• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.268-277
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• 2021

Background: Most antipsychotic drugs studies have been mainly conducted on side effects, randomized clinical trials, utilization rates, and trends. But there have been few studies on the influencing factors in elderly patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influencing factors on the outpatient prescription of antipsychotic drugs in the elderly patients. Methods: Active ingredients of antipsychotic drugs in Korea were selected according to the Korean Pharmaceutical Information Center (KPIC)'s classification. Data source was Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) claims data in 2020 and target patient group was the elderly patient group. We extracted patients who have been prescribed one or more antipsychotic drugs and visited only one medical institution. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, t-test, negative binomial regression. Results: A number of outpatients were 245,197 and prescriptions were 1,379,092. Most characteristics of patients were 75-85 year's old, female, health insurance type, no disease (dementia, schizophrenia), atypical drugs, cci score (>2) and characteristics of medical institution were neurology in specialty, rural region, general hospitals. Results of regression showed that patient's characteristics and medical center characteristics had significant effect on the outpatient prescription of antipsychotic drugs in the elderly patients. Conclusion: This study suggests that national policy of antipsychotic drugs in the elderly patients, with the consideration of the patients' and medical institutions' characteristics, is needed.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 2007

Background: While restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common disorder, many patients are still remained undiagnosed and clinical data on Asian RLS patients is still limited in amount. Thus, we aimed to describe the clinical spectrum of Korean patients with RLS. Methods: We assessed the clinical characteristics of 77 consecutive RLS patients (43 men, mean age $59.1{\pm}14.9years$; 34 women, mean age $59.3{\pm}14.7years$) followed up by us for at least one and a half years. Results: The mean age at onset of symptoms was $56.4{\pm}14.1$. Two patients (2.6%) developed RLS before the age of 20 years (early-onset RLS). In 44 patients (57.1%), no underlying cause of RLS was found (idiopathic RLS). Family history for RLS was positive only in two (4.5%) of the 44 idiopathic RLS patients. The mean age of patients with idiopathic RLS was $56.8{\pm}13.1$ and that of patients with symptomatic RLS was $60.9{\pm}14.3$. However, there was no statistically significant difference between two groups (p=0.196). All patients complained sensory and motor symptoms in legs, and additional patients (14.3%) also had symptoms in arms. Two significant complications of long-term treatment with dopaminergic agents, namely augmentation and rebound of symptoms, were only reported in two patients. No patient had been diagnosed as RLS before evaluated by us. Conclusions: Our study had some limitations because limited number of patients was enrolled during a fixed period of follow-up in single third referral hospital. However, our findings suggest there are differences in the clinical characteristics of RLS and long-term responses to dopaminergic agents between patients in Korea and western countries.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2015

Purpose: To compare the clinicopathological data and long-term survival of gastric cancer patients in China and Korea. Materials and Methods: Patients who had undergone gastrectomy for gastric cancer between 1998 and 2009 in 2 high-volume institutions in both China (n=1,637) and Korea (n=2,231) were retrospectively evaluated. Clinicopathological variables, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and surgery-related complications were assessed for all patients and compared between the 2 institutions. Results: Chinese patients included in the study were significantly older and had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than the Korean patients. Esophagogastric junction tumors were more frequent in Chinese patients. However, the number of patients with stage I gastric cancer, the number of harvested lymph nodes, and the number of total gastrectomies were significantly higher in the Korean population. Korean patients also presented with fewer undifferentiated tumors than Chinese patients. Furthermore, Korean patients had prolonged OS and PFS for stage III cancers only. BMI, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, tumor invasion, number of positive lymph nodes, and distant metastases were all independent factors affecting OS and PFS. Conclusions: Although China and Korea are neighboring Asian countries, the clinicopathological characteristics of Chinese patients are significantly different from those of Korean patients. Korean gastric cancer patients had longer OS and PFS than Chinese patients. Influencing factors included TNM stage, tumor invasion, and lymph node metastasis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.121-129
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• 2019

