• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2014

Objectives : Homocysteine has been associated with cognitive impairment and various psychiatric symptoms. This study was designed to examine the relationship exists between plasma homocysteine concentration and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia(BPSD). Methods : 41 subjects with dementia of Alzheimer's type were included in this study. We carried out history taking, physical examination, and cognitive assessment for the diagnosis of dementia of Alzheimer's type based on DSM-IV. We scored the Mini Mental State Examination(MMSE), Global Deterioration Scale(GDS), Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR), and the Korean Neuropsychiatric Inventory(K-NPI). We also measured levels of homocysteine, folate, and vitamin $B_{12}$ in the plasma. Results : We found statistically significant positive correlations between homocysteine concentration with NPI total score, and with scores of several sub-domains such as delusion, agitation/aggression, depression/dysphoria, and elation/euphoria. No significant correlation existed between homocysteine levels and scores of MMSE, GDS, and CDR. Conclusions : This study shows that plasma homocysteine levels are associated with BPSD. Further research is necessary to identify pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying these relationships.

• 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.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2024

Introduction: In this case report, we describe the clinical effectiveness of Yigan-san-gami in improving symptoms in a patient with worsening Alzheimer's dementia after COVID-19 infection. Case presentation: Symptoms of dementia worsened in a patient with Alzheimer's disease after COVID-19 infection. Western medicines were added following neurological consultation. However, there was no medicinal effect. The patient was treated with Korean medicine (Yigan-san-gami) three times a day. We used daily charts, the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination-2 (K-MMSE-2), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and Short Version Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS) to assess the patient's symptoms. Cognitive decline and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) improved following the treatment with Yigan-san-gami. Conclusion: The results suggest that Yigan-san-gami may be effective in improving symptoms of Alzheimer's disease that worsen after COVID-19 infection.

• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.1069-1087
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to closely examine the effects of aromatherapy on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia(BPSD) to the elderly in a nursing home, and to help the application of aromatherapy is expected to be conducive to managing the quality life in the dementia and the care-giver, and to provide a base of the aromatherapy application as an elderly program in geriatric institutions. This is an one group pre-post test design and the research subjects were the dementia in a nursing home those were totally 15 available for communication or intention observation. Aromatherapy was offered for 3 weeks totally 15 times by once a day in each with aroma hand massage and inhalation, by blending essential oils, Lavender, Chamomile Roman and Grapefruit. The results are as follows. Given examining a change in the whole about whether there are effects of aromatherapy on BPSD, there was significant difference in a change depending on the experimental period with 1.47 for the pre-measurement value, 1.09 for the post 1-measurement value, 1.01 for the post 2-measurement value and 0.71 for the post 3-measurement value. And, even the difference in experimental period was indicated to have significant difference(F=11.501, p<0.001). As an itemized results, the effect of aromatherapy were indicated to have significant difference on easing the anxiety, anguish, fear, dreadful feeling, depressed feeling, and outstandingly bustling movement, and outstandingly inactive behavior, and sleep disturbance and behavior of wandering about at night. On the basis of the result in this study, the application of aromatherapy is expected to lead the quality life in the dementia, and to contribute to health of mind and body in the dementia as an program in geriatric institutions.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.377-388
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• 2022

Objectives: For diagnosis and evaluation, evaluation tools are needed. Various tools can be used to diagnose and evaluate mental disorders. Among them, psychological tests are widely used. For Korean Standard Classification of Diseases (KCD) diagnosis, psychological tests are also required. Currently developed critical pathway (CP) presented tools for diagnosis and evaluation of mental disorders. The CP suggests the use of tools based on the Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG). Therefore, CPG-based tools should be able to be used in the clinical scene of Korean Medicine for diagnosing and evaluating mental disorders according to CP. Methods: Tools suggested by CPs are summarized. The degree of utilization of tools in CPGs is also summarized. A review was conducted by Korean Medicine neuropsychiatrist experts on tools and user's usage plan. Results: As a result, developed CPs suggested using 19 tools for anxiety disorder, 13 tools for insomnia), 12 tools for Hwabyeong, and 9 tools for dementia. In CPG, 48, 34, 44, and 44 tools were used for anxiety disorder, insomnia, Hwabyeong, and dementia, respectively. Among tools presented in CP, HAM-A, HAM-D, CGI, SAS, and TESS for anxiety disorder, CPG, ISI, and PSQI for insomnia disorder, CPG, STAI, and STAXI for Hwabyeong were frequently used in CPG. For dementia CPG, MoCA, MMSE, HDS, ADL, and ADAS-cog were frequently used. Among them, MoCA, ADL, and ADAS-cog were suggested tools in CP. Conclusions: As a result of analyzing tools suggested and used in the developed CPs and CPGs, it was verified that various tools were used in each study. Most of them were symptom and behavioral evaluation scales. Therefore, symptoms and behavior evaluation scales used more frequently should be able to be used in the clinical scene of Korean Medicine.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.155-163
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• 2019

