• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.81-92
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• 2001

Stress has been linked to the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of various psychiatric illnesses. Over the past few years, our understanding of the brain and neuroendocrine systems that are linked to stress responses has increased enormously. This article reviews a series of animal and human studies to understand what are the central pathways by which stress is perceived, processed, and transduced into a neuroendocrine response. We focus on the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(LHPA) axis and several neurotransmitter systems such as norepinephrine, CRF, serotonin, acetylcholine, and dopamine. LHPA stress circuit is a complex system with multiple control mechanisms which are altered in pathological states. CRF and related peptides in the central nervous system appear to enhance behavioral responses to stressors. Norepinephrine systems are also activated by stressors and cause the release of catecholamines from the autonomic nervous system. CRF-norepinephrine interaction makes a feed-forward system which may be important for an organism to mobilize not only the pituitary system but also the central nervous system, in response to environmental challenges. The interactions among several neurotransmitters and endocrine systems appear to play key roles in mediating various behavioral and psychological stress responses involving abnormal responses to stressors such as anxiety and affective disorders.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.283-304
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• 2018

mankind has evolved to stand upright a million years ago. However entering an industrial society, much has changed in only a few decades. Human beings spend more time sitting down and working, which negatively affects their bodies. Leading medical studies have shown that the prolonged working conditions have significantly affected the causes of adult illnesses that we have known. Human beings have evolved in a moving direction. So, like modern societies, sitting or standing in one space for long periods of time without movement brings various side effects to the body. Reflecting this background, this study has led to think of work in an environment that is taking the evolutionary biology perspective from a traditional standing, standing work environment. They also plan to conduct an experiment to handle work with smartphones in the hopes of expanding their mobile office environment to use smartphones in the field, which is a type of smart work. The study could help build and establish a mobile office environment, a type of smart work. In addition to using smartphones, a working environment can be created that works by moving around. Furthermore, the paradigm of the work environment of businesses and students could be changed.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify attitudes of middle managers toward employees with psychological problems and to determine factors affecting their attitudes. Methods: A questionnaire with Community Attitudes Toward Mentally Ill (CAMI) scales was administered to 161 middle managers working in small and medium-sized enterprises based in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Results: There are four separate subscales on the CAMI. Mean score for authoritarianism was $35.0{\pm}4.4$, benevolence $23.0{\pm}4.8$, social restrictiveness $32.3{\pm}4.9$ and community mental health ideology $27.2{\pm}5.1$ According to multiple regression analysis, middle managers with no experience of learning mental illness through mass media or higher levels of depression symptom were more authoritative and less benevolent towards employees with psychological problems. The experience of meeting a patient with mental problem contribute to positive attitudes toward people with mental illnesses in social restrictiveness subscale and community mental health ideology subscale among CAMI. Conclusion: This study suggests that experience of having patients with mental problems and information on psychological problems will have great influence on attitudes of middle managers toward employees with psychological problems. It might be important to help middle manager manage their depression because their depression also affects their attitudes toward employees with psychological problems.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2020

With the aging population, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in the elderly continues to increase. In addition, musculoskeletal disorders are the third most common social and economic loss among occupational illnesses in Workers' compensation insurance benefits as of 2015 standard and are also common among workers. In this study, a vest that can assist in the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders of the waist was produced, and it is intended to confirm the presence or absence of the effect through experiments. Diseases of the waist are closely related to core muscles. Therefore, the produced vest was made in a form that supports the core muscles. Before and after wearing the vest for effectiveness verification, the While performing 10-times of the Mackenzie exercises, a waist extension exercise, collected the EMG data of the internal oblique, Rectus abdominis, and Erector spinae, which correspond to the core muscles. The collected data were analyzed through the electromyography analysis program RM-3 to obtain RMS values for 10-times measurements of each muscle and to compare the average values. After comparing the data, to verify the significance, the technical statistical value of the measurement result was calculated and the average difference was verified through PASW ver18.0, And the paired t-test is performed on the experimental results to perform statistical processing. and Statistical processing was performed by setting the significance level to α=.05.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2012

