• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2017

Objectives: Domestic violence is related to many psychiatric diseases, such as depression, anxiety disorder, and PTSD. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an index of autonomic control of the heart and is related to cardiovascular and emotional disorders. Although there have been some studies on the effects of domestic violence on women's mental health, relatively little information is available on HRV in this population. The aim of this study is to investigate demographic data, psychological features, and HRV in female victims of domestic violence and difference between Korean and foreign female victims. Methods: A total of 210 female victims of domestic violence (166 Korean women and 44 foreign women) were recruited for this study. Psychological symptoms were measured using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). HRV measures were assessed by time-domain and frequency-domain analyses. Results: The mean score of HAM-A was 13.81, that of HAM-D was 12.92, and that of IES-R was 33.61 ; there were no significant differences between Korean and foreign women in these measures. In HRV time domain analyses, approximate entropy (ApEn) was significantly increased in foreign women compared to the Korean women. The square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD) was significantly decreased in foreign women compared to Korean women. There were no significant differences in the other HRV variables between Korean and foreign women. Conclusion: Female victims of domestic violence in Korea are associated with depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. The physiologic factors of a female victim's nationality could be related to higher ApEn and lower RMSSD in foreign female victims. These findings have important implications for future study to study the relationships among ethnic and environmental factors and HRV variables.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.184-195
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• 1999

Objectives : As traumatic brain injury(TBI) leaves chronic sequelae in mind and body, the injured patients should rectify the meaning and object that they have pursued in their lives and set up a new purpose in life that they may make the rest of their lives meaningful. This study was designed to investigate the purpose and quality of life levels and the influence of demographic and clinical variables on the levels in the patients with TBI, and to be of some help to their rehabilitation. Methods : In order to assess the purpose in life(PIL) and the quality of life(QOL) levels, Purpose-in-Life Test, Sickness Impact Profile, Quality of Life Index, Head Injury Symptom Ckecklist, and Neurobehavioral Rating Scale were administered to the subjects. The subjects were thirty-two patients with TBI and the same numbered normal controls. The TBI group was composed of 16 to 65 year-aged patients who had received mild or severe TBI at least 12 months before, and the controls were siblings or friends of the patients whose age, sex, and educational level were similar to them. Results : 1) The PIL and QOL levels of the patients with TBI remained significantly lower than that of control group after their symptoms of injury were stabilized(p<.01, p<.01). 2) The mean PIL score of TBI group was $58.8{\pm}23.2$, which was to be regarded as the level of existential vacuum. 3) The PIL level of TBI group was significantly correlated with the QOL level(p <.01). 4) The subgroup with lower PIL level in patients with TBI has significantly higher rate of female than that with higher PIL(p<.05), the PIL level of female patients was significantly lower than that of male patients(p <.05). 5) The significant differences in PIL levels were not found, in which comparison was performed between each pair of subgroups of patients with TBI divided by severity of injury(mild vs severe), marital status(married vs unmarried), and occupational status prior to injury(employed vs unemployed). Conclusion : The PIL of patients with TBI still remained the level of existential vacuum after symptoms of sequelae had been stabilized, The QOL level was also extremely low, and as the PIL level was low the QOL was also low. The demographic and clinical variables except sex did not have influence on the PIL level in brain-injured patients. It is suggested that every patient should admit their mental and physical limitations caused by brain injury and revise their purpose in life for successful rehabilitation.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 2004

