• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.437-441
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• 2010

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS) are rare, life-threatening mucocutaneous -diseases, usually attributable to drugs and infections. Corticosteroids have been used in the management of TEN for the last 30 years. This remains controversial and is still much debated. TEN can occur despite administration of high doses of systemic corticosteroids. The psychiatric side effects of corticosteroids can include headache, insomnia, depression, and mood disorders with or without psychotic episodes. Steroid-induced psychosis is dealt with by tapering or discontinuing the steroid; antipsychotics are also sometimes used. We report a case of an 11-year-old boy who was admitted with TEN. He had also been diagnosed as having nephrotic syndrome in the past. Remission was achieved through induction therapy and by maintaining the use of steroids. After a full-dose intravenous dexamethasone for TEN, he showed psychotic symptoms. We diagnosed him as having steroid-induced psychosis. We tapered the steroid use and initiated an atypical antipsychotic medication, olazapine and intravenous immunoglobulin (IV-IG). His symptoms dramatically improved and he was discharged.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.112-119
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• 2012

Objectives : Delirium is a disorder defined as a sudden disturbance in thinking, speaking, acting and sleep pattern due to altered level of consciousness and cognitive function. The objective of this study is to analyze characteristics and therapeutic methods of the delirious patients during the recent 5 years, and provide basic data for further studies and investigation regarding delirium in the occurrence and treatment. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 475 patients who were consulted for delirium in Kyunghee University Medical Center from January 2007 to December 2011. Results : During the 5 years, among the 475 patients who were diagnosed as delirium, men were more common(61.7%). The most commonly consulted reason and cause were sleep disturbance(80.8%) and post-operational delirium(30.9%), respectively. The medication prescription percentage was 76.6% and was significantly increased year after year. Ratio of using antipsychotics were 76.4% among prescribed medication and the most frequently prescribed antipsychotic drug was quetiapine(46.8%). Other specialists commonly misdiagnosed delirium when the patient was previously diagnosed as dementia(6.8%). Conclusions : In our study, post-operational delirium was the most commonly referred reason and the percentage of medication prescription tended to increase. Patients with history of dementia were more easily misdiagnosed as diseases other than delirium. Our study suggests that we should evaluate symptoms, causes, reasons of consultation, management tendency of delirium. We should also closely observe changes in sleep patterns and establish the prevention strategies for post-operational delirium and therapeutic bases for pharmacotherapy.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2002

The social attention about disaster psychiatry was increased after 911 terror in New York. The role of child psychiatrist and specific consideration for the treatment of child victim in disaster were reviewed. The following were main points. 1) The most single determining factor of prognosis is supporting system and parental attitude to their child victim. So family therapy and parental eucation are needed. 2) Cognitive Behavior Therapy is known to the most effective treatment in many literature. 3) Brief group therapy with fellow victim is cost effective preventive methods and screening tool for more serious victim, 4) Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing(EMDR) could be a very amazing method in reducing repetative horrible traumatic image. 5) Many kinds of drug using in adult are considered with caution.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2004

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether longitudinal changes in positive and negative symptoms affect cognitive functioning in chronic schizophrenia. Methods: Sixty-eight patients diagnosed with DSM-IV schizophrenia were examined on two occasions over 6 months for symptoms and cognitive changes. Symptoms were measured by PANSS. Cognitive functions were examined for sustained attention, executive function, concentration and attention, and verbal memory and learning using Degraded Stimulus Continuous Performance Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Digit Span, and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, respectively. Twenty control subjects were assessed to compare the cognitive scores of remitted schizophrenic patients. Results: Patients showed significant improvement in symptoms and all cognitive tests after 6 months treatments. Significant improvements in positive and negative symptoms did not predict improvements in any aspect of cognitive functioning measured. Normal controls performed significantly better than remitted schizophrenic patients on all cognitive tests. The results show no relationship between change in symptoms and change in cognition in chronic schizophrenia. Conclusion: We suggest that symptomatic and cognitive impairment may be a distinct construct. These findings highlight the importance of treating cognitive impairment in addition to the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 2003

Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) is the most common psychiatric disorder of childhood and among the most prevalent chronic health conditions affecting school-aged children. Children with ADHD experience significant functional problems, such as school difficulties, academic underachievement, troublesome interpersonal relationships with family members and peers, and low self-esteem. The most widely used pharmacological treatments for ADHD are psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine salts. These medications provide clinical efficacy by increasing the availability of catecholamines, primarily dopamine, in the frontal lobe of the brain. immediate-release(IR) formulations of sychostimulants were among the most effective psychotrophic medications in the psychopharmacological treatment. However, there are some limitations of IR formulations：the short half-life and duration of efficacy, which result in the need for multiple daily dosing and the poor compliance. These limitations have led to the development of once-daily, extended-release(ER) formulations of methylphenidate and amphetamine salts. However, these ER formulations may not be as immediately helpful to ADHD children due to delayed onset of action and the acute tolerance which is the failure to sustain the efficacy with the same concentration of drug as the initial stage of medication. OROS-methylphenidate(Concerta$^{\circledR}$) given once a day produces an ascending-pattern plasma drug level generated by the osmotically released, timed drug-delivery system. These new formulations of the psychostimulants have been shown to be a useful alternative to old stimulant medications through the evidence by the clinical trials.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2003

The autistic disorder is identified as an independent clinical entity, since the first description of Leo Kanner. The etiologies of the autistic disorder are almost unclear and the autistic disorder has several abnormalities in aspect of morphology and function of brain. Self-mutilation is observed in the low functioning autistic patients, and early treatment for self mutilation are needed in order not to be chronic. This article reviewed the drugs for the several symptoms of the autistic disorder, especially for self-mutilation. The serotonin reuptake inhibitors does not have clear primary anti-aggressive effects. The dopamine blockers have considerable effects in order to decrease aggression and self injury, and the risperidone is most recommended because of side effects of conventional drugs. The naltrextone does not have consistent study results yet. The clonidine has aggression-decreasing effect. Also lithium is effective on the treatment for aggressive and self-injurious behaviors. And the anticonvulsants including carbamazepine are effective on aggressive explosive behaviors. In the future the pharmacotherapy for self-mutilation will be advanced through stalbe diagnosis and measurement of treatment response.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.44-51
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• 2003

Objectives: Antidepressants are frequently associated with sexual dysfunction. Especially, there were few report of sexual dysfunction related with venlafaxine and mirtazapine in Korea. The purpose of this survey was to evaluate the frequency and nature of sexual dysfunction related with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs), venlafaxine and mirtazapine by the use of specific questionaires. Methods: In one hundred twenty two patients, sexual dysfunction was investigated cross-sectionally by using The questionaires for sexual dysfunction, which includes questions about decreased libido, delayed orgasm or ejaculation, premature ejaculation or orgasm, absence of orgasm or ejaculation, erectile dysfunction in men/vaginal lubrication dysfunction in women, sexual pain and patient's tolerance of the sexual dysfunction. BDI was also measured. Sexual dysfunction was analyzed in association with the duration and the dose of medications and the severity of depression. Results: The incidence of sexual dysfunction during antidepressants use in our survey was 37.7%. There were no difference of incidence in sexes(p=.746). In comparison of paroxetine, venlafaxine and mirtazapine, there were no significant differences of the incidence(p=.065) and the severity of any type of sexual dysfunction. Conclusion: Although there were no significant differences of sexual dysfunction in our survey, sexual dysfunction may be closely associated with antidepressants. Further prospective study of sexual dysfunction should be needed.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2008

