT$, Cp) and negative APPs(Alb, Tf) using rate nephelometry and bromcresol green method. 1) There were significant increases of ${\alpha}1AT$, Cp in major depressed patients as compared with normal controls. Trends towards higher Hp and lower Alb, Tf in major depressed patients were observed. 2) No significant difference of APPs concentrations between dysthymic patients and normal controls was found. 3) Severity of depression(HDRS, BDI score) was related to Hp, Cp, ${\alpha}1AT$ value positively. Our findings are partially compatible with the hypothesis that major depression may be accompanied by acute phase response with higher levels of positive APPs and lower levels of negative APPs.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2007

Objectives : To investigate the validity of an abbreviated self-rated Korean version of MINI (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) patient health survey which screening social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder. Methods : 115 subjects completed MINI and MINI patient health survey. The validity of MINI patient health survey was assessed by whether the results from MINI patient health survey were compatible with the results from MINI or not. The Cohen's kappa value, specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value was calculated for this purpose. Results : The Kappa values of social anxiety disorder (0.60), panic disorder (0.49), generalized anxiety disorder (0.60) and major depressive disorder without other co-morbid disorder (0.59) were at least moderate in strength of agreement. Conclusion : The abbreviated self-rated Korean version of MINI patient health survey has the moderate to good validity in social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder without other co-morbid disorders. Our result suggests that this instrument might be useful for screening above 4 disorders if it is used under careful supervision of experienced clinicians.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2015

Objective : This study aimed to evaluate the effects of multisensory and Motor-Based group activity program on the problem behaviors and burden of care in persons with dementia. Methods : Five persons with moderate to severe dementia and significant problem behaviors, received 4 weeks of multisensory and Motor-based group activity program. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory was employed in the pretest and posttest. Analysis was performed using SPSS and including Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results : Participants' average problem behavior scores decreased from 70 in the pretest to 38 after program. Mean scores of burden of care decreased from 47 to 29. Conclusion : Multisensory and Motor-Based group activity program can be an effective method to decrease problem behaviors and burden of care for older people with dementia.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.603-610
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• 2020

Background: Depression is a common neuropsychiatric disease that shows astrocyte pathology. Ginsenoside Rf (G-Rf) is a saponin found in Panax ginseng which has been used to treat neuropsychiatric diseases. We aimed to investigate antidepressant properties of G-Rf when introduced into the L-alphaaminoadipic acid (L-AAA)-infused mice model which is representative of a major depressive disorder that features diminished astrocytes in the brain. Methods: L-AAA was infused into the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice to induce decrease of astrocytes. Mice were orally administered G-Rf (20 mg/kg) as well as vehicle only or imipramine (20 mg/kg) as controls. Depression-like behavior of mice was evaluated using forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). We observed recovery of astroglial impairment and increased proliferative cells in the PFC and its accompanied change in the hippocampus by Western blot and immunohistochemistry to assess the effect of G-Rf. Results: After injection of L-AAA into the PFC, mice showed increased immobility time in FST and TST and loss of astrocytes without significant neuronal change in the PFC. G-Rf-treated mice displayed significantly more decreased immobility time in FST and TST than did vehicle-treated mice, and their immobility time almost recovered to those of the sham mice and imipramine-treated mice. G-Rf upregulated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression and Ki-67 expression in the PFC reduced by L-AAA and also alleviated astroglial change in the hippocampus. Conclusion: G-Rf markedly reversed depression-like behavioral changes and exhibited protective effect against the astrocyte ablation in the PFC induced by L-AAA. These protective properties suggest that G-Rf might be a therapeutic agent for major depressive disorders.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.107-120
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• 2009

