• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.193-196
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• 1994

Primary depression with cognitive impairment, referred to as depressive pseudodementia, may be mistaken for a progressive degenerative dementia. Recognition of primary depression is clinically important because of its treatability. To differentiate depression from degenerative dementia, author used brain SPECT. By the result the regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) in elderly depressed patient was decreased in the right frontal cortex. The pattern of rCBF was different from that of dementia which shows decreased rCBF in bifrontal cortex. By using brain SPECT in depressed elderly patient with cognitive impairment, the discrimination from dementia will be more effective and accurate.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.56-60
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• 2023

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is rare atypical Parkinsonism accompanied by various psycho-behavioural problems. In this case report, we describe the diagnostic and treatment progress of a 65-year-old PSP patient who visited the psychiatric clinic with a depressed mood and lumbar pain resulting in a suicide attempt. Over the course of 30 months of treatment, typical characteristics of PSP, such as postural instability, dyskinesia, cognitive dysfunction and supranuclear gaze palsy, became prominent, and magnetic resonance imaging and the F-18 FP-CIT positron emission tomography revealed midbrain atrophy and reduced dopamine uptake in the basal ganglia. When treating elderly patients with depression, parkinsonism symptoms such as gait disturbances, frequent falls, tremors, and rigidity should be closely examined.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.123-128
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• 2018

Recently, the number of elderly people residing in nursing homes has increased rapidly due to the increase in the elderly population and the introduction of long-term care insurance. These long-term care patients suffer from chronic illnesses and dementia, and thus suffer from inconveniences or lack of cognitive ability. Thus, psychological and emotional support is urgent because they are depressed away from their families. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to provide a virtual experience of overseas trips by using VR and Photon networks for elderly patients with mobility difficulties. Existing VR-based travel experience service is doing alone, but the proposed contents can enjoy the scenery together with the view of the family member as well as the conversation during the travel experience. It is expected that the elderly patients with long - term care will be able to restore their psychological stability and improve their willingness to heal and improve their quality of life from the proposed application.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.457-465
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the degrees of depression and activities of daily living (ADLs), and to identify factors that predict depression in elderly patients. Methods: The sample was149 patients (80% female; mean age 79.1) from three geriatric hospitals located in small cities and who agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected by staff nurses involved in direct patient care from October to September 2009. The level of depression was measured on a daily basis for seven days using a 13-item scale. Patients' ADLs was measured using a modified 10-item Bathel ADLs scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 17.0. Results: Mean depression score was $10.05{\pm}4.77$ out of 26 points and about 27% was assessed as depressed with more than 13 points. Multiple regression analysis showed that low educational level, absence of spouse and fewer family visits predict depression. In addition, low ADLs and sleep disturbance predict depression. Conclusion: Nursing care providers need to be concerned about ADLs of older patients and should develop nursing activity programs to increase their in-hospital physical activities. It is also important care for older patients' sleep and encourages family visits to decrease their depression.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2013

Depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric problem in the elderly. Most depression treatment guidelines emphasize treatment with antidepressant medication and recommend that benzodiazepine use be minimized for limited period, particularly to elderly patients. In order to evaluate appropriate use of antidepressants and benzodiazepine, retrospective review of prescriptions was performed. The study population are older than 65 years who had been newly diagnosed with major depressive disorder in specialty mental health at a community general hospital from January $1^{st}$, 2007 to October $31^{th}$, 2012 (N=373). Initial antidepressant accounted for 89.5% with SSRI, and escitalopram accounted for 60.9% of SSRI group. 79% or more of the patients were prescribed the recommended dosage. The maintenance rate for 4 weeks of initial antidepressant was 48% and 6 weeks was 39%. Treatment-discontinuation rate was 68% at 3 month. Alprazolam (short acting benzodiazepine) was prescribed the most, followed by clonazepam (long acting benzodiazepine) and then diazepam. 55% of patients received a duplicated prescription for short acting plus long acting benzodiazepine. 61% of patients used long acting benzodiazepines. Prescribed dosages of benzodiazepines were commonly within a recommended range, while no one was prescribed a appropriate period (up to 2 weeks) except for the early discontinued patients. Appropriate use of zolpidem was only 16.2%. The depressed elderly treated in specialty mental health mostly received long-term treatment with benzodiazepines in combination with antidepressants, guideline recommendations was not followed. Multidisciplinary interventions like audit and feedback of benzodiazepine use are needed and education for the elderly is needed to properly maintain antidepressant treatment.