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Objective@#This study investigates the longitudinal effects of changes in the associations between two distinct aspects of social connections—i.e., social connectedness and loneliness—on depressive symptoms among community-dwelling Korean adults. This study also examines whether these associations vary across three age groups (45–64, 65–74, and 75 or above). @*Methods@#Using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing collected between 2014 and 2020 (n=3,642 individuals), fixed effects models were used to examine the age-specific associations between the two distinct aspects of social connections and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale) while, accounting for time-invariant individual heterogeneity. Social connectedness is measured by asking the frequency of interactions with friends, relatives, or neighbors. @*Results@#The findings indicate that the impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms outweighs that of social disconnectedness. Notably, this study unveils age-specific patterns concerning the impact of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic on depressive symptoms and changes in the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms. Specifically, middle-aged individuals reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness along with a heightened impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms, despite maintaining stable social connections. Conversely, the oldest adults experienced reductions in both depressive symptoms and loneliness, despite a significant decrease in socializing. @*Conclusion@#These findings shed light on the differential effects of loneliness on depressive symptoms within distinct age groups before and during the pandemic. The implications of these findings are discussed with a focus on informing the development of targeted policy interventions tailored to the specific needs of different age groups.

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Objective@#We estimate the causal effect of social connectedness (i.e., the frequencies of meeting with friends, relatives, or neighbors) on cognitive function (the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Exam) among Korean older adults. @*Methods@#We used longitudinal panel data collected before and during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) to set up the fixed (FE) or random effect (RE) models. To overcome omitted variable bias or reverse causality, we used COVID-19 pandemic period as an instrumental variable to estimate the causal effect of social connectedness on cognitive function. @*Results@#Social distancing measures during the COVID-19 period decreased social interaction. The results showed that an increase in the frequency of social interaction led an increase in cognitive scores. Specifically, an increase of one unit in the frequency of meeting familiar people increased cognitive scores by 0.1470 and 0.5035 in the RE and FE models, respectively. @*Conclusion@#Social distancing policies due to the global pandemic may have increased the risk of social isolation and cognitive decline among older adults. The government and local communities need to increase their effort to develop way to connect adults through the remainder of the pandemic and beyond.

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Purpose@#This study analyzed the dietary patterns of Central Asian immigrant workers (Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan) living in South Korea to determine the food acculturation and how their dietary practices have changed after immigration. @*Methods@#Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 186 Central Asian immigrant workers living in South Korea. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain information on the consumption frequency of 22 food items before and after their immigration to Korea. @*Results@#Central Asians switched to Korean meat consumption patterns, which consume mainly pork, chicken, and beef, showing a decrease in the intake of beef and lamb and an increase in that of pork. Their consumption of Namul (cooked vegetable), Kimchi, rice, and marine products increased while that of potatoes decreased during acculturation to Korean food culture. Positive changes were observed in Mongolians’ eating habits. Their meat-based diet turned into a healthy one in which nutritional balance was achieved by consuming the various food groups. Negative dietary changes were also observed; intake of instant foods and coffee increased while black and green tea consumption decreased. Intake of Namul (p < 0.01), Kimchi (p < 0.01), rice (p < 0.001), ramen (p < 0.001), pork, chicken (p < 0.01), fish (p < 0.01), seafood (p < 0.001), and coffee (p < 0.001) increased significantly in the group that responded and their health improved after moving to Korea. This result suggests that health improved among those who were well settled in Korea and ate the various food groups. @*Conclusion@#These findings can help understand the acculturation process to Korean food culture and provide a basis for developing policies to help them adjust to Korean food culture.

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Purpose@#This study analyzed the dietary patterns of Central Asian immigrant workers (Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan) living in South Korea to determine the food acculturation and how their dietary practices have changed after immigration. @*Methods@#Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 186 Central Asian immigrant workers living in South Korea. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain information on the consumption frequency of 22 food items before and after their immigration to Korea. @*Results@#Central Asians switched to Korean meat consumption patterns, which consume mainly pork, chicken, and beef, showing a decrease in the intake of beef and lamb and an increase in that of pork. Their consumption of Namul (cooked vegetable), Kimchi, rice, and marine products increased while that of potatoes decreased during acculturation to Korean food culture. Positive changes were observed in Mongolians’ eating habits. Their meat-based diet turned into a healthy one in which nutritional balance was achieved by consuming the various food groups. Negative dietary changes were also observed; intake of instant foods and coffee increased while black and green tea consumption decreased. Intake of Namul (p < 0.01), Kimchi (p < 0.01), rice (p < 0.001), ramen (p < 0.001), pork, chicken (p < 0.01), fish (p < 0.01), seafood (p < 0.001), and coffee (p < 0.001) increased significantly in the group that responded and their health improved after moving to Korea. This result suggests that health improved among those who were well settled in Korea and ate the various food groups. @*Conclusion@#These findings can help understand the acculturation process to Korean food culture and provide a basis for developing policies to help them adjust to Korean food culture.

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BACKGROUND/AIMS: α-Synucleinopathy in the brain is the neuropathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the functional impact of α-synucleinopathy in the enteric nervous system remains unknown. We aim to evaluate the association between gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction and α-synuclein (αSYN) pathology in the stomach and colon of PD patients and controls, as well as to investigate the association between the αSYN pathology in GI tract and future PD risk. METHODS: A total of 35 PD patients and 52 neurologically intact subjects were enrolled in this study. Endoscopic biopsies were performed, and then immunohistochemical staining for αSYN was performed. All subjects completed the validated Rome III questionnaire for the assessment of GI symptoms. The association between GI symptoms and the αSYN pathology in GI mucosa was evaluated. Incident PD cases were assessed during a median follow-up of 46 months. RESULTS: The proportion of self-reported constipation and functional constipation through the Rome III questionnaire was significantly higher in PD patients than in controls (P 0.05). No incident PD cases were diagnosed during study period. CONCLUSIONS: Our present study suggests that the deposition of αSYN in the mucosal enteric nervous system may not be reflected by functional impairment of the affected segment of the gut.

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OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic and adverse effects of globus pallidus interna (GPi) and subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with PD who underwent GPi (n = 14) or STN (n = 28) DBS surgery between April 2002 and May 2014. The subjects were matched for age at surgery and disease duration. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores and levodopa equivalent dose (LED) at baseline and 12 months after surgery were used to assess the therapeutic effects of DBS. Adverse effects were also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: At 12 months, the mean changes in the UPDRS total and part I–IV scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, the subscores for gait disturbance/postural instability and dyskinesia were significantly more improved after GPi DBS than those after STN DBS (p = 0.024 and 0.016, respectively). The LED was significantly more reduced in patients after STN DBS than that after GPi DBS (p = 0.004). Serious adverse effects did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.697). CONCLUSION: The patients with PD showed greater improvement in gait disturbance/postural instability and dyskinesia after GPi DBS compared with those after STN DBS, although the patients had a greater reduction in LED after STN DBS. These results may provide useful information for optimal target selection for DBS in PD.

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Oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD) is a rare autosomal dominant inherited disease caused by mutations of the human gap junction alpha 1 gene, which encodes the protein Connexin-43. Patients with ODDD may present with neurological deficits with a typical pleiotropic combination of characteristic craniofacial, ophthalmological, phalangeal, and dental anomalies. In this report, we describe the first genetically confirmed Korean ODDD patient, who presented with spastic paraparesis. We will also review the neurological aspects of ODDD as reported in the literature.

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Jeavons syndrome is one of the underrecognized epileptic syndromes, characterized by eyelid myoclonia with or without absence seizures, eye closure-induced seizures, electroencephalography (EEG) paroxysms, and photosensitivity. This syndrome is considered to be among idiopathic generalized epilepsies, but the underlying pathophysiology is unknown. Recent studies using functional MRI and EEG have suggested an important role of both thalamus and occipital cortex in the fundamental pathophysiology underlying Jeavons syndrome. We described here a patient with typical Jeavons syndrome, in whom SPCET studies performed ictally and interictally revealed ictal hyperperfusion mainly confined to the both occipital and parietal cortices and ictal hypoperfusion in the diffuse frontal and temporal cortices. Our SPECT findings of ictal hyperperfusion in occipital and parietal cortices and ictal hypoperfusion in widespread cortices are, to certain degree, in line with previous EEG and fMRI studies, suggesting that the interactions between occipital and other cortical areas might be implicated in generalized spike-waves generation and a photosensitivity in Jeavons syndrome.

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Jeavons syndrome is one of the underrecognized epileptic syndromes, characterized by eyelid myoclonia with or without absence seizures, eye closure-induced seizures, electroencephalography (EEG) paroxysms, and photosensitivity. This syndrome is considered to be among idiopathic generalized epilepsies, but the underlying pathophysiology is unknown. Recent studies using functional MRI and EEG have suggested an important role of both thalamus and occipital cortex in the fundamental pathophysiology underlying Jeavons syndrome. We described here a patient with typical Jeavons syndrome, in whom SPCET studies performed ictally and interictally revealed ictal hyperperfusion mainly confined to the both occipital and parietal cortices and ictal hypoperfusion in the diffuse frontal and temporal cortices. Our SPECT findings of ictal hyperperfusion in occipital and parietal cortices and ictal hypoperfusion in widespread cortices are, to certain degree, in line with previous EEG and fMRI studies, suggesting that the interactions between occipital and other cortical areas might be implicated in generalized spike-waves generation and a photosensitivity in Jeavons syndrome.

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BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to establish a new syphilis test algorithm using Architect Syphilis TP (Abbott Japan, Japan: AST), a fully automated treponemal antibody test, as a screening test in a university hospital laboratory. We evaluated performance characteristics of AST in various patient groups. METHODS: A total of 1,357 serum samples obtained from patients at a university hospital from June to August, 2008 were categorized into checkup, preoperative, other diseases, diagnosis (clinically suspected of syphilis), and follow up groups. We compared the results of AST with those of RPR (N=1,276) or Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA, N=81). Samples with discrepant results between RPR or TPHA and AST were retested by fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FTA-ABS) and all patients' clinical records were thoroughly reviewed. RESULTS: The positive rate of AST was significantly higher than that of RPR in preoperative and other diseases groups and was the same as that of RPR in diagnosis group. There were no significant differences in check up and follow up groups. The results of AST showed 97.4% (1,243/1,276) and 97.5% (79/81) concordance rates with those of RPR and TPHA, respectively. Among 26 RPR-AST discrepant and FTA-ABS confirmed cases, there were 20 RPR false-negatives, 4 RPR false-positives, 1 AST false-negative, and 1 AST false-positive. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results and literature review, we established a new syphilis test algorithm using AST as a screening test, which would be helpful for detection of more syphilis patients including latent infections.

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