Pathological laughing and crying(PLC) is a condition that is characterized by episodic, brief, contextually inappropriate, uncontrollable outbursts of laughing and/or crying. It can be observed in patients with various neurological disorders. PLC often causes distress in interpersonal functioning and activities for patients and their families. PLC can be recognized easily with proper understanding of the condition and its nature. Also it generally shows good response to various pharmacological treatments. This review aims to encourage the diagnosis and treatment of PLC by providing definition and clinical presentation of PLC, analysis of its pathophysiology and various current treatment options.
Crying* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Nervous System Diseases

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is well recognized as a disability category with high incidence and prevalence as well as considerable impact on survivors and their families. Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as cognitive deficit, psychosis, depression, mania, anxiety are common after TBI. Treatment of the neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with TBI should result in decreased handicap, improved quality of life, and decreased societal impact. This article discusses the clinical approach to treating patients with neuropsychiatric complications following TBI.
Anxiety ; Bipolar Disorder ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Depression ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prevalence ; Psychotic Disorders ; Quality of Life ; Survivors

Objectives: ：This study was designed to investigate datas related to panic attack and treatment in emergency room of panic disorder patients who visited emergency room for panic attack. Methods: ：A retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted on 92 patients with panic disorder who visited Chungju Konkuk university hospital emergency department due to panic attack and had bodily symptoms from 1st January 2010 to 31th December 2019. In addition to demographic characteristics and comorbid disorders, triggering stressors and alcohol consumption were corrected as pre-panic attack datas, bodily symptoms at the time of panic attack were corrected as datas during attack, electrocardiogram trial, consultation with psychiatrist, admission and information of used psychotropic drugs were corrected as post-attack data. Depending on size of data, Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used. Collected data was analyzed using R 4.03. Results: ：Cardiovascular disease was accompanied by 5.4% and depressive disorder was the most common coexisting mental disorder. Among triggering stressors, economic problem/work-related stress was significantly higher in men than women (χ2 =4.322, p<0.005). The most common physical symptom during attack was circulatory (65.2%), followed by respiratory (57.6%), numbness-paralysis (33.7%), dizziness (19.6%), gastro-intestinal (14.1%) and autonomic symptom (12.0%). Electrocardiogram was taken at higher rate when patients complained circulatory symptom (χ2 =8.46, p<0.005). The psychotropic drug most commonly used in emergency room was lorazepam, used in 92.1%. Conclusions ：The most common bodily symptom during panic attack was circulatory symptom and the most common triggering stressor in men was economic problem/work-related stress. The most commonly used psychotropic for panic attack was lorazepam.

Background: Studies on prevalence and social variables affecting postpartum depression appear to be inconsistent. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of postpartum depression, as well as the correlation between education, offspring, age, and risk of the postpartum depression. Methods: This study included 144 mothers living in Chungju who appeared to experience postpartum depression based on a score of >10 marks on the Korean version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Correlation and logistic regression analyses were used to calculate correlation coefficients and odds ratios (OR) for postpartum depression based on the education level of mothers and number of offspring. Results: Prevalence of postpartum depression was found to be 29.17%. Age was not significantly correlated with EPDS score. EPDS scores tended to decrease with the increase in the number of education years (OR, 0.66); however, EPDS scores tended to increase with the increase in the number of offspring increased (OR, 1.65). Conclusion The result of this study demonstrates that education acts as a protective factor and number of offspring acts as a risk factor for postpartum depression. It also suggests that proper intervention in the mothers’ educational level and number of offspring is necessary.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether depressive symptoms and social isolation were independent predictors of 2-year all-cause mortality among the elderly using data from a population-based cohort study. METHODS: In total, 1,033 participants (320 men and 713 women) older than 60 years of age participated in this study. Depressive symptoms, social isolation status, and socio-demographic and health-related covariates were assessed at baseline. The primary outcome measure was 2-year all-cause mortality. Data were collected through in-person interviews by trained interviewers. The GENMOD procedure was used to calculate relative risks (RRs). RESULTS: Of the 1,033 participants, 102 (40 men and 62 women) died within the follow-up period of 2 years. During the 2-year follow-up period, 17.8% of depressed men and 12.3% of depressed women died, and 29.8% of socially isolated men and 14.9% of socially isolated women died. Social isolation was an independent predictor of mortality in elderly men (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 4.6, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0 to 10.2), while depressive symptoms were an independent predictor of mortality in elderly women (aRR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.6) when controlling for potential confounding factors. However, the depressive symptoms detected using the geriatric depression scale were not associated with mortality in men, and social isolation was not associated with mortality in women. CONCLUSIONS The effects of depressive symptoms and social isolation on 2-year all-cause mortality within an elderly population differed according to gender. Gender-specific community-based interventions must be developed to potentially reduce 2-year all-cause mortality among the elderly.

