The Indirect Effect of Prefrontal Gray Matter Volume on Suicide Attempts among Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder

Trait impulsivity is a known risk factor for suicidality, and the prefrontal cortex plays a key role in impulsivity and its regulation. However, the relationship between trait impulsivity, neural basis, and suicidality has been inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationship between impulsivity and its structural correlates (prefrontal gray matter volume), suicidal ideation, and actual suicide attempts. A total of 87 individuals with major depressive disorder participated in study, and the gray matter volume of the prefrontal regions was extracted from T1 images based on region of interest masks. The variables for the mediation models were selected based on correlation analysis and tested for their ability to predict suicide attempts, with impulsivity and suicidal ideation as the mediation variables and gray matter volume as the independent variable. A significant correlation was observed between suicidal ideation and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. The dual-mediation model revealed a significant indirect relationship between gray matter volume in both regions and suicide attempts mediated by motor impulsivity and suicidal ideation. The counterintuitive positive relationship between gray matter volume and suicidality was also discussed.

Insomnia in Emotional Labor: Its Role in Autonomic Nervous System Regulation

Objective@#The relation between female emotional laborers’ sleep quality and autonomic nervous system activity was investigated. @*Methods@#Thirty-three subjects’ heart rate variability (HRV) data and results of self-reported scale on sleep, depression, anxiety and suicidality, were collected. Subjects were classified into good sleeper (GS) and poor sleeper (PS) groups relying on sleep quality. Changes of HRV between working time and resting time in each group were compared. @*Results@#The PS group showed significantly lower difference in root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), percentage of successive normal-to-normal intervals that differ by more than 50 ms (pNN50), and natural logarithm high-frequency (LnHF) when they were working as compared to when they were resting, which means decreased function of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Repeated measures analysis of covariance showed that the group effect was significant only for LnHF, with score of depression scale as a covariate. @*Conclusion@#Female emotional laborers who complain of sleep difficulty may have decreased function of the PNS. Therefore, good sleep quality is essential for maintaining and promoting mental and physical health of women engage in emotional labor.

Insomnia in Emotional Labor: Its Role in Autonomic Nervous System Regulation

Objective@#The relation between female emotional laborers’ sleep quality and autonomic nervous system activity was investigated. @*Methods@#Thirty-three subjects’ heart rate variability (HRV) data and results of self-reported scale on sleep, depression, anxiety and suicidality, were collected. Subjects were classified into good sleeper (GS) and poor sleeper (PS) groups relying on sleep quality. Changes of HRV between working time and resting time in each group were compared. @*Results@#The PS group showed significantly lower difference in root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), percentage of successive normal-to-normal intervals that differ by more than 50 ms (pNN50), and natural logarithm high-frequency (LnHF) when they were working as compared to when they were resting, which means decreased function of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Repeated measures analysis of covariance showed that the group effect was significant only for LnHF, with score of depression scale as a covariate. @*Conclusion@#Female emotional laborers who complain of sleep difficulty may have decreased function of the PNS. Therefore, good sleep quality is essential for maintaining and promoting mental and physical health of women engage in emotional labor.

Emotional Changes and Protective Factors of Emotional Workers in the Public and Private Sector

Objective@#Emotional labor is known to be a risk factor for emotional distress. This study aimed to evaluate specific stressors according to the type of occupation and identify protective and adverse factors. @*Methods@#We recruited 349 workers engaged in emotional labor in a suburban city. They were assessed using scales regarding emotional status, job stress, resilience, and job satisfaction. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to evaluate their emotional state according to their stress level. A mediation model using structural equation modeling was utilized to identify the mediating effects of resilience and workplace satisfaction. @*Results@#The correlation analysis indicated that the level of workplace stress was statistically correlated with depressed mood and anxiety and showed a significant inverse correlation with individuals’ resilience and job satisfaction. According to the regression analysis, in private institution workers, “emotional disharmony and hurt” had a statistically significant negative effect on their emotional state, and in public institution workers, “emotional demands and regulation” were prominent. Resilience partially mediated the relationship between emotional stress and anxiety/depressive symptoms. @*Conclusion@#Our findings indicate that the causes of stress differed according to the working environment. Preventive strategies such as resilience training and relieving stress on individual factors are needed to promote mental health.

