Variety of biomarkers that are related to the Alzheimer's disease and its diagnosis and progress have been found. However, research lacks in predicting the reaction of the treatment. In addition, there is no definite treatment reaction to the disease but rather it is varied. The purpose of this review article is to study the research of the biomarkers that are able to predict the treatment reaction. There was a research that illustrated a relationship between plasma amyloid ${\beta}$ peptide, cerebrospinal fluid tau, neuroanatomical biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Polymorphisms in genes of the cholinergic markers AChE, BuChE, ChAT and PON-1 were found to be associated with better clinical response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Many pharmacogenetic studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of the lipoprotein apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on treatment response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. However, there is no significant influence of the APOE genotypes on treatment response. Further research is needed to find other predictors of treatment with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Along with language, socialization is a unique feature of the human being. There is a continuous debate regarding whether the development of socialization is innate, and conducted by the environment in the growing process, or the result of the interaction of both aspects. If socialization is the result of the interaction with the environment or is an acquired developmental process, the following question rises. "Is there a 'critical period' for the development of socialization?" Although there are a huge number of studies seeking for treatment and solutions for developmental delay or deficits of socialization, it is very complicated question to answer. Historical figures such as 'Hugh Blair' of Borgue in England, and 'the wild boy of Aveyron' in France, seem to have innate socialization deficits. Nowadays patients with non-verbal learning disorder, social communication disorder, or autism spectrum disorder seem to have genetic defects. On the other hand, Harry Harlow's monkey experiments, hikikomori of Japan, Romanian orphans and patients with reactive attachment disorder seem to display social deficits due to environmental factors. However, it is not easy to clearly draw a line between innate or acquired factors. Therefore, rather than subdividing the diseases for etiological and pathophysiological approach to heterogenous groups with the common denominator of social deficit, and for the research of pathophysiology and treatment development, the authors suggest a comprehensive concept of "social dysfunction spectrum."

Anxiety disorders are characterized by dysregulation of neuroendocrine, neurotransmitter and neuroanatomical functions. Substantial advances in research method offered new insights into the neurobiologic mechanisms in anxiety disorders. Advances in molecular biology have enabled illumination of hormone and neurotransmitters that have important roles in anxiety. The neuroanatomic circuits related to anxiety are also being elucidated by improvements in neuroimaging technology such as structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging. This article reviews the research data in relation to the neurobiology underlying fear and pathologic anxiety and discusses their implications for development of biological treatments for anxiety disorders.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of attachment security, social support and health-related burden in the prediction of psychological distress and the mediation effects of social support and health-related burden in relationship between attachment security and psychological distress. Methods Finally, 161 patients were included for the analysis. Chi-square test and independent samples t-test were used for comparing differences between depressive/anxious group and non-depressive/non-anxious group. For evaluating the relationship among attachment security, social support, psychological distress and health-related burden, structural equation modeling analysis were performed. Results 40.7% and 32.0% of the patients have significant depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, respectively. In the analysis for testing the differences between groups who have psychological distress and who have not, there were no significant differences of sociodemographic factors and medical characteristics between groups, except for association between depressive symptoms and type of surgery (p = 0.01). Contrary to sociodemographic and medical characteristics, there were significant differences of health-related burden and two coping resources (attachment security and social support) between groups (all p < 0.01), except for the support from medical team in between anxious group and non-anxious group (p = 0.20). In the structural equation model analysis (Model fit : chi-square/df ratio = 0.8, root mean square error of approximation = 0.000, comparative fit index = 1.000, non-normed fit index =0.991), attachment security and social support emerged as an important predictor of psychopathology. Conclusions Attachment security and social support are important factors affecting the psychological distress. We suggest that individual attachment style and the social support state must be considered to approach the newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with psychological distress.

Objectives Prenatal testosterone is known to influence both cerebral laterality and 2nd to 4th digit ratio (2D : 4D). Epigenetic changes are thought to play some role in it. We studied sex-related differences between 2D : 4D and cerebral laterality in patients with schizophrenia and controls to examine the effects of prenatal testosterone in the development of schizophrenia. Methods Forty one men (18 schizophrenic patients and 23 controls) and 40 women (17 schizophrenic patients and 23 controls) were recruited from one psychiatric hospital in Korea. The 2D : 4D and electroencephalographic (EEG) coherence in 19 channels (66 pairs of interhemispheric coherence and 54 pairs of intrahemispheric coherence) were measured. The sex-related statistical analyses between 2D : 4D and EEG coherence in controls and patients with schizophrenia were performed using multiple regression. Results In male patients, the relationship between 2D : 4D and right intrahemispheric EEG coherence showed mainly positive correlation in delta and theta frequency bands, while it showed negative correlation in male controls. In female patients, the relationship between 2D : 4D and interhemispheric EEG coherence showed stronger positive correlation in alpha and beta frequency bands, while it showed weaker positive correlation in female controls. Conclusions Low prenatal testosterone may play certain roles in altered correlation between 2D : 4D and cerebral laterality in schizophrenia and the development of schizophrenia by epigenetic mechanism.