Objectives : Child and adolescent onset obsessive compulsive disorder(C-OCD) is known to be associated with poor drug response, high comorbid rate and strong genetic tendencies. Till now studies for C-OCD have been very rare in Korea. We conducted this study to investigate the informations about clinical features, familial psychiatric loading, treatment profiles and course of server C-OCD from the retrospective analysis of inpatient data of Seoul National University Children's Hospital. Method : Retrospective chart review and data analysis was performed. Twenty(male 16 : female 4) patients with final C-OCD diagnosis by DSM-IV at discharge from 1994 to 2002 were found and their medical chart, psychological data, family interview data and nursing reports were collected and analyzed. Results : 1) The sex ratio of C-OCD was male dominant(4:1). 2) Phenomenological, most common obsession was pathologic doubt, contamination fear, followed by aggressive obsession, need for symmetry, sexual obsession, most common compulsion was checking and washing, followed by breathing, movement, symmetry, repetitive asking, hoarding, mental compulsion. 3) Most common comorbid diagnosis was depression. Other axis-I diagnosis associated OCD were anxiety disorder, tic disorder, conduct and oppositional defiant disorder and psychosis. 4) Regarding psychiatric familial loadings, 17 patients(85%) had relatives with psychiatric disorders, OC-spectrum disorders(OCD or OCPD) were found in 9 patients(45%). 5) The majority of patients(75%) have received SSRI and antipsychotics treatment. The response rate above 'moderate improved" by CGI was 75%. 6) During follow-up period in outpatient clinic, five patients(25%) showed continuous complete remission, 10 patients (50%) did residual symptoms with chronic course. Conclusion : This seems to be the first systemic investigation of severe pediatric OCD patients in Korea. The children & adolescents with severe OCD in inpatient-setting showed the high comorbid rate, familial psychiatric loading, and combined pharmacotherapy with antipsychotics, As for symptoms, high rate of aggressive-sexual obsession and atypical compulsions like breathing and moving was reported in this study. Severe pediatric OCD patients, however, responded well to the combined SSRI and antipsychotics regimen.

• Korean Journal of Hospice Care
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.58-74
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• 2002

This paper constitutes a descriptive investigation and used a structured questionnaire to investigate nurses' and doctors' recognition of cancer patients. The subjects were extracted from the medical personnel working at the internal medicine, the surgery ward, the obstetrics and gynecology department, the pediatrics department, the cancer ward, and the emergency room of five general hospitals located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The research lasted from August, 2001 to September 2001. Total 137 nurses and 65 doctors were included and made out the questionnaires directly distributed by the investigator. The study tool was also developed by the investigator and consisted of such items as the demographic and social characteristics, the medical personnel's recognition degree of cancer and cancer patients, their recognition of the management of cancer patients, and their participation in a hospice. The results were analyzed using the SPSS Window program in terms of technological statistics, ranks, t-test, and ANOVA. The reliability was represented in Cronbach' α=.75. The nurses' and doctors' recognition degree of cancer and cancer patients had an overall average of 3.86 at the 5 point-scale. The items that received an average of 4.0 or more included 'Medical personnel should explain about the cancer cure plans to the cancer patient and his or her family', 'A patient whose case has been diagnosed as a terminal cancer should be notified of it, 'If I were a cancer patient, I would want to get informed of it,' and 'Cancer shall be conquered whenever it is'. In the meantime, the items that received an average of 3.0 or less was 'My relationship with the cancer patient's family has gotten worse since I announced his or her impending death.' And according to the general characteristics and the difference test, the recognition degree of cancer and cancer patient was high among the subgroups of nurses, females, married persons, who were in their 30s, who had a family member that was a cancer patient, and who received a hospice education. The biggest number of the nurses and doctors saw 'a gradual approach over several days'(68.8%) as a method to tell a cancer patient about his or her cancer diagnosis or impending death. Those who usually tell tragic news were the physician in charge(62.8%), the family members or relatives(32.1%) and the clergymen(3.8%) in the order. The greatest number of them recommended a cancer patient's home as the place where he or she should face death because they thought 'it would stabilize his or her mentality'(91.9%) while a number of them recommended the hospital because they 'should give the psychological satisfaction to the patient'(40%) or 'should try their best until the last moment of the patient's death'(30%). A majority of the medical personnel regarded 'smoking or drinking' and 'diet' as the causes of cancer. The biggest symptom of a cancer patient was 'pain' and the pain management of a cancer patient was mostly impeded by the 'excessive fear of drug addiction, tolerance to drugs and side effects of drugs' by medical personnel, the patient, and his or her family. The most frequently adopted treatment plan of a terminal cancer patient was 'to do whatever the patient or his or her family wants' to resort to a hospice' and 'to continue active treatment efforts' in the order. The biggest reasons why a terminal cancer patient went to see a doctor were 'pain alleviation' 'control of symptoms other than pain(intravenous supply)' and 'incapability of the patient's family' in the order. Terminal cancer patients placed their major concern in 'spiritual(religious) matter' 'emotional matters' their family' 'existence' and 'physical matters' in the order. 113(58.5%) of the whole medical personnel answered they 'would recommend' an alternative treatment to a terminal cancer patient mostly because they assumed it would 'stabilize the patient's mentality.' Meanwhile, 80(41.5%) of them chose 'not to recommend it mostly due to the unverified effects and high cost of it(78.7%). A majority of them, I. e. 190(94.1%) subjects said they 'would recommend' a hospice to a terminal cancer patient mostly because they thought it would help the patient to 'mentally prepare'(66.6%) Only 17.3% of them, however, had received a hospice education, most of which was done through the hospital duty education(41.4%) and volunteer training(34.5%). The follows are results of this study: 1. The nurses and the doctors turned out to be still passive and experience confusion in dealing with a cancer patient despite their great sense of responsibility for him or her. 2.Nurses and Doctors realize the need of a hospice, but an extremely small number of them participate in a hospice education or performance. Thus, a whole recognition of a hospice should be changed, for which purpose a hospice education for nurses and doctors should be provided. 3.Terminal cancer patients preferred their home to a hospital as the place to face their impending death because they felt it would bring 'mental stability.' And most of nurses and doctors think it would be unnecessary for them to be hospitalized just for control of their symptoms. Accordingly a terminal cancer patient can be cared at home, and a home hospice care needs to be activated.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.20-27
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• 2011

