ABSTRACT
The author would like to explore a new challenge for psychiatry in the coming the decade. Although there has been a remarkable progress in symptomatic treatment within psychiatry during the past half century, the progress has been meager in the field of mental health promotion. On the other hand, the public has gained an increasing awareness of the importance of mental health and also expresses a strong desire for mental health promotion. The current practice of psychiatry is not comprehensive enough to fulfill the public's needs, and finding a way to fulfill those needs is a new challenge for psychiatry in the future. Psychiatry must meet the growing need to survive as a beloved discipline by the public in the coming decade. Positive psychology has made a substantial progress in the field of mental health promotion and could be applied in psychiatry practice. The author proposes that psychiatry should pay a close attention to new developments in mental health promotions and make a genuine effort to apply a new strategy to mental health promotion, not only in clinical practice but also in research.
Subject(s)
Hand , Mental HealthABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the symptom frequencies of 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) to understand the characteristics of each item and to propose the possible symptoms clusters. METHODS: From psychiatric clinics of 18 Hospitals in Korea, 1,183 patients, diagnosed with major depressive disorder (psychotic or non-psychotic), dysthymia or depressive disorder not otherwise specified. according to DSM-IV criteria, participated in this study from January 2006 to August 2008. The frequencies of each item of HDRS-17 were analyzed according to sex and severity. In addition, we compared this study with a previous study performed in England by Hamilton and with two studies performed in Korea by Kim et al. RESULTS: The frequencies of HDRS-17 items varied widely in this study, ranging from 95.8% in work and activities to 37.4% in loss of weight. But, depressed mood, psychic anxiety and work and activities items exhibited constant and higher frequency or rank regardless of study, the severity of depression or sex. Insomnia early, somatic gastrointestinal, genital symptoms and insight showed relatively constant but lower frequency or rank in disregard of studies or the clinical variables. Other symptoms had variable frequencies or ranks according to the variable clinical situations (culture, time, sex, severity of depression). CONCLUSION: We propose three clusters of symptoms in depressive disorders: core symptoms cluster, an associated symptoms, and a situation-specific symptoms. We can use these possible symptom clusters of depression in simplifying diagnosis of depression, increasing diagnostic specificity in special situation and indexing disease severity.
Subject(s)
Humans , Abstracting and Indexing , Anxiety , Depression , Depressive Disorder , Depressive Disorder, Major , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , England , Korea , Sensitivity and Specificity , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance DisordersABSTRACT
The nucleoprotein (N) and glycoprotein (G) of 11 Korean rabies virus (RABV) isolates collected from animals diagnosed with rabies between 2008 and 2009 were subjected to molecular and phylogenetic analyses. Six isolates originated from domestic animals (cattle and dogs) and five were obtained from wild free-ranging raccoon dogs. The similarities in the nucleotide sequences of the N gene among all Korean isolates ranged from 98.1 to 99.8%, while those of the G gene ranged from 97.9 to 99.3%. Based on the nucleotide analysis of the N and G genes, the Korean RABV isolates were confirmed as genotype I of Lyssavirus and classified into four distinct subgroups with high similarity. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Korean isolates were most closely related to the non-Korean NeiMeng1025B and 857r strains, which were isolated from rabid raccoon dogs in Eastern China and Russia, respectively. These findings suggest that the Korean RABV isolates originated from a rabid raccoon dog in Northeastern Asia. Genetic analysis of the Korean RABV isolates revealed no substitutions at several antigenic sites, indicating that the isolates circulating in Korea may be pathogenic in several hosts.
Subject(s)
Animals , Cattle , Dogs , Base Sequence , Cattle Diseases/epidemiology , China , Dog Diseases/epidemiology , Glycoproteins/genetics , Molecular Sequence Data , Nucleoproteins/genetics , Phylogeny , Rabies/veterinary , Rabies virus/classification , Raccoon Dogs/virology , Republic of Korea , Russia , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Sequence Homology, Nucleic AcidABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the explanatory styles, dysfunctional attitudes and their relationship to depressive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. METHODS: Twenty nine patients with major depressive disorder, 35 patients with schizophrenia and 43 normal controls completed the self-rating scales for explanatory styles (Forced Attributional Style Questionnaire, FASQ), dysfunctional attitudes (Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale, DAS), depressive symptom (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI), and hopelessness (Beck Hopelessness Scale, BHS). RESULTS: Patients with major depressive disorder (BDI : 27.0+/-14.30, BHS : 8.8+/-6.59) and those with schizophrenia (BDI : 16.1+/-12.39, BHS : 5.6+/-5.21) had significantly higher BDI and BHS scores than normal control (BDI : 5.8+/-5.53, BHS : 2.4+/-3.61). DAS total scores were significantly higher in patients with major depressive disorder (171.3+/-22.96) and schizophrenia (161.8+/-32.96) than normal control (139.9+/-30.94), but there were no significant differences between patients with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. Regarding FASQ subscales, the global positive score was significantly higher in patients with major depressive disorder (3.7+/-1.36) and with schizophrenia (3.4+/-1.73) than normal control (2.5+/-1.39). BDI total scores correlated significantly with stable negative and global negative scores of FASQ in major depressive disorder, but only with global negative scores in schizophrenia and normal control. DAS total scores correlated with BDI scores not only in major depressive disorder, but also in schizophrenia and normal controls. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that dysfunctional attitude is significantly severe not only in patients with major depressive disorder but also in schizophrenic patients compared to normal control. Also, there seems to be a positive correlation between cognitive distortion and depressive symptoms not only in major depressive disorder, but also in schizophrenia. However, this study is not able to clarify their causal relationship. Further study is necessary to clarify the causal relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive distortion and the cultural effect on cognitive distortion in major depressive disorder and schizophrenia.