Objectives: The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful non-invasive tool to investigate the autonomic nerve function. Previous studies on the relationship between HRV and depression have been reported controversial results. Similarly, the correlation between the serum lipids and depression is debatable. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between heart rate variability, lipid profile and depression. Methods: A total of 42 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 32 age and sex-matched normal subjects who had no previous history of major medical and mental illnesses were recruited for this study. A structured-interview was used to assess the general characteristics and psychiatric illness. HRV measures were assessed by time-domain and frequency-domain analyses. Psychological symptoms were measured using the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAM-A), Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D). In addition, the evaluation for lipid profile was performed by blood test. Results: In serum lipid profile test, MDD group showed higher cholesterol ($197.68{\pm}42.94$ mg/dL vs. $176.85{\pm}34.68$ mg/dL, p=0.044), TG ($139.45{\pm}92.54$ mg/dL vs. $91.4{\pm}65.68$ mg/dL, p=0.018), LDL ($130.03{\pm}33.18$ vs. $106.62{\pm}27.08$, p=0.004) level than normal control group. In HRV time domain analyses, the standard deviation of the NN interval (SDNN) was decreased in MDD group than normal control group, but was not significant ($32.82{\pm}14.33$ ms vs. $40.36{\pm}21.40$ms, p=0.078). ApEn (Approximate Entrophy) was significantly increased in MDD group than normal control group ($1.13{\pm}0.11$ vs. $0.91{\pm}0.18$, p<0.001). ApEn was correlated with LDL level (r=0.277, p=0.028), HAM-D scores (r=0.534, p<0.001) and HAM-A scores (r=0.470, p<0.001). Conclusions: MDD patients showed increased ApEn, one of the HRV measurement. And this ApEn was correlated with LDL, HAM-D and HAM-A scores. In this study, the analysis of ApEn would be a useful test of MDD.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.41-61
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• 1979

Two interview surveys (1976 for 800 patients, 1978 for 200 patients) and an inventory survey through medical records(1978) for epileptic patients who have registered with the Korean Epilepsy Association (Rose Club) since 1971 were carried out by trained health workers in advance of survey. The data obtained from the analysis showed as follows: 1) 35.2% of patients were born in Seoul and 70. 6% of patients born elsewhere have lived in Seoul. 2) 50-60% of patients were 15-30 years cid. 3) 33.4%, 24,6 and 24.6 of all pupils and students went to elementary, junior and senior high schools respectively. 4) 21.2% of all pupils and students had dropped out of school and 51.4% of them were away from school because of epilepsy. 5) 3.1% of all patients had no job at all and students comprised 20.9% of patients followed by clerical work, commercial business and farming with about 6% in each group.6) Reasons given for unemployment such as dismissal (4.3%), quit (27.7%), hesitation to employ (42.5%)and discontinuance of job (25.5%) were basically due to epilepsy. 7) About half(46.2%) of all patients have become Christian since the Rose Club was a voluntary agency which has been sponsored by Christians. 8) 82. 6% of patients were diagnosed as having grand mal as the most. 9) 29.4% of patients explained aura with psychomotor disturbances and 13.8% with sensory disorders. 10) 46.3% of patients were attacked with seizures when they were tired and others(11.6% and 4.9%) after excessive eating and hunger. 11) Patients suffered more seizures in spring and summer rather than in autumn and winter and most patients had attacks 1-5 times a month. 12) For etiologic reasons of epilepsy, 35.5% of patients considered it was caused by psychological stress and 11.5% by trauma. Only 1.1% of patients considered it as having hereditary components. 13) 51% of patients were slow in caring for their own illnesses. They started to reat epilepsy after spending 5 years of time from the initial seizure. Only 5.4% of patients had received the modern anti-epileptic therapy right after the nitial seizure. 14) 62.1% of patients had no therapy or irregular or incomplete treatment before registration at the Rose Club Clinic. 15) Before registration at the Rose Club, 42.4% of patients received medical care. On the other hand, 25.6% went to herb doctors and 12.5% used to go to the drugstore in order to get anti-epileptic drugs. 16) 41. 6% of patients who took anti-epileptic drugs had more or less side-effects. Indigestion was the most common. 17) For continuation of treatment, 30.3% have received treatment for more than 5 years and the evident showed that epilepsy took a longer time to be cured. 18) Regarding the medical care received 44.2% of patients were very satisfied with effective care and 26.5% felt as good. 19) For attitudes toward epilepsy. 27.0% of patients and 68.2% of patients family were pessimistic. 20) 65.9% of patients had optimistic attitudes toward effectiveness of medical care of epilepsy. 21) 64.8% of wives and husbands had better understanding and cooperative for their spouses who had epilepsy. 22) 33.3% of patients were under-treated at the place of work. 23) 70.2% of patients wished to marry when they reach childbearing age and 63% wished to have children. Through the above results it is recommended for nation-wide epilepsy control that the sound and correct health education not only from health aspect but also from welfare aspect should be planned and implemented as soon as possible.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.116-125
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• 2020

