Exploring transfer effects on memory and its neural mechanisms through a computerized cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment: randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Computerized cognitive training (CCT) has been proposed as a potential therapy for cognitive decline. One of the benefits of CCT is a transfer effect, but its mechanism on the memory domain is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the transfer effect of non-memory multidomain CCT on the memory domain and its neural basis in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Patients with MCI recruited from memory clinics were randomly assigned to either the CCT or the control group. The CCT group received multidomain CCT training excluding memory training, while the control group read educational books with learning-based quizzes twice a week for 8 weeks. Participants underwent memory tests yielding a composite score, other cognitive domain tests, non-cognitive scales, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI), at baseline and after intervention. Within- and between-group comparisons, group × time interactions, and seed-to-voxel analyses in memory-involving brain networks were performed. RESULTS: The CCT group showed improvement over the control group in memory domain (Group × time, F = 5.87, P = 0.03, η2 = 0.31), which was related with the increased connectivity in the hippocampal-frontal and fusiform-occipital network. No other cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms differed between groups after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSION: Eight weeks of multidomain CCT without memory training improved memory function and restored functional network in the hippocampal and medial temporal region in MCI patients. These results can provide evidence for the transferring ability of CCT on memory functioning with its neural basis.

The Effect of Bright Light Therapy on Sleep and Quality of Life in Patients With Poststroke Insomnia.

OBJECTIVE: Poststroke insomnia is common and negatively affects stroke recovery. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of bright light therapy for mild-to-moderate stroke patients with insomnia. METHODS: This study was randomized, double blind, and placebo controlled. A 2-week trial was conducted on patients with mild-to-moderate stroke who had poststroke insomnia. Only patients who had experienced a first episode of stroke were enrolled in this study. Sleep parameters were measured using the Actiwatch Spectrum Pro for 7 days before and after light therapy. The instrument specifically collected data concerning sleep, mood state, fatigue, and subjective quality of life. Participants with poststroke insomnia received bright light therapy (10,000 lux) or placebo therapy for 30 minutes in the early morning. A total of 112 eligible participants entered the study, but only 56 patients were randomized to treatment (27 to bright light therapy and 29 to placebo therapy). RESULTS: Results from analysis of variance showed that the mean change of sleep latency (F(1,55) =4.793, p = .033) and sleep efficiency (F(1,55) = 5.625, p = .022) were significantly superior in bright light therapy over placebo. Bright light therapy resulted in significant improvements in daytime sleepiness, fatigue, mood, and quality of life in study participants (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Bright light therapy is a nonpharmacological treatment of early, poststroke insomnia in patients who had a mild to moderate stroke. In addition, bright light therapy is effective for the treatment of daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and depression and for improving quality of life in patients with poststroke insomnia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04721574.

Variables Affecting Attitudes Toward Suicide Among the Adolescent Population.

Past research has supported the positive association between prosuicide attitudes and suicidal behavior. The aim of the present study was to determine the factor structure of adolescents' attitudes toward suicide and to explore correlates associated with their attitudes. A questionnaire was distributed to 1292 adolescents at eight middle schools to assess their demographic information, clinical variables, and attitudes toward suicide. After factor analysis, we reached a four-factor solution of the attitudes toward suicide. Significantly more females, nonreligious adolescents, those with a lower socioeconomic status, those with higher levels of depressive symptoms, and those with a history of suicidal ideation/plans had more understanding attitudes toward suicide. Depressive adolescents were also more permissive and believed that suicides were unpreventable and that loneliness led to suicide. In conclusion, adolescents' attitudes toward suicide were significantly associated with not only various sociodemographic correlates but also the severity of depressive symptoms and their own experiences of suicidality.

Cognitive reserve and the effects of virtual reality-based cognitive training on elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment and normal cognition.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive reserve (CR) is a concept proposed to account for discrepancies between the extent of brain pathology and clinical manifestations of that pathology. This study aimed to explore the associations between CR and the effects of cognitive training using fully immersive virtual reality (VR). METHODS: A total of 44 older adults (22 cognitively normal, 22 with mild cognitive impairment) underwent eight cognitive training sessions using VR for a period of 4 weeks. CR was assessed using the Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq). To evaluate baseline cognitive function and the effects of VR training, the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) neuropsychological battery was administered to all participants before and after the training. RESULTS: Greater improvement in the total CERAD score was seen for cognitively normal participants with higher versus lower scores on the Education subdomain of the CRIq. Among patients with mild cognitive impairment, none of the CRIq subdomain scores (Education, Working Activity, Leisure Time) were related to a change in CERAD total scores. The CRIq total score did not predict the improvement of global cognition in either group. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed different impacts of CR on cognitive training according to the participants' cognitive status. It also suggests that employing three proxies of CR rather than using a composite score would provide a more accurate understanding of one's CR.

