• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 2003

Object:We investigated the relationship between prolactin response to antipsychotics and clinical courses of psychotic symptoms and DAT gene polymorphisms. Method:Twenty-four acute psychotic inpatients completed the 12-week trial of risperidone. Serum prolactin, BPRS, ESRS and hyperprolactinemia-related symptoms were measured at baseline, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after medication. The DAT gene polymorphisms were analyzed. Results:The serum prolactin was significantly increased over time. According to the prolactin level at 2-week, the subjects were divided into the severe group(serum prolactin>60ng/mL, N=15) and the mild group (serum prolactin<60ng/mL, N=9). The prolactin levels of the mild group didn't increase beyond 60ng/mL throughout 12 weeks. Severe group had slower decrement of BPRS scores than those of mild group. Six females in severe group complained of irregular menstruations, but no female in mild group. Most patients had 10 allele of DAT gene. Conclusion:This study suggests that the magnitude of prolactin elevation at the 2-week of risperidone medication is correlated with severity of hyperprolactinemia throughout treatments. Our results did not show the relationship between prolactin responses and DAT gene polymorphisms.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2016

Objective : This study was conducted to evaluate the relationships between selective attention bias for fear stimuli and hallucination in patients with schizophrenia Method : A total of 66 patients with schizophrenia admitted to psychiatry clinics were included in the study. Selective attention bias was measured by the dot-probe task. Patient symptoms were measured using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale (PSYRATS), Korean version of the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder, and Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale. Results : Selective attention bias was correlated with the hallucination subscale of PSYTATS (r=0.268, p=0.029). No correlation was found between selective attention bias and other clinical measures. There was no significant difference, but a statistical trend was found (p=0.092) in hallucination severities between the biased and non-biased groups. Conclusion : The results suggest that selective attention bias for fear stimuli is associated with auditory hallucination. This preliminary study suggests the possibility of correlation between auditory hallucination in the psychotic domain and anxiety of the affective component.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2008

Objective : Due to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the relative limitations in the treatment of patients with PTSD, a variety of medications and treatment algorithms for PTSD have been investigated. This study was conducted to investigate the trends in the pharmacotherapy used in the treatment of inpatients with PTSD at a single university hospital in Korea. Methods : Data from 75 patients diagnosed with PTSD according to the DSM-IV criteria from January 1998 to December 2007 were collected. Demographic data and clinical data, including medications prescribed, were investigated. Results : Thirty-three of the 75 subjects included in this study were male, and 42 were female. Considering psychiatric comorbidity, depressive disorder, cognitive disorder, psychotic disorder and anxiety disorder were reported in order. Approximately 97% of the subjects were treated with antidepressants, including paroxetine in 54.7%, and 24% of the subjects were treated with two different kinds of antidepressants. In addition, atypical antipsychotics were prescribed in 33.3% of patients, mood stabilizers in 17.3%, and anxiolytics in 94.7% of the subjects. Conclusion : In our study, various kinds of antidepressants were prescribed for most patients with PTSD. Antipsychotics and mood stabilizers were added to the treatment regimens of some subjects, and anxiolytics were added to the treatment regimens of most subjects. Despite its many limitations, this study shows the prescription pattern and trends in PTSD treatment in Korea. We hope that these preliminary data would be helpful for the development and integration of a practical guideline for the treatment of PTSD in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 1997

Objective : Accumulating evidence suggests a greater number of subcortical hyperintensities in the brain of patients with bipolar disorder. We studied the Clinical correlates of subcortical hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Bipolar Disorder : Methods : Magnetic resonance images of the brain were obtained for 32 patients with bipolar disorder. The presence and location of hyperintensities were assessed. We compared clinical variables between patients with subcortical hyperintensities and patients without them. Results : Seven patients(21.8%) had subcortical hyperintensities, but among 8 patients who were 40 years or older, 5 patients(62%) had them. Age and age at onset of patients with subcortical hyperintensities were significantly older than patients without them. Psychotic symptoms were more frequent in patients with hyperintensities. Patients without hyperintensities had more familial loadings. Conclusion : Given the limitations of the study, our results should be seen as preliminary. This study, however, provides preliminary evidence supporting the notion that the onset, clinical feature and course of some bipolar disorders of late onset may be determined by underlying subcortical abnormalities, with such abnormalities being the consequence of factors related to aging or neurodegeneration(such as impaired cerebral circulation) rather than genetic factors which predispose to early-onset bipolar disorders.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.18-33
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• 1995

