• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.41-53
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• 1994

In 1944 Hans Asperger reported odd bizzare 400 children who showed autism like clinical symptoms but had higher intelligence and relatively intact speech function. He named these child 'autistic psychopathy'. Since them there were many controversial views about this syndrome. Some regards Asperger syndrome as the high functioning autism variant or preschizophrenic childhood condition or childhood form of schizoid personality disorder. Though there were still many controversy, recently ICD-10, DSM-IV accepted Asperger's syndrome as a distinct subtype of pervasive developmental disorder. The authors reviewed the history and conceptual changes of Asperger syndrome and summarized the interesting recent research findings. In addition, the authors argue that this syndrome has some linkage with autism and schizoid personality disorder and proposed that these is disorders do have common defect in social instinctual development.

• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2021

This study analyzed all medical institutions located in the Yeongbuk area of Gangwon Province by dividing the use of medical institutions by "including nursing hospitals" and "excluding nursing hospitals" from 2003 to 2017. As a result, high blood pressure, dementia, musculoskeletal diseases, small-scale mechanical diseases, and other diseases were accounted for in the use of hospitalization for the elderly (including nursing hospitals) in the Yeongbuk region. In the case of hospitalization use of the elderly population (excluding nursing hospitals), blood and circulation machine diseases, digestive and urinary system diseases, mental diseases, and other diseases, including high blood pressure, were shown in the order. Therefore, the treatment and health care of the elderly are very important, and the expansion of public health organizations is necessary to establish governance with local medical institutions, organizations, universities, etc. Based on this, health projects should be carried out at a preventive level to maintain a healthy life for senior citizens in Yeongbuk, Gangwon-do.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.155-164
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• 2022

Objectives : A growing body of evidence links type 2 diabetes (T2D) with a neurodegenerative disease (ND) such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between NDs and the development of T2D by comparing the incidence of T2D in a group of various NDs (ND group) and control group. Methods : A population-based 10-year follow-up study was conducted using the Korean National Health Information Database for 2002-2015. We used a retrospective cohort study design to investigate the association of ND with T2D occurrence. The study population included ND (n=8,814) and control (n=37,970) groups, all aged 60 years or over. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the risk of developing T2D as a function of time. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between ND and T2D. Results : T2D was developed in a significantly higher percentage of patients in the ND group (53.6%) than in the control group (44.7%). The ND group increased the risk of T2D (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.38-1.47). About one-third of patients in both groups were additionally diagnosed with another ND before the occurrence of T2D during a 10-year follow-up period. When compared to those who did not have another ND during the follow-up period, the incidence of T2D in those who were additionally diagnosed with another ND was higher in both the ND and control groups. Conclusions : The ND group had about 1.4 times higher risk of developing T2D than the control group. Our results showed a positive association between ND and T2D.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2018

Objectives : This study tried to explore the prevalence of chronic physical diseases in patients with schizophrenia and its effects on total medical costs. Methods : The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data in 2014-2015 was employed. Only the injuries and diseases, identically diagnosed 3 times or more as a major or minor injury and disease, were classified into chronic physical diseases to improve data accuracy. Total medical costs included out-of-pocket and insurer's costs from health care system perspective. Results : It was shown that 24.5%, 17.3% and 23.4% of schizophrenia patients had one, two and three or more chronic physical diseases, respectively. There was a high prevalence of not only metabolic, but also musculoskeletal, diseases in those patients. The amount of 2015 total medical costs of patients with schizophrenia in 2014 was about 1.08 trillion won. The factors affecting the costs included sex, age, number of chronic physical diseases, and health insurance status. Conclusions : It is considered that clinical practice guidelines based on personal diseases may not sufficiently solve the problems for comorbidities in schizophrenia patients. Accordingly, it should be required to develop models for new types of medical systems capable of treating and caring varied illnesses at the same time.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2002

Central pontine myelinolysis(CPM) and Extrapontine myelinolysis(EPM) are uncommon neurologic disorders associated with osmotic inequality between the extracellular fluid compartment and intracellular fluid compartment in the brain. Myelinolysis can occur in hyponatremia and after rapid correction of hyponatremia. It may be caused by various metabolic disturbances such as chronic alcoholism, malnourishment, cancer, chronic renal failure and organ transplantation. The authors reported a 43-year-old male patient who have received a kidney transplantation because of chronic renal failure due to diabetic nephropathy. The patient manifested psychotic symptoms such as delusion, loosened association, hallucination, inappropriate affect and aggressiveness as a sequele of CPM and EPM. He also showed neurocognitive impairment such as disorientation, memory impairment, decresed intelligence and aphasia. These manifestations are rare in CPM and EPM. We discuss the clinical features, diagnosis, course and management of the patient which may be clinically significant in the neuropsychiatric aspect especially at the consultation-liaison field.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.21-38
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• 2008

