No abstract available.
Dementia* ; Neuropsychiatry* ; Pathology*

No abstract available.
Dementia* ; Neuropsychiatry* ; Pathology*

No abstract available.
Neuropsychiatry* ; Neuropsychology* ; Neurosciences*

In order to understand the pathogenesis and progression of some synaptic loss related neuropsychiatric diseases. We attempted to develop a computer model in this study. We made a simple autoassociative memory network remembering numbers, transformed it into a disease model by pruning synapses, and measured its memory performance as a function of synaptic deletion. Decline in performance was measured as amount of synaptic loss increases and its mode of declines is sudden or gradual according to the mode of synaptic pruning. The developed computer model demonstrated how synaptic loss could cause memory impairment through a series of computer simulations, and suggested a new way of research in neuropsychiatry.
Computer Simulation* ; Dementia ; Memory ; Neuropsychiatry ; Schizophrenia ; Synapses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hand holding on self-esteem and assertiveness in women patients with depression. METHODS: This study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 40 women patients who were hospitalized with depression. Twenty of the women patients with depression were assigned to the experimental group (hand holding), and twenty to the control group. For the experimental treatment group hand holding was done for 2 wks. RESULTS: The experimental group with hand holding showed an increase in self-esteem (t=3.99, p<.001), and assertiveness (t=5.37, p<.001) compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Hand holding is effective for increasing self-esteem and assertiveness in women patients with depression. The simple contact of hand holding can also be regarded as an effective and accessible nursing intervention in the neuropsychiatry ward.
Assertiveness* ; Depression* ; Female ; Hand* ; Humans ; Neuropsychiatry ; Nursing ; Therapeutic Touch

In the face of rapid changes of society and medical environment, we now come to a crisis in which the identity of psychiatry is threatened. The regulations of a society are rules made in order to govern the way its activities are done or to control the way its members behave. So, the amendment of the regulations of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association (KNPA) are needed to cope with current difficulties efficiently. The planning committee drew up a revised version of regulations based on the intent of KNPA, i.e., developing neuropsychiatry, enhancing the mental health of people, promoting friendship among the members and extending the rights of members. As the need of the hour, the establishment of an institute to carry out the development of mental health polices on a long-term basis, the reestablishment of the relations with connected organizations and academic societies, and the reconstitution of the KNPA organization to heighten the efficiency of operations were chosen. In this article, the details of revised regulations were proposed and discussed.
Friends ; Human Rights ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Neuropsychiatry ; Social Control, Formal*

This study compared the effectiveness and tolerability of amisulpride and risperidone in patients with psychosis associated with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT). This 8-week open label study randomized 72 patients with DAT associated psychosis either to amisulpride (n=36) and risperidone (n=36). The effectiveness of the treatments was assessed with the Korean version of Neuropsychiatry Inventory (K-NPI) psychosis subscale and total K-NPI and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness (CGI-S) scale. The Simpson-Angus Rating Scale, the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale were used for the assessment of side effects. The K-NPI psychosis subscale, total K-NPI and CGI-S scores were significantly decreased over time in both treatment groups without any significant group difference and time by the group interaction effect. There were no serious adverse events in both groups. This study showed that either amisulpride or risperidone would be effective and tolerable for treating psychotic symptom associated with DAT. Adequately powered studies with a head-to-head comparison design will be mandatory to draw any definite conclusion.
Dementia* ; Dyskinesias ; Humans ; Neuropsychiatry ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Psychotic Disorders* ; Risperidone*

