• 생물정신의학
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.239-244
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• 2011

Objectives Schizophrenic patients have been shown to be impaired in both emotional self-awareness and recognition of others' facial emotions. Alexithymia refers to the deficits in emotional self-awareness. The relationship between alexithymia and recognition of others' facial emotions needs to be explored to better understand the characteristics of emotional deficits in schizophrenic patients. Methods Thirty control subjects and 31 schizophrenic patients completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20-Korean version (TAS-20K) and facial emotion recognition task. The stimuli in facial emotion recognition task consist of 6 emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and neutral). Recognition accuracy was calculated within each emotion category. Correlations between TAS-20K and recognition accuracy were analyzed. Results The schizophrenic patients showed higher TAS-20K scores and lower recognition accuracy compared with the control subjects. The schizophrenic patients did not demonstrate any significant correlations between TAS-20K and recognition accuracy, unlike the control subjects. Conclusions The data suggest that, although schizophrenia may impair both emotional self-awareness and recognition of others' facial emotions, the degrees of deficit can be different between emotional self-awareness and recognition of others' facial emotions. This indicates that the emotional deficits in schizophrenia may assume more complex features.

• 생물정신의학
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.140-151
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• 2002

Object and Method:Minor physical anomalies(MPAs) are frequently seen in patients with schizophrenia. MPAs are considered to arise from the anomalous development of ectoderm-originated tissues in the developing fetus. Since the central nervous system originates from ectoderm, MPAs can be regarded as externally observable and objective indicators of the aberrant development which might have taken place in the central nervous system. To investigate whether MPAs are more frequent in schizophrenic patients, the frequencies of MPAs were compared between schizophrenic patients and normal controls. Total 245 schizophrenic patients diagnosed with DSM-IV(male : 158, female : 87), and 418 normal control subjects(male : 216, female : 202) were included in this study. The MPAs were measured using the modified Waldrop scale with fifteen items in six bodily regions; head, eye, ear, mouth, hand, and foot. Result:The total scores of Waldrop scale were $4.40{\pm}1.93$($mean{\pm}standard$ deviation) in patients and $3.43{\pm}1.68$ in controls for females, and for males, $4.58{\pm}1.75$ in patients and $4.28{\pm}1.59$ in controls. For females, the excess of MPAs in schizophrenic patients was statistically significant(t-test : p<0.001). For males, schizophrenic patients also showed more MPAs than normal controls, but this tendency did not reach statistical significance (t-test : p=0.094). When the modified Waldrop total scores excluding head circumference were compared, the total scores in schizophrenic patients were significantly higher for both male and female subjects(t-test : male p<0.001, female p=0.001). The individual anomaly items included in Waldrop scale were also investigated. The items of epicanthus, hypertelorism, malformed ears, syndactylia were significantly more frequent in schizophrenic patients. In contrast, the items of adherent ear lobes, asymmetric ears, furrowed tongue, curved fifth finger, single palmar crease and big gap between toes did not show any differences in frequency between schizophrenic patients and normal controls. Since a lot of statistical analyses showed different results between male and female subjects, it seems to be necessary to consider gender as an important controlling variable for the analysis, however only the item of head circumference showed statistically significant gender-related difference according to log-linear analysis. Conclusion:With a relatively large sample size, the frequencies of MPAs enlisted in Waldrop scale were compared between schizophrenic patients and normal controls in this study. MPAs were more frequently seen in schizophrenic patients and, especially, several specific items in the Waldrop scale showed prominent excess in schizophrenic patients. Although definite conclusions cannot be drawn due to the inherent limitation of the study using Waldrop scale, these results seem to support the possibility that aberrant neurodevelopmental process might be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia in some of the patients.