Objectives: The present study aims to investigate the effects of physical illness on depression in North Korean Defectors. Methods: One hundred forty-four North Korean Defectors(20 males, 124 females) and 376 South Koreans 133 males, 243 females) in Incheon Metropolitan areas participated the present study. Face-to-face interview was conducted for demographic information including presence of physical illnesses. To investigate depressive symptoms, all participants were required to complete the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). Results: After controlling gender, age, marital status, educational year, employment status and physical illness, North Korean Defectors showed higher CES-D score than South Koreans(${\beta}$=0.449, p<0.001). Within North Korean Defectors, the presence of physical illnesses independently was related to higher CES-D score(${\beta}$=0.243, p<0.001). However, within South Koreans, the presence of physical illnesses did not significantly predict CES-D score. North Korean Defectors with physical illness have higher CES-D score than North Korean Defectors without physical illness($26.8{\pm}13.8$ versus $19.7{\pm}12.7$). However, there was no significant differences of CES-D score between South Koreans with physical illness and South Koreans without physical illness($10.3{\pm}9.8$ versus $9.3{\pm}8.8$). Conclusion: Compared to South Koreans, North Korean Defector showed higher depressive symptoms independently from gender, age, education, employment, marriage. In addition, only North Korean Defectors showed the relationship between depression and physical illness. Our study suggests that depression should be assessed when North Korean Defectors have physical illness.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1063-1073
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• 2016

Male climacteric syndrome, andropause, or testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is one of the new health issues in elderly men. It is a natural phenomenon that happens with age in men, which is clinically characterized by a decline in levels of serum testosterone resulting in a significantly decreasing of physical and mental activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the putative alleviative effects of dandelion extract on the symptoms of TDS by increasing serum testosterone levels and compare the efficacy between dandelion extract (DE) and fermented dandelion extract (FDE). After daily intake of DE and FDE for 4 weeks, serum testosterone levels, muscles of vastus lateralis, forced swimming time, total sperm counts, and motile sperm counts were significantly increased in older rats (22 weeks). Additionally, SHBG, epididymal fat pad, total serum cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly decreased in DE and FDE fed groups. However, PSA levels were not different among all groups. Furthermore, DE and FDE enhanced the expression of genes related to testosterone biosynthesis in TM3 Leydig cells. Overall, these positive effects on andropause were greater in FDE compared to DE. These results suggest the potential of FDE as a safe and efficacious natural material for recovering testosterone levels and reducing andropause symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2021

