An fMRI Study Regarding the 'Theory of Mind' in Korean Schizophrenic Patients Using a First Order False Belief Task / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate brain activation during a Korean language-based 'theory of mind (TOM)' task and fMRI in Korean schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Fourteen Korean schizophrenic patients and 15 normal controls participated in this study. For all participants, several clinical states and psychosocial functions were evaluated. The subjects were then scanned while performing Korean language-based fMRI tasks. The tasks were comprised of conditions-first order false belief (TOM task), physical causality, and unrelated situations. Imaging data were analyzed using SPM2 software (uncorrected p<0.005, extent threshold kappa=10). RESULTS: 1) Compared with the control group, the patient group showed significantly poorer performance on the TOM task, and no significant correlation between TOM and empathic abilitiesy. 2) In the patient group, there were no significantly activated brain regions associated with the TOM task as compared to the physical causality task. With respect to between-group differences, the patient group showed significantly less activation of the left medial frontal region (primarily BA 8) and signifcantly different activation of the left precuneus (BA 7) associated with the TOM task. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that Korean schizophreniac patients show different brain activity associated with TOM functions, especially with respect to the Korean language-based first order false belief tasks.

The Difference of Neural Activity in Viewing between one's own Emotional Situation and Other's: A Neuroimaging Study about Perspective-Taking

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the difference of brain activities in viewing a common emotional situation according to perspective-taking. METHODS: Using fMRI, brain activities were measured while performing the task viewing a common emotional situation on either self-perspective or third-person perspective in fourteen healthy men. The relatively activated brain areas on each perspective were investigated, then the relationship between the activated brain regions and the scores of self report about some emotion or empathic ability were explored. RESULTS: The relatively activated brain areas on self-perspective were bilateral paracentral lobule(BA 5), right postcentral gyrus(BA 3), right precentral gyrus(BA 4), left superior temporal gyrus(BA 22), left medial frontal gyrus(BA 6), whereas on third-person perspective right inferior frontal gyrus(BA 47), left caudate body and tail, right superior temporal gyrus(BA 38), right medial frontal gyrus(BA 8) were activated. The relative activity of left superior temporal gyrus on self-perspective was positively correlated with the score of Beck Depression Inventory. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the activated brain region according to perspective-taking were different while viewing a common emotional situation. The depressive feeling would have an influence on the brain activity related to perspective-taking.

Diagnostic Ability of Stratus OCT Using Korean Normative Database for Early Detection of Normal-Tension Glaucoma

PURPOSE: To determine if korean normative database improve diagnostic ability of Stratus OCT for detection of glaucoma. METHODS: Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and optic nerve head regions were measured using a Stratus OCT. The normative data were collected from 129 normal individuals. We obtained values at the 5% and 1% levels according to the disc area stratified into equal thirds to minimize the error by the individual variation of optic disc size and these levels were considered abnormal. One eye of each 94 normal-tension glaucoma patients with early visual field defects (mean deviaton = -3.84+/-1.40dB) and 87 another normal subjects were enrolled. Glaucoma was defined by visual field defects. RESULTS: The use of Korean normative database had higher sensitivity and no significant difference of specificity than that of a Stratus OCT except for a few parameters. The criteria that show the highest diagnostic ability were 1 > or = quadrants RNFL thickness abnormal at the or = clock hours abnormal at the < 5% when using a Stratus OCT normative database (sensitivity = 71.3%, specificity = 87.4%) (p=0.004, p=0.180, respectively, McNemar test). CONCLUSIONS: The criterion using a Korean normative database had higher sensitivity and no difference of specificity compared with criterion using a Stratus OCT normative database. The best criterion using a Korean normative database may be helpful for early detection of normal-tension glaucoma.

Long Term Surgical Results after Early Surgery for Infantile Esotropia Before and After 1 year of Age

PURPOSE: To analyze the long term surgical results after early surgery for infantile esotropia before and after 1 year of age and to investigate postoperative eye alignments. METHODS: This retrospective study included 46 patients with infantile esotropia who underwent surgery before 2 years of age and were followed up for a minimum of 5 years. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: those who underwent surgery before 1 year of age (n=22, group 1), and the ones who underwent surgery between 1 year of age and 2 years of age (n=24, group 2). RESULTS: Long term postoperative alignment between two groups was not statistically significant. In postoperative stereopsis test, 11 patients (78.6%) of group 1 and 7 patients (41.2%) of group 2 had stereopsis and the patients of group 1 had more favorable stereoacuity than the patients of group 2. These differences were statistically significant, respectively (p=0.039). In postoperative eye alignment, patients of group 1 showed tendency to become exodeviated to esodeviated and patients of group 2 showed tendency to become esodeviated to exodeviated. These differences were statistically significant, respectively (p=0.023, p=0.042). CONCLUSIONS: To achieve better binocular function, early surgical alignment before 1 year of age is more recommended. Because early surgery before and after 1 year of age displays contradictory postoperative eye alignment, close follow up and careful consideration at reoperation is recommended.

Effect of Both Medial Rectus Recession in Large Angle Infantile Esotropia

PURPOSE: To evaluate of the effect of bilateral medial rectus recession in the patients who showed large angle (>50 prism diopters, PD) infantile esotropia as comparing small angle (50 PD, 14 patients) and small angle group (

A case of sarcomatoid carcinoma in the gallbladder / 대한내과학회지

Sarcomatoid carcinomas are rare neoplasms that have been described using various terms, pseudosarcoma, carcinosarcoma or spindle cell carcinoma. Sarcomatoid carcinomas are epithelial tumors with sarcomatoid components and characterized by the presence of cytokeratin in pleomorphic spindle cells. These tumors of gallbladder rarely have been reported predominantly in older women with associated gallstones and their prognosis was very poor. However, the clinical and histological data are very limited. We report a case of sarcomatoid carcinoma in gallbladder confirmed by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry.

Effect of Erythropoietin on Dialyzer Reuse, Dialysis Efficacy and Other Clinical Parameters / 대한신장학회잡지

The use of erythropoietin for correction of anemia in maintenance hemodialysis patients affects dialyzer reuse, dialysis efficacy and other clinical parameters. This study showed the change of Kt/Vurea, nPCR, pre-dialysis BUN, body weight, ultrafiltration volume, pre-dialysis blood pressure, heparin dosage, the number of dialyzer reuse caused by the administration of erythropoietin in reuse(n=11) and first use(n=9) patients who were started erythropoietin since January, 1995. 1) In 20 all patients, hematocrit increased significantly after EPO treatment 20.7+/-0.8%, 27.8+/-0.7%, ultrafiltration volume increased from 2.0+/-0.3L to 2.5+/-0.2L(P1.0/kg/ day) and then pretreatment versus posttreatment nPCR, pre-dialysis BUN and ultrafiltration volume were compared. In low baseline protein intake group, significant increases of ultrafiltration volume, nPCR were observed. However, pre-dialysis BUN were not changed significantly. In high protein intake group, nPCR, pre-dialysis BUN, ultrafiltration volume were changed without significance. In conclusion, EPO treatment did not affect Kt/Vurea, dialyzer reuse, nPCR, predialysis blood pressure, heparin dosage. But ultrafiltration volume increased significantly after EPO treatment. Maybe increased appetite in low baseline protein intake group caused the increased posttreatment ultrafiltration volume.

Observation on the platelet activation in disseminated intravascular coagulation / 대한혈액학회지

No abstract available.