Development of Korean version of World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II-K) in Community Dwelling Elders / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop the Korean version of World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II-K) with community dwelling elderly population. METHODS: The WHODAS II-K was administered to 1204 community residents aged 65 or over in two areas of Kwangju, South Korea, in 2001. For assessing 'health condition', data on physical illness, depression (Korean version of Geriatric Mental State Schedule B3), and cognitive dysfunction (Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination) were collected. For evaluating 'contextual factors', informations on demographic characteristics (age, gender, living area, marital state, and religiou), socioeconomic status (education, type of accommodation, number of room, previous occupation, and current employment), and social network were obtained. RESULTS: WHODAS II-K showed high levels of internal consistency, split-half reliability, and inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities. In the correlation analyses, scores on the WHODAS II-K were significantly correlated with the unfavorable conditions in the all variables on health condition and contextual factors. Partial correlations of scores on the WHODAS II-K with health condition were significant even after controlling for contextual factors. CONCLUSION: The WHODAS II-K is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing disability in elderly population since it reflects physical illness, depression, and cognitive impairment, which are common in elderly.

Comparison of Diagnostic Validities between MMSE-K and K-MMSE for Screening of Dementia / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic validities between the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K) and the Korean MMSE (K-MMSE) for screening of dementia and to investigate the possible changes of optimal cutoff scores of each instrument according to age, gender, and educational level. METHODS: 746 community residents aged 65 or over in two areas of Kwangju, Republic of Korea were assessed with MMSE-K and K-MMSE and were also evaluated for the diagnoses of dementia (DSM-IV). RESULTS: The performances, measured by area under receiver operating characteristics curve, of MMSE-K and K-MMSE against DSM-IV dementia were 0.93 and 0.94 respectively. The optimal cutoff scores for screening of dementia were 21|22 in MMSE-K and 17|18 in K-MMSE. Changes of the optimal cutoff scores according to age, gender, and educational level of the sample were 0-2 in the MMSE-K and 2-5 in the K-MMSE. CONCLUSIONS: MMSE-K and K-MMSE could be used for screening of dementia with excellent validities. For primary health care staff, however, it was suggested that MMSE-K would be more feasible than K-MMSE because the former had less changes in the optimal cutoff scores and was easier to interpret its results than the latter.

Effects of Donepezil on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease / 대한정신약물학회지

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of donepezil on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Additionally, its effects on cognitive function, activities of daily living (ADL) and global severity were investigated, and its safety was evaluated. METHODS: This was a 24 week prospective, open-labeled study with donepezil. The primary efficacy was measured by Behavior Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD);additional efficacies were assessed by Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K), Barthel Activities of Daily Living (BADL), Blessed Dementia Rating Scale (BDRS), and Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). Efficacy measurements were conducted at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 24. Adverse events were rated using the UKU side effect rating scale at each time point and were monitored as well at the time of development. RESULTS: Of 40 patients recruited, 20 (50%) patients completed the study. The main reason for drop-out (N=14, 70%) was loss of follow-up. In the completers, scores on BEHAVE-AD were reduced significantly, particularly in subscales of `Activity Disturbances', `Diurnal Rhythm Disturbances', and `Affective Disturbances', while no significant changes were found in subscales of `Hallucinations' and `Anxieties &Phobias'. There were no significant changes in the scores on MMSE-K, BADL, BDRS, and GDS. Neither change was found in the scores on the UKU side effect rating scale. Although there were a few adverse events potentially associated with donepezil, they were tolerable and transient. CONCLUSIONS: Donepezil treatment was effective in some aspects of BPSD, and delayed the decline of cognitive function, ADL, and global severity in patients with AD. In addition, it was generally well tolerated in terms of adverse events.

Subjective Memory Impairment, Cognitive Function, and Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Community Dwelling Elderly Population / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVE: Research on the associated factors of subjective memory impairment(SMI) has reported conflicting findings. This study aimed to investigate the associations of SMI with objective cognitive function, depression, and various socio-demographic characteristics and to measure possible differences in cognitively impaired and intact elderly peoples. METHODS: A community study of individuals aged 65 or over was conducted in Kwangju, South Korea. SMI was assessed by means of asking a single item question and its associations with cognitive function(Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination; MMSE-K), depression(Korean form of Geriatric Depression Scale), and socio-demographic factors were investigated. In addition, analyses were repeated for the cognitively impaired and intact samples separately. RESULTS: Of 1,134 participants, 596(53%) were categorized as having SMI. Depression, lower score on MMSE-K, and past manual occupation were significantly associated with SMI. Further analyses for cognitively impaired and intact samples showed some different results. For the cognitively impaired sample(n=412), SMI was significantly associated with depression and past manual occupation. For the cognitively intact sample(n=722), depression, lower score on MMSE-K, and male gender were significantly associated factors. CONCLUSION: Depression was consistently associated with SMI regardless of cognitive status. Other than depression, associated factor profiles differed between cognitively impaired and intact older populations.