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to measure the effects of cervical stabilization exercises on neck pain, forward head posture, and the acoustic characteristics frequency and amplitude modulation of patients with chronic neck pain caused by forward head posture using pressure biofeedback. METHODS: 20 patients with chronic neck pain and voice disorders presenting at the S Exercise Center in Daegu, Korea, were included in the study. A cervical stabilization exercise program of 50 minutes per session was performed three times a week for eight weeks. Pressure biofeedback was utilized to determine the impact of the exercises on neck pain, forward head posture, and the acoustic characteristics of the patients. The measurements were taken prior to and after the intervention to determine any changes. RESULTS: A significant improvement in neck pain, craniovertebral angle and the acoustic characteristics frequency and amplitude modulation of the patients was demonstrated after the intervention (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Cervical stabilization exercises were demonstrated to have a significantly positive effect on neck pain, forward head posture, and vocalization stability in patients with chronic neck pain in the current study based on measurements taken using a pressure biofeedback system. This indicates that an improvement in forward head posture positively impacts postural stability and vocalization. Future studies investigating a greater range of interventions designed to improve neck pain and acoustical effects in patients with chronic neck pain and forward head posture patients are warranted.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

Dental treatment for the disabled should be a customized that considers the characteristics and degree of cooperation of each disabled patient. There are additional considerations during implant treatment and tooth extraction in disabled patients. Since some brain lesion disorder or cardiac disease patients may be taking antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications, it is necessary to evaluate whether these medications should be discontinued before an invasive procedure. Precautions should be taken for patients with heart valve disease considering the risk of infective endocarditis, especially during invasive dental procedures. Moreover, disabled patients may have difficulty in following instructions and cautions. There are specific considerations for each stage of implant treatment in disabled patients. In the case of patients who are in the pre- or post-transplant state, it is necessary to assess their general condition and oral disease due to the risk of infection. Since disabled patients with various systemic diseases may visit the dental clinic, it is important to understand their characteristics and treatment process in order to flexibly adjust the dental treatment plan accordingly.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.666-674
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• 2008

Objectives : The aim of this study was to evaluate gastrointestinal parasympathetic nerve activation and pyloric valve function in patients with functional dyspepsia through analysis of bowel sounds and to investigate clinical characteristics associated with the parameters of bowel sounds. Method : We surveyed clinical characteristics of patients by using a questionnaire about functional dyspepsia. Bowel sounds were recorded for 15 minutes during fasting state and for 40 minutes during postprandial state. We then classified the patients into 3 groups by abnormal states of bowel sounds, specifically by the percentage of B.S. and dominenet frequency, and studied clinical characteristics in each group. Results : Among the 182 subjects, patients who had low activity of parasympathetic nerve were 25.8% and showed a tendency of female-dominant, family history and more frequent abdominal pain. Those who had pyloric valve disturbance were 24.1% and showed no tendency by sex distribution, family history and complained of indigestion sensation. Patients who had both disorders were 10.9%, and their clinical characteristics were non-specific. Conclusion : Analysis of bowel sounds may be useful in evaluating pathophysiological factors of functional dyspepsia.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2014

