Neurocognitive Characteristics of Patients Who Visited a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Requesting Treatment for Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the neurocognitive characteristics of patients who visited an outpatient clinic requesting diagnosis and treatment for adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The patients' electronic medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Neurocognitive test results were compared using Student's t-test according to their chief complaint, depressive symptoms, childhood history, and intelligence quotient (IQ). Neurocognitive characteristics affecting subjective symptoms of ADHD were analyzed by linear regression. RESULTS: The study included 106 patients. They did not have significant deficits in neurocognitive tests. Patients with depressive symptoms showed more impulsive responses (hit reaction time [p=0.037] and commission error [p=0.024]) and self-reported ADHD symptoms (p=0.001). Verbal (p=0.036) and visual memory (p=0.020) were significantly deficient in patients with a childhood ADHD diagnosis. Patients with a low IQ had significant deficits in various domains. Depressive symptoms and vigilance were significantly related to subjective symptoms of ADHD (adjusted R2=0.430, ß=0.457, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Our results imply that the neurocognitive function of patients with subjective ADHD symptoms was not abnormal but was affected by depressive symptoms.

The Gangwon Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome Study: Methods and Initial Baseline Data.

Background: The prevalence of obesity has been continuously increasing, especially in rural areas of South Korea. Therefore, it is important to examine various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors associated with obesity in these rural areas. The Korean Society for the Study of Obesity commenced a community-based prospective cohort study of the Gangwon area called the Gangwon Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (GOMS) study to investigate longitudinal changes in the status of obesity and its related factors. Methods: A total of 317 adults 40-69 years of age were recruited from Hongcheon and Inje districts, Gangwon province, as part of the first wave of this cohort study. Information on participants' demographic, behavioral, psychological, dietary, and environmental factors and past medical histories were collected by self-administered questionnaires and interviewer-administered questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements, blood tests, and a hand grip strength test were performed, and skin keratin and stool samples were collected. Among the 317 enrolled subjects, two participants who did not have anthropometric data were excluded from the data analyses, resulting in an inclusion of a total of 315 participants. Results: The mean age of the 315 participants in the GOMS initial baseline survey was 58.5 years old, 87 of them were men, and the mean body mass index was 24.7±3.7 kg/m2. Among all participants, 48.9% had hypertension, 21.4% had diabetes mellitus (DM), 55.6% had dyslipidemia, and 46.0% had metabolic syndrome (MS). Both the prevalence rates of DM and MS were significantly higher in men. Conclusion: The first baseline survey of the GOMS study was initiated, and a more detailed analysis of respondents' data is expected to be continued. Further follow-up and additional recruitment will allow the investigation of risk factors and the etiology of obesity and its comorbidities in rural areas of Gangwon province.