Biomedical subjects

S M Ko

Publications and source records attributed to S M Ko.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

A questionnaire to screen for cognitive impairment among elderly people in developing countries.

Most questionnaires designed to assess cognitive impairment among elderly people are constructed in the West, where literacy is high. However, such questionnaires may not be applicable in developing countries because of cultural differences or low literacy. The Elderly Cognitive Assessment Questionnaire (ECAQ) is derived from items in the Mini-Mental State Examination and Geriatric Mental State Schedule. It is a satisfactory scale for quantitative assessment of cognitive impairment among elderly people living in developing countries. This 10-item questionnaire shows a sensitivity of 85.3%, specificity 91.5%, positive predictive value 82.8% and overall miscalculation rate 10.5%. In a sample of 105 elderly subjects from 2 day centres and a psychiatric outpatient clinic in Singapore, the ECAQ was compared with Kahn's Mental Status Questionnaire. The sensitivity of the scales was found to be similar but the ECAQ had a higher specificity and positive predictive value, and lower overall miscalculation rate.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1992

A cross-cultural study of suicide among the elderly in Singapore.

In the general population of Singapore the mean annual suicide rate over 1985-88 was highest in the Indians (20.4 per 100,000), followed by Chinese (15.8 per 100,000), and the Malays (2.4 per 100,000). However, in the elderly population (65 years and over) the rate was highest in the Chinese (61.2 per 100,000) with Indians second (30.5 per 100,000), and Malays still the lowest (3.2 per 100,000). Among elderly Chinese, women had a higher suicide rate than men.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Psychiatric syndromes in pernicious anaemia--a case report.

Surveys of psychiatric population had previously shown a high incidence of patients with low serum vitamin B12. A variety of psychiatric syndromes have been described, ranging from mild disturbance in mood state like depression to maniacal excitement; psychotic conditions like paranoid states and schizophrenia; and cognitive dysfunctions such as memory defect, delirium and dementia. A case of a 67-year-old Chinese lady suffering from pernicious anaemia, but presenting with prominent paranoid delusions is reported. Treatment with cyanocobalamine and anti-psychotic medication led to prompt resolution of her psychotic experience. Subsequently she developed a transient depressive syndrome which also responded well to a short course of antidepressant.

Aged↗

PubMed1991

New admissions to a psychiatric ward in a general hospital.

A study of 343 new patients in the first psychiatric department in a general hospital in Singapore revealed a large proportion (40%, n = 137) of neurotic patients, especially neurotic depressives (n = 76). The next largest group is the non-organic psychoses 35% (n = 120), most of which were schizophrenic psychoses (n = 73). The other major diagnostic groups were adjustment or acute stress reactions, alcohol or drug dependence and personality disorders. The neurotic patients were generally older than the psychotic patients at the time of admission (p less than 0.02). More of them were married (62.7%) compared with the psychotics of whom 51.5% remained unmarried (p less than 0.02). Comparison between neurotic depressives and manic-depressive psychotics should have no difference in sex ratio and marital status. However, the duration of admission for the latter was longer.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Drinking problems.

This is a study of 54 patients referred for treatment of drinking problems. They were from two age groups--20 to 39 years and 40 to 59 years. More of the younger patients were referred by their families and older patients by their doctors or other health professionals. The younger patients had a mean duration of 8.2 years of drinking and were more severely dependent on alcohol (higher mean SADQ score). The older patients' mean duration of drinking was 14.1 years and had a lower mean SADQ score. More younger patients had work and family problems, but did not differ significantly from the older patients in alcohol-related physical or mental disabilities.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Cotard's syndrome--two case reports.

Two cases of Cotard's Syndrome are described--one in a 33-year-old housewife suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and another in a 43-year-old housewife with acute psychotic depression. This rare syndrome is characterized by an extreme form of nihilistic delusion in which the patient, more frequently a woman, denies her own existence and that of the external world. Its onset is often sudden with no previous psychiatric history. Treatment of the condition depends on the underlying psychiatric illness. Both cases responded well to treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Cerebral tumours presenting with psychiatric symptoms.

Four cases of cerebral tumours presenting with psychiatric symptoms were referred to the psychiatrist for management. They displayed some degree of cognitive impairment, notably impaired memory for recent events, and nominal aphasia. Clinical neurological examinations were generally unremarkable with no evidence of focal signs or features of raised intracranial pressure. CT scan demonstrated parietal lobe lesions in all four patients with two showing involvement of the frontal lobe, one the temporal lobe and another the occipital lobe as well. Only one patient was operated, two died and the last continued treatment elsewhere. Factors contributing to the psychiatric symptomatology of cerebral tumours are raised intracranial pressure, location of the tumour, nature of the tumour and the individual constitution and response of the patient.

Brain Neoplasms↗

PubMed1989

A retrospective study of the profile of ESN children seen at the Child Psychiatric Clinic.

A retrospective study of 50 cases of educationally subnormal children seen at the Child Psychiatric Clinic was done. Almost half of the referrals were initiated by schools, the majority being picked up at Primary 1. Forty-six percent of fathers and sixty percent of mothers had no more than primary education. Eighty-two percent of fathers had unskilled or semi-skilled jobs. Besides being below average in academic performance in school, these children also showed some behavioural problems like restlessness, disobedience, bullying, quarrelling or fighting with other children. They tended to be solitary, unresponsive, inert or apathetic, and were not much liked by others. Although all the children were referred and registered for special education, only half the number of parents accepted the offer for their children.

Child↗

PubMed1989

A comparative study of new cases seen at the Child Psychiatric Clinic in 1975 and 1985.

A comparative analysis of new cases seen at the Child Psychiatric Clinic in 1975 and 1985 is made in this study. There was a three and a half fold increase in the number of patients seen from 245 to 893. There was no significant change in sex ratio or ethnic groups. However, in 1985 more younger children (aged less than 6 years) were seen at the Clinic. The waiting time remained short with half the number of cases seen within one week of appointment. The commonest conditions besides Normal Variation were Adjustment Reaction, Mental Retardation, Conduct Disorder and Neurosis. Three-fifths of cases were discharged from follow-up within three months of therapy. Most cases (90%) did not require pharmacological therapy whilst family therapy was prescribed for a fifth of cases seen in 1985.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Work stress and mental distress.

In a study of 14 managers and 25 workers who were referred for psychiatric treatment, the majority suffered from depressive illness (60%) or anxiety neurosis (28%). The main work problem of the managers was conflict with the employers (or directors), but for the workers the main problem was difficulty with fellow workers. The patients' scores on the Work Environment Scale (WES) indicated that the managers felt they had little supervisor support and work pressure was great. However the workers complained of poor peer cohesion but could get on well with the employers, and their work was not too taxing.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Family violence and Asian drinkers.

This is a study of 70 consecutive referrals to the Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Hospital, for treatment of drinking problems. There were 31 Chinese and 39 Indian drinkers, with 63 males and 7 females. Family violence with physical abuse occurred in 21 cases (30%). One of three wives of drinkers had been physically abused, but no children were victims. Drinkers with family violence were generally younger and more severely dependent on alcohol than the non-violent drinkers. There was no relationship between family violence and the ethnicity or marital status of the drinkers.

Adult↗