Prevalence Rate and Risk Factors of Dementia Compared between Urban and Rural Communities of the Metropolitan Kwangju Area / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate and risk factors of dementia in an urban and a rural sample of older persons in the metropolitan Kwangju area, Republic of Korea. In addition, the prevalence rate and risk factors of dementia between the two samples were compared. METHODS: A two-phase epidemiological study of residents aged 65 or over(N=1,598) was conducted in a highly developed, urban and a non-contiguous, poorly developed, rural area of metropolitan Kwangju. In the first(screening) phase, 38 trained research assistants collectively performed in-home interviews for all participants. Detailed sociodemographic characteristics were gathered and the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE-K) was administered. In the second(diagnosing) phase, diagnosis of dementia was established for those scoring 24 or less on the MMSE-K in the screening phase(N=431), and etiological types of dementia were classified to Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia(VaD) or miscellanous type by two teams of experts. Prevalence rate of dementia was determined in the participants, and age-standardized prevalence rate adjusted by age distribution in metropolitan Kwangju was estimated. For AD, the risk factors were investigated in all participants, and analyses were repeated for the urban and rural samples separately. RESULTS: The participating rates in the first and second phases were 71.0%(N=1,134) and 83.2% (N=410), respectively. In the participants, the prevalence rates of dementia(all types), AD and VaD were 9.7%, 5.2% and 1.8%, respectively. The age-standardized prevalence rates were 10.7%, 5.7% and 1.9%, respectively. Aging, female gender and no education(complete lack of formal education) were identified as independent risk factors for AD. No difference between the urban and rural samples was observed in the prevalence rates of dementia(all types), AD and VaD. However, risk factors for AD differed between these areas. In the urban sample, no education was the only significant factor; whereas, aging and female gender were identified as risk factors in the rural sample. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence rate of dementia was observed among old persons in metropolitan Kwangju, consistent with previous studies conducted in other Korean areas. The risk factor profiles for AD differed between urban and rural settings. The results of this study reflect the current status of dementia in Korea and suggests that appropriate management and prevention strategies for dementia should be tailored toward the geographic settings.

Cut-off Score on MMSE-K for Screening of Dementia in Community Dwelling Old People

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate the optimal cut-off score on Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K) for screening of dementia in community dwelling old people, and to investigate possible changes of the cut-off score according to age, gender, educational level, living area, and depression of the old people. METHODS: For the old people aged 65 or over dwelling in two areas of Kwangju, cognitive function (MMSE-K) and demographic characteristics (age, gender, educational level, living area) were investigated. For those scoring 24 or less on MMSE-K of them, clinical diagnosis of dementia (DSM-IV) and depression (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) were assessed. The optimal cut-off score on MMSE-K with a sensitivity and a specificity was examined by using receiver operating characteristics curve analysis served by diagnosis of dementia as a gold standard. Associations of the cut-off score on MMSE-K with demographic characteristics and depression were estimated by odds ratios. For those factors showing significant association with cut-off score on MMSE-K regardless of the diagnosis of dementia, the optimal cut-off scores on MMSE-K were measured again at each level. RESULTS: In the old people scoring 24 or less on MMSE-K (n=341), the optimal cut-off score on MMSE-K served by diagnosis of dementia was 21/22 with a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 64%. Only the age among the investigated characteristics was significantly associated with the cut-off score on MMSE-K, and the optimal cut-off score in those aged 75 or over was revealed to be 20/21. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the cut-off score on MMSE-K for screening of dementia investigated in this study could be used by community health care staff as a guideline for assessing old people with questionable cognitive dysfunction or for considering to consult them to an expert.