Objectives : Self-poisoning is the leading cause of visits to the emergency departments after a suicide attempts. This study is aimed to compare the patient characteristics according to the category of drugs ingested by the patients who attempted suicide. Methods : All medical charts were retrospectively reviewed from patients who visited the emergency center, at Seoul Medical Center, due to intentional self-poisoning from April of 2011 to July of 2019. We investigated the information regarding the subtype and quantity of the intoxication drug, how it was obtained, suicidal history, and psychiatric history, as well as, sociodemographic information. Variables were compared between prescription drug (PD) and non-prescription drug (NPD) poisoning groups. Results : The mean age of the NPD poisoning group was significantly lower than that of the PD poisoning group. The patient ratio of those enrolled in national health insurance and living with spouses were significantly higher in the NPD poisoning group. Compared to the NPD poisoning group, the PD poisoning group had a higher incidence of mental illnesses, underlying diseases and ratio of involuntary visit to the emergency department. Among the prescription drugs, the benzodiazepine poisoning group had a higher rate of self-prescription than the non-poisoning group, while the zolpidem poisoning group had a higher rate of the using someone else's prescription than other drugs. Each single drug poisoning group (benzodiazepine, zolpidem, and antidepressant single-agent) had a higher rate of no mental illness than each of the mixed-poisoning group. Conclusions : Guidelines for regulating non-prescription drugs are needed as a matter of suicide prevention. Also, this study suggests that clinicians need to be careful when issuing prescriptions and should suicidal risk according to patients' characteristics, duration of follow-up and type of drug packaging.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.301-312
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• 1997

Since new continental was discovered, potatoes and sweet potatoes originated from America have been known worldwide. Through literary consideration about potatoes and sweet potatoes, several conclusons were obtained as enumerated below. 1. Based on work done by taxonomist in Orient, both of sweet potatoes and potatoes which were classified to the families of Convovulaceae and Solansceae repectively were included in Seo-rue(薯類). In contrast, both plants' identities were differed systematically. 2. Because potatoes fulfilled with like-cold keep warm, potatoes help So-um-in(少陰人) achieve Yang-nan-ji-gi(陽煖之氣). Meanwhile, the characteristic of sweet potatoes typically in wild living style assists Tae-um-in(太陰人) to own Ho-san-ji-gi(呼散之氣). That sweet potatoes affect on bodies as much as Mar(山藥=마) does makes this pant be defined as good food. 3. The inside contents of Nam-bang-bon-cho-sang(南方本草狀) cited from sweet potatoes chapter in the book of Bon-cho-gang-mok(本草綱目) indicated that the word of sweet potatoes was not found, but called as a kind of Mar(山藥=마) which lived wildly in a mountain Unfortunately, due to that medical scientist cited contents of Nam-bang-bon-cho-sang(南方本草狀) without pursuing carefully, sweet potatoes have been misunderstood. 4. According to the book of Sasang Constitutional medicine, sweet potatoes are good for Tae-um-in(太陰人) who has constipation, and potatoes are good for So-um-in(少陰人) who suffers form stomach illnesses like ulcer and hotburn. Therefore two plants have been used for curing those illness. ln addition, the taking oriental medicine with those plants are recommenced for dietary treatment according to the Constitution.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.198-210
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• 1997

