• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.122-138
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study is to widely utilize the clinical practice guideline for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by investigating parents who have children with ASD about their perception in ASD and their thoughts on Korean medicine treatment to treat ASD. Methods We conducted a survey on 'perception of ASD' and 'perception and preference of Korean medicine treatment for ASD' on the parents of 22 children with ASD (age 4-6) who visited department of pediatrics of Korean medicine at Kyunghee University Korean medicine hospital at Gangdong and Kyunghee University Korean medicine hospital. Results Of the parents, 20 (90.91%) said their children had no experience with Korean medicine treatment. Among them, 11 (35.48%) chose 'I didn't know that Korean medicine treats ASD' for the reason (multiple choice). When questioned what the worries are for Korean medicine treatment, 13 (30.95%) chose 'worries about probability of side effects of herbal medicine' as the most worrisome reason (multiple choice). On the question about the necessity of Korean medicine for the treatment of ASD, most chose 'Korean medicine treatments are necessary for children with ASD' (9, 40.91%). Conclusions It is necessary to develop a clinical practice guideline that reflects comprehensive evidence for side effects as well as the effectiveness of Korean medicine for ASD, and is necessary to promote the effectiveness and evidence-based Korean medicine treatment to patients and their caregivers through various distribution tools.

• Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.415-421
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• 2018

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in social skills and communication with repetitive behaviors. Etiology is still unclear although it is thought to develop with interaction of genes and environmental factors. Oxytocin has extensive effects on intrauterine brain development. Vitamin D, affects neural development and differentiation and contributes to the regulation of around 900 genes including oxytocin receptor gene. In the present study, the contribution of D vitamin receptor and oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms in the development of ASD in Turkish community was investigated. To our knowledge, this is the first study examining these two associated genes together in the literature. Methods: Eighty-five patients diagnosed with ASD according to DSM-5 who were referred to outpatient clinics of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of Başkent University and Mersin University and 52 healthy, age and gender-matched controls were included in the present study. Vitamin D receptor gene rs731236 (Taq1), rs2228570 (Fok1), rs1544410 (Bsm1), rs7975232 (Apa1) polymorphisms and oxytocin receptor gene rs1042778 and rs2268493 polymorphisms were investigated using real time polymerase chain reaction method. Results: No significant difference between groups in terms of distribution of genotype and alleles in each of polymorphisms for these genes could be found. Conclusion: Knowledge of genes and polymorphisms associated with the development of ASD may be beneficial for early diagnosis and future treatment. Further studies with larger populations are required to demonstrate molecular pathways which may play part in the development of ASD in Turkey.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.207-243
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• 2016

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and communication impairments, as well as repetitive and restrictive behaviors. The phenotypic heterogeneity of ASD has made it overwhelmingly difficult to determine the exact etiology and pathophysiology underlying the core symptoms, which are often accompanied by comorbidities such as hyperactivity, seizures, and sensorimotor abnormalities. To our benefit, the advent of animal models has allowed us to assess and test diverse risk factors of ASD, both genetic and environmental, and measure their contribution to the manifestation of autistic symptoms. At a broader scale, rodent models have helped consolidate molecular pathways and unify the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying each one of the various etiologies. This approach will potentially enable the stratification of ASD into clinical, molecular, and neurophenotypic subgroups, further proving their translational utility. It is henceforth paramount to establish a common ground of mechanistic theories from complementing results in preclinical research. In this review, we cluster the ASD animal models into lesion and genetic models and further classify them based on the corresponding environmental, epigenetic and genetic factors. Finally, we summarize the symptoms and neuropathological highlights for each model and make critical comparisons that elucidate their clinical and neurobiological relevance.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2011

Purpose: To investigate the clinical characteristics of late-onset epilepsy combined with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the relationship between certain types of electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities in ASD and associated neuropsychological problems. Methods: Thirty patients diagnosed with ASD in early childhood and later developed clinical seizures were reviewed retrospectively. First, the clinical characteristics, language and behavioral regression, and EEG findings of these late-onset epilepsy patients with ASD were investigated. The patients were then classified into 2 groups according to the severity of the EEG abnormalities in the background rhythm and paroxysmal discharges. In the severe group, EEG showed persistent asymmetry, slow and disorganized background rhythms, and continuous sharp and slow waves during slow sleep (CSWS). Results: Between the two groups, there was no statistically significant difference in mean age (P=0.259), age of epilepsy diagnosis (P=0.237), associated family history (P=0.074), and positive abnormal magnetic resonance image (MRI) findings (P=0.084). The severe EEG group tended to have more neuropsychological problems (P=0.074). The severe group statistically showed more electrographic seizures in EEG (P=0.000). Rett syndrome was correlated with more severe EEG abnormalities (P=0.002). Although formal cognitive function tests were not performed, the parents reported an improvement in neuropsychological function on the follow up checkup according to a parent's questionnaire. Conclusion: Although some ASD patients with late-onset epilepsy showed severe EEG abnormalities, including CSWS, they generally showed an improvement in EEG and clinical symptoms in the longterm follow up. In addition, severe EEG abnormalities tended to be related to the neuropsychological function.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.232-237
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• 2022

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) having core characteristics of social interaction problems and repetitive behaviors and interests affects individuals at varying degrees and comorbidities, making it difficult to determine the precise etiology underlying the symptoms. Given its heterogeneity, ASD is difficult to treat and the development of therapeutics is slow due to the scarcity of animal models that are easy to produce and screen with. Based on the theory of excitation/inhibition imbalance in the brain with ASD which involves glutamatergic and/or GABAergic neurotransmission, a pharmacologic agent to modulate these receptors might be a good starting point for modeling. N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) is an amino acid derivative acting as a specific agonist at the NMDA receptor and therefore imitates the action of the neurotransmitter glutamate on that receptor. In contrast to glutamate, NMDA selectively binds to and regulates the NMDA receptor, but not other glutamate receptors such as AMPA and kainite receptors. Given this role, we aimed to determine whether NMDA administration could result in autistic-like behavior in adolescent mice. Both male and female mice were treated with saline or NMDA (50 and 75 mg/kg) and were tested on various behavior experiments. Interestingly, acute NMDA-treated mice showed social deficits and repetitive behavior similar to ASD phenotypes. These results support the excitation/inhibition imbalance theory of ASD and that NMDA injection can be used as a pharmacologic model of ASD-like behaviors.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.101-110
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• 2024

Purpose : The purpose of this study provided an overview of the general status and recent intervention approaches in overseas research related to feeding problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This review aims to explore interventions for feeding problems in order to provide higher quality follow-up research directions and implications, particularly focusing on providing recommendations for future research in the context of domestic studies. Methods : Analyzing studies published in international journals from 2017 to 2023. This review involved six selected articles, through Embase, Pubmed, RISS, KISS database search engine. A literature analysis that includes inclusion and exclusion criteria, six selected articles were examined. The literature analysis categorized the general status of the research and intervention approaches and treatment components into intervention, treatment settings and therapists, and dependent variables, respectively. Results : Among feeding intervention approaches, parent education interventions based on behavioral therapy had the highest proportion, followed by multidisciplinary interventions. To maintain the effectiveness of interventions over the long term and to generalize them to the home environment, parent education that utilizes parents as mediators is considered a crucial factor. The most commonly observed effects as dependent variables were changes in the consumption of disliked foods, health foods and alterations in feeding behavior. Conclusion : This study introduces various intervention approaches for addressing feeding problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), focusing on the positive effects demonstrated by active intervention research in abroad. Furthermore, it underscores the need for additional research in Korea to validate the efficacy of these feeding intervention methods. Lastly, the study outlines future research directions aimed at developing feeding programs to support children with ASD and their families coping with feeding issues.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.213-219
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• 2013

Objectives : It is known that adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often concurrently exhibit attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The objective of this study is to investigate how ADHD symptoms modify clinical characteristics in adolescents with ASD. Methods : Subjects were recruited from the Program for the Education Enrichment of Relational Skills program, which is a program for adolescents with ASD to promote and train social skills. The study participants and their parents completed the study questionnaires, such as the ADHD rating scale, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, and Korean version of Child Behavior Checklist. Results : Adolescents with ASD and ADHD (N=19) were found to have more impaired sociality, less open communication with their parents, and more behavioral and emotional problems compared with adolescents with ASD, and without ADHD (N=28). Conclusion : Although further research is needed, the results of our study suggest that adolescents with ASD present different clinical characteristics when comorbid with ADHD.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.96-105
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the professional knowledge and perceptions of the early screening of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in practitioners who have contact with patients with ASD. Methods: A survey was carried out among 674 practitioners in total, where practitioners are defined as those who work at primary medical centers, public institutions, educational institutions and treatment institutions. The survey was carried out both online and offline, and it mainly focused on 1) knowledge about ASD symptoms, 2) knowledge about the early screening of ASD, 3) measures taken after ASD detection, 4) thoughts on the development of early screening tools for ASD, and 5) the current status of ASD treatment. The data collected were analyzed through descriptive statistics, analysis of frequency and cross tabulation analysis using SPSS WIN 22.0. Results: The results of this study suggest that the practitioners were not aware of the exact symptoms of ASD and their professional knowledge and the environment for early screening were insufficient. Furthermore, very few and inappropriate measures were taken after the detection of ASD. In addition, there was a high demand for early ASD screening tools to be used on site and, regarding treatment, the significance of the implementation of evidence based treatments as well as the continuity of relevant research came to the fore. Conclusion: It seems that there is a lack of knowledge and perception of the early screening of ASD and that education and training among practitioners is urgently required. This issue is discussed in more detail in the paper.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.101-113
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• 2018

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.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.69-79
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• 2016

PURPOSE : The purpose of the this study was to build an understanding of school violence experiences among students with high functioning autism spectrum disorders(HF-ASD) in inclusive education environment and provide basic data to prevent and intervene it. METHOD : Sixteen mothers having a son with HF-ASD were interviewed in-depth and shared their son's experiences. The qualitative research method are used in the collection and analysis of data. RESULT : As a result of this research, 4 categories, 11 sub-categories and 80 concepts are identified. 4 categories are as follows: characteristics of school violence experience, results of school violence experience, the context of school violence occurs, and coping to school violence. CONCLUSION : The result of this study should have a microscopic viewpoint of their suffering and help to identify the needs for school violence prevention and support. It is also to be utilized as a successful coping strategies for HF-ASD and their parent education.