• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.812-820
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• 2022

Depression is a psychiatric disorder characterized by depressed mood, anhedonia, fatigue, and altered cognitive function, leading to a decline in daily functioning. In addition, depression is a serious and common mental illness not only in an individual's life but also in society, so it must be actively treated. Autophagy is involved in the pathophysiological mechanism of mental illness. According to a recent study, it is known that autophagy-induced apoptosis affects neuroplasticity and causes depression and that antidepressants regulate autophagy. Autophagy is a catabolic process that degradation and removes unnecessary organelles or proteins through a lysosome. And, it is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Autophagy is activated in stress conditions, and depression is a stress-related disease. Stress causes damage to cellular homeostasis. Recently, although the role of autophagy mechanisms in neurons has been investigated, the autophagy of depression has not been fully studied. This review highlights the new evidence for the involvement of autophagy in the pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment of depression. To highlight the evidence, we present results from clinical and preclinical studies showing that autophagy is associated with depression. Understanding the relevance of autophagy to depression and the limitations of research suggest that autophagy regulation may provide a new direction for antidepressant development.

• Mood & Emotion
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2012

Suicide is a complex behavior associated with various neurobiological and psychosocial factors. It is considered that genetic polymorphism combined with environmental stress such as child-adolescent trauma make differences in neurobiological systems, which cause psychiatric disorders or pessimistic personality, impulse-aggressive behaviors, lack of judgment, and finally result in suicidal behavior. Much progress in the neurobiology of suicide has been made over the several decades. There seems to be a hereditary disposition to suicide independent of psychiatric disorder. The changes in neurotransmitters, neurohormones, neurotrophic factors, cytokines, lipid metabolisms related with their genetic polymorphism can contribute to disturbance of signal transductions and neuronal circuits vulnerable to suicide. It is likely that the main factors are dysfunctions of serotonin (5-HT) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Our understanding about the neurobiology of suicide is still limited. However, clinical practice could be assisted by neurobiological findings capable of making the detection of risk populations with higher sensitivity and the development of new treatment interventions. The settlement of biological markers in suicidal behaviors and their relationships is required.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.72-80
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• 2020

Objectives : The aim of this study was to compare the effect of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) and Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) for mood symptoms, pain, and somatic symptoms in elderly depression patients with pain and somatic symptoms. Methods : This study is a prospective open-label study conducted by a single institution. A total of 43 subjects diagnosed with major depressive disorder under the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria participated in this study (average age: 72.53, 58.1% women). The subjects were classified as SSRI and SNRI groups. Depressive symptoms, pain, and somatic symptoms were evaluated by Korean version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (K-HDRS), visual analogue scale (VAS) and Patient Health Questionnare-15 (PHQ-15) respectively at baseline and six weeks later. Two-way repeated-measure ANOVA was performed to analyze changes in the KHDRS, VAS, and PHQ-15 scores. Results : In the SSRI and SNRI groups, K-HDRS, VAS, and PHQ-15 all showed significant improvement after 6 weeks compared to each baseline values. There were no differences in therapeutic effect between the two groups. Conclusions : We found that SSRI and SNRI both improved somatic symptoms and pain in elderly depression patients. The results of this study are thought to help select antidepressants when administering medication to elderly depression patients who complain pain and somatic symptoms. Further research is needed on the longterm effects of the SSRI and SNRI.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 2011

Objective : Korean Version of Beck-II Depression Inventory to verify the reliability and validity of the proposed standards are practical and standardized, cut-off score by establishing a baseline indicating the presence of depression and depression On in the evaluation was to evaluate the clinical usefulness. Methods : 739 patients with major depression using the SCID and normal controls were 302 study subjects. Of patients with clinically significant medical condition, or psychotic disorders, organic mental disorder, epilepsy or seizure disorder, eating disorders are associated with patients taking anti-convulsants experienced in the past, patients were excluded from the study. Results : The main findings of this study were as follows. First, with respect to the KBDI-II items, the correlation between them ranged from 0.51 to 0.74, and was 0.60 over all questions. Further, the overall correlation of the KBDI-II plates showing confidence 'normal' than it was verified that. Second, the BDIII was used in each group to examine internal consistency and thus, whether Cronbach's alpha values were greater than 0.94. Third, the principal component analysis sought to extract factors in a way consistent with the results inspected last 3 factors were extracted and the total variance explained was 47.3%. Fourth, the Cutting calculated the score on the KBDI-II for ROC (Receiver operator characteristic) analysis yielding 18 dot, with the highest sensitivity and specificity was seen. Conclusion : Based on the results of this Study, the KBDI-II cut-off point should be valid as prescribed in 18 is considered.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.70-77
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• 2021

Objectives: Our study aims to investigate the clinical and polysomnographic variables associated with subjective sleep perception. Methods: Among the patients who underwent nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) at the Center for Sleep and Chronobiology of Seoul National University Hospital from May 2018 to July 2019, 109 diagnosed with insomnia disorder based on DSM-5 were recruited for the study, and their medical records were retrospectively analyzed. Self-report questionnaires about clinical characteristics including Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Beck depression inventory (BDI), and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) were completed. Subjective sleep quality was measured using variables of subjective total sleep time (subjective TST), subjective sleep onset latency (subjective SOL), subjective number of awakenings, morning feeling after awakening, and sleep discrepancy (subjective TST-objective TST) the morning after PSG. Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses were used to determine the factors associated with subjective sleep perception. Results: In patients with insomnia, subjective TST was negatively correlated with Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO) (p = 0.001) and N1 sleep (p = 0.039) parameters on polysomnography. Also, it was negatively correlated with PSQI (p < 0.001) and BDI (p = 0.014) scores. Sleep discrepancy was negatively correlated with PSQI score (p = 0.018). Morning feeling was negatively correlated with PSQI (p = 0.019) and BDI (p < 0.001) scores. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that subjective sleep perception is associated with PSG variables (WASO and N1 sleep) and with PSQI and BDI scores. In clinical practice, it is helpful to assess and manage insomnia patients in consideration of objective sleep variables, subjective sleep quality, and depressed mood, which can influence subjective sleep perception.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.73-85
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• 2017

Objectives : In this study I made investigations how 'strange hunger' and 'compulsive overeating' threatening the ego could be resolved and healed. And I aim to present a healing model of psychotherapy and analysis as one of methods of treatment for 'eating disorder'. Methods : The analysands of this study were outpatients who visited the department of psychiatry of Yong-In Mental Hospital from March 2008 to February 2017 with 'hunger' and 'compulsive overeating' as their chief complaints. This study is based on the detailed records of the process of analysis including dreams and visions. Results : 1) Throughout the process of analysis that explore both consciousness and unconsciousness(dream, vision), hunger and compulsive overeating is improved and healed in all analysands. 2) The Imago of 'Snake' appeared in dreams and visions of all analysands. 3) By suffering impulse rather than acting it out, impulse transformes itself into 'Imago'. As impulse transforms into 'Imago' and reveals the 'meaning' of it, ego-threatening power of impulse weakens and mood is calmed. And as a result, synthesis of consciousness and unconsciousness and creative transformation of personality can be possible. Conclusions : In some people, 'hunger' and 'compulsive overeating' are 'creative impulses' that aim 'Self-realization' which can be fruited as creative transformation of personality and as creative transformation in the relation with the world. 'Creative impulses', which often can be experienced as instinctive impulse or emotional suffering unless ego realizes the meaning, reveal the meaning in dreams or visions through 'Imago' and 'Symbol'.