• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.262-267
• /
• 2007

The serotonin 6(5-HT6) receptor gene is a candidate gene for influencing the clinical response to treatment with antidepressants. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the C267T polymorphism in the 5-HT6 receptor gene and the treatment response to citalopram in a Korean population with major depressive disorder(MDD). Methods : Citalopram was administered for 8 weeks to the 90 patients who completed study. 21-item Hamilton depression rating scale(HAMD-21) was used as a outcome measure. Results : We found that the genotype, allele, and allele-carrier distributions did not differ significantly between MDD patients and normal controls. A main effect of an interaction of genotype with time on the decrease in the HAMD-21 score during the 8 weeks study period was not found. ANOVA revealed no significant effects of the C825T polymorphism on the decrease in the HAMD-21 score at each time period. Conclusions : These results suggest that the C267T polymorphism in the 5-HT6 receptor gene is not associated with the treatment response to citalopram.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.303-309
• /
• 2008

Objectives : Some reports have suggested that 5-HT5A polymorphism allelic association was associated with depression, however, there has been no report about relationship between the 5-HT5A gene and antidepressant response. We conducted the association study of the 5-HT5A receptor gene polymorphisms (-19G/C,12A/T) and response to citalopram in Korean patients with major depressive disorder(MDD). Methods : A total of 106 patients with major depressive disorder were included in this study. The patient's symptoms were measured by 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD) at baseline, week 1, week 2, week 4 and week 8 during citalopram treatment. A Responder to citalopram was defined by 50% reduction of total HAMD scores. To analyze genetic polymorphisms, a polymerase chain reaction based method was used. Results : At week 8, responders were 62, non-responders were 44. No significant differences of genotypes or allelic association in 19G/C and 12A/T polymorphisms were observed between responsive and non-responsive patients. Conclusion : These results do not support the hypothesis that this polymorphism of the HT5A receptor gene is involved in the therapeutic response to citalopram.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.42-47
• /
• 2007

Objectives : Studies have reported differences between depressed adults and controls in quantitative measures of EEG alpha asymmetry, but, there are few using Korean subjects. So, the present study compared EEG regional alpha asymmetries of patients having major depressive disorder(MDD) and normal controls. Methods : The subjects in this study were 11 unmedicated unipolar depressed patients and 11 non-depressed, age matched controls. Resting EEG(eyes closed and eyes open) was recorded from each participant using 8 scalp electrodes. Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HDRS), Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS) and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) were used to evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms. Results : The severities of depression measured by self-report questionnaires were positively associated with those of anxiety(state and trait) ; The subjects were both anxious and depressed. Anxious-depressed patients differed from controls in alpha asymmetry at T4 channels. They showed evidence of greater activation over right than left temporal site. Conclusion : These findings are consistent with the previousely reported alpha asymmetry of depressed patients with an anxiety disorder. The failure to find the evidence of reduced right parietal activity in depression is presumed to be due to opposing effects of comorbid anxiety on parietotemporal activity.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.45-51
• /
• 2004

Hwabyung is a Korean culture bound syndrome and translated as anger syndrome at DSM-IV. And it is caused by the suppression of anger and has characteristics of chest discomfort, burning up as physical symptoms, and mortification, chagrin as psychological symptoms. It is very common in the field of psychiatry in Korea with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). * Objective : 95 patients with MDD or Hwabyung, who visited the department of psychiatry in Korea University Medical Center or oriental medical hospital of Kyunghee Medical Center from May 2003 to August 2003, were selected for the study to compare between Major Depressive Disorder and Hwabyung. * Methods : The Structured Clinical Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (SCID) and Hwa-Byung Diagnostic Interview Schedule (HBDIS) were conducted for diagnosis. And Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) was carried out for comparison between MDD and Hwabyung. * Result : Among the 95 patients, MDD group was 23 persons, Hwabyung group was 36 persons, and MDD plus Hwabyung group was 36 persons and it occupied 37.9%. MDD plus Hwabyung group had higher scores than any other groups in the whole dimensions of SCL-90-R. Hwabyung group had higher scores than MDD group in somatization, anxiety, hostility, Global Severity Index(GSI) and positive symptom total (p<.05) of SCL-90-R, but two groups had no difference in obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal-sensitivity, depression, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism, positive symptom distress index of SCL-90-R. * Conclusion : These result showed that Hwabyung is similar to MDD at the point of depression and psychoticism but more severe at somatization, anxiety and anger than MDD.

