OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate gender differences with respect to the internalization or externalization of symptoms according to the amount of time spent engaged in extracurricular education. METHODS: The study included a community sample of 755 boys and girls (mean age, 6.6 years), collected from five elementary schools in Gunpo, South Korea. Primary caregivers completed a questionnaire which included information on demographics, the amounts of time children spent in extracurricular education and with other activities, and an adapted form of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2). Gender differences regarding externalizing and internalizing behavior problems were examined according to extracurricular education. RESULTS: With respect to the boys, there was a difference in the frequency of those who had externalizing behavior problems according to their time spent in extracurricular education. In contrast, the girls exhibited no difference. With respect to those children who spent a lot of time engaged in extracurricular education, there was a gender-specific difference only with respect to externalizing behavior problems. CONCLUSION: A gender-specific difference exists only in terms of externalizing behavior problems according to time spent engaged in extracurricular education.
Caregivers ; Child ; Demography ; Humans ; Republic of Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Early life stress (ELS) may induce long-lasting psychological complications in adulthood. The protective role of resilience against the development of psychopathology is also important. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among ELS, resilience, depression, anxiety, and aggression in young adults. Four hundred sixty-one army inductees gave written informed consent and participated in this study. We assessed psychopathology using the Korea Military Personality Test, ELS using the Childhood Abuse Experience Scale, and resilience with the resilience scale. Analyses of variance, correlation analyses, and hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted for statistical analyses. The regression model explained 35.8%, 41.0%, and 23.3% of the total variance in the depression, anxiety, and aggression indices, respectively. We can find that even though ELS experience is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and aggression, resilience may have significant attenuating effect against the ELS effect on severity of these psychopathologies. Emotion regulation showed the most beneficial effect among resilience factors on reducing severity of psychopathologies. To improve mental health for young adults, ELS assessment and resilience enhancement program should be considered.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adolescent ; Age Distribution ; Aggression/*psychology ; Anxiety/epidemiology/psychology ; Comorbidity ; Humans ; Male ; Military Personnel/*psychology/*statistics & numerical data ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; *Resilience, Psychological ; Risk Factors ; Stress, Psychological/*epidemiology/*psychology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder showing many neuropsychological deficits. Many environmental risk factors have been thought to increase the risk for the disorder. We examined blood iron levels in children with ADHD and a control group to find an association between iron deficit and diagnosis, neuropsychological characteristics and clinical features. METHODS: An ADHD group (n=50) and control group (n=45) of children 6-12 years of age were recruited. Both groups were diagnosed by semi-structured interview, and they were evaluated using the Korean version of the ADHD Rating Scale (K-ARS), Korean version of IOWA Conner's Rating Scale (K-IOWA), intelligence quotient (IQ), and neurocognitive function tests (continuous performance test, children's color trails test, Stroop color-word test). Iron levels in blood were determined using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry instrument. Independent t-test and correlation were used to determine the relation of blood iron levels with symptom ratings and neurocognitive function. Logistic regression was performed to determine the diagnostic value of blood iron levels. RESULTS: Blood iron levels were significantly lower in ADHD than in control and showed negative correlation with K-ARS and K-IOWA scores. Blood iron levels showed positive association with IQ and Stroop color-word test results and negative association with results of continuous performance testing. Low blood iron levels predicted the diagnosis of ADHD. CONCLUSION: Lower levels of blood iron were associated with ADHD symptom severity, IQ, and frontal lobe-mediated neurocognitive function. As blood iron levels may influence ADHD, measurement of iron levels in blood may be useful for evaluation of symptoms and neurocognitive function in ADHD.
Child* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Iowa ; Iron* ; Logistic Models ; Mass Spectrometry ; Plasma ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: Patient insight is a very important factor in the management of schizophrenia. Manic symptoms can occasionally be identified by the patient, even in cases of schizophrenia. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship among patient insight, the psychotic and manic symptoms, and the demographic clinical variables.METHODS: Seventy-four participants (male 44, female 30) with chronic schizophrenia in community mental health facilities were evaluated according to the Korean version of the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD-K), the Korean version of Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ), and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS).RESULTS: The mean number of previous admissions was 3.85. The mean CGI-S score was 3.8 and a significant negative correlation (r=0.26) was shown with “awareness of mental disorder”. Thirty-five percent of subjects were K-MDQ positive (cutoff point=7 or more). Among the SUMD-K, “awareness of effect of medication” showed a significant negative correlation (r=−0.33) with the total K-MDQ score, but not with the total BPRS score. The negative correlation was more obvious in participants with negative K-MDQ (total K-MDQ score 6 or less, r=−0.31).CONCLUSION: A possible relationship was observed between these manic symptoms and patient insight. Identification of manic symptoms in schizophrenia would be considerable in a clinical setting.
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale ; Female ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; Mental Health ; Mood Disorders ; Schizophrenia

Objective: Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common among patients with major neurocognitive disorder. Antipsychotic medica-tions have been widely used to manage behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), however efficacy and safety of these agents are conflicting. In this study, we tried to overview the association of antipsychotic medication use and neuropsychi-atric symptoms with cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: We reviewed the medical charts of patients who were diagnosed as major neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease from November 2014 to October 2015. We reviewed whether the subjects had used antipsychotics, and whether patients had neuropsychiatric symptoms. We used linear mixed models to examine the statistical difference between each group. Results: Total of 106 subjects were included in the study. There was no statistically significant difference in cognitive function decline (Korean Version of Mini-Mental State Examination score change) between subjects with or without BPSD (p=0.62), and between subjects with or without antipsychotic medication (p=0.09). Conclusion There was no evidence that antipsychotic medication and BPSD are associated with more cognitive decline. Findings imply that neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive impairment come from different etiologic causes, which highlights the heterogeneity of the disorder. Clinician should decide whether to use antipsychotic medication while carefully considering the effect and side effects of antipsychotic medication throughout the treatment period.

