Skip to main content

Younghoon Ko

Korea University · Medicine

About the Lab

Professor Younghoon Ko's research lab specializes in psychopharmacology and neuropsychiatry, focusing on novel pharmacological interventions for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. The lab investigates hormonal modulations—particularly testosterone, estrogen, and thyroid hormones—as adjunctive treatments to improve cognitive function, negative symptoms, and metabolic side effects in psychiatric patients. Key research directions include the use of topiramate, ginseng, and hormone replacement therapy to address treatment-resistant symptoms and enhance treatment adherence.

schizophreniaantidepressantshormonal therapycognitive functionadjunctive treatment

Research Overview

Papers
250
Total Citations
3,997
Papers (5y)
30
Primary Field
Medicine

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
30total
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Citations per year (5y)
269total
20212022202320242025

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|103 citations·2005
Topiramate as an Adjuvant Treatment With Atypical Antipsychotics in Schizophrenic Patients Experiencing Weight Gain
Young‐Hoon Ko, Sook-Haeng Joe, In‐Kwa Jung, Seung‐Hyun Kim
SJR Q3Clinical Neuropharmacology

Schizophrenic patients commonly suffer weight gain, which is often associated with widely prescribed antipsychotic medicines. It is distressing to most patients who experience it and may affect their response to treatment of schizophrenia. Weight gain is also associated with treatment noncompliance and several medical conditions. This study explored the efficacy and tolerability of topiramate as an adjuvant treatment of patients with schizophrenia who were carrying excess weight. In this 12-week

Psychiatry and Mental healthMedicine
2
Article|84 citations·2007
Association between serum testosterone levels and the severity of negative symptoms in male patients with chronic schizophrenia
Young‐Hoon Ko, Sung-Won Jung, Sook-Haeng Joe, Chang Hyun Lee, Hyun-Gang Jung, In‐Kwa Jung, Seung‐Hyun Kim, Moon‐Soo Lee
SJR Q1Psychoneuroendocrinology
Psychiatry and Mental healthMedicine
3
Article|73 citations·2018
Relationship of depression, chronic disease, self-rated health, and gender with health care utilization among community-living elderly
Kyu‐Man Han, Young‐Hoon Ko, Ho-Kyoung Yoon, Changsu Han, Byung‐Joo Ham, Yong‐Ku Kim
SJR Q1Journal of Affective Disorders
HealthSocial Sciences
4
Article|70 citations·2006
Estrogen, Cognitive Function and Negative Symptoms in Female Schizophrenia
Young‐Hoon Ko, Sook-Haeng Joe, Woong Cho, Jeong-Hyun Park, Jung-Jae Lee, In‐Kwa Jung, Leen Kim, Seung‐Hyun Kim
SJR Q1Neuropsychobiology

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of serum reproductive hormone levels with cognitive function and negative symptoms in schizophrenic women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Thirty-five women with chronic schizophrenia who had minimal positive symptoms participated in this study. We evaluated the correlation of serum reproductive hormone levels with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and cognitive function tests such as the Immediate V

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational HealthMedicine
5
Article|60 citations·2008
Short-Term Testosterone Augmentation in Male Schizophrenics
Young‐Hoon Ko, Young-Min Lew, Sung-Won Jung, Sook-Haeng Joe, Chang Hyun Lee, Hyun-Gang Jung, Moon‐Soo Lee
SJR Q2Journal of Clinical PsychopharmacologyOA

Although there are few studies on the treatment of schizophrenia with testosterone, several indirect findings have suggested testosterone as a possible treatment modality for schizophrenia. To explore the therapeutic effect of testosterone augmentation of antipsychotic medication on symptoms in male patients with schizophrenia, the authors performed a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial on 30 schizophrenic men, using either 5 g of 1% testosterone gel (Testogel; Besins Iscovesco, Paris, France

Endocrinology, Diabetes and MetabolismMedicine
6
Article|53 citations·2018
Tinnitus, depression, and suicidal ideation in adults: A nationally representative general population sample
Kyu‐Man Han, Young‐Hoon Ko, Cheolmin Shin, Jae-Hon Lee, June Choi, Do‐Young Kwon, Ho-Kyoung Yoon, Changsu Han, Yong‐Ku Kim
SJR Q1Journal of Psychiatric Research
Sensory SystemsNeuroscience
7
Article|45 citations·2014
Effect of Korean Red Ginseng as an adjuvant treatment for women with residual symptoms of major depression
Hyun‐Ghang Jeong, Young‐Hoon Ko, So-Young Oh, Changsu Han, TaeHee Kim, Sook-Haeng Joe
SJR Q1Asia-Pacific Psychiatry

INTRODUCTION: Around 20% of patients with major depression experience residual symptoms. Ginseng has shown potential antidepressant effects in some animal studies and in patients with stress-related somatic symptoms. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness and tolerability of Korean Red Ginseng adjuvant treatment in patients with residual symptoms of major depression. METHODS: In this eight-week prospective study, 35 female outpatients aging from 18 to 65 years (45.1 ± 9.5), who were remitt

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
8
Article|39 citations·2012
Bright light therapy as an adjunctive treatment with risperidone in patients with delirium: a randomized, open, parallel group study
Jae-Won Yang, Wonseok Choi, Young‐Hoon Ko, Sook-Haeng Joe, Changsu Han, Yong‐Ku Kim
SJR Q1General Hospital Psychiatry
Critical Care and Intensive Care MedicineMedicine
9
Article|29 citations·2018
Social support moderates association between posttraumatic growth and trauma-related psychopathologies among victims of the Sewol Ferry Disaster
Kyu‐Man Han, Ji Young Park, Ha Eun Park, So Ra An, Eun Hee Lee, Ho‐Kyoung Yoon, Young‐Hoon Ko
SJR Q1Psychiatry Research
Clinical PsychologyPsychology
10
Article|29 citations·2006
Effect of hormone replacement therapy on cognitive function in women with chronic schizophrenia
Young‐Hoon Ko, Sook-Haeng Joe, Woong Cho, Jeong-Hyun Park, Jung-Jae Lee, In‐Kwa Jung, Leen Kim, Seung‐Hyun Kim
SJR Q2International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice

Objective. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the cognitive effects of adjuvant hormone replacement therapy (HRT) when used to treat premenopausal women with chronic schizophrenia using an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Method. Women of childbearing age with chronic schizophrenia were recruited and randomized into placebo and HRT groups, the latter of which was administered 0.625 mg of conjugated oestrogen with 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate daily

Endocrinology, Diabetes and MetabolismMedicine
11
Article|21 citations·2019
Association of metabolic syndrome and its components with suicidal ideation and depression in adults: A nationally representative sample of the Korean population
Jeong-Kyung Ko, Kyu‐Man Han, Cheolmin Shin, Seung‐Hoon Lee, Changsu Han, Yong‐Ku Kim, Ho-Kyong Yoon, Young‐Hoon Ko
SJR Q1Journal of Affective Disorders
Clinical PsychologyPsychology
12
Review|20 citations·2016
Adjunctive Brexpiprazole as a Novel Effective Strategy for Treating Major Depressive Disorder
Seoyoung Yoon, Sang Won Jeon, Young‐Hoon Ko, Ashwin A. Patkar, Prakash S. Masand, Chi‐Un Pae, Changsu Han
SJR Q2Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Brexpiprazole was approved for adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in 2015. Because only a small number of randomized controlled trials have investigated the use of brexpiprazole in MDD, we performed a meta-analysis. METHODS/PROCEDURES: We systematically searched literatures in PubMed, Cochrane Library database, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and clinicaltrials.gov up to January 2016. The primary efficacy measure was the mean change in total Montgomery-Åsberg Dep

PharmacologyMedicine
13
Article|19 citations·2012
Changes in sexual function and gonadal axis hormones after switching to aripiprazole in male schizophrenia patients
Hyun‐Ghang Jeong, Moon‐Soo Lee, Hwa-Young Lee, Young‐Hoon Ko, Changsu Han, Sook-Haeng Joe
SJR Q2International Clinical Psychopharmacology

Antipsychotic-induced sexual dysfunction is a common problem in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of switching to aripiprazole on sexual dysfunction and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in male patients with schizophrenia. In this prospective, open-label study, the participants were 10 male schizophrenia patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, risperidone, amisulpride, and olanzapine. Before and after switching to aripiprazole, they wer

Psychiatry and Mental healthMedicine
14
Article|12 citations·2012
Characteristics of Type D personality in Korean adolescents
Moon‐Soo Lee, Hong Euy Lim, Young‐Hoon Ko, Changsu Han, Yong‐Ku Kim, Jae-Won Yang, Jeong Jin Kim, Jae Eun Lee, Jae Woo Yeon, Hong-Jae Lee
SJR Q1European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Cardiology and Cardiovascular MedicineMedicine
15
Article|11 citations·2023
Cross sectional association between cognitive frailty and disability among community-dwelling older adults: Focus on the role of social factors
Kyungwon Choi, Young‐Hoon Ko
SJR Q1Frontiers in Public HealthOA

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cognitive frailty and the influence of social factors on the association between different levels of cognitive frailty and disability. Methods: A nationally representative survey of non-institutionalized community-dwelling older adults in Korea was used. A total, 9,894 older adults were included in the analysis. We assessed the effects of social factors using social activities, social contacts, living arrangements, emotional support,

Geriatrics and GerontologyMedicine

Research Areas

Psychiatry and Mental healthClinical PsychologyPharmacologyGeneral Health ProfessionsSociology and Political ScienceEndocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Dive deeper into Younghoon Ko's research on Nubint

Open this lab's papers in the app to read with AI, summarize, and cite in your writing.