The Effect of Stress on Anxiety and Depressed Mood and the Mediating Effect of Resilience in Medical Residents and Interns During Coronavirus Disease-19 Event / 정신신체의학

Objectives@#: In this study, we evaluate psychological stress, symptoms of anxiety and depressed mood and resilience which medical residents and interns perceived during COVID-19 event, then investigate the associations between stress and the symptoms and mediating effect of resilience on the associations. @*Methods@#: In this study, we made a self-reporting form to evaluate psychological stress with perceived stress scale (PSS), symptoms of anxiety and depressed mood with Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD), and resilience with Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Medical residents and interns, who worked in a hospital during COVID-19 event, filled the self-reporting forms from july, 2020 to august, 2020. We conducted a Pearson correlation coefficient and a multiple regression to confirm association between psychological stress and symptoms of anxiety and depressed mood, then mediating effect of resilience. @*Results@#: The higher stress perceived, the more symptoms of anxiety and depressed mood were reported by medical residents and interns. The higher resilience is associated with lower stress and less symptoms of anxiety and depressed mood, which resilience is proven to mediate partially the association between stress and symptoms of depressed mood. @*Conclusions@#: This study shows that resilience has a partial mediating effects on the association between stress and psychological pathology especially depressed mood, given that medical residents and interns were under psychological distress during COVID-19 event. This suggests that resilience is the key for medical trainees to overcome the future crisis like COVID-19 event.

The Effect of Second-Generation Antipsychotics Administration for 1-Year on the Platelet Activities in Patients With Schizophrenia: Retrospective Study / 정신신체의학

Objectives@#：This study was conducted to investigate the effect of 1-year administration of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) on the platelet activity in patients with schizophrenia through a retrospective review of the medical records. @*Methods@#：The mean platelet component (MPC) value was used as an index of the platelet activity. The included subjects (N=24) were the patients who were confirmed to have taken SGAs continuously for one year after the first MPC measurement had been performed. The change of MPC was verified through a paired sample t-test. @*Results@#：The result revealed that the mean MPC value was significantly decreased from 26.5±1.4 g/dL to 25.6±1.8 g/dL after 1-year administration of SGAs from the time of the first MPC measurement. @*Conclusions@#：This study suggests that 1-year administration of SGAs may be related with increased platelet activity, and that close monitoring for risks such as cerebrovascular/cardiovascular or thromboembolic diseases may be necessary during SGAs treatment in clinical practice.

The Effects of COVID-19 on the Self-Harm in Children and Adolescents Observed in a University Hospital / 정신신체의학

Objectives@#：The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence and severity of childhood and adolescent self-harm. @*Methods@#：Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for patients under the age of 18 who visited the emergency room of Konyang University Hospital to compare the rate of self-harm attempts and the demographic, clinical, and self-harm-related of self-harm attempters aspects before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. @*Results@#：During 11 months after the COVID-19 outbreak, the proportion of the number of children and adolescents patients with self-harm and their episodes increased significantly compared to that during 11 months be-fore the COVID-19 outbreak (χ2 =14.397, p<0.001; χ2 =24.156, p<0.001). Between about the year before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, there was a significant difference in the prior self-harm history and psychiatric history among children and adolescents who visited the emergency room and the ratio of hospitalization to other departments than department of psychiatry (p<0.05; p<0.05; p<0.05). @*Conclusions@#：In the COVID-19 situation, the proportion of children and adolescents who visited the emergency room due to self-harm and admission to other departments are increasing. And it has been shown that the inci-dence of self-harm has significantly increased in children and adolescents with a history of prior self-harm and psychiatric past history. These findings underscore the need for the psychiatric evaluation and intervention of self-harm related high-risk groups among children and adolescents in pandemic situations.

