OBJECTIVES: Vulnerability marker in biological relatives of schizophrenia may be very useful in identifying the propensity for the development of schizophrenia. This study suggests that the relatives at risk for genetically developing schizophrenia have impairments in several domains of cognition, social function and affective function as a vulnerability marker. METHODS: A neurocognitve function test, a social function test and an affective function test were administered to fifteen healthy relatives from families with two or more patients with schizophrenia (geneticallly high risk subjects). Fifteen healthy controls matched for age and gender were recruited in this study. RESULTS: Compared to the control subject, the genetic high risk subjects performed significantly more poorly in the selective attention and recall memory of neurocognitive function. The high risk subjects also had lower scores in independence-performance and independence-competence of the social function test and emotion control of the affective function test. CONCLUSION: Selective attention, recall memory, independence-performance, independence-competence and emotion control ability may be a valuable marker for genetic study of schizophrenia.
Cognition* ; Humans ; Memory ; Schizophrenia*

Behcet's disease is characterized by mucocutaneous-ocular symptoms, namely recurrent stomatitis aphthosis, genital ulcer and ocular symptoms. Organic mental changes can be often observed, as well as dementia, depression, visual hallucination and schizophrenia-like symptoms. A 46-year-old female was admitted due to visual and auditory hallucinations, paranoid delusion and disorientation which had continued for 3 weeks. The findings on brain MRI were compatible with neuro-Behcet's disease. Her psychiatric symptoms improved with antipsychotic medications. A 42-year-old female visited our clinic complaining short-term memory impairment, depressive mood, anxiety and insomnia. Her depressive mood, anxiety and insomnia improved with antidepressant and benzodiazepine treatment. However, memory impairment remained. A 40-year-old female visited ER due to a suicide attempt with drug overdose. Depressive mood continued a few weeks prior to the incident. During admission psychotic symptoms were observed. These symptoms improved with antipsychotics within a week. Also depressive mood was subsided with antidepressant. These three cases represent that Behcet's disease often accompanies with psychiatric symptoms. A variety of psychosocial stressors can influence the progress of Behcet's disease and psychiatric symptoms.
Adult ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Anxiety ; Benzodiazepines ; Brain ; Delusions ; Dementia ; Depression ; Drug Overdose ; Female ; Hallucinations ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Memory, Short-Term ; Middle Aged ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Stomatitis ; Suicide ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether elderly and young adults differ in their recognition of facial expressions of emotion. METHODS: A total of 120 (elderly group 53, young group 67) subjects participated in this study. Korean facial expressions of emotion including happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, surprise and neutral were used as stimuli for facial affect recognition test. Computerized facial affect recognition test that consists of facial affect discrimination test and facial affect intensity test was performed. RESULTS: For facial affect discrimination test, there was a significant difference between two groups (F=3.986, p<.01) after controlling the effect of education. Elderly participants showed significantly less correct recognition rate with sadness, anger and disgust (p<.05). For facial affect intensity test, there was no significant difference between the groups in recognition of emotional intensity. Chi-square test or t-test was done according to the clinical variables. Multivariate analysis of covariance was done to test group differences of correct recognition rate and emotional intensity. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of differential decrease of facial affect recognition in elderly using Korean facial expressions. This study suggests that the decrement of facial affect recognition maye be a part of normal aging process.
Aged* ; Aging ; Anger ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Education ; Facial Expression ; Happiness ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to provide standard data of the individual tests in 7MS that could generalized for Korean elderly according to age and education. We also evaluated diagnostic efficacy of each test in 7MS. METHODS: Data on demographic characteristics of 311 normals were gathered for comparison. We also assessed two differences between normal and dementia group in individual tests of 7MS. RESULTS: All individual tests of 7MS showed significant differences in sex, age, and education, except for ECR. But there were no significant differences in sex controlling age and education. As a result of ROC curve, the ability of the ECR test to discriminate between AD and normal subject appeared superior. The scores of the individual tests of 7MS among CDR 0.5 and 1 group and normal group were compared. It was also found that the ECR test stands out among 7MS tests. CONCLUSION: The 7MS, particularly ECR, had the highest sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of AD as well as early dementia. It suggests that the individual tests of 7MS are useful to predict early dementia, without using the complex logistic regression equation.
Aged ; Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between the degree of obesity and psychopathology in children. METHODS: 504 children from the Kimpo City and their parents participated in this study. According to BMI percentile for their gender and age, we divided them into three groups; the normoweight group, the overweight group, and the obese group. The Child Depression Inventory (CDI), the Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-C), and the subscale 3 of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale were used for children. The Korean-Child Behavioral Checklist (K-CBCL) was completed by their parents. RESULTS: In subscale 3 of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, 'the physical appearance and attitude', the score of the overweight group was significantly lower than that of the normoweight group. In CDI and STAI-C, there were no differences among three groups. We found significant differences among three groups in the mean scores of social problems, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, externalizing symptoms, and total problem in the CBCL scale. CONCLUSION: The findings in this study showed evidences for a psychosocial at-risk population in a community samples of children with overweight and obesity. The nation-wide study including adolescents is needed.
Adolescent ; Anxiety ; Body Image ; Checklist ; Child* ; Depression ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Obesity* ; Overweight* ; Parents ; Pediatric Obesity ; Psychopathology* ; Social Problems

