The results regarding an association between the polymorphism sites in the dopamine D1 receptor gene and schizophrenia compelled us to study the distribution of the polymorphism in Korean schizophrenia and controls. Eighty-eight schizophrenic patients and normal controls were examined by case-control study for distribution of the polymorphism of the dopamine D1 receptor gene in Korean popualtion to minimize the effect of racial differencies in gene frequencies. The frequencies of the B1 and B2 in schizophrenic patients were 0.11 and 9.89, respectively. And 0.10 and 0.90 in normal control. There was no significant differences in the frequencies in the allele B1 and 2 between schizophrenic patients and normal controls. The author present here the evidence of a lack of alleic association between the polymorphism of the dopamine D1 receptor gene and Korean schizophrenic. The assumption that the dopamine D1 receptor gene has genetic role in the development of schizophrenia was not supported by this case-control study.
Alleles* ; Case-Control Studies ; Dopamine* ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Receptors, Dopamine D1 ; Receptors, Dopamine D2 ; Schizophrenia*

No abstract available.
Lithium*

No abstract available.
Humans

The 5-HT2A receptor is of great interest for research into schizophrenia and psychopharmacology in light of the observation that schizophrenic patients has 5-HT cortical-subcortical imbalance and atypical antipsychotic clozpine has 5-HT2A antagonists properties. An significant association between schizophrenia and the T102C polymorphism of the gene for 5-HT2A receptor has been reported. In this study, we investigated an association between schizophrenia and the T102C polymorphism of the gene for 5-HT2A receptor in Korean schizophrenic patients. The subjects consisted of 139 schizophrenic patients and 88 normal controls. Genomic DNA was amplified by PCR and digested with MsPI. The uncutt product identified allele 1(nucleotide sequence TCT) ; digested products of 216bp and 156bp identified allele 2(nucleotide sequence TCC). The allele frequencies and the genotypic distribution of 5-HT2A receptor gene were not significantly different between schizophrenic patients and normal controls. Since allele frequencies of the T102C polymorphism may differ between individuals of different ethnic backgrounds, it needs to be conducted in an advanced research.
Alleles ; DNA ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Psychopharmacology ; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A ; Schizophrenia* ; Serotonin ; Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists

No abstract available.
Anxiety Disorders* ; Anxiety*

OBJECTIVES: Several studies suggest that psychotropic drugs may affect on lipid metabolism and body weight. And the differences of levels of seam lipids were observed in patients with several psychiatric disorders. Hence, in order to elucidate the effects of psychotropic drugs on serum lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein, the authors estimated the serum lipid profile in the psych op harmacological treatment. METHODS: Thirty six patients with schizophrenia and 42 patients with depressive disorder or anxiety disorder were recruited from the inpatient psychiatric units and withdrawn from all psychotropic drugs at least far 3 months. The levels of seam total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), trighlyceride, apolipoprotein A, apolipoprotein B, and lipoprotein(a) were measured before the treatment and after 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks of the treatment. RESULTS: No statistically significant change was found on all serum lipid profiles in the antipsychotics group. However, the changes on serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), apolipoprotein A, and apolipoprotein B from the baseline to the following weeks have been observed in tricyclic antidepressants group. And the serum total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B have been observed to be changed from the baseline to the following weeks in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors poop. The changes on seam lipoprotein(a) were proved not to be statistically significant during all the psychotropic drugs treatment. CONCLUSION: These results implicate that all psychotropic drugs might affect on the lipid metabolism, especially for tricyclic antidepressants. Therefore, this implication could be important in clinical situation because the changes on serum lipid profiles may be related to the cardiovascular disease especially in psychiatric patients with the cardiovascular risk factor.
Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Anxiety Disorders ; Apolipoproteins* ; Body Weight ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Depressive Disorder ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Lipoproteins* ; Psychotropic Drugs ; Risk Factors ; Schizophrenia ; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate an association of the fragile X syndrome with autism, Southern blot analysis was performed in 66 autistic children aged from 2 years to 11 years. METHODS: Subjects were 66 autistic children with of autistic disorder diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria and Childhood Autism Rating Scale-Korean version. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and DNA was used to detect a FMR (Fragile Mental Retardation)-1 gene. Xho/PstI probes and two restriction enzymes (EcoRI, EagI)were used for Southern blot analysis. RESULTS: There were one boy with a methylated mosaic pattern and 3 boys and 2 girls with an unmethylated premutation band. But there was no full mutation pattern. CONCLUSION: Although the possibility of the relationship between autistic disorder and FMR-1 gene has been suggested, the results from this study do not provide any definite association of FMR-1 gene with autism in autistic children.
Autistic Disorder ; Blotting, Southern ; Child* ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; DNA ; Female ; Fragile X Syndrome ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Biology*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of geriatric depression in activities of daily living for self maintenance (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) under control for effect of cognitive impairment which can be originated by other reasons. METHODS: The author had interviews with 100 old peoples using various scales (KGDS, MMSE-K, Karnofsky Performance Status Scale, ADL, IADL, QOL questionnaire, HDRS). This study also attempts to compare three groups (depression group, recovered group, normal control group) in their functional status. RESULTS: 1) Self-maintenance skills are more affected by physical states than by depressive symptoms. But the effect of depression is more prominent in instrumental activities of daily living. 2) Korean Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS) correlated well with activities of daily living for self maintenance (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), but Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) did not show significant correlation. This reflects that KGDS is a more specific measure for geriatric depression patients. When the effect of physical illness state was eliminated, partial correlation between KGDS and ADL/IADL showed no significant association. This means that the patient's physical functioning status is very important in functional level of geriatric patient. 3) When the patient is recovered from geriatric depression through appropriate treatment, patient's functional level showed no significant differences with normal control. CONCLUSION: This article emphasizes the importance of appropriate treatment for geriatric depression. After the effect of cognitive function was controlled, geriatric depression itself showed significant functional impairment. This functional deficit can threaten the patient's independence and self-respect. So appropriate treatment for depression in geriatrics is indispensable for enhancing quality of life in old people.
Activities of Daily Living ; Depression* ; Geriatrics ; Humans ; Karnofsky Performance Status ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Weights and Measures