A Retrospective Study on the Effect of 1-Year Clozapine Administration on Platelet Activity in Patients with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder / 정신신체의학

Objectives@#：Clozapine has been known to increase the possibility of developing cardio/cerebrovascular diseases, and the platelet activation has been deemed to be related to the occurrence of them. In author’s previous study, we observed the increase of platelet activity with short-term clozapine administration. This study was conducted, as a follow-up study, to investigate the effect of clozapine on the platelet activity when administered continuously for long-term period of time of 1 year. @*Methods@#：The medical records of the patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who were treated with clozapine for 1 year were retrospectively reviewed. The degree of platelet activation was assessed by measuring the mean platelet component. @*Results@#：Total of 24 patients were enrolled. 9 of them (37.5%) were male and 15 of them (62.5%) were female. In the Wilcoxon sign-ranks test, no significant change was observed between the mean platelet factor values at the beginning and at the end of one year. @*Conclusions@#：No significant changes of mean platelet activity were observed after continued administration of clozapine for 1 year. Considering the author’s previous findings that observed a prominent decrease of mean platelet component after short-term clozapine administration, the result of this study suggests the possibility that the activity of the platelet may change depending on the duration of the clozapine administration.

A Recognition Survey by Psychiatry Residents and Psychiatrists Regarding the Quality of Residency Training and Clinical Competence in Korea / 신경정신의학

Objectives@#This study surveyed the quality of the residency training program and clinical competence of Korean psychiatry residents and psychiatrists. @*Methods@#Questionnaires regarding the quality of residency training and clinical competence were administered to Korean psychiatry residents (n=102) and psychiatrists (n=157). The authors analyzed the quality of training education according to the training environment and the correlation between the quality of training and the self-assessment competence level. @*Results@#The average score of the quality of training evaluated by the residents (n=102) was 3.57 (±1.00). Groups with more than or equal to three residents (annual) scored higher (3.69±1.03) than the groups with less than or equal to two residents (3.52±0.99). Groups with more than or equal to seven teaching psychiatrists scored higher (3.42±1.03) than the groups with less than or equal to six teaching psychiatrists (3.42±1.03). The quality of training and self-assessment competence showed a significant static correlation in the residents (R2=0.488, p<0.01) and psychiatrists (R2=0.508, p<0.01). @*Conclusion@#This study shows that the quality of residency education varies according to the clinical area and the environment. The importance of training education is emphasized by the static correlation between the quality of education and clinical competence.

Survey on the Environment and Condition of Korean Psychiatric Residents from 2016 to 2017 Years / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The authors evaluated the environment and conditions of Korean psychiatric residents to identify important factors for them in determining their satisfaction with training programs. METHODS: Questionnaires on the residency training program were administered to 513 Korean psychiatric residents from 2016 to 2017. The questionnaire was composed of sociodemographic background, work environment and status of the training program. The authors analyzed questionnaire according to the residents' grade and hospital type and identified the significant factors for satisfaction with their training. RESULTS: Compared to the 1st grade, the 4th grade psychiatric residents have significantly less working time, duty days, and more sleep time, mealtime, and annual salary. In the hospital type, the residents of general hospitals and university hospitals have more working time, annual salary, and accessibility to educational material than mental hospitals. The satisfaction with their training is higher in the 1st grade than in the 4th grade, in those with more than six hours of sleep time, and in residents who are satisfied with the accessibility of educational materials. CONCLUSION: Compared to the 1st grade, the working intensity of 4th grade psychiatric residents is lower and their welfare is better. To improve the satisfaction with the training program, it is necessary to make efforts to increase the sleep time of residents, improve the accessibility of educational material, identify the problem of the training program, particularly in the 4th grade, and make institutional improvements.

Examining Patterns of Polypharmacy in Bipolar Disorder: Findings from the REAP-BD, Korea

Based on Korean data from the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Pattern for Bipolar Disorder, this study tried to present prescription patterns in biopolar disorder (BD) and its associated clinical features. Based on the information obtained from the study with structured questions, the tendency of prescription pattern was studied and analyzed. Polypharmacy was predominant, including simple polypharmacy in 51.1% and complex polypharmacy in 34.2% of patients. Subjects associated with simple or complex polypharmacy were significantly younger, had higher inpatient settings, a larger portion of onset with manic episode, a shorter duration of untreated illness, a shorter duration of current episode, were more overweight, used less antidepressants and used more anxiolytics. These findings can suggest higher polypharmacy rate in more severe BD and highlight the necessity of monitoring the weight of subjects with polypharmacy.

The Relationship between Suicide Attempts and Serum Lipids in Patients Admitted with Depression / 정신신체의학

OBJECTIVES: Depression is a common mental illness and a major cause of suicide. Although serum lipids have been associated with depression and suicide, there has been much debate. In this study, we investigated the relationship between depression, suicide, and serum lipids in patients admitted with depressed mood. METHODS: A total of 134 subjects were divided into 86 non-suicide patients and 48 suicide attempters. The serum lipid levels and sub-scores of the Korean Symptom Checklist-95 (KSCL95) were compared. We also investigated the relationship between serum lipids and sub-scores of KSCL95 and investigated whether serum lipids were risk factors for suicide attempts. RESULTS: There was no difference in serum lipids between the two groups. Among the sub-items of KSCL95, obsession was higher in non-suicide group. Triglyceride showed positive correlations with anxiety, phobic anxiety, agoraphobia, schizophrenia, and self-regulation problem. High triglyceride was a risk factor for suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS: Triglyceride is associated with depression, anxiety, and self - regulation, and high serum triglyceride levels may be a risk factor for suicide attempts.

Clozapine Administration Potentiate Platelet Activation in Patients with Schizophrenia: Retrospective Study / 정신신체의학

OBJECTIVES: Clozapine is a widely prescribed antipsychotic drug for schizophrenia and is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease due to its metabolic side effects. However, little is known about the effect of clozapine on the platelet activation, another important factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. In this study, we tried to investigate the effect of clozapine on platelet activity in patients with schizophrenia by comparing the mean platelet component (MPC) values before and after the clozapine administration. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records of patients with schizophrenia, who newly started clozapine treatment from September 1st, 2003 to April 30th, 2007 at the Department of Psychiatry, Konyang University Hospital in Republic of Korea was performed. The final statistical analysis included 14 participants. Bayer ADVIA 120® system was used to measure MPC. RESULTS: Among the 14 participants, five subjects were males (28.60%), and ten subjects were females (71.40%). The mean age of participants was 37.50±11.64 years. Average of duration of illness was 91.00±93.96 months, with the mean dosage of clozapine taken by participants at the time of the last blood test was 337.50±109.52 mg. The mean MPC measurement before and after receiving clozapine was 26.12±2.22 g/dL and 25.14±2.08 g/dL respectively. Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that there was a statistically significant decrease in MPC levels after clozapine administration (V=16, p=0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased MPC levels after clozapine administration implies that clozapine may increase platelet activation which could have an adverse effect on the occurrence of thromboembolic disease. Our findings also suggest that careful monitoring of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, such as platelets activity, is necessary when administering clozapine.

The Association of the 2nd to 4th Digit Ratio with the Age of Onset and Metabolic Factors in Korean Patients with Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVES: The ratio of second to fourth digit length (2D : 4D) could be a potential epigenetic marker of sexual dimorphism reflecting prenatal testosterone exposure. Testosterone is known to affect the development of the brain through an epigenetic mechanism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to fetal testosterone on the metabolic syndrome based on 2D : 4D of schizophrenia patients and the relationship with the age of onset of schizophrenia. METHODS: A total of 214 schizophrenia patients participated in this study. The participant's physical and blood tests were performed according to the American National Cholesterol Education Program's Third Amendment of the Metabolic Syndrome Diagnostic Criteria, and the 2D : 4D was measured by the method designed by McFadden. Data were statistically analyzed by t-test, Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple regression model analysis. RESULTS: 2D : 4D was significantly higher in female than male in both hands, and there was a statistically significant negative correlation between 2D : 4D and the age of onset of schizophrenia in male. However, 2D : 4D did not show statistically significant correlation with metabolic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal testosterone suggests the possibility of affecting the age of onset of schizophrenia through the epigenetic mechanism, but there is no clear relationship with metabolic factors.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Schizophrenia in Korea: A Multicenter Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE: We designed a nationwide study with limited exclusion criteria to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korea and its relationship with antipsychotic medications. METHODS: This multicenter, cross-sectional, and observational study included patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Sixteen hospitals enrolled 845 patients aged 18 to 65 years prescribed any antipsychotic medication between August 2011 and August 2013. MetS was diagnosed using the criteria of the modified Adult Treatment Panel III of the National Cholesterol Education Program with the Korean abdominal obesity definition (waist circumference ≥85 cm in women, ≥90 cm in men). RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS in all patients was 36.5% and was significantly higher in men than women (men, 40.8%; women, 32.2%) and was significantly correlated with age [odds ratio (OR) 1.02] and duration of illness (OR 1.03). The prevalence of MetS across antipsychotic drugs in the major monotherapy group was as follows: 18.8% for quetiapine, 22.0% for aripiprazole, 33.3% for both amisulpride and paliperidone, 34.0% for olanzapine, 35% for risperidone, 39.4% for haloperidol, and 44.7% for clozapine. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MetS is very high in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Screening and monitoring of MetS is also strongly recommended.

