Fusion of multiple self-diagnostic questionnaires into optimal diagnostic cut-offs and factor analysis for depression characterization of the Korean university student group.

Background: We were interested in developing a methodology for diagnosing the depression status of a focused population group, such as the Korean university student group, with higher accuracy. To this end, we proposed a method of fusing the data collected from multiple depression self-questionnaires aided by a psychiatrist's diagnosis. In particular, we found that the standard diagnostic cut-offs and factor analysis prepared for a general population by depression self-questionnaires are inadequate for a focused population with its unique cultural background.

Association of clozapine with structural and resting-state functional abnormalities of the hippocampus in chronic schizophrenia.

Introduction: Abnormalities in the hippocampus have been extensively reported in schizophrenia research. However, inconsistent findings exist, and how structural and functional abnormalities of the hippocampus are associated with clinical symptoms in schizophrenia, especially concerning clozapine treatment, remains uncertain.

Methods: We recruited 52 patients with schizophrenia, each with an illness duration of at least 5 years, and categorized them based on clozapine treatment.

Efficacy and Safety of Lurasidone vs. Quetiapine XR in Acutely Psychotic Patients With Schizophrenia in Korea: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled Trial.

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lurasidone (160 mg/day) compared to quetiapine XR (QXR; 600 mg/day) in the treatment of acutely psychotic patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of double-blind treatment with lurasidone 160 mg/day (n=105) or QXR 600 mg/day (n=105). Primary efficacy measure was the change from baseline to week 6 in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score and Clinical Global Impressions severity (CGI-S) score.

Topological abnormalities of the morphometric similarity network of the cerebral cortex in schizophrenia.

A morphometric similarity (MS) network can be constructed using multiple magnetic resonance imaging parameters of each cortical region. An MS network can be used to assess the similarity between cortical regions. Although MS networks can detect microstructural alterations and capture connections between histologically similar cortical areas, the influence of schizophrenia on the topological characteristics of MS networks remains unclear.

Association between heart rate variability metrics from a smartwatch and self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms: a four-week longitudinal study.

Background: Elucidating the association between heart rate variability (HRV) metrics obtained through non-invasive methods and mental health symptoms could provide an accessible approach to mental health monitoring. This study explores the correlation between HRV, estimated using photoplethysmography (PPG) signals, and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Methods: A 4-week longitudinal study was conducted among 47 participants.

Characteristics of Comorbid Physical Disease in Patients With Severe Mental Illness in South Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Study (2014-2019).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the associations of chronic physical disease between patients with severe mental illness (SMI) and the general population of South Korea.

Methods: This study was conducted with National Health Insurance Corporation data from 2014 to 2019. A total of 848,058 people were diagnosed with SMI in this period, and the same number of controls were established by matching by sex and age.

White matter tract alterations in schizophrenia identified by DTI-based probabilistic tractography: a multisite harmonisation study.

Introduction: It has been suggested that schizophrenia involves dysconnectivity between functional brain regions and also the white matter structural disorganisation. Thus, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has widely been used for studying schizophrenia. However, most previous studies have used the region of interest (ROI) based approach.

Structural impairment in superficial and deep white matter in schizophrenia.

Objective: Although disconnectivity among brain regions has been one of the main hypotheses for schizophrenia, the superficial white matter (SWM) has received less attention in schizophrenia research than the deep white matter (DWM) owing to the challenge of consistent reconstruction across subjects.

Methods: We obtained the diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data of 223 healthy controls and 143 patients with schizophrenia. After harmonising the raw dMRIs from three different studies, we performed whole-brain two-tensor tractography and fibre clustering on the tractography data.

Structural variability of the cerebral cortex in schizophrenia and its association with clinical symptoms.

Background: Substantial evidence indicates structural abnormalities in the cerebral cortex of patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), although their clinical implications remain unclear. Previous case-control studies have investigated group-level differences in structural abnormalities, although the study design cannot account for interindividual differences. Recent research has focused on the association between the heterogeneity of the cerebral cortex morphometric features and clinical heterogeneity.

Prolonged Unmet Mental Health Needs of the 2017 Pohang Earthquake Survivors.

Objective: Two years after the 2017 Pohang earthquake, some people sought follow-up mental health support. The demographic and clinical characteristics of this unique group of people were investigated to identify some insights on the predisposing factors of the longterm need for psychiatric help after a severe earthquake disaster.

Methods: De-identified data from those seeking mental health support 2 years after the 2017 Pohang earthquake were used.

Linguistic anomalies observed in the Sentence Completion Test in patients with schizophrenia.

