Naomi Nakajima - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Naomi Nakajima
Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2016
Objective: The quality of life of individuals with panic disorder and agoraphobia can be improved... more Objective: The quality of life of individuals with panic disorder and agoraphobia can be improved by the alleviation of agoraphobia. In other words, examining panic disorder in terms of whether agoraphobia is present is crucial. The current study examined panic disorder from this perspective. Methods: Subjects were 253 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for panic disorder (lifetime) according to the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Of those patients, 179 had agoraphobia and 74 did not. Statistical analysis was used to examine gender differences in the presence (or absence) of agoraphobia, comorbidities, and the effects of the presence of agoraphobia (severity, assessment of depression, assessment of anxiety, and personality) in these patients. Results: Results indicated gender differences in the presence (or absence) of agoraphobia. Compared to patients without agoraphobia, significantly more patients with agoraphobia were female (p b .001), and had a higher prevalence of comorbidities. Patients with agoraphobia had a higher suicide risk (p b .05), more hypomanic episodes (current) (p b .05), and more frequent episodes of social phobia (p b .05). In addition, patients with agoraphobia had more severe panic disorder and a higher level of neuroticism, sensitivity to anxiety, and trait anxiety [PDSS-J, P&A, NEON: p b .01, ASI, STAI (Trait Anxiety): p b .05]. Conclusions: The current findings suggest that when treating a panic disorder, diagnosing the presence of agoraphobia is extremely important.
The West Indian medical journal, 2010
... West Indian Medical Journal. ISSN 0043-3144 versión impresa. West Indian med. j. vol.59 no.1 ... more ... West Indian Medical Journal. ISSN 0043-3144 versión impresa. West Indian med. j. vol.59 no.1 Mona ene. 2010. LETTERS. Improvement of total health measures in Mie Prefecture, Japan. K Inoue I ; H Tanii II ; Y Konishi II ; N Hara II ; T Matsumoto II ; M Nata III. ...
Neuroscience letters, Jan 6, 2009
We examined the relationship between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype a... more We examined the relationship between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype and frontal lobe function by using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The present study investigated oxygenated ([oxy-Hb]) and deoxygenated ([deoxy-Hb]) hemoglobin concentration changes during the performance of a verbal fluency task in the frontal region of 71 patients with panic disorder (PD). The activation of [oxy-Hb] on the right lateral prefrontal cortex was observed in the Met/Met genotype of the COMT gene polymorphism of PD patient groups in the analysis of NIRS, which seems to be related to the autonomic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of PD.
Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 2009
Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 2009
To investigate whether prefrontal function during a cognitive task reflects the severity of panic... more To investigate whether prefrontal function during a cognitive task reflects the severity of panic disorder, the prefrontal function during a word fluency task in 109 panic disorder patients with or without agoraphobia was measured by multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). [Oxy-Hb] changes in the left inferior prefrontal cortex were significantly associated with the frequency of panic attacks, and, in addition, [deoxy-Hb] changes in the anterior area of the right prefrontal cortex were significantly associated with the severity of agoraphobia. These results suggest that the prefrontal function in patients with panic disorder is associated with the disease state of disease in patients with panic disorder.
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2009
To determine whether intrasubject reproducibility could be observed in the frontal cortex and to ... more To determine whether intrasubject reproducibility could be observed in the frontal cortex and to assess the mental-health status of subjects in each session. Methods: We measured changes in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration ([oxy-Hb]) during a letter version of the verbal fluency task using near-infrared spectroscopy imaging in twenty healthy adults over two sessions approximately two months apart. Additionally, the mental-health status of the subjects in each session was evaluated according to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, the Profile of Mood States, and the revised edition of the Neuroticism-Extroversion-Openness Personality Inventory. The association between those scores and [oxy-Hb] changes during the verbal fluency task in each session was investigated. Results: Performance on the verbal fluency task was about equal across the two sessions, and frontal activation during the task was observed globally in approximately the same region. In the test-retest reliability, acceptable values were shown in both the Intraclass Correlation Coefficients of the mean [oxy-Hb] changes and the correlation coefficients of the whole waveforms for each subject in the two sessions. Mental-health status as measured by several questionnaires was within the healthy range, and no correlation with the frontal activation was seen, except in several channels. Conclusion: The current results suggest that the measurement experience exerted very little influence, except for in a very small region. In addition, the intrasubject reproducibility of frontal activation measured by multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy was well demonstrated in mentally healthy subjects at intervals of two months.
Neuroscience Research, 2009
s S193 P2-o10 Change in response time to tactile stimulus on finger due to numerical processing T... more s S193 P2-o10 Change in response time to tactile stimulus on finger due to numerical processing Takahiro Horaguchi, Sei-Ichi Sasaki Ibaraki Prefectual University of Health Sciences, Center for Medical Sciences,
Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 2010
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2010
The development of agoraphobia is associated with the symptoms and location of a patient’s first ... more The development of agoraphobia is associated with the symptoms and location of a patient’s first panic attack
NeuroImage: Clinical, 2015
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by strong fear and anxiety during social interacti... more Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by strong fear and anxiety during social interactions. Although ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) activity in response to emotional stimuli is related to pathological anxiety, little is known about the relationship between VLPFC activity and social anxiety. This study aimed to investigate whether VLPFC activity was involved in SAD and whether VLPFC activity was related to the level of social anxiety. Twenty-four drug-naïve patients with SAD and 35 healthy controls underwent near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) scanning while performing a verbal fluency task (VFT). Results indicated that, compared to the healthy controls, the SAD patients exhibited smaller changes of oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentrations in the VLPFC during the VFT. Furthermore, the right VLPFC activation was negatively correlated with social avoidance. In contrast to the latter, the healthy controls exhibited a positive correlation between changes of oxy-Hb concentrations in the bilateral VLPFC and social fear. Our findings provide evidence for VLPFC dysfunction in SAD, and indicate that the VLPFC dysfunction may contribute to the difference between normal and abnormal social anxiety.
The West Indian medical journal, 2008
Neuroscience research, 2007
The present study investigated oxygenated ([oxy-Hb]) and deoxygenated ([deoxy-Hb]) hemoglobin con... more The present study investigated oxygenated ([oxy-Hb]) and deoxygenated ([deoxy-Hb]) hemoglobin concentration changes during the performance of a word fluency task in the frontal region of five drug-naive patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia and in 33 age-, sex-, and task performance-matched healthy volunteers by using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The left inferior frontal [oxy-Hb] changes during performance of the task in patients with panic disorder were significantly smaller than those of healthy controls. This pilot study suggests the possibility that the left frontal lobe, required for cognitive function, is impaired in patients with panic disorder.
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2008
AN INCREASE IN the number of students refusing to attend school has been reported as a major soci... more AN INCREASE IN the number of students refusing to attend school has been reported as a major social problem in Japan. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology established a school counselor system in 1995 and started a conference of investigation research cooperators regarding refusal to attend school in September 2002. In March 2003 the Ministry reported the current state of the problem and provided a list of preventive measures to use in the school, home, and local community. Because it is important to examine the effect of the measures, we studied the number of students refusing to attend school among all the elementary and junior high schools in Japan from databases without individual information made available by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology during 1995– 2006. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology defines refusal to attend school as lack of attendance by students, who cannot do so for psychological, emotional, physical or social reasons, and who were absent from school for more than 30 days per year for reasons other than sickness or economic causes. In the study period the number of students refusing to attend school increased from 81 591 (1995) to 138 722 (2001), and the levels were then maintained at around 120 000 or 130 000: 131 252 (2002), 126 226 (2003), 123 358 (2004), 122 287 (2005), and 126 764 (2006), in contrast to the gradual decrease in the number of total students from 12 940 636 (1995) to 10 788 944 (2006). The proportion of students refusing to attend school compared to the total number of students similarly increased from 0.63% (1995) to 1.23% (2001), and the levels were then sustained at around 1.13–1.18%: 1.18% (2002), 1.15% (2003), 1.14% (2004), 1.13% (2005), and 1.17% (2006). Therefore, the previous clear increase in the rate of students refusing to attend school ceased after 2002. This may suggest the effectiveness of the measures by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. We consider that the Ministry’s measures with regard to school refusals were effective based on the increase in the number of schools where the school counselors were posted. The number of such schools will increase in the future in Japan, and improvement in the quality of school counselors is thought to contribute to the decrease in the number of school refusals. To further decrease the number of absentees, we conclude that cooperation is needed among the schools, the board of education, the school counselors, families, communities, medical institutions, and school administrators.
Schizophrenia Research, 2008
![Research paper thumbnail of Erratum to “Associations between psychotic-like experiences and mental health status and other psychopathologies among Japanese early teens”[Schizophrenia Research 99 (1–3) (2008) 125–133]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/98729087/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Schizophrenia Research, 2008
Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are considered predictive of mental health problems later in li... more Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are considered predictive of mental health problems later in life. However, little has been known about the mental health status and psychopathological distress in adolescents with PLEs in the general population. To investigate the associations between PLEs and mental health status or psychopathologies in a community sample of adolescents in a school-based cross-sectional fashion, PLEs were studied using a self-rating questionnaire in 5073 Japanese junior-high school students aged 12-15 years. Mental health status was evaluated using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Psychopathologies, lifestyle, victimization, and interpersonal and help-seeking attitudes were also studied using a self-rating questionnaire. Fifteen percent of the students reported definitely having experienced at least one PLE. A dose-response relationship between the severity of PLEs and the prevalence of poor mental health status was observed. PLEs were also significantly associated with psychopathologies
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2006
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2006
It has increased from about 22 000 per year from 1988to 1997 to over 30 000 per year since 1998, ... more It has increased from about 22 000 per year from 1988to 1997 to over 30 000 per year since 1998, and the needto decrease suicidal numbers is one of the importantproblems in Japan. In Japan, 34 427 suicides in 2003was the highest on record. In recent years, manyresearchers around the world have tried to elucidatealmost every aspect of anxiety disorders. Among anx-iety disorders, panic disorder is one of the psychiatricdisorders that is most frequently diagnosed accordingto the 4
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2008
The number of suicides in Japan has increased from approximately 22,000 per year in 1988-1997 to ... more The number of suicides in Japan has increased from approximately 22,000 per year in 1988-1997 to over 30,000 per year since then. The number has also increased in Mie Prefecture during this period. According to many reports, suicide attempts are one of the risk factors of suicide. In the present study, we investigated the incidences and circumstances of all suicide cases between 1996 and 2002, focusing in detail on the frequency of suicide attempts and general differences in the frequency of all suicide cases. During the 7 years, 1979 male and 969 female suicides were reported to Mie Prefectural Police Headquarters. During the test period, there were suicide attempts in 13.4% of all suicidal cases, 10.7% for men and 18.9% for women. The average age was 48.98 years (SD 17.68), 47.07 years (SD 16.32) for men, and 51.19 years (SD 18.89) for women. Among men, we discovered the risk factors of suicide attempts in completed suicides, which were "single time" of suicide attempts, "living with family" for the family constitution, and "visiting treatment" of the admission statuses. Among women, the risk factors were "living with family" and "visiting treatment". We must pay attention to those risk factors.
Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2016
Objective: The quality of life of individuals with panic disorder and agoraphobia can be improved... more Objective: The quality of life of individuals with panic disorder and agoraphobia can be improved by the alleviation of agoraphobia. In other words, examining panic disorder in terms of whether agoraphobia is present is crucial. The current study examined panic disorder from this perspective. Methods: Subjects were 253 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for panic disorder (lifetime) according to the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Of those patients, 179 had agoraphobia and 74 did not. Statistical analysis was used to examine gender differences in the presence (or absence) of agoraphobia, comorbidities, and the effects of the presence of agoraphobia (severity, assessment of depression, assessment of anxiety, and personality) in these patients. Results: Results indicated gender differences in the presence (or absence) of agoraphobia. Compared to patients without agoraphobia, significantly more patients with agoraphobia were female (p b .001), and had a higher prevalence of comorbidities. Patients with agoraphobia had a higher suicide risk (p b .05), more hypomanic episodes (current) (p b .05), and more frequent episodes of social phobia (p b .05). In addition, patients with agoraphobia had more severe panic disorder and a higher level of neuroticism, sensitivity to anxiety, and trait anxiety [PDSS-J, P&A, NEON: p b .01, ASI, STAI (Trait Anxiety): p b .05]. Conclusions: The current findings suggest that when treating a panic disorder, diagnosing the presence of agoraphobia is extremely important.
The West Indian medical journal, 2010
... West Indian Medical Journal. ISSN 0043-3144 versión impresa. West Indian med. j. vol.59 no.1 ... more ... West Indian Medical Journal. ISSN 0043-3144 versión impresa. West Indian med. j. vol.59 no.1 Mona ene. 2010. LETTERS. Improvement of total health measures in Mie Prefecture, Japan. K Inoue I ; H Tanii II ; Y Konishi II ; N Hara II ; T Matsumoto II ; M Nata III. ...
Neuroscience letters, Jan 6, 2009
We examined the relationship between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype a... more We examined the relationship between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype and frontal lobe function by using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The present study investigated oxygenated ([oxy-Hb]) and deoxygenated ([deoxy-Hb]) hemoglobin concentration changes during the performance of a verbal fluency task in the frontal region of 71 patients with panic disorder (PD). The activation of [oxy-Hb] on the right lateral prefrontal cortex was observed in the Met/Met genotype of the COMT gene polymorphism of PD patient groups in the analysis of NIRS, which seems to be related to the autonomic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of PD.
Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 2009
Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 2009
To investigate whether prefrontal function during a cognitive task reflects the severity of panic... more To investigate whether prefrontal function during a cognitive task reflects the severity of panic disorder, the prefrontal function during a word fluency task in 109 panic disorder patients with or without agoraphobia was measured by multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). [Oxy-Hb] changes in the left inferior prefrontal cortex were significantly associated with the frequency of panic attacks, and, in addition, [deoxy-Hb] changes in the anterior area of the right prefrontal cortex were significantly associated with the severity of agoraphobia. These results suggest that the prefrontal function in patients with panic disorder is associated with the disease state of disease in patients with panic disorder.
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2009
To determine whether intrasubject reproducibility could be observed in the frontal cortex and to ... more To determine whether intrasubject reproducibility could be observed in the frontal cortex and to assess the mental-health status of subjects in each session. Methods: We measured changes in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration ([oxy-Hb]) during a letter version of the verbal fluency task using near-infrared spectroscopy imaging in twenty healthy adults over two sessions approximately two months apart. Additionally, the mental-health status of the subjects in each session was evaluated according to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, the Profile of Mood States, and the revised edition of the Neuroticism-Extroversion-Openness Personality Inventory. The association between those scores and [oxy-Hb] changes during the verbal fluency task in each session was investigated. Results: Performance on the verbal fluency task was about equal across the two sessions, and frontal activation during the task was observed globally in approximately the same region. In the test-retest reliability, acceptable values were shown in both the Intraclass Correlation Coefficients of the mean [oxy-Hb] changes and the correlation coefficients of the whole waveforms for each subject in the two sessions. Mental-health status as measured by several questionnaires was within the healthy range, and no correlation with the frontal activation was seen, except in several channels. Conclusion: The current results suggest that the measurement experience exerted very little influence, except for in a very small region. In addition, the intrasubject reproducibility of frontal activation measured by multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy was well demonstrated in mentally healthy subjects at intervals of two months.
Neuroscience Research, 2009
s S193 P2-o10 Change in response time to tactile stimulus on finger due to numerical processing T... more s S193 P2-o10 Change in response time to tactile stimulus on finger due to numerical processing Takahiro Horaguchi, Sei-Ichi Sasaki Ibaraki Prefectual University of Health Sciences, Center for Medical Sciences,
Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 2010
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2010
The development of agoraphobia is associated with the symptoms and location of a patient’s first ... more The development of agoraphobia is associated with the symptoms and location of a patient’s first panic attack
NeuroImage: Clinical, 2015
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by strong fear and anxiety during social interacti... more Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by strong fear and anxiety during social interactions. Although ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) activity in response to emotional stimuli is related to pathological anxiety, little is known about the relationship between VLPFC activity and social anxiety. This study aimed to investigate whether VLPFC activity was involved in SAD and whether VLPFC activity was related to the level of social anxiety. Twenty-four drug-naïve patients with SAD and 35 healthy controls underwent near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) scanning while performing a verbal fluency task (VFT). Results indicated that, compared to the healthy controls, the SAD patients exhibited smaller changes of oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentrations in the VLPFC during the VFT. Furthermore, the right VLPFC activation was negatively correlated with social avoidance. In contrast to the latter, the healthy controls exhibited a positive correlation between changes of oxy-Hb concentrations in the bilateral VLPFC and social fear. Our findings provide evidence for VLPFC dysfunction in SAD, and indicate that the VLPFC dysfunction may contribute to the difference between normal and abnormal social anxiety.
The West Indian medical journal, 2008
Neuroscience research, 2007
The present study investigated oxygenated ([oxy-Hb]) and deoxygenated ([deoxy-Hb]) hemoglobin con... more The present study investigated oxygenated ([oxy-Hb]) and deoxygenated ([deoxy-Hb]) hemoglobin concentration changes during the performance of a word fluency task in the frontal region of five drug-naive patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia and in 33 age-, sex-, and task performance-matched healthy volunteers by using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The left inferior frontal [oxy-Hb] changes during performance of the task in patients with panic disorder were significantly smaller than those of healthy controls. This pilot study suggests the possibility that the left frontal lobe, required for cognitive function, is impaired in patients with panic disorder.
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2008
AN INCREASE IN the number of students refusing to attend school has been reported as a major soci... more AN INCREASE IN the number of students refusing to attend school has been reported as a major social problem in Japan. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology established a school counselor system in 1995 and started a conference of investigation research cooperators regarding refusal to attend school in September 2002. In March 2003 the Ministry reported the current state of the problem and provided a list of preventive measures to use in the school, home, and local community. Because it is important to examine the effect of the measures, we studied the number of students refusing to attend school among all the elementary and junior high schools in Japan from databases without individual information made available by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology during 1995– 2006. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology defines refusal to attend school as lack of attendance by students, who cannot do so for psychological, emotional, physical or social reasons, and who were absent from school for more than 30 days per year for reasons other than sickness or economic causes. In the study period the number of students refusing to attend school increased from 81 591 (1995) to 138 722 (2001), and the levels were then maintained at around 120 000 or 130 000: 131 252 (2002), 126 226 (2003), 123 358 (2004), 122 287 (2005), and 126 764 (2006), in contrast to the gradual decrease in the number of total students from 12 940 636 (1995) to 10 788 944 (2006). The proportion of students refusing to attend school compared to the total number of students similarly increased from 0.63% (1995) to 1.23% (2001), and the levels were then sustained at around 1.13–1.18%: 1.18% (2002), 1.15% (2003), 1.14% (2004), 1.13% (2005), and 1.17% (2006). Therefore, the previous clear increase in the rate of students refusing to attend school ceased after 2002. This may suggest the effectiveness of the measures by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. We consider that the Ministry’s measures with regard to school refusals were effective based on the increase in the number of schools where the school counselors were posted. The number of such schools will increase in the future in Japan, and improvement in the quality of school counselors is thought to contribute to the decrease in the number of school refusals. To further decrease the number of absentees, we conclude that cooperation is needed among the schools, the board of education, the school counselors, families, communities, medical institutions, and school administrators.
Schizophrenia Research, 2008
Schizophrenia Research, 2008
Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are considered predictive of mental health problems later in li... more Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are considered predictive of mental health problems later in life. However, little has been known about the mental health status and psychopathological distress in adolescents with PLEs in the general population. To investigate the associations between PLEs and mental health status or psychopathologies in a community sample of adolescents in a school-based cross-sectional fashion, PLEs were studied using a self-rating questionnaire in 5073 Japanese junior-high school students aged 12-15 years. Mental health status was evaluated using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Psychopathologies, lifestyle, victimization, and interpersonal and help-seeking attitudes were also studied using a self-rating questionnaire. Fifteen percent of the students reported definitely having experienced at least one PLE. A dose-response relationship between the severity of PLEs and the prevalence of poor mental health status was observed. PLEs were also significantly associated with psychopathologies
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2006
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2006
It has increased from about 22 000 per year from 1988to 1997 to over 30 000 per year since 1998, ... more It has increased from about 22 000 per year from 1988to 1997 to over 30 000 per year since 1998, and the needto decrease suicidal numbers is one of the importantproblems in Japan. In Japan, 34 427 suicides in 2003was the highest on record. In recent years, manyresearchers around the world have tried to elucidatealmost every aspect of anxiety disorders. Among anx-iety disorders, panic disorder is one of the psychiatricdisorders that is most frequently diagnosed accordingto the 4
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2008
The number of suicides in Japan has increased from approximately 22,000 per year in 1988-1997 to ... more The number of suicides in Japan has increased from approximately 22,000 per year in 1988-1997 to over 30,000 per year since then. The number has also increased in Mie Prefecture during this period. According to many reports, suicide attempts are one of the risk factors of suicide. In the present study, we investigated the incidences and circumstances of all suicide cases between 1996 and 2002, focusing in detail on the frequency of suicide attempts and general differences in the frequency of all suicide cases. During the 7 years, 1979 male and 969 female suicides were reported to Mie Prefectural Police Headquarters. During the test period, there were suicide attempts in 13.4% of all suicidal cases, 10.7% for men and 18.9% for women. The average age was 48.98 years (SD 17.68), 47.07 years (SD 16.32) for men, and 51.19 years (SD 18.89) for women. Among men, we discovered the risk factors of suicide attempts in completed suicides, which were "single time" of suicide attempts, "living with family" for the family constitution, and "visiting treatment" of the admission statuses. Among women, the risk factors were "living with family" and "visiting treatment". We must pay attention to those risk factors.