Relationship between subjective memory complaint and executive function in a community sample of South Korean elderly.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between subjective memory complaint (SMC) and executive function in a community sample of South Korean elderly. METHOD: Data for 1442 non-cognitive impaired elderly individuals aged 65 and over were selected from a nationwide dementia epidemiological study conducted in South Korea. Global cognitive function was assessed by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-KC). The registration and recall subscales of the MMSE were used for evaluating memory function. Executive function was measured by using the Initiation/Perseveration (IP) subscale of the Korean dementia rating scale (K-DRS). RESULTS: Of the 1442 participants, 1088 were in the normal control group and 354 were in the SMC group. In the SMC group, compared to the normal control group, the proportion of depression was significantly higher, total MMSE scores, delayed recall score and total IP scores were significantly lower, and the mean scores of complex/simple verbal IP, alternating movements, and graphomotor design were lower. In the unadjusted linear regression model, the SMC significantly associated with a lower score of total MMSE-KC, MMSE delayed recall, K-DRS IP, complex/simple verbal IP, alternating movements and graphomotor design. After adjusting for age, gender, education, marital status, alcohol consumption, smoking behaviour, and depression, the SMC were significantly associated with lower total MMSE score, MMSE delayed recall, K-DRS IP, and K-DRS complex/simple verbal IP. CONCLUSION: In this population-based sample, individuals with SMC had evidence of lower performance on global cognition, memory function, and executive function, especially verbal fluency, after adjusting for demographic variables and depression.

Relationship between physicians' perceived stigma toward depression and physician referral to psycho-oncology services on an oncology/hematology ward.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to identify relationships between physicians' perceived stigma toward depression and psycho-oncology service utilization on an oncology/hematology ward. METHODS: The study participants were 235 patients in an oncology/hematology ward and 14 physicians undergoing an internal medicine residency training program in Inha University Hospital (Incheon, South Korea). Patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and residents completed the Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination scale that evaluates perceived stigma toward depression. A total PHQ-9 score of ≥5 was defined as clinically significant depression. Physicians decided on referral on the basis of their opinions and those of their patients. The correlates of physicians' recommendation for referral to psycho-oncology services and real referrals psycho-oncology services were examined. RESULTS: Of the 235 patients, 143 had PHQ-9 determined depression, and of these 143 patients, 61 received psycho-oncology services. Physicians recommended that 87 patients consult psycho-oncology services. Multivariate analyses showed that lower physicians' perceived stigma regarding depression was significantly associated with physicians' recommendation for referral, and that real referral to psycho-oncology services was significantly associated with presence of a hematologic malignancy and lower physicians' perceived stigma toward depression. CONCLUSION: Physicians' perceived stigma toward depression was found to be associated with real referral to psycho-oncology services and with physician recommendation for referral to psycho-oncology services. Further investigations will be needed to examine how to reduce physicians' perceived stigma toward depression.

Adverse Events With Sustained-Release Donepezil in Alzheimer Disease: Relation to Body Mass Index.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Sustained-release, high-dose (23 mg/d) donepezil has been approved for treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer disease (AD). Based on a previous clinical trial, body weight of less than 55 kg is a risk factor for adverse events with donepezil 23 mg/d treatment in global population. METHODS/PROCEDURES: To clarify whether this finding is consistent across ethnic groups that vary in absolute body mass, we recruited Korean patients aged 45 to 90 years with moderate to severe AD who had been receiving standard donepezil immediate release 10 mg/d for at least 3 months. After screening, we analyzed a final cohort of 166 patients who received donepezil 23 mg/d for 24 weeks to compare the occurrence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) between patients with high versus low body mass index (BMI) based on the World Health Organization overweight criteria for Asian populations (23 kg/m). FINDINGS/RESULTS: Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported by 79.45% of patients in the lower BMI group and 58.06% of patients in the higher BMI group (odds ratio, 2.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-5.63; χ = 7.58, P = 0.006). In a multivariable survival analysis, the group with lower BMI showed a higher occurrence of TEAEs (hazard ratio, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-2.68; P = 0.002). IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: In Korean patients with moderate to severe AD receiving high-dose donepezil over 24 weeks, TEAEs were significantly more common in those with lower BMI (not clinically overweight), especially nausea. This finding may inform clinical practice for Asian patients.