Objective : Despite the high prevalence and clinical importance of panic disorder, studies on the clinical characteristics and course of panic disorder are relatively rare. This study is a multi-center, and retrospective study to examine the clinical characteristics and course of Korean panic disorder patients who visit university hospital. Methods : The study subjects were panic disorder patients who had visited the psychiatric outpatient clinics of 8 university hospitals in South Korea from January to December in 2008. Finally, 238 panic patients were included in this study. Their medical charts were retrospectively reviewed and reassessed by experienced psychiatrists to examine their clinical characteristics, demographic data and clinical course in repose to pharmacotherapy. Results : Among the 238 patients (121 males vs. 117 females), the mean age of disease onset was $41.3{\pm}12.7$ years and female patients showed 5 years older age of disease onset, compared with male patients. The mean score of PSR scale was $4.5{\pm}1.0$ at the first visit, reflecting a 'marked' level of severity of illness and impairment in functioning. Only 110 patients (46.4%) completed the whole follow up visits, whereas 128 patients (53.6%) dropped out during the treatment. After $17.7{\pm}0.5$ months of mean follow up period, the mean score of PSR scale at the last visit was reduced into $2.1{\pm}0.9$, reflecting a 'residual' severity of illness and impairment in functioning. The cumulative recovery rate was 62.1% in the completer group, whereas that of the drop-out group was 47.7%. Conclusions : The mean age of disease onset in Korean panic disorder patients who had visited university hospital was about 10 years older than that of Western panic disorder patients in previous studies, and the Korean panic disorder patients who had visited university hospital showed a relatively higher cumulative recovery rate. These differences might result from an ethnic difference in clinical characteristics and course in response to pharmacotherapy of panic disorder.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with cognitive and behavioral impairments receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia (GA-dental treatment). From August 2007 to April 2014, information was collected from 475 patients who received GA-dental treatment at the Clinic for Persons with Disabilities, Seoul National University Dental Hospital. The demographic factors (gender, age, disability, medication, GA history, residency type, caregiver, meal type, oral hygiene maintenance, and cooperation level) and dental status (operating duration, DMFT, malocclusion, periodontal disease, tooth defect, and treatment protocol) of the patients were evaluated. DMFT and malocclusion levels were compared among the patients with ANOVA and Sheffe's post-hoc test, and chi-square test, respectively. The correlation between the demographic characteristics and dental status of the patients were analyzed with the Pearson's correction test. The mean age of the patients was 27.1 (7 - 83) years and they had intellectual disabilities (55.4%), developmental disorders (17.9%), brain disorders (16.6%), neurocognitive disorders (4.6%), or others (5.5%). The mean DMFT (DT) was 8.6 (5.2) with a significant difference among the disability types (p<0.05). The incidence of malocclusion was higher in patients with intellectual disabilities and brain disorders than in the other types (p<0.05). The operation time ($191.4{\pm}91.2min$) was correlated with decayed or endodontically-treated teeth (p<0.05). Special needs patients requiring GA-dental treatment showed unfavorable oral conditions. Dental practitioners experience time restrictions and additional costs under a GA setting. Treatment planning and decision-making can be efficiently facilitated by evaluating the clinical characteristics of the patients.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.198-207
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• 2015

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and chronic total occlusion (CTO) of coronary artery are well-known atherosclerotic vascular diseases. However, the difference of intima-media thickness and plaque characteristics of carotid arteries between STEMI and CTO patients were not directly compared in previous studies. Medical records of a total of 158 (101 STEMI, 57 CTO) patients, who underwent carotid artery ultrasonography, were selected for the analysis. The baseline characteristics, ultrasonography findings, and clinical outcomes of the two groups were compared. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia was significantly higher in CTO patients. Carotid intima-media thickness ($0.97{\pm}0.13$ vs. $0.78{\pm}0.17cm$, P < 0.0001) and number of plaques ($2.2{\pm}1.0$ vs. $1.7{\pm}1.2$, P < 0.0001) were greater in CTO than STEMI patients. Multiple (${\geq}3$) or echogenic plaques were more frequently observed in CTO patients. During the median follow-up duration of 27 months, major adverse cardiovascular events occurred in 31% of CTO and 14% of STEMI patients (P = 0.008). We found that, compared with STEMI, CTO patients have higher burden of carotid artery atherosclerosis associated with more comorbid diseases and poor clinical outcomes.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.87-91
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of prosody of utterance of ambiguous sentences in patients with neurogenic communication disorders. Ambiguous words on which prosody may have an impact were used to investigate this matter. The characteristics of tone duration, pitch and intensity were analyzed to examine the characteristics of prosody in patients with lesions in the left or right hemisphere and normal controls. The whole process was recorded using a Praat 4.3.14 and for statistical analyses, two-way Anova and multiple comparative analyses were carried out using SPSS10.0 for Windows. The conclusions of this study are as follows: The length of vowel in homograph in Korean was different depending on the meaning and the duration of vowel was the longest in patients with lesions in the left hemisphere. There was agreed that they had problem of timing of prosody(Danly & Shapiro, 1982). On the other hand, there found that patients with lesions in the right hemisphere had deficiency of changeability in pitch. Among various acoustic parameters, this study focused on the duration which are closely related to suprasegmental characteristics of prosody. More acoustic parameters should be taken into account in future studies.