Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVES: Functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) is one of the most useful techniques for assessing localized changes in cerebral blood flow and oxygenation using diverse challenge paradigms. This review presents the results of fMRI studies relating to schizophrenia. METHODS: Several fMRI articles on this subject in psychiatric journals were surveyed. RESULTS: Even with some methodological limitations, most studies showed activity differences between schizophrenics and control subjects. CONCLUSION: fMRI extends our understanding of the pathophysiological basis of schizophrenia and offer an opportunity for the assessment and management of its pathology.

Association Study between Schizophrenia and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1(MCP-1) Gene Polymorphism / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed at comparing the Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) gene polymorphic variants of schizophrenics with those of normal controls, and to investigate its contribution to the development of schizophrenia. METHODS: One hundred and thirty five schizophrenics in accordance with DSM-IV criteria and one hundred and fourteen healthy individuals participated in this study. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood using proteinase K, and the MCP-1 gene promoter region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Gene typing was analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using restriction enzyme PvuII. RESULTS: Distribution of the genotypes and alleles of MCP-1 gene in the patient group was not significantly different from that of the control group (p=0.145 and p=0.122, respectively). There was difference in the frequencies of genotypes between positive and negative subgroup (p=0.035), but no difference in frequencies of alleles between the two subgroups (p=0.078). There was no difference in scores of PANSS general, positive and negative subscale, the age of onset, the presence or absence of family history between patients with or without -2518G allele (p=0.979, p=0.378, p=0.056, p=0.256 and p=0.301, respectively). CONCLUSION: We suggest that the polymorphism in the MCP-1 promotor gene may be the possible marker for subgouping of negative type schizophrenia.

The Psychological Aspects of Spinal Cord Injury Patients with Pressure Sore

The occurrence of pressure sore is an important problem for persons with spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injury patients suffer from pressure sore and psychological problems, but surgeons have mainly focused on wound not psychological problems. Pressure sore is almost accompanied by spinal cord injury. Surgeons should be interested in both surgery and psychological problems because of rapid recovery and good results. The purpose of this survey is to compare the patients with normal control in psychological aspects and to help the patients with proper treatment and rehabilitation. The authors used SCL-90-R(Symptom Checklist-90- Revision) for 56 spinal cord injury patients with pressure sore and 56 normal control. The results is that significant differences were found on the somatization, depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety subscales. This is considered that psychological chronic pain disorder, depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, so it will be effective that psychological supportive treatment, antidepressants and antianxiety drug for spinal cord injury patients with pressure sore.

The Effects of L-theanine Containing Functional Beverage on Mental Relaxation and Fatigue Perception

BACKGROUND: L-theanine is one of the most popular amino acids in green tea and has been known to produce mental relaxation, lower blood pressure and improve learning ability in human beings. But, few studies on these effects for human beings have been conducted so far. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of L-theanine containing functional beverage on mental relaxation and fatigue perception. METHODS: Twenty healthy volunteers aged 30 to 55 years those who has had persistent fatigue for more than 1 month without any specific disease were recruited through written advertisement. All the subjects gave their informed consent, and the study was approved by Institutional Review Board of St. Mary's Hospital. This study was performed in a randomized placebo controlled double blind cross over fashion. Pathologic fatigue due to disease state was screened through medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests and questionnaires. alpha to beta power value of EEG as a surrogate marker of mental relaxation was measured in frontal and occipital regions for an hour after administration of placebo or test (200 mg L-theanine) solutions and crossed over at 7-day intervals. We analyzed average alpha to beta power value of EEG in frontal and occipital regions at 10 minute intervals for each 5 minutes. The baseline and 7-day follow-up scores of fatigue severity scale (FSS) were also evaluated. RESULTS: Repeated ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences of frontal alpha to beta power value between placebo and test in high anxiety group (P0.05). Fatigue score was significantly decreased in test (P0.05) after 7-day administration of placebo or test solutions. The mean differences from baseline in placebo and test were 0.42, and 0.80, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:The results of this study suggest that L-theanine containing functional beverage should promote alpha to beta power value in relation to mental relaxation, and also have the effect of reducing the fatigue perception.

The relationship between physical fitness and fatigue among female employees in general hospitals

BACKGROUND: Physiological fatigue due to excessive physical activities and lack of proper rest is commonly observed among workers. Previous studies suggested that physiological fatigue can be related to individual physical fitness. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between physical fitness and the degree of fatigue in 95 female employees in general hospitals. METHODS: Subjects were healthy adults female volunteers who were employed by two general hospitals located in Seoul and Kyunggido. The degree of fatigue using fatigue severity scale and physical fitness including % body fat, waist-hip ratio, maximal oxygen uptake, both grip strengths, back muscle strength, sit ups, flexibility, and broad jump were assessed. Data were analysed to examine the relationship between the degree of fatigue and each physical fitness. RESULTS: 1. Fatigue severity scale was significantly increased with increasing age and commuting time. Drinking alcohol was significantly related to increased fatigue severity scale. 2. Fatigue severity scale was significantly decreased with increasing number of family members and length of service. 3. Fatigue severity scale was significantly decreased with increasing both grip strengths , maximal O2 uptake, and sit ups. CONCLUSION: The physical fitness factors including both grip strengths, maximal O2 uptake, and sit ups were considered to be important predictors in the evaluation of the degree of physiological fatigue.

Stress Perception and Coping Strategy of Patients with Globus Hystericus / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to compare the relationships of psychopathology, stress event frequency and stress perception between globus hystericus patients and normal subjects, and to assess coping strategy and susceptibility for assisting the understanding of psychological mechanism and future treatment modalities. METHODS: Thirty-two globus hystericus patients who were consulted from the department of otolaryngology and fifty-three healthy subjects participated in this study. The authors used SCL-90-R(Korean Symptom Check List-90-Revision) for the measurement of psychiatric symptoms, GARS(Global Assessment of Recent Stress Scale) for stress perception, Social Readjustment Rating Scale for stress frequency and the Weisman Coping Strategy Scale for coping ability and susceptibility. The SPSS version 10.0 for Windows was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 1) Comparison of demographic characteristics showed no significant difference except level of education, which was significantly lower in the patient group. 2) The score of depression and anxiety items in SCL-90-R were significantly higher in the patient group. 3) The score of all subclasses in the GARS scale was significantly higher in the patient group. 4) The scores of neutral life event frequency, negative life event frequency, and negative life events more than 1 year past in social Readijustment Rating Scale, were significantly higher in the patient group, but there was no significant difference in positive life event frequency. 5) Weisman Coping Strategy Scale showed suppression, compliance, redefinition, intellectualism and displacement to be higher in frequency in descending order. Projection and fatalism were lower in frequency. 6)The patient group was susceptible to frustration, anxiety & fear, depression in descending order. CONCLUSION: Globus hystericus patients showed higher stress frequency, stress perception, and used positive coping strategies. Globus hystericus has an intimate association with stress factors, so an appropriate management is required in view of treatment.