• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.157-163
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• 2013

Objectives : Previous studies reported that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) resulted from a deficit of selective attention and sustained attention. In this study, we assessed the result of methylphenidate-induced changes of the cerebral frontal executive functions in patients with ADHD. Methods : The subjects in this study consisted of 16 ADHD patients whose age ranged from 7 to 12. We used ADHD Diagnostic System (ADS) for the attention improvement, and the Stroop Test for the executive function response to pharmacotherapy with MPH. Results : After pharmacotherapy with methylphenidate for 12 weeks, the study group showed improvement in the clinical aspects through Clinical Global Impression-Severity, ADHD-rating scale and Inattention/Overactivity With Aggression Conner's Parents Rating Scale. In the ADS test, only in auditory task there was a decrease of both the response time and the standard deviation of the response time significantly. In the Stroop Test, there was a decrease in the word task, color task and color-word task significantly. Conclusion : Our results show that psychostimulant medication improves neuropsychological function, including the cerebral frontal executive function. This study implies that we have to consider the improvement of executive function, as well as attention when evaluating the efficacy of treatment.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.69-86
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the prediction models of conflict and intimacy in teacher-child relationships based on decision tree analysis. Methods: The participants were 297 preschool children from ages three to five including 166 boys and 131 girls. Teacher-child relationships were measured by the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale(STRS). Physical aggression, relational aggression, social withdrawal, and prosocial behaviors were measured by teacher ratings. Moreover, ADHD-RS(Attentive Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale) was used to measure ADHD. The data was analyzed with decision tree analysis. Results: According to the prediction model for teacher-child conflict, the significant predictors were physical aggression and social withdrawal. According to the prediction model for teacher-child intimacy, the significant predictors were prosocial behaviors and relational aggression. However, children's age, gender and ADHD were not significant predictors. Conclusion/Implications: The findings suggest that social behaviors may be closely related with teacher-child relationships for preschool children. Based on the results of this study, intervention suggestions were made.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 2011

In this review, we have provided an overview of the environmental risk factors for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), focusing on the major environmental toxicants related to the disorder. Researchers have indicated that since the characteristics of ADHD are complex, the disorder’s etiology involves multiple genes of moderate effect interacting with environmental factors. The possible roles of prenatal and perinatal exposure have been the main focus of research on environmental risk factors for ADHD. Among environmental toxicants, we reviewed the potential effects on the development of ADHD of exposure to lead, nicotine, alcohol, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxin. Further, for the each neurotoxicant, clinical prevention or intervention strategies aimed at reducing a child’s risk from environmental toxic insults have been presented.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in the offspring and to examine the mediating role of antepartum health risk on the intergenerational transmission of maternal ACEs. Methods: The participants consisted of 461 mother-child dyads. Mothers completed the ACEs questionnaire and Diagnostic Predictive Scales. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the risk of ADHD symptoms in the offspring of mothers with ACEs and the mediating effect of antepartum health risks by path analysis. Results: In all, 35.4% (n=163) had at least one maternal ACE, and 11.1% (n=51) had three or more. Compared to the non-ADHD symptom group, the group of offspring with ADHD symptoms showed a significant association with maternal ACE score (p<0.001) and antepartum health risks (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis further showed a significant association between the sum of maternal ACEs [odds ratio (OR)=1.264, 95% confidence interval (CI)= 1.060-1.516, p=0.009], antepartum health risks (OR=1.236, 95% CI=1.036-1.475, p=0.019), and ADHD symptoms in the offspring. In the mediation model in which the mother's ACE score affected the offspring's ADHD symptoms, partial mediation through antepartum health risks was found to be significant (B=0.041, 95% CI=0.011-0.124). Conclusion: Maternal ACEs are significantly related to the incidence of ADHD symptoms in the offspring and antepartum health risks exert an indirect effect. These findings suggest that maternal ACEs have a negative impact on the offspring's brain development through intergenerational transmission, resulting in neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the performance and electrophysiological characteristics of drug-naive children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) during the Go/NoGo task. Methods: Twenty-three boys with ADHD and 18 age-matched normal boys were recruited at a child psychiatric outpatient clinic in Seoul. All subjects were assessed by the Kiddie Schedules for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Present and Lifetime version. The investigator also assessed all subjects using the ADHD Rating Scale-IV(ADHDRS). Event-related potentials were recorded from 8 scalp electrodes during the visual Go/NoGo task. Results: Children with ADHD showed a larger mean of standard deviation of response time during the Go/NoGo task than normal children. The temporal N200 and P300 amplitudes were larger in children with ADHD relative to controls. The parietal N200 and P300 latencies were more prolonged in children with ADHD compared to normal controls. Conclusion: These results suggest that psychotropic-naive children with ADHD may have more variable performance ability, more difficulty in discriminating visual stimuli, and slower information processing speed than their normal age-matched counterparts.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.165-178
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• 2001