Hazardous Drinking-Related Characteristics of Depressive Disorders in Korea: The CRESCEND Study

This study aimed to identify clinical correlates of hazardous drinking in a large cohort of Korean patients with depression. We recruited a total of 402 depressed patients aged > 18 yr from the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study in Korea. Patients' drinking habits were assessed using the Korean Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-K). Psychometric scales, including the HAMD, HAMA, BPRS, CGI-S, SSI-Beck, SOFAS, and WHOQOL-BREF, were used to assess depression, anxiety, overall psychiatric symptoms, global severity, suicidal ideation, social functioning, and quality of life, respectively. We compared demographic and clinical features and psychometric scores between patients with and without hazardous drinking behavior after adjusting for the effects of age and sex. We then performed binary logistic regression analysis to identify independent correlates of hazardous drinking in the study population. Our results revealed that hazardous drinking was associated with current smoking status, history of attempted suicide, greater psychomotor retardation, suicidal ideation, weight loss, and lower hypochondriasis than non-hazardous drinking. The regression model also demonstrated that more frequent smoking, higher levels of suicidal ideation, and lower levels of hypochondriasis were independently correlates for hazardous drinking in depressed patients. In conclusion, depressed patients who are hazardous drinkers experience severer symptoms and a greater burden of illness than non-hazardous drinkers. In Korea, screening depressed patients for signs of hazardous drinking could help identify subjects who may benefit from comprehensive therapeutic approaches.

Evidence-Based, Non-Pharmacological Treatment Guideline for Depression in Korea

Although pharmacological treatment constitutes the main therapeutic approach for depression, non-pharmacological treatments (self-care or psychotherapeutic approach) are usually regarded as more essential therapeutic approaches in clinical practice. However, there have been few clinical practice guidelines concerning self-care or psychotherapy in the management of depression. This study introduces the 'Evidence-Based, Non-Pharmacological Treatment Guideline for Depression in Korea.' For the first time, a guideline was developed for non-pharmacological treatments for Korean adults with mild-to-moderate depression. The guideline development process consisted of establishing several key questions related to non-pharmacologic treatments of depression, searching the literature for studies which answer these questions, assessing the evidence level of each selected study, drawing up draft recommendation, and peer review. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network grading system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence. As a result of this process, the guideline recommends exercise therapy, bibliotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy, short-term psychodynamic supportive psychotherapy, and interpersonal psychotherapy as the non-pharmacological treatments for adult patients with mild-to-moderate depression in Korea. Hence, it is necessary to develop specific methodologies for several non-pharmacological treatment for Korean adults with depression.

Korean Addiction Treatment Guidelines Series (I) : Development of Korean Guidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to develop Treatment Guidelines for Alcohol Use Disorder-the Korean Addiction Treatment Guidelines-using the Adaptation method. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: As the Adaptation method of Guidelines, the ADAPTE Manual, which is developed by ADAPTE collaboration is applied. In Part 1 : preparatory work prior to the beginning of Adaptation is performed. In Part 2 : the core phase of the Adaptation in which we searched the guidelines and performed a systematic review of the literature. The two guidelines (of the AU and the UK) are selected by gone through the methodological quality and currency evaluation for guidelines. And, in order to choose the proper recommendations, the contents were evaluated with regard to the applicability and acceptability of guidelines to the domestic. Finally, in Part 3 : the adapted guideline is reviewed externally, with review and plan update. Therefore, in this way, the Korean Guidelines for Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder, comprised of 55 recommendations, was developed. CONCLUSION: In this study, Korean Guidelines for Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder were developed by application of the Adaptation method of ADAPTE. These are the first evidence-based Korean Guidelines for Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder, which were modified and accepted in accordance with Korean circumstances within the range not damaging the validity of the treatment worth, and it is expected to contribute to improvement in quality and efficiency enhancement of Korean treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder.

