• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2009

We investigated the nutritional state of B vitamins and the neuropsychological functions in 25 subjects, aged $63.1{\pm}6.3$ years, residing in rural areas of Korea. Nutritional states of thiamin, riboflavin, and pyridoxine were assessed enzymatically in the erythrocytes, and folate concentrations were measured microbiologically in the plasma and erythrocytes. A battery of composite neuropsychological test was administered to the subjects. Plasma folate was correlated with the total intelligence score (p=0.049). Folate levels in the erythrocytes were correlated with the performance intelligence scores such as block design (p=0.017) and picture arrangement (p=0.016). The red cell folate was correlated with memory scores such as general memory (p=0.009) and delayed recall (p=0.000). Although it did not reach statistical significance, verbal memory (p=0.053) was highly correlated with the red cell folate. The red cell folate was also correlated positively with the percent of conceptual level response number score (p=0.029), and negatively with the grooved pegboard test score for the non-dominant hand (p=0.010). Fine motor coordination was also influenced by folate nutrition, as finger tapping scores in both hands were significantly correlated with red cell folate (dominant hand; p=0.026, non-dominant hand; p=0.004). Other B vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin $B_6$ were not as strongly correlated with neuropsychological function test scores as folate was. These results suggest that folate nutrition influences neuropsychological function test scores significantly in humans. Further studies are needed to explore the relationship between folate or other vitamin B nutrition and neuropsychological functions and the implications thereof.

• Korean Journal of Schizophrenia Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 2020

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between clock-drawing test (CDT) performance and neuropsychological functions in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Methods: Thirty-one patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls participated in this study. The CDT was administered in three conditions and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative scoring systems. Comprehensive neuropsychological tests were administered. Results: The results of the quantitative analysis showed that the schizophrenia group performed significantly worse in all three conditions of the CDT compared with the control group. However, no significant differences were observed between the two groups, when the IQ and educational level were controlled. The qualitative analysis showed that the schizophrenia group exhibited significantly more errors in "graphic difficulty" compared with the control group. In addition, CDT quantitative scores were significantly correlated with visuospatial function, memory, attention and executive functions in patients with schizophrenia. Conversely, each qualitative error type was correlated with specific cognitive domains. Furthermore, "graphic difficulty" and "spatial/planning deficit" were identified as predictors of depression symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the CDT is useful for assessing cognitive dysfunctions in patients with schizophrenia, while qualitative analyses provide more specific information about cognitive deficits compared with quantitative analyses.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.105-114
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• 1995

Schiophrenia is characterized by a variety of cognitive dysfunctions. A number of research findings suggest that schizophrenic patients have global deficits in cognitive functions, such as attention, memory, executive functions, and motor functions. These cognitive deficits, once they arise, tend to become relatively stable. In spite of much efforts to search for the cognitive dysfunctions in schizophrenia, there are no specific deficits or localizations found. It is necessary that future neuropsychological research of schizophrenia should include relationships between symptoms and cognitive dysfunctions and their relationships to treatment.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2010

Objective : This study is planned to determine the neurocognitive difficulties of hydrocephalic adults. Methods : The research group contained healthy adults (control group, n : 15), and hydrocephalic adults (n : 15). Hydrocephalic group consisted of patients with idiopathic aquaduct stenosis and post-meningitis hydrocephalus. All patients were followed with shunted hydrocephalus and not gone to shunt revision during last two years. They were chosen from either asymptomatic or had only minor symptoms without motor and sensorineural deficit. A neuropsychological test battery (Raven Standart Progressive Matrices, Bender-Gestalt Test, Cancellation Test, Clock Drawing Test, Facial Recognition Test, Line Orientation Test, Serial Digit Learning Test, Stroop Color Word Interference Test-TBAG Form, Verbal Fluency Test, Verbal Fluency Test, Visual-Aural Digit Span Test-B) was applied to all groups. Results : Neuropsychological assessment of hydrocephalic patients demonstrated that they had poor performance on visual, semantic and working memory, visuoconstructive and frontal functions, reading, attention, motor coordination and executive function of parietal lobe which related with complex and perseverative behaviour. Eventually, these patients had significant impairment on the neurocognitive functions of their frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. On the other hand, the statistical analyses performed on demographic data showed that the aetiology of the hydrocephalus, age, sex and localization of the shunt (frontal or posterior parietal) did not affect the test results. Conclusion : This prospective study showed that adult patients with hydrocephalus have serious neuropsychological problems which might be directly caused by the hydrocephalus; and these problems may cause serious adaptive difficulties in their social, cultural, behavioral and academic life.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2008

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate 1) the neuropsychological deficits with major depressive disorder(MDD) in depressed state and 2) the changes of neuropsychological dysfunctions during depressed episodes and remitted periods in the MDD group. Methods : 12 patients with MDD and 70 normal controls who were diagnosed and classified by DSM-IV and SCID-IV interview participated in this study. The psychopathology was measured using the Hamilton rating scale for depression(HAM-D) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS). The memory function, executive function, and sustained attention were measured by a trained psychologist using the Korean version of Memory Assessment Scale(K-MAS), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test(WCST), and Vigilance(VIG) and Cognitrone (COG) in Vienna Test System. After 6 weeks of treatment, we retested the cognitive tests in order to measure the cognitive functions in remitted states. Results : Patients with MDD achieved significantly lower score in sentence immediately recall, verbal memory score and total memory score of the K-MAS, total errors of the WCST, response time of Vigilance and response time at "Yes" response of Cognitrone than normal controls at baseline. After 6 weeks of medication, the psychiatric symptoms in the patient group were attenuated, and most of the neuropsychological functions including attention, memory, and frontal/executive function were improved except for response time of Cognitrone. Conclusions : This study provides evidence for distinct neuropsychological deficits in patients with MDD on their depressed states and remitted periods. The impairment on response time remains after remission, and this would be a trait marker of major depressive disorder.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.24-28
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• 1997

Visual perception is a complex process engaging many different aspects of brain functioning. Like other cognitive functions, the extensive cortical distribution and complexity of visual perceptional activites make them hihgly vulnerable to brain injury. Dectection and characterization of perceptual disorders require a careful clinical assessment as well as the application of selected neuropsychological tests. In this article we reviewed neuropsychological assessment of visual perception and constructional abilities. And the principal visuospatial disorders are discussed, the associated neuropsychiatric disorders are presented.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.390-398
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• 2013

Objective : We determined whether the relationship between the neuropsychological performance of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their psychopathological characteristics measured by disability evaluation are interrelated. In addition, we assessed which psychopathological variable was most influential on neuropsychological performance via statistical clustering of the same characteristics of mild TBI. Methods : A total of 219 disability evaluation participants with mild brain injury were selected. All participants were classified into three groups, based on their psychopathological characteristics, via a two-step cluster analysis using validity and clinical scales from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and Symptom Checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R). The Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (K-WAIS), Korean Memory Assessment Scale (K-MAS) and the Korean Boston Naming Test (K-BNT) were used to evaluate the neurocognitive functions of mild TBI patients. Results : Over a quarter (26.9%) experienced severe psychopathological symptoms and 43.4% experienced mild or moderate psychopathological symptoms, and all of the mild TBI patients showed a significant relationship between neurocognitive functions and subjective and/or objective psychopathic symptoms, but the degree of this relationship was moderate. Variances of neurocognitive function were explained by neurotic and psychotic symptoms, but the role of these factors were different to each other and participants did not show intelligence and other cognitive domain decrement except for global memory abilities compared to the non-psychopathology group. Conclusion : Certain patients with mild TBI showed psychopathological symptoms, but these were not directly related to cognitive decrement. Psychopathology and cognitive decrement are discrete aspects in patients with mild TBI. Furthermore, the neurotic symptoms of mild TBI patients made positive complements to decrements or impairments of neurocognitive functions, but the psychotic symptoms had a negative effect on neurocognitive functions.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.120-128
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• 1997

Clinical neuropsychological tests were developed originally for the diagnosis of neurological and neuro-surgical diseases. Recently, these tests are being introduced to psychiatric patients. Authors had the experience to use these tests in pychiatric outpatient clinic. Results were as follows. There was a significantly increase in language and attentional function in residual schizophrenia compared to normal control. In chronic neurosis, as visuospatial function was reduced, language and attentional functions were enhanced. With these results, authors suggest that application of neuropsychological tests in psychiatric patients may be very helpful in classifying the subgroups of disease, in selecting the modality of treatment, and in expecting prognosis.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.10
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• pp.383-387
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• 2012

Purpose: Although benign rolandic epilepsy (BRE) is a benign condition, it may be associated with a spectrum of behavioral, psychiatric, and cognitive disorders. This study aimed to assess the cognitive and other neuropsychological profiles of children with BRE. Methods: In total, 23 children with BRE were consecutively recruited. All children underwent sleep electroencephalography (EEG) and were assessed on a battery of comprehensive neuropsychological tests including the Korean versions of the Wechsler intelligence scale for children III, frontal executive neuropsychological test, rey complex figure test, Wisconsin card sorting test, attention deficit diagnostic scale, and child behavior checklist scale. Results: The study subjects included 13 boys and 10 girls aged $9.0{\pm}1.6$ years. Our subjects showed an average monthly seizure frequency of $0.9{\pm}0.7$, and a majority of them had focal seizures (70%). The spike index (frequency/min) was $4.1{\pm}5.3$ (right) and $13.1{\pm}15.9$ (left). Of the 23 subjects, 9 showed frequent spikes (>10/min) on the EEG. The subjects had normal cognitive and frontal executive functions, memory, and other neuropsychological sub-domain scores, even though 8 children (35%) showed some evidence of learning difficulties, attention deficits, and aggressive behavior. Conclusion: Our data have limited predictive value; however, these data demonstrate that although BRE appears to be benign at the onset, children with BRE might develop cognitive, behavioral, and other psychiatric disorders during the active phase of epilepsy, and these problems may even outlast the BRE. Therefore, we recommend scrupulous follow-up for children with BRE.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.194-201
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• 1998

Objectives : This study was aimed to investigate the differences in intelligence and neuropsychological test findings between patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD) and normal controls, and to find out brain functions. Methods : To examine the brain functions, Halsted Reitan neuropsychological test, computerized neuropsychological test, Wechsler Memory scale and K-WAIS were applied. Subjects of this study consisted of 12 patients with OCD and 17 normal controls who were matched for age, handedness and education year. Results : The verbal intelligence of OCD was significantly higher than that of normal controls. But there was no significant difference in total and performance intelligence between groups. The total time of tactual performance test in OCD was significantly delayed than that in normal controls. Also the visual recall of Wechsler memory scale in OCD was more impaired than that in normal controls. Conclusion : These findings support that visual-spatial memory, which is related to basal ganglia, is impaired in OCD.