The impact of instrumented lumbar fusion surgery on psychiatric problems in elderly patients with degenerative spinal stenosis: The observational study.

This is a prospective cohort study to investigate the effects of instrumented lumbar fusion surgery on psychiatric problems, including anxiety, insomnia, and depression, in patients with degenerative spinal stenosis, as well as on pain and the activities of daily living. Surgery was performed in the patients with Schizas grade C or D spinal stenosis with; if a patient's quality of life was impaired for at least 3 months or if patient had neurologic deficits. Finally, 69 patients were reviewed. Beck anxiety inventory, insomnia severity index, geriatric depression scale short form-Korean, visual analog scale for back pain, visual analog scale for leg pain, and Oswestry disability index was measured on the day surgery was decided on (T1), the day before surgery (T2), the day before discharge (T3), and 6 months after surgery (T4). The patients had mild degrees of anxiety, insomnia, and depression at T1, and Beck anxiety inventory, insomnia severity index, visual analog scale for back pain, visual analog scale for leg pain, and Oswestry disability index improved significantly by T4. In elderly patients with degenerative spinal stenosis, instrumented lumbar fusion surgery improves not only pain and activities of daily living, but also anxiety and insomnia. However, there was no improvement in depression over the 6-month follow-up period.

Primer exchange reaction-coupled transcription isothermal amplification as a sensitive biomolecular assay.

We devised a novel strategy that relies on a combination of the primer exchange reaction (PER) with transcription isothermal amplification, termed PER-Trap, for a sensitive biomolecular assay. Its design allowed light-up RNA aptamers to be produced as the final product, leading to the generation of an amplified fluorescence signal. The utility of PER-Trap was successfully demonstrated by the detection of exosomes.

The Prediction Model of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Psychiatric Patients Using Decision Tree Analysis.

PURPOSE: The prevalence rate of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in the clinical population is higher than that in the community sample, necessitating the need to investigate the predicting factors of NSSI in this group. The present study aimed to develop a prediction model of NSSI among psychiatric patients in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Decision tree analysis was conducted on a sample of 224 psychiatric patients. Emotion regulation strategies (rumination, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression), impulsivity, problematic alcohol use, working memory, depressive mood, and gender were included in the model as predictors of NSSI. RESULTS: Results indicated that rumination, problematic alcohol use, and working memory predicted lifetime NSSI engagement among psychiatric patients. The best predictor of lifetime NSSI engagement was rumination. Specifically, when the level of rumination was high, the level of working memory was lower, and the risk of NSSI was higher. In the case of low levels of rumination, the higher the level of problematic alcohol use, the higher the risk of NSSI. The highest prevalence of lifetime NSSI engagement was found in a subgroup of patients with high levels of rumination and low levels of working memory. CONCLUSION: The major contribution of this study is finding a combination of factors to predict the high-risk group of NSSI among psychiatric patients in Korea. This study provides evidence on the effect of rumination, working memory, and problematic alcohol use on NSSI. It is suggested that clinicians and researchers should pay more attention to emotion regulation and related vulnerabilities in preventing and treating NSSI.

Classification of Preschoolers with Low-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Multimodal MRI Data.

Multimodal imaging studies targeting preschoolers and low-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients are scarce. We applied machine learning classifiers to parameters from T1-weighted MRI and DTI data of 58 children with ASD (age 3-6 years) and 48 typically developing controls (TDC). Classification performance reached an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 88.8%, 93.0%, and 83.8%, respectively. The most prominent features were the cortical thickness of the right inferior occipital gyrus, mean diffusivity of the middle cerebellar peduncle, and nodal efficiency of the left posterior cingulate gyrus. Machine learning-based analysis of MRI data was useful in distinguishing low-functioning ASD preschoolers from TDCs. Combination of T1 and DTI improved classification accuracy about 10%, and large-scale multi-modal MRI studies are warranted for external validation.

Effects of Chronic Diseases on All-Cause Mortality in People with Mental Illness: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening.

