Effects of Adversities during Childhood on Anxiety Symptoms in Children and Adolescents: Comparison of Typically Developing Children and Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder Group

Objectives@#Childhood adversity is a risk factor for anxiety symptoms, but it affects anxiety symptoms in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current study aimed to examine the association between childhood adversity and anxiety symptoms in participants with and without ADHD. @*Methods@#Data were obtained from a school-based epidemiological study of 1017 randomly selected children and adolescents. The ADHD and non-ADHD groups were divided using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Predictive Scale (DPS). The DPS was also used to assess comorbidities such as anxiety and mood disorders. The childhood adversities were assessed using the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form, and the anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders. Linear and logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between childhood adversity and anxiety in the ADHD and non-ADHD groups with adjustments for age and sex. @*Results@#This study found that the ADHD group did not show any significant association between anxiety symptoms and childhood adversities, whereas the non-ADHD group always showed a significant association. In a subgroup analysis of the non-ADHD group, the normal group without any psychiatric disorders assessed with DPS demonstrated a statistically significant association between childhood adversities and anxiety symptoms. These results were consistent with the association between childhood adversities and anxiety disorders assessed using DPS, as shown by logistic regression. @*Conclusion@#The association between anxiety symptoms and childhood adversities statistically disappears in ADHD; ADHD may mask or block the association. Further longitudinal research is necessary to investigate this relationship.

Effect of Noise on Sleep and Autonomic Activity in Children according to Source

Background@#Noise has been a major issue in children due to its effect on emotional symptoms and sleep problems. The present study investigated the effect of noise on sleep and autonomic activity in children according to three variables, namely, road traffic noise, aircraft noise, and noise sensitivity (NS). @*Methods@#The study is epidemiological in nature. A total of 474 subjects of four elementary schools were evaluated in conjunction with the 2014 noise map data gathered from two metropolitan regions, Seoul and Ulsan, in South Korea. Each subject completed the children's sleep habits questionnaire, and heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded. Analysis of covariance was performed using monthly income as a covariate. @*Results@#Aircraft noise was associated with night waking (P = 0.047), whereas no significant association was observed between sleep and road traffic noise. After stratifying by NS, no significant results were obtained for road traffic noise. However, high levels of aircraft noise in the high-NS group were associated with high degrees of bedtime resistance (P = 0.049). In terms of HRV, no significant difference was observed in the results between groups. @*Conclusion@#Road traffic noise did not significantly alter sleep or autonomic activity in children, whereas aircraft noise exerted a negative effect on sleep. The findings suggest that the impact of noise on sleep in children varies depending on noise sources.

Effects of Adversities during Childhood on Anxiety Symptoms in Children and Adolescents: Comparison of Typically Developing Children and Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder Group

Objectives@#Childhood adversity is a risk factor for anxiety symptoms, but it affects anxiety symptoms in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current study aimed to examine the association between childhood adversity and anxiety symptoms in participants with and without ADHD. @*Methods@#Data were obtained from a school-based epidemiological study of 1017 randomly selected children and adolescents. The ADHD and non-ADHD groups were divided using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Predictive Scale (DPS). The DPS was also used to assess comorbidities such as anxiety and mood disorders. The childhood adversities were assessed using the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form, and the anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders. Linear and logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between childhood adversity and anxiety in the ADHD and non-ADHD groups with adjustments for age and sex. @*Results@#This study found that the ADHD group did not show any significant association between anxiety symptoms and childhood adversities, whereas the non-ADHD group always showed a significant association. In a subgroup analysis of the non-ADHD group, the normal group without any psychiatric disorders assessed with DPS demonstrated a statistically significant association between childhood adversities and anxiety symptoms. These results were consistent with the association between childhood adversities and anxiety disorders assessed using DPS, as shown by logistic regression. @*Conclusion@#The association between anxiety symptoms and childhood adversities statistically disappears in ADHD; ADHD may mask or block the association. Further longitudinal research is necessary to investigate this relationship.

Effect of Noise on Sleep and Autonomic Activity in Children according to Source

Background@#Noise has been a major issue in children due to its effect on emotional symptoms and sleep problems. The present study investigated the effect of noise on sleep and autonomic activity in children according to three variables, namely, road traffic noise, aircraft noise, and noise sensitivity (NS). @*Methods@#The study is epidemiological in nature. A total of 474 subjects of four elementary schools were evaluated in conjunction with the 2014 noise map data gathered from two metropolitan regions, Seoul and Ulsan, in South Korea. Each subject completed the children's sleep habits questionnaire, and heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded. Analysis of covariance was performed using monthly income as a covariate. @*Results@#Aircraft noise was associated with night waking (P = 0.047), whereas no significant association was observed between sleep and road traffic noise. After stratifying by NS, no significant results were obtained for road traffic noise. However, high levels of aircraft noise in the high-NS group were associated with high degrees of bedtime resistance (P = 0.049). In terms of HRV, no significant difference was observed in the results between groups. @*Conclusion@#Road traffic noise did not significantly alter sleep or autonomic activity in children, whereas aircraft noise exerted a negative effect on sleep. The findings suggest that the impact of noise on sleep in children varies depending on noise sources.

Pharmacological treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by attention deficits, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In the past, ADHD was considered to be limited to children and adolescents. However, ADHD has now been reconceptualized as a lifelong disorder, and two-thirds of ADHD patients continue to have core symptoms and dysfunction in adulthood. Currently, the public and clinicians’ interest in adult ADHD is rapidly increasing in Korea. In addition to interviews with patients for an adult ADHD diagnosis, interviews with family members, existing school records, and neuropsychological tests help clinicians to make a diagnosis. It is necessary to check whether the core symptoms of ADHD were expressed in childhood. Since adults’ symptom patterns differ from those of children, a self-report tool designed for adult ADHD is useful. The medications currently approved for ADHD in adults by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea are long-acting methylphenidate and atomoxetine. Both methylphenidate and atomoxetine improve the core symptoms of ADHD as well as daily function. Methylphenidate and atomoxetine can be used safely as first-line treatments, and the overall adverse effects are tolerable. However, attention should be paid to possible cardiovascular adverse events and misuse. Bupropion, modafinil, alpha2-agonist, and tricyclic antidepressants can also be used off-label.

Characteristics of Psychiatric Patients Referred by Police to an Emergency Department / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the demographic and clinical characteristics of police referrals with referrals from other sources to a psychiatric emergency department. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on the data from the psychiatric emergency department of Ulsan University Hospital from January 2014 to October 2017. The study sample consisted of 79 psychiatric patients who were referred by police, and the characteristics of this group were compared with those of 240 psychiatric patients who were referred by other sources. The collected data were analyzed using a chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and independent sample t-tests. RESULTS: Among the 1768 psychiatric emergency visits, 89 (5.0%) were referred by police, and among the 79 referrals by police chosen as the study group, there were 4(5.1%) cases of emergent psychiatric admission. These patients referred by police were more likely to be male and in a lower socio-economic status. Police referrals were more likely to exhibit violent behavior, be restrained, and more likely to visit after working hours. They were notified more rapidly to the psychiatric department, less notified to other departments, and visited the psychiatric outpatient clinics less after discharge from the emergency department. CONCLUSION: The study results highlight the importance of understanding the characteristics of psychiatric emergency patients referred by police and identifying the problems of the current psychiatric emergency services. Systems need to be developed that clarify the roles of police in psychiatric emergencies and facilitate collaboration between police and mental health institutions.

Effectiveness and Safety of Bupropion in Children and Adolescents with Depressive Disorders: A Retrospective Chart Review

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of bupropion extended-release for the treatment of depressive disorder in children and adolescents. METHODS: This was a 12-week, retrospective chart review of bupropion, which included 127 youth (age, 15.3 ± 2.3 years; 66 boys) with depressive disorders (105 with major depressive disorder, 14 with dysthymia, 11 with adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and seven with depressive disorder not otherwise specified). Illness severity at baseline and at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks was retrospectively scored using the Clinical Global Impressions-Depression-Severity (CGI-Depression-S) and/or Clinical Global Impressions-Depression-Improvement (CGI-Depression-I). RESULTS: The mean dose of bupropion was 180.0 ± 52.6 (range, 75–300) mg/day and the mean duration 33.9 ± 53.1 (range, 7–295) weeks. The CGI-Depression-S scores were significantly decreased over 12 weeks (F = 132.125, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.508). Fifty-eight subjects (45.7%) were determined to be responders at 12 weeks (defined by a CGI-Depression-I score ≤ 2). Forty-six patients (36.2%) discontinued bupropion before the 12 weeks (19 due to adverse events, 15 due to poor effectiveness, three due to referral to other clinics, and nine due to follow-up loss for unknown reasons). Overall, bupropion was well tolerated. The most common adverse event was irritability (n = 12, 9.4%), which resolved spontaneously in eight subjects or after drug discontinuation in four subjects. CONCLUSION: Our results provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness and safety of bupropion in children and adolescents with depressive episodes. Large, prospective, placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Effects of Atomoxetine on Height and Weight in Korean Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Retrospective Chart Review

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the long-term effects of atomoxetine on growth in Korean children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The medical records of 82 subjects (mean age, 9.0±2.0 years; 64 boys) with ADHD treated with atomoxetine for at least 1 year at the Department of Psychiatry at Asan Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. Height and weight data were prospectively obtained and retrospectively gathered and converted to age- and gender-corrected z scores using norms from Korean youths. Growth changes were analyzed using random coefficients models with changes in height or weight z scores as the dependent variables. RESULTS: Height z scores significantly decreased during the treatment period (β=-0.054, p=0.024). Height z scores decreased during the 1st year of treatment (β=-0.086, p=0.003), but did not change after the 1st year. Weight z scores did not change significantly during treatment (β=0.004, p=0.925). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that long-term atomoxetine treatment may be associated with deficits in height growth in Korean youths, although this effect was minor and tended to be attenuated over the first year. Because of the limitations of this study such as retrospective design and selection bias, further prospective studies are needed.

Short- and Long-term Effects of Case Management on Suicide Prevention among Individuals with Previous Suicide Attempts: a Survival Analysis

BACKGROUND: This study examined the long-term preventive effects of a case management service on suicide reattempts, and clarified the factors related to suicide reattempts. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of suicide attempters who visited the emergency department of Ulsan University Hospital from August 28, 2013 to July 31, 2017. A 4-week case management service was provided to consenting participants, either face-to-face or by telephone. Using survival analysis, we analyzed differences in the time to the next emergency department visit for a suicide attempt according to whether participants completed the case management service. We also assessed which characteristics of participants were associated with suicide reattempts. RESULTS: We found no overall difference in time to suicide reattempt between case-managed participants and controls over the entire observation period (median period: 19 months). However, in the first 24 weeks after the initial suicide attempt, the case-managed group showed a longer time to reattempt than did the control group (log-rank test = 4.243; P = 0.039). A higher risk of reattempt was found among participants with the medical benefit type of health insurance compared to those with national health insurance (hazard ratio [HR], 5.134; P < 0.001) and among participants aged 20–39 compared to those aged ≥ 60 (HR, 3.502; P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Case management had only short-term benefits (within 24 weeks of initial suicide attempt). Risk factors for suicide reattempts were having a medical benefit health insurance and being aged 20–39 years.

Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals Four Novel Loci for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Korean Youths

OBJECTIVES: The molecular mechanisms underlying attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the genetic susceptibility loci for ADHD in Korean children with ADHD. We performed a case-control and a family-based genome-wide association study (GWAS), as well as genome-wide quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses, for two symptom traits. METHODS: A total of 135 subjects (71 cases and 64 controls), for the case-control analysis, and 54 subjects (27 probands and 27 unaffected siblings), for the family-based analysis, were included. RESULTS: The genome-wide QTL analysis identified four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs7684645 near APELA, rs12538843 near YAE1D1 and POU6F2, rs11074258 near MCTP2, and rs34396552 near CIDEA) that were significantly associated with the number of inattention symptoms in ADHD. These SNPs showed possible association with ADHD in the family-based GWAS, and with hyperactivity-impulsivity in genome-wide QTL analyses. Moreover, association signals in the family-based QTL analysis for the number of inattention symptoms were clustered near genes IL10, IL19, SCL5A9, and SKINTL. CONCLUSION: We have identified four QTLs with genome-wide significance and several promising candidates that could potentially be associated with ADHD (CXCR4, UPF1, SETD5, NALCN-AS1, ERC1, SOX2-OT, FGFR2, ANO4, and TBL1XR1). Further replication studies with larger sample sizes are needed.

Effect of Pharmacological Treatment for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on Motor Coordination: Open Label Study

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pharmacological treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on motor coordination, using the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ). METHODS: The participants were recruited from April 2015 to November 2016 from the Department of Psychiatry of Asan Medical Center and were treated for 3 months with methylphenidate or atomoxetine. The illness severity at baseline and 3 months were scored using the ADHD Rating Scale (ARS), Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S) and/or Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale (CGI-I). A total of 39 children with ADHD (age 8.0±1.4 years, 36 boys) completed the Advanced Test of Attention (ATA) and their parents completed the DCDQ at baseline and 3 months. The paired t-test, mixed between-within analysis of variance and correlation analysis were used. RESULTS: The CGI-S (p<0.001), ARS (p<0.001), and fine motor/hand writing (p=0.005) on the DCDQ were significantly changed between pre-treatment and post-treatment. When the participants were divided into those who were suspected of having developmental coordination disorder (DCD) (n=23) and those who probably did not (n=16), the control during movement, fine motor/hand writing and general coordination scores on the DCDQ showed the main effects for group (p<0.001, p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). The fine motor/hand writing on the DCDQ has a significant main effect for time [F(1,37)=7.31, p=0.010, η2=0.405] and the interaction effect between group and time was also significant [F(1,37)=4.63, p=0.038, η2=0.111]. The baseline visual commission error on the ATA is significantly correlated with the changes in the DCDQ total scores (r=0.330, p=0.040). CONCLUSION: Our results provide preliminary evidence that pharmacological treatment for ADHD improves not only the core symptoms of ADHD, but also the motor coordination. Further studies are needed to confirm the effect of the pharmacological treatment for ADHD on the motor coordination.

Clinical Application of the Korean Personality Rating Scale for Children in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the Korean Personality Rating Scale for Children (K-PRC) profile between children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and typically developing children. We also aimed to investigate the association of K-PRC and ADHD symptoms. METHODS: Ninety-nine youth (age 8.3+/-2.4 years, 72 boys) with ADHD and 84 controls (age 9.2+/-2.5 years, 43 boys) were recruited from the Department of Pediatric Psychiatry of the Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital. Diagnoses of ADHD and comorbid psychiatric disorders were confirmed with the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). The parents of the subjects completed the ADHD rating scale, and K-PRC. Independent t-tests, analysis of covariance, partial correlation analyses, and Mc Nemar test were used for analysis. RESULTS: Children and adolescents with ADHD showed higher K-PRC scores in verbal development, physical development, depression, delinquency, hyperactivity, family dysfunction and psychoticism. Delinquency and hyperactivity were significantly correlated with parent-rated ADHD rating scales and ADHD scores on K-SADS-PL. The hyperactive/impulsive and combined subtypes showed higher scores on hyperactivity and delinquency than the inattentive subtype, and the inattentive subtype showed higher scores on depression and social dysfunction of the K-PRC. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that K-PRC could be used to comprehensively evaluate symptoms, combined psychopathologies, developmental delay and family dysfunction of children with ADHD.

Mild Impairments in Cognitive Function in the Elderly with Restless Legs Syndrome / 수면정신생리

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive impairment in restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients can be affected by sleep deprivation, anxiety and depression, which are common in RLS. The objective of this study is to investigate relationship between cognitive impairment and RLS in the non-medicated Korean elderly with controlling for psychiatric conditions. METHOD: The study sample for this study comprised 25 non-medicated Korean elderly RLS patients and 50 age-, sex-, and education-matched controls. All subjects were evaluated with comprehensive cognitive function assessment tools-including the Korean version of Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (CERAD-K), severe cognitive impairment rating scale (SCIRS), frontal assessment battery (FAB), and clock drawing test (CLOX). Sleep quality and depression were also assessed with Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and geriatric depression scale (GDS). RESULTS: PSQI and GDS score showed no difference between RLS and control group. There was no significant difference between two groups in nearly all the cognitive function except in constructional recognition test, in which subjects with RLS showed lower performance than control group (t=-2.384, p=0.02). Subjects with depression (GDS> or =10) showed significant cognitive impairment compared to control in verbal fluency, Korean version of Mini Mental Status Examination in the CERAD-K (MMSE-KC), word list memory, trail making test, and frontal assessment battery (FAB). In contrast, no difference was observed between subjects who have low sleep quality (PSQI>5) and control group. CONCLUSIONS: At the exclusion of the impact of insomnia and depression, cognitive function was found to be relatively preserved in RLS patients compared to control. Impairment of visual recognition in RLS patients can be explained in terms of dopaminergic dysfunction in RLS.