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries associated with multiple ligament injuries can be easily diagnosed, but isolated PCL tears are less symptomatic, very difficult to diagnose, and frequently misdiagnosed. If a detailed investigation of the history of illness suggests a PCL injury, careful physical examinations including the posterior drawer test, dial test, varus and valgus test should be done especially if the patient complains of severe posterior knee pain in >90degrees of flexion. Vascular assessment and treatment should be done to avoid critical complications. An individualized treatment plan should be established after consideration of the type of tear, time after injury, associated collateral ligament injuries, bony alignment, and status of remnant. The rehabilitation should be carried out slower than that after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction ; Collateral Ligaments ; Humans ; Knee ; Ligaments ; Physical Examination ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament ; Rupture

PURPOSE: To understand the relationship between tibial bone defect and extent of medial release in total knee arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 32 knees in 22 patients with variable degrees of tibial bone defect on medial plateau has undergone total knee arthroplasty. In this study, 31 cases had been diagnosed as degenerative osteoarthritis and 1 case was osteonecrosis. We excluded cases with infection, traumatic arthritis, or neuropathic joints. With regard to gender, 29 cases were female and 3 cases were male. The following relationships were analyzed: preoperative degrees of tibial bone defect and varus deformity; the femorotibial angle of both weight-bearing whole extremity radiogram, distractive stress radiogram, and the extent of medial release. RESULTS: Average tibial bone defect was 9.8+/-4.1 mm. Average femorotibial angle on weight-bearing whole extremity radiograph was varus 10.0degrees+/-6.2degrees. Average femorotibial angle on distractive stress radiograph was varus 0.7degrees+/-4.6degrees. Statistically the extent of medial release showed no significant relationship with the degree of tibial bone defect and femoro-tibial angle of whole extremity radiogram. However, it revealed a statistically significant relationship with the femorotibial angle on distractive radiogram (r=0.465, p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative distractive stress radiograph might be a useful method to predict the extent of intraoperative medial release during total knee arthroplasty.
Arthritis ; Arthroplasty ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Male ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteonecrosis ; Weight-Bearing

INTRODUCTION: The practicing of patient-centered medical services means a change in the pattern of the nature of doctor-patient relationship. The doctor oriented relationship is now moving to the pattern that patients resolve problems autonomously and participate in the decision-making in medical services. Authors performed this study to investigate the patient centeredness and influencing variables in medical students. METHODS: Authors recruited 94 medical students before psychiatric clinical clerkship and all subjects were assessed by structured questionales including socio-demographic data, frequency of receiving doctor-patient relationship lectures, Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI), Meyers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI), the authoritarian personality scale (AP), job satisfaction scale (JS), patient practitioner orientation scale (PPOS), problem-solving decision-making scale (PSDM), and Beisecker locus of authority in decision-making scale (BLAS), and the questionnaire of JS, PPOS, PSDM, and BLAS were rechecked after psychiatric clinical clerkship. RESULTS: After psychiatric clinical clerkship, the score of JS, PPOS were higher than before. The group who had a good memory for taking a doctor-patient relationship lecture showed higher scores of the BLAS and PSDM than unexposed group. The AP was related with MBTI, correlated with the subscale of MMPI, however, inversely correlated with PPOS after psychiatric clinical clerkship. CONCLUSION: The authoritarian personality trait was related not only with other personality trait including introversion and psychopathic deviation (Pd) but also with patient-centeredness. Taking a lecture in doctor-patient relationship is positively related to the patient-centeredness.
Clinical Clerkship ; Humans ; Introversion (Psychology) ; Job Satisfaction ; Lectures ; Memory ; MMPI ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Students, Medical*

