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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.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of adolescents hospitalized through the emergency room for intentional self-harm or suicide attempts.This retrospective study used data from the Korean National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey conducted between 2006 and 2018 for individuals aged 10-24 years. The clinical characteristics of the patients were analyzed and compared across sex and age groups using the Rao-Scott chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analysis for complex survey data.The most common psychiatric diagnosis was mood disorder (22.0%), and more female patients were diagnosed with it than male patients (p=0.010). The 19-24 years age group was diagnosed with mood disorder the most compared to other younger groups (p=0.012). Male patients used lethal methods more than female patients (p=0.008), and the 19-24 years age group used more drug poisoning and cutting or piercing (p0.001) for intentional self-harm or suicide attempts than younger groups.Adolescents hospitalized for intentional self-harm or suicide attempts showed significant differences in clinical characteristics across sex and age groups. These findings suggest that measures for preventing self-harm or suicide attempts need to be differentiated according to the sex and age of adolescents.

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 purpose of this study was to investigate whether the neural activity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients is different from that of normal individuals when performing aesthetic judgments. Methods We recruited typical ASD patients without savant skills (ASD group, n=17) and healthy controls (HC group, n=19) for an functional magnetic resonance imaging study. All subjects were scanned while performing aesthetic judgment tasks on two kinds of artwork (magnificent landscape images and fractal images). Differences in brain activation between the two groups were assessed by contrasting neural activity during the tasks. Results The aesthetic judgment score for all images was significantly lower in the ASD group than in the HC group. During the aesthetic judgment tasks, the ASD group showed less activation than the HC group in the anterior region of the superior frontal gyrus, and more activation in the temporoparietal area and insula, regardless of the type of images being judged. In addition, during the aesthetic judgment task for the fractal images, the ASD group exhibited greater neural activity in the amygdala and the posterior region of the middle/inferior temporal gyrus (Brodmann area 37) than the HC group. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that the brain activation patterns associated with aesthetic experiences in ASD patients may differ from those of normal individuals.

Background This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, correlates, comorbidities, and suicidal tendencies of problematic game use in a nationally representative sample of Korean adults. Methods Of the 6022 subjects who participated in the 2011 Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area study and completed the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1, 1397 game users were evaluated for problematic game use using 9-item DSM-5 proposed criteria for Internet gaming disorder. Respondents who responded “yes” to five or more of the nine DSM-5 criteria were considered as problematic game users and the reminders were considered as normal game users. Results 4.0% (56/1397) of game users were classified as a problematic game user. Problematic game users were more likely to be in younger age group and live in urban area compared with normal game user. Problematic game use was positively associated with several psychiatric disorders including nicotine use disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, but not associated with alcohol use disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, after adjusting for age, sex, and residential area. Problematic game use was significantly and positively associated with suicide plans, after controlling for psychiatric disorders as well as socio-demographic factors. Conclusion Problematic game use is relatively prevalent in Korean adult population and highly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders and suicidality. Therefore, preventive strategy for problematic game use is needed for game users who were more likely to be addicted such as young adults in urban area, and mental health screening and appropriate treatment are needed for individuals with problematic game use.

Given the shortage of studies on parental perceived benefits of OROS-methylphenidate treatment in Asian populations, we assessed parental response to OROS-methylphenidate treatment of Korean children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in relation to children’s academic performance and behavioral symptoms as well as parental rearing stress and depressive symptoms. We enrolled 132 medication-naive children with ADHD into a multicenter, open-label, 12-week trial of OROS-MPH. The outcome measures were the ADHD rating scale-IV (ADHD-RS), the comprehensive attention test and academic performance rating scale , and the clinical global impression (CGI)- severity/improvement instrument (for the children) and Beck depression inventory and parenting stress index (for their parents). We found parent-perceived improvements in children’s ADHD-related behavioral symptoms and academic function and their parents' depressive symptoms and parenting stress. Investigator-rated ADHD symptoms and subjects' neuropsychological function were also improved (p Parents of Korean children with ADHD perceive that OROS-methylphenidate treatment improves their children’s academic function and behavior as well as their own child-rearing stress and emotional state. These findings must be interpreted with caution, due to a non-comparative open-label trial.

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

This study examined the nature of cognitive and behavioral sex differences in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and two comparison groups: a group of typically developing (TD) children and a group of unaffected siblings of ASD children. Sex differences in core autistic symptoms, co-occurring behavioral symptoms, and cognitive styles were assessed in each group. Females with ASD were less severely affected than IQ- and age-matched males with ASD in the communication and repetitive stereotyped behavior domains, as measured by the ADI-R, but such sex differences were less significant than they were in the unaffected sibling group. Several behavioral/emotional symptom scores were significantly higher in male siblings than in female siblings. However, the ASD and TD groups did not show sex differences in any behavioral/emotional symptom scores. Males were superior in systemizing relative to empathizing, while the opposite was true for females in the unaffected sibling group and the TD children group; however, both males and females were superior in systemizing relative to empathizing in the ASD group. Our findings support the extreme male brain theory of autism, and further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms behind and developmental perspectives on the nature of sex differences in ASD.

：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.

Research on psychostimulants, analysis of animal models and genetic association studies all suggest that the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene ( BDNF ) may be a good candidate for pharmacogenetic studies of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Yet to date there have been no pharmacogenetic studies of BDNF in ADHD. A total of 102 drug-naive ADHD children (8.7±2.1 yr) were treated with osmotic release oral system-methylphenidate (OROS-MPH) for 12 wk, and four kinds of response criteria were applied, based first, on a combined threshold of the ADHD Rating Scale – IV (ARS) and the Clinical Global Impression – Improvement scale (CGI-I); second, on scores of 1 or 2 vs. 3–7 on the CGI – Severity scale; third, on a >50% reduction in ARS scores; and fourth, on satisfaction of all of the aforementioned criteria. The Val66Met polymorphism of BDNF and six single nucleotide polymorphisms from the SLC6A2, ADRA2A and NTF-3 genes were tested for association with each criterion. Relative to other genotypes, homozygosity for the Val allele of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was associated with a greater relative frequency of good response under all four response criteria (after controlling for baseline ARS score, age, gender, final dose (mg/kg) of OROS-MPH at 12 wk, and level of academic functioning). This association was significant at the uncorrected level for the first and third response criteria ( p =0.013 and p =0.018, respectively) and significant at a Bonferroni-corrected level for the second and fourth response criteria ( p =0.0002, p =0.0003, respectively). Our findings support an association between homozygosity for the Val allele of BDNF and better response to OROS-MPH in Korean ADHD children as assessed by four different response criteria.

：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

To determine the genetic association between qualitative and quantitative traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neuregulin 1 (NRG1)-a schizophrenia candidate gene-we examined six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NRG1 using a family-based association test (FBAT) in Korean families with ASD. rs35753505 and rs6994992 SNPs in NRG1 revealed a statistically significant family-based association with three quantitative traits for sociality.

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.

We examined the association between the norepinephrine transporter (SLC6A2) gene and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a Korean population. In addition, we investigated which phenotypes of ASD are best attributed to the genotype of SLC6A2. A total of 184 subjects with ASD, their 156 unaffected siblings and both biological parents were recruited through university hospitals. We used the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (ABC), the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), the Stroop Colour-Word Interference Test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) as quantitative measures of the ASD phenotypes. The associations between the quantitative measures and specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested with linear regression analyses. We did not find any evidence of the over-transmission of either allele of the 10SLC6A2 SNPs in the DFAM test. At an empirical p value

Noradrenergic dysfunction may be associated with cogni- tive impairments in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including increased response time variability, which has been proposed as a leading endophenotype for ADHD. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between polymorphisms in the >-2A-adrenergic receptor (ADRA2A) and norepinephrine transporter (SLC6A2) genes and attentional performance in ADHD children before and after pharmaco- logical treatment. One hundred one medication-naive ADHD children were included. All subjects were administered methylphenidate (MPH)YOROS for 12 weeks. The subjects underwent a computerized comprehensive attention test to measure the response time variability at baseline before MPH treatment and after 12 weeks. Additive regression analyses controlling for ADHD symptom severity, age, sex, IQ, and final dose of MPH examined the as- sociation between response time variability on the comprehensive attention test measures and allelic variations in single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the ADRA2A and SLC6A2 before and after MPH treatment. Increasing possession of an A allele at the G1287A polymorphism of SLC6A2 was significantly related to heightened response time variability at baseline in the sustained (P =2 .0 10 j3 ) and auditory selective attention (P =1 .0 10 j3 ) tasks. Response time variability at baseline increased additively with possession of the T allele at the DraI polymorphism of the ADRA2A gene in the auditory selective attention task (P =2 .0 10 j3 ). After medication, increasing possession of a G allele at the MspI polymorphism of the ADRA2A gene was associated with increased MPH-related change in response time variability in the flanker task (P =1 .0 10 j3 ). Our study suggested an association between norepinephrine gene variants and response time variability measured at baseline and after MPH treatment in children with ADHD. Our results add to a growing body of evidence, suggesting that response time variability is a viable endophenotype for ADHD and suggesting its utility as a surrogate end point for measuring stimulant response in pharmacogenetic studies.

Neurotrophin 3 (NTF3) has been studied in relation to the pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and mood disorders as well as psychostimulant action. We hypothesized that the risk of an emotional side effect to methylphenidate (MPH) treatment may be associated with NTF3 genotypes. Ninety-six medication-naïve children with ADHD (mean age 8.70, standard deviation 1.41 years, 79 males) were genotyped and treated with MPH. At baseline, which was prior to MPH treatment, and after two weeks of medication, investigators asked children and their parents or caregivers about adverse events using a symptom rating scale. ADHD subjects with the A/A genotype at the NTF3 rs6332 polymorphism showed the highest ‘Emotionality’ and ‘Over-focus/euphoria’ factor scores, followed by those with the G/A genotype and those with the G/G genotype ( p=0.042 and p=0.045, respectively). ADHD subjects with the A/A genotype at the NTF3 rs6332 polymorphism showed the highest ‘Proneness to crying’ and ‘Nail biting’ item scores, followed by those with the G/A genotype and those with the G/G genotype ( p=0.047 and p=0.017, respectively). These data provide preliminary evidence that genetic variation in the NTF3 gene is related to susceptibility to emotional side effects in response to MPH treatment in Korean children with ADHD.

a Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bungdang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea b Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea d Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea e Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Republic of Korea f Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Republic of Korea g Department of Preventive Medicine, School of medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea h Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

Complex phenotypes such as performance on the continuous performance test (CPT) are likely to exhibit epistasis. Genetic polymorphisms of noradrenergic system and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which participates in the differentiation and survival of noradrenergic neurons, have been reported to be associated with the performance on CPT. We evaluated the effect of the adrenergic α-2A receptor (ADRA2A) and BDNF gene-gene interaction on performance on the CPT in a Korean population with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In all, 122 participants with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (8.6±2.3 years, 104 boys and 18 girls) completed the CPT. The DraI polymorphism of ADRA2A (rs583668) and rs11030101 polymorphism of BDNF were genotyped. Significant interaction effect was found of ADRA2A rs553668 and BDNF rs11030101 on response time variability (P=0.011) of the CPT. Our study provides preliminary evidence for the effect of the BDNF and ADRA2A gene-gene interaction on performance on the CPT in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

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.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the MspI and DraI polymorphisms at the alpha-2A-adrenergic receptor gene (ADRA2A) are associated with ADHD. However, few studies have been designed to ascertain the association between the ADRA2A genotypes and the performance on neurocognitive measures in ADHD. The aims of this study were to examine the association of the ADRA2A MspI and DraI polymorphisms with ADHD in Korean subjects, and to determine the relationship between the genotypes of these two polymorphisms and the candidate endophenotypes, as measured by the continuous performance test (CPT). In a case-control study, we assessed 186 ADHD probands and 150 normal controls. One hundred eight trios were studied in a family based association analysis. The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) analysis showed preferential transmission of the C allele of the DraI polymorphism (chi(2) = 5.88, P = 0.015). In the haplotype analyses, a trend of over-transmission of haplotype C/C was observed (chi(2) = 3.80, P = 0.051). The homozygous subjects for the C allele (C/C genotype) at the DraI polymorphism showed a trend toward a higher mean T-score with respect to the response time variability profiles of the CPT than did those with the other genotypes (C/T + T/T genotypes; P = 0.042). The homozygous subjects for the G allele (G/G genotype) at the MspI polymorphism showed a tendency to have a lower mean T-score with respect to the response time variability profiles of the CPT (P = 0.068). The results of this study provide important evidence for the involvement of the ADRA2A MspI and DraI polymorphisms in the etiology of ADHD in Korean subjects. In addition, our results provide evidence for the possible role of these two polymorphisms in ADHD symptom expression, such as increased response time variability.

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.

Maeng Je Cho *, Sung Man Chang , Young Moon Lee , Ahn Bae , Joon Ho Ahn , Jungwoo Son , Jin Pyo Hong , Jae Nam Bae , Dong-Woo Lee , Seong-Jin Cho , Jong-Ik Park , Jun-Young Lee , Jin Yeong Kim, Hong Jin Jeon , Jee Hoon Sohn , Byung-Soo Kim a Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University Hospital, 28 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 200 Dongduk-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu 700-721, South Korea Medical Humanities and Social Medicines, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Woncheon-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 443-749, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, Naju National Hospital, 500 Sanje-ri, Sanpo-myeon, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do 520-833, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, 102 Daehak-ro, Nam-gu, Ulsan 680-749, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Gaesin-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do 361-763, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, 388-1 Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Inha University, Sinheung-dong 3-ga, Jung-gu, Incheon 400-711, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, Sanggye Baek Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Sanggye 7-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-707, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, Gachon Medical School, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Guwol 1-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon 405-760, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Hyoja 3-dong, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do 200-722, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, Boramae Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Sindaebang 2-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-707, South Korea Department of Neuropsychiatry, Dongguk University International Hospital, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Siksa-dong, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 410-773, South Korea Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710, South Korea

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.