Subject(s)
Humans , Depression , Depressive Disorder, Major , Surveys and Questionnaires , Schizophrenia , Weights and MeasuresABSTRACT
Although hopelessness is a common mood in depressive disorders, the significance of hopelessness in depression has not been well appreciated. This paper reviewed the development and progress of the theory of hopelessness depression. Abramson et al. proposed hopelessness depression as a subtype of depression, distinguished by the specific explanatory style for stressful negative life events. The pathogenesis of hopelessness depression was explained by the trait-stress model, in which stressful negative life events activated a underlying trait, i.e. a specific depressogenic explanatory style. Although it is not well substantiated yet whether hopelessness depression is a meaningful subtype of depression or not, the theory of hopelessness depression is intriguing and stimulating not only in understanding the cognitive aspect of depression but also in maintaining positive emotion in general. Further study is in need to verify hopelessness depression as a clinically meaningful subtype of depression.
Subject(s)
Depression , Depressive DisorderABSTRACT
Commercial interests towards insect cell cultures have greatly been increased recently, in part due to the widespread use of insect virus-based vectors for efficient expressions of foreign proteins. Insect cell-derived biotechnology products should be free of adventitious agents such as arboviruses and mycoplasmas. The objective of this study was to establish techniques for the viral safety evaluation of insect cell-derived biotechnology products using Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) as a model, since JEV is a member of arthropod-borne flaviviruses which has been known to be infectious to insect cells such as Sf9 cells. Quantitative assays for viral infectivity, concentrations of an antigen or a genome are a prerequisite for the studies of viral clearance validation. Here, we report the development of a quantitative assay for JEV RNA using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The assay was performed using LightCycler and RNA amplification kit SYBR Green I. Viral RNA extracted from stock suspension of JEV with known infectivity titer was made to 10-fold serial dilution, and each dilution was subjected to the assay for the generation of a standard curve. A JEV specific primer was selected from 3' untranslated region with the expected band size of 323 base pairs. The real-time RT-PCR assay resulted in a successful amplification within 5 log dilution ranges of JEV RNA samples, and the sensitivity of the assay was calculated to be approximately 15 TCID50 per reaction. Highly reproducible standard curves were obtained from experiments performed on three different days. The real-time RT-PCR assay for the quantification of JEV will be an efficient alternative tool for viral clearance validation studies of insect cell-derived biotechnology products.
Subject(s)
Humans , 3' Untranslated Regions , Arboviruses , Asian People , Base Pairing , Biotechnology , Cell Culture Techniques , Encephalitis Virus, Japanese , Encephalitis, Japanese , Flavivirus , Genome , Insecta , Mycoplasma , RNA , RNA, Viral , Sf9 CellsABSTRACT
Problem-based learning(PBL) is defined as a process of acquiring understanding, knowledge, skills and attitudes in the context of an unfamiliar situation, and applying such learning to that situation. PBL is a way of enabling students thinking more efficiently than they can do in the traditional methods of learning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of PBL conducted in Keimyung University College of Medicine in 1999 as a preliminary course. Tutorials of the PBL course were assigned to ten groups during the third and fourth quarter. In total 6 modules were performed. Each PBL tutorial consisted of 3 meetings and 2 hours were assigned to each meeting. The ability of stating and solving problems, the level of knowledge and assignments were scored and graded. The aptitude for PBL course was evaluated by students and tutors in terms of module, tutor, facilities and in total. Students showed moderate achievement(72.96+/-15.96). Regarding the aptitude of PBL course, most tutors and students showed positive responses. Tutors showed more favorable responses in tutor, facilities and in total. After finishing this preliminary PBL course, the authors could find the consensus of continuing PBL course in our school.
Subject(s)
Humans , Aptitude , Consensus , Learning , Problem-Based Learning , ThinkingABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the long-term effect of concept formation training on the performance of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test(WCST) in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: The subjects were 22 schizophrenic patients, who performed poorly on WCST(completing less than 4 categories). The subjects were divided into two groups. The training group(N=11) underwent 3 days of concept formation training after baseline WCST and had post-training test 1 week later. The concept formation training is a stepwise training designed to teach the sorting principles of WCST, using cards different from WCST. Control group(N=11) did not undergo concept formation training and repeated test 1 week after baseline test. Both groups were retested for the 3rd time after almost a year(61.4+/-7.6 weeks later in training group; 35.2+/-12.0 weeks later in control group) RESULTS: The training group made significant improvements in total number correct, total number of errors, perseverative responses, perseverative errors, conceptual level responses, number of categories completed, and trials to complete first category after training. However, only the perseverative response and perseverative errors improved in the follow-up test. In control group, there were no significant differences among 3 testings. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that schizophrenic patients with poor performance in WCST may be able to improve their performance by stepwise concept formation training not only in short-term but also in long-term performance.
Subject(s)
Humans , Concept Formation , Follow-Up Studies , Schizophrenia , WisconsinABSTRACT
No abstract available.