Objective: This study aimed (1) to identify distinct subgroups of psychiatric patients referred for a mental health certificate for military service suitability and (2) to determine whether there is a difference in clinical features such as treatment responsiveness and prognosis among certain subgroups. Methods: We conducted latent profile analysis (LPA) using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) clinical profiles of the participants. Linear mixed model analysis was performed to examine changes in the severity of clinical symptoms and functional level according to the treatment period of the latent classes derived from the LPA. Results: The results indicated that the best-fitting model was a three-class model, comprising Class 1 (mild maladjustment), Class 2 (neurotic depression and anxiety), and Class 3 (highly vulnerable and hypervigilant). We demonstrated that the three subgroups displayed different characteristics in treatment responsiveness and clinical course based on their Clinical Global Impression-Severity and Global Assessment of Functioning scores over a treatment period of 6 months. While subjects in Classes 1 and 2 significantly improved over 6 months, those in Class 3 showed little or no improvement in our clinical parameters. Conclusion This study has yielded data with clinical implications for treatment planning and interventions for each subgroup classified that were based on MMPI-2 clinical profiles of military recruits who might be maladjusted to serve.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a cranial rhizopathy characterized by paroxysms of hyperactivity strictly limited to the anatomical distributions of the fifth cranial nerve. One of a documented cause is vascular cross-compression at the root entry zone of the fifth cranial nerve near the brain stem. The offending vessels are the superior cerebellar artery, anterior inferior cerebellar artery, small arteriole, vein only, and vertebrobasilar artery in order of frequency. When trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm occur together in the same patient in rare occasions, they are termed "tic convulsif" We have recently experienced three cases of trigeminal neurlgia caused by unusual offending vessels and one case of tic convulsif. They were treated by microvascular decompression using Teflon felt. Post-operative courses were uneventful and marked symptomatic improvement had been achieved.
Arteries ; Arterioles ; Brain Stem ; Hemifacial Spasm ; Humans ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Tics* ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia* ; Veins

OBJECTIVE: Although alcohol dependence is associated with a wide range of cognitive impairment, working memory function of alcohol dependence has not been well studied. The aim of this study was the assessment of working memory in alcohol dependence, the comparison of verbal and visuo-spatial working memory, and the examination of the correlations between working memory and clinical parameters. METHODS: A sample of 18 sober alcohol-dependent participants was compared with a sample of 19 controls on verbal and visuo-spatial working memory test using "2-back" system. RESULTS: Alcohol dependent participants showed the increased errors of verbal working memory. The amount of alcohol consumption during problem alcohol drinking period was correlated significantly with false positive error of verbal working memory. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that alcohol dependence impairs verbal working memory despite no impairment of intelligence. This study suggested the relationship between verbal working memory impairment and the amount of alcohol consumption.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholism* ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Memory, Short-Term*

OBJECTIVE: This study consists of a single open clinical trial to evaluate the treatment effects of paroxetine on symptoms of hwa-byung, a Korean culture-related anger syndrome. METHODS: Eighty-nine patients with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, or self-labeled hwa-byung were treated with paroxetine (Paxil CR) 12.5-37.5 mg/day for 8 weeks. Treatment effects were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the State and Trait Anger Inventory (STAXI), and the Hwa-byung Scale. RESULTS: Scores on all items ; total score on the Hwa-byung Scale ; scores on state anger, trait anger, and anger-in ; total score on the STAXI ; and total score on the HAM-D decreased significantly after eight weeks of paroxetine treatment compared to baseline. CONCLUSION: Paroxetine was shown to be effective for treating symptoms of hwa-byung, a chronic anger syndrome.
Anger ; Anxiety Disorders ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Humans ; Paroxetine ; Somatoform Disorders

OBJECTIVE: It is not easy to diagnose bipolar disorders accurately in the clinical setting. Although Korean version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ) is easily administered, it still has weakness regarding case finding. In this study, we suggest a new weighted version of the K-MDQ to increase its screening power. METHODS: Ninety-five patients with bipolar disorders and 346 controls (patients with schizophrenia, patients with depressive disorders, patients with anxiety disorders, and subjects without any psychiatric disease) were enrolled in this study. The subjects received brief information on the K-MDQ, and then independently completed the questionnaire. RESULTS: Using odds ratios, we constructed a new weighted K-MDQ (W-K-MDQ). Item 1 (feel so good or hyper) was weighted 7 times and item 4 (less sleep) 3.5 times. Item 7 (easily distracted) and item 11 (more interested in sex) were excluded. Part 2 (simultaneity) and 3 (functional impairment) were also excluded as in the original K-MDQ. The sensitivity of the W-K-MDQ with a cutoff value of 10 was enhanced to 0.789. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was increased to 0.837. CONCLUSION: We suggested a new formula for K-MDQ using 11 of its items. The W-K-MDQ can be easily applied with good sensitivity to screen for bipolar disorders in clinical settings in Korea. Further evaluations with larger samples are needed to establish the usefulness of the W-K-MDQ.
Anxiety Disorders ; Bipolar Disorder ; Depressive Disorder ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening* ; Mood Disorders* ; Odds Ratio ; ROC Curve ; Schizophrenia