Objectives This study aims to investigate possible associations between proneness toward smartphone addiction and certain psychopathological variables to evaluate the psychopathological meaning of smartphone addiction. Methods Questionnaires were assigned to 755 adults between September and November 2012. We used the Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11 (BIS-11). Subjects were classified into two groups according to the scores of the SAPS ; the addiction proneness group and the normal-user group. Results The addiction proneness group had significantly higher scores than the normal-user group in the BDI, BAI, OCI-R, and BIS-11. The scores of the SAPS were positively correlated with the scores of the BDI, BAI, OCI-R, and BIS-11. Using logistic regression analysis, smartphone addiction proneness showed a significant association with BIS-11. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that smartphone addiction proneness may be associated with depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and impulsivity. Furthermore, impulsivity could be a vulnerability marker for smartphone addiction proneness.

Objectives Sensory gating dysfunctions in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have been investigated through two similar methods ; P50 suppression and prepulse inhibition paradigms. However, recent studies have demonstrated that the two measures are not correlated but rather constitute as distinct neural processes. Recent studies adopting spectral frequency analysis suggest that P50 suppression reflects the interaction between gamma and other frequency bands. The aim of the present study is to investigate which frequency component shows more significant interaction with gamma band. Methods A total of 108 mood disorder patients and 36 normal subjects were included in the study. The P50 responses to conditioning and test stimuli with an intra-pair interval of 500 msec were measured in the study population. According to P50 ratio (amplitude to the test stimulus/amplitude to the conditioning stimulus), the subjects with P50 ratio less than 0.2 were defined as suppressed group (SG) ; non-suppressed group (NSG) consisted of P50 ratio more than 0.8. Thirty-five and 25 subjects were included in SG and NSG, respectively. Point-to-point correlation coefficients (PPCCs) of both groups were calculated between two time-windows : the first window (S1) was defined as the time-window of one hundred millisecond after the conditioning auditory stimulus and the second window (S2) was defined as the time-window of 100 msec after the test auditory stimulus. Spectral frequency analysis was performed to investigate which frequency band results in the difference of PPCC between SG and NSG. Results Significant reduction of PPCC between S1 and S2 was observed in the SG (Pearson's r = 0.24), compared to PPCC of the NSG (r = 0.58, p < 0.05). In spectral frequency analysis, gamma band showed "phase-reset" and similar responses after the two auditory stimuli in suppressed and non-suppressed group. However in the case of alpha band, comparison showed significantly low PPCC in SG (r = -0.14) compared to NSG (r = 0.36, p < 0.05). This may be reflecting "phase-out" of alpha band against gamma band at approximately 50 msecs after the test stimulus in the SG. Conclusions Our study suggests that normal P50 suppression is caused by phase-out of alpha band against gamma band after the second auditory stimulus. Thus it is demonstrated that normal sensory gating process is constituted with attenuated alpha power, superimposed on consistent gamma response. Implications of preserved gamma and decreased alpha band in sensory gating function are discussed.

Objectives It was the aim to examine the association of the thyroid-related hormones with cognitive function, depression, and subjective memory impairment in community-dwelling elders with questionable dementia. Methods The sample consisted of 399 community residents with 'questionable dementia' aged 60 or over in whom serum thyroid-related hormones [thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine] had been assayed. Cognitive impairment was defined using the Korean version of the Consortium Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease. Depression was diagnosed using the Korean version of Geriatric Depression Scale and subjective memory complaint (SMC) was checked using the subjective memory complaints questionnaire (SMCQ). Age, gender, education, and the presence of apolipoprotein E {\varepsilon}4 were included as covariates. Results There was a significant positive association between verbal fluency test (VFT) score and serum TSH levels (p = 0.01). There was a significant negative association between SMCQ total score and word list memory test (WLMT)(p = 0.002) or word list recall test (WLRT) score (p = 0.013). Conclusions Lower serum TSH levels were associated with semantic memory (VFT), and we found that SMC was associated with episodic memory (WLMT and WLRT) in this sample.