Coadministration of Nefazodone and Benzodiazepine in the Early Phase of Treatment of Depression / 대한정신약물학회지

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of coadministration of nefazodone (NEF) and benzodiazepine (BZD) in the clinical setting, particularly during the initial period of treatment. METHODS: This study was based on data collected in an open, multi-center, 8-week, clinical trial of NEF in depressed patients and focused on the first 2 weeks of treatment and the concurrent use of two BZDs: alprazolam (ALP), metabolized largely by the same cytochrome P450-3A4 isoform that metabolizes NEF and lorazepam (LOR), eliminated by conjugation with glucuronic acid and less likely to interact with NEF. Patients receiving NEF alone (NEF-mono group, n=) and those receiving adjunctive BZD therapy (BZD-combi group, n=) were selected and their data were reviewed for demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline and various outcome measures at weeks 1 and 2. The BZD-combi group consisted of patients receiving alprazolam (ALP-combi subgroup, n=) and those receiving lorazepam (LOR-combi subgroup, n=). Efficacy was analysed according to the individual groups and subgroups. In addition, the efficacy at each time point was compared between NEF-mono and BZD-combi groups as well as between ALP-combi and LOR-combi subgroups. Safety and tolerability were judged by reported adverse effects and were compared. RESULTS: In NEF-mono and BZD-combi groups, the mean daily dose for NEF was less than 200 mg/day (range, 50-500 mg/day) and did not differ between groups and subgroups. The mean daily doses for BZDs were 0.61 mg/day (range, 0.25-1.5 mg/day) for ALP and 1.49 mg/day (range, 0.5-2.5 mg/day) for LOR. Sleep, anxiety and depression in both NEF-mono and BZD-combi groups were, in general, significantly improved compared to baseline. Furthermore, BZD-combi group showed greater improvement in anxiety and sleep but not in depression compared to NEF-mono group. Within the BZD-combi group, there was no significant difference in clinical effects between ALP-combi and LOR-combi subgroups. In terms of safety and tolerability, there was no evidence to suggest that BZD combination caused daytime sedation or any other particular adverse events more severely than NEF alone. Also, there was no significant difference in the side effect profiles of ALP-combi and LOR-combi subgroups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that combining low doses of ALP or LOR with NEF is beneficial for the control of insomnia and anxiety without substantial adverse effects, at least during the early period of treatment of depression when therapeutic dosages of NEF are not yet reached.

Eating Attitude, Ego-Identity, and Self-Esteem among the Urban High School Girls / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed to evaluate the abnormalities in eating attitude and the correlations between ego-identity and self-esteem among the urban high school girls. METHODS: Four hundred and thirty-six high school girls were investigated by using Eating Attitude Test for Korean Adolescent(EAT-26), Korean Adolescent Ego-identity Scale(KA-EIS) and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scales(SES). According to the score of EAT-26KA, the high risk group was identified. We compared weight, height, body mass index(BMI), KA-EIS and SES between the high risk group and the control group. According to BMI, we identified a underweight, normal weight, and overweight group among subjects, and then we compared weight, height, EAT-26KA, KA-EIS, and SES among the three groups. RESULTS: By EAT-26KA scores, 10.3% of girls had abnormal eating attitude and were considered as the high risk group for eating disorder. By BMI, 3.7%(N=16) of girls was overweight(BMI>25), 69.7%(N=304) was normal weight, and 26.6%(N=116) was underweight(BMI<19). The high risk group showed lower SES scores and 'self receptiveness' of KA-EIS than the control group. The overweight group showed higher EAT-26KA scores than other two groups. There were no significant differences in SES and KA-EIS among the three groups. KA-EIS was positively related to SES, and EAT-26KA was negatively related to SES. CONCLUSION: The distribution rate of the high risk group for eating disorder is 10.3%, and the high risk group has low self-esteem and is poor in self-receptiveness. The overweight group is more likely to have higher EAT-26KA scores than other two groups. Therefore, it is useful to educate adolescents for the healthy eating behaviors and to provide them with the programs which promote the self-esteem and self-receptiveness.

