1.Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: An Alternative to Pharmacotherapy for Reducing Suicidality
Miwoo LEE ; Sooah JANG ; Hyun Kyung SHIN ; Sun-Woo CHOI ; Hyung Taek KIM ; Jihee OH ; Ji Hye KWON ; Youngjun CHOI ; Suzi KANG ; In-Seong BACK ; Jae-Ki KIM ; San LEE ; Jeong-Ho SEOK
Yonsei Medical Journal 2025;66(1):25-36
Purpose:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has long been recognized as an effective treatment for depression and suicidality.Virtual reality (VR) technology is widely used for cognitive training for conditions such as anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, but little research has considered VR-based CBT for depressive symptoms and suicidality. We tested the effectiveness and safety of a VR-based CBT program for depressive disorders.
Materials and Methods:
We recruited 57 participants from May 2022 through February 2023 using online advertisements. This multi-center, assessor-blinded, randomized, controlled exploratory trial used two groups: VR treatment group and treat as usual (TAU) group. VR treatment group received a VR mental health training/education program. TAU group received standard pharmacotherapy. Assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately after the 6-week treatment period, and 4 weeks after the end of the treatment period in each group.
Results:
Depression scores decreased significantly over time in both VR treatment and TAU groups, with no differences between the two groups. The suicidality score decreased significantly only in VR group. No group differences were found in the remission or response rate for depression, perceived stress, or clinical severity. No adverse events or motion sickness occurred during the VR treatment program.
Conclusion
VR CBT treatment for major depressive disorder has the potential to be equivalent to the gold-standard pharmacotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms, suicidality, and related clinical symptoms, with no difference in improvement found in this study. Thus, VR-based CBT might be an effective alternative to pharmacotherapy for depressive disorders.
2.Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: An Alternative to Pharmacotherapy for Reducing Suicidality
Miwoo LEE ; Sooah JANG ; Hyun Kyung SHIN ; Sun-Woo CHOI ; Hyung Taek KIM ; Jihee OH ; Ji Hye KWON ; Youngjun CHOI ; Suzi KANG ; In-Seong BACK ; Jae-Ki KIM ; San LEE ; Jeong-Ho SEOK
Yonsei Medical Journal 2025;66(1):25-36
Purpose:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has long been recognized as an effective treatment for depression and suicidality.Virtual reality (VR) technology is widely used for cognitive training for conditions such as anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, but little research has considered VR-based CBT for depressive symptoms and suicidality. We tested the effectiveness and safety of a VR-based CBT program for depressive disorders.
Materials and Methods:
We recruited 57 participants from May 2022 through February 2023 using online advertisements. This multi-center, assessor-blinded, randomized, controlled exploratory trial used two groups: VR treatment group and treat as usual (TAU) group. VR treatment group received a VR mental health training/education program. TAU group received standard pharmacotherapy. Assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately after the 6-week treatment period, and 4 weeks after the end of the treatment period in each group.
Results:
Depression scores decreased significantly over time in both VR treatment and TAU groups, with no differences between the two groups. The suicidality score decreased significantly only in VR group. No group differences were found in the remission or response rate for depression, perceived stress, or clinical severity. No adverse events or motion sickness occurred during the VR treatment program.
Conclusion
VR CBT treatment for major depressive disorder has the potential to be equivalent to the gold-standard pharmacotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms, suicidality, and related clinical symptoms, with no difference in improvement found in this study. Thus, VR-based CBT might be an effective alternative to pharmacotherapy for depressive disorders.
3.Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: An Alternative to Pharmacotherapy for Reducing Suicidality
Miwoo LEE ; Sooah JANG ; Hyun Kyung SHIN ; Sun-Woo CHOI ; Hyung Taek KIM ; Jihee OH ; Ji Hye KWON ; Youngjun CHOI ; Suzi KANG ; In-Seong BACK ; Jae-Ki KIM ; San LEE ; Jeong-Ho SEOK
Yonsei Medical Journal 2025;66(1):25-36
Purpose:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has long been recognized as an effective treatment for depression and suicidality.Virtual reality (VR) technology is widely used for cognitive training for conditions such as anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, but little research has considered VR-based CBT for depressive symptoms and suicidality. We tested the effectiveness and safety of a VR-based CBT program for depressive disorders.