Objectives : The aim of this study was to compare severity, neurocognitive functions, and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) according to the degree of temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) in Korean patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. Methods : Participants were 114 elderly subjects diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment in this cross-sectional study. MTA in brain MRI was rated with standardized visual rating scales (Scheltens scale) and the subjects were divided into two groups according to Scheltens scale. Severity was evaluated with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). Neurocognitive functions was evaluated with the Korean version of Short Blessed Test (SBT-K) and the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease assessment packet (CERAD-K). BPSD was evaluated with the Korean version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (K-NPI). Independent t-test was performed to compare severity, neurocognitive functions, and BPSD between two groups. Results : The group with high severity of MTA showed significantly lower scores in CDR, SBT-K, MMSE-KC, modified Boston naming test, word list recognition, and word list memory (p<0.05). There were no differences in K-NPI scores between two groups. Conclusions : Severity and neurocognitive functions of dementia had significant positive association with MTA, but BPSD had no association with MTA. Evaluating MTA seems to have potential benefit in diagnosing and treating neurocognitive impairments in the elderly. Further evaluation is needed to confirm the association between certain brain structures and BPSD.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.341-358
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• 2022

Purpose: This study examined the effects of a person-centered fall prevention program for older adults with dementia in long-term care hospitals. Methods: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The study sample included 42 older adults with dementia (experimental group: 21, control group: 21) and 42 caregivers (experimental group: 21, control group: 21). The program comprised 48 sessions held over 12 weeks and included exercise intervention with resistance and balance, dance walking (45~60 min, three times/week), cognitive and emotional intervention (35~50 min, once per week), and person-centered fall prevention education (10 min, once per week). The program for caregivers consisted of six educational sessions (i.e., fall prevention competency enhancement and person-centered care strategy education, 80 min, once per week) for six weeks. Data were collected before participation and 12 weeks after program completion from February 18 to May 12, 2019. Data analysis was conducted using the chi-square test, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test with SPSS/WIN 21.0. Results: The experimental group of older adults with dementia showed significant improvement in physical and cognitive functions, and a decrease in depression, and behavioral and psychological symptoms, when compared with the control group. caregivers in the experimental group exhibited significant improvement in fall-related knowledge and person-centered care of older adults with dementia compared to the control group. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that this program was effective as a nursing intervention for fall prevention among older adults with dementia in long-term care hospitals.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.295-306
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• 2019

Purpose: There has been a growing recognition that person-centered care enhances the quality of life of nursing home residents with dementia. This study was conducted to develop a person-centered dementia care online education program for direct care staff in long-term care facilities. Methods: Delphi method with expert group was used to validate contents. We developed 61 draft items based on literature review. Twenty experts participated in consecutive three round surveys including 5-point Likert scale questions and open-ended questions. Based on experts' opinions, the content validity ratio for content validity and the coefficient of variation for stability were calculated. Results: Three-round Delphi surveys and additional feedback from the expert panel established a consensus of core contents: 1) dementia (7 categories), 2) person-centered care (6 categories), 3) communication (8 categories), and 4) behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (6 categories). Specific sub-categories in each category were differentiated according to the job qualifications (65 sub-categories for registered nurses, 64 sub-categories for nursing aids, and 41 sub-categories for personal care workers). Conclusion: This delphi study identified person-centered dementia education curricula, in which the person-centered approach should be a key policy priority in Korean long-term care system. Now it is urgently needed to develop education programs utilizing online platforms that enable efficient and continuous learning for long-term care staff, which can contribute to behavior changes in the person-centered dementia care approach and improvement of care quality in long-term care facilities.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.85-96
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• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study was to effects of the Participation in physical group occupational therapy on cognitive function, neuropsychiatric, social behavior in elderly with wandering dementia. Methods : Thirteen elderly with wandering dementia who live in nursing home in this study. Assessment tools were made by using Cognitive function scale(CFS), Algase Wandering Scale-V2(AWS-2), Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionaire(NPI-Q), social-behavioral function measure(SBFM). physical group occupational therapy performed for forty minute, once a week for 9weeks. the assessment tools were made twice: before, after the intervention. Results : Significant differences between pre-treatment and post-treatment were found in the AWS(p<0.05) score and SBFM(p<0.05) score, NPI-Q behabioral and psychological level(p<0.05) score. The cognitive function and neuropsychiatric number showed improvement. but score was not significantly(p>0.05) difference after physical group occupational therapy Conclusion : The findings suggest that the physical group occupational therapy used in this study may be helpful and effectiveness in elderly with wandering dementia, further studies with more subjects and longer treatment period, including will be performed to justify these findings.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.400-413
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• 2019

Purpose: The use of video-recording offers important advantages in observing and assessing the relationship between specific behaviors in health care settings. The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate and synthesize the methodological characteristics of studies using video-technology for measuring interactions with the older persons with dementia and staff in long-term care facilities. Methods: We searched Medline, Embase and CINHAL databases for published articles in English using a video-recording method for both staff and the residents with dementia. Quantitative research design studies (e.g., descriptive or experimental studies) were included. Results: Among 5,605 searched papers, a total of 20 studies were selected for this review. Situations of video-recording were providing personal care (n=12), mealtime (n=6), and conversation (n=3). Concepts measured by video-recording were classified into two groups: 1) Staff [care practice by staff (n=13) and communication by staff (n=11)] and 2) residents [communication by resident (n=4), activities of daily life function of resident (n=8), and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (n=10)]. Conclusion: This review demonstrates that video technologies are actively used to evaluate the relationship between quality of care and health outcomes of the elderly with dementia in many international nursing studies. This study provides the foundation for a future research using video-recording technologies to examine the interactions and relationships between staff and the residents in Korean long-term care settings.