Relationship Among the Dissociation, Ways of Coping Style, and Hypnotizability in Undergraduate Students / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES : Presently there exist conflicting results in terms of the relationship between hypnotic susceptibility and the dissociation experience in college-aged populations. The present investigation sought to explore the relationship among dissociation, coping style and hypnotizability using structural equation modeling (SEM). METHODS : 288 Korean undergraduates completed the Dissociation Experience Scale-Korean version (DES-K), Coping style assessment, and assessment of the eye roll sign which is a suggested biological marker of hypnotizability according to Spiegel. We divided the students into two groups (DES> or = 20, N=81; DES <20, N=207) to evaluate differences in these variables. The Pearson correlation test was used to investigate the relationship among the variables. We used SEM to investigate the mediating process in the relationship among hypnotizability coping style and dissociation. RESULTS : In the high DES-K group, scores of passive coping strategies (emotionally focused and wishful thinking) were higher than low DES-K group. There were statistically significant but weak correlations between hypnotizability and wishful thinking and between passive coping strategies and dissociation. The mediating role of passive coping style between hypnotizability and dissociation was confirmed in university students. CONCLUSION : These results suggested there was no direct relationship between hypnotizability and dissociation and passive coping strategies mediating the relationship between hypnotizability and dissociation. This study cautions against equating dissociative capacity with hypnotizability.

Relationship Among the Dissociation, Ways of Coping Style, and Hypnotizability in Undergraduate Students / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES : Presently there exist conflicting results in terms of the relationship between hypnotic susceptibility and the dissociation experience in college-aged populations. The present investigation sought to explore the relationship among dissociation, coping style and hypnotizability using structural equation modeling (SEM). METHODS : 288 Korean undergraduates completed the Dissociation Experience Scale-Korean version (DES-K), Coping style assessment, and assessment of the eye roll sign which is a suggested biological marker of hypnotizability according to Spiegel. We divided the students into two groups (DES> or = 20, N=81; DES <20, N=207) to evaluate differences in these variables. The Pearson correlation test was used to investigate the relationship among the variables. We used SEM to investigate the mediating process in the relationship among hypnotizability coping style and dissociation. RESULTS : In the high DES-K group, scores of passive coping strategies (emotionally focused and wishful thinking) were higher than low DES-K group. There were statistically significant but weak correlations between hypnotizability and wishful thinking and between passive coping strategies and dissociation. The mediating role of passive coping style between hypnotizability and dissociation was confirmed in university students. CONCLUSION : These results suggested there was no direct relationship between hypnotizability and dissociation and passive coping strategies mediating the relationship between hypnotizability and dissociation. This study cautions against equating dissociative capacity with hypnotizability.

The Current Status and Requirements for Non-pharmacological Treatment of Depression in Korea

OBJECTIVES: As a part of plan to develop evidence-based treatment guidelines for depression that is more suitable for Korean situation, we investigate the present status and client's requirements for non-pharmacological treatment of depression in Korean clinical situation. METHODS: Subjects were patients with depression in 12 university hospitals which are located in metropolises in Korea. We analyzed the records from questionnaires about current clinical status and requirements for the non-pharmacological treatment of depression in Korea. RESULT: 50.8% of the subjects have experienced non-pharmacological treatments for their depression. The preference of non-pharmacological treatment method of depression is exercise/interesting activity, counseling by psychiatrists and psychotherapy, and the best effective treatment method is psychotherapy (Es=4.36). Actually, the mean consultation time by psychiatrist is 11.31+/-7.16 min, and the appropriate consultation time for client's situation is 18.39+/-8.95 min. During consultation, patients' satisfaction measurement for psychiatrist's explanation about pharmacological treatment is 64.17+/-27.11, and satisfaction measurement for psychiatrist's counseling for their depression about personal problems, resent stress, interpersonal relationship is 61.66+/-26.63. CONCLUSION: In Korea, many psychiatrists offered biologically oriented treatment to their patients with depression, and patients' satisfaction measurement about consultation by psychiatrists is low. Many patients wanted to combined pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment for their depression, and aspired to information about complementary and self-help treatment methods. It is necessary to develop non-pharmacological treatment guideline for depression which reflect the clinical situation in Korea and meet Korean patients' need.