• Mood & Emotion
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.117-122
• /
• 2017

Objectives : Early life stress (ELS) may have impact on functions of the autonomic nervous system. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a reliable psychophysiological marker for functions of the autonomic nervous system. The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of HRV associated with ELS in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods : We compared HRV measures of MDD patients with ELS and without ELS in a 5-minute resting-state electrocardiogram recoding. Forty subjects participated in the study (25 with ELS, 15 without ELS). The Mann-Whitney test was conducted to identify group differences. Results : We found significant group differences in standard deviation of the NN interval (SDNN) and total power (TP). SDNN was lower in the ELS group (M=38.80 ms, SD=13.05 ms) than in the Non-ELS group (M=53.53 ms, SD=19.47 ms). TP was lower in the ELS group ($M=7.07ms^2$, $SD=0.69ms^2$) than in the Non-ELS group ($M=7.72ms^2$, $SD=0.77ms^2$). Conclusion : ELS may have a negative impact on the autonomic nervous system function in patients with MDD. ELS and dysfunction of autonomic nervous system should be considered in treatment for patients with MDD.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.328-335
• /
• 2011

Objectives: Depressive disorder (DD) is a complex disease, and the assessment of work ability in patients with DD is also complicated. The checklist depression (CDp) has recently been developed to support such work ability assessments and has been recommended for implementation in insurance medicine, starting with an analysis of the organisational and social contexts. The aim of this study was to identify the potential facilitators and barriers in the use of the CDp by insurance physicians (IPs) during work ability assessments of employees on sick leave due to DD. Methods: A qualitative research was conducted based on semi-structured interviews. The participants were IPs with at least one year of work experience in performing work ability assessments. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Results: Ten IPs (7 males, 3 females; mean 53 years) were interviewed. Important facilitators, which emerged for use of the CDp, were an oral introduction for colleagues and staff, support from management, valuing the increased transparency in work ability assessments with using the CDp, having adequate time for assessments as well as modification of the appearance (colour, plasticised form) and content (clarifying aspects of the examples) of the assessment tool. The fear of the loss of autonomy, lack of added value of the CDp, high workload, inadequate instructions and lack of time were mentioned as barriers. Conclusion: Adequate introduction to the use of CDp and the fear of the loss of autonomy of IPs need special attention in planning its implementation.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.84-91
• /
• 2021

Objective : Mismatch negativity (MMN) is known to reflect several abnormalities of cognitive functioning. This study is aimed to investigate the differences in MMN among major depressive disorder (MDD) patients with or without suicidal ideation. Methods : Sixty-seven patients with MDD were recruited into this study. MMN was measured by a 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) using oddball paradigm over the front-central area. Clinical characteristics were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Beck Scale for Suicide ideation (SSI-BECK). Patients were divided into two groups, no suicidal ideation (N=12) and suicidal ideation (N=55), depending on the presence of suicide ideation in SSI-BECK questionnaires. Results : The MMN latencies were significantly longer in the MDD patients with suicidal ideation than in the MDD patents without suicidal ideation (p<0.05). The MMN amplitudes were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion : Suicidal ideation may be associated with longer MMN latencies, and it suggests that MMN may play a potential role in assessing the suicidal risk among MDD patients.

