The Endoplasmic reticulum (ER), an indispensable sub-cellular component of the eukaryotic cell carries out essential functions, is critical to the survival of the organism. The chaperone proteins and the folding enzymes which are multi-domain ER effectors carry out 3-dimensional conformation of nascent polypeptides and check misfolded protein aggregation, easing the exit of functional proteins from the ER. Diverse conditions, for instance redox imbalance, alterations in ionic calcium levels, and inflammatory signaling can perturb the functioning of the ER, leading to a build-up of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the lumen. This results in ER stress, and aiming to reinstate protein homeostasis, a well conserved reaction called the unfolded protein response (UPR) is elicited. Equally, in protracted cellular stress or inadequate compensatory reaction, UPR pathway leads to cell loss. Dysfunctional ER mechanisms are responsible for neuronal degeneration in numerous human diseases, for instance Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. In addition, mounting proof indicates that ER stress is incriminated in psychiatric diseases like major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Accumulating evidence suggests that pharmacological agents regulating the working of ER may have a role in diminishing advancing neuronal dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, new findings are examined which link the foremost mechanisms connecting ER stress and cell homeostasis. Furthermore, a supposed new pathogenic model of major neuropsychiatry disorders is provided, with ER stress proposed as the pivotal step in disease development.
Apoptosis ; Biological Psychiatry ; Bipolar Disorder ; Calcium ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum* ; Eukaryotic Cells ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Neurons ; Neuropsychiatry ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Peptides ; Proteostasis Deficiencies ; Schizophrenia ; Unfolded Protein Response

OBJECTIVE: A clinically relevant approach to patient care grounded in neurobiological constructs and evidence based practice which emphasizes a relevant psychopharmacology is needed to optimally train psychiatry residents. METHODS: We implemented a biological psychiatry course that now incorporates neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and evidence-based practice in conjunction with a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) perspective. A survey launched prior to course implementation and following each class session, served as the outcome metric of residents' attitudes toward the new curriculum and followed a baseline attitudinal survey designed to evaluate the program. RESULTS: Greater than 90% of the psychiatry residents at Duke University who took the attitudinal survey agreed or strongly agreed with needing a course that helped them develop an understanding of neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and evidence-based practice concepts. Most residents also indicated a less than adequate understanding of the neurobiology and psychopharmacology of psychiatric disorders prior to sessions. CONCLUSION: Our biological psychiatry curriculum was associated with enthusiasm among residents regarding the incorporation of neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and evidence-based practice into course topics and discussions. A biological psychiatry curriculum with integrated neurobiology and psychopharmacology built on an evidence base approach is possible, well-received, and needed in training of future psychiatrists.
Biological Psychiatry* ; Curriculum* ; Evidence-Based Practice* ; Learning* ; Neurobiology* ; Patient Care ; Problem-Based Learning ; Psychiatry ; Psychopharmacology* ; Teaching

Suicide attempts at the Han river are rapidly increasing, which are 4.11 times from 2005 to 2015, whereas the rate of completed suicide in South Korea increased 1.07 times during the same period. However, few studies have been conducted on the issue because many suicide attempters were seriously injured after a fall in the Han river. We present a case of a patient with major depressive disorder (MDD) who attempted suicide and minimally injured after jumping from the bridge at the Han river. We could assess his psychological and neurocognitive functions before and immediately after his attempt. From this case, we can identify that higher cognitive aspect of executive dysfunction, especially in the frontal domain of selective attention and inhibition, may be associated with his suicide attempt. In conclusion, we suggest psychiatric treatments for cognitive impulsiveness and safety barriers at the bridge to prevent suicide attempts of patients with MDD.
Biological Psychiatry ; Cognitive Science ; Depressive Disorder ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Frontal Lobe* ; Humans ; Korea ; Rivers* ; Suicide* ; Suicide, Attempted