To examine the double-faced thymoleptic(antidepressant and antimanic) effects of risperidone in mood disorders, this article reviews the psychotropic-induced mania, thymoleptic effects of antipsychotics, therapeutic effects of risperidone and risperidone(RIS)-induced mania(RIM) in mood disorders, risk factors of RIM, possible neurochemical mechanism of these thymoleptic effects, pathophysiological and clinical significance of thymoleptic effects, and suggestive clinical guideline of RIS in mood disorders. RIS appeared effective for bipolar disorder at a lower dose than that recommended for schizophrenia, especially in the cases of maintenance of mood stabilizers, and gradual titration from low doses. Manic induction/exacerbation can occur by chance during RIS treatment in mood disorders, schizoaffective disorders, and schizophrenias. The possible risk factors for RIM are refractory mood disorder, especially in bipolar I disorder with poor initial response ; refractory schizoaffective disorders, especially in bipolar type with poor initial response ; refractory chronic schizophrenias, especially with initial responses ; psychotic features ; higher initial doses ; rapid titration ; combined therapy with antidepressants in refractory depression ; and RIS monotherapy in mania/hypomania. RIS is a drug that preferentially block 5-HT2 receptors. The effects of low dose are due mainly to the blockade of 5-HT2 receptors. There are more gradual increase in D2 blockade with increasing dose and this D2 blocking properties become apparent at higher doses. This may be related to a modulation of dopaminergic transmission by 5-HT2 antagonism at lower doses with the direct action of RIS on DA receptors coming into play at higher dose. The serotonergic antagonistic effect may be important for its effects on depressive symptoms. This, together with adequate blo-ckade of D2 receptors, may not necessarily lead to destabilization of mood disorder, but rather to more therapeutic effects. Therefore, this dose-receptor affinity relationship with both antidepressant and antimanic effects according to treatment duration can explain a continuum of antidepressant effect, antimanic effect, behavioral stimulation, and manic/hypomanic induction/exacerbation. It was the recognition of a useful psychiatric side effects by a thoughtful observer with fertile minds that led to their ultimate utilization as psychotropic drugs, i.e., phenothiazine, MAOI, TCA, and lithium. And, in vivo pharmacological challenge by novel psychotropics, as a neurochemical probe, with more specific actions is a useful tool to select pharmacologically homogeneous subgroup of the same phenotypical(clinical) condition, to further study the unknown underlying pathogenesis of various mental illnesses. Finally, RIS may be a useful alternative or adjunctive drug for patients with mood disorders without psychotic features or refractory to treatment with standard antipsychotic drugs. The more conservative doses(tirated slowly from 1-3 mg/d) of RIS, and maintenance of mood stabilizer in the cases with risk factors of RIM are recommended in mood disorder.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.112-120
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• 2014

Objectives : The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics of night eating syndrome(NES) in bipolar disorder outpatients. Methods : The 14 items of self-reported night eating questionnaire(NEQ) was administered to 84 bipolar patients in psychiatric outpatient clinic. We examined demographic and clinical characteristics, body mass index(BMI), subjective measures of mood, sleep, binge eating & weight-related quality of life using Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI), Binge Eating Scale(BES) and Korean version of Obesity-Related Quality of Life Scale(KOQoL), respectively. Results : The prevalence of night eating syndrome in bipolar outpatients was 14.3%(12 of 84). Comparisons between NES group and non-NES group revealed no significant differences in demographic characteristics, BMI and clinical status except economic status and comorbid medical illnesses. However, compared to non-NES, patients with NES was more likely to have binge eating pattern and poorer weight-related quality of life. Conclusions : This study is to be the first to describe the clinical correlates of night eaters in bipolar outpatients. Although there were few significant correlates of NES in bipolar outpatients, relatively high prevalence of NES suggest that clinicians should be aware to assess the patients with bipolar disorder on NES, regardless of obesity status of patients.