OBJECTIVES: Previons studies reported altered beta-adrenergic receptor (betaAR) responsiveness in panic disorder, but few studies reported to see the effect of pharmacotherapy on betaAR function in panic patients. This investigation examined betaAR responsiveness in patients with panic disorder before and after pharmacotherapy with paroxetine. METHODS: After assessment using the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule for DSM-IV, 27 acute panic patients whose illness duration did not exceed 1 year were assigned to 12 weeks of paroxetine treatment. Twenty seven normal control subjects with no previous history of major medical and psychiatric illnesses were matched by age, sex, exercise, and body mass index. The Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAM-A), Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D), Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory-State (STAI-S) and Trait (STAI-T), acute panic inventory (API), anxiety sensitivity index (ASI), and Beck depression index (BDI) were performed to assess clinical states in the panic patients before and after treatment. The HAM-A, HAM-D, STAI-S and STAI-T, and BDI were also performed in the normal control subjects. We measured the betaAR density (Bmax), affinity (1/Kd), and sensitivity (cyclic AMP ratio of isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP to basal cAMP) in all subjects. RESULTS: Panic patients showed much lower scores of the HAM-A, STAI-S, STAI-T, API, ASI, HAM-D, and BDI after 12 weeks of paroxetine treatment than those before the treatment. There was no significant difference in the means of Bmax and cAMP ratio between control subjects and panic patients before and after the treatment. However, pretreatment Kd (R2=0.314, beta=-0.876, p=0.001) and Bmax (R2=0.230, beta=-0.575, p=0.019) significantly accounted for API scores after the treatment and change of Bmax according to the treatment accounted for the improvement of anxiety sensitivity (R2=0.353, beta=0.594, p=0.015). The pretreatment Kd value was significantly higher in the panic patients compared with that of control subjects (78.35+/-26.20 vs. 59.15+/-29.33, p=0.014), which was significantly reduced after the treatment (79.43+/-26.83 vs. 56.38+/-28.79, p=0.002). The pretreatment Kd value significantly accounted for the improvement of API scores (R2=0.316, beta=0.562, p=0.029) and the decrease in trait anxiety (R2=0.246, beta=-0.513, p=0.025). CONCLUSION: In acute panic patients, only betaAR affinity was reduced before the treatment, which was contrary to our expectation. Decreased betaAR affinity was normalized after paroxetine treatment. Decreased betaAR affinity and increased betaAR density before the treatment predicted good treatment response in acute panic patients. Thus, betaAR affinity and density could be useful biological markers that predict the treatment response of paroxetine in panic disorder.
Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders ; Appointments and Schedules ; Biomarkers* ; Body Mass Index ; Depression ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Panic Disorder* ; Panic* ; Paroxetine* ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta

OBJECTIVES: Disabilities in patients with panic disorder are well known for their acute and severe anxiety symptoms. Disabilities in patients with social phobia are not often rewgnied because symptoms are misattributed to simple shyness. We compared the severity and areas of disabilities among social phobia and panic disorder patients. METHODS: The study participants were 53 patients with social phobia and 55 patients with panic disorder, diagnosed by MINI-Plus (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus) and SDS (Sheehan disability scale). RESULTS: Compared with panic disorder patients, the patients with social phobia showed significantly greater impairments in work and social subscales of SDS. However, the home disability subscale scores of the patients with panic disorder were higher than the patients with social phobia. The general disabilities and GAF (General Assessment Functioning) scores were not different signigicantly. Comorbid cases have shown to induce more dysfunctions in work and social areas, except home and leisure areas, irrespective of diagnoses. CONCLUSION: Overall disabilities in patients with social phobia and panic disorder were not different significantly. But the disabilities were different accordiny to the areas, and the differences correlate with the specific symptoms.
Anxiety ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Leisure Activities ; Panic Disorder* ; Panic* ; Phobic Disorders* ; Shyness

