• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.7
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• pp.317-322
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• 2014

Purpose: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder in school-aged children. Patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) often present with ADHD symptoms and vice versa. This study was the first to attempt to identify the prevalence of RLS and sleep problems in children with ADHD in Korea. Methods: Patients diagnosed with ADHD were asked to complete a sleep questionnaire. The sleep questionnaire included items to help identify the presence of four typical symptoms that are used as diagnostic criteria for RLS. Results: A total of 56 patients, including 51 boys and 5 girls (mean age, 10.7 years old) participated. Of these, 24 complained of pain, discomfort, or an unpleasant sensation in the legs. Based on the RLS diagnostic criteria, 2 patients were diagnosed with definite RLS and 4 with probable RLS. There were no significant differences in age, medication dosage, or neuropsychological test scores between the patients with and without RLS symptoms. Conclusion: Approximately 42.9% of patients with ADHD presented with RLS symptoms and 7.1% of these were diagnosed with RLS. Patients with ADHD also experienced various other sleep disorders. Thus, appropriate assessment and treatment for sleep disorders in patients with ADHD is essential.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 1996

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) in childhood is unique and different n-om that in adulthood in several aspects, including pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnostic criteria, complications, management, and prognosis. Characteristic features of childhood OSAS in comparison with the adult form are the variety of severe complications such as developmental delay, more prominent behavioral and cognitive impairments, vivid cardiovascular symptoms, and increased death risk, warranting a special attention to the possible diagnosis of OSAS in children who snore. However, the childhood OSAS is often neglected and unrecognized. We, therefore, report a case of very severe OSAS in a 5-year-old boy who was sucessfully treated with continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) treatment. Interestingly, the patient was comor-bid with the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Prior to the initial visit to us, adenotonsillectomy had been done at the age of 4 with no significant improvement of apneic symptoms and heavy snoring. On the initial diagnostic procedures, marked degree of snoring was audible even in the daytime wake state and the patient was observed to be very hyperactive. Increased pulmonary vascularity with borderline cardiomegaly was noted on chest X-ray. The baseline polysomnography revealed that the patient was very sleep-apneic and snored very heavily, with the respiratory disturbance index(RDI) of 46.9 per hour of sleep, the mean SaO2 of 78.8%, and the lowest SaO2 of 40.0%(the lowest detectable oxygen level by the applied oxymeter). The second night polysomnography was done for CPAP titration and the optimal pressure turned out to be $8.0\;cmH_2O$. The applied CPAP treatment was well tolerated by the patient and was found to be very effective in alleviating heavy snoring and severe repetitive sleep apneas. After 18 months of the CPAP treatment, the patient was followed up with nocturnal polysomnography(baseline and CPAP nights) and clinical examination. Sleep apneas were still present without CPAP on the baseline night. However, the severity of OSAS was significantly decreased(RDI of 15.7, mean SaO2 of 96.2%, and the lowest SaO2 of 83.0%), compared to the initial polysomnographic findings before initiation of long-term CPAP treatment. Wechsler intelligence tests done before and after the CPAP treatment were compared with each other and surprising improvement of intelligence(total 9 points, performance 16 points) was noted. Clinically he was found to be markedly improved in his attention deficit hyperactive behavior after CPAP treatment, but with minimal change of TOVA(test of variables of attention) scores except conversion of reaction time score into normal range. On the chest X-ray taken after 18 months of CPAP application, the initial cardiopulmonary abnormalities were not found at all. We found that the CPAP treatment in a young child is very effective, safe, and well-tolerated and also improves the co-morbid attention deficit hyperactive symptoms. Overall, the growth and development of the child has been facilitated with the long-term use of CPAP. Cardiovascular complications induced by OSAS have been also normalized with CPAP treatment. We suggest that early diagnosis and active treatment intervention of OSAS in children are crucial in preventing and ameliorating possible serious complications caused by repetitive sleep apneas and consequent hypoxic damage during sleep.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.26-35
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• 2013