Acute normovolemic hemodilution for a patient with secondary polycythemia undergoing aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic stenosis - A case report -

Background@# A high hematocrit level in patients with erythrocytosis is linked with increased blood viscosity and increased risk of thromboembolism. Therefore, it is necessary to adequately lower the hematocrit level before performing a high-risk surgery. Case: A 67-year-old man was scheduled for aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic stenosis. The preoperative hematocrit level of this patient was very high due to secondary polycythemia by hypoxia. We decided to perform acute normovolemic hemodilution after anesthetic induction to reduce the risk of thromboembolism in the patient. The patient was discharged after a successful surgery and a post-operative period without any side effects. @*Conclusions@#We estimate that patients with secondary polycythemia may benefit from acute normovolemic hemodilution to reduce their hematocrit levels while undergoing cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass. However, it is necessary to control the hematocrit level, since a significant decrease can cause side effects.

A Preliminary Study for Translation and Validation of the Korean Version of The Cognitive, Affective, and Somatic Empathy Scale in Young Adults

OBJECTIVE: The cognitive, Affective, and Somatic Empathy Scale (CASES) suggests novel three components structure of empathy. Although CASES developed to assess the trait empathy of both children and adult, the validation in adult sample is not yet conducted. This study developed Korean version of CASES (CASES-K) and examined the psychometric properties in young adult for first time. METHODS: Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test whether the factor structure suggested in initial development study is valid in Korean young adult population. 350 young adults participated, and 44 of them also answered to other empathy scales for validation. The construct validity was ascertained through a series of correlational analysis with widely used trait empathy scales. RESULTS: The result of confirmatory factor analysis supports the three-factor model of empathy consists of affective, cognitive and somatic facets. The construct validity was ascertained through a series of correlational analysis with widely used trait empathy scales. The result of correlational analysis supports the validity of CASES-K, and especially the separation of somatic empathy from affective empathy. CONCLUSION: The current study provides the first evidence of the validity and utility of the CASES-K in young adult population. The result also supports the commonality of three factor structure of empathy in both East Asian and Caucasian, from the children to adults.

Erratum: Morphologic Alterations in Amygdala Subregions of Adult Patients with Bipolar Disorder

There is an error in Table 5.

A Case Report of Emergency Cricothyroidotomy Due to Tracheal Intubation Failure in the Patient with Posterior Glottic Stenosis Due to Inhalation Burn / 계명의대학술지

Injuries of the larynx are common in patients with a history of inhalation burns. When anesthesia is performed in such patients, the possibility of tracheal intubation should be thoroughly checked in advance, and preparation should be made in case of possible failure. 73-year-old woman who underwent laser cordotomy due to posterior glottic stenosis due to inhalation burn. Her height and weight were 140 cm and 58.9 kg. We proceeded anesthesia, because preoperative fiberoptic laryngoscopy and otolaryngology consultation showed that tracheal intubation was possible. However, the intubation failed and the manual ventilation was not performed afterwards, so the cricothyroidotomy was performed as an emergency. Anesthesia in patients with posterior glottic stenosis due to inhalation burns requires a great deal of attention and, above all, thorough evaluation in order to confirm the possibility of tracheal intubation. If this is not possible, you should look for alternatives and be prepared, and even if you think it's possible, try anesthesia with thorough preparation for the possible failure.

Morphologic Alterations in Amygdala Subregions of Adult Patients with Bipolar Disorder

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have revealed inconsistent results on amygdala volume in adult bipolar disorder (BD) patients compared to healthy controls (HC). Since the amygdala encompasses multiple subregions, the subtle volume changes in each amygdala nucleus might have not been fully reflected in the measure of the total amygdala volume, causing discrepant results. Thus, we aimed to investigate volume changes in each amygdala subregion and their association with subtypes of BD, lithium use and clinical status of BD. METHODS: Fifty-five BD patients and 55 HC underwent T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging. We analyzed volumes of the whole amygdala and each amygdala subregion, including the anterior amygdaloid area, cortico-amygdaloid transition area, basal, lateral, accessory basal, central, cortical, medial and paralaminar nuclei using the atlas in the FreeSurfer. The volume difference was analyzed using a one-way analysis of covariance with individual volumes as dependent variables, and age, sex, and total intracranial volume as covariates. RESULTS: The volumes of whole right amygdala and subregions including basal nucleus, accessory basal nucleus, anterior amygdaloid area, and cortico-amygdaloid transition area in the right amygdala of BD patients were significantly smaller for the HC group. No significant volume difference between bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder was found after the Bonferroni correction. The trend of larger volume in medial nucleus with lithium treatment was not significant after the Bonferroni correction. No significant correlation between illness duration and amygdala volume, and insignificant negative correlation were found between right central nucleus volume and depression severity. CONCLUSIONS: Significant volume decrements of the whole amygdala, basal nucleus, accessory basal nucleus, anterior amygdaloid area, and cortico-amygdaloid transition area were found in the right hemisphere in adult BD patients, compared to HC group. We postulate that such volume changes are associated with altered functional activity and connectivity of amygdala nuclei in BD.