• Korean Journal of Schizophrenia Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.29-37
• /
• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of early maladaptive schemas and their associations with clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Forty-eight patients with schizophrenia, 49 patients with major depressive disorder, and 50 healthy controls completed the Young Schema Questionnaire and symptom measures including the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-Expanded (BPRS-E). Results: The schizophrenia group had significantly higher scores than the healthy controls and lower scores than the depression group in most schemas. Compared with healthy controls, the schizophrenia group exhibited higher scores in 10 schemas, i.e., mistrust, social isolation, failure, dependence, vulnerability to harm, enmeshment, insufficient self-control, subjugation, emotional inhibition, and negativity schemas (all p<0.001). Moreover, vulnerability to harm, enmeshment, subjugation, and negativity schemas were correlated with total scores of the BPRS-E (0.37≤r≤0.43, all p<0.05). Regarding the five BPRS domains, emotional deprivation schema showed significant relationships with negative (r=0.50, p=0.005) and disorganization (r=0.39, p=0.033) symptoms, while no schemas showed correlations with positive symptoms. Conclusion: These results suggest that most schemas in patients with schizophrenia pertain to impaired autonomy and performance as well as disconnection and rejection domains and may improve our understanding and the treatment of schizophrenia from a perspective of schema therapy focused on these domains.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.79-111
• /
• 2022

Major depressive disorder (MDD) causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It can lead to emotional and physical problems. Treatments such as antidepressant and cognitive behavioral therapy for MDD have many limitations. Traditional East Asian Herbal Medicine (TEAM) is a representative modality of Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) which can be used for MDD. However, no study has systematically reviewed the efficacy or safety of TEAM for MDD so far. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate effectiveness and safety of TEAM as a monotherapy for MDD. We only included TEAM that could be used in context of clinical setting in Korean Medicine. Outcomes were the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and total effective rate (TER). After comprehensive electronic search of 11 databases, we included 28 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared HM as monotherapy with antidepressant for MDD. Meta-analysis showed that TEAM had significant benefits in reducing HAMD (MD=-0.40, 95% CI: -0.67 to -0.13, p=0.003, I²=85%) and improving TER (RR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.10, p=0.003, I²=0%). It also appeared to be safer than antidepressant in terms of adverse effects. Methods used for RCTs were poor and the quality of evidence was graded 'low' or 'moderate'. These findings indicate that the use of HM as a monotherapy might have potential benefits in MDD treatment as an alternative to antidepressant. However, considering the methodological quality of included RCTs, the clinical evidence is uncertain. Further well-designed RCTs are required to confirm these findings.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.42-46
• /
• 2012

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to investigate the defense style of insomnia patients and to grasp the differences in defense style between primary insomnia patients and insomnia patients with history of major depressive disorder. Methods: Forty three subjects with insomnia (11 subjects with primary insomnia and 32 subjects with major depressive disorder) and 138 control subjects participated in this study. To diagnose insomnia and major depressive disorder, interviews including structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) were done. To assess the defense style, self-reported Korean version of Defense Style Questionnaire (K-DSQ) were completed by the participants. Results: Compared to normal controls, subjects with insomnia used more acting out (t=3.25, p<0.01), consumption (t=2.66, p<0.01), fantasy (t=3.51, p<0.001), resignation (t=5.42, p<0.001), suppression (t=3.28, p<0.01), projection (t=3.92, p<0.01), splitting (t=4.31, p<0.01), undoing (t=2.66, p<0.01), withdrawal (t=6.72, p<0.001) and isolation (t=3.80, p<0.001), and less omnipotence (t=4.08, p<0.001) and humor (t=3.20, p<0.01). Compared to normal controls, subjects with primary insomnia used more undoing and withdrawal. Compared to subjects with primary insomnia, subjects with insomnia with history of major depressive disorder used more resignation and withdrawal, and less humor. Conclusion: In the current study, there were differences in defenses between primary insomnia patients and insomnia patients with major depressive disorder history. To evaluate the pattern of defenses through the K-DSQ might provide important clues to differentiate these two conditions.