Evolutionary Model of Depression as an Adaptation for Blocked Social Mobility

Park, Hanson,Pak, Sunyoung The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 2022 생물정신의학 Vol.29 No.1

Objectives In regard to the social competition hypothesis, depression is viewed as an involuntary defeat strategy. A previous study has demonstrated that adaptation in microenvironments can result in a wide range of behavioural patterns including defense activation disorders. Using a simulation model with evolutionary ecological agents, we explore how the fitness of various defence activation traits has changed over time in different environments with high and low social mobility. Methods The Evolutionary Ecological Model of Defence Activation Disorder, which is based on the Marginal Value Theorem, was used to examine changes in relative fitness for individuals with defensive activation disorders after adjusting for social mobility. Results Our study examined the effects of social mobility on fitness by varying the d-values, a measure of depression in the model. With a decline in social mobility, the level of fitness of individuals with high levels of defense activation decreased. We gained insight into the evolutionary influence of varying levels of social mobility on individuals' degrees of depression. In the context of a highly stratified society, the results support a mismatch hypothesis which states that high levels of defence are detrimental. Conclusions Despite the fact that niche specialization in habitats composed of multiple microenvironments can result in diverse levels of defensive activation being evolutionary strategies for stability, decreased social mobility may lead to a decrease in fitness of individuals with highly activated defence modules. There may be a reason behind the epidemic of depression in modern society.

The Korea National Suicide Survey (KNSS) : Rationale and Design

Kim, Bora,Jung, Keum Ji,Lee, Sang Uk,Sea, Jonghan,Kim, Eun Young,Kim, Se Hyun,Jee, Sun Ha,Park, Jong-Ik,Kim, Kyungil,Ahn, Yong Min The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 2015 생물정신의학 Vol.22 No.1

Suicide, the fourth leading cause of death in Korea, is a serious national problem. The Korea National Suicide Survey (KNSS) is the result of the first legislation to address this issue, "Article 11 of THE ACT FOR THE PREVENTION OF SUICIDE AND THE CREATION OF A CULTURE OF RESPECT FOR LIFE" (the "Act for the Prevention of Suicide"). To overcome the limitations of previous studies, the KNSS was designed by collaborators from a variety of fields : psychology, epidemiology, social welfare, and psychiatry. The KNSS was composed of four substudies that addressed the multifaceted process involved in suicide-related behavior over time, exploring general attitudes toward suicide and suicidal ideation, suicide planning, suicide attempts, and completed suicides. Study 1 examined the risk factors for suicide based on data regarding completed suicides ; Study 2 adopted the approach of a psychological autopsy ; Study 3 focused on suicide attempters ; and Study 4 explored attitudes toward suicide in the general population. The KNSS was designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of suicide from a longitudinal, multifaceted perspective to serve as a basis for policies aimed at suicide prevention.

No Association Study of SLC6A4 Polymorphisms with Korean Autism Spectrum Disorder

유희정,조인희,박미라,양소영,김순애,Yoo, Hee Jeong,Cho, In Hee,Park, Mira,Yang, So Young,Kim, Soon Ae The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 2009 생물정신의학 Vol.16 No.2

Objectives : The serotonin transporter gene(SLC6A4) is one of the most widely studied candidate genes in autism spectrum disorder(ASD), but there have been conflicting results from studies into the association between SLC6A4 and ASD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) in the SLC6A4 gene and ASD in the Korean population. Methods : We selected 12 SNPs in SLC6A4 and observed the genotype of 151 Korean ASD trios. We tested the family-based association for each individual polymorphism and haplotype by using the standard TDT method in Haploview(http://www.broad.mit.edu/mpg/haploview/). Results : Through transmission-disequilibrium testing and haplotype analysis, we could not find any statistically significant transmitted allele or haplotype. In addition, a case-control association test with Korean HapMap data did not reveal any statistical significance. Conclusion : Although serotonin-related genes must be considered candidate genes for ASD, we suggest that common SNPs of SLC6A4 are not important markers for associations with Korean ASD.

Morphologic Alterations in Amygdala Subregions of Adult Patients with Bipolar Disorder

Lee, Hyun-Jae,Han, Kyu-Man,Kim, Aram,Kang, Wooyoung,Kang, Youbin,Kang, June,Won, Eunsoo,Tae, Woo-Suk,Ham, Byung-Joo The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 2019 생물정신의학 Vol.26 No.1

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.