Objectives : This study was designed to investigate datas related to panic attack and treatment in emergency room of panic disorder patients who visited emergency room for panic attack. Methods : A retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted on 92 patients with panic disorder who visited Chungju Konkuk university hospital emergency department due to panic attack and had bodily symptoms from 1st January 2010 to 31th December 2019. In addition to demographic characteristics and comorbid disorders, triggering stressors and alcohol consumption were corrected as pre-panic attack datas, bodily symptoms at the time of panic attack were corrected as datas during attack, electrocardiogram trial, consultation with psychiatrist, admission and information of used psychotropic drugs were corrected as post-attack data. Depending on size of data, Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used. Collected data was analyzed using R 4.03. Results : Cardiovascular disease was accompanied by 5.4% and depressive disorder was the most common coexisting mental disorder. Among triggering stressors, economic problem/work-related stress was significantly higher in men than women (𝛘²=4.322, p<0.005). The most common physical symptom during attack was circulatory (65.2%), followed by respiratory (57.6%), numbness-paralysis (33.7%), dizziness (19.6%), gastro-intestinal (14.1%) and autonomic symptom (12.0%). Electrocardiogram was taken at higher rate when patients complained circulatory symptom (𝛘²=8.46, p<0.005). The psychotropic drug most commonly used in emergency room was lorazepam, used in 92.1%. Conclusions : The most common bodily symptom during panic attack was circulatory symptom and the most common triggering stressor in men was economic problem/work-related stress. The most commonly used psychotropic for panic attack was lorazepam.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.31-45
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• 2000

Objectives : The present study was performed to reveal differences between female and male cases of alopecia in their alopecia related variables such as patterns of hair loss, psychiatric characteristics, associate illnesses, and methods of treatment, and to use them as basic materials for proper management and early prevention of the alopecia prone cases. Methods : In order to analysis the gender difference in hair losses, the subjects were divided into two subgroups as the 51 cases of female alopecia and the 42 cases of male alopecia, who had visited to the department of psychiatry consulted from the department of dermatology, Yongsan hopital, ChungAng University, Seoul, Korea, from January 1998 to December 1998. In data analysis, the subjects were statistically assesed by chi-squre test and analysis of varaiance, through SPSS-$PC^+$ 9.0V. Results : 1) Female subjects were more likely showed lower socio-economical level including lower eonomical level, lower educational level, or lower occupational level in their parent's job, were more likely to have larger number of siblings and to have many sisters comparison to the male cases. 2) Female subjects were more likely visited to the department of dermatology, more history of alopecia in their female family members, lesser history of alopecia in their male family members, more loss of hairs in vertex or frontal region of scalp, lesser loss of hairs in occipital region, and lesser nail changes in comparison to the male cases. 3) Female subjects were more suffered from intra-familial conflicts and economical changes, or their introverted personality makeup, lesser likely suffered from changes of business and health changes, and showed lesser conflicts related with poorer adaptaion in their job life. 4) Female subjects were more likely diagnosed as depression or conversion disorders, more frequently complaint anxiety symptoms or depressive symptoms, higher level of anxiety index, lesser complaint somatization or obsessive compulsive symptoms, and lesser diagnosed as anxiety disorder in comparison to the male cases. 5) Female subjects were more likely tended to show personality makeup such as the introverted, the lie, the repressed, or the feminine trends than the male cases. 6) Female subjects were more significantly treated by antianxiety drug such as etizolam and dermatological therapies include tretinoin, and lesser treated by clotiazepam and prednicarbonate in comparison to the male cases. Conclusion : From the facts that The most important factors in developing hair loss in the female subjects in comparison to the male cases seems to be closely correlated with the serious psychopathology such as the presence of mental disorders including depression, the presence of complaining anxiety or depressive symptomatology, the presence of stressful life events such as intrafamilial life changes, and the presence of personality makeup such as the introverted, the lie, the repressed, or the feminine trends, the authors confirmed that dermatologists act as the primary care physician are in a unique position to recognize psychiatric comorbidity and execute meaningful intervention for female patients with the alopecia with psychiatrists.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.18-44
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• 2017