The Analysis of Newspaper-Articles on Psychosis / 신경정신의학

OBJECT: Social stigma and prejudice against schizophrenia hinder the prevention of the disease, early treatment and social rehabilitation. This stigma and the negative viewpoint against schizophrenia are enhanced by the mass media. This study investigated newspaper articles on psychosis, which strongly influence the public recognition of the illness. METHOD: The newspaper articles of Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo from March 1998 to February 2000 were reviewed through a news-searching program in Chollian. The search words, which were regarded as psychotic illness, were Schizophrenia, Psychosis, Mental illness, and Mental derangement. A total of 326 articles were classified by category and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The viewpoint of articles on psychosis consisted of these: (1) negative (direct or indirect) (2) neutral or positive (3) no specific viewpoint. RESULT: Of the 326 articles, the number with a negative description was 228 (69.9%), the number with a neutral or positive description was 43 (13.2%), and the number with no specific viewpoint was 55 (16.9%). The most frequent negative theme was psychotic patients are dangerous or violent or may commit a crime (n=118). Other negative themes were these: psychotic patients are bizarre or grotesque (n=27), psychotic patients can't function in society well(n=18), psychosis is incurable and families should bear great burden(n=16), psychosis is shameful (n=13) and psychotic patients should be institutionalized(n=6). There were also prejudices against the cause of the illness(n=18), the description of psychosis in degrading terms(n=22) and the negative description of psychiatric hospitalization(n=18) with the words such as institutionalization, imprisonment and put into etc. In the articles using the terms mental derangement or psychosis compared with mental illness, schizophrenia and in the articles describing psychotic patient compared with illness itself, the frequency of negative articles was high. Within each type of article, news, politics and culture articles more frequently had a negative description, while health articles less frequently had a negative description and most frequently had a neutral or positive description. CONCLUSION: There should be a program for monitoring newspapers for appropriate in-formation on psychosis. It might reduce social stigma and consequently help rehabilitation of psychotic patients. Also there should be endeavors to monitor other mass media and to develop a public education campaign through the mass media.

Psychiatric Function and Quality of Life of Workers with Long-Term Exposure to Organic Solvents / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychiatric function and quality of life of the chemical workers who had been exposed to long-term, low-level organic solvents in the Y industrial complex. METHODS: A total of 144 male workers, of whom 82 were in the exposed group and 60 in the unexposed-control group, were evaluated by using Symptom Checklist-90-R(SCL-90-R), series of neuropsychological tests(critical flicker fusion threshold, CFFT); choice reaction time, CRT; compensatory tracking task, CTT); digit symbol substitution test, DSS), and the Korean version of the SmithKline Beecham Quality Of Life scale(KvSBQOL). For the statistical analyses, comparisons of the means of the two groups were performed for each variable with two-tailed t-test as well as ANCOVA including age and education as covariates. RESULTS: For the SCL-90-R, the nine symptom scales and the three global indices were clinically within normal range in both groups. However, the scores on the symptom scales of 'somatization', 'depression', 'hostility' and 'phobic anxiety', and those on the global indices of 'global severity index' and 'positive symptom total', were significantly higher in the exposed group than in the unexposed group. In terms of the neuropsychological function and the quality of life, there wes no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that the long-term exposure to mixed organic solvents, even at the low level below the permissible exposure limit, might induce some psychiatric problems.

Comparison of the effects of tianeptine, amitriptyline and placebo on daytime sleepiness, performance and nocturnal sleep in healthy young adults / 대한정신약물학회지

OBJECTIVES: Tianeptine, a novel tricyclic antidepressant, is known to increase the pre-synaptic uptake of serotonin while paradoxically having antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. The purpose of this study was to get information on the effects of tianeptine on daytime sleepiness, performance and nocturnal sleep in healthy, young, adult volunteers. METHODS: Twelve young healthy male volunteers visited the study center 1 day a week for 3 weeks. On each visit day, each subject received 1 of the 3 treatments with: tianeptine(12.5mg t.i.d.), amitriptyline(25mg b.i.d. and placebo at midday) or placebo(t.i.d.), in a double-blind, random latin square sequence, cross-over design. All the drugs and placebo were prepared in identical gelatin capsules. A battery of performance tests(digit cancellation, arithmatic addition, digit span, digit symbol substitution, word list memory), was carried out in the afternoons(at 1hr after the second dose). Subjective assessments of the daytime sleepiness and unwanted effects of drug were made, using a modified Epworth Sleepiness Scale and a modified Uscandinavian Kociety of Usypharmacology side-effects rating scale(UKU Scale), in late evenings (at 0.5 hr before the last dose). Sleep on the night of the treatment day was evaluated by a post-sleep questionnaire on rising the following morning. RESULTS: Compared to placebo, tianeptine showed no evidence of impairment on any performance test and did not affect the daytime alertness/drowsiness level and nocturnal sleep. Amitriptyline, however, produced considerable impairment of performance, associated with severe daytime sleepiness. Also, amitriptyline significantly affected nocturnal sleep by quicker induction, more restful maintenance and longer period relative to placebo. Adverse events were significantly more often and severe after amitriptyline than after tianeptine or placebo treatments. CONCLUSION: These results confirmed the previous observations that tianeptine is not accompanied by significant daytime sedation, nocturnal sleep change or performance impairment. And they also suggest that tianeptine could be a useful option for the depressive patient, in particular for the ambulatory out-patient or the elderly.