The Purpose of this article is to identify the specific characteristics of borderline disorder in adolescence to conceptualize the borderline state as an adolescent process different from borderline personality disorder in adult, and to classify them according to it's unique clinical feature, porcess and outcome. The development of borderline disorder in adolescent, epidemiology, comorbid disorders and differential diagnosis, pre-existing sub-classification systems, and etiology in theories of psychodynamics, biological theories, experimental studies, and follow-up studies are reviewed. The authors conceptualize the adolescent borderline state include all clinical states generated by re-emergence of unresolved rapproachement conflicts in adolescent, and propose that there are four subgroups in adolescent borderline state. (1) Borderline state as an adolescent process. (2) Borderline state associated with psychotic disorders (3) Borderline state as an initial stnge of typical borderline personality disorder (4) Borderline state associated with organic problems. Conceptually, borderline state in adolescence is not a simple continuation of primary failure of separation-individuation but a struggle for mastering unresolved separation-individuation conflicts in adolesance i.e., the second separation-individuation state, and if it fails this time, the struggle might continue into adult life as borderline personality disorder.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2000

Objectives : The author wanted to summarize the psychiatric and social aspects of the patients with hepatitis B virus infection. Methods : The author reviewed all pertinent citations in the Medline database from 1966 to 1999. Results : Psychiatric problems in this population include delirium, psychotic disorder due to general medical condition(especially mania), anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, alcohol abuse/dependence, and drug abuse/dependence. Social aspects of the patients with hepatitis B viral infection relate to the stigma of being a carrier, guilty feeling about infection, guilty feeling about increased family burden, impacts of having hepatitis on interpersonal relations, sexual difficulties, and job loss with increased financial burden, and health care worker's refusal. Conclusions : Appropriate early educational counseling interventions regarding the expected course and psychosocial intervention should be tailored to the sociocultural needs of special populations. Those interventions will increase compliance of treatment and prevent progression to hepatocellalar carcinoma from hepatitis.

• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.123-135
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• 2022

Background: The study aims to examine what color representation means to artists by investigating various hypotheses about van Gogh's expression of yellow and verifying the reason of his preference of yellow. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether yellow expression of Vincent van Gogh is a result of physiological responses of alcoholism, expression feature of mental disorder, or a problem caused by psychological motivation. Methods: In order to verify the research question, we referred to research literatures that analyzed a characteristics of Gogh's works in a various area such as psychology and psychiatry, and Gogh's symptoms and his own skills. Results: The findings suggested that Gogh's yellow preference is related to the psychological factors such as inner motivation, not a xanthopsia which is brought about alcoholism and mental disorder. Conclusions: Gogh's Yellow expression is dominantly influenced by the psychological factors. Thus, it can say that the psychological factors has a great on characteristic of artist's color expression.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.211-218
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• 2012

Objectives Body image distortion is found in eating disorder and obesity and there are some evidence that schizophrenia is associated with body image distortion. This study sought to find whether schizophrenic patients report more body image distortion than healthy individuals and whether it is related with symptomatology. Methods A total of 88 inpatients with schizophrenia and 88 healthy controls were recruited. Weight, height, and body image accuracy were assessed in all participants, and assessment of mood, psychotic symptom severity and self-esteem, and personal and social performance scale were conducted. Results The patients with schizophrenia had higher Body Mass Index (p < 0. 001) and underestimated their body size more than controls (26.14% vs. 5.13%, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that lower depressive symptoms and higher scores of general psychopathology predicted underestimation of body size. Conclusion Weight gain and metabolic syndrome are common adverse events of pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia. Thus, underestimation of body size among patients with schizophrenia may interfere with effort to lose weight or seek weight reduction programs. Clinicians need to consider possible unterestimation of underestimation of body size in patients whose general symptomatology is severe.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2015

Objective : The current study investigated the personality characteristics in the victims of sexual violence, by using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test which are commonly used in clinical medicine. Methods : A total of 40 victims of sexual violence (only female) completed the Korean version of the MMPI. 31 (77.5%), and theywere patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. These victims of sexual violence had been admitted to the Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan. Results : The MMPI scores of the sexual victims were significantly higher on Hs, D, Hy, Pd, Pa, Pt, Sc, and Si, than the comparison group by ANCOVA. Conclusion : The victims of sexual violence may have developed the following characteristics: hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, paranoia, psychasthenia, schizoid and social introversion. The finding suggests psychotic psychopathology rather than neurotic psychopathology. These results suggested that the psychopatholgy in the victims of sexual violence may be different, compared to the control group.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.127-131
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• 2019

Many neurologic disorders manifest as psychiatric symptoms. Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis is an autoimmune disease of the brain characterized by numerous neurological and psychiatric features. Despite being rare, its prevalence is rapidly increasing and early management is critical in ensuring successful and sustainable recovery. Therefore, the illness should be considered as a differential diagnosis when clinically assessing patients. This report presents a case of a female child who was hospitalized for acute psychiatric manifestations, which was later confirmed as anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. She recovered relatively successfully after combined neurological and psychiatric treatment. This report provides information on the clinical course of early onset anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, including treatment strategy and prognosis.