Materials and Methods:
We recruited 57 participants from May 2022 through February 2023 using online advertisements. This multi-center, assessor-blinded, randomized, controlled exploratory trial used two groups: VR treatment group and treat as usual (TAU) group. VR treatment group received a VR mental health training/education program. TAU group received standard pharmacotherapy. Assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately after the 6-week treatment period, and 4 weeks after the end of the treatment period in each group.
Results:
Depression scores decreased significantly over time in both VR treatment and TAU groups, with no differences between the two groups. The suicidality score decreased significantly only in VR group. No group differences were found in the remission or response rate for depression, perceived stress, or clinical severity. No adverse events or motion sickness occurred during the VR treatment program.
Conclusion
VR CBT treatment for major depressive disorder has the potential to be equivalent to the gold-standard pharmacotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms, suicidality, and related clinical symptoms, with no difference in improvement found in this study. Thus, VR-based CBT might be an effective alternative to pharmacotherapy for depressive disorders.
4.Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: An Alternative to Pharmacotherapy for Reducing Suicidality
Miwoo LEE ; Sooah JANG ; Hyun Kyung SHIN ; Sun-Woo CHOI ; Hyung Taek KIM ; Jihee OH ; Ji Hye KWON ; Youngjun CHOI ; Suzi KANG ; In-Seong BACK ; Jae-Ki KIM ; San LEE ; Jeong-Ho SEOK
Yonsei Medical Journal 2025;66(1):25-36
Purpose:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has long been recognized as an effective treatment for depression and suicidality.Virtual reality (VR) technology is widely used for cognitive training for conditions such as anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, but little research has considered VR-based CBT for depressive symptoms and suicidality. We tested the effectiveness and safety of a VR-based CBT program for depressive disorders.
Materials and Methods:
We recruited 57 participants from May 2022 through February 2023 using online advertisements. This multi-center, assessor-blinded, randomized, controlled exploratory trial used two groups: VR treatment group and treat as usual (TAU) group. VR treatment group received a VR mental health training/education program. TAU group received standard pharmacotherapy. Assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately after the 6-week treatment period, and 4 weeks after the end of the treatment period in each group.
Results:
Depression scores decreased significantly over time in both VR treatment and TAU groups, with no differences between the two groups. The suicidality score decreased significantly only in VR group. No group differences were found in the remission or response rate for depression, perceived stress, or clinical severity. No adverse events or motion sickness occurred during the VR treatment program.
Conclusion
VR CBT treatment for major depressive disorder has the potential to be equivalent to the gold-standard pharmacotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms, suicidality, and related clinical symptoms, with no difference in improvement found in this study. Thus, VR-based CBT might be an effective alternative to pharmacotherapy for depressive disorders.
5.Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: An Alternative to Pharmacotherapy for Reducing Suicidality
Miwoo LEE ; Sooah JANG ; Hyun Kyung SHIN ; Sun-Woo CHOI ; Hyung Taek KIM ; Jihee OH ; Ji Hye KWON ; Youngjun CHOI ; Suzi KANG ; In-Seong BACK ; Jae-Ki KIM ; San LEE ; Jeong-Ho SEOK
Yonsei Medical Journal 2025;66(1):25-36
Purpose:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has long been recognized as an effective treatment for depression and suicidality.Virtual reality (VR) technology is widely used for cognitive training for conditions such as anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, but little research has considered VR-based CBT for depressive symptoms and suicidality. We tested the effectiveness and safety of a VR-based CBT program for depressive disorders.
Materials and Methods:
We recruited 57 participants from May 2022 through February 2023 using online advertisements. This multi-center, assessor-blinded, randomized, controlled exploratory trial used two groups: VR treatment group and treat as usual (TAU) group. VR treatment group received a VR mental health training/education program. TAU group received standard pharmacotherapy. Assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately after the 6-week treatment period, and 4 weeks after the end of the treatment period in each group.
Results:
Depression scores decreased significantly over time in both VR treatment and TAU groups, with no differences between the two groups. The suicidality score decreased significantly only in VR group. No group differences were found in the remission or response rate for depression, perceived stress, or clinical severity. No adverse events or motion sickness occurred during the VR treatment program.