Quality of Life Measure for Patients with Skin Diseases: Vitiligo and Psoriasis / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: In recent times, it has been gradually emphasized that an aspect of diseases impacting on the quality of an individuals life goes beyond physical impairments with the development of economic and medical technology. Skin diseases especially may be associated with a variety of negative psychologic effects, such as low self-esteem, feelings of inferiority because skin lesions are exposed to others and cause cosmetic problems. Many researchers have been already established various dermatology-specific questionnaires and disease-specific questionnaires in developed countries, but these are rare in Korea. OBJECTIVE: We tried to survey the social, psychological and physical aspects of patients with vitiligo and psoriasis to evaluate the impact of skin diseases on the quality of life in Korea. METHODS: We inquired after 64 patients by using a dermatology-specific questionnaires Skindex recently developed by Chren et al. It has 6I-items and eight scales including cognitive, social, depression, fear, embarrassment, anger, physieal discomfort, and physical limitatians.

Preliminary Report on the Correlation of Auditory Cognitive Evoked Potential and Clinical Improvement in Schizophrenics / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to see the correlation between the auditory cognitive evoked potential and the clinical improvement in schizophrenics. METHOD: The subjects were 23 patients with schizophrenia. Auditory cognitive evoked potential was examined at pretreatment or the acute phase of treatment. The change of symptom was assessed by the PANSS(Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) before drug treatment and in the 4th week of treatment. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1) The change of positive subscale was positively correlated with P1 latency(p<.05), N1 latency (p<.05) and negatively correlated with P3 latency(p<.05), P2 amplitude(p<.05). 2) The change of negative subscale was negatively correlated with P3 latency(p<.05). 3) The change of general psychopathology subscale was negatively correlated with P3 latency(<.05). CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that the auditory cognitive evoked potential in schizophrenic patients could be valuable on prediction of clinical improvement. But, further studies are required to support these results.

Effects of Alcohol on Neurocognitive Function, Psychomotor Performance and Subjective Response in Koreans with Different ALDH2 Genotypes

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluated the effects of alcohol on neurocognitive function, psychomotor performance and subjective response in healthy Korean adults with different ALDH2 genotypes. METHOD: A total of 24 males, half with active ALDH2*1/2*1 and the other with inactive ALDH2*1/2*1, was selected through genotyping using restriction fragment length polymorphism. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design, each subject consumed 0.5g/kg dose of alcohol, given as a mixture of 40% vodka and orange juice, and placebo(orange juice) on two separate occasions on an average of weekly intervals. The blood alcohol concentrations(BACs) were measured using a breath analyzer at baseline and at 30, 60 minutes after drinking. P300s were measured at baseline and at 30 minutes after alcohol and placebo intake. Vital signs and psychomotor performance[Critical Flicker Fusion Threshold(CFFT), Choice Reaction Time(CRT), Digit Symbol Substitution(DSS)] were measured at baseline and at 60 minutes after alcohol and placebo intake. Subjective responses were measured at the end of the study. The statistical analysis focused on whether there were any differences between groups with different ALDH2 genotypes. RESULTS: The major results are as follows. 1) BACs in inactive group were overall equivalent to those in the active group. Only in terms of time, BACs were significantly higher overall at 30 minutes than at 60 minutes after alcohol intake. 2) Pulse rates were significantly increased after alcohol intake compared with placebo, and the increase was greater in the inactive than in the active group. 3) P300 latencies in leads Fz(frontal), Cz(cental) and Pz(parietal) were significantly increased after alcohol intake compared to placebo, and the increase was greater in the inactive than in the active group. P300 amplitudes in leads Cz and Pz were significantly decreased overall after alcohol intake compared to placebo. 4) Compared with placebo, alcohol produced significant effect on the psychomotor performance : impairment in the inactive group, improvement in the active group. 5) Compared with placebo, alcohol significantly induced a negative or an intense effect on the subjective responses in the inactive group, but little negative and even a somewhat positive effect in the active group. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ALDH isozyme variance might be an important factor to determine the effects of acute dose of alcohol on the various psychobehavioural functions and also to determine the alcohol use pattern and to predict the future development of alcohol overuse and/or abuse.

Personality Dimensions of Eysenck and Their Relations with Sleep Characteristics / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: In order to evaluate the possible relationship between sleep and personality characteristics, it is desirable to adopt the personality theory with biological basis because sleep is a physiological phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to investigate their possible relationship using the personality dimensions of Eysenck, which is well known as a biological personality theory. METHODS: Sleep Questionnaires regarding the weekday sleep habits and the sleep disorders and Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire were administered to 532 university students. Data analysis was based on 509 students who gave reliable information. Firstly, the descriptive statistics of the scores on four personality dimensions(psychoticism, neuroticism, extraversion, lie)and sleep characteristics were obtained. Secondly, the possible relationships between each personality dimension and sleep characteristics (the weekday sleep habits and sleep disorders)were tested by calculating Pearson's product moment correlations. RESULTS: The four personality dimensions' scores and weekday sleep habits of subjects were within a normal range. The highest frequency of sleep disorder was induction difficulty of sleep and the lowest was sleep walking. Psychoticism was positively correlated with bedtime, rise time, sleep latency, number of awakening, regularity of sleep, frequency and duration of nap and doze, frequency of sleep disorders, while negatively correlated with the quality of sleep, and the score of circadian rhythm. The correlations between neuroticism and sleep characteristics were similar to those of psychoticism. Extraversion was positively correlated with the quality of sleep and the score of circadian rhythm, while not correlated with sleep disorders. Lie was positively correlated with the score of circadian rhythm, but negatively correlated with sleep latency, regularity of sleep, frequency and duration of nap and doze, and sleep disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The higher psychoticism and neuroticism, the poorer sleep habits and the higher frequency of sleep disorders. The higher extraversion, the better quality of sleep and the closer morningness. The higher lie, the closer morningness, the more regularity of sleep, the less sleepiness of daytime, and the less frequency of sleep disorders. These findings suggest that there exist the close relationships between Eysenck's personality dimensions and sleep characteristics.

A Preliminary Study on the Korean Translation of Composite Scale(KtCS) to Measure Morningness: Eveningness / 신경정신의학

OBJECT: The Composite Scale by Smith et al. has been proposed as an improved measure of momingness-eveningness. This study attempted to endorse that a Korean translation of Composite Scale(KtCS) can be useful to differentiate people according to circadianrhythm types. METHOD: KtCS and Life Habit Questionnaire(LHQ) were administered to 561 university students. LHQ consisted of items questioning sleep habits on weekdays(bedtime, rising time and sleep length), the time of perceived peak alertness(mental and physical), time of perceived peak performance(mental, physical and academic), and quality of academic performance during the morning, afternoon and evening. Subjects were categorized on the basis of their KtCS scores into evening(I) types, intermediate(I) types, and morning(M) types. The cut-off points for these categories were set at the 10th and 90th percentiles. In addition 7 I-type and 7 M-type subjects were selected from the student population who had participated in the previous survey and then, oral temperature of each subject was taken every hour torn 08 : 00 to 22 : 00. To assess both the internal and the external measurement properties of KtCS, descriptive statistics, reliability and validity were examined. RESULTS: The distribution of KtCS scores was significantly, negatively skewed. The KtCS scores closest to the 10th and 90th percentiles were 26 and 41 respectively. The split-half reliability(. 85), test-retest reliability( .91), and internal consistency(Cronbach alpha, .82) were obtained above the expected. Inter-item correlations were all positive and ranged from .10-.59 with a mean of .25. Item-total correlations varied from .33 to .63 with a mean of .45. Common factor analyses confirmed three factors: preferred times of performance and going to bed, arising time, and morning alertness. The validity of KtCS was further demonstrated through strong relationships between the scale and external criteria.4 discernable difference in oral temperature between the M-type and the type across morning to evening provided additional evidence for validity of the scale. CONCLUSIONS: The results would suggest the possibility that KtCS can be employed as a tool for selection of I-type people or M-type people. It is as yet, however, uncertain that KtCS might be suitable to select people for night shiftwork because the subjects of this study are limited to university students. Therefore, future research among varying types of people are required to endorse this study.

Characteristics of alcoholic subtypes classified by age of onset / 신경정신의학

No abstract available.

The nature and prevalence of depression in positive and negative schizophrenic in-patients / 신경정신의학

No abstract available.

A study for neurologic abnormality in schizophrenic patients / 신경정신의학

No abstract available.

Correlation of anxiety and depression with coping strategy in hemodialysis patients / 신경정신의학

No abstract available.