• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.50-61
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• 2002

Objectives:High nailfold plexus visibility can reflect central nervous system defects as an etiologic factor of schizophrenia indirectly. Previous studies suggest that this visibility is particularly related to the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and frontal lobe deficiency. In this study, we examined the relationships between nailfold plexus visibility, and various clinical variables and neuropsychological functions in schizo-phrenic patients. Methods:Forty patients(21males, 19 females) satisfying the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and thirty eight normal controls(20 males, 18 females) were measured for Plexus Visualization Score(PVS) by using the capillary microscopic examination. For the assessment of psychopathology, process-reactivity, premorbid adjustment, and neuropsychological functions, we used Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Ullmann-Giovannoni Process-Reactive Questionnaire(PRQ), Phillips Premorbid Adjustment Scale(PAS), Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale(KWIS), Continuous Performance Test(CPT), Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST), and Word Fluency Test. We also collected data about clinical variables. Results:PVS was correlated with PANSS positive symptom score and composite score negatively. There were no correlations between PVS and PRQ score, PAS score and neuropsychological variables respectively. Conclusions:This study showed that nailfold plexus visibility was a characteristic feature in some schizophrenic patients, and that higher plexus visibility was associated with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. There was no association between plexus visibility and neuropsychological functions.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2015

Objectives : Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been shown to display more inhibitory deficits and executive function deficits. This study investigated the treatment effects of neurofeedback (NF) training on executive function by comparing the results of neuropsychological tests of the trained children at pre- and post-training. Methods : Fifteen children with ADHD, aged 6 to 14 years, participated in the study. The NF treatment consisted of slow cortical potential (SCP) training and these sessions took place once a week. The ADHD children performed 20 sessions of NF training within 6 months. Pre-training and post-training assessments encompassed Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Stroop Test, Children's Color Trails Test I&II (CCTT) and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Results : Patients receiving NF training showed significant improvement in visual commission error and standard deviation of auditory response time on CPT ; and total errors on WCST. But there was no significant improvement in the Stroop test and CCTT. Conclusion : SCP training using NF improves the self-regulatory capacities and impulsivity in ADHD patient, especially impulsivity in visual stimulation tasks. This study showed evidence of clinical efficacy of NF on executive function in ADHD.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2004

To examine the cognitive function of elderly, the study examined the performance of Korean normal elderly population whose age over 65 using neuropsychological instruments. It was predicted that the performance of the Korean population would be different from the U, S. mainly due to their difference in language, culture, and education. Korean elderly people from the Chungchung and Daejeon Metropolitan city(n=97) participated. Two age scores were developed: below 74 years and over 75 years. The effect of age, gender and education was examined, which yield significant age, gender and education effect. The score of DSF, DSB, TMTA, and TMTB are expected to be utilized for research purposes, such as basic, clinical, epidemiological studies, as well as practice purposes such as diagnosis and assessment of the progression of cognitive decline and dementia with MMSE-K.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.118-136
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• 2003

Objective: This study is to examine the neuropsychological and developmental characteristics of the Computerized Neurocognitive Function Test among normal children in elementary school. Methods: K-ABC, K-PIC, and Computerized Neurocognitive Function Test were performed to the 120 body of normal children(10 of each male and female) from June, 2002 to January, 2003. Those children had over the average of intelligence and passed the rule out criteria. One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni were used for statistical analysis. Results: In sampling of normal children in elementary school, the control of intelligence level and strict rule out criteria were applied. As a result, although 21.1% were excluded from of total participants, the children that passed the rule out criteria had over the average of intelligence and not differ in the intelligence level among the graders. Comparing Computerized Neurocognitive Function Test results among the graders, almost of variables had significant difference among the graders and especially between the 1st to 2nd and the 5th to 6th graders. In the attention tests, as rising the graders, the performance of tests were improved. In the short-term memory tests, the difference between forward and backward tests were same as the previous research result. The verbal auditory learning test composed of recall task and visual figure memory test composed of recognition task were same as the previous research result using the individual power or achievement test and also as rising the graders, the performance of those tests were improved. The higher cognitive function tests had the same results with other tests. Conclusion: The Computerized Neurocognitive Function Test devised for adult can be used of assessing child neuropsychological characteristics. For this objective, more strict sampling criteria, control of the intelligence and psychopathology were needed.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.220-227
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• 2013

Objectives : This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and neuropsychological profiles of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their siblings. Methods : Eighteen children (age $8.2{\pm}1.7$ years, 12 boys) with ADHD and their 18 siblings (age $7.8{\pm}1.6$ years, 8 boys) completed Continuous Performance (CPT), Stroop, Children's Trail Making, Rey-Kim Memory, and Kim's Frontal Executive Function tasks. The parents of these subjects underwent the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale (ARS), 10-item Parent General Behavior Inventory (P-GBI), and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Paired t-tests were used. Results : The inattention (p=.020), and hyperactivity-impulsivity (p=.001), scores of the ARS and the P-GBI score (p=.004) were significantly higher in children with ADHD than in their siblings. Deficits in social communication and motivation on SRS were higher in children with ADHD than in their siblings (p=.017 and p=.011, respectively). Z-scores of omission and commission errors as well as response time variability on visual CPT and omission errors on auditory CPT were in clinically significant range, and z-score of omission errors on auditory CPT was in borderline range in siblings. Omission (p=.018) and commission errors on Visual CPT (p=.007) were significantly higher in children with ADHD compared to their siblings. Recognition efficiency on Kim's Frontal Executive Function Task was lower in children with ADHD compared to their siblings, but in normal range in both groups. Stroop interference and figure fluency on Kims Frontal Executive Function Task were in borderline range in ADHD group, and figure fluency was in borderline range in siblings. Conclusion : Our results support a preliminary evidence for mild degree of attention deficit in ADHD siblings. Further studies are needed to examine the cognitive functions of siblings with ADHD in larger samples.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2008