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that cause nocturnal crying. Methods This clinical study has been carried out with 133 infants and children, who visited to the department of Pediatrics, ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ Oriental Medical Hospital from September 2012 to October 2012. Patient's guardian filled out the questionnaire consisting of pregnancy-birth domain, child care domain, sleep domain, nocturnal crying domain and other domains. We used PASW Statistics 18.0 to analyze each factors by Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and independent samples t test. Results The prevalence of nocturnal crying between "frequently changing sleep posture group" and "stable sleep posture group" were significantly different (p=0.002, OR=3.557). The prevalence of nocturnal crying between "sleep problem group" and "no sleep problem group" were significantly different (p=0.022, OR=4.052). The nocturnal crying prevalence of the rest of the groups had no significant difference. Conclusions The frequently changing sleep posture increases the risk of nocturnal crying, and the presence of sleep problem increases the risk of nocturnal crying.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2021

Objective : The purpose of this study was to examine differences in social maturity and behavioral problems according to the level of sleep problems in children with ASD. Methods : The participants were 102 mothers of infants with ASD aged 1-5 years. The Social Maturity Scales (SMS) and Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 were used as the measuring tools. Results : The level of sleep problems in infants with ASD was 56.58T on the sleep problems scale. The participants were grouped based on scores on the sleep problems scale: those with scores <65 (good sleepers) or scores ≥65 (poor sleepers). Sleep problems significantly correlated with all the scales on the CBCL. However, no association was found between sleep problems and social quotients. Poor sleepers achieved significantly lower scores on the social quotient scale of the SMS than good sleepers. Poor sleepers achieved significantly higher scores in internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and DSM-oriented scales on the CBCL compared to those in the good sleepers. Conclusion : The significance of this study is that it has verified the severity of sleep problems in infants with ASD and has examined the differences in social maturity and behavioral problems between poor sleepers and good sleepers.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2023

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and its associated societal responses are anticipated to have wide-ranging effects on youth development and mental health. Depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are the three most common mental health problems among university students. Many factors that can threaten mental health during the outbreak affect these three conditions, as well as sleep conditions, in undergraduate students. Thus, determining how these abrupt changes in students' circumstances impact their mental health is very important from a public health perspective. Methods: We investigated the usual conditions and changes in ADHD symptoms during the outbreak, in relation to depressive and sleep-related symptoms among undergraduate students. A total of 252 students, primarily juniors, completed the online survey. Results: The results showed that 12% of the students exceeded the cut-off score of the ADHD questionnaire before the pandemic. Approximately 6%-21% of the university students, especially those with ADHD traits, rated their ADHD behaviors as worse during the outbreak than that before the outbreak. Conclusion: Female students and undergraduates with ADHD traits are more susceptible to experiencing further deterioration of ADHD (inattention) symptoms during the pandemic. In cases where it is difficult to intervene with ADHD symptoms, approaching circadian rhythm or depression will be of considerable clinical use.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.64-75
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• 1999

Objective：The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of comorbid disorders and associated symptoms in pervasive developmental disorder(PDD) and to examine the correlation between associated symptoms and developmental characteristics in PDD children. Method：The sample consisted of 209 cases of PDD and 143 cases of developmental language disorder(DLD)(control group) who were treated at the Seoul National Mental Hospital from Jan. 1996 to Mar. 1999. The diagnostic work based on DSM-IV criteria was performed by one or two child psychiatrists, while the clinical feature was evaluated by doctors’s notes, occupational/speech therapy reports, and results of social maturity scale(SMS), childhood autism rating scale(CARS), and psycho-educational profile(PEP). Two groups were compared on a wide range of measures including comorbid disorders, associated symptoms, treatment drugs, and PEP. The relation between associated symptom & PEP was investigated in total(106 cases) and in each dignostic group. Sixty-four cases of PDD were divided into three groups by CARS and then compared on associated symptoms. Result：The prevalence of comorbid disorder was 19.6% in PDD, 41.2% in DLD. The rate of manifestation of 13 associated symptoms was 31.47% in PDD, 22.13% in DLD on the average. Associated symptoms significantly high in PDD were preoccupation, obsession, self-mutilation, stereotypy, sleep problems, and odd response. In total patient group, associated symptoms that significantly influenced PEP were preoccupation, self-stimulation, stereotypy, inappropriate affect, sleep problems, and odd response. But, in each diagnostic group, no associated symptom influenced PEP. Associated symptoms significantly different between the 3 groups of CARS were stereotypy, anxiety, and sleep problems. Conclusion：These preliminary results suggest that developmental characteristics may influence associated symptoms in PDD children and a realistic approach considering minute diagnosis by associated symptoms and comorbid disorders is required.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.80-87
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• 2020