• 생물정신의학
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.21-27
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• 2014

Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate gender difference in empathic ability and recognition of facial emotion expression in schizophrenic patients. Methods Twenty-two schizophrenic outpatients (11 men and 11 women) and controls (10 men and 12 women) performed both the scale of Empathic Quotient (EQ) and facial emotion recognition test. We compared the scores of EQ and the facial emotion recognition test among each group according to diagnosis and gender. Results We found a significant sex difference in the scores of EQ and the facial emotion recognition test in the schizophrenic patients. And there were significantly negative correlation between the score of the facial emotion recognition test and the scores of Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) in female schizophrenic patients. However, in male schizophrenic patients, there were no significant correlations between the score of each test and the scores of PANSS. Conclusions This study suggests that the sex difference in empathic ability and facial emotion recognition would be very important in chronic schizophrenic patients. Investigation of sex effects in empathic ability and facial emotion recognition in chronic schizophrenic patients would present an important solution for constructing optimal rehabilitation program.

• 가정∙방문간호학회지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.40-47
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• 2011

Purpose: This study investigated changes in neurocognitive function over a 2-month period of board game therapy in patients with schizophrenia. Method: Twenty-one schizophrenic patients treated with board game therapy and nineteen control schizophrenic patients were evaluated with neuropsychological and clinical tests, such as the Wisconsin Card Shorting Test (WCST). The same tests were re-administered after 2 months of board game therapy. Results: At the first series of neuropsychological tests, no difference was seen in performance, demographical aspects, or clinical severity among both patient groups. After 2 months, the group receiving board game therapy showed significant improvement of WCST performances compared to the controls. However, no difference was observed in clinical symptoms between the groups. Conclusion: The results of cognitive enhancement in patients playing board games indicates that board game play, easily used in an inpatient setting, is a promising tool for executive function improvement in chronic schizophrenic patients.

• 생물정신의학
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.237-247
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• 1995

도파민 $D_3$ 수용체 유전자와 정신분열증 병인과의 연관성을 밝히고자 본 연구에서는 한국에서의 정신분열증환자 66명과 정상대조군 76명에서 다형성의 분포를 PCR을 이용하여 환자대조연구 방법으로 조사하였다. 정신분열증환자에서 대립유전자 1의 빈도는 0.66이었고, 정상 대조군에서는 0.76이었다. 즉, 두군간에 대립유전자 1의 빈도에는 유의한 차이가 없었고, 양성 및 음성 증상군 척도평가에 의한 정신분열증의 양성아형과 음성아형간에도 유의한 차이가 없었다. 정신분열증 환지에서는 전체 66명중 동형 접합체가 43명으로 65.1%. 이형 접합체는 23명으로 34.9%였다. 정상 대조군에서는 전체 76명중 동형접합체가 54명으로 71.1%. 이형접합체는 28.9%였다. 이러한 결과는 이전의 정신분열증과 도파민 $D_3$ 수용체 유전자간의 연관관계를 연구한 외국의 연구결과와 일치하며 도파민 $D_3$ 수용체 유전자가 정신분열증 병인의 원인일 것이라는 가설을 뒷받침하지는 못하였다.

• 생물정신의학
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.159-163
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• 2000

Background : Dopamine receptors are strong candidates for involvement in schizophrenia and are target of a wide variety of antipsychotics. Dopamine $D_5$ receptor(DRD5) gene polymorphisms may be associated with various treatment response. The purpose of our study was define to what significance can be held as a predictor of treatment response in this polymorphism. Method : The total number of 116 Korean chronic schizophrenic patients was assessed after 48 weeks treatment. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS) was rated for the clinical response to various antipsychotics. With the use of polymerase chain reaction amplification, we assessed this dopamine $D_5$ receptor polymorphism in schizophrenic patients who had been treated with antipsychotics, and related genotype with treatment response, to test the hypothesis that DRD5 polymorphism may lead to varying response to antipsychotics. Result : DRD5 polymorphism was not associated with treatment response to a variety of antipsychotics in chronic schizophrenic patients. Conclusion : Genetic variation of $D_5$ receptors do not predict treatment response to antispychotics.