Prevalence Rates of Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment Are Affected by the Diagnostic Parameter Changes for Neurocognitive Disorders in the DSM-5 in a Korean Population.

AIM: To examine the impact of the revised diagnostic criteria for neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) on the prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: A total of 755 participants aged 65 years or older in the Nationwide Survey on Dementia Epidemiology in Korea 2012 were rediagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria. RESULTS: The estimated age-, gender-, education-, and urbanicity-standardized prevalence rates of major and mild NCDs were 8.35 and 11.10%, respectively, and those of dementia and MCI were 8.74 and 31.85%, respectively. Cohen's κ for dementia and major NCD was 0.988, and that for MCI and mild NCD was 0.273. CONCLUSION: Diagnostic discrepancies between major/mild NCDs and dementia/MCI might depend on the operationalization of neuropsychological performance criteria.

The role of depression in the insomnia of people with subjective memory impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia in a community sample of elderly individuals in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the relationship between insomnia and cognitive dysfunctions including, subjective memory impairment (SMI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia, by considering depression in a community sample of elderly individuals. METHODS: Data for 1,740 elderly individuals aged 65 years and over were obtained from a nationwide dementia epidemiological study conducted in South Korea. Cognitive functional status was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet Clinical Assessment Battery. Insomnia was defined as the presence of at least one of the four sleep complaints (difficulty in initiating sleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, and non-restorative sleep), accompanied by moderate to severe daytime consequences. Depression was evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of insomnia in the patients with SMI, MCI, and dementia was found to be 23.2%, 19.6%, and 31.0%, respectively. The patients with SMI, MCI, and dementia were significantly more likely to have insomnia and the four sleep complaints than the normal comparison patients. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, the significant relationships between cognitive dysfunctional status and insomnia remained. However, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and depression, no significant relationships with any of the sleep complaints or insomnia remained. CONCLUSION: Insomnia is a very common complaint in the elderly with SMI, MCI, and dementia. Depression might play an important factor in the relationship between insomnia and cognitive dysfunctional status in the elderly.

Association of Overweight with the Prevalence of Lifetime Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidality: General Population-based Study in Korea.

Many epidemiological studies suggest that overweight is associated with an elevated risk of psychiatric disorders and suicidal tendency. However, findings vary across studies, and some have contradictory results. We investigated the relationship of overweight with a range of psychiatric disorders and suicidality in the Korean general population. A multistage cluster sampling design was adopted. A total of 6,022 participants aged 18-74 years completed face-to-face interviews (response rate: 78.7%) including assessment of psychiatric disorders, suicidality, and height and weight. Overweight (defined as body mass index of ≥ 25) was associated with an increase in the lifetime prevalence of depressive disorders (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.77), suicidal ideation (AOR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.20-1.68), and suicidal plans (AOR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.02-2.03), controlling for sociodemographic variables. Subgroup analysis found that the association between overweight and depressive disorders exists only in women aged 18-44 years (AOR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.07-2.89) while the association of overweight with suicidal ideation (AOR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.53-2.82) and suicide plans (AOR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.25-5.37) existed only in men aged 18-44 years. Overweight was associated with increased odds of nicotine use disorders in women aged 18-44 years (AOR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.02-5.43), but the association was in the opposite direction in men aged 45-74 years (AOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43-0.94). In conclusion, overweight is related to various psychiatric disorders and suicidality in Korea. Policy makers and clinicians should pay more attention to the mental health of overweight individuals.

Gender Differences in Depressive Symptom Profile: Results from Nationwide General Population Surveys in Korea.

This study investigated gender differences in symptom profiles of major depressive disorder (MDD) in the Korean general population. Data were pooled from the series of nationwide Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area surveys conducted in 2001, 2006 and 2011, respectively. Of the 18,807 participants, 507 (397 women and 110 men) were diagnosed with MDD within the prior 12 months. In agreement with previous studies, women with MDD appeared to be more vulnerable to experiencing atypical depressive episodes defined as depression with two or more symptoms of fatigue, increased appetite and hypersomnia (P < 0.001). In terms of individual symptoms, female gender was significantly related with higher prevalence of fatigue (P = 0.008), hypersomnia (P = 0.001), noticeable psychomotor retardation (P = 0.029) and suicidal attempts (P = 0.016) with adjustment for birth cohort effect, partner status, and employment status. In the same analysis, men with MDD appeared more vulnerable to decreased libido than women (P = 0.009). This is the first report to demonstrate gender differences in symptomatology of MDD in the general Korean population, and the results are comparable to previous investigations from western societies. Assumingly, the intercultural similarity in female preponderance to atypical depression might reflect the common biological construct underlying the gender difference in mechanism of MDD. In clinical settings, gender differences of MDD should be carefully considered, because these features could be related with treatment response and drug side effects.