Objectives : It was the aim of the present paper to examine the impact of the apolipoprotein E(APOE) ${\varepsilon}4$ on cognitive performance in community-dwelling elderly samples with 'questionable dementia'. Methods : Total 295 samples who were diagnosed with 'questionable dementia' in the recent year and completed the Korean version of the Consortium Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease(CERAD-K) neuropsychological assessment protocol, were recruited. The CDR test established score of 0.5. Genomic DNA was extracted from the venous blood and APOE genotyping was done in this group. Their cognitive performance was compared by the occurrence of the APOE ${\varepsilon}4$ allele. Results : The impact of ${\varepsilon}4$ allele was significant in the Word List Recall Test(WLRT, F=4.511, df=1, p=0.035). The 'young-old' group aged 75 years and under had a significantly lower performance on the Word List Recall Test(WLRT, F=5.090, df=1, p=0.015), but the 'old-old' group over 75 years of age had not significantly different performance on the all the item of tests in ${\varepsilon}4$+ allele group. Conclusion : The conclusion to be drawn here is that community-dwelling elderly samples with ${\varepsilon}4$ allele in 'questionable dementia' had a significantly lower performance on the Word List Recall Test in the CERAD-K neuropsychological test batteries and the effect was prominent in the 'young-old' age group.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.179-185
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• 2011

Purpose: This study analyzed recent trends of instrument usage assessing cognitive function of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: The researcher collected 64 studies outside the country that were published between January 1996 and August 2010. Results: There was no study on the instrument assessing all domains of cognitive function in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Most instruments assessing cognitive function of breast cancer patients have been used for patients with dementia, depression, and/or organic brain damage. Also the objective neuropsychological tests such as the grooved pegboard for the psychomotor area, RCFT copy in visuospatial skill area and the WAIS-III block design have low sensitivity for measuring cognitive function in breast cancer patients, thus they are not good for applying to breast cancer patients. Conclusion: There is a need to develop an instrument which has good sensitivity and specificity for measuring the cognitive function of the breast cancer patients who experienced cognitive impairment after chemotherapy treatment. In addition, the developed instrument needs to be accessible and feasible in any nursing clinical setting for the purpose of accurate assessment and evaluation of the cognitive function among breast cancer patients.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.19-41
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• 2013

What is the foundation of mathematical thinking? Is it logic based symbolic language system? or does it rely more on mental imagery and visuo-spatial abilities? What kind of neural changes happen if someone's mathematical abilities improve through practice? To answer these questions, basic cognitive processes including long term memory, working memory, visuo-spatial perception, number processes are considered through neuropsychological outcomes. Neuronal changes following development and practices are inspected and we can show there are neural networks critical for the mathematical thinking and development: prefrontal-anterior cingulate-parietal network. Through these inquiry, we can infer the answer to our question.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.118-128
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• 2015

Purpose: Evidence suggests that some patients with breast cancer experience cognitive difficulties following chemotherapy. This longitudinal study was done to examine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and trajectory of cognitive function over time in women with breast cancer, who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: Participants were 137 patients with breast cancer. They completed neuropsychological tests and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function before adjuvant therapy (pretest), toward the end of adjuvant therapy (posttest), and 6 months after the completion of adjuvant therapy (follow-up test). Of the patients, 91 were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and 46 patients who did not receive chemotherapy made up the comparison group. A reliable-change index and repeated-measure ANOVA were used for statistical analyses. Results: At the posttest point, over 30% of patients showed complex cognitive impairment and reported greater difficulty in subjective cognitive function. At the follow-up test point, 22.0% of patients exhibited complex cognitive impairment and 30.8% of patients complained of subjective cognitive impairment. Repeated-measure ANOVA showed significant decreases after receiving chemotherapy followed by small improvements 6 months after the completion of chemotherapy in cognitive domains of change for attention and concentration, memory, executive function, and subjective cognitive function. Conclusion: These results suggest that chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer may be associated with objective and subjective cognitive impairments. Further studies are needed to explore the potential risk factors and predictor of chemotherapy-related cognitive changes. Also nursing interventions for prevention and intervention of cognitive impairments should be developed and tested.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2007

Objectives : This prospective population-based cohort study was conducted to evaluate the risk factors of cognitive impairment and the degree of cognitive function change through a 5-year follow-up. Methods : The baseline and follow-up surveys were conducted in 1998 and 2003, respectively, Among 176 subjects who had normal cognitive function in the baseline study, 136 were followed up for 5 years. The cognitive function was investigated using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS and Stata. Results : Of the 136 subjects analyzed, 25 (18.4%) were cognitively impaired. Old age and low social support in the baseline survey were risk factors for cognitive impairment after 5 years. In the generalized estimating equation for 128 subjects except severe cognitive impairment about the contributing factors of cognitive function change, the interval of 5 years decreased MMSE-K score by 1.02 and the cognitive function was adversely affected with increasing age, decreasing education and decreasing social support. Conclusions : Although the study population was small, it was considered that the study results can be used to develop a community-based prevention system for cognitive impairment.