In order to elucidate the biological etiology and the relationship between the ontogenesis of serotonin system and psychopathology in ADHD, plasma serotonin(5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(5-HIAA) were measured and the correlation between the plasma levels of 5-HT and 5-HIAA and age were evaluated in 46 ADHD patients and 18 control subjects. The ADHD patients were composed of 16 combined type, 10 inattentive type, and 20 hyperactive-impulsive type and the control subjects were communication disorders. The results are summarized as follows：1) There was significant difference in plasma 5-HT levels among combined, inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive and control subjects(ANOVA F=4.33, df 3, 60, p<0.05), and post-hoc test using Scheffe method showed significant difference between the combined type and control group. But, post-hoc tests showed no significant differences between combined and inattentive, combined and hyperactive-impulsive, hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and control and inattentive and control groups. 2) There was no significant differences in plasma 5-HIAA levels among the combined, hyperactive- impulsive, inattentive and control groups(ANOVA F=2.08, df 3, 60, p>0.05). 3) Significant difference in 5-HT level was found between the whole ADHD group(N=46) and the control group(N=18)(T=3.10, df 62, p<0.05). But no significant difference in 5-HIAA level was found between the whole ADHD group and the control group(T=1.90, df 62, p>0.05). 4) Plasma 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels showed no significant correlation with TOVA findings(5-HT：omission pearson correlation 0.10, commision 0.23, reaction time 0.01, variability in attention 0.11, all p>0.05, 5-HIAA：omission 0.21, commision 0.15, reaction time 0.09, variability in attention 0.15, all p>0.05). 5) Plasma 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels showed no significant correlation with attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity based on DSM-IV criteria. 6) Plasma 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels showed no significant correlation with age both in ADHD and control group. These findings show that decreased plasma 5-HT level may play a role in the genesis of ADHD, but this finding has no significant correlation with the psychopathology of ADHD. And we could not find any significant differences in ontogenetic processes in 5-HT. Future studies should be focused on the drug effects, family history and prognosis based on the biochemical subtypes(high and low 5-HT group).

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 1995

We conducted the comparative study of the effects of the parent training combined with medication and the medication only on 23 ADHD children with the age from 5 to 11(body 22, girl 1). Mothers of combined treatment group(parent training+medication) attended, the parent training program once a week for 8 consecutive weeks and booster session 1 month later. Children of both groups were assessed twice before and after treatment using the various using scales and TOVA to evaluate the treatment effects. The results of present study showed the greater effectiveness of the medication+parent training over the medication only in reducing the parenting stress of mothers as well as the inattention and behavioral problems of ADHD children. In medication only group while the scores of mother's rating did not change significantly after treatment, those of teacher's rating and TOVA tend to be decreased to normal range. These results suggested that methylphenidate is effective on improving attentional problems of ADHD children, but not on behaviral problems at home. These results mean that parent training is needed for reducing behavioral problems of ADHD children, negative interactions in mother-child relation, and parenting stress as well as maxmizing medication effect.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.71-86
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was (1) to examine the level of learning disabilities reflected in the written expression and writing performance of at-risk children with ADHD, (2) to investigate the level of differences in writing learning disabilities and writing performance depending on ADHD subtypes, and (3) to explore the error types and contents in the written expression of at-risk children with ADHD. The participants in this study were 46 upper grade elementary school children. They were firstly screened by teacher nomination, and only participants with a K-ARS score of over 17 were then selected to be among the 46 children involved in this study. Two further tests were then carried out : K-LDES as an index of learning disabilities in written expression and BASA-writing as an index of writing performance. The results showed that the at-risk children with ADHD possibly had comorbid writing learning disabilities. They were significantly different in terms of the number of total syllables, errors and correct syllables that they produced, in comparison to normal children. But there were no differences as regards the level of learning disabilities in terms of written expression and writing performance based on ADHD subtypes. As regards the implications of these results for future research, we suggested that there is a need for the identification of comorbid writing learning disabilities in ADHD assessment.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.275-281
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• 2001

This study examined the relationship between psychopathology(depression, anxiety, aggression), maladaptive cognitions(negative cognitive errors, attributional biases), and age of children with ADHD. 40 ADHD children and their mother completed questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety, aggression level and maladaptive cognitions of children. The results showed that maladaptive cognitions of children with ADHD was not significantly associated with their depression, anxiety, aggression level. Age was negatively related to internal stable attributions for negative events that was characteristic in depression, and had significantly effect on internal stable attributions for negative events. As age of ADHD children increased, their internal attribution for negative events reduced. It seems that their depression and anxiety level is associated with current stress event rather than maladaptive cognitions. Suggestions and limitations of this study, and the directions for future study were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.77-88
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• 1990

Management of the child with Attention-Deficit Hyperativity Disorder(ADHD) reguires a comprehensive approach of cognitive-behavioral, educational, and pharmacological interventions. Establishing the valid diagnosis is the first step of management. After the diagnosis is made, the clinician must then interpret the diagnosis and its impliations to the child, parents, and teachers. The pharmacotherapy is most effeceive, and the CNS stimulants (methylphenidate) is drug of choice. Although generally not as effective as stimulants, triacyclic antidepressants, clonidine, antipsychotics offer the alternatives to stimulants therapy. Additional treatments, including psychotherapy, cogntive-behavioral approach, educational infervention, parental counseling are also essential in managing the child with ADHD. Finally, controversial approaches-diet therapy, mineral therapy, hypoglycemia, megavitamin therapy, refined sugars, neurophysiological retraining approaches are reviewed.