Sleep duration and associated factors in a community sample of elderly individuals in Korea.

BACKGROUND: This study estimates the duration of sleep and its relationships with clinical correlates in a community sample of elderly individuals in Korea. METHODS: A total of 1924 individuals aged 65 and over were interviewed in Korea. Sleep durations were classified into five categories: 5.00 h or less, 6.00 h per day, 7.00 h per day, 8.00 h per day, and 9.00 h or more per day. Sleep disturbance was classified into four sleep complaints: difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early-morning awakening, and non-restorative sleep. The Mini-Mental Status Examination, the Geriatric Depression Scale, and questionnaires about the presence of cardiovascular disease were employed. RESULTS: The most frequent self-reported sleep duration was 7.00 h. The mean sleep duration was 6.46 h. Female subjects, subjects between the ages of 75 and 79, and subjects with current depression were associated with sleeping for 6.00 h or less or 9.00 h or more. Subjects who lived alone and those with cardiovascular disease were associated with sleeping for 5.00 h or less. Subjects aged 80 and over, formally educated subjects, current smokers, and subjects with cognitive dysfunction were associated with sleeping for 9.00 h or more. Sleep disturbances according to sleep duration has a U-shaped distribution. We found that all sleep disturbances were significantly related to sleep durations of 6.00 h or less compared to sleep durations of 7.00 h. We also found that non-restorative sleep was significantly related to sleep durations of 8.00 h or more compared to sleep durations of 7.00 h. CONCLUSION: A relatively high prevalence of short or long sleep duration was identified. Various sociodemographic variables influenced sleep duration. Depression, cognitive dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease were associated with short or long sleep duration. Careful attention should be paid to the health of elderly individuals who are short or long sleepers.

Impact of illiteracy on depression symptomatology in community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: In many countries, illiteracy rates among aged people are quite high. However, only few studies have specifically investigated the impact of illiteracy on depression. METHODS: Data for 1,890 elderly individuals (aged ≥65 years) were obtained from a nationwide dementia epidemiological study conducted in South Korea. Based on their reading ability, the participants were divided into three groups: totally illiterate, partially illiterate, and literate. The Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale - Short Form (SGDS-K) was used to detect depression (cut-off score = 8). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between illiteracy and depression. To explore clinical features of depression in illiterate people, we performed logistic regression to calculate odds ratios of positive responses (or negative responses to reverse-coded items) for each SGDS-K item using literate individuals as the reference group. RESULTS: Totally illiterate participants had 2.41 times the odds and partially illiterate individuals had 1.59 times the odds of being depressed compared with literate participants after controlling for other variables. Compared with literate individuals, illiterate elderly persons were at increased odds for responding negatively to the majority of SGDS-K items, including "having memory problems," "others are better off than me," and "feeling worthless" even after controlling for various demographic and clinical factors. CONCLUSIONS: Illiteracy in elderly individuals was associated with a higher rate and increased severity of depression. Illiteracy negatively affected depression symptomatology, especially factors associated with self-esteem. Therefore, clinicians should carefully monitor for the presence of depression in illiterate elderly adults.

Differences in psychiatric symptoms among Asian patients with depression: a multi-country cross-sectional study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the symptomatic and clinical features of depression among five groups of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) living in China, Korea, Malaysia/Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. METHODS: Consecutive consenting adults (aged 18-65) who met DSM-IV criteria for non-psychotic MDD ­ based on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview ­ and who were free of psychotropic medication were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the 10-item Montgomery­Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the 13-item depression subscale of the Symptoms Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R). In addition, the 10-item SCL-90-R Anxiety Subscale was completed. ancova were conducted, adjusting for confounders: age, completion of secondary education, marital status, work status, religion, index episode duration, and depressive severity. For the magnitude of differences, a threshold of 0.10 was taken as the minimum effect size representing clinical significance, and an effect size of 0.25 was considered moderate. RESULTS: Four MADRS symptoms differentiated these five groups, the most prominent being 'lassitude' and 'inner tension'. Nine SCL-90-R depression items also differentiated the groups, as did eight SCL-90-R Anxiety Subscale items. The MADRS lassitude item had the largest effect size (0.131). The rest of those statistically significant differences did not exceed 0.10. CONCLUSION: MDD is more similar than different among outpatients in these diverse Asian countries. The between-country differences, while present and not due to chance, are small enough to enable the use of common clinician and self-report rating scales in studies involving Asians with MDD from various ethnic backgrounds.