This review describes the types of psychiatric treatment studied during the Japanese colonial period of 1910–1945 in Korea, known at the time as Chosun. Twenty-nine research papers and abstracts on psychiatric treatment were reviewed, which were published in the Shinkeigaku-zassi (Neurologia), the Seishin-shinkei-gaku zassi (Psychiatria Et Neurologia Japonica) and the Journal of Chosun Medical Association, by faculty members of the department of neuropsychiatry, Chosun-Governor Hospital and Keijo (Seoul) Imperial University School of Medicine. The major research area was biological psychiatry and biological treatment, as Japanese pioneers in psychiatry at that time had introduced German psychiatry into Japan. Professor Kubo published the most papers, followed by Dr. Hattori, Dr. Hikari, and Professor Suits. In Chosun-Governor Hospital, research on prolonged sleep therapy was an active field. In the Imperial University Hospital, malarial fever therapy, sulphur-induced fever therapy, and insulin shock treatment were the most frequent research topics. Some were tried for the first time in the Japanese Empire, which reflected the pioneering position of the university. These achievements are attributed to Professor Kubo. Six papers on psychotherapy were published. Among them, two papers were on persuasion therapy, three papers were case reports of psychoanalytic therapy, and one paper on Freud. However, this psychoanalytic therapy research seemed to be limited trials conducted following literal guidance, and no further development was noted. Generally, research was characterized by simple design, small numbers of subjects, lack of objective evaluation method, lack of statistical treatment, and especially lack of ethical consideration comparing with today's standard.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Biological Psychiatry ; Humans ; Hyperthermia, Induced ; Insulin Coma ; Japan ; Korea* ; Methods ; Neuropsychiatry ; Persuasive Communication ; Psychiatry* ; Psychoanalytic Therapy ; Psychotherapy

Eighty-three of 114 original articles and abstracts of research published by neuropsychiatrists of Chosun Chongdokbu Hospital (the Japanese colonial government hospital in Korea) and Keijo (Seoul) Imperial University Hospital during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) in journals including Shinkeigaku-zassi (Neurologia), Seishin-shinkei-gaku zassi (Psychiatria Et Neurologia Japonica), and The Journal of Chosun (Korea) Medical Association were reviewed. Most articles were on clinical research based on descriptive and biological psychiatry while only 4 articles were on dynamic psychiatry, probably because Japanese pioneers in psychiatry had introduced German psychiatry into Japan during the 1880s. The first paper was written by Dr. Shim Ho-sub. Professor Kubo of Keijo (Seoul) Imperial University published most articles, followed by Dr. Hikari, Dr. Hattori, and Dr. Sugihara. There were more articles on symptomatic psychosis and morphine addiction, followed by general paralysis, schizophrenia, neurological diseases, narcolepsy, epilepsy, and neurasthenia. The meaningful articles even for today were comparative studies between Japanese and Koreans and articles on opioid use disorder in Korea. Authors reported a markedly lower rate of psychotic inpatients in the population of Koreans compared with Japanese. Japanese researchers argued that, because of simpleness in social life in Korea and less violence or excitement in symptoms, Korean mental patients could be cared for by family or members of the community, or be treated by shamanism rather than bringing them to a public mental hospital, and poverty also prohibited hospital care. Finding of higher ratio of schizophrenia to manic-depressive psychosis among Koreans than Japanese was discussed in relation to delayed cultural development of Korea compared to Japan. In addition, traditional customs prohibiting marriage between relatives in Korea was related to low prevalence of manic-depressive psychosis, local endemic malaria was related to low prevalence of general paresis, and poor general hygiene was related to high prevalence of epilepsy. Unclear (undifferentiated) form of psychotic symptoms including hallucination and delusion was reported in more Koreans than Japanese. Also Korean patients showed a more atypical form in diagnosis. Authors added that they had found no culture-specific mental illness in Korea. However, no Korean psychiatrists were included as author in such comparative studies. Comparative studies on constitution between Koreans and Japanese mental patients and prisoners were also unique. However, no Korean psychiatrists participated in such comparative studies. In studies on morphine addiction in Koreans, Japanese researchers argued that such studies were necessary to prevent introduction of morphine-related criminal phenomena to Japan. Meanwhile, Dr. Kubo had left a notion on adaptation problems of Japanese living in the foreign country, Korea. Nevertheless he reported nothing about psychosocial aspects of mental illness in relation to political, cultural, and economic difficulties Koreans were experiencing under the colonial rule of Japan. These general trends of studies based on German biological and descriptive psychiatry and policies of colonial government to isolate "dangerous" mental patients in hospital appeared to reflect colonial or ethnopsychiatry of those days. These policy and research trends seem to have worsened stigma attached to mental disorders. Japanese tradition of psychiatric research was discontinued by return home of Japanese scholars with the end of WWII and colonial rule.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Biological Psychiatry ; Bipolar Disorder ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Criminals ; Delusions ; Diagnosis ; Epilepsy ; Ethnopsychology ; Hallucinations ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Inpatients ; Japan ; Korea ; Malaria ; Marriage ; Mental Disorders ; Mentally Ill Persons ; Morphine Dependence ; Narcolepsy ; Neurasthenia ; Neuropsychiatry ; Neurosyphilis ; Poverty ; Prevalence ; Prisoners ; Prisons ; Psychiatry* ; Psychotic Disorders ; Schizophrenia ; Shamanism ; Violence

