No abstract available.
Classification* ; Hallucinogens* ; Narcotics* ; Pharmacology*

The development of molecular biology has brought many changes in psychiatry. Molecular biology makes us possible to know the cause of mental disorders that provide the way to prevent the disorders, and to develop various accurate diagnostic and treatment methods for mental disorders. The author discusses the concept, cause, and treatment of mental disorders in the aspect of molecular biology. Importing the methods of molecular biology into psychiatry, we can anticipate to get a number of the goals of psychiatric genetics, including identification of specific susceptibility genes, clarification of the pathophysiological processes whereby these genes lead to symptoms, establishment of epigenetic factors that interact with these genes to produce disease, validation of nosological boundaries that more closely reflect the actions of these genes, and development of effective preventive and therapeutic interventions based on genetic counselling, gene therapy, and modification of permissive or protective environmental influences. In addition to their capacity to accelerate the discovery of new molecules participationg in the nervous system's response to disease or to self-administered drugs, molecular bilolgical strategies can also be used to determine how critical a particular gene product may be in mediating a cellular event with behavioral importance. Molecular biology probably enables us discover the environmental factors of mental disorders and allow rational drug design and gene therapies for mental disorders, by isolation of gene products that facilitate a basic understanding of the pathogenesis of these disorders. A specific genetic linkage may suggest a novel class of drugs that has not yet been tried. With respect to gene therapy, the hypothetical method would use a gene delivery system, most likely a modified virus, to insert a functional copy of a mutant gene into those brain cells that require the gene for normal function.
Brain ; Drug Design ; Epigenomics ; Genes, vif ; Genetic Linkage ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetics ; Mental Disorders ; Molecular Biology ; Negotiating

No abstract available.
Alcoholism*

No abstract available.
Alcoholism* ; Diagnosis*

No abstract available.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders*

It is well known that the cell type and histopathological grading of gliomas correlate well with clinicalcourse and prognosis. Therefore, it is tempting to set certain criteria that could predict the histopathologiccharacteristics of the gliomas before the surgical intervention. With a total of 56 cases of gliomas which wereverified histopathologically in Seoul National University Hospital between July 1978 and May 1983, a statisticalanalysis of the computed tomographic findings was done with the particular emphasis on the correlation withhistopatholoigcal features. The results are as follows; 1. The calcification is observed in 27 cases (48.2%) intotal: in 20 cases (62.5%) among low grade group, in 6 cases (46.1%) among high grade group and in 1 case (9.1%)among glioblastoma multiformed group respectively. 2. The mass effect, especially surrounding low densitycorrelates well with the grade of malignancy. 3. The contrast enhancement is observed in 43 cases (76.8%). Thepattern of enhancement provides clues for the assessment of cell type and grade with fair degree of reliability.Among low grade group, 10 cases (31.3%) show no enhancement and 10 cases show solid enhancement. Among high gradegroup, 6 cases (46.8%) show solid enhancement and nodular or ring enhancement are not observed. Among glioblastomamlultiform group, 8 cases (72.7%) show characteristic thick irregular ring enhancement. 4. Plain CT densities arenot useful in differentiating each group in statistically significant level. 5. Neither the margin of the mass northe degree of contrast enhancement contributes for the differentiation of each group. 6. Summarizing the abovementioned findings it is concluded that CT is very helpful in differentiating the gliomas with regard tohistopathological cell type and the grade of malignancy as well.
Glioblastoma ; Glioma ; Prognosis ; Seoul

