A prospective, open-label study to evaluate symptomatic remission in schizophrenia with risperidone long-acting injectable in Korea.

This study was designed to investigate long-term clinical outcomes of risperidone long-acting injectable (RLAI) in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. An open-label, 48-week, prospective study of RLAI treatment was carried out at 63 centers in South Korea. Initial and maintenance dosage of RLAI were adjusted according to clinical judgment.

G-protein beta3 Subunit Gene 825C/T Polymorphism Is Not Associated with Olanzapine-Induced Weight Gain in Korean Schizophrenic Patients.

Objective: Weight gain is a possible adverse effect of the use of antipsychotics, and is an important factor for long-term health and treatment compliance. Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic known to cause considerable weight gain. A relationship between weight gain and the G protein beta3 subunit gene (GNB3) 825C/T polymorphism has been reported.

Biological psychiatry in Korea.

Since the mid 1980s, the biological field of psychiatry has developed rapidly in Korea. Currently there are more than ten research societies in field of biological psychiatry including the Korean Society of Biological Psychiatry, the Korean Academy of Schizophrenia, and the Korean Society for Depressive and Bipolar disorders. These societies are actively engaged in research work and building close international relationships.

Weight gain associated with the alpha2a-adrenergic receptor -1,291 C/G polymorphism and olanzapine treatment.

Weight gain can be an adverse effect of antipsychotics and is an important factor for long-term health and treatment compliance. Many reports have shown that the alpha(2)-adrenergic receptor may be related to eating behaviors or lipolytic activities, both associated with body weight change. We hypothesized that there might be a relationship between the alpha(2a)-adrenergic receptor -1,291 C/G polymorphism and olanzapine-induced weight gain.

Quantitative EEG and low resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) imaging of patients with persistent auditory hallucinations.

Electrophysiological studies have demonstrated gamma and beta frequency oscillations in response to auditory stimuli. The purpose of this study was to test whether auditory hallucinations (AH) in schizophrenia patients reflect abnormalities in gamma and beta frequency oscillations and to investigate source generators of these abnormalities. This theory was tested using quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) and low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) source imaging.

A double blind study showing that two weeks of daily repetitive TMS over the left or right temporoparietal cortex reduces symptoms in patients with schizophrenia who are having treatment-refractory auditory hallucinations.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the left and right temporoparietal cortex compared with sham stimulation in schizophrenic patients with treatment-refractory auditory hallucinations (AH). Thirty-nine patients with schizophrenia with treatment-refractory AH were allocated randomly to one of three groups: daily left, right, and sham rTMS groups. rTMS was applied to the TP3 or 4 regions with the aid of the electroencephalography 10-20 international system at 1 Hz for 20 min per day for 10 treatment days.

Abnormal speech perception in schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations.

Background: The neurobiological mechanism of auditory hallucination (AH) in schizophrenia remains elusive, but AH can be caused by the abnormality in the speech perception system based on the speech perception neural network model.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether schizophrenic patients with AH have the speech processing impairment as compared with schizophrenic patients without AH, and whether the speech perception ability could be improved after AH had subsided.

Methods: Twenty-four schizophrenic patients with AH were compared with 25 schizophrenic patients without AH.