Yonsei University · Medicine
Professor Woo Jung Kim's research lab focuses on the intersection of chronic disease progression, mental health, and neurological aging, with a particular emphasis on how systemic and psychological factors influence structural and functional changes in the brain and body. The lab investigates the pathophysiological mechanisms linking conditions such as prediabetes, insomnia, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder to neurodegenerative and psychiatric outcomes. Key research directions include the role of neuroimaging (e.g., structural MRI) in understanding brain changes related to sleep disturbance and mood disorders, especially in vulnerable populations like shift workers and the elderly. The lab also explores modifiable lifestyle and social factors—such as social networks and education—that impact cognitive health and dementia risk in aging populations.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Chronic epithelial injury induces stromal thinning and epithelial hyperplasia. These changes in cornea structure associated with chronic epithelial injury may have relevance to the pathophysiology of keratoconus.
Previous studies have indicated that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with alexithymic traits. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the difference of alexithymia in OCD patients and healthy controls. This study was also designed to elucidate a specific link between certain OCD symptom dimensions and alexithymia. Forty-five patients with OCD and 45 healthy controls completed measures of the OCD symptom severity, alexithymia, anxiety, and depression. Patients with OCD
Mild degrees of hyperglycemia and presence of comorbidities were associated with incident dementia. Intervention during the prodromal stage of a chronic disease (e.g., prediabetes) could be considered for dementia prevention.
We found that sex, education, chronic disease, and depression independently increase the risk of insomnia of the elderly in a Korean rural community. To overcome the elderly's insomnia, interventions should target modifiable factors such as depression. To promote active aging, longitudinal studies of factors associated with insomnia among the elderly should be performed in different regions and communities.
Disturbed sleep is the most common effect of shift work. A large corpus of research indicates an association between sleep disturbance and depressive symptom in shift workers. In this study, we proposed the mediating role of grey matter (GM) structure in the relationship between sleep disturbance and depressive symptom. We collected structural MRI (sMRI) data as well as assessing the level of sleep disturbance and depressive symptom with the Pittsburgh Sleep disturbance Index and Zung Self-Ratin
Cognitive function of women was influenced by social activity and the number of members they considered friends. This finding suggests the influence of social networks on cognitive function differ by gender. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 467-473.
A deep learning algorithm using time-series data can be an accurate and cost-effective method to predict dementia. A combination of deep learning and proportional hazards models might help to enhance prevention strategies for dementia.
Propiverine is effective and well tolerated as a treatment for children suffering from OAB with or without UI.
The clinical benefits of nootropics in the treatment of cognitive decline has been either limited or controversial. This study aimed to observe the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) and nootropics combination in the treatment of cognitive impairment in dementia. Data were based on electronic medical records in a university health system. Patients with mild-to-moderate dementia and no history of prior cognitive enhancer use were included (<i>n</i> = 583). The subjects were categori
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