Objective: This study examined the use of mental health helping systems among college students in Korea. A behavioral model of health service utilization was applied to examine factors influencing different types of helping systems. Methods: A total of 454 college students from four universities participated in the survey. A self-administered questionnaire measuring help-seeking behaviors including formal health and mental health services, informal helping system, peer group, and family support was used. Results: Respondents frequently turn to family members and peer group when in need, and age, sex, mental Health status, and attitude and knowledge on mental illness were significant factors affecting help-seeking behaviors of Korean students. While older students and those with more severe symptoms were more likely to seek help from formal resources, students with more severe symptoms were less likely to seek help from informal resources. Male students and those with negative attitude toward mental illness were less likely to ask peer groups for help. Conclusions: Study results indicate that informal resources and peer groups can be significant sources of social support for individuals in their late adolescence and young adulthood, however, their role as gateways to professional help is limited. Student counseling centers should take on a more active role in reaching out; implications for developing peer leaders as counselors and self-help groups are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2021

Patients complaining with somatic symptoms are very common in clinical practice, and are often consulted to medical department. But it is difficult to treat well. The treatment of somatic symptom disorder is multi-modal as none of the methods on their own provide a satisfactory outcome. The treatment of somatic symptoms disorders is complicated by lack of boundary, conceptual clarity, and overemphasis on psychosocial causation and effectiveness of psychological treatments. In clinical practice all classes of psychotropics are used to treat somatic symptoms disorder. Drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin reuptake inibitors(SSRI), serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), atypical antipsychotics are studied. The evidence indicates that these drugs are effective in somatic symptom disorders. All classes of antidepressants seem to be effective against somatic symptom disorders. SSRIs are more effective against hypochondriasis and body dysmorphic disorder, and SNRIs appear to be more effective than other antidepressants when pain is predominant. The author suggest that psychiatrists should know how to treat patients complaining with somatic symptoms by using not only psychotherapeutic approach but also pharmacological treatment. It will be helpful to reduce suffering and increase quality of life of these patients.

• Mood & Emotion
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.129-133
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• 2018

Objectives : The fourth revision of Korean Medication Algorithm Project for Bipolar Disorder (KMAP-BP) was performed in 2018, to provide newer guidelines for clinicians. In this section, we examined expert opinions to facilitate clinical decisions relative to treating bipolar disorder with medical comorbidity. Methods : The survey was completed by the review committee, consisting of 61 experienced psychiatrists. This part of the survey constitutes treatment strategies, under major medical comorbidities. The executive committee analyzed results, and discussed the final production of algorithm. Results : Aripiprazole was the first-line medication for bipolar patients with metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, and cerebrovascular comorbidities. Ziprasidone also was recommended as the first-line medication in case of metabolic syndrome. Lithium also was regarded as the first-line medication, in case of hepatic problems. Valproate also was considered as the first-line medication, in case of cerebrovascular problems. Conclusion : This study provided the most recent consensus among experts, for treatment of bipolar disorder with physical problems.

• Journal of the Korean society of biological therapies in psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.184-193
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• 2018

Objectives : This study investigated the effects of social support and chronic medical conditions on depressive symptoms in elderly people living alone in a rural community. Methods : Sociodemographic information on 173 subjects aged 65 years or older who lived alone in a rural community and were recipients of National Basic Livelihood Security was collected and analyzed. All participants completed the Korean Form of the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Lubben Social Network Scale. Additionally, the current prevalence of chronic medical conditions that interfere with the activities of daily living was examined. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the associations of social support and chronic medical conditions with depressive symptoms. Results : Social support(odds ratio: OR, 0.96; 95% confidence interval: 95% CI, 0.92-0.99) and chronic medical conditions(OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.23-2.05) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in all subjects. When analyzed by gender, social support served as a protective factor against depressive symptoms in elderly men only(OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99), and chronic medical conditions increased the risk of depressive symptoms in elderly women only(OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.26-2.40). Furthermore, osteoarthritis and lumbar pain were risk factors for depressive symptoms in all subjects(OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.10-4.56 and OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.08-4.12) and in elderly women(OR, 4.07; 95% CI, 1.68-9.84 and OR, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.47-7.57), respectively. Conclusion : This study indicates that improving the social support and managing the chronic medical conditions of elderly people living alone are important for the prevention of depression in this population. Additionally, the present results suggest that it is necessary to establish different depression-prevention strategies for elderly men and women living alone.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.123-127
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• 2003

Cornelia de Lange syndrome is a dysmorphogenic disorder characterized by multiple congenital abnormalities, mental retardation, growth retardation and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Diagnosis for the Cornelia de Lange syndrome is dependent on the clinical observation because neither definite biological marker nor definite chromosomal abnormality have been investigated. Clinical observation is important for the diagnosis, so we report a case of Corenelia de Lange syndrome with mental retardation and autistic disorder. The patient is a 6-year old girl. Her motor development and language development have been delayed. She could say no meaningful word and understood simple command partially. She showed poor eye contact and poor emotional interaction. Social interaction was impaired and she Showed stereotypic behaviors. Thus we diagnosed her as mental retardation with autistic disorder. She had vesicoureteral reflux, frequent upper respiratory infection and pneumonia. She had experienced febrile convulsions 4 times. She had short stature, confluent eyebrows, long eyelashes, and upturned nose with anteverted nostrils. She also showed low hairline and hypertrichosis in body and extremities. Her finger was short. In this case, we diagnosed Cornelia de Lange syndrome by her characteristic face, hypertrichosis and medical and behavioral problems that were frequently showed in this syndrome.