ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Previous studies reported the delayed recovery group after circadian rhythm disruption in mice showed higher quinpiroleinduced locomotor activity. This study aimed to compare not only Protein Kinase C (PKC) activities in frontal, striatal, hippocampus and cerebellum, but also relative PKC activity ratios among brain regions according to recovery of circadian rhythm. METHODS: The circadian rhythm disruption protocol was applied to eight-week-old twenty male Institute Cancer Research mice. The circadian rhythm recovery patterns were collected through motor activities measured by Mlog system. Depressive and manic proneness were examined by forced swim test and quinpirole-induced open field test respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure PKC activities. RESULTS: The delayed recovery group presented greater locomotor activities than the early recovery group (p=0.033). The delayed recovery group had significantly lower frontal PKC activity than the other (p=0.041). The former showed lower frontal/cerebellar PKC activity ratio (p=0.047) but higher striatal/frontal (p=0.038) and hippocampal/frontal (p=0.007) PKC activities ratios than the latter. CONCLUSION: These findings support potential mechanism of delayed recovery after circadian disruption in bipolar animal model could be an alteration of relative PKC activities among mood regulation related brain regions. It is required to investigate the PKC downstream signaling related to the delayed recovery pattern.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Male , Mice , Bipolar Disorder , Brain , Cerebellum , Circadian Rhythm , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Hippocampus , Models, Animal , Motor Activity , Protein Kinase C , Protein Kinases , QuinpiroleABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in discontinuation time among antidepressants and total antidepressant discontinuation rate of patients with depression over a 6 month period in a naturalistic treatment setting. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 900 patients with major depressive disorder who were initially prescribed only one kind of antidepressant. The prescribed antidepressants and the reasons for discontinuation were surveyed at baseline and every 4 weeks during the 24 week study. We investigated the discontinuation rate and the mean time to discontinuation among six antidepressants groups. RESULTS: Mean and median overall discontinuation times were 13.8 and 12 weeks, respectively. Sertraline and escitalopram had longer discontinuation times than that of fluoxetine, and patients who used sertraline discontinued use significantly later than those taking mirtazapine. No differences in discontinuation rate were observed after 24 weeks among these antidepressants. About 73% of patients discontinued antidepressant treatment after 24 weeks. CONCLUSION: Sertraline and escitalopram tended to have longer mean times to discontinuation, although no difference in discontinuation rate was detected between antidepressants after 24 weeks. About three-quarters of patients discontinued antidepressant maintenance therapy after 24 weeks.
Subject(s)
Humans , Antidepressive Agents , Citalopram , Depression , Depressive Disorder, Major , Fluoxetine , Medical Records , SertralineABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nicotine dependence and its severity are often determined by individuals’ psychosocial factors.This study purposed to analyze how Korean workers’ job stress is related with their nicotine dependence according to demographic and occupational characteristics in order to reduce smoking related to job stress and to establish objective indicators to be used in developing adequate smoking cessation strategies. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 4,639 workers who replied to the questionnaire survey. In addition, 1,948 current smokers were separated from non-smokers and ex-smokers, and the relationship between job stress and nicotine dependence was analyzed with the current smoker group. Nicotine dependence was tested using Fagerström’s Test of Nicotine Dependence, and stress was measured using a questionnaire on subjective stress felt by workers in their daily life and the short form of the Korean Occupational Stress Scale. RESULTS: The smoking rate was 54.1 % among men and 2.5 % among women. Nicotine dependence was significantly different according to interpersonal conflict, organization system and lack of reward (p < 0.05). As multivariate logistic analysis, job control, occupational climate and total stress score were statistical significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Job stress was found to be related with smoking status and nicotine dependence. Based on this result, it is suggested to enhance workers’ welfare for health promotion in workplace by improving their working environment in order to reduce job stress and consequently to decrease the smoking rate.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Climate , Health Promotion , Nicotine , Reward , Smoke , Smoking , Smoking Cessation , Tobacco Use DisorderABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sleep disorder in adults with diabetes. This study investigated the frequency of RLS and clinical correlations in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: This study included 55 consecutive patients (21 males, age 12.6 +/- 3.4 years) with type I diabetes that were regularly treated at the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology. RLS was diagnosed by intensive interviews which also included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and International RLS Rating Scale (IRLSRS). Patients also received neurological examinations and laboratory tests for diabetes, iron metabolism and renal function. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (23.6%, 6 males) were compatible for the diagnostic criteria of RLS. None of the RLS patients showed abnormal findings in neurological evaluations and 7 patients had familial history of RLS. Demographic and laboratory findings were not different between the patients with or without RLS. The RLS group showed significantly increased ESS and IRLSRS scores. CONCLUSION: RLS was prevalent in children and adolescents with type I diabetes. The association between RLS and diabetes-related laboratory findings requires further investigation.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Child , Humans , Male , Endocrinology , Iron , Metabolism , Neurologic Examination , Restless Legs SyndromeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Many patients diagnosed with cancer suffer from various psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety and insomnia as well as cancer itself. Patients with cancer are more vulnerable to possible adverse events of psychotropic medications. Although antidepressants are widely used among cancer patients, there is little information about tolerability of antidepressants. This study was conducted to compare tolerability of antidepressants in cancer patients referred for psychiatric consultation. METHODS: The participants were cancer patients who had been referred to psychiatrist for their psychiatric symptoms. We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients diagnosed with cancer from 9 general hospitals in Korea. The discontinuation rate for a 6 months period after treatment initiation for three antidepressants(Escitalopram, Mirtazapine, Paroxetine) were compared. RESULTS: Antidepressants were prescribed for 96.3% of subjects and Escitalopram 150(47.2%), Mirtazapine 92 (28.9%) and Paroxetine 76(23.9%) were prescribed frequently in order There were no significant differences in discontinuation rates among the three antidepressants during the 6 month period after initiation of pharmacotherapy. But there was a difference in discontinuation rates between inpatients versus outpatients(p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In a naturalistic setting for the antidepressant treatment for cancer patients, it seems that there are no differences in discontinuation rates among these three antidepressants. It is therefore essential that such interactions are carefully considered when treating patients of antidepressants who already have cancer.
Subject(s)
Humans , Antidepressive Agents , Anxiety , Citalopram , Depression , Hospitals, General , Inpatients , Korea , Mianserin , Paroxetine , Psychiatry , Retrospective Studies , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance DisordersABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Antidepressants are frequently used for treatment of psychological distress among cancer patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of psychiatric consultations and antidepressant use for cancer patients. METHODS: Participants in the study included cancer patients who had been referred for psychiatric consultation. A total of 488 patients were recruited from nine general hospitals in Korea. Questionnaires based on medical records, including antidepressants prescribed, were investigated by psychiatrists. RESULTS: The most common psychiatric diagnosis of subjects was depressive disorders (72.4%), followed by anxiety disorders (13.0%), and adjustment disorders (7.3%). Antidepressants were prescribed for 96.3% of subjects and escitalopram, mirtazapine, and paroxetine were prescribed frequently, in order. Anxiolytics and hypnotics were used for 58.2% of the subjects, for which lorazepam and alprozolam were preferred. During the study period, 226 (46.8%) subjects discontinued treatment and the most common cause was improvement of symptoms (123, 54.4%). CONCLUSION: Our results showed a tendency of prescription of antidepressants and anxiolytics and common psychiatric problems in Korean cancer patients. We suppose that these data would be helpful to clinicians who manage psychiatric symptoms of cancer patients.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adjustment Disorders , Anti-Anxiety Agents , Antidepressive Agents , Anxiety Disorders , Citalopram , Depressive Disorder , Hospitals, General , Hypnotics and Sedatives , Korea , Lorazepam , Medical Records , Mental Disorders , Mianserin , Paroxetine , Prescriptions , Surveys and Questionnaires , Referral and ConsultationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Common genetic SNPs in two genes, encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), which are interconnected with COMT gene regulation, have been reported to contribute to schizophrenia risk. In this study, we evaluated the association between functional polymorphisms in COMT and MTHFR and schizophrenia risk with a case-control study in a Korean population. METHODS: We performed a case-control study by genotyping analysis using 360 cases and 348 controls in Korean subjects to determine the association between functional polymorphisms in COMT and MTHFR and schizophrenia risk. RESULTS: Four functional SNPs in COMT (Val158Met and rs165599) and MTHFR (C677T and A1298C) were genotyped by primer extension assay. None of the genotype distributions for the four SNPs was significantly different between cases and controls. Stratified analysis did not show any significant gender difference for any polymorphism. In addition, we found no evidence of a gene-gene interaction in the analysis of combined genotypes. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest no significant association between the selected functional polymorphisms of COMT or MTHFR in Korean schizophrenia subjects. However, further studies are required to confirm our findings in a larger number of subjects.
