Avariety of symptoms can occur following traumatic brain injury(TBI) or other types of acquired brain injury. These symptoms can include problems with short-term memory, attention, planning, problem solving, impulsivity, disinhibition, poor motivation, and other behavioral and cognitive deficit. These symptoms may respond to certain drugs, such as dopaminergic agents. Amantadine may protect patients from secondary neuronal damage after brain injury as a effects of NMDA receptor antagonists and may improve functioning of brain-injured patients as a dopaminergic agonist. Clinically, based on current evidence, amantadine may provide a potentially effective, safe, and inexpensive option for treating the cognitive, mood and behavioral disorders of individuals with brain injury. The rationales for using amantadine are discussed, and pertinent literatures are reviewed.
Amantadine* ; Brain ; Brain Injuries* ; Dopamine Agents ; Dopamine Agonists ; Humans ; Impulsive Behavior ; Memory, Short-Term ; Motivation ; N-Methylaspartate ; Neurons ; Problem Solving

No abstract available.
Adrenalectomy* ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia* ; Pheochromocytoma*

We reported two cases of amantadine treatment in traumatic brain injury patients and reviewed the literature of amantadine treatment of those patients. Problems with short-term memory, attention, planning, problem solving, impulsivity, disinhibition, poor motivation, and other behavioral and cognitive dificit could occur following traumatic brain injury or other types of acquired brain injury. this report described results of amantadine using in two patients with this type of symptom profile. Patients received neuropsychiatric examination as well as BPRS and Barthel index. These patients were improved, respectively from 57 point to 82 point(case 1), from 85 to 94(case 2) in Barthel index, and from 66 point to 35 point(case 1), from 55 to 32 point(case 2) in BPRS. These two patients did not reveal any other adverse effect. The rationale for using amantadine were discussed.
Amantadine* ; Brain Injuries* ; Dopamine Agonists ; Humans ; Impulsive Behavior ; Memory, Short-Term ; Motivation ; Problem Solving

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we examined the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (K-TMS), a brief self-report measure to assess state mindfulness. METHODS: We administered the K-TMS, Beck Depression Inventory, Experiences Questionnaire (K-EQ), Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ) to 205 university students and conducted exploratory factor analyses (EFA), confirmatory factor analyses, and correlation analyses among the related variables. RESULTS: The K-TMS demonstrated high internal consistency, and its corrected item-total correlations ranged from .37 to .73. Exploratory factor analyses resulted in a two-factor solution (curiosity, de-centering), based on an examination of the scree plot and eigenvalues, which was structurally similar to the original TMS scale. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a correlated 2-factor model, with correlated error terms, showed an adequate fit to the data. The K-TMS was positively correlated with de-centering (r=.304, p<.01), as measured by the EQ, with reflective self-awareness (r=.334, p<.01), as assessed by the K-RRQ, and with positive affect (r=.302, p<.01), as assessed by he PANAS. There were no significant relationships between the K-TMS and depression, and the correlation between the K-TMS and the MAAS was not significant. CONCLUSION: These results show the K-TMS is a promising measure of mindfulness state, with good psychometric properties. Further study of the relationship between the K-TMS and mental health is needed.
Appointments and Schedules ; Depression ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Psychometrics ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproducibility of Results

No abstract available.
Recurrence* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

No abstract available.
Diaphragmatic Eventration*

No abstract available.
Stomach Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Stomach Neoplasms*

The purpose of this study was to explore the differentiation of common personality profiles and defense mechanisms between medicine and surgery specialist groups. The authors evaluated the defense mechanisms of the specialist by using Ewha Defense Mechanisms Test. The authors compared the defense mechanisms between two groups(medicine and surgery specialist groups) who are employed Soonchunhyang university hospital at 2000. First, There were significant differences in mean scores of the defense mechanisms ratings. For the surgery groups, projection and show-off were significantly higher than in the medicine group, and for the medicine groups, altruism was significantly higher than surgery groups. Second, Compared of maturity level between two groups, the medicine group used mature defense significantly. Third, We compared of major defense mechanisms between two groups. Surgery groups used show-off as a major defense mechanisms in significantly higher frequency than the medicine groups. This results were reflect that surgery group have property of apprentice system and dramatical therapeutic approach. The results seem to be useful in understanding specialist's optimal character for specific specialities that were selected by evaluating the differences of the common characteristics and coping mechanisms of each specialty group.
Altruism ; Defense Mechanisms* ; Specialization*

Medico-legal investigations in Korea depend mostly on postmortem inspection without autopsy. Both untrained physicians and experienced forensic pathologists may not be able to determine the cause and manner of death only by postmortem inspection. The aim of our study was to show the limitations of postmortem inspection by evaluating the discrepancy between the results of postmortem inspection and autopsy after natural death. The manner of death by postmortem inspection changed to unnatural death in 9.4% of the cases (12 cases/127 cases) after autopsy. The cause of death in most cases was consumption of alcohol, agricultural chemicals, and antipsychotic intoxication. The cause of death by postmortem inspection changed in 24.3% of the cases (26 cases/107 cases) among cases of confirmed natural death after autopsy. The positive predictive value of cause of death by postmortem inspection was higher for cardiovascular disease (79.0%) and lower for chronic alcoholism and/or chronic liver disease (28.6%). This study shows that forensic pathologists could make considerable errors in determining the cause and manner of death without autopsy and emphasizes the necessity to refine medico-legal investigations in Korea by introducing the limited autopsy with toxicologic study and supportive postmortem imaging.
Agrochemicals ; Alcoholism ; Autopsy ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cause of Death ; Korea ; Liver Diseases