We investigated the clinical characteristics and intelligence in the adjustment of schizophrenic patients. One hundred thirty-nine schizophrenic patients were selected among the schizophrenic patients admitted to the department of neuropsychiatry, Wonkwang University, school of medicine, from January 1, 1993 to November 30, 1996. The selected schizophrenic patients were divided into two groups, the one with over 60 of past year highest global assessment of functioning(PHF)(superior group) and the other with less than 60 of PHF(inferior group). Both groups were compared in clinical characteristics and Korean-Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale(K-WAIS) results at admission. The results were as follows : 1) The superior group showed significantly longer duration of education(11.9+/-2.9, 9.9+/-3.7, p<.01), shorter duration of illness(49.6+/-57.9, 93.9+/-70.3, p<.01), less admissions(1.9+/-1.3, 2.8+/-2.1, p<.01), less negative symptoms(3.2+/-1.4, 3.8+/-1.3, p<.01) than the inferior group. 2) The superior group showed significantly higher scores on verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ ; 90.5+/-14.5, 82.4+/-17.4, p<.01), performance intelligence quotient(PIQ ; 81.4+/-13.5, 73.2+/-14.2, p<.01), full scale intelligence quotient(FSIQ ; 86.2+/-13.3, 78.0+/-14.9, P<.01), the subtests of vocabulary(9.2+/-3.0, 7.6+/-3.6, p<.01), comprehension(9.2+/-3.1, 7.5+/-3.4, p<.01), similarity(8.6+/-2.6, 7.4+/-3.3, p<.05), digit symbol(8.3+/-1.8, 7.3+/-2.5, p<.01), object assembly(7.6+/-2.5, 6.6+/-2.3, p<.05), block design(7.9+/-2.6, 6.8+/-2.0, p<.05), and picture completion(7.9+/-2.2, 7.0+/-2.1, p<.05) than the inferior group. Finally, the patients with better adjustment showed higher education level, shorter duration of illness, less numbers of admission, less negative symptoms, and higher scores on VIQ, PIQ, FSIQ, and subtests of vocabulary, comprehension, similarity, digit symbol, object assembly, block design, picture completion. It seems that the superior group had better at the more complex function in the verbal intelligence and the ability of space in the performance intelligence than the inferior group.
Adult ; Comprehension ; Education ; Humans ; Intelligence* ; Neuropsychiatry ; Schizophrenia ; Vocabulary

OBJECTIVE: The Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN) is a scale used to clinically evaluate disturbances in biological rhythm. In this study, we aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the BRIAN (K-BRIAN) in a Korean population. METHODS: A total of 181 participants, including 141 outpatients with bipolar disorder (BD; type I, 62; type II, 79) and 40 controls, were recruited. Construct validity was tested by comparing the mean K-BRIAN scores of the BD patients and control subjects. Concurrent validity was tested by evaluating the association between the K-BRIAN and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). RESULTS: The mean K-BRIAN scores of the control subjects and patients with BD differed significantly (p < 0.001). Particularly, the mean K-BRIAN score was considerably lower among control subjects (mean±standard deviation=35.00±8.88) than among patients with BD type I (41.19±12.10) and type II (50.18±13.73). The Cronbach’s alpha for the K-BRIAN was 0.914. The K-BRIAN was found to correlate with the MEQ (r=-0.45, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings affirm that the K-BRIAN has good construct validity and internal consistency. This suggests that the K-BRIAN can be used to assess biological rhythms in the Korean population, especially for patients with mood disorder.
Bipolar Disorder ; Humans ; Mood Disorders ; Neuropsychiatry* ; Outpatients ; Periodicity* ; Reproducibility of Results

OBJECTIVES: Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) is a new, noninvasive procedure of a localized pulsed magnetic field to the surface of the head to cause a depolarization of neurons in the brain cortex underneath. The magnetic field(Magnetic) is generated by passing current pulses by conducting coil, held close to the scalp so that the field is passing the skull(Transcranial) and is focused in the cortex(Stimulation). Here we provide a summarized review of the methodology of TMS and its application to research and therapeutics in the field of neuropsychiatry. METHODS: We described the history, procedures, basic researches, clinical applications, safety issues, mode of action, and future of TMS using literature review and interview with experts. RESULTS: The earlier clinical uses of TMS had been restricted to the field of neurology where it was used to examine the central and peripheral nervous conduction. However this technology has been widely used to map various brain functions such as visual information processing, language, memory, emotion, and movement. The ability to excite local areas of brain cortex has raised the possibility of the use of TMS as a novel therapeutic tool for various psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: TMS is a relatively new and noninvasive method to investigate regional brain activity and to treat several psychiatric diseases. Further work is necessary to firmly establish the efficacy and safety of this promising tool.
Automatic Data Processing ; Brain ; Head ; Magnetic Fields ; Memory ; Neurology ; Neurons ; Neuropsychiatry* ; Scalp ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation*