• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.145-158
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the visuo-spatial attention ability and the emotional perception ability of people across the normal range of the scores on the bipolar disorder scale. The Korean version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ) was used to measure the bipolar disorder tendency of normal people. A useful field of view (UFOV) task and an emotional perception task were used to measure visuo-spatial attention and emotional perception ability, respectively. The participants did not have any mental illness history or other medical problems. The participants were divided into three groups according to K-MDQ score (low, normal, and high), and their performances were compared. In the UFOV task, the high K-MDQ score group had lower level of performance than the other groups, suggesting that a high bipolar tendency is associated with reduction of visuo-spatial attention ability. In the emotional perception task, the group with the high K-MDQ score showed higher perception of negative emotion bias than the other groups, suggesting a high bipolar tendency to associate with reduction of emotional perception ability. These results suggest that visuo-spatial and emotional attention abilities are related with bipolar disorder tendency even in the normal population.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2010

Objectives：Authors hypothesized that bipolar tendency of non-psychiatric person would be associated with stress vulnerability. To test the hypothesis, we compared perceived stress level, Type A Behavioral Pattern (TABP) and unhealthy lifestyle between person with and without bipolar tendency. Methods：The study cohort consisted of 1987 subjects without past and current psychiatric history. In this study, bipolar tendency was determined by MDQ response which requires endorsement of at least 7 of the 13 "yes or no" questions. We compared the scores of Perceived Stress Scale, A/B lifestyle questionnaire, and unhealthy lifestyle(alcohol, smoking, lack of exercise, irregular meal) between MDQ positive and negative respondents. Results：We identified the bipolar tendency group determined by the MDQ positive response were 329 subjects(16.6%). The overall score of the bipolar tendency group was significantly high on the A/B lifestyle questionnaire compared to the non-bipolar tendency group(125.4 vs. 115.9, p<0.001), and the rate of the subjects defined as TABP was also significantly high(41.3% vs. 30.1%, p<0.001). In comparison of subjectively perceived stress level, the bipolar tendency group was observed to be significantly higher than the non-bipolar tendency group (18.5% vs. 16.5%, p<0.001). The bipolar tendency group was significantly higher than the non-bipolar tendency group on the rate of answering：'irregular eating habit' (20.1% vs. 14.3%, p=0.002), '4-or-more-times alcohol intake per week' (29.8% vs. 16.5%, p<0.001), 'currently smoking' (41.9% vs. 23.0%, p<0.001), '2-or-less-times physical exercises per week' (63.2% vs. 55.1%, p=0.007). Conclusion：By clinical diagnosis, even a person who does not meet the criteria of bipolar disorder has a high risk of stress-related behavioral pattern, and perceived stress when possessing bipolar tendencies such as the (hypo) maniac tendency or affective instability. Such individual has significantly higher risk of having unhealthy life-style such as smoking, drinking, irregular eating habit and lack of exercise compared to non-bipolar tendency group. Since these risk factors lead to increase the risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, the individual with the bipolar tendency requires a more effort to manage stress and to maintain healthy lifestyle.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2014

Objectives : This study was to assess the prevalence and its correlates of restless legs syndrome(RLS) in outpatients with bipolar disorder. Methods : A total of 100 clinical stabilized bipolar outpatients were examined. The presence of RLS and its severity were assessed using the International Restless Legs Sydrome Study Group(IRLSSG) diagnostic criteria. Beck's Depression Inventory(BDI), Spielberg's State Anxiety Inventory(STAI-X-1), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI), Korean version Drug Attitude Inventory(KDAI-10), Subjective Well-Beings under Neuroleptic Treatment Scale-Short Form(SWN-K) and Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale(BARS) were used to evaluate the depressive symptomatology, level of anxiety, subjective quality of sleep, subjective feeling of well-being, drug attitude, presence of akathisia, respectively. Results : Of the 100 bipolar outpatients, 7(7%) were met to full criteria of IRLSSG and 36(36%) have at least one of the 4 IRLSSG criterion. Because of relatively small sample size, non-parametric analysis were done to compare the characteristics among 3 groups(full-RLS, 1 ${\geq}$positive RLS-symptom and Non-RLS). There were no significant differences in sex, age, and other sociodemographic and clinical data among 3 groups. BDI, STAI-X-1 and PSQI are tended to be impaired in RLS and 1 ${\geq}$positive RLS-symptom groups. Conclusions : This is the first preliminary study for studying the prevalence and its correlates of RLS in bipolar disorder. The results shows that relatively small proportion of RLS was present in bipolar disorder patients when compared to patients with schizophrenia. Same tendencies shown in schizophrenic patients were found that bipolar patients with RLS had more depressive symptoms, state anxiety and poor subjective sleep quality. Further systematic studies may be needed to find the characteristics of RLS in bipolar patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2015

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the factors including possibility of bipolar disorder that are related to intensity of suicidal idea. Methods : The study subjects consisted of 50 patients who did suicidal attempt and treated at the Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital Emergency Room. All participants underwent psychiatric interview and underwent Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale(C-SSRS), Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), Korean Version of Mood Disorder Questionnaire(MDQ) and Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale(BSDS) to evaluate patient's suicide attempt, severity of depression and possibility of bipolar disorder. Results : Compared to non-high risk group, suicide high risk group showed significantly higher BDI(p<0.001) and intensity of ideation(IOI) in C-SSRS(p<0.001). Also intensity of ideation(IOI) was correlated with Mood Disorder Questionnaire(MDQ) bipolarity positive(p=0.033). Conclusions : The present study indicated that possibility of bipolar disorder plays a significant role in suicide attempters. Assessment of suicide ideation severity and possibility of bipolar disorder should be considered when suicide attempters come to emergency room.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 1997

