Overexpression of Cell Cycle Proteins of Peripheral Lymphocytes in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Hyeran Kim,YoungAh Kwon,InnSook Ahn,Sangha Kim,Seonwoo Kim,Sangmee Ahn Jo,DohKwan Kim 대한신경정신의학회 2016 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.13 No.1

Objective-Biological markers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) will help clinicians make objective diagnoses early during the course of dementia. Previous studies have suggested that cell cycle dysregulation begins earlier than the onset of clinical manifestations in AD. Methods-We examined the lymphocyte expression of cell cycle proteins in AD patients, dementia controls (DC), and normal controls (NC). One-hundred seventeen subjects (36 AD, 31 DC, and 50 NC) were recruited. The cell cycle proteins CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, cyclin B, and cyclin D were measured in peripheral lymphocytes. Cell cycle protein expression in the three groups was compared after adjusting for age and sex. Results-The levels of cell cycle proteins CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, cyclin B, and cyclin D were significantly higher in AD patients than in the NC subjects. The DC group manifested intermediate levels of cell cycle proteins compared with the AD patients and the NC subjects. The present study indicates that cell cycle proteins are upregulated in the peripheral lymphocytes of AD patients. Conclusion-Cell cycle dysregulation in peripheral lymphocytes may present a promising starting point for identifying peripheral biomarkers of AD.

Factors Associated with Caregiver Burden in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

HyoShin Kang,Woojae Myung,Duk L. Na,Seong Yoon Kim,JaeHong Lee,SeolHeui Han,SeongHye Choi,SangYun Kim,Seonwoo Kim,DohKwan Kim 대한신경정신의학회 2004 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.1 No.2

Objective-Caregivers for patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) suffer from psychological and financial burdens. However, the results of the relationship between burden and cognitive function, performance of activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms have remained inconsistent. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine which factors are more significant predictors of heightened burden, cognitive impairment or functional decline, besides neuropsychiatric symptoms. Methods-A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample comprised of 1,164 pairs of patients with AD and caregivers from the Clinical Research of Dementia of South Korea study cohorts. The cognitive function of each sub-domain, functional impairments, depressive symptoms, and caregiver burden were assessed using the dementia version of Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB-D), Barthel Index for Daily Living Activities (ADL), Seoul-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (S-IADL), the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Box (CDR-SB), the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), the Korean version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (K-NPI), and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Results-We found that higher severity (higher CDR-SB and GDS scores) and more functional impairment (lower ADL and higher SIADL scores) were significantly associated with higher caregiver burden. In addition, depressive symptoms of patients (higher Geriatric Depression Scale scores) were associated with higher caregiver burden. Conclusion-Therefore, interventions to help maintain activities of daily living in patients with AD may alleviate caregiver burden and improve caregiver well-being.

Serum S100B Levels and Major Depressive Disorder: Its Characteristics and Role in Antidepressant Response

ByongSu Jang,Hyeran Kim,ShinnWon Lim,KiWon Jang,DohKwan Kim 대한신경정신의학회 2008 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.5 No.3

Objective-S100B is a neurotrophic factor that is involved in neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is disrupted in depression; however, treatment with antidepressants can restore neuroplasticity. S100B has previously been used as a biological marker for neuropathology and neuroplasticity; therefore, in this study, we compared serum S100B levels in depressive patients to those of normal controls. In addition, we compared the serum S100B levels of antidepressant responders to those of nonresponders. Methods-Thirty five normal controls and 59 depressive patients were enrolled in this study. Depressive patients entered a 6 week clinical trial that included treatment with antidepressants. The serum S100B levels and clinical assessments, which included Hamilton depression rating scores, were measured at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment with antidepressants. The difference in the serum S100B levels between depressive patients and normal controls and between antidepressant responders and nonresponders was then compared. Results-There were no significant differences in the serum S100B levels of normal controls and depressive patients. In addition, 30 of the depressive patients responded to antidepressant treatment while 29 did not. Finally, the responders had significantly higher baseline serum S100B levels than the nonresponders. Conclusion-The results of this study suggest that the baseline serum S100B level is associated with the subsequent response to antidepressants. In addition, the high baseline serum S100B level that was observed in depressive patients may enhance neuroplasticity, which results in a favorable therapeutic response to antidepressants.

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule: Psychometric Properties of the Korean Version

YoungJin Lim,BumHee Yu,DohKwan Kim,JiHae Kim 대한신경정신의학회 2010 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.7 No.3

Objective-The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was developed as a measure of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). The aim here is to examine the factor structure and concurrent validity of the Korean version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (K-PANAS) in a clinical sample in Korea. Methods-K-PANAS was administered to a clinical sample in Korea. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were undertaken to examine the factorial structure and reliability of the K-PANAS. Results-The reliability of K-PANAS is satisfactory. CFA showed that several of the models commonly used in Western populations provided an insufficient fit. The modified model provided a more adequate fit to the data. Conclusion-The authors demonstrate that the K-PANAS has adequate psychometric properties, and that findings obtained in the West using PANAS were partially replicated.

