Effects of Long-Acting Injectable Paliperidone Palmitate on Clinical and Functional Outcomes in Patients With Schizophrenia Based on Illness Duration.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the degree of clinical and functional improvement after paliperidone long-acting injectable (LAI) administration according to the duration of illness.

Methods: Patients with schizophrenia diagnosed by ICD-10 criteria who were planned to start once-monthly paliperidone LAI were recruited from 2010 to 2017. Clinical and functional changes were measured every 4 weeks using the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale (CGI-S) and Personal and Social Performance scale (PSP), respectively, for 6 months after paliperidone LAI initiation.

Association of estrogen receptor genes and schizophrenia: a preliminary study.

Gender differences in various clinical features of schizophrenia have been noted and estrogen has been regarded to play important roles. A few previous studies on the association between estrogen receptor (ER) genotypes and schizophrenia focused mainly on ER α gene but failed to report consistent results. The present study was designed to analyze the differences in the frequencies of both ERα and ERβ gene polymorphisms in subjects with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls among Korean population.

The changes of blood glucose control and lipid profiles after short-term smoking cessation in healthy males.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the changes in blood glucose control and lipid profiles after 2-months of smoking cessation in healthy males.

Methods: Smoking abstinence was evaluated through self-report and urine cotinine levels. 12 individuals who succeeded in quitting smoking were analyzed.

Association between Estrogen Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Depression in Post-Menopausal Women: A Preliminary Study.

Post-menopausal women experience variable biological and psychological changes. The effect of reduced levels of estrogen can effect on post-menopausal depression. Estrogen triggers physiological responses by binding to the estrogen receptor (ER).

Comparison of risperidone orodispersible tablet and intramuscular haloperidol in the treatment of acute psychotic agitation: a randomized open, prospective study.

Objectives: Psychotic agitation of psychiatric patients is a common manifestation that needs emergent management. Traditionally, parenteral or intramuscular injection of antipsychotics was conducted for treatment of psychotic agitation. Considering that the rapidly absorbed form of risperidone (risperidone orodispersible tablet) could be used for the agitated patient, comparison of oral risperidone and intramuscular haloperidol was performed in emergency treatment of psychotic agitation in this study.

Immediate versus gradual suspension of previous treatments during switch to aripiprazole: results of a randomized, open label study.

The aim of the present work was to investigate possible differences in terms of efficacy and tolerability between different switching options to aripiprazole. 77 subjects were randomly assigned to (1) administration of aripiprazole (10 mg) with simultaneous discontinuation of current antipsychotic; (2) administration of aripiprazole (10 mg) and tapering off current antipsychotic over 4 weeks with half dose after the first 2 weeks; (3) administration of aripiprazole (10 mg) and tapering off current antipsychotic over 6 weeks with half dose after the first 2 weeks. Efficacy assessments included CGI-S, CGI-I, BPRS and SANS.

Verbal working memory dysfunction in schizophrenia: an FMRI investigation.

Impaired processing of working memory information is one of the cognitive deficits seen in patients with schizophrenia. This study aims at corroborating the differences in the brain activities involved in the process of working memory between patients with schizophrenia and the controls. Twelve patients with schizophrenia and 11 controls participated in the study.

TAAR6 variation effect on clinic presentation and outcome in a sample of schizophrenic in-patients: an open label study.

We recently reported an association between TAAR6 (trace amine associated receptor 6 gene) variations and schizophrenia (SZ). We now report an association of a set of TAAR6 variations and clinical presentation and outcome in a sample of 240 SZ Korean patients. Patients were selected by a Structured Clinical Interview, DSM-IV Axis I disorders - Clinical Version (SCID-CV).

DTNBP1 haplotype influences baseline assessment scores of schizophrenic in-patients.

Dysbindin gene (DTNBP1) has been associated with schizophrenia, but literature findings are inconsistent, and further analyses are required. This study is aimed to investigate if a set of DTNBP1 variations might influence clinic psychotic phenotype or treatment response in a sample of 240 Korean schizophrenic in-patients. Four variants have been selected (rs3213207; rs1011313; rs16876759; rs2619522) on the basis of previous findings of association with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and antidepressant response.

Effect of the dysbindin gene on antimanic agents in patients with bipolar I disorder.

Objective: We previously reported an association between dysbindin gene (DTNBP1) variants and bipolar I disorder (BID). This paper expands upon previous findings suggesting that DTNBP1 variants may play a role in the response to acute mood stabilizer treatment.

Methods: A total of 45 BID patients were treated with antimanic agents (lithium, valproate, or carbamazepine) for an average of 36.

Association analysis of heat shock protein 70 gene polymorphisms in schizophrenia.

Objectives: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a promising candidate gene in schizophrenia as they are believed to play a protective role in the central nervous system. An alteration in the titers of antibodies to the HSPs in schizophrenia patients has been suggested. Association between the three polymorphisms of HSP70-1 (HSPA1A), HSP70-hom (HSPA1L) and HSP70-2 (HSPA1B) and schizophrenia has been reported.

Is there protective haplotype of dysbindin gene (DTNBP1) 3 polymorphisms for major depressive disorder.

Dysbindin gene has been repeatedly associated with psychiatric disorders and schizophrenia in particular. This study aimed to investigate the variants of dysbindin gene in major depressive disorder (MDD). One hundred and eighty eight patients with MDD and 350 controls were investigated for 4 variants within the dysbindin gene (rs3213207 A/G, rs1011313 C/T, rs760761 C/T, and rs2619522 A/C).

Quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) gene polymorphism may not confer a susceptibility to mood disorders.

Quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) plays a key role in the cellular antioxidant defense by detoxifying quinine derivatives. Case-control association study of the possible relationship between the NQO1 gene polymorphism and mood disorders (patients with major depressive disorder, n=61; patients with bipolar I disorder, n=80; control, n=106) was carried out using PCR-based techniques. These preliminary results showed that the NQO1 gene polymorphism was not related to a susceptibility to mood disorders.

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD: Ala-9Val) gene polymorphism may not be associated with schizophrenia and tardive dyskinesia.

There has been increasing evidence that the alteration of antioxidant enzymes such as manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) might be implicated in the development of schizophrenia and/or tardive dyskinesia (TD). This study investigated the association of a MnSOD gene (MnSOD) polymorphism (Ala-9Val) with schizophrenia as well as its involvement in TD. Patients with schizophrenia (n=262) and healthy controls (n=263) were enrolled in this study and genotyped by a polymerase chain reaction-based method.

Heat-shock protein-70 genes and response to antidepressants in major depression.

In the search of predictors of antidepressant efficacy, much interest has recently focused on pro-inflammatory proteins, as they were found to be elevated during major depressives states and decreased by antidepressant drugs. In the present paper we investigated the role of the genes coding for heat-shock-70 family proteins, recently hypothesized to be activated by antidepressants and thus mediate the reduction of pro-inflammatory cytosines. One hundred and forty two hospitalised patients, affected by major depression and treated with antidepressants drugs for a major depressive episode were evaluated for depressive severity at the baseline and at the discharge and genotyped for five SNPs within the genes HSPA1L, HSPA1A and HSPA1B.

Rapid versus conventional initiation of quetiapine in the treatment of schizophrenia: a randomized, parallel-group trial.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to compare the safety and tolerability of a rapid initiation of quetiapine with the conventional initiation approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Dysbindin associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant efficacy.

Objective: Antidepressant drug efficacy is partially under genetic control and a number of gene variants have been associated with antidepressants efficacy over the last few years. In the search for further genes influencing antidepressant response we focused on the dysbindin gene (dystrobrevin-binding-protein 1, DTNBP1).

Basic Methods: One hundred and four Korean inpatients affected by major depressive disorder were treated with various antidepressants at standard therapeutic daily doses and rated with the 10-items Montgomery-Asberg Depression rating scale (MADRS) at baseline and discharge.

Therapeutic implication of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) in the treatment of depression.

Despite the fact that antidepressants represent the gold standard for the treatment of depression, not all patients treated with an antidepressant monotherapy achieve complete remission of depressive symptoms and functional recovery. Therefore, further examination of the components that may be involved in the action mechanism of antidepressants will benefit patients who show either no response or partial response by identifying their hidden functions and key roles in the therapeutic mechanism of antidepressants. The cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), which is a brain-enriched mRNA with a protein product(s) is an interesting neuropeptide in relation to the treatment of depression.

Effect of 5-haplotype of dysbindin gene (DTNBP1) polymorphisms for the susceptibility to bipolar I disorder.

We investigated a possible association between dysbindin gene (DTNBP1) variants and bipolar I disorder (BID). Five SNPs within DTNBP1 (rs3213207, rs1011313, rs2005976, rs760761, and rs2619522) were genotyped for 151 patients with BID and 478 controls. We observed a significant protective association of the haplotype A-C-G-T-A (all SNPs, P = 0.

Therapeutic possibilities of cysteamine in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia has complicated pathogeneses that is not able to be explained by any one supposed hypothesis, although alterations in dopamine neurotransmission have been widely accepted as the most plausible mechanism. A transition from traditional typical antipsychotics to contemporary atypical antipsychotics which have significantly improved tolerability and enhanced specific efficacy has been also made based on this dopamine hypothesis. Cysteamine is a natural product of mammalian cells and found to be useful pharmacological alternative.

Interrelationships among pain, disability, and psychological factors in young Korean conscripts with lumbar disc herniation.

The aim of this study was to compare the psychological factors between young Korean conscripts with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and healthy controls and to evaluate the interrelationships among pain, disability, and psychological factors in LDH conscripts. The subjects consisted of 56 young conscripts with LDH and 76 controls. All subjects completed Beck's Depression Inventory and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Aripiprazole augmentation for treatment of patients with inadequate antidepressants response.

This study evaluated whether or not augmentation with aripiprzazole is beneficial and tolerable to patients with an inadequate response to antidepressants (ADs). Thirteen patients with nonpsychotic major depression, who had failed to respond to an adequate trial of at least one AD, were prescribed aripiprazole (dose, 5-30 mg) for 8 weeks. The dose of their preexisting ADs was not changed.

Association of the trace amine associated receptor 6 (TAAR6) gene with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in a Korean case control sample.

Trace amines and their receptors may be implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. Previous studies have reported association of the trace amine associated receptor 6 (TAAR6) gene with susceptibility to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but results have not been consistent. The purpose of this study was to examine these associations in Korean patients and also to test for association of TAAR6 with susceptibility to major depressive disorder (MDD).

Psychological burdens are associated with young male transsexuals in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to compare differences of the psychological burdens between young male transsexuals and age-gender matched non-transsexuals with standardized psychiatric rating scales in Korea. A total of 43 biologically unrelated young male transsexuals and 49 age-gender matched non-transsexuals participated in the study. All subjects completed Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS), Self-Esteem Scale (SES) and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-III).

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD: Ala-9Val) gene polymorphism and mood disorders: a preliminary study.

This study examined the relationship between a MnSOD gene (MnSOD) polymorphism (Ala-9Val) and mood disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar I disorder (BD). Eighty patients with BD, 61 patients with MDD and 106 healthy controls were enrolled in this study and genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction-based method. The patients with MDD and BD, and the controls had a similar distribution of the genotypes and alleles in the Ala-9Val MnSOD polymorphism.