Objective : Accumulating evidence suggests a greater number of subcortical hyperintensities in the brain of patients with bipolar disorder. We studied the Clinical correlates of subcortical hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Bipolar Disorder : Methods : Magnetic resonance images of the brain were obtained for 32 patients with bipolar disorder. The presence and location of hyperintensities were assessed. We compared clinical variables between patients with subcortical hyperintensities and patients without them. Results : Seven patients(21.8%) had subcortical hyperintensities, but among 8 patients who were 40 years or older, 5 patients(62%) had them. Age and age at onset of patients with subcortical hyperintensities were significantly older than patients without them. Psychotic symptoms were more frequent in patients with hyperintensities. Patients without hyperintensities had more familial loadings. Conclusion : Given the limitations of the study, our results should be seen as preliminary. This study, however, provides preliminary evidence supporting the notion that the onset, clinical feature and course of some bipolar disorders of late onset may be determined by underlying subcortical abnormalities, with such abnormalities being the consequence of factors related to aging or neurodegeneration(such as impaired cerebral circulation) rather than genetic factors which predispose to early-onset bipolar disorders.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2014

Objectives The current study investigated the putative relationship between chronotype and suicidality or bipolarity in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Method Nineteen outpatients who met the criteria for MDD according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-text revision were recruited for the current study. The subjects were divided into two subgroups based on their Basic Language Morningness (BALM) scores (dichotomized according to the median BALM score). The Loudness Dependence of Auditory Evoked Potentials (LDAEP) was evaluated by measuring the auditory event-related potentials before beginning medication with serotonergic agents. In addition, K-Mood Disorder Questionaire (K-MDQ), Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) were applied. Results The K-MDQ, BSS, BHS, BIS score was higher for the eveningness group than for the morningness group. However, the LDAEP, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale scores did not differ significantly between them. There were negative correlations between the total BALM score and the total K-MDQ, BSS, and BHS scores (r=-0.64 and p=0.0033, r=-0.61 and p=0.0055, and r=-0.72 and p=0.00056, respectively). Conclusions Depressed patients with eveningness are more vulnerable to the suicidality than those with morningness. Eveningness is also associated with bipolarity.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.256-262
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• 2001

Objective：The enlargement of the lateral ventricle is well established finding in adult-onset schizophrenia, but in the patients with early-onset psychotic disorder(EOPD) is still controversal. To identify structural abnormalities of the lateral ventricle in patients with EOPD and difference of the brain developmental course in EOPD group, planimetrical assessment of the lateral ventricle was conducted by means of retrospective quantitative neuroimaging. Methods：The brain MR images of 14 patients with EOPD(mean age $14.0{\pm}2.1$ years) who met the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and 24 control subjects with simple headache(mean age $10.0{\pm}2.1$ years) were collected. Single best view for the lateral ventricle, one axial slice was selected for analysis. MR images were redigitalized with flatbed scanner and data were analyzed with NIH IMAGE software. Results：In the patients with EOPD, there were significant correlations between aging and lateral ventricular sizes and between aging and ventricular brain ratio(VBR). The statistical significance of normal asymmetry of the lateral ventricle was not observed for the EOPD group. The EOPD group had larger lateral ventricular sizes and VBR than control group, but these results were not statistically significant. Conclusion：These findings suggest that the brain abnormalities in patients with EOPD progress from the earlier course of the disorders and the course of brain development in EOPD group is different from control group.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.257-265
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• 1995

The object of this study is to apply a chaotic signal analysis method to the EEG research, especially in the aspect of neuropsychiatry, and to get some inspection of the chaotic phenomena according to the brain sites and subjects. We have acquired 21 channel EEG data and one EOG according to the international 10-20 system and calculated the correlation dimension. The subject groups are schizophrenics, bipolar disorder, major depression and normal control. They were all awoke and eye-closed. We have found no distinctive features from our experiments except temporal regions have slightly higher correlation dimension. There is also no specific distinctions between groups. We conjecture that these results are mainly because the subjects were not well controlled. EEG dimension may change in accordance with to the age, sex, medication and the time data were selected to calculate. We have also considered some conditions for a better and more objective research of chaotic analysis to EEG research. Better conditioning and standardizing the calculation of correlation dimension is necessary for the application of the chaotic analysis to neuropsychiatry.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 2002

Objective:This study was performed to investigate the prescribing patterns of antimanic agents in the treatment of acute bipolar disorder inpatients in Korea from 1990 through 2000. The results will serve as the basic data for the practice guideline for the pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder patients in Korea. Method:Retrospective chart review of bipolar disorder inpatients of Soonchunhyang Medical Center in Seoul and Chun-An was conducted for each of the year 1990, 1995, and 2000. The following data are collected ; 1) demographic data, 2) history of bipolar disorder, 3) length of hospital stay, 4) detailed drug titration records of antimanic agents and antipsychotic agents. Results:During the last decade, the frequency of lithium monotherapy was decreased obviously. Instead, more than half of the patients in 2000 were on combination therapy of lithium and anticonvulsants. Lithiumvalproate combination was the preferred strategy and the use rate of carbamazepine has been decreased. In addition, most of the patients were given antipsychotic agents during the last 10 years. And recently, atypical antipsychotics were increasingly prescribed. These changes in the field of pharmacology of bipolar disorder have resulted neither in shorter hospital stays nor lower dosages of concurrent neuroleptics. Conclusions:The results indicate the trends in the prescribing of antimanic agents for the treatment of bipolar disorder in Korea across the past 10 years. Mostly, the change seems to correspond to the international practice guideline. More systematic research is needed to find out the clinical benefits of the anticonvulsants in the real practice of treatment of bipolar disorder.