The aim of this study was to compare mortality and the prevalence of chronic diseases between people with mental illness and the general population, and to explore which chronic diseases increase the risk of all-cause mortality, especially in people with mental illness. This study assessed data from the 2002-2019 Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening sample cohort. Results revealed that all-cause mortality was higher in people with mental illness compared to people without mental illness (11.40% vs. 10.28%, p = 0.0022). Several chronic diseases have a higher prevalence and risk of all-cause mortality in individuals with mental illness than the general population. Among people with the same chronic disease, those with mental disorders had a higher risk of all-cause mortality. Cancer (aHR 2.55, 95% CI 2.488-2.614), liver cirrhosis (aHR 2.198, 95% CI 2.086-2.316), and arrhythmia (aHR 1.427, 95% CI 1.383-1.472) were the top three chronic diseases that increased the risk of all-cause mortality in people with mental illness compared to people without mental illness. Our results suggest the need for more attention to chronic diseases for people with mental illness in clinical practice by explaining the effect of chronic disease on all-cause mortality in people with mental illness.

Psychometric Properties of the Korean version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (K-ERQ) in a Clinical Sample.

OBJECTIVE: The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) is one of the widely used instruments to assess emotion regulation skills in many countries, including Korea. However, its psychometric properties have not been validated within this population. Also, the ERQ has increasingly been used in studies with psychiatric patients despite a general lack of validation in clinical settings. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the ERQ (K-ERQ) using a clinical sample in Korea. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-three psychiatric patients completed a packet of self-report measures, including K-ERQ, K-BDI-II, K-ASI-3, PCL-5-K, AUDIT-K. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was administered to investigate the factor structure of the K-ERQ, and internal reliability and validity were examined. RESULTS: Results of the CFA supported the two-factor structure, but only after the removal of one item. The K-ERQ showed good internal consistency reliability, and its concurrent validity was also confirmed. Cognitive reappraisal was negatively correlated with depression and alcohol use disorder-related symptoms, and expressive suppression was positively correlated with depression, anxiety sensitivity, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms and alcohol use disorder-related symptoms. Significant group differences were found in the use of emotion regulation strategies; patients with PTSD reported the higher level of cognitive reappraisal than patients with depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. CONCLUSION: The 9-itemed K-ERQ is a reliable and valid tool to assess the emotion regulation strategies in a Korean clinical sample. Our study also adds preliminary evidence on the usefulness of the ERQ in clinical settings.

The relationship between circadian typology and lifetime experiences of hypomanic symptoms.

Circadian rhythms have been known to be associated with bipolar disorders. There are many cases in which hypomanic symptoms are not recognized as indicators of an illness. This study aimed to determine the correlation between the experience of lifetime hypomanic symptoms and circadian typology of university students. A total of 8,562 university students participated in the study. The participants completed the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM) for circadian typology and Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ). Chi-square test and analysis of variance were performed, and the post-hoc result was computed using the FDR adjusted p-values. Overall, the MDQ score was higher in the evening-type group. There was no significant difference between the intermediate-type group and morning-type group for male students. In the evening-type group, the positive response rate was significantly higher for 10 out of 13 items in the MDQ. The evening-type group was more likely to experience hypomanic symptoms. This study showed that circadian and seasonal characteristics related to circadian typology are associated with lifetime hypomanic symptoms. Hence, further investigation is needed to determine the eveningness trait, as it could be a trait marker of bipolar spectrum disorder.

Effects of various antipsychotics on driving-related cognitive performance in adults with schizophrenia.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the driving-related cognitive performance differs among adults with schizophrenia taking different types of antipsychotics. Neurocognitive performance was assessed using the Cognitive Perceptual Assessment for Driving (CPAD), a computerized battery of tests of visual perception, attention, working memory, reaction time, and inhibitory control for driving ability. One hundred and two adults with schizophrenia who were on antipsychotic monotherapy participated in the study. Of these, 15 were on haloperidol, 28 on risperidone, 14 on olanzapine, 28 on aripiprazole, and 17 on paliperidone. Sixty-four (63%) of the 102 subjects were regarded as competent to drive. Of the subjects taking haloperidol, 33% passed the CPAD, while the passing rates of subjects taking risperidone, olanzapine, aripiprazole, and paliperidone were 57%, 57%, 75%, and 82%, respectively, with a significant difference between the haloperidol and aripiprazole groups (p = 0.005) and between the haloperidol and paliperidone groups (p = 0.001). Additionally, scores on CPAD depth perception (number of correct responses), divided attention, digit span test, and trail-making test B subtests were significantly better for the aripiprazole and paliperidone groups than for the haloperidol and risperidone groups. In this cross-sectional design study, adults with schizophrenia treated with aripiprazole or paliperidone antipsychotic monotherapy demonstrated superior driving-related cognitive performance than those treated with haloperidol or risperidone antipsychotic monotherapy.

