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Dr.Loh’s current research focuses on the development of an affordable drug for mental disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancers. He has been testing the effects of a crude material – mulberry, in human subjects, and attempting to verify and isolate useful components from the fruit.
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El-Wui Loh
El-Wui Loh
Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine
Associate Professor (Ph.D.)
Research Interests
Psycho-oncology, Psycho-immunology, Interleukin-17 Allosteric Regulation, and Artificial Intelligence for Medicine.
Laboratory
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1993 – 2005
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2007 – After
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Dr. Loh was born in 1968 in Malaysia. He graduated from the School of Medical Technology, National Yang-Ming Medical College, Taiwan in 1992. He went to London in 1996 for Ph.D. study at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, supervised by a famous psychiatrist in Europe, Professor Sir Robin Murray. His Ph.D. thesis investigated the role of GABAA receptor genes in the development of alcohol dependence. He earned his Ph.D. degree in 2003. He was an assistant principle investigator at the Center of Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan, where he started to understand the inflammatory nature of schizophrenia. Later, he became a teaching staff at the Taipei Medical University in 2018 and started seeking for a potential solution for inflammation diseases.
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2023
Lu HC, Lin FY, Huang YH, Kao YT, Loh EW*.
Role of air pollutants in dengue fever incidence: evidence from two southern cities in Taiwan.
Pathog Glob Health. 2023 Sep;117(6):596-604.
Abstract
Air pollution may be involved in spreading dengue fever (DF) besides rainfalls and warmer temperatures. While particulate matter (PM), especially those with diameter of 10 μm (PM10) or 2.5 μm or less (PM25), and NO2 increase the risk of coronavirus 2 infection, their roles in triggering DF remain unclear. We explored if air pollution factors predict DF incidence in addition to the classic climate factors. Public databases and DF records of two southern cities in Taiwan were used in regression analyses. Month order, PM10 minimum, PM2.5 minimum, and precipitation days were retained in the enter mode model, and SO2 minimum, O3 maximum, and CO minimum were retained in the stepwise forward mode model in addition to month order, PM10 minimum, PM2.5 minimum, and precipitation days. While PM2.5 minimum showed a negative contribution to the monthly DF incidence, other variables showed the opposite effects. The sustain of month order, PM10 minimum, PM2.5 minimum, and precipitation days in both regression models confirms the role of classic climate factors and illustrates a potential biological role of the air pollutants in the life cycle of mosquito vectors and dengue virus and possibly human immune status. Future DF prevention should concern the contribution of air pollution besides the classic climate factors.
Chen PH, Shih CM, Chang CK, Lin CP, Chang YH, Lee, HC, Loh EW*.
Prediction of the duration to next admission for an acute affective episode in patients with bipolar I disorder.
Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2023 May 30;21(2):262-270.
Abstract
Objective: Predicting disease relapse and early intervention could reduce symptom severity. We attempted to identify potential indicators that predict the duration to next admission for an acute affective episode in patients with bipolar I disorder. Methods: We mathematically defined the duration to next psychiatric admission and performed single-variate regressions using historical data of 101 patients with bipolar I disorder to screen for potential variables for further multivariate regressions. Results: Age of onset, total psychiatric admissions, length of lithium use, and carbamazepine use during the psychiatric hospitalization contributed to the next psychiatric admission duration positively. The all-in-one found that hyperlipidemia during the psychiatric hospitalization demonstrated a negative contribution to the duration to next psychiatric admission; the last duration to psychiatric admission, lithium and carbamazepine uses during the psychiatric hospitalization, and heart rate on the discharge day positively contributed to the duration to next admission. Conclusion: We identified essential variables that may predict the duration of bipolar I patients’ next psychiatric admission. The correlation of a faster heartbeat and a normal lipid profile in delaying the next onset highlights the importance of managing these parameters when treating bipolar I disorder.
2022
Lin CY, Chiang CH, Tseng MM, Tam KW, Loh EW*.
Effects of quetiapine on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.
Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2022 Dec 1;67:22-36.
Abstract
Quetiapine is a common off-label antipsychotic drug for treating insomnia. Its effects in different disease conditions and dosages remain unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in clinical trials examining the efficacy of low-dose quetiapine in sleep. We obtained 21 clinical trials. Mean difference (MD), standard mean difference (SMD), and odds ratio (OR) were used to estimate the effect sizes using a random-effects model. The pooled results showed that quetiapine improved sleep quality compared with placebo (SMD: -0.57 [95%CI: -0.75, -0.4]). The SMD of sleep quality was correlated with age (coefficient: -0.0174) and sex (coefficient: -0.012). The significant effects were observed in the general anxiety disorder (SMD: -0.59 [95%CI: -0.92, -0.27]), major depressive disorder (SMD: -0.47 [95%CI: -0.66, -0.28]), and healthy (SMD: -1.33, [95%CI [-2.12, -0.54]) subgroups, at the dosage of 50 mg (SMD: -0.36 [95%CI: -0.36, -0.11]), 150 mg (SMD: -0.4 [95%CI: -0.52, -0.29]), and 300 mg (SMD: -0.17 [95%CI: -0.31,-0.04]). Quetiapine increased total sleep time compared with placebo (MD: 47.91 [95%CI: 28.06, 67.76]) but not when compared with other psychiatric drugs (MD: -4.19 [95%CI: -19.43, 11.05]). Adverse events (AEs) and discontinuation due to AEs were common among the quetiapine users. Quetiapine is effective as a sleep-helping drug. Precaution is suggested when interpreting the results on the elderly due to the high heterogeneity caused by incorporating patients over 66 years in the meta-analyses. We recommend an initial dosage of 50-150 mg/day with priority consideration for the elderly with GAD or MDD while monitoring its potential AEs.
2021
Wang MM, =Loh EW, Chou JF, Sung PM, Chou YY, Lin YK, Chen SF, Tam KW.
Influence of Shared Decision Making on Decisional Conflict and Regret in Postpartum Mother–Infant Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Value Health. 2021 Sep;24(9):1335-1342.
Abstract
Objectives: Although postpartum rooming-in is encouraged by the World Health Organization, independent separated nursery care is still widely adopted in Eastern countries. Our aim is to evaluate the effect of shared decision-making (SDM) assisted by patient decision aids on subjective decisional conflict and regret among women who are required to make choices regarding postpartum infant care. Methods: A total of 196 pregnant women who came for routine checkups 1 month before delivery were randomly assigned to the SDM group or the classic group. Before the mothers were discharged after delivery, their decision-making difficulties were evaluated. The primary outcome was the decisional conflict, which was assessed using the SURE (Sure of myself; Understand information; Risk-benefit ratio; Encouragement) scale. The secondary outcome was the decisional regret, which was measured using the Decision Regret scale. Results: Compared with the classic group, SDM group had surer feelings about the choice (P＜.001), felt more confident about knowing the benefits and risks of each option (P＜.001), had a clearer understanding of the benefits and risks (P＜.001), and felt sufficiently supported with enough advice to make a suitable choice (P＜.001). No significant difference was noted in the Decision Regret scores between groups. The choice of 24-hour rooming-in, 12-hour rooming-in, and separated nursery care was not significantly different between groups. Conclusions: SDM reduced the decisional conflict and uncertainty of the mothers. Available choices of postpartum mother–infant care should be provided to mothers through SDM that includes individual values, health goals, and clear knowledge and transparency.
2020
Chen YC, =Loh EW, Huang TW.
Humanity behind the intention of primary caregiver to choose withdrawing life-sustaining treatment for terminating patients.
Patient Educ Couns. 2020 Jun 8; 103(2020):2477-2482.
Abstract
Objective: Mechanical ventilation, a measure of life-sustaining treatment (LST), may not be helpful and can be devastating for patients with terminal illness. We explored the effects of demographic characteristics, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on the behavioral intentions of primary caregivers to withdraw LST of long-term ventilator-dependent patients. Methods: Primary caregivers of ventilator-dependent patients in the respiratory care units of six hospitals participated in the study. A cross-sectional design including the domains of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention was adopted. Results: Valid data for 99 participants were analyzed using logistic regression. Religious belief, a spousal relationship with the patient, item 5 in subjective norms, and item 5 in perceived behavioral control positively influenced the intention to withdraw patient LST. Conclusions: Religious beliefs, a spousal relationship, perceived behavioral control (confidence in relieving patient suffering), and the opportunity of current favorable subjective norms are major determinants of the intention to withdraw patients’ LST. Practice Implications: Shared decision-making with the kin and primary caregivers of long-term ventilator-dependent patients at the end of life is crucial.
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