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In this study, we evaluated the association between autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and 10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5' region of the semaphorin 5A gene (SEMA5A) for 250 Korean trios including children with ASDs. Family-based association testing and haplotype analysis revealed a statistically significant association between rs194085 and multiple sociality traits with Korean ASDs in the dominant model (p

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of mental disorders in Korean adults. METHODS Door to door household surveys were conducted with community residents aged 18-74 years from July 19, 2011, to November 16, 2011 (n=6,022, response rate 78.7%). The sample was drawn from 12 catchment areas using a multistage cluster method. Each subject was assessed using the Korean version of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). RESULTS Lifetime and 12-month prevalence estimates were as follows: alcohol use disorders, 13.4% and 4.4%, respectively; nicotine use disorders, 7.2% and 4.0%, respectively; anxiety disorders, 8.7% and 6.8%, respectively; and mood disorders, 7.5% and 3.6%, respectively. The prevalence rates of all types of DSM-IV mental disorders were 27.6% and 16.0%, respectively. Being female; young; divorced, separated, or widowed; and in a low-income group were associated with mood and anxiety disorders after adjustment for various demographic variables, whereas being male and young were associated with alcohol use disorders. Higher income was not correlated with alcohol use disorder as it had been in the 2001 survey. CONCLUSION The rate of depressive disorders has increased since 2001 (the first national survey), whereas that of anxiety disorders has been relatively stable. The prevalence of nicotine and alcohol use disorders has decreased, and the male-to-female ratio of those with this diagnosis has also decreased.

OBJECTIVE: We determined whether aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) activity alters the way in which drinking behaviors are affected by gene polymorphisms of other alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and serotonin-related proteins. METHODS: Through a follow-up survey with a cohort comprising 551 university freshmen over a period of 6 years, we examined the genetic factors affecting drinking behaviors. In 2000, drinking behaviors were assessed and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and ALDH2 gene polymorphisms were determined. Drinking behaviors were repeated in 2006 (n=150), and the gene polymorphisms of ADH1B, ADH1C, CYP2E1, 5-HTR2A 1438A/G, and 5-HTR2A IVS2 were also determined. RESULTS: In 2000, the variant and wild-type ALDH2 groups exhibited little difference in terms of drinking frequency and problem drinking. Furthermore, some genotypes influenced only the variant group: ADH1B*2/*2 was associated with a lower drinking frequency, and CYP2E1 c2 allele was associated with an increased risk of problem drinking. In 2006, drinking frequency and risk of problem drinking were significantly lower in the variant group than in the wild-type group. However, the TPH AA genotype disturbed that difference, meaning that the subjects in the variant group had developed a similar level of risk of problem drinking to that in the wild-type group. CONCLUSION: Korean university freshmen who were identified as a variant group drank as frequently as those in the wild-type group. For the subsequent 6 years they drank less frequently, thus decreasing the risk of problem drinking. However, that frequency drop was interrupted in those with gene polymorphisms such as ADH1B*1, CYP2E1 c2, and TPH A.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the adolescent brain activation patterns in response to performance feedback (PF), social reward (SR) and monetary reward (MR) and their association with psychological factors. Methods Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed while middle school boys (n=15) performed tests pertained to PF, SR and MR. The brain activation pattern in each condition was investigated, and the extent of brain activation in each of the three conditions was compared at once. Results The caudate and the dorsal prefrontal area were activated in all three conditions. Furthermore, the cuneus showed significantly greater activation in the PF condition than the SR or MR condition. And the self - related areas, such as the right precentral gyrus and paracenral lobule, were more activated in the SR condition than the PF or MR condition. The left middle frontal gyrus was more activated in the MR condition than the PF or SR condition. Conclusion Not only various reward stimuli but also feedback stimulus might commonly activate dorsal prefrontal and subcortical area in adolescents. Moreover, several different brain activation patterns were also observed in each condition. The results of this study could be applied to planning of learning and teaching strategy for adolescents in various ways.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the T102C polymorphism in the serotonin 2A receptor gene and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Korean patients. METHODS A total of 189 Korean children with ADHD as well as both parents of the ADHD children and 150 normal children participated in this study. DNA was extracted from blood samples from all of the subjects, and genotyping was conducted. Based on the allele and genotype information obtained, case-control analyses were performed to compare the ADHD and normal children, and Transmission disequilibrium tests (TDTs) were used for family-based association testing (number of trios=113). Finally, according to the significant finding which was showed in the case-control analyses, the results of behavioral characterastics and neuropsychological test were compared between ADHD children with and without the C allele. RESULTS In the case-control analyses, statistically significant differences were detected in the frequencies of genotypes containing the C allele (χ(2)=4.73, p=0.030). In the family-based association study, TDTs failed to detect linkage disequilibrium of the T102C polymorphism associated with ADHD children. In the ADHD children, both the mean reaction time and the standard deviation of the reaction time in the auditory continuous performance test were longer in the group with the C allele compared to the group without the C allele. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that there is a significant genetic association between the T102C polymorphism in the serotonin 2A receptor gene and ADHD in Korean children.

Objective Communication problems are a prevalent symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which have a genetic background. Although several genome-wide studies on ASD have suggested a number of candidate genes, few studies have reported the association or linkage of specific endophenotypes to ASDs. Methods Forty-two Korean ASD patients who showed a language delay were enrolled in this study with their parents. We performed a genome-wide scan by using the Affymetrix SNP Array 5.0 platform to identify candidate genes responsible for language delay in ASDs. Results We detected candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in chromosome 11, rs11212733 (p-value=9.76×10-6) and rs7125479 (p-value=1.48×10-4), as a marker of language delay in ASD using the transmission disequilibrium test and multifactor dimensionality reduction test. Conclusion Although our results suggest that several SNPs are associated with language delay in ASD, rs11212733 we were not able to observe any significant results after correction of multiple comparisons. This may imply that more samples may be required to identify genes associated with language delay in ASD.

OBJECTIVE: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong genetic component. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which participates in the differentiation and survival of dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons, could play a role in ADHD development. We aimed to explore the relationships between ADHD and BDNF gene polymorphism. METHODS: We conducted a case-control analysis of 202 ADHD subjects and 159 controls, performed a transmission disequilibrium test on 151 trios, and compared the results of a continuous performance test (CPT) according to the genotype of the three single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs11030101, rs6265, rs16917204) in the BDNF gene. RESULTS: In the case-control analysis, the AA genotype of the BDNF rs11030101 polymorphism was significantly associated with ADHD only in girls (p=0.024, odds ratio=3.00). The T-G-G haplotype was significantly less frequent (p=0.005) and A-G-G was more frequent (p=0.048) in girls with ADHD than in control girls (global p=0.027). A multivariate analysis of variance for commission errors on the CPT showed a significant main effect for the rs11030101 genotype (p=0.026) and an interaction effect of the rs11030101 genotype and gender (p=0.032) in ADHD probands. CONCLUSION: These results provide preliminary evidence for a gender-specific association between BDNF and ADHD in the Korean population.