Conclusion
VR CBT treatment for major depressive disorder has the potential to be equivalent to the gold-standard pharmacotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms, suicidality, and related clinical symptoms, with no difference in improvement found in this study. Thus, VR-based CBT might be an effective alternative to pharmacotherapy for depressive disorders.
6.Clinical validity and precision of deep learning-based cone-beam computed tomography automatic landmarking algorithm
Jungeun PARK ; Seongwon YOON ; Hannah KIM ; Youngjun KIM ; Uilyong LEE ; Hyungseog YU
Imaging Science in Dentistry 2024;54(3):240-250
Purpose:
This study was performed to assess the clinical validity and accuracy of a deep learning-based automatic landmarking algorithm for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Three-dimensional (3D) CBCT head measurements obtained through manual and automatic landmarking were compared.
Materials and Methods:
A total of 80 CBCT scans were divided into 3 groups: non-surgical (39 cases); surgical without hardware, namely surgical plates and mini-screws (9 cases); and surgical with hardware (32 cases). Each CBCT scan was analyzed to obtain 53 measurements, comprising 27 lengths, 21 angles, and 5 ratios, which weredetermined based on 65 landmarks identified using either a manual or a 3D automatic landmark detection method.
Results:
In comparing measurement values derived from manual and artificial intelligence landmarking, 6 items displayed significant differences: R U6CP-L U6CP, R L3CP-L L3CP, S-N, Or_R-R U3CP, L1L to Me-GoL, and GoR-Gn/S-N (P<0.05). Of the 3 groups, the surgical scans without hardware exhibited the lowest error, reflecting the smallest difference in measurements between human- and artificial intelligence-based landmarking. The timerequired to identify 65 landmarks was approximately 40-60 minutes per CBCT volume when done manually,compared to 10.9 seconds for the artificial intelligence method (PC specifications: GeForce 2080Ti, 64GB RAM, and an Intel i7 CPU at 3.6 GHz).
Conclusion
Measurements obtained with a deep learning-based CBCT automatic landmarking algorithm were similar in accuracy to values derived from manually determined points. By decreasing the time required to calculatethese measurements, the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment may be improved.
7.Effectiveness of RapidRhino with epinephrine in patients who visited emergency department due to epistaxis
Youngjun LEE ; Youngtak YOON ; Youngsik KIM ; Rubi JEONG ; KyuHyun LEE ; Woosung YU
Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2024;35(1):51-56
Objective:
RapidRhino is widely used in emergency departments (EDs) to treat epistaxis, and we have used RapidRhino plus epinephrine empirically. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of RapidRhino plus epinephrine compared to RapidRhino with saline.
Methods:
This prospective randomized study was performed on patients with epistaxis who visited our ED between October 2021 and January 2023. Patients were randomized to RapidRhino plus epinephrine or RapidRhino groups by drawing numbers. Subgroup analyses were performed on patients who received or did not receive anticoagulants or antiplatelets.
Results:
The overall success rates for RapidRhino with saline and RapidRhino with epinephrine were both high (92% and 94%, respectively), but the 10-minute success rates of RapidRhino with saline and RapidRhino with epinephrine were 57.4% and 78%.0%, respectively, which was a significant difference (P=0.001). In patients administered anticoagulants, initial success rate of RapidRhino with epinephrine was higher than that of RapidRhino with saline (83.3% and 62.9%, respectively, P=0.046), and these results were confirmed by adjusted logistic regression analyses-for all patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-4.58) and for patients treated with anticoagulants (aOR=6.31; 95% CI, 1.17-34.17).
Conclusion
RapidRhino with epinephrine may be more effective at controlling hemorrhage than RapidRhino. The combined administration of RapidRhino and epinephrine might reduce the time spent in emergency departments by epistaxis patients.
8.Development of Cell Culture Platforms for Study of Trabecular Meshwork Cells and Glaucoma Development
Kook In YOUN ; Ji Woo LEE ; Youngjun SONG ; Sang Yeop LEE ; Kwang Hoon SONG
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine 2024;21(5):695-710
BACKGROUND:
Various cell culture platforms that could display native environmental cue-mimicking stimuli were developed, and effects of environmental cues on cell behaviors were studied with the cell culture platforms. Likewise, various cell culture platforms mimicking native trabecular meshwork (TM) composed of juxtacanalicular, corneoscleral and uveal meshwork located in internal scleral sulcus were used to study effects of environmental cues and/or drug treatments on TM cells and glaucoma development. Glaucoma is a disease that could cause blindness, and cause of glaucoma is not clearly identified yet. It appears that aqueous humor (AH) outflow resistance increased by damages on pathway of AH outflow can elevate intraocular pressure (IOP). These overall possibly contribute to development of glaucoma.