Effects of Thoracic Mobilization and Extension Exercise on Thoracic Alignment and Shoulder Function in Patients with Subacromial Impingement Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Introduction: Thoracic kyphosis commonly occurs in subacromial impingement syndrome. This pilot study investigated the effect of thoracic joint mobilization and extension exercise on improving thoracic alignment and shoulder function. Methods: In total, 30 patients with subacromial impingement syndrome were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups, the joint mobilization group (n = 10), exercise group (n = 10), and combination group (n = 10). After four weeks of treatment, the measured outcomes included thoracic kyphosis using a manual inclinometer; pectoralis major (PM) and upper trapezius (UT) muscle tone and stiffness using the MyotonPRO®; affected side passive range of motion (ROM) using the goniometer (flexion, abduction, medial rotation, and lateral rotation); and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI). Results: All three groups had significant improvements in all variables (p < 0.05). Thoracic kyphosis; UT muscle tone; and flexion, medial rotation, and lateral rotation ROM and SPADI were all significantly improved in the combination group compared to the mobilization and exercise groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The combination therapy of thoracic mobilization and extension exercise can be regarded as a promising method to improve thoracic alignment and shoulder function in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome.

Clinical Characteristics of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Suicide Attempts among Psychiatric Patients in Korea: A Retrospective Chart Review.

OBJECTIVE: Limited data exist on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts among psychiatric patients in Korea. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of patients who engaged in NSSI and/or suicide attempts. METHODS: We performed a retrospective medical chart review of patients with NSSI and/or suicide attempts at the psychiatric department of a university medical center in Seoul between 2017 and 2019. According to their history, patients were allocated to one of three groups: NSSI only, suicide attempts only and NSSI and suicide attempts group. Groups were compared based on sociodemographic characteristics and psychological assessments. RESULTS: Overall, 80 patients with NSSI and/or suicide attempts were evaluated. Patients with NSSI and suicide attempts were more likely to be female than the other two groups. Patients with NSSI and suicide attempts were more likely to suffer from Cluster B personality disorder than the other groups. And patients with NSSI and suicide attempts scored significantly higher on novelty-seeking in TCI and RC8, RC9 in MMPI-2. CONCLUSION: Patients with NSSI and/or suicide attempts were more likely to be female, younger, and showed higher levels of psychological disturbances. These findings highlight the importance of early detection and intervention for patients with NSSI.

Prevalence and clinical correlates of dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder at an outpatient trauma clinic in South Korea.

Background: Previous studies on of the dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (d-PTSD) have relied on specialized statistical methods (i.e. profile or class analyses) for diagnosis than clinical rating available to clinicians. Objective: This study investigated the prevalence and covariates of d-PTSD diagnosed by a semi-structured interview in a cohort of outpatients with DSM-IV PTSD in a specialized trauma clinic in South Korea. Method: Data from 249 patients with civilian PTSD were examined, including demographics, clinical variables, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Scale, and Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-IV). We defined d-PTSD as the presence of either depersonalization or derealization according to additional dissociative items of the CAPS. About one third (n = 82, 32.9%) of patients were designated as having d-PTSD. Results: Compared to the other patients with PTSD, those with d-PTSD were younger, had more severe PTSD symptoms, frequent interpersonal trauma, and a higher number of comorbid disorders. When these variables and their interactions were entered into a logistic regression model, younger age, severe PTSD symptoms and two or more comorbid conditions remained for the final model. We did not find a significant difference in improvement over the course of treatment between two groups. Conclusions: This study highlights the high prevalence of d-PTSD in a clinical population. Associated features of d-PTSD were similar to those reported in the Euro-American literature. Further studies are needed to better understand mechanisms and treatment options for d-PTSD.

