Korean Validation of the Short Version of the TEMPS-A (Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire) in Patients with Mood Disorders.

Background And Objectives: The Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) is designed to assess affective temperaments. The short version of the TEMPS-A (TEMPS-A-SV) has been translated into various languages for use in research and clinical settings. However, no research has been conducted to validate the Korean version of the TEMPS-A-SV in patients with mood disorders.

Korean Validation of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire.

Objective: The Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) has been validated in more than 30 languages and is noted for its broad application in research and clinical settings. This study presents the first attempt to examine the reliability and validity of the TEMPS-A in Korea.

Methods: A total of 540 non-clinical participants completed the Korean TEMPS-A, which was adapted from the original English version via a comprehensive translation procedure.

The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Mandala Coloring, Made in Nature, on Chronic Widespread Musculoskeletal Pain: Randomized Trial.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of mindfulness-based mandala coloring made within nature on individuals with chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain (CWP). Thirty-six participants were randomly allocated. In the experimental group, identical interventions and procedures were administered for each experiment.

Real-world data analysis of the clinical and economic burden and risk factors in patients with major depressive disorder with an inadequate response to initial antidepressants.

Aim: We aimed to determine the incidence of and identify the factors associated with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), psychiatric conditions, hospitalization, and cost in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who were treated using second-line strategies after an inadequate response to initial antidepressants (AD).

Materials And Methods: Using South Korean National Health Insurance claims data (1 January 2013 to 30 June 2018), we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis in newly treated patients with MDD who subsequently switched or added AD, or added atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) as a second-line treatment. We assessed the incidence of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), psychiatric conditions, and hospitalization for the first 2 years and costs in the third year.

Transglutaminase 2 Depletion Attenuates α-Synuclein Mediated Toxicity in Mice.

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is a key pathogenic protein in α-synucleinopathies including Parkinson disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies. The aggregation of α-Syn is believed to be deleterious and a critical step leading to neuronal dysfunction and death. One of the factors that may contribute to the initial steps of this aggregation is crosslinking through transglutaminase 2 (TG2).

Role of striatal ΔFosB in l-Dopa-induced dyskinesias of parkinsonian nonhuman primates.

Long-term dopamine (DA) replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease (PD) leads to the development of abnormal involuntary movements known as l-Dopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). The transcription factor ΔFosB that is highly up-regulated in the striatum following chronic l-Dopa exposure may participate in the mechanisms of altered neuronal responses to DA generating LID. To identify intrinsic effects of elevated ΔFosB on l-Dopa responses, we induced transgenic ΔFosB overexpression in the striatum of parkinsonian nonhuman primates kept naïve of l-Dopa treatment.

What Is It to Be Mentally Healthy from the North Korean Refugees' Perspective?: Qualitative Research on the Changes in Mental Health Awareness among the North Korean Refugees.

Objective: We investigated how mental health awareness among North Korean refugees transformed depending on temporal-spatial context changes.

Methods: In 2013, we conducted interviews with 10 refugees (eight women) who had been in South Korea for over a year and performed a qualitative analysis of the change in mental health awareness in the differences between living in North Korea, escape (a related period of forced sojourn in a third country), and settlement in South Korea.

Results: We classified 39 concepts into five main categories.

Factors Related to the Attitude of North Korean Refugees Towards People with Mental Illness.

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the level of mental health knowledge among North Korean refugees residing in South Korea and to analyze the factors related to their attitude towards people with mental disorders.

Methods: The survey was conducted on 150 people and the analysis included results from 138 participants in 2013. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to analyze the factors related to the attitude towards people with mental illness.

Current status and future prospects of research and development operations in traditional and complementary and alternative medicine manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises: a 2014 company-based survey.

Background: Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have played key roles in the economic growth and technical innovation of traditional and complementary and alternative medicine (T&CM). Research and development (R&D) are critical activities for industrial progress. This study aimed to characterize the current status of SME R&D activities and to explore manufacturers' perceptions of R&D expansion.

Changes in trust and the use of Korean medicine in South Korea: a comparison of surveys in 2011 and 2014.

Background: Korean medicine (KM) has been widely used in Korea. This study aimed to assess the general perceptions of KM, to investigate the patterns of its usage in 2014, and to compare the results with those of an earlier survey from 2011.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1000 Korean people.

Comparison of Effect of Two-Hour Exposure to Forest and Urban Environments on Cytokine, Anti-Oxidant, and Stress Levels in Young Adults.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two-hour exposure to a forest environment on cytokine, anti-oxidant and stress levels among university students and to compare the results to those measured in urban environments. Forty-one subjects were recruited. For our crossover design, subjects were divided into two groups based on similar demographic characteristics.