Cognitive Dysfunction in the Geriatric Depression Living in the Institution

OBJECTIVES: There is a wide spectrum of cognitive dysfunction in geriatric depression due to heterogeneity. The Authors tried to investigate cognitive dysfunction in the elderly with depression and the association between geriatric depression and demographic variables such as sex, age, and education. METHODS: Total 101 non-demented participants living in the asylum for the aged had completed frontal lobe function test (executive function and conceptualization) and CERAD-K (the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease) to evaluate neuropsychological function. Symptoms of depression were evaluated by SGDS-K (Short Geriatric Depression Scale of Korean version). We divided the elderly into two groups (depressed, non-depressed group) to evaluate the differences in cognitive function. RESULTS: 30 (29.7%) of the subjects suffered depression and 50 (49.5%) had cognitive decline. Geriatric depression is not associated with age, sex, and education. Depressed older adults had lower executive function score in total group and cognitive decline group than non-depressed. Within cognitive decline group, subject with geriatric depression had lower scores in word fluency and word delayed recall than non-depressed. There was significant correlation between SGDS-K score and executive function. CONCLUSION: Subjects with geriatric depression had significant executive dysfunction. Executive dysfunction in depressed older adults may provide the basis for further investigation of mechanisms of geriatric depression. Timely identification of executive dysfunction fundamental to daily activities of depressed older adults may lead to coping strategies that will improve the prognosis of geriatric depression.

The Differences of EEG Coherence between Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

OBJECTIVES: EEG coherence could imply the connectivity between two different areas of the brain, which is known to be important in the pathophysiology of bipolar I disorder(BPD I) and schizophrenia. The authors investigated EEG coherence in patients with BPD I and schizophrenia to examine the connectivity of the neural circuit. METHODS: EEGs were recorded in 15 schizophrenia and 14 bipolar disorder patients, and 14 age-matched normal control subjects from 16 electrodes with linked-ear reference. Spectral parameters and coherence were calculated for the alpha bandwidth(8-13Hz) by a multi-channel autoregressive model using 20 artifact-free 2-seconds epochs and the differences were compared among three groups by two different statistical methods; F-test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Furthermore, when there were significant differences among three groups, Scheffe's multiple comparison tests were provided and Jonckheere-Terpstra tests for the ordered alternative were given. RESULTS: In the intra-hemispheric comparison, left frontal coherence was increased in order of control, BPD I and schizophrenia. In the inter-hemispheric comparison, 1) inter-prefrontal coherence in BPD I was significantly higher than in normal controls, and 2) inter-prefrontal coherence in schizophrenia was significantly lower than in controls. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that 1) both schizophrenia and BPD I are diseases having the abnormality of neural circuit connectivity in both frontal and prefrontal lobes, and 2) the abnormality is more severe in schizophrenia than in BPD I. Furthermore, the data support that a common pathogenetic process may reside in both schizophrenia and BPD I.

The Effects of Venlafaxine on Neurite Growth of PC12 Cells

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of venlafaxine, one of novel antidepressant drugs, on neurite growth in PC12 cells. METHODS: PC12 cells were cultured with NGF for eight days. Then different concentrations(0micrometer, 1micrometer, 5micrometer) of venlafaxine were mixed with cultured PC12 cells. After 24 hours and 48 hours of culture, we compared the effects of venlafaxine on the total length of neurites of cultured PC12 cells between no venlafaxine treated group(0micrometer) and venlafaxine treated groups(1micrometer and 5micrometer). Additionally, we studied the concentration-dependent effect of venlafaxine on differentiation in PC12 cells. RESULTS: Experimental results showed that 1) the mean length of neurites in 1micrometer and 5micrometer venlafaxine treated group was more increased than no venlafaxine treated group(p=0.002). 2) the length of neurite in 5micrometer venlafaxine treated group was more elongated than 1micrometer venlafaxine treated group(p=0.046). 3) the length of neurite in 6micrometer venlafaxine treated group was more elongated than all the other concentrations in our experiment. Above 6micrometer, the length of neurite was shortened in inverse proportion to the concentration of venlafaxine. CONCLUSIONS: This results suggest that venlafaxine, one of novel antidepressant drugs, promotes the differentiation of neuron. This study is believed to be a first step toward understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of antidepressant treatment.