Antecedentes: los estudios previos del trastorno de estrés postraumático, subtipo disociativo (TEPT-d) se han basado en métodos estadísticos especializados (es decir, análisis de perfil o clase) para el diagnóstico en vez de la calificación clínica disponible para los médicos.Objetivo: Este estudio investigó la prevalencia y las covariables de TEPT-d diagnosticadas por una entrevista semiestructurada en una cohorte de pacientes ambulatorios con diagnóstico TEPT, según DSM IV, en una clínica especializada en trauma en Corea del Sur.Método: Se examinaron datos de 249 pacientes con TEPT civil, incluidos datos demográficos, variables clínicas, Escala de Impresión Clínica Global (CGI) y Escala de TEPT administrada por el médico (CAPS-IV). Definimos TEPT-d como la presencia de despersonalización o desrealización de acuerdo con ítems disociativos adicionales de la CAPS. Alrededor de un tercio (n = 82, 32.9%) de los pacientes fueron designados como TEPT-dResultados: en comparación con los otros pacientes con TEPT, los que tenían TEPT-d eran más jóvenes, tenían síntomas de TEPT más graves, mayor frecuencia de traumas interpersonales y un mayor número de trastornos comórbidos. Cuando estas variables y sus interacciones se ingresaron en un modelo de regresión logística, la edad más joven, los síntomas graves de TEPT y dos o más condiciones comórbidas permanecieron para el modelo final. No encontramos diferencias significativas en la mejora en el curso del tratamiento entre los dos grupos.Conclusiones: este estudio destaca la alta prevalencia de TEPT-d en una población clínica. Las características asociadas a TEPT-d fueron similares a las reportadas en la literatura Euroamericana. Se necesitan más estudios para comprender mejor los mecanismos y las opciones de tratamiento para TEPT-d.

The Impact of Aversive Advice During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Smoking Cessation in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Smoking cessation is important to prevent recurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but even in patients with ACS, smoking is hard to quit. OBJECTIVES: This study hypothesized that aversive advice during the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure works effectively to promote smoking cessation in patients with ACS. METHODS: This study was conducted as a prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. A total of 66 patients were randomly assigned to an aversive advice group or a control group and instructed to visit the outpatient clinic 1, 4, and 24 weeks after discharge. In the aversive advice group, a physician who did not participate in the patient follow-up said the following 3 sentences to the patients during the PCI procedure: "Smoking caused your chest pain"; "If you do not stop smoking right now, this pain will come again"; and "The next time you feel this pain you will probably die." All patients received usual advice on the importance of quitting smoking. RESULTS: At 24 weeks after discharge, the smoking cessation rate was higher in the aversive advice group than in the control group. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for age, smoking quantity, alcohol consumption, and disease severity, the result was maintained (odds ratio = 4.47, 95% confidence interval: 1.50 to 13.34). CONCLUSIONS: Aversive advice during a PCI procedure is effective at smoking cessation in patients with ACS. A physician's attention and involvement during the PCI procedure improves the rate of smoking cessation in patients with ACS.

Mediating Role of Anxiety and Depression in the Relationship between Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Illness Intrusiveness.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in patients with psychological trauma lead to poor health-related quality of life. Understanding of the relationships among PTSS, anxiety, depression, and illness intrusiveness will guide the development of efficient approaches to enhance subjective well-being in patients with psychological trauma. This study investigated whether anxiety and depression mediate the relationship between PTSS and illness intrusiveness in the hope of providing more comprehensive and effective trauma treatment. METHODS: Psychiatric outpatients who visited the trauma clinic of a university hospital (n = 260) participated in this study. Assessments were conducted for PTSS, anxiety, depression, and illness intrusiveness. Structural equation modeling and path analysis were performed to analyze the mediating effects of anxiety and depression on the relationship between PTSS and illness intrusiveness. RESULTS: PTSS had both direct and indirect exacerbating effects on illness intrusiveness. Anxiety exhibited the largest direct exacerbating effect on illness intrusiveness. The indirect effects of PTSS on illness intrusiveness through anxiety alone and through a depression-to-anxiety pathway were significant, but the indirect effect through depression alone was not. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that anxiety, both independently and as part of an interrelated pathway with depression, partially mediates the relationship between PTSS and illness intrusiveness. Appropriate interventions and a comprehensive approach to alleviate anxiety and depression could mitigate the negative effects of PTSS on illness intrusiveness in patients with psychological trauma.

