• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.31-45
• /
• 2000

Objectives : The present study was performed to reveal differences between female and male cases of alopecia in their alopecia related variables such as patterns of hair loss, psychiatric characteristics, associate illnesses, and methods of treatment, and to use them as basic materials for proper management and early prevention of the alopecia prone cases. Methods : In order to analysis the gender difference in hair losses, the subjects were divided into two subgroups as the 51 cases of female alopecia and the 42 cases of male alopecia, who had visited to the department of psychiatry consulted from the department of dermatology, Yongsan hopital, ChungAng University, Seoul, Korea, from January 1998 to December 1998. In data analysis, the subjects were statistically assesed by chi-squre test and analysis of varaiance, through SPSS-$PC^+$ 9.0V. Results : 1) Female subjects were more likely showed lower socio-economical level including lower eonomical level, lower educational level, or lower occupational level in their parent's job, were more likely to have larger number of siblings and to have many sisters comparison to the male cases. 2) Female subjects were more likely visited to the department of dermatology, more history of alopecia in their female family members, lesser history of alopecia in their male family members, more loss of hairs in vertex or frontal region of scalp, lesser loss of hairs in occipital region, and lesser nail changes in comparison to the male cases. 3) Female subjects were more suffered from intra-familial conflicts and economical changes, or their introverted personality makeup, lesser likely suffered from changes of business and health changes, and showed lesser conflicts related with poorer adaptaion in their job life. 4) Female subjects were more likely diagnosed as depression or conversion disorders, more frequently complaint anxiety symptoms or depressive symptoms, higher level of anxiety index, lesser complaint somatization or obsessive compulsive symptoms, and lesser diagnosed as anxiety disorder in comparison to the male cases. 5) Female subjects were more likely tended to show personality makeup such as the introverted, the lie, the repressed, or the feminine trends than the male cases. 6) Female subjects were more significantly treated by antianxiety drug such as etizolam and dermatological therapies include tretinoin, and lesser treated by clotiazepam and prednicarbonate in comparison to the male cases. Conclusion : From the facts that The most important factors in developing hair loss in the female subjects in comparison to the male cases seems to be closely correlated with the serious psychopathology such as the presence of mental disorders including depression, the presence of complaining anxiety or depressive symptomatology, the presence of stressful life events such as intrafamilial life changes, and the presence of personality makeup such as the introverted, the lie, the repressed, or the feminine trends, the authors confirmed that dermatologists act as the primary care physician are in a unique position to recognize psychiatric comorbidity and execute meaningful intervention for female patients with the alopecia with psychiatrists.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.277-287
• /
• 1996

Objective : It has been proposed that cognition and related aspects of mental functioning are decreased in depression as well as in alcoholism. The objective of the study was to compare behavioral side effects of paroxetine and amitriptyline in depressed patients accompanied by alcoholism. The focused comparisons were drug effects concerning psychomotor performance, cognitive function, sleep and daytime sleepiness during the first 2 weeks of treatment. Methods : After an alcohol detoxification period(3 weeks) and a washout period(1 week), a total of 20 male inpatients with alcohol use disorder (DSM-IV), who also had a major depressive episode(DSM-IV), were treated double-blind with paroxetine 20mg/day(n=10) or amitriptyline 25mg/day(n=10) for 2 weeks. All patients were required to have a scare of at least 18 respectively on bath the Hamilton Rating Scale far Depression(HAM-D) and Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) at pre-drug baseline. Patients randomized to paroxetine received active medication in the morning and placebo in the evening whereas those randomized to amitriptyline received active medication in the evening and placebo in the morning. All patients performed the various tasks in a test battery at baseline and at days 3, 7 and 14. The test battery included : critical flicker fusion threshold for sensory information processing capacity : choice reaction time for gross psychomotor performance : tracking accuracy and latency of response to peripheral stimulus as a measure of line sensorimotor co-ordination and divided attention : digit symbol substitution as a measure of sustained attention and concentration. To rate perceived sleep and daytime sleepiness, 10cm line Visual analogue scales were employed at baseline and at days 3, 7 and 14. The subjective rating scales were adapted far this study from Leeds sleep Evaluation Questionnaire and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. In addition a comprehensive side effect assessment, using the UKU side effect rating scale, was carried out at baseline and at days 7 and 14. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated using HAM-D, BDI and clinical global impression far severity and improvement at days 7 and 14. Results : The pattern of results indicated thai paroxetine improved performance an mast of the lest variables and also improved sleep with no effect on daytime sleepiness aver the study period. In contrast, amitriptyline produced disruption of performance on same tests and improved sleep with increased daytime sleepiness in particular at day 3. On the UKU side effect rating scale, mare side effects were registered an amitriptyline. The therapeutic efficacy was observed in favor of paroxetine early in day 7. Conclusion : These results demonstrated thai paroxetine in much better than amitriptyline for the treatment of depressed patients accompained by alcoholism at least in terms of behavioral safety and tolerability, furthermore the results may assist in explaining the therapeutic outcome of paroxetine. For example, and earlier onset of antidepressant action of paroxetine may be caused by early improved cognitive function or by contributing to good compliance with treatment.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.187-194
• /
• 2015

Objectives To examine direct causes of attempted suicides, methods adopted to commit suicide, and psychiatric diagnoses among suicide attempters in South Korea. Methods A total of 1359 suicide attempters who had visited emergency department of 17 medical centers due to suicide attempt from May 2013 to Nov 2013 were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Results Psychiatric symptoms were the most common cause of suicide attempts (62.2%), followed by interpersonal relationships (24.4%). Women attempted suicide more often for interpersonal reasons, whereas men were more likely to do so for financial and job-related reasons. Half of participants (55.8%) attempted suicide by drug intoxication, which was more prevalent among females and those who had previous history of psychiatric disease or previous suicide attempt. Men were more likely to use more lethal methods such as pesticide poisoning and gas inhalation than women. Pesticide poisoning was also prevalent among the elderly group and the rural population. Near ninety-five percent (94.5%) of participants received a psychiatric diagnosis : the most frequent diagnosis was depressive disorder. Conclusions This is the first nationwide study of cases of attempted suicide. When stratified by age groups, gender, urbanicity, living alone or not, presence of physical illness, previous psychiatric history, and previous suicide attempt, there were significant differences with respect to causes, methods of attempted suicides and psychiatric diagnoses of suicide attempters.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.107-111
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The authors analyzed how the regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) findings of patients with major depression differ from the normal control, and our results were compared to previous reports. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients fulfilling DSM-IV criteria for major depression who were off all psychotropic medications for > 4weeks(male: 7, female: 5, age range: $19{\sim}52$ years, average age: $29.3{\pm}9.9$ years) and 14 normal volunteers(male: 8, female: 6, age range: $19{\sim}53$ years, average age: $31.4{\pm}9.2$ years) were recruited. Images of brain perfusion SPECT were obtained using Tc-99m ECD and patterns of the rCBF were compared between patients with major depression and the healthy control subjects. Results: The patients with major depression showed increase of the r-CBF in right lingual gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, left lingual gyrus, left precuneus, and left superior temporal gyrus, and showed decrease of r-CBF in right pons, left medial frontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus of left limbic lobe, cingulate gyrus of right frontal lobe, and cingulate gyrus of right limbic lobe compared to the normal control. Conclusion: The Tc-99m ECD brain perfusion SPECT findings in our study did not differ from the previously reported regional cerebral blood flow pattern of patients with major depression. Especially, decreased rCBF pattern typical to major depression patients in the right pons, left medial frontal gyrus, and cingulate regions was clearly demonstrated.