• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.145-152
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• 2010

Objectives : Clinical differences between elderly patients with early and late onset depression have been described although these have been inconsistent. We aimed to compare differences of clinical symptoms using the 17 items Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HAM-D-17) between two groups. Methods : Data of 175 elderly patients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder according to DSM-IV from January 2005 to November 2009 were collected. Seventy five patients were early onset depression and one hundred patients were late onset depression. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for depression. Results : There were some differences in HAM-D-17 scores between early and late onset depression. Early onset depression patients scored significantly higher in retardation(t = 2.41, p = 0.017) and somatic symptoms( general)(t = 2.37, p = 0.019) than late onset depression patients. Conclusion : We concluded that early onset depression patients have more severe psychomotor retardation and general somatic symptoms than late onset depression patients in Korea. Because of some limitations of this study, further investigations will be needed to validate this study results.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.483-493
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine late-onset hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, depression, and quality of life among middle-aged male workers. Methods: The subjects included 343 men aged between 40 and 64, responded to self-report questionnaires on general characteristics, late-onset hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, depression, and quality of life. Data were collected from May 16, 2012 to October 9, 2012 and analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, $x^2$-test, hierarchical multiple regression. Result: The prevalence rate of late-onset hypogonadism was 63.8% with high points in reduction of libido, energy, physical strength and endurance, and erectile function. There were significant differences in late-onset hypogonadism according to age($x^2$=8.98, p=.048) and in erectile dysfunction according to age(F=11.03, p<.001), monthly income(F=2.84, p=.024) and smoking( t=2.96, p=.018). Significant differences were also found in depression according to educational level(F=8.12, p<.001) and in quality of life according to monthly income(F=7.21, p<.001). The factors which influenced quality of life were late-onset hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, depression, marital status and religion. Conclusion: Symptoms of erectile dysfunction can be improved by smoking cessation education program. In order to improve the life quality of middle-aged men, nursing intervention programs that would both provide proper knowledge on climacteric syndrome and alleviate symptoms should be designed while, at the same time, other programs to evaluate, prevent and control depression are developed.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2009

Objectives : It is reported that panic disorder is frequently comorbid with other psychiatric illnesses. The aim of this study was to investigate differences of psychiatric comorbidity according to age of onset of panic disorder. Methods : Three hundred-two patients participated in the study. All the patients were evaluated by clinical instruments for the assessment the presence of other comorbid psychiatric disorders and various clinical features; Korean version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Self-report questionnaires(Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Anxiety Sensitivity Index and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and clinical rating scale (Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale and Global Assessment of Functional score). Chi-square test was used to determine the difference between early onset and late onset panic disorder. Results : Forty percent of panic patients were found to have at least one comorbid psychiatric diagnosis. There were no differences among the groups divided by number of comorbidity in sex, agoraphobia comorbidity, duration of panic disorder, except onset age of panic disorder. Early onset group had more comorbidy with social phobia, agoraphobia, PTSD. We also found that Early onset panic disorder patients were more likely to experience derealization, nausea, parethesia than late onset panic disorder patients. Conclusion : The results of our study are in keeping with previous data from other parts of the world. Our finding suggest that earier onset of panic disorder related to more psychiatric comorbidity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.89-101
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• 2019

In recent times, the number of men with late-onset hypogonadism has increased, and interest on this topic has also increased. This study was conducted to investigate effects of the mixture extract of Fructus amomi Amari, Eucommiae cortex, Bombyx batryticatus on improve late-onset hypogonadism. The experimental subjects consisted of three groups: a control group consisting of 8-week-old male ICR mice that had undergone no treatment, an aging-elicited group (AE group) consisting of 50-week-old ICR male mice that had undergone no treatment, and a Mixed herbal extract treatment group (MT group) consisting of 50-week-old ICR male mice that had undergone the mixture extract of Fructus amomi Amari, Eucommiae cortex, Bombyx batryticatus treatment (0.1 g/kg/day) for 6 months. After the experiment, the mice from all the experimental groups were dissected, and they were analyzed through histochemical and immunohistochemical methods. The mixture extract of Fructus amomi Amari, Eucommiae cortex, Bombyx batryticatus reduces aging-induced cell damage and oxidative stress and increases the secretion of serotonin and B-endorphin in aged mice, and promotes spermatogenesis in seminiferous tubules and reduces apoptosis and oxidative stress, and increases androgen receptor, $17{\beta}-HSD$ and GnRH, increases the ratio of smooth muscle to collagen fibers in the corpus cavernosum, increases eNOS, decreases PDE-5 and oxidative stress in aged mice, so it improves depression, reproductive, sexual problems caused by Late-onset hypogonadism. the mixture extract of Fructus amomi Amari, Eucommiae cortex, Bombyx batryticatus inhibits the induction of osteoporosis by increasing decreased bone matrix distribution due to aging, increasing the activities of OPC and OPN, which are produced in osteoblasts, and decreasing RANKL, MMP-3 activity, increasing OPG activity. It also reduces muscle damage, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis of muscle tissue, and increases Myo-D in the sartorius muscle of aged mice for improving muscle atrophy caused by by Late-onset hypogonadism.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.108-114
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• 2014