Background : To estimate fall incidence rate and associated factors in inpatients from a general hospital. Method : The data were collected from 104 fall incident reports developed by the patient safety committee in a general hospital in Seoul from 01 January 2007 to 31 December 2008. Information included general characteristics of patients, factors related to fall, types, places, circumstances and outcomes of fall. Result : The incidence rate of fall, which was 4.4 per 1,000 total discharged patients and 0.5 per 1,000 patient-days, was much lower than that of several hospitals in the United States. The difference may reflect the different incidence reporting system of each hospital. Fall-prone patients were, in general, $$\geq_-$$65 years of age, had an alert mental status, were ambulatory with some assistance, and were dependent on and ambulatory device. High incidence of falls was associated with patients with circulatory disease. The majority of fall events usually occurred in bed or at the bedside in the patient's room, and occurred more often during the night than during the day or evening. Risk factors of fall were use of drugs (antihypertensive or neuropsychiatric drugs) and environmental factors (e.g., overly high bed height, surrounding objects, inadequate fitness shoes and slippery floor). Physical injury occurred in 43.3% of fall events, which typically required diagnosis of injury and treatment such as suturing. Risk factors for repeated falls were use of a neuropsychiatric drug (odds ratio=13.9) and gait disturbance (odds ratio=91.2). Risk factors for fall-related injury were alert mental status (odds ratio=3.3 times more likely to fall than those who were drowsy or in a stupor) and general weakness(odds ratio=3.3 times more likely to fall than those who were not generally weak). Conclusion : Medical and nursing staff should be aware of the fall risk factors of hospitalized patients and should intensively pursue preventative strategies. Development of fall prevention education based on these results is recommended.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.353-363
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• 2011

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of H1N1 pandemic in 2009. South Korea also had outbreaks of H1N1 virus and used oseltamivir in large volume with increased reports of adverse drug reaction(ADR). The present study was aimed to investigate the ADR frequency, the factors related to ADR, and characteristics of oseltamivir's ADR. Participants for the study were patients randomly drawn from those who were prescribed oseltamivir for treatment from CHA Bundang Medical Center during October 1 and October 30. The information examined as factors related to ADR were collected by a subsequent cross-sectional telephone survey. The factors are the following; a) age; b) gender; c) patient medical history; d) diagnosis of H1N1 virus; e) adherence; f) whether taking other medication with oseltamivir or not; and g) the number of combined medications. We also asked ADR after taking oseltamivir. Total subjects were 86 patients. The average age is $22.6{\pm}18.48$ years old. The gender was 45.3% women and 54.7% men. Half (50%) of all respondents showed one or more ADR, 67.4% were positively diagnosed for H1N1 virus, and 54.7% were completed the full course of oseltamivir (i.e. twice daily x 5days). The most frequently reported ADR symptoms were: dizziness (15.1%), nausea (11.6%), lethargy (10.4%), diarrhea (10.4%), abdominal pain (8.1%), headache and vomiting (6.9%). ADR classifications by categories are gastro intestinal (44.2%), neuropsychiatric events (22.1%), systemic symptom (20.9%), skin events (5.8%), eye events (4.7%), and other cases (2.3%). The onset of ADR 'after taking 1~3 doses' was 69.7%. No increase in neuropsychiatric events was detected in children and adolescents. No factors examined for the study do have significant influence on the presence of ADR. This study showed that ADR of oseltamivir have occurred in half of the patients. The use of oseltamivir is essential for treatment and prophylaxis of influenza A(H1N1). But mass treatment should be properly monitored for ADR.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.72-77
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• 2017

Background and Purpose Although sleep disturbances are common and considered a major burden for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), the fundamental mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of sleep disturbance in AD patients have yet to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and sleep disturbance in AD patients using technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Methods A total of 140 AD patients were included in this cross-sectional study. Seventy patients were assigned to the AD with sleep loss (SL) group and the rest were assigned to the AD without SL group. SL was measured using the sleep subscale of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. A whole-brain voxel-wise analysis of brain SPECT data was conducted to compare the rCBF between the two groups. Results The two groups did not differ in demographic characteristics, severity of dementia, general cognitive function, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, with the exception of sleep disturbances. The SPECT imaging analysis displayed decreased perfusion in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral temporal pole, and right precentral gyrus in the AD patients with SL group compared with the AD patients without SL group. It also revealed increased perfusion in the right precuneus, right occipital pole, and left middle occipital gyrus in the AD with SL group compared with the AD without SL group. Conclusions The AD patients who experienced sleep disturbance had notably decreased perfusion in the frontal and temporal lobes and increased rCBF in the parietal and occipital regions. The findings of this study suggest that functional alterations in these brain areas may be the underlying neural correlates of sleep disturbance in AD patients.