A Case Report of Emergency Cricothyroidotomy Due to Tracheal Intubation Failure in the Patient with Posterior Glottic Stenosis Due to Inhalation Burn / 계명의대학술지

Injuries of the larynx are common in patients with a history of inhalation burns. When anesthesia is performed in such patients, the possibility of tracheal intubation should be thoroughly checked in advance, and preparation should be made in case of possible failure. 73-year-old woman who underwent laser cordotomy due to posterior glottic stenosis due to inhalation burn. Her height and weight were 140 cm and 58.9 kg. We proceeded anesthesia, because preoperative fiberoptic laryngoscopy and otolaryngology consultation showed that tracheal intubation was possible. However, the intubation failed and the manual ventilation was not performed afterwards, so the cricothyroidotomy was performed as an emergency. Anesthesia in patients with posterior glottic stenosis due to inhalation burns requires a great deal of attention and, above all, thorough evaluation in order to confirm the possibility of tracheal intubation. If this is not possible, you should look for alternatives and be prepared, and even if you think it's possible, try anesthesia with thorough preparation for the possible failure.

A Case Report of Emergency Cricothyroidotomy Due to Tracheal Intubation Failure in the Patient with Posterior Glottic Stenosis Due to Inhalation Burn / 계명의대학술지

Injuries of the larynx are common in patients with a history of inhalation burns. When anesthesia is performed in such patients, the possibility of tracheal intubation should be thoroughly checked in advance, and preparation should be made in case of possible failure. 73-year-old woman who underwent laser cordotomy due to posterior glottic stenosis due to inhalation burn. Her height and weight were 140 cm and 58.9 kg. We proceeded anesthesia, because preoperative fiberoptic laryngoscopy and otolaryngology consultation showed that tracheal intubation was possible. However, the intubation failed and the manual ventilation was not performed afterwards, so the cricothyroidotomy was performed as an emergency. Anesthesia in patients with posterior glottic stenosis due to inhalation burns requires a great deal of attention and, above all, thorough evaluation in order to confirm the possibility of tracheal intubation. If this is not possible, you should look for alternatives and be prepared, and even if you think it's possible, try anesthesia with thorough preparation for the possible failure.

Frontoparietal Cortical Thinning in Respiratory-Type Panic Disorder: A Preliminary Report

OBJECTIVE: Many evidences raise the possibility that the panic disorder (PD) patients with respiratory subtype (RS) may have characteristic structural abnormalities. We aimed to explore the structural differences between PD patients with and without the respiratory symptoms. METHODS: Patients with PD were recruited from the Department of Psychiatry at Korea University Anam Hospital. Respiratory subtype (RS) was diagnosed when at least 4 out of 5 of the following respiratory symptoms were present during the panic attack: fear of dying, chest pain/discomfort, shortness of breath, paresthesias, and a choking sensation. We acquired high-resolution MRI scans and used FreeSurfer to obtain a measure of cortical thickness for each patient. RESULTS: Cluster based analysis revealed significantly decreased cortical thickness in the left hemisphere in the caudal-middle-frontal, superior frontal, and posterior parietal areas in the RS group. No significant difference was observed in any of the limbic areas. CONCLUSION: Respiratory symptoms of panic disorder were associated with a reduction in cortical thickness in the left frontal and parietal areas. This finding leads to the assumption that the frontoparietal network is the crucial component in a larger cortical network underlying the perception of dyspnea in RS.

A survey of knowledge, attitude and practice on early detection of breast cancer

No abstract available.