The Efficacy and Safety of Clonazepam in Patients with Anxiety Disorder Taking Newer Antidepressants: A Multicenter Naturalistic Study.

Objective: This study compared the efficacy and tolerability of clonazepam with other benzodiazepines in patients with anxiety disorders.

Methods: Inclusion criteria were as follows: age >20 years, diagnosis of anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria, taking only one type of antidepressant, and prescribed one of three oral benzodiazepines (alprazolam, clonazepam, or lorazepam). At baseline and week 6, clinical benefit was evaluated using the Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S), Clinical Global Impression-Anxiety Scale (CGI-anxiety), and Clinical Global Impression-Sleep Scale (CGI-sleep).

Anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils extracted from Chamaecyparis obtusa on murine models of inflammation and RAW 264.7 cells.

Antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils extracted from Chamaecyparis obtusa (EOCO) have previously been reported. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects of EOCO were investigated in two murine models of inflammation: Carrageenan-induced paw edema and thioglycollate-induced peritonitis, and in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells.

The Effects of Forest Therapy on Coping with Chronic Widespread Pain: Physiological and Psychological Differences between Participants in a Forest Therapy Program and a Control Group.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a two-day forest therapy program on individuals with chronic widespread pain. Sixty one employees of a public organization providing building and facilities management services within the Seoul Metropolitan area participated in the study. Participants were assigned to an experimental group (n = 33) who participated in a forest therapy program or a control group (n = 28) on a non-random basis.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of essential oil extracted from Chamaecyparis obtusa in mice.

Essential oil extracted from Chamaecyparis obtusa (EOCO) consists of several monoterpenes with anti-inflammatory effects. Monoterpenes are expected to have an analgesic effect through inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators. The present study investigated the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of EOCO in animal models of pain.

Positive association between serious psychiatric outcomes and complications of diabetes mellitus in patients with depressive disorders.

Objectives: Depression and diabetes are closely biologically and behaviorally intertwined. We examined the impact of comorbid diabetes mellitus on the incidence of serious psychiatric outcomes among patients with depression.

Methods: We used claims data from the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service database of patients who were diagnosed with depression within one year of an index prescription for antidepressants between January 2007 and June 2008.

Perspectives on the Market Globalization of Korean Herbal Manufacturers: A Company-Based Survey.

The growth of herbal markets has increased substantially in South Korea, but the worldwide market share remains small despite significant governmental efforts. This study aimed to characterize manufacturing employment and identify employees' general perceptions of market expansion. A survey study covering 567 companies was conducted using face-to-face interviews in 2012.

Gender plays significant role in short-term heart rate variability.

This study examined the role of gender on short-term heart rate variability (HRV) and the correlation between subjective ratings of stress and HRV in healthy adults. Standardized short-term HRV measurement and self-administered stress response inventory (SRI) were obtained in 441 healthy women and 1440 healthy men. Hierarchical multiple regressions suggested that there was no gender by stress interaction in explaining HRV.

Influence of anxiety symptoms on improvement of neurocognitive functions in patients with major depressive disorder: A 12-week, multicenter, randomized trial of tianeptine versus escitalopram, the CAMPION study.

Background: Previous research has reported evidence that patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) show anxiety symptoms and neurocognitive impairments. However, the influence of anxiety on neurocognitive function in MDD patients during antidepressant treatment is unclear.

Method: MDD patients (n=164) completed a 12-week, multicenter, randomized trial assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either tianeptine or escitalopram.

The Prefrontal Cortex Activity and Psychological Effects of Viewing Forest Landscapes in Autumn Season.

Recently reported research indicate that forest environments have physiological and psychological relaxing effects compared to urban environments. However, some researchers claim that the stress of the subjects from being watched by others during measurements can affect the measurement result in urban experiments conducted in the center of a street. The present study was conducted to determine whether forest environments have physiological and psychological relaxing effects, using comparison of viewing a forest area with viewing an urban area from the roof of an urban building without being watched by others.

Dual κ-agonist/μ-antagonist opioid receptor modulation reduces levodopa-induced dyskinesia and corrects dysregulated striatal changes in the nonhuman primate model of Parkinson disease.

Objective: Effective medical management of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) remains an unmet need for patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Changes in opioid transmission in the basal ganglia associated with LID suggest a therapeutic opportunity. Here we determined the impact of modulating both mu and kappa opioid receptor signaling using the mixed agonist/antagonist analgesic nalbuphine in reducing LID and its molecular markers in the nonhuman primate model.