Subject(s)
Case-Control Studies , Catechol O-Methyltransferase , Genotype , Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , SchizophreniaABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays an important role in metabolizing catecholamines, including dopamine. Also, several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the COMT gene are associated with schizophrenia. Therefore, this study aimed to find the association between COMT gene SNPs and schizophrenia in Koreans. METHODS: Participants were 366 schizophrenia patients and 359 normal controls. To identify the SNPs, we performed genetic analyses in 4 SNP regions, via SNP-ITTM assays. We compared allele, genotype, and haplotype frequencies between the two groups. Moreover, we built subgroups, based on onset age, and compared individual allele and genotype frequencies among these subgroups. RESULTS: In female patients, genotype frequencies showed a significant difference in rs2020917 among the 4 SNPs (p=0.0224), but haplotype frequencies showed no such difference among the 4 SNPs between patients and controls. We noted a significant difference in rs1544325 allele frequencies according to onset age. Also, in female patients, rs1544325 allele and genotype frequencies varied significantly according to onset age. CONCLUSION: This study found no genetic association between the COMT gene's 4 SNPs and schizophrenia in Koreans. However, our findings suggest genetic components for sex-specificity and onset age in Korean schizophrenics.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Age of Onset , Alleles , Catechol O-Methyltransferase , Catecholamines , Dopamine , Gene Frequency , Genotype , Haplotypes , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , SchizophreniaABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Delirium is a common postoperative complication in old adults associated with adverse events including functional decline, longer lengths of stay, and risk of institutionalization. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative risk factors of postoperative delirium in spine surgery. METHODS: Seventy-nine patients who underwent spine surgery were included. Preoperative assessments included current medical illness, number of comorbid problems, and the number of medications by past medical history, medical record, and interview with patients and caregivers. Intraoperative risk factors were evaluated. Laboratory data were checked preoperatively and postoperatively. The presence of delirium was determined by the Korean version of Delirium Rating Scale (K-DRS). RESULTS: Postoperative delirium was found in patients (7.6%). There was an association suggested between older age and postoperative delirium in spine surgery (p<0.05). An association was suggested between increasing numbers of medical conditions and postoperative delirium (p<0.05). Preoperative hemoglobin, hematocrit, sodium, potassium, calcium, albumin levels and postoperative hemoglobin and total protein levels were in the delirium group was significantly lower than those in control group (p<0.05). CONCLSION: This study showed that the postoperative delirium in spine surgery is not rare and several preoperative and postoperative factors are involved in the development of delirium. This pilot study is the first prospective trial in the area of postoperative delirium in spine surgery with a small sample size and short-term period, so further research with large sample size will be necessary.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Humans , Calcium , Caregivers , Delirium , Hematocrit , Incidence , Institutionalization , Medical Records , Pilot Projects , Postoperative Complications , Potassium , Prospective Studies , Risk Factors , Sample Size , Sodium , SpineABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To develop and test the validity and reliability of a brief self-completed questionnaire (Service Satisfaction Scale: SSS) for routinely assessing the quality of service in psychiatric ward inpatients. METHODS: A 30-item multidimensional questionnaire was developed by several steps of face validity and content validity. The questionnaire was administered to inpatients (n=348) discharged from psychiatric hospitals, general hospitals, and university hospitals. Construct validity was supported by performing principal component analysis. Reliability was estimated by calculating internal consistency of Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: Factor analysis yielded five factors comprising staff attitude, treatment quality, ward environment, access/cost, and ward rule, which account for 63.04% of the common variance. The internal consistency of the scale was high (Cronbach's alpha=0.95). The concurrent validity was supported by the significant correlation of each of five factors with item that measured overall satisfaction of SSS. Patients with neurosis (anxiety disorder, somatoform disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder) and mood disorders were significantly satisfied than those with psychosis and alcoholic disorders. Patients who admitted voluntarily were more significantly satisfied than those who admitted involuntarily. Sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, monthly income, education level, employment status and religion were not significantly different at the total scores of SSS. Similarly, clinical characteristics such as age of onset, duration of illness, lengths of hospital stay and number of previous hospitalization did not associate significantly with the total scores of SSS. Patients discharged from university hospitals were significantly more satisfied than those of the general and psychiatric hospitals. CONCLUSION: SSS performed well in the validity and reliability, indicating that it can be a useful tool for measuring satisfaction of psychiatric inpatients in Korea.