Prevalence of insomnia and associated factors in a community sample of elderly individuals in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is a common psychiatric complaint among elderly individuals. This study investigates the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of insomnia by considering a community sample of elderly individuals in South Korea. METHODS: A face-to-face household survey was conducted in five regions of South Korea from June 2008 to August 2008. Among a total of 3,074 individuals aged 65 years and over, 2,002 participants were interviewed. The presence of insomnia was defined as having at least one of four sleep complaints that included difficulty in initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty in maintaining sleep (DMS), early morning awakening (EMA), and non-restorative sleep (NRS) more than three times per week in the last month. The Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Questionnaire, a short form of the Geriatric Depression scale (GDS), and a medical review of systems were implemented. RESULTS: Insomnia was found in 29.2% of the participants. DIS, DMS, EMA, and NRS accounted for 19.4%, 21.7%, 19.6%, and 8.0% of the participants respectively. Insomnia accompanied by daytime consequences accounted for 17.1% of the participants. The participants who were females, had no education, lived alone, showed symptoms of RLS or depression, and had a lifetime history of physical illness were significantly more likely to report insomnia. The prevalence of DIS, DMS, EMA, or insomnia increased slightly with age, whereas that of NRS decreased slightly. The lifetime history of head trauma, hyperlipidemia, heart disease, anemia, or depression was significantly related to insomnia. CONCLUSION: Sleep problems are common among elderly individuals and are closely related to their lifetime history of physical illness.

Relationship of oestrogen receptor status to depressive symptoms and quality of life in breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relationship of oestrogen receptor (ER) status to the severity of depressive symptoms and quality of life (QOL) impairment in breast cancer patients. METHODS: Seventy-seven breast cancer patients with comorbid depression were evaluated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness (CGI-S) for depression, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B). ER status was determined using immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: The ER-positive group (n = 31) showed significantly higher scores compared with the ER-negative group (n = 46) on HAMD total (p = 0.04) and somatic anxiety factor (p = 0.004) scores as well as CGI-S score (p = 0.03). As for QOL measured with the FACT-B, a significantly higher score was found on the Functional Well-Being (FWB) subscale in the ER-positive group (p = 0.001). The relationships were further analysed using generalised linear models (GLM), after controlling for the influence of the current anti-oestrogen treatment. The analysis revealed that ER status was still significantly related to the FWB subscale score of the FACT-B (p = 0.04). However, the HAMD and CGI-S scores were no longer significantly related to ER status after the influence of anti-oestrogen treatment was controlled for. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ER status, which is a well-known biological prognostic factor in breast cancer, may be related to the severity of certain aspects of depressive symptoms or QOL impairment, implying a role of the ER in affective and behavioural regulation. However, anti-oestrogen treatments significantly influence these relationships.

Restless legs syndrome in older people: a community-based study on its prevalence and association with major depressive disorder in older Korean adults.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and its relationship with the demographic variables in an older Korean population were examined. METHODS: A face-to-face household survey was conducted in five different regions of Korea from June 2008 to August 2008. Among a total of 3074 individuals who were aged more than 65, 1990 participants were interviewed, and the response rate was 64.7%. The diagnosis of RLS was made using an RLS questionnaire. The medical review of systems was assessed by a self-report questionnaire containing 15 items. Depression was diagnosed with the diagnostic section of depressive disorder of the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and the short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). RESULTS: The prevalence of RLS in the older Korean population was 9.5% (men, 7.1%; women, 11.3%). RLS had a significant association with anemia (odds ratio (OR), 1.66; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.29-2.12; P < 0.001) and renal diseases (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.95-3.38; P < 0.001). RLS seemed to have a significant relationship with depression by using the CIDI (adjusted OR 2.01; 95% CI, 1.45-2.79. P < 0.001) and GDS (adjusted OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.34-1.94; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Restless legs syndrome might be a risk factor for major depressive disorder in older Koreans. Future investigations should focus on the causality and mechanism underlying the relationship between RLS and major depressive disorder.