R347C Polymorphisms in ADRA1A Genes and Mirtazapine Treatment Response in Koreans with Major Depression

Koo, Jahyun,Lee, Min-Soo,Ham, Byungju,Won, Eun-Soo The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 2015 생물정신의학 Vol.22 No.4

Objectives Adrenergic alpha 1 and 2 receptors work as pathways to control the serotonergic neuron moderation and mirtazapine acts as antagonist of these receptors. The adrenoreceptor alpha 1a (ADRA1A) gene, which encodes adrenergic alpha 1 receptor, has Arg-347Cys genetic polymorphism and the polymorphism has strong relationship with many neuro-psychiatric diseases. In this study, we explored the relationship between ADRA1A R347C polymorphism and mirtazapine treatment response in Koreans with major depression. Methods 352 patients enrolled in this study, and the symptoms were evaluated by 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating (HAMD-17) scale. After 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of mirtazapine treatment, the association between ADRA1A R347C polymorphism and remission/response outcomes was evaluated. Results Treatment response to mirtazapine was significantly better in T allele carriers than C allele homozygotes after 12 weeks of mirtazapine monotherapy. The percentile decline of HAMD-17 score in T allele carriers was larger than that of C allele homozygotes. ADRA1A R347C genotypes were not significantly associated with remission. Conclusions The result showed that treatment response to mirtazapine was significantly associated with ADRA1A R347C genetic polymorphism. T allele carriers showed better treatment response than C allele homozygotes. It can be supposed that T allele carriers have a trend of better treatment response to mirtazapine monotherapy.

A Study on Factors Affecting Suicidal Tendency of the Elderly Living Alone on Care Services

Seo, Hwoyeon,Sohn, Jee Hoon,Cho, Sung Jun,Sung, Su Jeong,Cho, Maeng Je,Ahn, Seung Hee The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 2018 생물정신의학 Vol.25 No.3

Objectives The high suicide rate has risen as a main concern in South Korea. Given the complexity of the mechanism resulting in complete suicide, studies targeting various populations are needed for broader understanding of its risk factors. This study aims to analyze the factors affecting the suicidal tendency in the population of the elderly living alone in Seoul depending on basic elderly-care services. Methods A total number of 415 people participated in the study. Home-visit interviews were administered by trained interviewers. Suicidal tendency was measured by the Korean version of mini international neuropsychiatric interview (K-MINI). Health-related quality of life was measured by a brief version of the World Health Organization Quality-of-life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF). Alcohol problem was assessed by the Korean version of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT-K). Among total subjects of 415 interviewees, the actual responses of 408 people were used for the final analysis. Results The result showed that the suicide risk was high in persons isolated from social support [odds ratio (OR) = 4.49], having depression (OR = 14.85), and having low quality of life (OR = 4.39). Conclusions We found that social support, depression and health-related quality of life are associated with suicidal tendency in the elderly living alone on basic services. Our evidence will contribute to suicide prevention policy for the elderly living alone on care services.

Effects of the Combination Herbal Extract on Working Memory and White Matter Integrity in Healthy Individuals with Subjective Memory Complaints : A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Kwon, Oran,Lee, Sunho,Ban, Soonhyun,Im, Jooyeon J.,Lee, Doo Suk,Lee, Eun Hee,Kim, Joohee,Lim, Soo Mee,Lee, Sang Gon,Kang, Ilhyang,Kim, Kyung-Hee,Yoon, Sujung,Lee, Sun Hea The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 2015 생물정신의학 Vol.22 No.2

Objectives The combination extract of four kinds of herbs, Gastrodia elata, Liriope platyphylla, Dimocarpus longan, and Salvia miltiorrhiza, has shown to have memory improving effects in mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of the herbal mixture for improving working memory as well as microstructural changes in white matter integrity in individuals with subjective memory complaints. Methods Seventy-five individuals with subjective memory complaints were assigned to receive either placebo (n = 15) or herbal mixture (low-dose group, n = 30 and high-dose group, n = 30) supplementation in an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Changes in working memory performance and fractional anisotropy (FA) values reflecting white matter integrity from baseline to 8-week endpoint were assessed. Results The herbal mixture group showed an increase in working memory performance compared to the placebo group (p for interaction = 0.001). In addition, the herbal mixture group showed an increase in FA values in the temporo-parietal regions (corrected p < 0.05), which are crucially involved in working memory function and are among the most affected regions in patients with cognitive impairments. Conclusions Findings from this study indicate that the herbal mixture may be a promising therapeutic option for individuals with subjective memory complaints.