In this review article, the author tried to discuss how to become old in way of being respectable and dignified aged man in 'Neo-Elderly Model' in 21st century. Accordingly family principle of traditional Korean society, a senior of goodness, and filial duty thought as being Korean faith were explained. As one sees dishonor of leadership, a true picture of elderly and respectable aged person is needed. For problem areas, future plan for elderly welfare, support, and mandatory retirement age in Korea is suggested. As mean age of population is extended and elderly with specialty is growing, activity and life style of elderly need to be changed. Finally, for 'Neo-Elderly Model', harmony between old and young can be considered, and author suggested 10 life style for Neo-elderly.
Aged ; Humans ; Korea ; Leadership ; Life Style ; Retirement

Neurocognitive research focusing on cognitive deficits in schizophrenia resulted in several important yet potentially contradictory findings. Studies have shown that chronic patients have a diffuse pattern of cognitive impairment which is frequently indistinguishable from that of focal brain-damaged patients. Some reports have suggested that there is a focal pattern of deficit, such as left hemisphere dysfunction, frontal lobe impairment, or the dysfunction of the temporal-limbic cortex. The aim of this study is to evaluate neurocognitive functions in treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients. The subjects are 33 treatment-resistant schizophrenics. And their neurocognitive functions are compared with those of 37 treatment-reactive schizophrenic patients and 35 normal control subjects. Patients with a history of neurological disease, alcohol dependence, substance abuse and mental retardation are excluded. The diagnosis of specific subtypes are made after a review of all available information including medical records, historical data from informants, and by the confirmation of 2 board-certified psychiatrists. To control potential neurocognitive effects of medications, all patients had drug-free period of 1 week. The following tests are administered to each subjects; Mini Mental State Examination-Korean(MMSE- K), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS), Clinical Global Impression(CGI), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), and Neurological Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Symptoms(EPS scale). And they are assessed with a part of Vienna Test System which is computerized neurocognitive function tests which evaluate attention, eductive ability, reproductive ability, visuoperceptual analysis, vigilance, visual immediate memory, the speed of information-processing, judgement, and fine motor coordinations. The results indicated that treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients have deficits in eductive ability, visuoperceptual analysis, sustained attention, information-processing, reaction time and motor coordination. The study provides useful information about neurocognitive functions of carefully diagnosed subgroups of chronic schizophrenic pateints, especially treatment-resistant patients.
Alcoholism ; Diagnosis ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Medical Records ; Memory, Short-Term ; Psychiatry ; Reaction Time ; Schizophrenia ; Substance-Related Disorders