Subject(s)
Humans , Age of Onset , Alcoholics , Attitude of Health Personnel , Education , Employment , Hospitalization , Hospitals, General , Hospitals, Psychiatric , Hospitals, University , Inpatients , Korea , Length of Stay , Marital Status , Mood Disorders , Patient Satisfaction , Principal Component Analysis , Psychotic Disorders , Surveys and Questionnaires , Reproducibility of Results , Somatoform DisordersABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the social functioning between schizophrenic patients treated with olanzapine and those with typical antipsychotics. METHODS: Fifty-seven schizophrenic patients with acute exacerbation entered consecutively to olanzapine treatment (N=33) or typical antipsychotic treatment (N=24). The assessment of social functioning and symptoms were made at 3 time points:at the time of admission (baseline), 6 months and 12 months after starting medications. Social functioning and symptoms were examined using the Korean version of Social Adjustment Scale II-Revised Version (KSAS II-RV) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: After 6-months and 12-months treatments, olanzapine treatment group showed significantly improved PANSS total scores (p=.02), positive scores (p=.04), negative scores (p=.01), and KSAS II-RV total score (p=.004), instrumental role (p=.002), social leisure (p=.03), personal well-being subarea scores (p=.02), compared with the scores of typical antipsychotic treatment group. CONCLUSION: Olanzapine was more effective than typical antipsychotics in reducing the severity of psychopathology and in improving some subareas of social functionings in patients with schizophrenia. The benefits of olanzapine on social functioning, although modest, may be important factor considering their accumulative effects for long-term treatment.
Subject(s)
Humans , Antipsychotic Agents , Leisure Activities , Psychopathology , Schizophrenia , Social AdjustmentABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the social functioning between schizophrenic patients treated with olanzapine and those with typical antipsychotics. METHODS: Fifty-seven schizophrenic patients with acute exacerbation entered consecutively to olanzapine treatment (N=33) or typical antipsychotic treatment (N=24). The assessment of social functioning and symptoms were made at 3 time points:at the time of admission (baseline), 6 months and 12 months after starting medications. Social functioning and symptoms were examined using the Korean version of Social Adjustment Scale II-Revised Version (KSAS II-RV) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: After 6-months and 12-months treatments, olanzapine treatment group showed significantly improved PANSS total scores (p=.02), positive scores (p=.04), negative scores (p=.01), and KSAS II-RV total score (p=.004), instrumental role (p=.002), social leisure (p=.03), personal well-being subarea scores (p=.02), compared with the scores of typical antipsychotic treatment group. CONCLUSION: Olanzapine was more effective than typical antipsychotics in reducing the severity of psychopathology and in improving some subareas of social functionings in patients with schizophrenia. The benefits of olanzapine on social functioning, although modest, may be important factor considering their accumulative effects for long-term treatment.