Objective : The correlation between age of onset and symptoms/severity of panic disorder has not yet been determined. The aim of this research is to determine the different clinical features of panic disorder according to the age of onset. Methods : Patients diagnosed with panic disorder were placed into two groups according to onset of age. The subjects were checked for 13 different panic symptoms presented in the DSM-IV. The investigation was also executed by severity, the anxiety sensitivity index, the scale for depression and anxiety. Results : The early onset group had significantly higher frequencies than the late onset group in the areas of "choking feeling" and "derealization or paresthesia". It was found that only "choking feeling" was statically significant as a risk factor of early onset panic disorder. Among the objective anxiety scale, the subscale of psychological anxiety was higher in the early onset group compared to the late onset group. Conclusion : "Choking feeling" was the only panic symptom that showed a significant difference in accordance with onset age. Earlier onset patients tend to experience a more frequent "choking feeling," which is related to respiratory symptoms. This could mean that earlier onset patients are more likely to have higher psychological anxiety.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.46-51
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• 1999

Objectives: Patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder(or PMDD) have impairments of the social, occupational or academic function due to psychological or somatic symptoms, which have the characteristic pattern of symptom exacerbation in the week before menses begin and remission shortly after the onset of menses. In the chronobiological view, many researchers have assumed that the etiology of PMDD is the advanced circadian rhythm. It has been suggested that light has a therapeutic effect on PMDD, because evening light results in phase delay of circadian rhythm through the biochemical changes including melatonin. Methods: The authors investigated the therapeutic effect of light therapy on four patients with prospectively diagnosed PMDD by DSM-IV criteria using clinical psychiatric interview, Premenstrual Assessment Form(PAF) and Daily Rating Form(or DRF). In the evening(6:30pm-8:00pm), the 2,500 lux light administered for seven consecutive days during the symptomatic late luteal phase of menstrual cycle. Beck Depression Inventory(or BDI), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(or HAM-D), Spielberg State Anxiety Inventory(or SA), and DRF were evaluated before and after seven days of light therapy. Results: Premenstrual symptoms of PMDD could be effectively treated with the evening bright light therapy, especially in PMDD patients with atypical symptoms. In addition, the light therapy seemed to more effective on the psychologic symptoms than the somatic symptoms of PMDD. There was no significant side-effect of light therapy, except the transient and mild eye-strain in one case. Conclusions: In spite of the results of limited data from our clinical trial, the authors suggest that the potential use of light therapy as an alternative to the pharmacological management of patients with PMDD.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.57-63
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• 2015

Background and Objectives: Internet addiction is an increasing problem in Korea. The previous studies in this area have targeted adolescents and young adults. This study was conducted to examine the risk of internet addiction in Korean adults and the effect of internet addiction on circadian rhythm. Materials and Methods: For this study, 508 subjects were chosen through population proportional sampling to represent the adult population in Korea, 325 of whom were included based on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Korea (Audit-K), Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), drug use in the past year, and suicide attempts. In these subjects, sociodemographic factors including age, gender, and residential area were analyzed, and Young's Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and an online survey examining sleep onset time on weekdays and weekends, wake-up time, and caffeinated drink intake were executed. Results: Of the 325 subjects, 136 (41.8%) belonged to a high-risk internet addiction group ($IAS{\geq}40$), and 189 (58.2%) belonged to a normal group (IAS < 40). There was a high proportion of male subjects (p = 0.03) in the high-risk group compared to the normal group. There was a high proportion of younger subjects (p = 0.055) in the high-risk group compared to the normal group, but this difference was not statistically significant. Compared to the normal group, there was a high proportion of the evening type ($MEQ{\leq}41$) in the high-risk group (p = 0.024), who also showed a high proportion of caffeinated drink intake (p < 0.001). Also, the high-risk group was found to go to bed and wake up late, but there was no statistically significant difference with the normal group. Conclusion: This study showed that many adults have a high-risk of internet addiction, and there was a significant correlation between internet addiction and sleep in adult, as has been found in adolescents and early adults. In the future, a longitudinal study will be needed to verify the causal relationship between internet addiction and morningness-eveningness.