Objectives: The prevalence of psychiatric disorders among young adults is different from that among younger or older age groups because of biological and environmental changes. The purpose of this study was to analyze the diagnostic distribution of psychiatric disorders in 19-30-year-old Koreans based on their age and gender using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Methods: From the 2011 medical claims sample data of NHIS of 1,375,842 people, we extracted the data of 221,038 people aged 19-30 years, including 106,232 (48.1%) men and 114,806 (51.9%) women. We evaluated the overall changes in the diagnostic distribution of psychiatric disorders over a 3-year period. Results: The diagnostic frequency in women was 13,627 (59.0%), which was significantly higher than that in men. "Other anxiety disorders" was the most common psychiatric disorder in both genders, followed by depressive episodes, somatoform disorders, "other neurotic disorders," and nonorganic sleep disorders. In men, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or intellectual disabilities were not among the top 10 disorders. In women, no significant changes in major psychiatric disorders were seen over the 3-year period. Conclusion: These results reveal the trends of diagnostic distribution of mental illnesses depending on the development, particularly in young adulthood. It is necessary to identify whether such trends are due to biological or environmental factors, aging processes, or complex influences.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2004

The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can occur due to various etiologies in children. In otherwise healthy children, adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the leading cause of childhood obstuctive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea caused by adenotonsillar hypertrophy can lead to a variety of symptoms and sequelae such as behavioral disturbance, enuresis, failure to thrive, developmental delay, cor pulmonale, and hypertension. So if obstructive sleep apnea is clinically suspected, proper treatment should be administered to the patient after diagnostic examinations. More than 80% improvement is seen in symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea caused by adenotonsillar hypertrophy in children after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. However, when it is impossible to treat the patient using surgical methods or residual symptoms remained after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, additional treatments such as weight control, sleep position change, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), should be considered. This paper reports a case using weight control and Auto-PAP to control mild sleep apnea and snoring, which in long-term follow-up were not resolved after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for severe obstructive sleep apnea.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.116-124
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• 1991

Nursing problems of 48 hospitalized patients with Conduct Disorder at a Child-Adolescent psychiatry inpatient were analyzed by reviewing nursing records. The results showed that the problems such as ineffective individual coping, impaired social interaction, disturbance in self-concept, potential for violence, alteration in parenting, altered growth and development were continued from early to later phase of the hospitalization and the other problems such as self-care deficit, anxiety, sleep disturbance, altered nutrition, hyperthermia were temporary. The etiologic factors related to these problems were underdeveloped ego, low self-esteem, dysfunctional parent-child relationship, some situational crises in family and handicap like mental retardation or epilepsy. Therefore nursing approach for the patients with Conduct Disorder should focus on ego growth and improvement of interpersonal relationship through systematic and long-term nursing plans and interventions for these patients and their family.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.863-871
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• 2010

The prevalence of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is approximately 3% in children. Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the most common cause of OSAS in children, and obesity, hypotonic neuromuscular diseases, and craniofacial anomalies are other major risk factors. Snoring is the most common presenting complaint in children with OSAS, but the clinical presentation varies according to age. Agitated sleep with frequent postural changes, excessive sweating, or abnormal sleep positions such as hyperextension of neck or abnormal prone position may suggest a sleep-disordered breathing. Night terror, sleepwalking, and enuresis are frequently associated, during slow-wave sleep, with sleep-disordered breathing. Excessive daytime sleepiness becomes apparent in older children, whereas hyperactivity or inattention is usually predominant in younger children. Morning headache and poor appetite may also be present. As the cortical arousal threshold is higher in children, arousals are not easily developed and their sleep architectures are usually more conserved than those of adults. Untreated OSAS in children may result in various problems such as cognitive deficits, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, poor academic achievement, and emotional instability. Mild pulmonary hypertension is not uncommon. Rarely, cardiovascular complications such as cor pulmonale, heart failure, and systemic hypertension may develop in untreated cases. Failure to thrive and delayed development are serious problems in younger children with OSAS. Diagnosis of pediatric OSAS should be based on snoring, relevant history of sleep disruption, findings of any narrow or collapsible portions of upper airway, and confirmed by polysomnography. Early diagnosis of pediatric OSAS is critical to prevent complications with appropriate interventions.