The Korean Practice Parameter for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(I): Introduction, Clinical Features and Course

Based on the broad and in-depth literature review, the dedicated members of the committee for the development of Korean attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) practice parameter develop the Korean practice parameter for ADHD. Members of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry(KACAP) had reviewed the drafts through off-line and on-line access to the drafts. Feedbacks from the members of KACAP were carefully integrated into the current practice parameter. This article presents the state of the art knowledge regarding the assessment and the management of ADHD. Recommendations in the end of the practice parameter may help clinician to make decisions in clinical practice, but are not likely to override the clinician's decision in natural settings. Future directions to complement the limitation of the current practice parameter is suggested.

The Korean Practice Parameter for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(II): Diagnosis and Assessment

Probably the three most important components to a comprehensive evaluation of patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) are the clinical interview, the medical examination, and the completion and scoring of behavior rating scales. Teachers and other school personnel are often the first to recognize that a child or adolescent might have ADHD, and often play an important role in the help-seeking/referral process. A diagnostic evaluation for ADHD should include questions about ADHD symptoms, other problems including alcohol and drug use, family history of ADHD, prior evaluation and treatment for ADHD. Screening interview or rating scales as well as interviews should be used. When it is feasible, clinicians may wish to supplement these components of the evaluation with objective assessments of the ADHD symptoms, such as psychological tests. These tests are not essential to reaching a diagnosis, however, or to treatment planning, but they may yield further information about the presence and severity of cognitive impairments that could be associated with some cases of ADHD. Screening for intellectual ability and academic achievement skills is also important in determining the presence of comorbid developmental delay or learning disabilities. The number and type of symptoms required for a diagnosis of ADHD vary depending on the specific subtype. To receive a diagnosis of ADHD, the person must be experiencing significant distress or impairment in daily functioning, and must not meet criteria for other mental disorders which might better account for the observed symptoms such as mental retardation, autism or other pervasive developmental disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders. This report aims to suggest a practice guideline of assessment and diagnosis for children and adolescents with ADHD in Korea.

The Korean Practice Parameter for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(III): Pharmacologic Treatment

The objective of this review is to propose the Korean practice guideline for pharmacological treatment of attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD). For making the guideline, the authors used the evidence-base approaches derived from a detailed review of literature including wide range of controlled clinical trials, studies of side effects of drugs, toxicological reports, and meta-analyses published in United States and Europe, as well as inside Korea. The review committee composed of experts in ADHD in Korea has reviewed the parameter. The practice parameter for pharmacological treatment describes the use of stimulants, atomoxetine, modafinil, bupropion, tricyclic antidepressants, and alpha-adrenergic agonists and their side effects. The recommendations of pharmacological treatment are proposed at the end of the article.

The Korean Practice Parameter for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(IV): Non-Pharmacologic Treatment

This practice parameter for non-pharmacological treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) review the domestic and international literature on the psychosocial treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD. This parameter include the parental training & education, cognitive behavior therapy(group or individual), social skill training, family therapy, play therapy(individual psychotherapy) and non-traditional therapy(art therapy, herbal therapy et al). Among them, there is some proven evidence only in parental training & education and cognitive behavior therapy. So, this parameter describes some details only in the field of parental training & education and cognitive behavior therapy. The efficacy or effectiveness, especially, cost-effectiveness of specific psychosocial treatment method for ADHD cannot be fairly assessed due to the scarcity of controlled clinical data. Based on the clinical expert consensus and limited evidence, we cautiously suggest the practice recommendations about the non-pharmacological psychosocial treatment for children and adolescents with ADHD.