An Association Study of the 5-HTTLPR and COMT Genes Polymorphisms and Personality Traits

BACKGROUND: Serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphism region(5-HTTLPR) and catechol-O-methyltransferase(COMT) genes are thought to be important factors in some personality traits and the etiology of anxiety disorder. The goal of this study was to determine the role of these genes in personality traits. METHOD: The participants included 116 healthy adults with no history of psychiatric disorders and other physical illness for the last 6 months. All participants were tested by Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI). The 5-HTTLPR, COMT val158met gene polymorphisms were analyzed with PCR(Polymerase Chain Reaction). Differences on TCI dimensions and sub-scales among groups were examined with t-test and ANOVA. RESULT: There were possible relationships of the 5-HTTLPR with self-transcendence(P=0.050) and COMT val158met polymorphism with cooperativeness(P=0.053). CONCLUSION: We found associations between 5-HTTLPR, COMT polymorphisms and the some TCI character dimensions. Further studies of polymorphisms of other genes and their interactions may clarify the complex relationship between personality and genes.

Direct and Indirect Cost of Treating Out-Patients with Schizophrenia in Korea / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: We have aimed to estimate the direct and indirect costs of treating out-patients with schizophrenia in Korea, to use this fundamental data for the effective management and proper distribution of the medical resource. METHOD: To estimate the direct cost, we surveyed the medical cost and time of two hundred and eighty-nine out-patients with schizophrenia for six months. And the lost productivity as many months was converted into the indirect cost. Those of eighty-two coronary heart disease patients were also estimated as a comparison group. RESULTS: An unemployement rate of schizophrenic patients was 72.1 percent. Moreover the ratio of the laborer in the sample was, even if employed, 64.5 percent. The mean direct cost of schizo-phrenic patients was, about 815,000 won, higher than that of coronary heart disease, 715,000 won however it was not statistically significant. The former was also estimated 2.5 times more than the latter for the indirect cost, or 6,456, 000 won versus 2,589,000 won. CONCLUSION: Schizophrenia is a relatively costly illness compared to other chronic illness, so the systematic estimation of the cost is necessary to provide mental health service of high quality.

A Case of Scimitar Syndrome

The scimitar syndrome is a rare malfomation that can be defined as a partial or complete right pulmonary venous return into inferior vena cava immediately above or below the siaphragm. This malfomation is often associated with hypoplasia of right lung, anomalous arterial supply of the lower part of the lung, and cardiac dextroversion. We experienced a case of scimitar syndrome in a 15 years old girl and presenting the case with a brief review of the literature.

The clinical characteristics of insomnia in general hospital inpatients / 신경정신의학

No abstract available.