OBJECTIVES: There are a number of preceding epidemiological studies reporting gender differences in the genetic etiology of alcohol dependence. The author investigated gender difference in the frequencies of ADH2 and ALDH2 genoypes between the patients with alcohol dependence and normal control. METHODS: The subjects were 141 alcohol dependent patients (104 males, 37 females) and 138 normal control (79 males, 59 females). The frequencies of 1/1 and 1/2+2/2 (2+ afterward) genotypes for ADH2 and ALDH2 were investigated in male and female between alcohol dependence and normal control group. DNA was extracted from WBC in peripheral venous blood and PCR-RFLP method was used out for genotyping. RESULTS: First, the frequency of ADH2 1/1 genotype was significantly higher in alcohol dependent patients than normal control in both genders. Second, while there was no gender difference in the frequency of ADH2 1/1 genotype in normal controls, in the patient group however, the frequency was significantly higher in females than males. Third, in male subjects with alcohol dependence, the frequency of ALDH2 1/1 genotype was significantly higher than in male normal control subjects. On the other hand, in female subjects with alcohol dependence, the frequency of ALDH2 2+ genotype was significantly higher than in female normal control subjects. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that while the risk of alcohol dependence is predominantly affected by ALDH2 1/1 genotype in male, the female ADH2 1/1 genotype is mainly associated with the risk of alcohol dependence. This means that there are gender differences in the genetic etiology of alcohol dependence.
Alcoholism* ; DNA ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Genotype* ; Hand ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine the psychosocial and obstetric factors associated with postpartum depressive symptoms in Korea. METHODS: At the 1-week and 4-week postpartum visit, 61 postpartum women completed Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Data related to psychiatric and obstetric characteristics, pregnancy and delivery related events were collected from standard medical records. 42 women without a history of pregnancy or delivery within 6 months were recruited as a control group. The postpartum group were divided into depressive and non-depressive groups according to the EPDS and BDI results of 4-week postpartum. RESULTS: Compared to the normal control group, the mean scores of EPDS and BDI at 1-week postpartum were significantly higher (p<.05 and p<.01, respectively) in the postpartum group. The postpartum group also scored significantly higher in the somatization, psychoticism, and global severity index profiles according to the SCL-90-R results (p<.05). The mean score of BDI at 4-week postpartum was significantly higher (p<.01) in the postpartum group. There were significant correlations (p<.01) between the EPDS and BDI reports at 1- and 4-week postpartum. The rates of having experienced severe emotional stress during pregnancy and of smokers and drinkers before pregnancy were significantly higher (p<.05) in the postpartum depressive group (EPDS > or =10 and BDI > or =10) compared to the postpartum non-depressive group. The rate of having experienced depressive symptoms at 1-week postpartum was also significantly higher in the postpartum group. The depressive symptomatology at 1-week postpartum was identified as a significant risk factor for the depressive symptoms of 4-week postpartum when multiple logistic regression analysis was performed after controlling for age and education level. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that postpartum women in Korea have many psychiatric problems such as depressive mood and somatization which necessitate proper care and assessment during the early postpartum period. Stress management during pregnancy may be helpful as a measure of preventing postpartum depression.
Anxiety ; Depression* ; Depression, Postpartum ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Psychology ; Risk Factors ; Stress, Psychological

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was a replication of the effectiveness and tolerability of risperidone in the treatment of patients with acute mania in very larger cohort in naturalistic treatment setting to extend the data on the effect and tolerability of risperidone in the treatment of patients with acute mania to Asian population. METHODS: A total of 909 patients with DSM-IV criteria of bipolar disorder current manic and hypomanic episode, entered this large, open, multicentre study. The Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and Simpson-Angus Rating Scale (SARS) were measured at baseline and weeks 1, 3 and 6, for the assessment of effectiveness and extrapyramidal symptom (EPS). RESULTS: This study showed statistically significant reduction of scores on the YMRS and CGI-s (mean change=-23.5+/-11.8, p<0.0001;mean change=-2.7+/-1.5, p<0.0001, respectively) from the baseline to the endpoint (week 6). Number of patients with 50% reduction or more in the YMRS and CGI-s scores was 693 (77.8%) and 630 (70.7%) at endpoint, respectively. There were no statistically significant increments of scores on SARS. Risperidone was generally well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The present larger open study demonstrates that risperidone add-on therapy is effective and tolerable in treatment of bipolar disorder, replicating results in various controlled and uncontrolled studies from Western countries.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bipolar Disorder* ; Cohort Studies ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Risperidone*