No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans ; Long-Term Care*

No abstract available.
Dementia*

Disturbances in memory are the most common problem in patients with an organic mental syndrome. Other patients with significant psychiatric disorder also often have 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 function in clinical and neurobiological aspects. The relevant material will be presented in four pats : 1) terminologies needed in defining major stages of various types of memory processing : 2) neurochemical and neuroanatomical basis of memory processing : 3) brief bedside screening and more comprehensive neuropsychological tests for the evaluation of memory function : 4) the characteristics of memory dysfunction in several major psychiatric illnesses.
Humans ; Mass Screening ; Memory* ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Neuropsychology

The decline of cognitive functions uses to follow the increase in incidence of various organic mental disorders and systemic diseases, and administration of drugs with increasing age. The assessments of cognitive functions are needed to discriminate normal aging from other cognitive disorders and to differentiate the organic mental disorders. We have to be cautious to interpret the test results of elderly patients who are easily fatigue and frequently have sensory disturbances. There are two basic approaches to assess cognitive function of the elderly patients. One is to use standardized test batteries and another is to use several tests that are relevant to diagnostic purposes. Many assessment tools of cognitive functions have been developed and used clinically but there are a few available standardized test in Korea. It is eagerly needed to develope standardized tests that are pertinent our culture.
Aged* ; Aging ; Neurocognitive Disorders ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea

No abstract available.
Acetylcholinesterase* ; Aluminum* ; Animals ; Brain* ; Choline O-Acetyltransferase* ; Choline* ; Rats*

As Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in older people, many efforts for accurate and reliable clinical diagnoses have been made all over the world. Generally diagnostic process of Alzheimer's disease is constituted with two steps : 1) to determine whether a patient is actually demented, 2) to determine whether the dementia actually caused by Alzheimer's disease. Newly developed diagnostic criteria, such as diagnostic criteria of the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association improve their specificity to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. We need Korean specific guideline for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease compatible in Korean clinical situation.
Alzheimer Disease ; Dementia ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity

It has been widely known that the elderly suffer very mild cognitive impairment including memory function that cannot satisfy the criteria of dementia. Koivisti and Hannien et al reported that the prevalences of age-associated memory impairment and age-associated cognitive decline were 38.6% and 26.6%, respectively. The prevalence rate of male was more than that of female and the prevalence rate was increased in younger elderly. The risk factors of age-related cognitive decline were age and myocardiac infarction whereas education and smoking decreased the risk of age-related cognitive decline. The small portion of age-associated memory impairment progressed toward dementia but the most of them were nonprogressive. The probability of progression toward dementia could be predicted by detailed neurocognitive function test. The further epidemiologic studies will reveal the nature of age-associated memory impairment.
Aged ; Dementia ; Education ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Memory* ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

Older persons are at higher risk for suicide than any other age group and elderly suicide is a critical public health problem. Attempted suicide in elderly is very lethal, therefore it's management must be accompanied by prevention. Though, there are few reports about risk factors in elderly suicide, and significant differences in the data between western and eastern world. So, there should be researches about risk factors influenced by peculiar cultural and regional circumstances, and these make it possible to detect elderly suicide early by education and community efforts.
Aged* ; Education ; Humans ; Public Health ; Risk Factors ; Suicide* ; Suicide, Attempted

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to develop the computerized memory tests for Korea adults. It also aimed at evaluating the reliability and validity of these tests and providing their normative data. METHODS: Computerized versions of digit span, visual span, auditory verbal learning test, and visual learning test were developed through several steps of preliminary applications and corrections. The test-retest reliabilites of each test was evaluated by the paired t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient using the data from 27 normal persons. The validity of each test was evaluated by the Pearsons's correlation coefficient between the computerized test scores and the pre-existing cognitive function tests using the data from 48 normal persons. The normative data were obtained from the 150 Korean adults, age 20 to 50, whose educational levels were higher than high school graduate. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences between the means of the test and retest scores. High correlations were also observed between the tests and the retest scores (r ranged from 0.405 to 0.873). The computerized digit span, visual span, and auditory verbal learning tests scores were highly correlated with the pre-existing memory measures. The computerized memory test scores were greatly influenced by the educational level. The visual learning test seems useful, however, it requires methodological refinement. The normative data and guidelines for interpretation were provided. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically applicable computerized memory assessment tools with high reliability and validity were developed. The normative data for the Korean adults aged 20 to 50 were obtained and the guidelines for the interpretation were provided.
Adult* ; Humans ; Korea ; Learning ; Memory* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Verbal Learning

OBJECTIVE: As the geriatric admission and geropsychiatric consultation increase, more study was needed about geropsychiatric consultation. This comparative study investigates the character of geropsychiatric consultation in general hospital. METHOD: We compared 22 young patients (25(age<45) with 55 elderly patients ((65) who are consulted to neuropsychiatry department for the first time for 3 months (2004. 1. 1-2004. 3. 31) in Kang-Dong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University. Data on patterns of consultation, demography, psychiatric and physical illness were collected and analyzed. RESULT: 1) The rate of psychiatric consultations for elderly patients was 6.2%, and this rate was much higher than 1.9% of young patients. 2) There were no significant difference in referral department between the elderly group and the control group, and internal medicine was the most common referral department in both groups. 3) The main reasons of consultations were alcohol related problems and psychiatric follow up in order in control group, but sleep disturbance and disorientation in order in elderly group. 4) In elderly group, the most frequent psychiatric diagnoses made by consultants were organic brain disorder such as dementia and delirium, but in control group, they were functional psychiatric disorder such as alcohol related disorder and psychosis. 5) Psychotropic drug and follow-up consultation were two most frequent recommendations from consultants in both group. But recommendations for psychotherapy and psychosocial management were rare in both groups. 6) There were significant difference only in psychiatric transfer among compliance for psychiatric consultation between the elderly group and the control group. Compliance for recommendations were low in both groups. 7) In both group, only one follow up consultation was done. And OPD follow up after discharge was rare in both groups. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients need more psychiatric consultations than younger patients and has different characteristics in pattern of consultations. Further studies are warranted on geropsychiatric consultation in Korea.
Aged* ; Brain Diseases ; Compliance ; Consultants ; Delirium ; Dementia ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Neuropsychiatry ; Psychotherapy ; Psychotic Disorders ; Referral and Consultation