• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.48
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• pp.306.1-306.6
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• 2018

This study examined the add-on efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy among adult civilians with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who continued to be symptomatic after more than 12 weeks of initial antidepressant treatment. Scores for the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) were rated pre- and post-EMDR and at a 6-month follow-up. After an average of six sessions of EMDR treatment, seven of 14 patients (50%) showed more than a 30% decrease in CAPS score and eight (57%) no longer met the criteria for PTSD. Our results indicate that EMDR could be successfully added after failure of initial pharmacotherapy for PTSD.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.31-34
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• 2022

Cerebellar Hippocampal and Basal Nuclei Transient Edema with Restricted diffusion (CHANTER) syndrome is characterized by an altered mental status. The acute MRI lesions show abnormal restricted diffusion imaging bilaterally and symmetrically in the cerebellum, hippocampus, and basal nuclei. This syndrome is an unknown syndrome and is presumed to be mainly an opioidinduced toxidrome. Here, we present a case study wherein we show that it can also be caused by an antidepressant overdose.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.246-246
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.124-131
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• 2005

Childhood and adolescent onset-bipolar disorders have higher rate of comorbidity with anxiety disorders as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder. Obsessive compulsive disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, and separational anxiety disorder are common comorbid anxiety disorders with bipolar disorders in child and adolescent. Prospective and reliable data on temporal and causal relationship between the onset of bipolar disorders and the onset of comorbid anxiety disorders are still in debate. The authors report 2 adolescent cases with antidepressant induced-manic episodes with preceding anxiety symptoms. The authors suggest careful prescription of antidepressants for anxiety disorders, even for those who do not have definite past history or family history of bipolar disorders. Further comprehensive and prospective studies are requested for the temporal relationship and pharmacological guideline for comorbid bipolar disorders and anxiety disorder in child and adolescent.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.251-258
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• 1997

The dysfunction of either or both noradrenaline and serotonin system are important in the pathophysiology of depression. Previous reports have suggested that there may be an important interaction between these two systems. Recently, some investigators have suggested that the combination of tricyclic antidepressants(TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs) would produce a rapid synergistic effect on down-regulation of either or both of these two systems and that this combination may produce a more rapid and absolute antidepressant effect. We compared the treatment efficacy, treatment associated side effects, treatment satisfaction, and the quality of life between the combination therapy of dothiepin-sertraline as well as the therapy of dothiepin alone in the treatment of major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder. In our study, the combination therapy of dothiepin and sertraline produced a more rapid and absolute antidepressant effect than dothiepin alone. And the patients with combination therapy experienced relatively high treatment satisfaction than the patients with dothiepin therapy. The patients' quality of life improved more rapidly in the combination therapy, especially, in the health perception, social behavior, and life satisfaction, than dothiepin alone. These results support the hypothesis that the combination of TCA and SSRI may produce a rapid synergistic effect on either or both norepinephrine and serotonin system, and more rapid antidepressant effect and high treatment satisfaction.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.6739-6745
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• 2014

Acer tegmentosum Maxim (AT) is a species of the maple genus, which is native to North-Eastern China and Korea. Traditionally, AT has been already used for pain relief in Korea. On the other hand, its antidepressant-like activity and related molecular mechanisms is not completely understood. Using the Forced Swimming Test (FST), the effects of a subacute treatment with AT(100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, p.o.) on the immobility and FST-induced changes to the immune parameters, cortisol, ACTH, and cytokine, in rats were investigated. The tendency of immobility showed a dose-dependent decrease in FST. The levels of cortisol, IL-6 and $IL-1{\beta}$ in the peripheral blood were increased significantly after FST exposure. Overall, these results suggest that AT treatment can decrease the immobility time and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the FST, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory effects of AT might be involved in the antidepressant-like effect.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.363-376
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was undertaken to learn what should be considered in a good clinical trial investigating a herbal medicine as an antidepressant. Methods : Five well-designed clinical trials published from 2000 to 2006 investigating SJWE in depressive disorder were selected. The trials were reviewed and compared in terms of methodology such as trial design, patient selection, efficacy & safety evaluation, and so on. On the basis of this review of the trials and the regulations and guidelines of KFDA, we suggest some points to be considered for a good clinical trial of a herb for depression. Results : Although every trial had its own unique design, procedure, objectives and so on, all trials used randomizing and double blinding methods. If there is no ethical problem, a placebo-controlled design should be considered in a herbal antidepressant clinical trial for depression. Conclusions : Some points to be considered in an optimal & good clinical trial for an antidepressive herbal medicine were suggested as follows: 1) randomizing and double blinding manner is essential, 2) if there is no ethical problem, placebo control design should be considered, 3) the trial period should be 6 weeks, 4) out-patients will be recruited as subjects, 5) investigators will be well-trained psychiatrists or medical doctors, 6) the number of subjects should be calculated by statistical methods, 7) subjects should be diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria, 8) subjects who have current risk of committing suicide should be excluded, etc.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.123-135
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• 2001

Objective: This study was designed to assess antidepressant effects of Quibitang on an Animal Model of Depression induced by Chronic Mild Stress. Method: The consumption of 1% sucrose solution and active avoidance learning test were used to evaluate antidepressant effect of Quibitang. The consumption of 1% sucrose solution was measured every week for 8 weeks, and active avoidance learning test was executed after 4 weeks treatment of saline or Quibitang. Result: 1. The consumption of 1% sucrose solution was significantly reversed in test group (Quibitang-treated group) at 5th, 7th, 8th weeks, but there was no significant change in control group. 2. Chronic Mild Stress was found to suppress the increase of body weight at 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th weeks. Treatment of Quibitang did not enhanced the body weigt, but it enhanced the consumption of sucrose solution. 3. In order to measure the learning ability of rat which drived to be depressed, we executed active avoidance test. The result revealed that depressed rat showed impaired acquisition than control group, and the treatment of Quibitang restored the learning activity. Conclusion: These results suggest that Quibitang may have antidepressant effects on depression induced by chronic mild stress.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.79-83
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• 2013

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of Lycii Radicis Cortex (LRC) and betaine (BT) on immobility and neurochemical change in the forced swimming test (FST) in the rat. LRC, BT or fluoxentine was administered intraperitoneally to Sprague-Dawley rats three times (1, 5 and 23.5 h) before the FST. To investigate antidepressant-like effect, serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) were examined in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of rats. LRC (100 mg/kg) and BT (30, 100 mg/kg) significantly decreased the immobility time in the FST. LRC (100 mg/kg) significantly increased both 5-HT and NE levels in the hypothalamus of rats exposed to FST. BT (100 mg/kg) significantly increased 5-HT levels in the hypothalamus and hippocampus of rats. Taken together, these results demonstrated that improvement in the behavioral changes after LRC and BT administration may be mediated by elevation of 5-HT level in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, indicating a possible antidepressant-like activity. The present results suggest that the efficacy of LRC and BT in an animal model of depression may provide anti-depressant effects in human, which remains to be determined.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition Conference
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• 2001.12a
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• pp.22-37
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• 2001

Melatonin is secreted during the hours of darkness and is thought to influence the circadian and seasonal timing of a variety of physiological processes. Serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT) which is found to be expressed in pineal gland, retina, and various tissues, catalyses the conversion of serotonin to N-acetylserotonin and is known as the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of melatonin. The compounds that modulate the activity of AA-NAT can be used to treat serotonin-and melatonin-related diseases such as insomnia, depression and seasonal affective disorders (SAD). Several assay methods have been developed by which to measure AA-NAT activity. We have also developed a simple, rapid and sensitive AA-NAT assay method that takes advantage of differences in the organic solubilities between acetyl CoA and N-acetyltryptamine. We screened modulators of AA-NAT activity from the water extracts of the medicinal plants. We found MNP1005 which strongly inhibited the activity of AA-NAT ($IC_{50}$=2.2$\mu$M). Enzyme inhibitory kinetic studies revealed that MNP1005 exhibited a noncompetitive inhibition toward tryptamine. The antidepressant effect of MNP1005 was investigated on behavioral despair test so called forced swimming test (FST). MNP1005 significantly increased swimming behavior by reducing immobility with treatment of 10 mg/kg when compared to the vehicle-treated control group (P < 0.05). This suggests that MNP1005 possesses antidepressant activity. The influence of chronic MNP1005 treatment on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was examined by in situ hybridization and Northern blot. Chronic treatment of MNP1005 blocked the downregulation of BDNF mRNA in the frontal cortex and other cortex regions in response to restraint stress.