Subject(s)
Humans , Antipsychotic Agents , Leisure Activities , Psychopathology , Schizophrenia , Social AdjustmentABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: There are a number of preceding epidemiological studies reporting gender differences in the genetic etiology of alcohol dependence. The author investigated gender difference in the frequencies of ADH2 and ALDH2 genoypes between the patients with alcohol dependence and normal control. METHODS: The subjects were 141 alcohol dependent patients (104 males, 37 females) and 138 normal control (79 males, 59 females). The frequencies of 1/1 and 1/2+2/2 (2+ afterward) genotypes for ADH2 and ALDH2 were investigated in male and female between alcohol dependence and normal control group. DNA was extracted from WBC in peripheral venous blood and PCR-RFLP method was used out for genotyping. RESULTS: First, the frequency of ADH2 1/1 genotype was significantly higher in alcohol dependent patients than normal control in both genders. Second, while there was no gender difference in the frequency of ADH2 1/1 genotype in normal controls, in the patient group however, the frequency was significantly higher in females than males. Third, in male subjects with alcohol dependence, the frequency of ALDH2 1/1 genotype was significantly higher than in male normal control subjects. On the other hand, in female subjects with alcohol dependence, the frequency of ALDH2 2+ genotype was significantly higher than in female normal control subjects. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that while the risk of alcohol dependence is predominantly affected by ALDH2 1/1 genotype in male, the female ADH2 1/1 genotype is mainly associated with the risk of alcohol dependence. This means that there are gender differences in the genetic etiology of alcohol dependence.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Alcoholism , DNA , Epidemiologic Studies , Genotype , HandABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This 6-week, open label randomized, multicenter study was conducted to evaluate the antidepressant effect and safety of milnacipran and fluoxetine in patients with major depression. METHODS: The study was done in patients with major depression diagnosed by DSM-IV who score > or =17 in 17 items Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (17-item HAM-D) and score > or =25 in Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). A total of 87 patients were randomized to milnacipran group and fluoxetine group. In cases of the patients taking other antidepressants, 6 weeks of each medication was administered after 7 days of drug excretion period. The evaluation was done using 17 item HAM-D, MADRS, Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), and COVI scale after baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks. The side effects that had occurred during the period of our study were put in records by developed/disappeared time, severities, incidences, managements and results. RESULTS: A total of 87 patients were enrolled. 70 (milnacipran group 39;fluoxetine group 31) of them were included for the 6 weeks of research and 17 of them dropped out within the first week, not due to adverse reactions or deficiency of effects. Total 17 item HAM-D scores, total points of MADRS, and CGI showed significant decrease after 1 week in each treatment group and continued decrease after 2 weeks and 4, 6 weeks. But there was no difference between milnacipran group and fluoxetine group in the antidepressant effect. There were no significant changes in vital sign, CBC, chemistry, and EKG in each treatment group. The commonly reported side effects of minlacipran were nausea (25.0%), headache (10.7%), vomiting (7.1%), constipation (7.1%), dizziness (7.1%) and those of fluoxetine were GI trouble (11.1%), diarrhea (11.1%), insomnia (11.1%), agitation (5.6%), and dizziness (5.6%). CONCLUSION: Milnacipran was effective for the improvement of depressive symptoms and was well tolerated and safe in patients with depression.
Subject(s)
Humans , Antidepressive Agents , Chemistry , Constipation , Depression , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Diarrhea , Dihydroergotamine , Dizziness , Electrocardiography , Fluoxetine , Headache , Incidence , Nausea , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders , Vital Signs , VomitingABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether longitudinal changes in positive and negative symptoms affect cognitive functioning in chronic schizophrenia. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients diagnosed with DSM-IV schizophrenia were examined on two occasions over 6 months for symptoms and cognitive changes. Symptoms were measured by PANSS. Cognitive functions were examined for sustained attention, executive function, concentration and attention, and verbal memory and learning using Degraded Stimulus Continuous Performance Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Digit Span, and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, respectively. Twenty control subjects were assessed to compare the cognitive scores of remitted schizophrenic patients. RESULTS: Patients showed significant improvement in symptoms and all cognitive tests after 6 months treatments. Significant improvements in positive and negative symptoms did not predict improvements in any aspect of cognitive functioning measured. Normal controls performed significantly better than remitted schizophrenic patients on all cognitive tests. The results show no relationship between change in symptoms and change in cognition in chronic schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: We suggest that symptomatic and cognitive impairment may be a distinct construct. These findings highlight the importance of treating cognitive impairment in addition to the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia.