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating disorder characterised by distorted thinking, perceptions, behaviours, and even language impairments. We investigated the linguistic anomalies in Korean schizophrenia patients compared to non-psychotic psychiatric controls to determine whether the linguistic anomalies in English speakers with schizophrenia were replicated in Korean speakers.

Methods: Thirty-four schizophrenia patients and 70 non-psychotic psychiatric controls were included in this study.

Characterization of the extracellular free water signal in schizophrenia using multi-site diffusion MRI harmonization.

Studies applying Free Water Imaging have consistently reported significant global increases in extracellular free water (FW) in populations of individuals with early psychosis. However, these published studies focused on homogenous clinical participant groups (e.g.

Linguistic anomalies in the language of patients with schizophrenia.

In terms of thought disorder, the language of patients with schizophrenia itself could be a valuable resource. Some valuable studies on the language of patients with schizophrenia have been performed. However, most such studies have been confined to English-speaking countries, or at least those where Indo-European languages are spoken.

Impact of the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of mental health services in South Korea: a nationwide, health insurance data-based study.

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected the utilization of mental health services. Existing evidence investigating this issue at the nationwide level is lacking, and it is uncertain whether the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of psychiatric services differs based on psychiatric diagnosis.

Methods: Data from the claims database between October 2015 and August 2020 was obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment agency in South Korea.

Delay in psychiatric hospitalization from the diagnosis of first-episode schizophrenia and its association with clinical outcomes and direct medical costs: a nationwide, health insurance data-based study.

Background: Early intervention is essential for improving the prognosis in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES). The Mental Health Act limits involuntary hospitalization in South Korea to cases where an individual exhibits both a mental disorder and a potential for harming themselves or others, which could result in a delay in the required treatment in FES. We investigated the effect of delay in the first psychiatric hospitalization on clinical outcomes in FES.

Cognitive deficits, clinical variables, and white matter microstructure in schizophrenia: a multisite harmonization study.

Cognitive deficits are among the best predictors of real-world functioning in schizophrenia. However, our understanding of how cognitive deficits relate to neuropathology and clinical presentation over the disease lifespan is limited. Here, we combine multi-site, harmonized cognitive, imaging, demographic, and clinical data from over 900 individuals to characterize a) cognitive deficits across the schizophrenia lifespan and b) the association between cognitive deficits, clinical presentation, and white matter (WM) microstructure.

One-Year Clinical Outcomes Following Electroconvulsive Therapy for Patients with Schizophrenia: A Nationwide Health Insurance Data-Based Study.

Background: Although the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the treatment of schizophrenia has decreased since the advent of antipsychotic drugs, ECT is still implemented in several clinical indications. However, a few population-based studies have examined its real-world effectiveness in schizophrenia.

Methods: We used data from 2010 to 2019 from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database in the Republic of Korea.

Surgical treatment of facial blushing: Patient selection and operative technique (retrospective observational study).

Surgeons are often reluctant to offer further intervention to patients with medically intractable facial blushing. This is mainly because of the relatively high failure rate of blushing resolution and a high incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis. In this study, we sought to identify the type of blushing that would benefit from surgery and minimize compensatory hyperhidrosis by applying diffuse sympathicotomy (DS).

Comparative effectiveness of antipsychotic monotherapy and polypharmacy in schizophrenia patients with clozapine treatment: A nationwide, health insurance data-based study.

Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). However, it remains uncertain whether antipsychotic augmentation to clozapine has the superior effectiveness over clozapine alone and the effect size of clozapine compared to other antipsychotic drugs in TRS. Therefore, we examined the comparative effectiveness of antipsychotic monotherapy and polypharmacy on the risk of psychiatric admission and treatment discontinuation in TRS.

Risk of treatment discontinuation and psychiatric hospitalization associated with early dose reduction of antipsychotic treatment in first-episode schizophrenia: A nationwide, health insurance data-based study.

Aim: We investigated the impact of early dose reduction of antipsychotic treatment on the risk of treatment discontinuation and psychiatric hospitalization in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES).

Methods: The Health Insurance Review Agency database in South Korea was used to include 16 153 patients with FES. At 6 months from their diagnosis, the patients were categorized by the magnitude of dose reduction (no reduction, 0%-50%, and >50%).

Diagnostic conversion from unipolar to bipolar affective disorder-A population-based study.

Objectives: It is essential to clinically distinguish bipolar affective disorder from unipolar affective disorders. However, patients previously diagnosed with unipolar affective disorder are sometimes later diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder, known as diagnostic conversion. Here we investigated diagnostic conversion using data from a nationwide population-based register.