• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2005

Purpose : Obesity is, along with metabolic syndrome, closely related with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This study tried to evaluate the prevalence of nonalcoholic liver disease in obese children and verify the factors associated with the disease. Methods : Two hundred and seventy nine children who showed a body mass index of 95 percentile over the baseline in health examinations of surrounding schools were evaluated. Questionnaires, body measurements, blood examinations, and ultrasonographic measurements of abdominal fat were examined. Results : Out of 279 children enrolled for the study, 27 children were found to possess nonalcoholic liver disease(9.7%). Among those found to be positive for nonalcoholic liver disease, it's prevalence increased to 15.2%(22 out of 144 children) among children with severe obesity. Factors known to be involved with metabolic syndrome, namely waist/hip circumference ratio and thickness of abdominal fat, were found to be closely related to nonalcoholic fatty liver as well. Conclusion : The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver in obese children was 9.7%, with higher incidence observable in severer obesity. Factors responsible for metabolic syndrome were closely associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and the level of insulin resistance, which is an useful index in both diseases, can be utilized in evaluation of the effect of treatment and control of risk factors.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 2017

Objectives : The aim of this study was to draw attention toward so called 'behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia(bvFTD) phenocopy syndrome', which is difficult to discriminate with the primary psychiatric disorders, showing poor response to conventional therapeutic drugs, leading to higher risk to misdiagnoses and legal problems. Furthermore, the author insisted that our interest and study on them must be continued. Methods : English articles published during 2000 thru 2016 had been searched by internet with the combination of words such as 'frontotemporal', 'phenocopy' and 'behavioral', and reviewed. Besides, two clinical vignettes were described. Results : Precise diagnosis is important because patients' behavioral symptoms can influence on their families and community. However, disease-modifying treatment for bvFTD are not developed until now, and recent therapeutic drugs are only good for specific symptoms, while deterioration progresses in spite of proper psychiatric management. The possible bvFTD patients are not progressed into probable bvFTD clinically, showing no decline of cogntive and social function, no decrease of activity function, longer survival time, and normal neuroimaging for several years. Conclusions : Rather than expected, there are much more patients having clinical symptoms, course and diagnostic findings including neuroimaging, which are atypical to classical frontotemporal dementia and primary psychiatric disorders. If our knowledge and discriminating ability is improved, discovery rate of that cases will be increased. However, the identity of these atypical features are not clarified until now, it must be further actively investigated.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2018

Objectives : The aims of this study were to investigate the psychopathology in adolescents with internalizing disorder using the self-report version of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-SR) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for adolescents (MMPI-A), and to explore the complementarity between these two inventories for diagnostic assessment. Methods : Ninety-one patients aged 13-17 were divided into two groups by clinical diagnosis, 44 with internalizing disorder and 47 comparison group with other disorders. The data of SDQ-SR and MMPI-A completed by them were analyzed for the ability to predict internalizing disorder. Results : The logistic regression analysis revealed that diagnostic predictability increased by 2.27 times with every 1 point of SDQ-SR emotional symptom score increment. Comparison of ROC curves for internalizing disorders showed that the SE and SP of SDQ-SR emotional symptom with score over 4 was 88.94 and 78.72, respectively. For A-anx of MMPI-A with score over 56, SE and SP was 77.27 and 74.47, respectively. However, combination of these scales could not enhance the predictability of diagnostic classification more than that of SDQ-SR emotional symptom alone. Conclusions : Emotional symptom scale of SDQ-SR and A-anx, A-aln, A and INTR of MMPI-A should be important subscales for diagnosing the internalizing disorder of adolescents, however, which needs to be examined further with a larger sample size including normal control group.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2005

Objectives : This study looked at the symptoms of alexithymia in schizophrenia and their association with clinical variables and schizophrenic symptomatology. Methods Consecutive fifty eight inpatients with DSM-IV diagnoses of schizophrenia completed 26item version of Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised(SCL-90-R), and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS). Results : Authors did not find any correlation between scores of PANSS and TAS. However, all the subscale scores of SCL-90-R were significantly correlated with total score of TAS. Also, 'difficulty identifying and deistinguishing between feelings and bodily sensations' and 'difficulty describing feelings' significantly correlated with SCL-90-R subscale scores. 'Reduced daydreaming' had mixed findings and 'externally oriented thinking' did not correlate. Multiple regression model included Global Severity Index of SCL-90-R accounting 28.2% of variance for TAS scores. Conclusion : These findings together with discrepancy in results between objective and subjective tests suggest that alexithymia in schizophrenia may have two constructs, 'difficulty to describe and communicate feelings(state)' and 'externally oriented thinking(trait)' Authors suggest further study needs to confirm construct validity of TAS in this population.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2014

Objectives : Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD) represent significant clinical problems, resulting in functional decline, caregiver distress, institutionalization and increased mortality. A recent study showed gender differences have important role in the development of BPSD, but relationship between BPSD and gender has never been studied in Korea. This study was designed to examine whether patients with Alzheimer's disease show gender differences in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD). Methods : Ninety-eight subjects with Alzheimer's disease were included in this study. We carried out history taking and cognitive assessment for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease based on DSM-IV. Cognitive impairment and BPSD were measured using the Mini Mental State Examination(MMSE), Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR) and the Korean Neuropsychiatric Inventory(K-NPI). Independent samples t-test was used to examine the differences across gender in BPSD. Correlation analysis between MMSE, CDR, GDS and NPI was performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results : There were no significant gender differences between the gender in BPSD. We found statistically significant negative correlations between MMSE with NPI total score, and with scores of several sub-domains such as hallucination. Conclusions : This study showed that gender differences in BPSD are not significant. Further research is necessary to identify whether BPSD affect gender differences or individual differences.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 2017

Objectives : The aims of present study was to investigate clinical characteristics of male patients with eating disorders. Methods : The present study included 32 male patients with eating disorders and 75 female patients with eating disorders, recruited from an eating disorders specialized clinic in a university hospital, Seoul, Korea. We compared clinical characteristics of eating disorders and comorbid conditions of depression and anxiety between men and women with eating disorders. Correlations between eating disorders psychopathology in men with eating disorders and their weight suppression(WS) were investigated. Results : There was no difference in age at presentation, age of onset, illness duration, and body mass index at presentation between genders. Male patients with eating disorders had higher rates of premorbid overweight or obesity than female patients with eating disorders had. WS in the male patients was associated with the severity of their eating disorders. Conclusions : The present study provides grounds for improved understanding for clinical features of eating disorders in males.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.308-324
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to develop and construct the elements of a new evaluation tool to assess the effectiveness of a horticultural therapy. Delphi method was applied to classify the realms of evaluation and specify their components and constituting items. Delphi process was performed through three rounds and 24 professionals attended all the rounds as panel members. Some of the items were revised or removed according to the results of such tests as content validity ratio, agreement rate, convergency and stability of each item. On the contrary, a few new items were added by accepting the opinions of the professional panels. Previous to the Delphi, the realms of evaluation were classified into physical, cognitional, psycho-emotional and social ones on the basis of literature review, professionals' consultation and in-depth interview with practitioners. At the first round, 112 items constituting four realms were reviewed. The numbers of items to be reviewed were reduced to 107 at the second round and to 102 at the third round. As a result, 98 items in 4 realms were decided as proper evaluation points of horticultural therapy. The compositions of the four respective realms are as follows: 5 components and 27 items in physical realm; 4 components and 25 items in cognitional realm; 2 components and 24 items in psycho-emotional realm; and 4 components and 22 items in social realm. These realms, components and specific items derived from this study constitute indices to evaluate the effectiveness of horticultural therapy. In addition, they might be utilized as good guidelines for planning horticultural therapy programs.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2007

Anumber of prior studies have reported eye movement dysfunction in patients with dementia. The eye movement test which is non-invasive can evaluate the local brain function quantitatively. Therefore, it can be a useful method for characterizing regional brain abnormalities of patients with dementia. The aim of this paper is to review the literatures on eye movement abnormalities in dementia patients. Saccade system dysfunctions in Alzheimer disease include increased latency, reduced accuracy, and increased antisaccade error rates. Patients with frontotemporal dementia showed impaired reflexive saccade inhibition and increased latency and errors of antisaccade task. And delayed initiation of voluntary saccades, slow saccades, and increased errors and latency on antisaccade task were found in Huntington's disease. Patients with Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies have characteristics of impaired in both reflexive saccade execution and complex saccade performance. However, there were few reports of abnormal eye movements in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; they could be found at the later stages after symptoms of dementia came to be evident, and secondary to cerebellar and vestibular involvement. Slowing of saccades and hypometric saccades might precede the supranuclear limitation of vertical gaze in PSP. Dysfunction of voluntary eyelid movements was a characteristic finding of PSP as well. In conclusion, patients with dementia can show various abnormal eye movements and they are related with cortial and subcortical brain dysfunctions. The research on localization of brain relevant to each symptom can promise more clinical implications of eye movement of dementia.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.140-148
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• 2013

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship of being from low-income families on children's behavior problems and obesity. Methods: The research design was a descriptive survey study, and the participants were 197 children from low-income families who took part in activities at a local children's center. They were selected through convenience sampling. The participants completed a questionnaire, BASC-2 (Behavior Assessment System for Children). Results: The results are as follows: 22.3% had obesity, a rate higher than that of children in general. Further, 37.3% had attention deficit problems, 33.8% had problems adapting to school and 49% had other adaption problem. There was a gender-specific difference with respect to all of the behavior problems. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate a lack of an identified child policy for behavior problems and health, and suggest a need for various programs and policies which could lead to development of behavior screening programs for children from low-income families.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.41-60
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• 2005

Objective : The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of acupuncture therapy on the premenstrual syndrome. Methods : Volunteers of twenty subjects were employed using DRSP questionnaire. Subjects were divided into two groups including active-acupuncture treatment group, placebo acupuncture treatment group. In the control group, subjects were needled at $SI_5$, $ST_{40}$ points and in the acupuncture group, subjects were stimulated at two basic points, $SP_6$ and $CV_6$, and several points were inserted additionally depending the symptoms including $LR_2$, $LR_3$, $SP_10$, $LI_4$, and $ST_3$. A total of 13 acupuncture sessions were performed for each patient depending on the individual menstruation cycle over 8 weeks. Concentration of blood progesterone was examined and Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) was taken before and after acupuncture treatment.