METHODS:
For the study of glaucoma, static and dynamic cell culture platforms were developed. Particularly, the dynamic platforms exploiting AH outflow-mimicking perfusion or increased IOP-mimicking increased pressure were used to study how perfusion or increased pressure could affect TM cells. Overall, potential mechanisms of glaucoma development, TM structures and compositions, TM cell culture platform types and researches on TM cells and glaucoma development with the platforms were described in this review.
RESULTS
AND CONCLUSION: This will be useful to improve researches on TM cells and develop enhanced therapies targeting glaucoma.
9.Relationship between Loudness Dependence of Auditory-evoked Potentials and Suicidality
Youngjun CHO ; Young-Min PARK ; Miseon SHIM ; Seung-Hwan LEE
Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience 2023;21(4):742-748
Objective:
Serotonin concentration is associated with suicide in patients with major depressive disorder. Loudness dependence of auditory-evoked potentials (LDAEPs), a representative neurophysiological indicator, is related to serotonin activity. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between LDAEPs and suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and the severity of depression.
Methods:
We evaluated the scalp N1, P2, and N1/P2 LDAEPs along with standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA)-localized N1, P2, and N1/P2 LDAEPs of 221 patients with major depressive disorder.The demographic and clinical data of the patients, including data on suicidal ideation and previous suicide attempts, were obtained from clinical interviews and medical records. The severity of depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, whereas suicidal ideation was evaluated using the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS).
Results:
The total BSS score was associated with low N1/P2 LDAEP (p = 0.045), whereas P2 sLORETA-LDAEP was associated with lower previous suicide attempts (p = 0.043). In addition, suicide attempt was correlated with an elevated P2 left sLORETA-LDAEP (coefficient = 4.638, p = 0.038).
Conclusion
These findings suggest that suicidal ideation is associated with decreased LDAEP, whereas suicide attempt is associated with increased LDAEP.
10.Associations of cumulative average dietary total antioxidant capacity and intake of antioxidants with metabolic syndrome risk in Korean adults aged 40 years and older: a prospective cohort study (KoGES_CAVAS)
Ji-Sook KONG ; Jiseon LEE ; Youngjun KIM ; Hye Won WOO ; Min-Ho SHIN ; Sang Baek KOH ; Hyeon Chang KIM ; Yu-Mi KIM ; Mi Kyung KIM
Epidemiology and Health 2023;45(1):e2023067-
OBJECTIVES:
Limited and inconsistent prospective evidence exists regarding the relationship of dietary total antioxidant capacity (dTAC) and antioxidant intake with metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk. We evaluated the associations of the cumulative averages of dTAC and antioxidant intake (in 5 classes: retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, and flavonoids, as well as 7 flavonoid subclasses) with the risk of MetS.
METHODS:
This study included 11,379 participants without MetS, drawn from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study_CArdioVascular disease Association Study (KoGES_CAVAS). The cumulative average consumption was calculated using repeated food frequency questionnaires. Incidence rate ratios were estimated using a modified Poisson regression model with a robust error estimator.
RESULTS:
The median follow-up period was 5.16 years, and 2,416 cases of MetS were recorded over 58,750 person-years. In men, significant inverse associations were observed in all 5 antioxidant classes, except for the highest quartile of dTAC. In women, dTAC and total flavonoids were not significantly associated with MetS; however, significant L-shaped associations were found for the remaining 4 antioxidant classes. Of the 7 flavonoid subclasses, only flavones in the highest quartile for men and flavan-3-ols in women lacked significant associations with MetS. The inverse associations were not sex-specific, but they were particularly pronounced among participants with a body mass index (BMI) of 23 kg/m2 or higher.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that most antioxidant classes and flavonoid subclasses, unlike dTAC, exhibit a clear beneficial association with MetS in an L-shaped pattern in both men and women, particularly those with a high BMI.

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