OBJECTIVES: Psychogenic contractures in the hand are a rare topic in the medical literature and psychoflexed hand is rarely mentioned even in orthopedic textbooks. By reporting a case with classic catatonic features of the catatonic type of schizophrenia associated with proximal interphalangeal joint flexion contracture in non-dominant hand, the existence of this rare and almost unknown entity is emphasized and the diagnostic and therapeutic importance facing the clinicians dealing with psychological related symptomatology is suggested. CASE: A 54-year-old, single, right-handed woman who lived alone presented to emergency department in catatonic stupor state, severe dehydration due to refusal of oral intake for about 15 days. She had received a diagnosis of schizophrenia, catatonic type at age 33 and had been hospitalized with catatonic motor and behavioral symptoms for a long time. She was hospitalized in medical intensive care unit and abnormal results of laboratory studies at admission including hypernatremia due to severe dehydration, prerenal azotemia, and hemoconcentration was corrected. Catatonia was confirmed by CRS Catatonia Rating Scale (CRS). Her catatonic and other psychotic symptoms began to resolve with treatment, but the patient was found to have had the psychogenic hand deformity characteristics of proximal interphalangeal joint flexion contractures of left 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th finger which started about 20 years ago. She allowed us to try to have a appropriate diagnostic evaluation but as she had experienced a full resolution of catatonic and other psychotic symptoms, she began to resist all the orthopedic treatments. She was discharged by caregiver's request because of economic problems. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of having specific and systemized medical workups for catatonia of schizophrenia in order to prevent the sequelae of severe psychopatholgy such as flextion contractures and other potential complications.
Azotemia ; Behavioral Symptoms ; Catatonia ; Contracture ; Dehydration ; Disulfiram ; Emergencies ; Female ; Fingers ; Hand ; Hand Deformities ; Humans ; Hypernatremia ; Intensive Care Units ; Joints ; Middle Aged ; Orthopedics ; Schizophrenia ; Schizophrenia, Catatonic ; Stupor

Saponin has been known to be a major antioxidant component in panax ginseng. Recent experimental study suggests that some antioxidant materials prevent Parkinson's disease caused by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in an animal model. The present study was performed to demonstrate the effect of ginseng saponins in the Parkinson's disease model induced by MPTP. To verify the effect of ginseng saponin on dopaminergic neurons in the mice brain, the tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) neurons were observed by immunohistochemical stain and immunoelectron microscopy (preembedding method). Also, in order to estimate the immunoreactivity of dopaminergic neuropils, they were quantified by image analysis. The number of TH-ir neurons of substantia nigra was significantly increased in the high-dose (0.46 mg/kg) ginseng saponin group compared with the MPTP injected group. The immunoreactivity of TH-ir neuropils in striatum was significantly increased in both high and low-dose (0.1 mg/kg) ginseng saponin groups compared with the MPTP injected group. In immunoelectron microscopic observation, TH-ir neurons of the control and both ginseng saponin injected group showed normal nuclei and well preserved cytoplasmic organelles. In the MPTP injected group, dying dopaminergic neurons showed destroyed nuclei and cytoplasmic organelles. These results suggest that ginseng saponin has a protective effect on the Parkinson's disease model induced by MPTP.
1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine ; Animals ; Brain ; Cytoplasm ; Dopaminergic Neurons* ; Mice* ; Microscopy, Immunoelectron ; Models, Animal ; Neurons ; Neuropil ; Organelles ; Panax* ; Parkinson Disease* ; Saponins* ; Substantia Nigra ; Tyrosine ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase