OBJECTIVE: Psychobiological traits may be associated with excessive Internet use. This study assessed the relationships between biogenetic traits, the amount of time spent in online game playing, and the genre of the online game being played. METHODS: Five hundred sixty five students who enjoyed one of the four types of games included in this study were recruited. The types of games examined included role playing games (RPG), real-time strategy games (RTS), first person shooting games (FPS), and sports games. Behavioral patterns of game play, academic performance, and player biogenetic characteristics were assessed. RESULTS: The amount of time that the participants spent playing online games was significantly greater on weekends than on weekdays. On weekends, the types of games with the largest numbers of participants who played games for more than three hours were ranked as follows: RPG and FPS, RTS, and sports games. The Young's Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS)score for the RPG group was the highest among the groups of the four types of game players. The time that participants spent playing games on weekdays was negatively associated with academic performance, especially for the RPG and FPS groups. Compared with the other groups, the RPG and RTS groups had higher novelty seeking (NS) scores and self-directedness (SD) scores, respectively. Additionally, the sports game group had higher reward dependency scores than the other groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that RPGs may have specific factors that are attractive to latent game addicts with higher NS scores. Additionally, excessive playing of online games is related to impaired academic performance.
Dependency (Psychology) ; Humans ; Internet ; Reward ; Role Playing ; Sports

Malignant schwannoma is rare tumor which is derived from schwan cells or nerve sheath cells, and it is frequently associated with Von Rechlinghausen's disease. We experienced one case of malignant schwannoma on the right chest wall without Von Rechlinghausen's disease. Patient was 64-year-old man who presented painless palpable mass on the right lower chest wall for about 2 months. On chest computed tomography, the mass which was 6 X 6 cm in size and had central necrosis, involved 11th rib with destruction, invaded the diaphragm and displaced the kidney anteriorlly. He underwent en-bloc resection of the tumor and discharged without any problem after 20 days.
Diaphragm ; Humans ; Kidney ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Neurilemmoma* ; Ribs ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax*

Ten cases with esophageal foreign body were treated surgically from July 1980 to October 1995 at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital. The mean age was 45.3 years, with a range from 25 to 71. Out of ten cases, 6 were female and four were male. Common symptoms were dysphagia, fever, foreign body sensation and neck pain. Three cases of foreign bodies were of fish bones, two of bubble package of drugs, one case of a beer bottle cap, one of a piece glass, one of a bathtub plug, one of chicken and one of a bean. The diagnosis was established by esophagography using a water soluble contrast material and esophagoscopy. Among of ten cases, two had esophageal stricture due to the ingestion of lye at a young age. One case had experienced psychological problems. All foreign bodies were removed by surgical procedures. Five cases were treated by cervical esophagostomy, one case by right thoracotomy, one case by retrograde bougienation through gastrostomy and two cases by cervical incision and drainage for cervical abscess. Three cases developed post operative esophageal leaks which healed spontaneously and transient hoarseness developed in one case. One case developed traumatic pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema which was treated by closed thoracostomy. There were no operative deaths.
Abscess ; Beer ; Chickens ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Eating ; Esophageal Stenosis ; Esophagoscopy ; Esophagostomy ; Esophagus ; Female ; Fever ; Foreign Bodies* ; Gastrostomy ; Glass ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Lye ; Male ; Neck Pain ; Pneumothorax ; Sensation ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Thoracostomy ; Thoracotomy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of the part-time occlusion therapy with near activities in monocular amblyopic patients according to gender, age, severity of amblyopia, and the cause of amblyopia. METHODS: Fifty eight patients who were prescribed part-time occlusion therapy with near activity from July 1998 to October 2004, were included in this retrospective study. All patients were divided into groups by gender, age, severity of amblyopia, and the cause of amblyopia. Main outcome measures were best corrected visual acuity, line improvement, and success rate. RESULTS: At the end of patch therapy, visual acuity improved from baseline by an average of 3.2+/-2.5 lines (0.33+/-0.26 log MAR), and follow-up period was 19.71+/-14.61 months (1.62+/-1.20 years). At the last follow-up, visual acuity improved from baseline by an average of 3.7+/-2.4 lines (0.38+/-0.26 log MAR), and follow-up period was 37.41+/-25.83 months (3.08+/-2.12 years). The success rate was 86% (50 patients) at the end of patch therapy. In 44 patients out of 50 patients (88%), the visual acuity was maintained. While 43 patients out of 47 patients who were less than 7 years old (91%) achieved success, 7 patients out of 11 patients 7 years or older (64%) achieved success (p=0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Six-hour part-time occlusion treatment combined with near activities appears to be favorable in treating 58 children during follow-up of mean 3.08 years. The significant factor was the age at initial treatment.
*Activities of Daily Living ; Amblyopia/physiopathology/*therapy ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; *Sensory Deprivation ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Visual Acuity/physiology

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of the part-time occlusion therapy with near activities in monocular amblyopic patients according to gender, age, severity of amblyopia, and the cause of amblyopia. METHODS: Fifty eight patients who were prescribed part-time occlusion therapy with near activity from July 1998 to October 2004, were included in this retrospective study. All patients were divided into groups by gender, age, severity of amblyopia, and the cause of amblyopia. Main outcome measures were best corrected visual acuity, line improvement, and success rate. RESULTS: At the end of patch therapy, visual acuity improved from baseline by an average of 3.2+/-2.5 lines (0.33+/-0.26 log MAR), and follow-up period was 19.71+/-14.61 months (1.62+/-1.20 years). At the last follow-up, visual acuity improved from baseline by an average of 3.7+/-2.4 lines (0.38+/-0.26 log MAR), and follow-up period was 37.41+/-25.83 months (3.08+/-2.12 years). The success rate was 86% (50 patients) at the end of patch therapy. In 44 patients out of 50 patients (88%), the visual acuity was maintained. While 43 patients out of 47 patients who were less than 7 years old (91%) achieved success, 7 patients out of 11 patients 7 years or older (64%) achieved success (p=0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Six-hour part-time occlusion treatment combined with near activities appears to be favorable in treating 58 children during follow-up of mean 3.08 years. The significant factor was the age at initial treatment.
*Activities of Daily Living ; Amblyopia/physiopathology/*therapy ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; *Sensory Deprivation ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Visual Acuity/physiology

OBJECTIVES: This survey study was conducted to investigate the effect of smoking on drinking alcohol, depression, anxiety and impulsiveness. METHODS: The survey participants were 925 residents over 20 years of age in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Subjects were divided into smoking and non-smoking groups, and all completed the Korean Version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-K), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Barret Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to identify patterns of the alcohol consumption and smoking, and to assess levels of depression, anxiety and impulsiveness. RESULTS: The number of subjects with problem drinking was significantly higher in smokers (n=58, 37.2%) than non-smokers (n=81, 11.1%), and there was also a significant difference between smokers and non-smokers on the BDI. However, there were no significant differences between smokers and non-smokers on either the BIS or the STAI. When smokers with problem drinking (Smk_Alc) and smokers without problem drinking (Smk_non-Alc) were compared, the Smk_Alc subjects were found to have higher BDI and trait anxiety scores than the Smk_non-Alc group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that smoking is closely related to drinking alcohol and suggests that the more frequently people smoke, the more likely they will drink alcohol due to depression and anxiety. It may therefore important for smokers to control depressive mood, anxiety and impulsivity.
Alcohol Drinking ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Drinking ; Drinking Behavior ; Smoke ; Smoking

OBJECTIVE: Combined hyperative dysfunction syndrome (HDS) defined as the combination of HDSs such as trigeminal neuralgia (TN), hemifacial spasm (HFS) and glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN), which may or may not occur simultaneously on one or both sides. We reviewed patients with combined HDS and demonstrated their demographic characteristics by comparing them with those of patients with a single HDS. METHODS: Between October 1994 and February 2006, we retrospectively studied a series of 1,720 patients who suffered from HDS and found 51 patients with combined HDSs. We analyzed several independent variables in order to evaluate the prevalence and etiologic factors of combined HDS. RESULTS: The combined HDS group accounted for 51 of 1,720 (2.97%) patients with HDS; 27 cases of bilateral HFS, 10 cases of bilateral TN and 14 cases of HFS with TN. Their mean age was 52.1 years (range, 26-79 years). There were 5 men and 46 women. Seven patients had synchronous and 44 patients metachronous onset of HDSs. By comparison of combined and single HDS groups, we found that age and hypertension were closely associated with the prevalence of combined HDS (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that combined HDS was very rare. Hypertension and age might be the most important causative factors to evoke combined HDS.
Cranial Nerves ; Female ; Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases ; Hemifacial Spasm ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Trigeminal Neuralgia

Hafnia alvei is a gram-negative bacillus that is rarely isolated from human clinical specimens and is rarely pathogenic. This organism is an extremely uncommon cause of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). We report a case of an 83-year-old male with hepatitis C-associated liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma who was diagnosed with SBP caused by H. alvei. He was admitted to an university-affiliated hospital with fever and abdominal pain. There were 2 episodes of SBP during 2 months. Although isolates of H. alvei from ascitic fluid were shown to be susceptible to cefotaxime, responses for cefotaxime treatment were inadequate in both episodes. Therefore, cefotaxime was switched to imipenem in the first episode and to ciprofloxacin in the second, according to the results of antimicrobial susceptibility. After the antibiotics was changed, SBP was resolved.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ascitic Fluid ; Bacillus ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cefotaxime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Fever ; Hafnia ; Hafnia alvei ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Male ; Peritonitis

OBJECTIVES : We investigated the relationship between periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensity and cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS : T2-weighted MRI scans were performed in 41 subjects with AD 38 subjects with mild cognitive impairment and 38 control subjects. Periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensities were rated on a Fazekas 0-3 scale by a medical specialist of the department of radiology blind to clinical diagnosis. Cognitive function was assessed by using Cognitive Assessment and Reference Diagnoses System. RESULTS : No significant differences between demographic characteristics and vascular risk factors were revealed comparing AD, MCI and controls. The frequencies of AD were significantly higher than those of MCI and normal control in Grade 2 and 3 of periventricular hyperintensity and Grade 3 of deep white matter hyperintensity. The scores of amnesia, executive function and attention were significantly lower in Grade 2 and 3 of periventricular hyperintensity than in Grade 0 and 1. The scores of attention were significantly lower in Grade 3 of deep white matter hyperintensity than in Grade 0, 1 and 2. CONCLUSION : Periventricualr hyperintensities are associated with cognitive decline in amnesia, executive function and attention, while deep white matter hyperintensities are associated with cognitive decline in attention.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amnesia ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Risk Factors ; Specialization

OBJECTIVES : We investigated the relationship between periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensity and cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS : T2-weighted MRI scans were performed in 41 subjects with AD 38 subjects with mild cognitive impairment and 38 control subjects. Periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensities were rated on a Fazekas 0-3 scale by a medical specialist of the department of radiology blind to clinical diagnosis. Cognitive function was assessed by using Cognitive Assessment and Reference Diagnoses System. RESULTS : No significant differences between demographic characteristics and vascular risk factors were revealed comparing AD, MCI and controls. The frequencies of AD were significantly higher than those of MCI and normal control in Grade 2 and 3 of periventricular hyperintensity and Grade 3 of deep white matter hyperintensity. The scores of amnesia, executive function and attention were significantly lower in Grade 2 and 3 of periventricular hyperintensity than in Grade 0 and 1. The scores of attention were significantly lower in Grade 3 of deep white matter hyperintensity than in Grade 0, 1 and 2. CONCLUSION : Periventricualr hyperintensities are associated with cognitive decline in amnesia, executive function and attention, while deep white matter hyperintensities are associated with cognitive decline in attention.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amnesia ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Risk Factors ; Specialization