Antipsychotic Effects of Quetiapine in Naturalistic Long Term Follow Up Study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of quetiapine and the effects of dosage relates to its effectiveness on schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in a naturalistic setting in Korean people. METHODS: This study was a 24-week, open-label, non-comparative, naturalistic study of quetiapine in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder according to DSM-IV. We stratified the patients into mild [(clinical global impression severity (CGI-S) or =4 at baseline). We investigated the response rate, defined as clinical global impression improvement (CGI-I) < or =2, in the severe group and the aggravation rate in the mild group using the last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) and the Kaplan-Meier method (K-M). RESULTS: During the 24 weeks, 151 (18.4%) of the participants dropped out of the study. There was a significant decrease in the mean CGI-S score, from 4.5+/-1.1 at baseline to 2.8+/-1.1 at 24 weeks. The response rate of severe group was 54.5% (estimated by LOCF) and 73.3% (K-M estimated) at 24 weeks. All patients who completed the study had taken a mean quetiapine dosage of 507.9+/-245.9 mg daily. The decrease of CGI-S score in high-dose group (the maximum dose was 750 mg/d or above) was statistically significant than that in recommended-dose group (the maximum dose was less than 750 mg/d). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the long-term effectiveness of quetiapine in the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in a naturalistic setting in Korean people. This study suggests that higher than recommended quetiapine dosages could be more effective in some patients.

A Study on Relapse Predictors in Korean Alcohol-Dependent Patients: A 24 Weeks Follow up Study

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this prospective study is to investigate predictors estimating relapse in Korean alcohol-dependent patients using variables like alcohol history, drinking craving, treatment motivation and insight. METHODS: Alcohol dependent patients(N=48) who completed questionnaires about sociodemographic variables and drinking history, Timeline Follow-Back(TLFB), Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale(OCSD), Alcohol Urge Questionnaire(AUQ), Pennsylvania Alcohol Craving Scale(PACS), University of Rhode Island Change Assessment(URICA), Hanil Alcohol Insight Scale(HAIS) were followed-up for 24weeks. Subjects who drank heavily(5 standard drinking or more/day) or were not followed up anymore were classified as the relapse group. We used logistic regression analysis with backward elimination of SPSS PC+11.5 to investigate relapse estimate predictors. RESULTS: Average drinking amount per drinking day for last 1 year and HAIS score were predictors of relapse in alcohol-dependent patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that therapist should give more attention to alcohol-dependent patients who had more drinks per drinking day for last 1 year and had lower insight level.

Non-Relapse Rate in a 24 Week Follow-up Clinical Study with Korean Male Alcohol-Dependent Patients / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: In order to provide useful data for the further clinical studies with Korean alcohol-dependent patients, enrollment and non-relapse rates were investigated while alcohol-dependent patients were followed up for 24 weeks. METHODS: The subjects of this study were alcohol-dependent male patients who, for the first time, visited a hospital among 3 groups of hospitals, University Hospital, General Hospital or Mental Hospital, or those who needed to be followed up after discharge from those hospitals. After assigning 12 subjects to each hospital, we investigated enrollment and non-relapse rates while cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy were provided. RESULTS: 1) Forty-eight patients were enrolled and the rate of enrollment was 36.4%. The enrollment rate in the University Hospital group was 52.1%, in the General Hospital group 50.0%, and in the Mental Hospital group 10.4%. 2) In 48 patients, non-relapse rate was 27.1% at 12 week and 18.8% at 24 weeks after starting follow-up. It was 24.4% and 20.0% at 12 and 24 weeks, repectively, in the University Hospital group while the General Hospital group showed 33.3% and 16.7%, respectively, and the Mental Hospital Group showed 20.0% at both 12 and 24 weeks. CONCLUSION: These results provide important data for further clinical studies of Korean alcohol-dependent patients.

A Psychopathology and Socio-Psychiatric Study of Delinquent Adolescents doing School Violence / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of school violence, self concept, psychopathology and psychosocial characteristics of male aldolescent delinquency doing school violence. And we hoped to use this result as basic material for prevention of school violence through comparison of those of students group. METHOD: We surveyed 725 male adolescents including 331 deliquents from educational program called "Big Brothers and Sisters" in Pusan. We used self-reporting questionnaire composed of demographic data and attitude to violence. In order to investigate the psychopathology and self-concept, we used Child Behavior Check List, Youth edit, Korean version(CBCL) and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Statistical methods employed were Chi-square, t-test, two-way ANOVA. RESULT: The results show that in most demographic and psychosocial factor including age, education, socio-economic condition, religion and relationship with friends, there was no significant difference between delinquent and student group. And there was no significant difference between bully and non-bully in both group. The frequency of alcohol drinking and smoking were higher in bullying groups. For the feeling of watching violent mass-media, bullying delinquents reported more excited state than non-bullying delinquents in both group. On results of CBCL, subscales of delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, externalizing problem, social scale in delinquent group were higher than those in student group. Subscale of somatic complaints, thought problem, attention problem, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, internalizing problem, and externalizing problem in bullying group were higher than those in nonbullying group. In both delinquent and student group, subscale of delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, and externalizing problem in bullying group were significantly higher than those in nonbully group. In the results of self-concept scale, subscales of behavior, intellectual and school status in delinquent group were lower than those in student group. Subscale of somatic complaints, thought problem, attention problem, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, internalizing problem, and externalizing problem in bullying group were higher than those in nonbully group. CONCLUSION: In both delinquent and student groups, most psychosocial factors in bully group were not significantly different with those in nonbully group. Bully group was more influenced by internal psychic state, psychopathology and environmental factor than nonbully group.

A Socio-Psychiatric Study on Family Violence by Delinquent Adolescents / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This research was performed to identify family violence by male adolescencts, and to examine the characteristics of male adolescent delinquents in terms of domestic viloence. METHODS: We surveyed 677 male adolescents including 238 delinquents from BBS(Big brothers and sisters) in Pusan, 209 criminal adolescents from adolescent correctional institution in Pusan, 230 high school students through questionnaire, MMPI(Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), and PBI(Parental Bonding Instrument), and then compared these three groups by Chi-square test, T-test, and Anova. RESULTS: In most cases, male delinquent adolescents were placed in poorer socio-economic conditions than those of students, but in better socio-economic conditions than those of criminal adolescents. In general, the assaulters were senior family members, physically stronger than sufferers, and have bad brotherliness. Compared with normal students, the serious problem of violence including violence to the ancestors in delinquent and criminal adolescents. On results of MMPI and PBI test, there were significant difference between violent group and non-violent group on the Sc score and Passive aggressive index in adolescent delinquents and parental overprotection in normal students. CONCLUSION: Generally the characteristics of family violence by male delinquent adolescents were intermediate between those of criminal adolescent and students, these results were same as those of previous socio-psychiatric study, and so the intervention in criminal adolescents is needed for the pre-vention of family violence.

A Case of Congenital Renal Anomalies in Tuner's Syndrome

No abstract available.

A Case of Pyogenic Liver Abscess

No abstract available.

A Case of Congenital Ateriovenous Malformation

No abstract available.

A Case of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

No abstract available.