Purpose: The object of this study was to observe the anti-climacterium activity of Gagamguibiondam-tang (GGOT) on ovariectomized (OVX) rats, a well-documented rodent models resembles with women postmenopausal climacterium symptoms, as including cardiovascular diseases, obesity, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, organ steatosis and mental disorders. Methods: In this study, anti-climacteric effects were evaluated separated into three categories; 1) anti-obese, 2) anti-uterine atrophy and 3) anti-osteoporotic effects. Five groups were used (8 rats in each group); sham control, OVX control, GGOT 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg administered groups. Twenty-eight days after bilateral OVX surgery, GGOT were orally administered, once a day for 84 days, and then the changes on the body weight and gain during experimental periods, serum estradiol levels, abdominal fat pad and uterus weights with histopathology of abdominal fat pads (total thickness and mean adipocyte diameters) and uterus (total, epithelial and mucosal thickness, percentages of uterine gland regions) for anti-obese and estrogenic effects. In addition, femur, tibia and fourth or fifth lumbar vertebrae (L4 or L5) wet, dry and ash weights, mineral density (BMD), bone strength (failure load), serum osteocalcin and bone specific alkaline phosphatase (bALP) contents, histological and histomorphometrical analyses - bone mass and structure with bone resorption, were monitored for anti-osteoporosis activity. Results: As a result of OVX, noticeable increases of body weight and gains, food and water consumption, weights of abdominal fat pad deposited in dorsal abdominal cavity, serum osteocalcin levels were demonstrated in this experiment with decrease of uterus, femur, tibia and L5 weights, serum bALP and estradiol levels. In addition, marked hypertrophic changes of adipocytes located in deposited abdominal fat pads, uterine disused atrophic changes, decreases of bone mass and structures of femur, tibia and L4 were also observed in OVX control rats with dramatic increases of bone resorption markers, the Ocn and OS/BS at histopathological and histomorphometrical analysis in this study as compared with sham-operated control rats, suggesting the estrogen-deficient climacterium symptoms - obese and osteoporosis were induced by OVX, respectively. However, these estrogen-deficient climacterium symptoms induced by bilateral OVX in rats were significantly inhibited by 84 days of continuous oral treatment of GGOT 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg, respectively. Especially, GGOT 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg showed clear dose-dependent inhibitory activities on the OVX-induced climacterium signs. Conclusion: The results suggest that oral administration of GGOT 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg has clear dose-dependent favorable anti-climacterium effects - estrogenic, anti-obese and anti-osteoporotic activities in OVX rats in this experiment.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.481-488
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• 2005

Purpose: Functional imaging of dopamine transporter (DAT) defines integrity of the dopaminergic system, and DAT is the target site of drugs of abuse such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Functional imaging the DAT may be a sensitive and selective indicator of neurotoxic change by the drug. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the clinical implications of qualitative/quantitative analyses of dopamine transporter imaging in methamphetamine abusers. Materials and Methods: Six detoxified methamphetamine abusers (abuser group) and 4 volunteers (control group) were enrolled in this study. Brain MRI was performed in all of abuser group. Abuser group underwent psychiatric and depression assessment using brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD), respectively. All of the subjects underwent I-123 IPT SPECT (IPT SPECT). IPT SPECT image was analysed with visual qualitative method and quantitative method using basal ganglia dopamine transporter (DAT) specific/non-specific binding ratio (SBR). Comparison of DAT SBR between abuser and control groups was performed. We also performed correlation tests between psychiatric and depression assessment results and DAT SBR in abuser group. Results: All of abuser group showed normal MRI finding, but had residual psychiatric and depressive symptoms, and psychiatric and depressive symptom scores were exactly correlated (r=1.0, p=0.005) each other. Five of them showed abnormal finding on qualitative visual I-123 IPT SPECT Abuser group had lower basal ganglia DAT SBR than that of control ($2.38{\pm}0.20\;vs\;3.04{\pm}0.27$, p=0.000). Psychiatric and depressive symptoms were negatively well correlated with basal ganglia DAT SBR (r=-0.908, p=0.012, r=-0.924, p=0.009). Conclusion: These results suggest that dopamine transporter imaging using I-123 IPT SPECT may be used to evaluate dopaminergic system of the basal ganglia and the clinical status in methamphetamine abusers.