Objective : Due to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the relative limitations in the treatment of patients with PTSD, a variety of medications and treatment algorithms for PTSD have been investigated. This study was conducted to investigate the trends in the pharmacotherapy used in the treatment of inpatients with PTSD at a single university hospital in Korea. Methods : Data from 75 patients diagnosed with PTSD according to the DSM-IV criteria from January 1998 to December 2007 were collected. Demographic data and clinical data, including medications prescribed, were investigated. Results : Thirty-three of the 75 subjects included in this study were male, and 42 were female. Considering psychiatric comorbidity, depressive disorder, cognitive disorder, psychotic disorder and anxiety disorder were reported in order. Approximately 97% of the subjects were treated with antidepressants, including paroxetine in 54.7%, and 24% of the subjects were treated with two different kinds of antidepressants. In addition, atypical antipsychotics were prescribed in 33.3% of patients, mood stabilizers in 17.3%, and anxiolytics in 94.7% of the subjects. Conclusion : In our study, various kinds of antidepressants were prescribed for most patients with PTSD. Antipsychotics and mood stabilizers were added to the treatment regimens of some subjects, and anxiolytics were added to the treatment regimens of most subjects. Despite its many limitations, this study shows the prescription pattern and trends in PTSD treatment in Korea. We hope that these preliminary data would be helpful for the development and integration of a practical guideline for the treatment of PTSD in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2005

Objectives: This clinical study investigates the status of psychiatric consultation from 2001 to 2003 at Maryknoll General Hospital, located in Busan to evaluate the characteristic patterns of current psychiatric consultation and to contribute for further data of consultation study. Methods : The subjects of this study were hospitalized at Maryknoll General Hospital from 1 January, 2001 to 31 December, 2003, who were referred for psychiatric consultation during hospitalization. This study was analysed demographic data, reason for referral, psychiatric diagnosis by patient's chart and psychiatrist's report retrospectively. Results : 1) The psychiatric consultation rates was 1.72%. 2) There was 47.8% in referral among the age group over 60 years, especially the age group over 70 years was 20.3%. 3) The most frequent referral source was department of internal medicine(72.5%). 4) The frequency of psychiatric consultation was the highest at March and the lowest at December. 5) The reasons of psychiatric consultation, according to frequency, were affective change, somatic symptom without abnormal finding. And drug intoxication. alcohol problem were increased. 6) Somatoform disorder was the most common psychiatric diagnosis followed by depressive disorder, organic mental disorder. The diagnosis of somatoform disorder, depressive disorder, alcohol dependence were increased, but anxiety disorder, organic mental disorder were decreased. 7) Pharmacotherapy was the most recommendation, and diagnostic procedure and psychotherapy were increased. Conclusion : In review of consultation referral subjects, the referral rate was 1.72%. The consultation referral of the old(over 60 years) was 42.8%, and annually increased. The most frequent request source was from department of internal medicine. The reasons of consultation referral was the most due to affect change. The recommendation of pharmacotherapy was the most numerous. and psychotherapy was increased annually. Further studies warranted on geriatric psychiatric consultation, pattern change of consultation.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.167-176
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• 2007

Objectives:A considerable number of pharmacogenetic studies have been performed in recent years to define the association of antipsychotic drug response with dopamine receptor polymorphisms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the therapeutic response to antipsychotic drugs and the polymorphisms of the dopamine D2, D3, and D4 receptor genes(DRD2, DRD3 and DRD4, respectively). Methods:We conducted retrospective chart review of 200 consecutively hospitalized patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia(DSM-IV) who were treated with various antipsychotics(94% atypical antipsychotics) at Bugok National Hospital, Korea. The patients were divided into two groups, responders and non-responders, by responsiveness to antipsychotic drugs according to a four-point scale used in previous studies; responders included moderate to marked responded patients and non-responders included none to minimal responded patients. We analyzed the Ser311Cys polymorphism in the DRD2, the Ser9Gly polymorphism in the DRD3, and the exon III 48 bp repeat polymorphism in the DRD4. Results:Among the total patients of 200, 141(70.5%) were categorized as responders. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of the DRD2, DRD3, and DRD4 alleles and genotypes between responders and non-responders. Conclusion:These results suggest that the Ser311Cys polymorphism in the DRD2, the Ser9Gly polym- orphism in the DRD3, and the exon III 48bp repeat polymorphism in the DRD4 are not associated with the therapeutic response to antipsychotic drugs in Korean schizophrenic patients. A larger prospective study is needed to elucidate the association between antipsychotic response and dopamine receptor gene polymorphism.