Interactive influences of demographics on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the demographics-adjusted norms for MMSE in elderly Koreans.

BACKGROUND: The influences of demographics, culture, language, and environmental changes on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores are considerable. METHODS: Using a sample of 7452 healthy, community-dwelling elderly Koreans, aged 55 to 94 years, who participated in the four ongoing geriatric cohorts in Korea, we investigated demographic influences on MMSE scores and derived normative data for this population. Geropsychiatrists strictly excluded subjects with cognitive disorders according to the protocol of the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (CERAD-K) Clinical Assessment Battery (CERAD-K-C). RESULTS: Education (standardized ß = 0.463), age (standardized ß = -0.303), and gender (standardized ß = -0.057) had significant effects on MMSE scores (p < 0.001). The score of MMSE increase 0.379 point per 1-year education, decrease 0.188 per 1-year older, and decrease 0.491 in women compared to men. Education explained 30.4% of the scores' total variance, which was much larger than the variances explained by age (8.4%) or gender (0.3%). Accordingly, we present normative data for the MMSE stratified by education (0, 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and ≥ 13 years), age (60-69, 70-79, and 80-89 years), and gender. CONCLUSIONS: We provide contemporary education-, age-, and gender-stratified norms for the MMSE, derived from a large, community-dwelling elderly Korean population sample, which could be useful in evaluating individual MMSE scores.

Prevalence, correlates, comorbidities, and suicidal tendencies of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in a nationwide sample of Korean women.

PURPOSE: We examined the prevalence, correlates, comorbidities, and suicidal tendencies of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) according to the DSM-IV criteria in a nationwide sample of Korean women. METHODS: A total of 2,499 women aged 18-64 years participated in this study. Diagnostic assessments were based on the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) 2.1 and its 12-month PMDD diagnostic module, which were administered by lay interviewers. The frequencies of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders, insomnia, and suicidal tendency were analyzed among PMDD cases and compared with non-PMDD cases, and both odds ratios and significance levels were calculated. RESULTS: The 12-month prevalence rate of DSM-IV-diagnosed PMDD was 2.4 %. Among subjects with PMDD, 59.3 % had at least one psychiatric illness; in comparison, the control frequency was 21.8 %. Associations between PMDD and alcohol abuse/dependence, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, somatoform disorder, insomnia, and suicidality were overwhelmingly positive and significant (p < 0.05), after controlling for age. Physical illness and being underweight were associated with increased risks of PMDD (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PMDD was prevalent in the nationwide sample of Korean women and was frequently associated with other psychiatric disorders, insomnia, and suicidality, suggesting the need to detect and treat women who experience PMDD.

DSM-IV psychiatric comorbidity according to symptoms of insomnia: a nationwide sample of Korean adults.

PURPOSE: The diagnosis of insomnia is based on the presence of four different symptoms: difficulty in initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty in maintaining sleep (DMS), early morning awakening (EMA), and non-restorative sleep (NRS). This study investigated the differences in sociodemographic correlates and psychiatric comorbidity between the four symptoms of insomnia in the general population of South Korea. METHODS: A sample of the population aged 18-64 (N = 6,510) was questioned using a face-to-face interview. Insomnia was defined as having at least one of the four following symptoms three or more times per week: DIS, DMS, EMA, and NRS. Psychiatric disorders were evaluated using the Korean version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Logistic regression analysis was used to test each of the sleep outcomes (DIS, DMS, EMA, or NRS) for an association with sociodemographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of DIS, DMS, EMA, and NRS were 7.9 % (95 % CI 6.6-9.5 %), 7.9 % (95 % CI 6.5-9.6 %), 4.9 % (95 % CI 3.9-6.0 %), and 14.8 % (95 % CI 12.6-17.4 %), respectively. The overall prevalence of insomnia was 19.0 % (95 % CI 16.1-22.2 %). Being separated, divorced, or widowed, being single, having a part-time job, having a psychiatric illness, and having a physical illness were all significantly related to insomnia. Older age also increased the risk of DMS and EMA, and younger age was a risk factor for NRS. The presence of most psychiatric disorders was significantly related to insomnia. However, the relationship between the psychiatric illness and each insomnia symptom varied and was dependent on the insomnia symptom. CONCLUSIONS: Most psychiatric disorders were significantly associated with each insomnia symptom in different ways. Differences in sociodemographic and clinical correlates between the four insomnia symptoms implied the heterogeneous characteristics of insomnia as defined by the current diagnostic criteria.