Factors Associated with Caregiver Burden in Dementia: 1-Year Follow-Up Study

SangHong Shim,HyoShin Kang,JiHae Kim,DohKwan Kim 대한신경정신의학회 2016 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.13 No.1

Objective-Dementia symptoms (cognitive function, daily-living function, and neuropsychiatric symptoms) become more serious over time, which is likely to increase caregiver burden. The aim of this study is to investigate which dementia-related symptoms, and how the progression of these symptoms, have influenced caregiver burden during a 1-year follow-up assessment. Methods-A total of 110 patients with dementia were assessed for their cognitive function, daily-living function, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Caregivers were assessed for their caregiver burden. Bivariate analyses were conducted between caregiver burden and dementia patients’ symptoms, in order to examine which particular symptoms were significantly associated with caregiver burden at the baseline. A multiple regression analysis was then conducted with each significantly associated variable with a view to identifying determinants, influencing caregiver burden. Additionally, bivariate analyses were conducted between the changes in caregiver burden and the changes in patients’ symptoms, to investigate which patient variable could best describe caregiver burden from baseline to the 1-year follow-up. A multiple regression analysis was conducted with each significantly-associated change in symptom, in order to identify determinants that influence a change in caregiver burden. Results-Neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as irritability, aberrant motor-behavior, delusions and disinhibition were found to be significant predictors of caregiver burden at baseline, according to multiple regression analysis. In addition, changes in neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as delusions, agitation and memory-related functioning in daily-living significantly predict a change in caregiver burden. Conclusion-Our results demonstrate that neuropsychiatric symptoms and memory impairment in daily-living functions are significant predictors of an increase in caregiver burden.

Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor as a Candidate Bio-Marker of the Neuroplastic Changes Related with Fluoxetine Administration in Major Depressive Disorder

TaeYoung Hwang,ShinnWon Lim,Jihea Yun,DohKwan Kim 대한신경정신의학회 2006 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.3 No.2

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) could be a biological marker related to the pathophysiology of depression and the action mechanism of antidepressants in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods and Materials: Forty-nine patients with MDD and 34 normal controls were recruited and analyzed for this study. The severity of depression was measured using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17) for MDD patients before and after a 6-week treatment with the antidepressant, fluoxetine. A minimum baseline HAM-D-17 score of 15 was required for study inclusion. The plasma BDNF was measured in all subjects at baseline and after the 6-week treatment (for the patients). Treatment outcome was measured as response ( ≥50% improvement on HAM-D-17) and remission (final HAM-D-17 score≤ 7). Results: There were no significant differences in age and gender distribution, or in baseline plasma BDNF, between the MDD and control groups. The severity of depression and plasma BDNF level at baseline were not significantly correlated. There was no significant change in the plasma BDNF of the MDD group after the 6-week treatment, although a modest trend to decrease was noted (Wilcoxon’s signed rank test, S= -186.5, p=0.0629). In addition, there was no significant difference in the change of plasma BDNF between responders and non-responders. Conclusions: The findings of this study do not support the proposed hypothesis that plasma BDNF plays a significant role as a biological marker in reflecting the neuroplastic change related to the short-term effect of antidepressants in MDD. Nevertheless, the possibility of false negative findings suggests that further studies are necessary to replicate the findings.

Advanced Daily Prediction Model for National Suicide Numbers with Social Media Data

KyungSang Lee,Hyewon Lee,Woojae Myung,GilYoung Song,Kihwang Lee,Ho Kim,Bernard J. Carroll,DohKwan Kim 대한신경정신의학회 2018 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.15 No.4

Objective-Suicide is a significant public health concern worldwide. Social media data have a potential role in identifying high suicide risk individuals and also in predicting suicide rate at the population level. In this study, we report an advanced daily suicide prediction model using social media data combined with economic/meteorological variables along with observed suicide data lagged by 1 week. Methods-The social media data were drawn from weblog posts. We examined a total of 10,035 social media keywords for suicide prediction. We made predictions of national suicide numbers 7 days in advance daily for 2 years, based on a daily moving 5-year prediction modeling period. Results-Our model predicted the likely range of daily national suicide numbers with 82.9% accuracy. Among the social media variables, words denoting economic issues and mood status showed high predictive strength. Observed number of suicides one week previously, recent celebrity suicide, and day of week followed by stock index, consumer price index, and sunlight duration 7 days before the target date were notable predictors along with the social media variables. Conclusion-These results strengthen the case for social media data to supplement classical social/economic/climatic data in forecasting national suicide events.

Celebrity Suicides and Their Differential Influence on Suicides in the General Population: A National Population-Based Study in Korea

Woojae Myung,HongHee Won,Maurizio Fava,David Mischoulon,Albert Yeung,Dongsoo Lee,DohKwan Kim,HongJin Jeon 대한신경정신의학회 2015 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.12 No.2

Objective-Although evidence suggests that there is an increase in suicide rates in the general population following celebrity suicide, the rates are heterogeneous across celebrities and countries. It is unclear which is the more vulnerable population according to the effect sizes of celebrity suicides to general population. Methods-All suicide victims in the general population verified by the Korea National Statistical Office and suicides of celebrity in South Korea were included for 7 years from 2005 to 2011. Effect sizes were estimated by comparing rates of suicide in the population one month before and after each celebrity suicide. The associations between suicide victims and celebrities were examined. Results-Among 94,845 suicide victims, 17,209 completed suicide within one month after 13 celebrity suicides. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that suicide victims who died after celebrity suicide were significantly likely to be of age 20–39, female, and to die by hanging. These qualities were more strongly associated among those who followed celebrity suicide with intermediate and high effect sizes than lower. Younger suicide victims were significantly associated with higher effect size, female gender, white collar employment, unmarried status, higher education, death by hanging, and night-time death. Characteristics of celebrities were significantly associated with those of general population in hanging method and gender. Conclusion-Individuals who commit suicide after a celebrity suicide are likely to be younger, female, and prefer hanging as method of suicide, which are more strongly associated in higher effect sizes of celebrity suicide.