Add-on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy for Adults with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Who Failed to Respond to Initial Antidepressant Pharmacotherapy.

This study examined the add-on efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy among adult civilians with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who continued to be symptomatic after more than 12 weeks of initial antidepressant treatment. Scores for the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) were rated pre- and post-EMDR and at a 6-month follow-up. After an average of six sessions of EMDR treatment, seven of 14 patients (50%) showed more than a 30% decrease in CAPS score and eight (57%) no longer met the criteria for PTSD. Our results indicate that EMDR could be successfully added after failure of initial pharmacotherapy for PTSD.

Temperament and character profile of college students who have suicidal ideas or have attempted suicide.

OBJECTIVE: Suicide is a major cause of death in university students. Personality traits have been suggested as possible risk factors for suicidal behaviors. This study looked at the relationship between the personality dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and suicidal behaviors. METHOD: A total of 5644 college students took the TCI test and the suicidality module of the M.I.N.I. The students were divided into the suicidal ideation group (n = 302; 5.4%) and the suicide attempt group (n = 301; 5.3%). Each group's TCI dimension and sub-dimension scores were compared with one another. To find out which TCI dimension affects suicide risk when depressed, regression analysis and mediation analysis were conducted. RESULTS: First, we adjusted for age, sex and depressive mood and compared the TCI scores of the participants based on their suicide risk. After the adjustment, self-directedness decreased in the suicidal ideation group while novelty seeking and persistence increased in the suicide attempt group. It turned out that self-directedness has a partial mediating effect between depressive symptom and suicide risk (ß = -0.068 P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We adjusted for depressive mood and it turned out that the suicidal ideation group is affected by character whereas the suicide attempt group is affected by temperament. Among the character dimensions, self-directedness was found to reduce the effect of depressive mood on suicide risk. Therefore, when evaluating suicide risk, assessing character dimensions, especially self-directedness along with depressive mood, a risk factor, will be helpful.

Predicting Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Blood-based Gene Expression Signatures and Machine Learning.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify a transcriptomic signature that could be used to classify subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to controls on the basis of blood gene expression profiles. The gene expression profiles could ultimately be used as diagnostic biomarkers for ASD. METHODS: We used the published microarray data (GSE26415) from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which included 21 young adults with ASD and 21 age- and sex-matched unaffected controls. Nineteen differentially expressed probes were identified from a training dataset (n=26, 13 ASD cases and 13 controls) using the limma package in R language (adjusted p value ＜0.05) and were further analyzed in a test dataset (n=16, 8 ASD cases and 8 controls) using machine learning algorithms. RESULTS: Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that subjects with ASD were relatively well-discriminated from controls. Based on the support vector machine and K-nearest neighbors analysis, validation of 19-DE probes with a test dataset resulted in an overall class prediction accuracy of 93.8% as well as a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 87.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of our exploratory study suggest that the gene expression profiles identified from the peripheral blood samples of young adults with ASD can be used to identify a biological signature for ASD. Further study using a larger cohort and more homogeneous datasets is required to improve the diagnostic accuracy.

Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of the Lifetime Stressor Checklist-Revised in Psychiatric Outpatients with Anxiety or Depressive Disorders.

PURPOSE: Traumatic events and adverse stressful experiences are major etiological factors in a wide variety of physical and mental disorders. Developing psychological instruments that can be easily administered and that have good psychometric properties have become an integral part for research and practice. This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Lifetime Stressor Checklist-Revised (LSC-R) in a consecutive sample of psychiatric outpatients. The LSC-R is a 30-item self-reporting questionnaire examining lifetime traumatic and non-traumatic stressors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A final sample of 258 outpatients with anxiety or depressive disorders was recruited at the psychiatric department of a university-affiliated teaching hospital. Self-reported data included the Life Events Checklist (LEC), the Zung Self-Rating Depression and Anxiety Scales, and the Impact of Events Scale-Revised, in addition to the LSC-R. A convenience sample of 50 college students completed the LSC-R on two occasions separated by a three week-interval for test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Mean kappa for temporal stability was high (κ=0.651) and Cronbach alpha was moderate (α=0.724). Convergent validity was excellent with corresponding items on the LEC. Concurrent validity was good for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that 11 factors explained 64.3 % of the total variance. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated good psychometric properties of the Korean version of the LSC-R, further supporting its use in clinical research and practice with a Korean speaking population.

Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of the Symptom Checklist-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale.

The Symptom Checklist - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (SCL-PTSD), also known as Crime-Related PTSD Scale has been validated in survivors of interpersonal trauma in the general population. However, the psychometric properties have not been investigated in a clinical setting for patients with PTSD from diverse traumatic events. This study investigates the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the SCL-PTSD among 104 psychiatric outpatients with PTSD, caused by interpersonal (n = 50) or non-interpersonal trauma (n = 54). Self-report data of the SCL-PTSD, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) were gathered. The Korean version of the SCL-PTSD showed excellent internal consistency and moderate-to-good four-week temporal stability in both the interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma groups. In comparison with other diagnostic groups, the scores of the SCL-PTSD were significantly higher compared to those of adjustment disorder, depression, other anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia, demonstrating its criteria-related validity. Convergent validity was confirmed because the scores of the SCL-PTSD were significantly correlated with BDI, SAI and TAI scores. Concurrent validity was demonstrated by significant correlation with the IES-R score. This study demonstrated the favorable psychometric prosperities of the Korean version of the SCL-PTSD, supporting its use in clinical research and practice.

Supplementation of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, 12-Week, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Controversy over the efficacy of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in depression continues to this day. The present study investigated the hypothesis that n-3 PUFA supplementation reduces depressive symptoms in Korean patients with major depressive disorder. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week, parallel-group trial, 35 patients with Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Korean version (CES-D-K) scores ≥25 and depression confirmed by a psychiatrist were assigned to take either 3 capsules of n-3 PUFAs (1,140 mg of EPA + 600 mg of DHA; n = 18) or placebo (olive oil + safflower oil; n = 17). RESULTS: Supplementation with n-3 PUFAs significantly reduced Clinical Global Impression Improvement (CGI-I) scores as compared with intake of placebo using intention-to-treat analysis with last-observation-carried-forward after adjusting for energy, fat, and fish intake. However, the CES-D-K, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17, and Clinical Global Impression Scale scores did not significantly differ between the n-3 PUFA and placebo groups. After supplementation with n-3 PUFAs, the erythrocyte levels of n-3 PUFAs were significantly increased, but n-6 PUFA levels were decreased. CONCLUSIONS: n-3 PUFAs demonstrated an advantage over placebo that did not reach clinical significance, although CGI-I score was significantly decreased in the n-3 PUFA group as compared with the placebo group.

Profiling of Proteins Regulated by Venlafaxine during Neural Differentiation of Human Cells.

OBJECTIVE: Antidepressants are known to positively influence several factors in patients with depressive disorders, resulting in increased neurogenesis and subsequent relief of depressive disorders. To study the effects of venlafaxine during neural differentiation at the cellular level, we looked at its effect on protein expression and regulation mechanisms during neural differentiation. METHODS: After exposing NCCIT cell-derived EBs to venlafaxine during differentiation (1 day and 7 days), changes in protein expression were analyzed by 2-DE and MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Gene levels of proteins regulated by venlafaxine were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: Treatment with venlafaxine decreased expression of prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4HB), ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2K (HIP2) and plastin 3 (T-plastin), and up-regulated expression of growth factor beta-3 (TGF-ß3), dihydropyrimidinase-like 3 (DPYSL3), and pyruvate kinase (PKM) after differentiation for 1 and 7 days. In cells exposed to venlafaxine, the mRNA expression patterns of HIP2 and PKM, which function as negative and positive regulators of differentiation and neuronal survival, respectively, were consistent with the observed changes in protein expression. CONCLUSION: Our findings may contribute to improve understanding of molecular mechanism of venlafaxine.