OBJECTIVES: There are evidences of apoptotic neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies suggested AD pathogenesis in the central nervous system as well as in peripheral lymphocytes. The object of this study is to compare the cell viability and the proliferation activity in AD patients with healthy normal control by using peripheral lymphocytes. METHODS: We analyzed the cell viability and the proliferation activity of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated lymphocytes from 73 AD patients and 31 normal contols. The cell viability and the proliferation activity were measured at baseline (T0), 24 hours (T24), 48 hours (T48), 72 hours (T72), 96 hours (T96), by the tryphan blue method and the BrdU proliferation activity method, respectively. RESULTS: The cell viability of PHA-activated peripheral lymphocytes in AD patients was significantly decreased at T72, T96 compared with healthy controls (F=8.034, p<0.001). In AD patients, the decline of proliferation activity appeared in earlier than healthy normal controls. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that there is a decreased cell viability and the proliferation activity of peripheral lymphocytes in AD patients. These finding may be related with the increased apoptosis in Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Apoptosis ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival* ; Central Nervous System ; Humans ; Lymphocytes* ; Neurons

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure family resilience for Korean families with a chronically ill child, and to test the validity and reliability of the instrument. METHOD: The items of instruments used based on the researchers' previous study of concept analysis of Korean family resilience. Nineteen item scales were developed with five domains. In order to test reliability and validity of the scale, data were collected from 231 families, who had a child with a chronic illness. Data was collected between August and September of 2001 in a 3rd level University Hospital in Seoul, Korea. RESULT: The results were as follows: As a result of the item analysis, 19 items were selected from the total of 37 items, excluding items with low correlation with the total scale. Five factors were evolved by factor analysis, which explained 56.4% of the total variance. The first factor 'Family strength' explained 28.5%, 2nd factor 'Family maturity' 8.7%, 3rd factor 'The ability to use of external resources' 7.0%, 4th factor 'Control' 6.6%, 5th factor 'The driving force for finance' 5.7%. The attributes in these factors were different with those identified by concept analysis of the family resilience in Korean families from the previous study. Cronbach's alphacoefficient of this scale was .8039 and Guttman spilt- half coefficient was .8184. CONCLUSION: The study support the reliability and validity of the scale. Because the main concept of family resilience was family strength, there were distinct differences in dimensions of family functioning scales.
Child ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Korea ; Reproducibility of Results ; Seoul ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop the instrument to measure family functioning for Korean family with a chronic ill child, and to test the validity and reliability of the instrument. METHOD: The items of instrument were consisted based on researchers' previous study of concept analysis of the Korean family functioning. Twenty six item scale was developed with six domains. In order to test reliability and validity of the scale, data were collected from the 231 families, who have a child with a chronic illness. Data was collected between August and September in 2001 in a General Hospital in Seoul, Korea. RESULT: The results were as follows:As a result of the item analysis, 24 items were selected from the total of 26 items, excluding items with low correlation with total scale. Six factors were evolved by factor analysis. Six factors explained 61.4% of the total variance. The first factor 'Affective bonding' explained 15.4%, 2nd factor 'External relationship' 11.8%, 3rd factor 'Family norm' 10.5%, 4th factor 'Role and responsibilities' 8.3%, 5th factor ' Communication' 7.9%, and the 6th factor 'Financial resource' explained 7.3%. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of this scale was .87 and Guttman spilt- half coefficient was .84. CONCLUSION: The study support the reliability and validity of the scale. There were distinct differences in dimensions of family functioning scales developed in the U. S.
Child ; Chronic Disease ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Reproducibility of Results ; Seoul ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between the wave form in quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) and the cognitive and behavioral characteristics measured by the Korean version of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 4th edition (K-WISC-IV), Korean version of the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder Rating Scale (K-ARS), and Korean version of Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) in children diagnosed with ADHD. METHOD: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on children aged 8 to 13 years, who were diagnosed with ADHD at Samsung Medical Center from November 2011 to March 2017. A total of 57 ADHD children were selected by a medical chart review. Their QEEG findings and psychological test results, including K-WISC-IV, K-CBCL, and K-ARS (n=42), were collected. The QEEG was analyzed by the ranges of Hz: delta (1–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), and beta (12–25 Hz) and transformed to the z-scored relative power. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson and Partial correlation analysis. RESULTS: The Letter-Number Sequencing scores of K-WISC was positively correlated with fronto-central alpha. The hyperactivity/impulsivity scores of K-ARS were positively correlated with the theta/beta ratio. Among the items of K-CBCL, social immaturity was positively correlated with delta and theta, and negatively correlated with alpha. Social competence was negatively correlated delta and theta, and positively correlated with alpha. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the resting state QEEG results of children with ADHD may reflect their cognitive and behavioral characteristics, especially in working memory/executive function, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and sociality.
Checklist ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Electroencephalography* ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Methods ; Psychological Tests ; Retrospective Studies* ; Social Skills

OBJECTIVES: The survival rate of all childhood cancers has been increasing, and latent effects on childhood cancer survivors have been gaining researchers' attention. It has been shown that childhood cancer survivors experience social maladaptation and a decreased quality of life. Although neuroblastoma is one of the most common solid cancers in childhood, there are few reports on psychosocial status in neuroblastoma survivors. The purpose of this study was to investigate temporal changes in psychosocial status in neuroblastoma survivors. METHODS: This study was conducted by undertaking retrospective chart reviews of neuroblastoma survivors that were treated between January 1997 and February 2016 at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Among the 54 survivors identified, data for 28 patients who underwent psychological evaluation before and after treatment completion were selected for further analysis. We compared intelligence score, Korea-Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), and Korean Personality Rating Scale for Children (K-PRC) scores before and after treatment completion. Time derivatives for each variable were calculated to identify temporal changes in scores. RESULTS: After treatment completion, K-CBCL scores for total competence (t=−2.34, p=0.044), somatic complaints (t=−2.43, p=0.022), and thought problems (t=−3.03, p=0.006) were higher than the scores prior to treatment. Familial relationship in K-PRC was significantly improved after treatment (t=2.11, p=0.045). Time derivatives of the significant K-CBCL subscales, except for the withdrawal and externalizing symptom scores, showed a tendency to increase with time. CONCLUSION: Although familial relationship and social competence improved after treatment, the levels of somatic complaints and thought problems increased following neuroblastoma treatment.
Checklist ; Child ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Korea ; Mental Competency ; Mortuary Practice ; Neuroblastoma* ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Social Skills ; Survival Rate ; Survivors*