• 생물정신의학
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.218-224
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• 1997

The results regarding an association between the polymorphism sites in the dopamine $D_1$ receptor gene and schizophrenia compelled us to study the distribution of the polymorphism in Korean schizophrenia and controls. Eighty-eight schizophrenic patients and normal controls were examined by case-control study for distribution of the polymorphism of the dopamine $D_1$ receptor gene in Korean popualtion to minimize the effect of racial differencies in gene frequencies. The frequencies of the $B_1$ and $B_2$ in schizophrenic patients were 0.11 and 9.89, respectively. And 0.10 and 0.90 in normal control. Ther was no significant differences in the frequencies in the allele $B_1$ and $B_2$between schizophrenic patients and normal controls. The author present here the evidence of a lack of alleic association between the polymorphism of the dopamine $D_1$ receptor gene and Korean schizophrenic patients. The assumption that the dopamine $D_1$ receptor gene has a genetic role in the development of schizophrenia was not suppoorted by this case-control study.

• 정신신체의학
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.82-88
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• 1997

Background : Patients with command hallucinations are commonly assumed to be at high risk for dangerous behavior. However the issue of whether command hallucinations hold any clinical relevance in schizophrenic patients has not been established. Method : The author analyzed the clinical and research records of schizophrenic patients with auditory hallucinations who participated in outpatient research follow-up for 9 months after discharge. Patients with auditory hallucinations were classified as experiencing or not experiencing command hallucinations based on clinical psychiatric assessment. Results : Of 63 patients with auditory hallucinations, 29(46%) reported the command hallucinations and these hallucinations often were violent in content(44.8%). Patients with command hallucinations were not significantly different from patients without command hallucinations on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and clinical or prognostic course variables, but patients with command hallucinations had significantly more short hospitalizations(less than one month) than patients without command hallucinations. 3 of the patients with command hallucinations who committed suicide during the follow up periods were died. Conclusion : Command hallucinations may be frequent, and in most cases they have minimal influence on the outcome of schizophrenia, but if the patients with command hallucinations have a history of suicide attempts before admission, the possibility of suicide attempts by command hallucinations should be considered.

• 생물정신의학
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.109-114
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• 1996

정신분열증에서 interleukin의 변화는 그 질환에서의 면역학적 가설의 부가적인 증거로 제시되어 왔다. 본 연구에서는 quantitative "sandwich" ELISA 법을 이용하여 26명의 정신분열증 환자를 대상으로 연령을 상응시킨 정상대조군과 비교해 IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-2, IL-6 농도의 차이가 있는지 알아보았다. 또한 정신분열증 환자에서 IL농도와 양성증상 및 음성증상, 연령, 유병기간 등의 임상변인과의 상관관계를 조사하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 1) 정신분열증군이 정상대조군보다 IL-2 농도의 유의한 중가를 나타내었으며, IL-$1{\beta}$와 IL-6는 유의한 차이가 없었다. 2) 정신분열증군에서 IL-2, IL-6와 음성증상간의 유의한 상관관계가 있었다. 본 연구는 정신분열증의 연역학적 가설을 지지하고 있으며, IL은 정신분열증의 음성증상에 관련된다고 생각된다. 앞으로 국내에서도 이러한 환자들의 임상적 특징, 진단, 치료에 관심을 갖아야 할 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국자기공명학회논문지
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.56-65
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• 2001

Localized in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was performed to evaluate metabolic alterations in the right and left frontal lobe before and after neuroleptic treatment of schizophrenic patients (n=24) and a group of healthy normal subjects (n=20). Proton metabolic ratios obtained from the 8㎤ yokels in the right and left frontal lobe were compared with the clinical assessment of PANSS for each subject. There was no significant difference in the metabolic ratios between the right and the left frontal lobes in either the schizophrenic group or the control group, indicating no laterality. Compared with those of the normal control group, NAA/Cr and (GABA+Glu)/Cr ratios of the schizophrenic patients showed significantly lower (p=0.023) and higher (p=0.005) value, respectively. The (GABA+Glu)/Cr ratio of the schizophrenic patients was generally decreased after neuroleptic treatment, while the NAA/Cr ratio was not changed. Significant correlation between the (GABA+Glu)/Cr ratio and the clinical symptom scores assessed by PANSS was established. The present study supports the “hypofrontality” hypothesis of schizophrenia on the basis of the altered metabolic ratios before and after neuroleptic treatment.