OBJECTIVE: We have carried out a bibliometric study on the scientific publications in relation to atypical or second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs) in South Korea. METHODS: With the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases, we selected those publications made in South Korea whose title included the descriptors atypic* (atypical*) antipsychotic*, second-generation antipsychotic*, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, ziprasidone, quetiapine, sertindole, aripiprazole, paliperidone, amisulpride, zotepine, asenapine, iloperidone, lurasidone, perospirone and blonanserin. We applied some bibliometric indicators of paper production and dispersion with Price's law and Bradford's law, respectively. We also calculated the participation index (PI) of the different countries, and correlated the bibliometric data with some social and health data from Korea (such as total per capita expenditure on health and gross domestic expenditure on research and development). RESULTS: We collected 326 original papers published between 1993 and 2011. Our results state fulfilment of fulfilled Price's law, with scientific production on SGAs showing exponential growth (correlation coefficient r=0.8978, as against an r=0.8149 after linear adjustment). The most widely studied drugs were risperidone (91 papers), aripiprazole (77), olanzapine (53), and clozapine (43). Division into Bradford zones yielded a nucleus occupied by the Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry (36 articles). A total of 86 different journals were published, with 4 of the first 10 used journals having an impact factor being greater than 4. CONCLUSION: The publications on SGAs in South Korea have undergone exponential growth over the studied period, without evidence of reaching a saturation point.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Benzodiazepines ; Biological Psychiatry ; Bipolar Disorder ; Clozapine ; Complement Factor B ; Dibenzothiazepines ; Dibenzothiepins ; Health Expenditures ; Heterocyclic Compounds with 4 or More Rings ; Imidazoles ; Indoles ; Isoindoles ; Isoxazoles ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Piperazines ; Piperidines ; Pyrimidines ; Quinolones ; Republic of Korea ; Risperidone ; Schizophrenia ; Subject Headings ; Sulpiride ; Thiazoles ; Quetiapine Fumarate ; Aripiprazole ; Lurasidone Hydrochloride

The Korean Medication Algorithm Project for Bipolar Disorder (KMAP-BP) was developed in 2002 and thereafter revised in 2006. It was secondly revised in 2010 (KMAP-BP 2010). The aim of this study was to compare KMAP-BP 2010 with other recently published treatment algorithm and guidelines for bipolar disorder. The authors reviewed the 4 recently published guidelines and treatment algorithms for bipolar disorder [The British Association for Psychopharmacology Guideline for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder, Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Bipolar Disorder, The World Federation Society of Biological Psychiatry Guideline for Biological Treatment of Bipolar Disorder and National Institute for Health and Clinical Experience (NICE) Clinical Guideline] to compare the similarities and discrepancies between KMAP-BP 2010 and the others. In aspects of treatment options, most treatment guidelines had some similarities. But there were notable discrepancies between the recommendations of other guidelines and those of KMAP-BP in which combination or adjunctive treatments were favored. Most guidelines advocated new atypical antipsychotics as first-line treatment option in nearly all phases of bipolar disorder and lamotrigine in depressive phase and maintenance phase. Lithium and valproic acid were still commonly used as mood stabilizers in manic phase and strongly recommended valproic acid in mixed or psychotic mania. Mood stabilizers or atypical antipsychotics were selected as first-line treatment option in maintenance treatment. As the more evidences were accumulated, more use of atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine, aripiprazole and ziprasidone were prominent. This review suggests that the medication strategies of bipolar disorder have been reflected the recent studies and clinical experiences, and the consultation of treatment guidelines may provide clinicians with useful information and a rationale for making sequential treatment decisions. It also has been consistently stressed that treatment algorithm or guidelines are not a substitute for clinical judgment; they may serve as a critical reference to complement of individual clinical judgment.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Anxiety ; Biological Psychiatry ; Bipolar Disorder ; Complement System Proteins ; Dibenzothiazepines ; Humans ; Judgment ; Lithium ; Piperazines ; Psychopharmacology ; Quinolones ; Thiazoles ; Triazines ; Valproic Acid ; Aripiprazole ; Quetiapine Fumarate