Subject(s)
Humans , Cognition , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Executive Function , Follow-Up Studies , Learning , Memory , Schizophrenia , Verbal Learning , WisconsinABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine differences of treatment responses and cognitive functions between typical antipsychotics and Olanzapine in schizophreniac inpatients. METHODS: Ninety-nine patients with schizophrenia treated by Olanzapine (n=56) or typical antipsychotics (n=43) by their attending were included in this study. Prior to entering the study, all subjects did not take any antipsychotics for at least 4 weeks. Cognitive and psychopathological evaluations were carried out on three times: prior to drug assignment immediately after admission (baseline), 3 months and 6 months after starting medications. Cognitive assessments were blinded to medication and psychopathological status. Cognitive functions were examined for sustained attention, sensory register, executive function, concentration and attention, and verbal memory and learning using Degraded Stimulus Continuous Performance Test, Span Apprehension Task, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Digit Span, and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. RESULTS: The Olanzapine group presented a significantly greater improvement in the perseverative response, perseverative errors, number of completed categories of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, forward Digit Span, immediate recall of Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and positive and negative symptomatology than the typical antipsychotic group in the repeated-measures of ANCOVA among baseline, 3 month and 6 month assessments. These cognitive differences remained statistically significant after covarying out changes in symptomatology except forward Digit Span, which was affected by positive symptom in 3 month assessments. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that Olanzapine is associated with significantly greater symptomatic improvement and less cognitive than typical antipsychotics, and its benefits continued after 3 and 6 months of treatment in patients with schizophrenia.
Subject(s)
Humans , Antipsychotic Agents , Cognition , Executive Function , Inpatients , Learning , Memory , Memory, Short-Term , Schizophrenia , Verbal Learning , WisconsinABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine whether the neurocognitive deficits of schizophrenia may be associated with certain features of symptomatology or a stable vulnerability of disease itself. METHOD: The 42 schizophrenic patients and 35 matched normal controls with sex, age, and education level were examined for their sustained attention, sensory register, executive function, concentration and attention, and verbal memory and learning in the acute and remitted stages of schizophrenia using Degraded Stimulus Continuous Performance Test, Span Apprehension Task, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Digit Span, and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, respectively. RESULTS: The schizophrenic patients showed significant deficits in the sustained attention, sensory register, executive function, and verbal memory and learning compared with the normal controls in both acute and remitted stages of schizophrenia. Regarding the concentration and attention, the schizophrenic patients showed significant deficits in the backward digit span compared with the normal controls during acute stages, but there was no difference between two groups in the forward and backward digit span during remitted stages. No difference was evident in the sustained attention, sensory register, executive function, and verbal memory and learning between acute and remitted stages of schizophrenia. But the forward and backward digit span of schizophrenic patients showed significant improvement in the remitted stages compared with acute stages. CONCLUSIONS: The sustained attention and sensory register deficits in the visual information processing associated with schizophrenia, detected by high-processing-load version of the Degraded Stimulus Continuous Performance Test and Span Apprehension Task, are highly possible to be stable vulnerability indicators. Executive functioning deficit in the schizophrenic patients detected by Wisconsin Card Sorting Test is not likely to be dependent on symptoms, so it is difficult to conclude that it is a stable vulnerability indicators of schizophrenia. In the digit span task, the forward digit span is more likely to be a episodic indicator but the backward digit span is likely to be a mediating vulnerability indicator. And the forward and backward digit span tasks seem to be tap different cognitive abilities that are differentially associated with the diathesis for schizophrenia. Some forms of the verbal memory and learning deficits associated with schizophrenia appear to be a stable vulnerability indicators.