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol-induced oxidative stress has been known to injure various tissues or organs. This stress is related with free radicals which are produced as the result of long-term alcohol consumption. Malonyldialdehyde(MDA) is produced by the interaction of free radicals and cell membrane lipids, and indicates the degree of lipid peroxidation indirectly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between red blood cell(RBC) membrane lipid peroxidation by free radicals, and associated hepatic injuries and hematologic changes. METHODS: Thirty-three subjects diagnosed as alcohol dependence according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were evaluated within 72 hours after discontinuing alcohol drinking. Clinical characteristics were evaluated by CAGE questionnaire and Korean Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test(MAST). RBC membrane MDA level was measured as the marker of RBC membrane lipid peroxidation. Aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and gamma-glutamyltransferase(GGT) were used as the biochemical markers of liver damage due to alcohol ingestion. The alcohol-induced hematologic change was assessed by mean corpuscular volume(MCV). RESULTS: The results were as follows. Clinical characteristics were not different between two groups having normal and abnormal levels of AST, ALT, GGT or MCV. The levels of MDA were not correlated with the clinical characteristics and serum levels of AST, ALT and GGT. However, there was a significant correlation between the levels of MDA and the value of MCV(p=0.017). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that oxidative stress in alcohol dependence may not be reflected in liver enzyme markers such as AST, ALT and GGT, but may be reflected in MCV.
Alanine ; Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholism* ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Aspartic Acid ; Biological Markers ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Eating ; Erythrocyte Indices* ; Erythrocytes* ; Free Radicals ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation* ; Liver* ; Mass Screening ; Membrane Lipids ; Membranes* ; Michigan ; Oxidative Stress ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The authors performed this preliminary study to investigate the effect of softening E.C.T. and propofol was compared to pentothal for induction of anaesthesia for E.C.T on seizure duration. The results were follows ' 1) E.C.T. was performed in 60 psychiatric inpatients who were admitted during the study period. Of them 51.7% were diagnosed as schizophrenia, 21.6% as major depressive disorder, 16.7% as bipolar I disorder, manic and 10% of others. 2) Mean number of E.C.T. was 12.2 times a patient. 3) The most common target symptoms were persecutory delusion in schizophrenia, psychomotor retardation or agitation in major depressive disorder, and violent aggressive behavior in bipolar I disorder, manic. 4) Pre-ECT medication usually used were atropine 0.0093mg kg(-1), pentothal 2.76mg kg(-1) or propofol 1.42mg kg(-1). 5) The duration of seizure, as measured clinically, was reduced with propofol(20.5 sec) in comparison with pentothal(35.7 sec)(p<0.001). This suggest the possibility that additional treatment may be needed for the same clinical effect in psychiatric illness when propofol is used as the induction agent.
Atropine ; Bipolar Disorder ; Delusions ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Dihydroergotamine ; Electroconvulsive Therapy ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Propofol* ; Schizophrenia ; Seizures* ; Thiopental*

This study was undertaken to examine the possibility of predicting the stage of brain abscess presoperatively,which may markedly influence on the decision how to manage the patients suffering from intracerebral abscesses. Atotal of 17 patients with brain abscesses, who were treated with surgery and diagnosed pathologically, wereretrospectively analyzied with particular attention to the correlation of CT and histopathologic findings. Wefound that preoperative CT findings could not provede any possibility on the decision of abscess staging.Therefore, we suggest that the sequential CT scans should be done in patients with susupectd brain abscess forevaluation of abscess staging.
Abscess ; Brain Abscess ; Brain ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and alcohol dependence are associated with serotonin metabolism. We assessed the methylation level of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) promoter region in control and alcohol dependent patients. METHODS: Twenty seven male patients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder IV (DSM-IV) criteria for alcohol dependence were compared with fifteen controls. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays of bisulfate-modified DNA were designed to amplify a part of the CpG island in the 5HTT gene. Pyrosequencing was performed and the methylation level at seven CpG island sites was measured. RESULTS: We found no differences in the methylation patterns of the serotonin transporter linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) between alcohol-dependent and control subjects. CONCLUSION: Our negative finding may be because 5-HTT epigenetic variation may not affect the expression for 5-HTT or there may be other methylation site critical for its expression. To find out more conclusive result, repeating the study in more methylation sites with a larger number of samples in a well-controlled setting is needed.
Alcoholism ; Anxiety ; CpG Islands ; Depression ; DNA ; Epigenomics ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Disorders ; Methylation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Serotonin ; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins