The Effect of Structured Music Therapy Program on Emotional Function in the Dementia Patients

Objective@#The effectiveness of music therapy programs for the elderly with dementia has been verified through several studies, but there is a limitation in that most of them are compared with a single group, no treatment group or waiting group. In this study, to overcome this problem, the two groups that performed similar interventions were selected and compared retrospectively. @*Methods@#For 37 people who participated in the treatment programs for the elderly with dementia at Dongdaemun Center for De-mentia and its branch center, we retrospectively analyzed the changes in Korean version of Geriatric Depression Scale and GeriatricQuality of Life Scale-Dementia scores measured before and after treatment. @*Results@#Prior to treatment, there is no significant difference between the groups in the demographic variables and the depression and quality of life scores. The difference between pre- and post-scores was not significant in the group at the branch center without a music therapy, but depression was significantly reduced and quality of life had improved in the group at Dongdaemun center with the music therapy program. @*Conclusion@#It was confirmed that participation in the structured music therapy program had a positive effect on the improve-ment of depression and quality of life in the elderly with dementia compared to other similar interventions.

The Effect of Structured Music Therapy Program on Emotional Function in the Dementia Patients

Objective@#The effectiveness of music therapy programs for the elderly with dementia has been verified through several studies, but there is a limitation in that most of them are compared with a single group, no treatment group or waiting group. In this study, to overcome this problem, the two groups that performed similar interventions were selected and compared retrospectively. @*Methods@#For 37 people who participated in the treatment programs for the elderly with dementia at Dongdaemun Center for De-mentia and its branch center, we retrospectively analyzed the changes in Korean version of Geriatric Depression Scale and GeriatricQuality of Life Scale-Dementia scores measured before and after treatment. @*Results@#Prior to treatment, there is no significant difference between the groups in the demographic variables and the depression and quality of life scores. The difference between pre- and post-scores was not significant in the group at the branch center without a music therapy, but depression was significantly reduced and quality of life had improved in the group at Dongdaemun center with the music therapy program. @*Conclusion@#It was confirmed that participation in the structured music therapy program had a positive effect on the improve-ment of depression and quality of life in the elderly with dementia compared to other similar interventions.

Differences in Personality, Defense Styles, and Coping Strategies in Individuals with Depressive Disorder According to Age Groups Across the Lifespan

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the differences in personality, defense style, and coping styles among patients with depression according to age groups.METHODS: A total of 211 participants ranging from 19 to 81 years old were recruited for the study. To assess participants’ five dimensions of personality, the Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) was administered. In addition, the Korean-Defense Style Questionnaire and the Korean version of the coping checklist were administered to examine the defense and coping style.RESULTS: In the analysis of NEO-PI-R, the mean value of Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism showed significant differences between the young adult age group (20–34 years) and the late middle age group (50–64 years) (p<0.05). The young age group used more immature defense styles and made less use of problem-focused coping strategy than the old age patients (65 years and older) (p<0.05).CONCLUSION: In the young age group associations with lower Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, as well as higher Neuroticism than the late middle age group were observed. Moreover, the young age group had a higher usage of immature defense style, and restricted use of problem-focused coping style than other age groups.

Comparison of Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Depending on the Age of Being Diagnosed in Childhood and Adulthood: Based on Retrospective Review in One University Hospital

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to identify the characteristics of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that was not diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, but only in adulthood. METHODS: The characteristics of patients diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood were compared with those of patients diagnosed in childhood were assessed via a retrospective review of the medical records at one university hospital from 2005 to 2013. If the age at which they were confirmed as having ADHD was less than 19 years old, they were grouped as childhood-diagnosed group (CD); if they were 19 years old or more, they were grouped as adulthood-diagnosed group (AD). RESULTS: The CD and AD included 50 (46.3%) and 58 (53.7%) patients, respectively. Inattention was the most common symptom in both groups. Behavioral and emotional problems were the second most frequent symptoms in the CD and AD, respectively. The intelligent quotient was significantly higher in the AD than in the CD. The most common comorbidity was depression in the CD and personality disorder in the AD. The most common reason for visiting the hospital was referral by acquaintances in the CD and media coverage in the AD. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should put ADHD on the index of suspicion when they examine adults with various psychiatric symptoms, because the diagnosis of ADHD might have been missed in childhood and the symptoms of ADHD might have changed as they grew up.

A Multicenter Study Investigating Empathy and Burnout Characteristics in Medical Residents with Various Specialties

We assessed empathy in medical residents, including factors modifying empathy and the relationship between empathy and burnout. Participants (n = 317 residents, response rate = 42%) from 4 university hospitals completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (Health Professional version, Korean edition), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Participants were classified by medical specialty: “people-oriented specialty” (POS group) or “technology-oriented specialty” (TOS group), with more women in the POS than in the TOS group, χ2 = 14.12, P < 0.001. Being female, married, and having children were factors related to higher empathy (gender, t = -2.129, P = 0.034; marriage, t = -2.078, P = 0.038; children, t = 2.86, P = 0.005). Within specialty group, POS residents showed higher empathy scores in the fourth as compared to the first year, F = 3.166, P = 0.026. Comparing POS and TOS groups by year, fourth year POS residents had significantly higher scores than did fourth year TOS residents, t = 3.349, P = 0.002. There were negative correlations between empathy scores and 2 MBI subscales, emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DP). Additionally, first year POS residents had higher DP scores than did first year TOS residents, t = 2.183, P = 0.031. We suggest that factors important for empathy are type of medical specialty, marriage, siblings, and children. Burnout state may be related to decreasing empathy.

Capsaicin promotes the development of burst-forming nits-erythroid (BFU-E) from mouse bone marrow cells

Capsaicin, the pungent component of chilli peppers, is known to induce mediators of hematopoiesis. We investigated the effect of capsaicin on hematopoiesis in mouse progenitor cells. Treatment of mouse bone marrow cells with capsaicin induced the formation of colony of burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E). We also found that the number of erythropoietin receptor (EpoR)-positive cells was increased by capsaicin. To clarify the effect of capsaicin on erythroid lineage, BFU-E colonies were separated from non-BFU-E colonies by colony-picking after in vitro culture of mouse bone marrow cells. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that capsaicin stimulated the expression of the erythroid-specific genes encoding EpoR, glycophorin A (GPA), beta-globin (Hbb-b1), GATA-1, PU.1, nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2 (NF-E2), and Kruppel-like factor 1 (KLF1) in the BFU-E colonies. Furthermore, capsaicin could effectively stimulate the transfected GATA-1 promoter in K562 cells. GATA-1 is known as an essential transcription factor for the development of erythroid cells. Our results show that development of the erythroid lineage from bone marrow cells can be induced by treatment with capsaicin, and that GATA-1 seems to play a role in this induced erythroid maturation.

CKbeta8-1 alters expression of cyclin E in colony forming units-granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM) lineage from human cord blood CD34 + cells

A C6 beta-chemokine, CKbeta8-1, suppressed the colony formation of CD34 + cells of human cord blood (CB). Molecular mechanisms involved in CKbeta8-1-medicated suppression of colony formation of CD34 + cells are not known. To address this issue, the level of various G1/S cell cycle regulating proteins in CKbeta8-1-treated CD34 + cells were compared with those in untreated CD34 + cells. CKbeta8-1 did not significantly alter the expression of the G1/S cycle regulation proteins (cyclin D1, D3, and E), CDK inhibitor (p27and Rb), and other cell proliferation regulation protein (p53) in CB CD34 + cells. Here we describe an in vitro system in which CB CD34 + cells were committed to a multipotent progenitor lineage of colony forming units-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) by a simple combination of recombinant human (rh) GM-CSF and rhIL-3. In this culture system, we found that cyclin E protein appeared later and disappeared faster in the CKbeta8-1-treated cells than in the control cells during CFU-GM lineage development. These findings suggested that cyclin E may play a role in suppressing the colony formation of CFU-GM by CKbeta8-1.