• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 2018

Objectives : The aim of this study is to investigate correlation between degree of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and neurocognitive function along with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in Korean patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods : Participants were 115 elderly subjects diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment in this retrospective study. WMH in brain MRI were rated with standardized visual rating scales (Fazekas scales) and the subjects were divided into two groups according to Fazekas scale. Cognitive function was evaluated with Korean version of the consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K), and BPSD was evaluated with Korean neuropsychiatric inventory (K-NPI). Independent t-test was performed to analyze the relationship between the degree of WMH and neurocognitive functions & BPSD. Results : Especially, the group with high severity of WMH showed significantly lower language fluency (p<0.05). In addition, the group with high severity of WMH showed significantly higher score in K-NPI. Conclusions : There was a significant association between WMH and neurocognitive test related with executive function. Moreover, WMH seems to affect BPSD severity. Evaluation of WMH would provide useful information in clinical settings.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.9-19
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• 2010

Recently, Korea is constantly increasing its elderly care hospitals, and requires establishment of general evacuation plan considering old people's behavioral characteristics and physical states in emergency situations such as fire, and etc. In addition, because most of the facility users are patients under serious dementia and stroke, they feel difficulty evacuating by themselves, with differing evacuation time according to each walking status (bed, wheel chair, and various supplementary instruments), which is why it makes it difficult to have them all evacuate. This paper, in order to suggest data reference for designing on the basis of functionality, used various collected data utilizing Simulex to measure evacuation time through the model of elderly care hospital, a medical facility. During the study, several problems were found.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.651-659
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• 2020

The objective of this study is to provide high-quality medical service, by understanding the characteristics and death risk factors of patients at V long-term care hospital, that has established and operated the cooperative treatment system in connection with a public institution, the S veterans hospital. A follow-up survey targeting a total of 850 discharged patients was conducted for the year 2017. Average age of patients was 79.2 years, with 86.4% belonging to the 70 years or over group. The men of national merit were 75.4%, which was more than three times higher than general patients. Hospitalization for 180 days or more was 46.4%, which was higher than general long-term care hospitals (37%). The major death risk factors were age and the number of hospitalized days. Our data indicate that transfer to S veterans hospital results in providing quicker treatment and higher effectiveness of the numerous recovery therapies. We therefore propose that the cooperative treatment system should be expansively operated to increase the quality of happy life, by alleviating the health of patients with chronic diseases in a long-term care hospital.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.112-118
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• 2018

Objectives : Delirium is one of the most common mental illnesses that can affect cognitive function. Melatonin has been shown to be effective in the treatment of insomnia, and recent studies have shown a protective effect to prevent delirium. This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of melatonin in delirium patients. Methods : All patients were referred to psychiatric department for insomnia and symptoms of delirium, and were diagnosed delirium by the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. We compared base line severity of delirium with K-DRS-R-98-R (Korean version of Delirium Rating Scale revised 98) and after taking 2mg of melatonin, retrospectively. The side effects were also identified by referring to the medical records. Results : A total 21 patients had taken melatonin for insomnia and delirious symptoms. The K-DRS-R-98 scores were decreased from $15.24{\pm}2.64$ before treatment to $6.57{\pm}5.42$ after treatment. And CGI-S scores were also decreased from $4.14{\pm}0.48$ before treatment to $2.81{\pm}0.93$ after treatment (p<0.05). Conclusions : This study illustrates the possibility of melatonin as an effective treatment option for delirious symptoms such as disorientation, motor agitation, lability of affect and hallucinations as well as insomnia, with less concerns of drug side effect. Further study with a larger sample and prospective design will be required to confirm these results.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2014

Objectives: Depression, sleep complaints and cognitive impairments are commonly observed in the elderly. Elderly subjects with depressive symptoms have been found to show both poor cognitive performances and sleep disturbances. However, the relationship between sleep complaints and cognitive dysfunction in elderly depression is not clear. The aim of this study is to identify the association between sleep disturbances and cognitive decline in late-life depression. Methods: A total of 282 elderly people who underwent nocturnal polysomnography in a sleep laboratory were enrolled in the study. The Korean version of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery developed by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) was applied to evaluate cognitive function. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the geriatric depression scale (GDS) and subjective sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI). Results: The control group ($GDS{\leq}9$) when compared with mild ($10{\leq}GDS{\leq}16$) and severe ($17{\leq}GDS$) depression groups, had significantly different scores in the Trail making test part B (TMT-B), Benton visual retention test part A (BVRT-A), and Stroop color and word test (SCWT)(all tests p<0.05). The PSQI score, REM sleep duration, apnea-hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index were significantly different across the three groups (all indices, p<0.05). A stepwise multiple regression model showed that educational level, age and GDS score were predictive for both TMT-B time (adjusted $R^2$=35.6%, p<0.001) and BVRT-A score (adjusted $R^2$=28.3%, p<0.001). SCWT score was predicted by educational level, age, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and GDS score (adjusted $R^2$=20.6%, p<0.001). Poor sleep quality and sleep structure alterations observed in depression did not have any significant effects on cognitive deterioration. Conclusion: Older adults with depressive symptoms showed mild sleep alterations and poor cognitive performances. However, we found no association between sleep disturbances (except sleep apnea) and cognitive difficulties in elderly subjects with depressive symptoms. It is possible that the impact of sleep disruptions on cognitive abilities was hindered by the confounding effect of age, education and depressive symptoms.