Effect of Pretreatment of (-)-3-PPP on the Haloperidol-Induced Extracellular Dopamine Concentrations in the Nucleus Accumbens of Rats

정영철,은홍배,황익근,박태원,Chung, Young-Chul,Eun, Hong-Bae,Hwang, Ik-Keun,Park, Tae-Won The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 2001 생물정신의학 Vol.8 No.1

Objectives : To investigate the effects of (-)-3-PPP(0.5, 2, and 10mg/kg, s.c.) and haloperidol(0.1, 0.5, and 2mg/kg, s.c.) on the extracellular dopamine concentrations, and the effect of pretreatment with (-)-3-PPP(2mg/kg) on the haloperidol(2mg/kg)-induced extracellular dopamine concentrations in the nucleus accumbens(NAS) of free moving rats. Methods : Dopamine levels in dialysate were determined with high pressure liquid chromatography(HPLC) with electrochemical detection(ECD). Results : (1)(-)-3-PPP had dual actions depending on the doses: at 2mg/kg, it decreased and at 10mg/kg, increased extracellular dopamine concentrations ; (2) haloperidol at all doses increased dopamine levels with higher dose having a greater increase; and (3) pretreatment of (-)-3-PPP reduced the increase in dopamine levels elicited by acute treatment with haloperidol. Conclusions : These findings suggest that pretreatment of (-)-3-PPP in low dose could accelerate the onset of therapeutic effect of haloperidol by diminishing the haloperidol-induced dopamine release in the limbic system.

Neuroimaging of Traumatic Brain Injury

최우석,Choi, Woo Suk The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 1995 생물정신의학 Vol.2 No.2

두부 외상은 많은 발생율과 사망율을 차지하고 있으며, 건강한 생활을 위해 큰 관심을 갖게 되었다. 신경방사선영상은 외상성 뇌손상 환자들의 진단과 치료에 필수적인 방법이다. 뇌손상의 기본 기전, 병리, 그리고 영상 소견을 이해 하는 것은 매우 중요하다. 1970년대에 Glasgow coma scale의 형상과 전산화단층촬영(CT)의 발달은 임상의사들이 두부외상에 대한 평가와 환자들의 경과를 예상하는데 극적인 변화를 주었다. 최근 자기공명영상(MRI)의 발달로 외상성 뇌손상의 형태를 더욱 이해 하게 되었고, 두부 외상의 발견율이 높아지게 되었다.

Interactions of Vascular Risk Factors and Apolipoprotein E4 on Geriatric Depression

박혜영,김재민,신일선,양수진,김성완,김선영,신희영,윤진상,Park, Hye-Young,Kim, Jae-Min,Shin, Il-Seon,Yang, Su-Jin,Kim, Sung-Wan,Kim, Seon-Young,Shin, Hee-Young,Yoon, Jin-Sang The Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry 2006 생물정신의학 Vol.13 No.2

Objective : Associations of vascular risk/disease or apolipoprotein E ${\varepsilon}4$(APOE4) with geriatric depression has been unclear at a population level. This study aimed to evaluate whether there would be interactions of vascular risk/disease and APOE4 on depression in a Korean elderly population. Methods : 732 community residents aged 65 or over were assessed for depression(GMS), information on vascular risk/disease(reported stroke, transient ishemic attack, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, smoking), examinations for vascular risk/disease(blood pressure, blood tests for glucose and lipid profiles, body size), APOE genotypes, demographic characteristics(age, gender, education), physical health, and cognitive function(MMSE). Results : Previous stroke and lower level of high density lipoprotein(HDL) cholesterol were significantly associated with geriatric depression independent of demographic characteristics, physical illnesses, and cognitive function. These associations were statistically significant only in those with APOE4, although the interaction terms didn't reach to statistical significance. Conclusion : Associations between vascular risk/disease and geriatric depression might be more prominent in those with APOE4. However further research would be needed to clarify this issue.