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Objectives To investigate the relationship between brain structure and empathy in early adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods Nineteen early adolescents with ADHD and 20 healthy controls underwent 3T MRI. All the participants were assessed for different aspects of empathy using measures including the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and Empathy Quotient. Cortical thickness and subcortical structural volume based on T1-weighted scans were analyzed using FreeSurfer. Results Cognitive empathy (t=-2.52, p=0.016) and perspective taking (t=-2.10, p=0.043) were impaired in the ADHD group compared with the control group. The cluster encompassing the left posterior insular, supramarginal, and transverse temporal cortices [cluster-wise p-value (CWP)=0.001], which are associated with emotional empathy, was significantly smaller in the ADHD group, and the volume of the left nucleus accumbens was greater than that of the control group (F=10.12, p=0.003, effect size=0.22). In the control group, the left superior temporal (CWP=0.002) and lingual cortical (CWP=0.035) thicknesses were positively associated with cognitive empathy, while the right amygdala volume was positively associated with empathic concern (Coef=14.26, t=3.92, p=0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between empathy and brain structure in the ADHD group. Conclusion The ADHD group had a smaller volume of the cortical area associated with emotional empathy than the control group, and there was no brain region showing significant correlation with empathy, unlike in the control group.

To date, we have made inferences on the behavior and mind of humans and animals from the perspective of humans, or for the sake of familiarity, vertebrates. The book, “Other Minds; The Octopus, The Sea, and The Deep Origins of Consciousness” by Peter Godfrey-Smith makes us realize how erroneous preconceived notions could be, and presents a novel perspective on the results of evolution. Through-out this book, readers will learn about the characteristics of the nervous system, behavior, and habits of cephalopods, which include oc-topuses. Through this book, readers will gain a new perspective on the embodiment, minds, nervous systems, consciousness, and soci-ality of humans and animals. Furthermore, the book will provide the imaginary experience of swimming in “Octopolis” inside the ocean with the author.

Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairments, patients with ASD frequently manifest atypical sensory behaviors. Recently, atypical sensory perception in ASD has received much attention, yet little is known about its cause or neurobiology. Herein, we review the findings from neuroimaging studies related to visual perception in ASD. Specifically, we examined the neural underpinnings of visual detection, motion perception, and face processing in ASD. Results from neuroimaging studies indicate that atypical visual perception in ASD may be influenced by attention or higher order cognitive mechanisms, and atypical face perception may be affected by disrupted social brain network. However, there is considerable evidence for atypical early visual processing in ASD. It is likely that visual perceptual abnormalities are independent of deficits of social functions or cognition. Importantly, atypical visual perception in ASD may enhance difficulties in dealing with complex and subtle social stimuli, or improve outstanding abilities in certain fields in individuals with Savant syndrome. Thus, future research is required to elucidate the characteristics and neurobiology of autistic visual perception to effectively apply these findings in the interventions of ASD.

Objectives We investigated the differences in cognitive and emotional empathic ability between adolescents and adults, and the differences of the brain activation during cognitive and emotional empathy tasks. Methods Adolescents (aged 13-15 years, n=14) and adults (aged 19-29 years, n=17) completed a range of empathic ability questionnaires and were scanned functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during both cognitive and emotional empathy task. Differences in empathic ability and brain activation between the groups were analyzed. Results Both cognitive and emotional empathic ability were significantly lower in the adolescent compared to the adult group. Comparing the adolescent to the adult group showed that brain activation was significantly greater in the right transverse temporal gyrus (BA 41), right insula (BA 13), right superior parietal lobule (BA 7), right precentral gyrus (BA 4), and right thalamus whilst performing emotional empathy tasks. No brain regions showed significantly greater activation in the adolescent compared to the adult group while performing cognitive empathy task. In the adolescent group, scores of the Fantasy Subscale in the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, which reflects cognitive empathic ability, negatively correlated with activity of right superior parietal lobule during emotional empathic situations (r=-0.739, p=0.006). Conclusion These results strongly suggest that adolescents possess lower cognitive and emotional empathic abilities than adults do and require compensatory hyperactivation of the brain regions associated with emotional empathy or embodiment in emotional empathic situation. Compensatory hyperactivation in the emotional empathy-related brain areas among adolescents are likely associated with their lower cognitive empathic ability.

：A total of 166 subjects with ASD and their 186 unaffected siblings were recruited through child psychiatry clinics of university hospitals. Board certified child psychiatrists screened all probands suspected to have ASD based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition. To confirm the diagnoses, the Korean versions of the Autism Diagnostic Ob-servation Schedule and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (K-ADI-R) were administered to all the subjects. All parents com-pleted the K-SCQ and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). The non-ASD siblings were evaluated with the same instruments as the probands with ASD. We performed a factor analysis to examine the structure of K-SCQ. For testing the validity of K-SCQ, we com-pared the difference in Lifetime and Current scores of probands with ASD and their non-ASD siblings using t-test and analysis of covariance. Correlations between the K-SCQ and other measurements of ASD symptomatology, including K-ADI-R totals and do-main scores and SRS, were examined. Receiver operation characteristic curve analysis was performed to extract cutoff scores dis-criminating affection status.

자폐증은 최근 소아청소년정신의학 영역에서뿐만 아니라 여러 영역에서 연구의 관심 대상이 되고 있다. 비단 학계의 관 심사를 넘어 문화 영역, 매스컴 영역 등에서도 자폐증에 대하 여 지대한 관심을 갖고 있는데 이에는 여러 이유가 있을 것이다. 과거부터 자폐증의 유병률은 대부분 낮은 수준으로 보고되 어 왔으나, 최근의 연구 보고들에 의하면 자폐증의 유병률은 급격히 증가하고 있다. 이렇게 유병률이 높아진 이유로 정신 의학 영역에서 자폐증을 주목하기 시작한 점, 진단 기준이 확 대되었다는 점 등을 들 수 있겠지만, 그럼에도 불구하고 이 렇게 발병률이 높아 일반적인 돌연변이의 발생 빈도를 상회 하게 되는 질환은 진화적 관점에서 볼 때 주목의 대상이 된 다. 특히 현대 사회에서 진단적으로 엄격한 기준을 적용할 때는 자폐증의 범주에 속한다 하더라도 다양한 사회 영역에 서 성공적인 활동을 할 수 있는 사람들이 점차 늘어나고 있다. 한편, 자폐증은 유전성이 매우 높은 신경발달적 질환 중의 하나이지만 생식 성공률은 비교적 낮은 질환이다. 그럼에도 불구하고 상기한 바와 같이 자폐증의 유병률은 일정 정도 유 지되어 왔으며 최근에는 유병률의 증가 현상을 보이고 있다. 이 역시 진화적 관점에서 주목을 끌 만한 양상이라 할 수 있다. 왜 자폐증은 진화적 관점에서 볼 때 자연 선택에 의하여 제 거되지 않고 현재에도 뚜렷하게 존재하는가? 이 글에서는 자 폐증을 진화적 관점에서 설명하려는 최근까지의 여러 이론 들을 검토할 것이다. 이 글에서 사용하는 자폐증이란 용어는 좁은 의미에서의, 질환으로서의 자폐증 범주를 넘어 다양한 자폐 스펙트럼(autism spectrum)을 포함한 넓은 의미로 사용 되었음을 밝혀둔다. 자폐증에 대한 진화적 관점

Objectives : Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors are core symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The purpose of our study was to investigate the frequency of motor stereotypes in ASD children and their clinical features. Methods : Among 171 ASD children (age range, 3-15), the ASD group with motor stereotypes was defined according to two items in the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (K-ADI-R). We compared the clinical features, behavior problems and severity of other domains in the K-ADI-R and executive functions between the ASD group with motor stereotypes and the ASD group without motor stereotypes. Results : Ninety (52.6%) of 171 ASD children had motor stereotypes. The ASD group with motor stereotypes had a lower intelligence quotient score (62.23 vs. 84.94, p

Objectives : The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of treatment with osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate (OROS-MPH) on quality of life (QOL) in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Another aim is to assess the relationship between change in QOL and other factors including children`s symptoms and academic performance or parents` depression and parenting stress. Methods : A total of 111 medication-naive children with ADHD in a multicenter, open-label, 12-week trial of OROS-MPH completed an evaluation using diverse rating scales at two time points; at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Scales for investigation of children included the Parent Report Form-Children`s Health and Illness Profile-Children`s Edition (PRF-CHIP-CE) on QOL, the ADHD Rating Scale-IV on symptoms, and the Academic Performance Rating Scale (APRS). The Beck Depression Inventory and Parenting Stress Index were used for assessment of their parents. Results : Total scores for mean PRF-CHIP-CE increased from at baseline to after 12 weeks of treatment (p

：A significant proportion of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have regression characterized by loss of previously acquired skills. The purpose of this study was to compare demographic, clinical characteristics and autism-related symptomatology of the children who have regression with children who don’t have regression.

Objectives:This study compared covert narcissistic propensity in adolescents with internet addiction tendency to normal adolescents. Further, we investigated the correlation between such propensities and anonymity in cyberspace, presence feeling and interactivity in internet gaming, and achievement motivation in adolescents with internet addiction tendencies. Methods:Male middle school students with internet addiction tendencies (Addiction Tendency Group, N=27) and normal stu- dents (Control Group, N=29) were recruited. The scale of internet use, Covert Narcissism Scale, scale of achievement motiva- tion, scale of anonymity in cyberspace, scale of presence feeling in internet games, and the scale of interactivity in internet games were administered. A comparison of the average scores and correlation analyses were performed. Results:1) Compared with Control Group, the Addiction Tendency Group showed significantly higher scores on all subscales of the Covert Narcissism Scale, and both the scale of presence feeling and that of interactivity in internet games. Further, the score on the scale of achievement motivation for the Addiction Tendency Group was significantly lower than that of the Control Group. 2) In the Addiction Tendency Group, the scores on several subscales of the Covert Narcissism Scale were significantly positively correlated with the scores on the scale of presence feeling in internet games, anonymity in cyberspace, and interac- tivity in internet games. However, in the Control Group, the scores of several subscales on the Covert Narcissism Scale were sig- nificantly negatively correlated with the score on the scale of achievement motivation, and was significantly positively correlat - ed with the score on the scale of interactivity in internet games. There were no other significant correlations between the scores on the subscales of the Covert Narcissism Scale and the scores of either presence feeling in internet games or anonymity in cy- berspace.

：This study was conducted to develop a Korean algorithm of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treat-ment strategies in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its specific comorbid disorders (e.g. tic disorder, depres-sive disorder, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder).

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prenatal, perinatal, and infancy history of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as compared to unaffected siblings (SIB) and typically developing children (TC). Methods:Subjects with ASD, their SIB, and TC were recruited. All subjects were assessed using both the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (K-ADI-R) and the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (K-ADOS) and were subsequently identified as affected or unaffected. Prenatal, perinatal, and infancy history was obtained from the primary caregivers and each facet was compared in those with ASD, the SIB, and the TC groups using SPSS ver. 17.0 (p