Panic disorder is characterized by acute panic attack accompanied by autonomic symptoms such as tachycardia, sweating, dyspnea, chest pain, dizziness, and tremors, as well as anticipatory anxiety and avoidant behaviors. 30% of the general population may have suffered isolated episodes of panic attack, and epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that the lifetime prevalence of panic disorder is around 4.8%. Panic disorder is commonly comorbid with the other psychiatric disorders, and 30% of patients with panic disorder show treatment resistance and a chronic waxing and waning course. Therefore, adequate treatment guidelines and strategies for panic disorder by evidence-based pharmacotherapy are needed and some treatment guidelines for panic disorder have already been developed in foreign countries. In this article, among the foreign guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of panic disorder, those by World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) in particular were reviewed. Also, the recently developed Korean Medication Algorithm Project for Panic Disorder 2008 by the Korean Academy of Anxiety Disorder was reviewed.
Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders ; Biological Psychiatry ; Chest Pain ; Dizziness ; Dyspnea ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Humans ; Panic ; Panic Disorder ; Prevalence ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Tachycardia ; Tremor

Recently, the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association (KCNP) has been expanded greatly in the number of members as well as the qualities in the area of practice and research. There are also 23 affiliated academic societies : Korean Academy of Psychotherapists, Korean Society for Analytical Psychology, the Korean Psychoanalytic Society, the Korean Association for Clinical Art, Korean Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the Korean Association of Social Psychiatry, The Korean Society of Biological Therapies in Psychiatry, Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry, Society of Korean Women Psychiatrists, the Korean Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the Society for Human Sexuality, Korean Society of Sleep Research, the Korean Society for Psychopathology and Psychiatric Classification, Korean Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Korean Psychosomatic Society, Korean Academy of Sleep Medicine, Korean Association for Geriatic Psychiatry, Korean Academy of Psychiatrists in Alcoholism & Addiction, Korean Academy of Adolescent Psychiatry, Korean Academy Schizophrenia, Korean Society for Depressive and Bipolar Disorders, and Korean Academy of Anxiety Disorders. To further encourage the progress of the KCNP affiliated academic societies, the KCNP planning committee has developed the proposed criteria for assessing the societies.
Adolescent ; Adolescent Psychiatry ; Alcoholism ; Anxiety Disorders ; Biological Psychiatry ; Biological Therapy ; Bipolar Disorder ; Child ; Classification ; Community Psychiatry ; Female ; Humans ; Hypnosis ; Jurisprudence ; Psychiatry ; Psychology ; Psychopathology ; Schizophrenia ; Sexuality

Recently, the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacolgy (KCNP) published an English language journal "Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience" for the purpose of international communications in the area of neuropsychopharmacology and related biological psychiatry. Historically, it is the first foreign language journal published in the Korean psychiatric society. This is writing to the background of publishing an English language journal in the perspectives of the limitations of Korean language journal and the international communications with researchers all over the world. The major concerns in publishing an English language journal are discussed. The future plan of continuously publishing "Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience" and some suggestions for the researchers who are going to submit manuscripts and to read this journal are described. We hope this is helpful for the publication of English language journal planning in the editorial committee of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association.
Biological Psychiatry ; Hope ; Psychopharmacology* ; Publications* ; Writing