Biomedical subjects

Soo-Churl Cho

Publications and source records attributed to Soo-Churl Cho.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Association of 4-repeat allele of the dopamine D4 receptor gene exon III polymorphism and response to methylphenidate treatment in Korean ADHD children.

In the present study, we investigated the association between the 4-repeat allele at the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene and the response to treatment with methylphenidate (MPH) in Korean children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study subjects were 83 children with ADHD (8.40+/-1.73 years) who were recruited from two child psychiatric clinics in South Korea. All of the drug-naive ADHD children were treated with MPH for about 8 weeks. An improvement of more than or equal to [corrected] 50% in the ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ARS) scores after 8 weeks of treatment compared with the baseline ARS scores before the treatment was considered as a 'good response', whereas an improvement of less than [corrected] 50% was considered as a 'poor response'. After the genotyping for DRD4 was performed, we investigated the association between the genotype at DRD4 and the response to MPH treatment. We performed a comparison of the response to MPH treatment between the two largest groups, viz. the subjects with and without the 4/4 genotype at DRD4. According to the ARS scores of the subjects as assessed by their parents and by their teachers, we found that while 71.1 and 80.0% (32/45 and 24/30), respectively, of those with a good response to MPH treatment showed the 4/4 genotype at DRD4, only 31.6 and 37.7% (12/38 and 20/53), respectively, of those with a poor response to MPH treatment showed the 4/4 genotype at DRD4 (Pearson chi2-values=12.926 and 13.737, respectively, both df=1, and both p<0.01). Our findings support the existence of an association between the 4-repeat allele at DRD4 and good response to MPH in Korean ADHD children.

Alleles↗

PubMed2006

The relationship between regional cerebral blood flow and response to methylphenidate in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: comparison between non-responders to methylphenidate and responders.

In a sample of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a voxel based investigation of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during resting state was conducted to identify functional differences between non-responders to methylphenidate (MPH) and responders. Thirty-four children with ADHD were examined by technetium-99m-hexamethylporphylenamine oxime (HMPAO) SPECT. According to clinical response after 8 weeks of treatment with MPH, they were classified as non-responders to MPH and responders. Using SPM analysis, we compared the SPECT images of non-responders to MPH with those of responders. Non-responders to MPH had higher rCBF in the left anterior cingulate cortex, the left claustrum, the right anterior cingulate cortex, and the right putamen relative to responders. In addition, lower rCBF was found in the right superior parietal lobule in non-responders to MPH relative to responders. Further stepwise discriminant analysis revealed that 88.2% could be correctly classified as either non-responders to MPH or responders when considering the extracted rCBF values in the left anterior cingulate cortex, the left claustrum, and the right superior parietal lobule. The current findings suggest that non-responders to MPH may have different patterns of rCBF in brain regions, which have been known as a part of frontal-striatal circuitry and posterior attentional system, respectively.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2006

Clinical and genetic characteristics of Korean male alcoholics with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

AIMS: To examine the clinical and genetic characteristics of Korean male alcoholics with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The present study included 85 male alcoholics who were diagnosed as having DSM-IV alcohol dependence. A total of 28 (32.9%) alcoholics were diagnosed as having DSM-IV ADHD with ongoing symptoms in adulthood. For the evaluation of their psychiatric conditions, the alcohol dependence scale (ADS), Beck depression inventory (BDI), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), Barratt impulsiveness scale (BIS), brief anger-aggression questionnaire (BAQ), overt aggression scale (OAS), codependence test, and obsessive compulsive drinking scale (OCDS) were administered. The genotype frequencies of the dopamine type 2 receptor gene (DRD2), aldehyde dehydrogenase type 2 gene (ALDH2), functional polymorphism in the regulatory region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR), and catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT) polymorphisms were examined. RESULTS: Compared with alcoholics without ADHD, the mean ages for the onset of pathological drinking and alcohol withdrawal hallucinations were significantly earlier in alcoholics with ADHD. There was also a significant difference in the history of antisocial behaviour between the two groups. Compared with alcoholics without ADHD, the mean scores of the ADS, BDI, BAI, OAS, and OCDS were significantly higher in alcoholics with ADHD. With regard to the codependence test results, the mean scores of the interpersonal problem, low self-esteem and anxiety/fear subscales, and the mean total score of the codependence test were significantly higher in alcoholics with ADHD when compared with those without ADHD. There were no significant differences in the genotype frequencies of the DRD2, ALDH2, 5-HTTLPR, and COMT polymorphisms between alcoholics with and without ADHD. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the comorbidity of alcohol dependence and ADHD in this Korean sample forms a distinct clinical phenotype that shows an increased severity of alcohol-related symptoms and behavioural/emotional problems and that ADHD is associated with an increased risk for the early onset of alcohol dependence in Korean male alcoholics.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Regional cerebral perfusion abnormalities in developmental language disorder. Statistical parametric mapping analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A voxel based investigation of cerebral blood flow was conducted to identify brain functional differences during resting state between children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and normal controls. METHOD: Using DSM-IV criteria, we selected 21 children with DLD. All children were examined by technetium-99m-HMPAO Brain SPECT. Using SPM analyses, we compared the SPECT images of children with DLD and those of 17 control subjects on a voxel by voxel basis using ANCOVA covarying for age. RESULTS: Reduced cerebral blood flow in the right putamen,the right inferior parietal cortex, and the left globus pallidus were found in children with DLD versus the controls. However, no area of increased cerebral blood flow was observed in children with DLD compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: Though results should be interpreted cautiously, this study confirms the presence of functional defects in the basal ganglia and the inferior parietal lobe during the resting state of the brains of children with DLD. It also gives further evidence for functional deficits in basal ganglia as an important factor in the etiology of DLD.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2005

No association found between 158 Val/Met polymorphism of the COMT gene and schizophrenia with minor physical anomalies.

The catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene has been a promising candidate in genetic research on schizophrenia because of its function in dopamine metabolism and its location on chromosome 22q11.2, which may be implicated in both schizophrenia and velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS). To explore the possible genetic contribution of COMT to the development of schizophrenia, we focused on the subgroup of patients with schizophrenia characterized by minor physical anomalies as a phenotype and the 158 Val/Met polymorphism as a genotype. Since some physical anomalies are found in both schizophrenia and VCFS, schizophrenia patients with minor physical anomalies could represent the putative subgroup of schizophrenia linked to a disruption in neurodevelopment. Genotyping for the 158 Val/Met (472 G>A) polymorphism in the COMT gene was done for 239 patients with schizophrenia and 248 normal controls. Our analysis did not yield any significant between-group differences in terms of either allele or genotype frequency. We also could not find any association between the COMT gene and the schizophrenia subgroup with minor physical anomalies, although there was a significant difference in Waldrop total scores between the patients with schizophrenia and the normal controls. Analyses of subgroups based on other clinical variables also did not reveal significant differences. Overall, this study does not support the hypothesis that the 158 Val/Met polymorphism in the COMT gene is associated with schizophrenia in Koreans.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Effectiveness and safety of risperidone for children and adolescents with chronic tic or tourette disorders in Korea.

The aim of this 6-week, open-label design study was to determine the short-term effectiveness and safety of risperidone as an alternative for traditional antipsychotic drugs in the treatment of chronic tic disorder or Tourette's Disorder in young children and adolescents. The subjects were 15 young children and adolescents (the ratio of male:female subjects was 13:2 and their mean age was 10 +/- 2.4 years). Seven subjects were diagnosed with Tourette's Disorder and 8 subjects with chronic tic disorder, and all subjects were administered risperidone without hospitalization. Of the 15 subjects, 1 subject had a comorbid disorder (obsessive compulsive disorder), but no subject had a previous history of psychiatric hospitalization. Ten of the 15 subjects were administered risperidone for the first time, and 5 of the 15 subjects had been previously treated with traditional drugs (haloperidol or pimozide). Clinical responses were measured at baseline and after 1, 3, and 6 weeks of drug treatment by using the Korean version of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Side effects were carefully monitored using adverse event evaluation charts. The mean dosage of risperidone was 0.53 +/- 0.13 mg on the 1st week, 0.90 +/- 0.28 mg on the 3rd week, and 1.23 +/- 0.37 mg on the 6th week. Comparison between periods according to the Korean version of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale showed significant differences (t = 4.920; df = 14; p < 0.01) during the 1st- to 3rd-week period. After 6 weeks of administration, the tic severity scale showed a 36% reduction in the overall tic symptom scores and 13 of the 15 subjects showed significant improvement, 1 subject showed no difference in symptoms, and, for 1 subject, the symptoms worsened. Also, the mean Global Assessment of Functioning Scale score was 66.8 +/- 10.8 at baseline and improved to a mean of 73.1 +/- 10.1 after 6 weeks of treatment. Regarding side effects, only 1 case reported sedation, but drug administration was continued because the degree was mild. The results of this study show that, risperidone, a potent combined serotonin (5-HT2) and dopamine (D2) receptor antagonist, is both effective and safe for the treatment for Tourette's Disorder and chronic tic disorder in children and adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome due to three atypical antipsychotics in a child.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) is a rare, potentially fatal and idiosyncratic drug reaction. It is characterized by a sudden loss of body temperature control, renal and respiratory failure, muscle rigidity, loss of consciousness and impairment of autonomic nervous system. Although NMS was previously associated with the use of classical high-potency neuroleptics, cases have started to emerge with atypical neuroleptics. This article discusses the first case of NMS in a child, induced by the use of risperidone, olanzapine and quetiapine.

Aggression↗

PubMed2004

The reliability and validity of Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version- Korean version (K-SADS-PL-K).

In order to develop a structured and objective diagnostic instrument, authors completed: (1) the translation and back translation of the Korean version of the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia - Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) and (2) the examination of its validity and reliability of the K-SADS-PL-Korean version (K-SADS- PL) when used with Korean children. A total of 91 study subjects were recruited from child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinics. Clinical diagnoses were used as a gold standard for the examination of validity of K-SADS-PL-K. Consensual validity of threshold and sub-threshold diagnoses were good to excellent for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fair for tic and oppositional defiant disorders, and poor to fair for anxiety and depressive disorders. Inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities were fair to excellent for ADHD and tic disorder. The significant correlations between the K-SADS-PL-K and Korean Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) were found, which provided additional support for the concurrent validity of the K-SADS-PL-K. Sensitivities varied according to the diagnostic categories, but specificities remained high over all diagnoses, suggesting that the K-SADS-PL-K is a desirable confirmatory diagnostic tool. The results of this study suggest that the K-SADS-PL-K is an effective instrument for diagnosing major child psychiatric disorders, including ADHD, behavioral disorders and tic disorders in Korean children. Future studies will examine the validity and reliability of the K-SADS-PL-K in larger samples, including adolescents and community samples on a variety of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Neuropsychologic characteristics of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disorder, and tic disorder on the Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure.

This study examined the performance of Korean children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disorder, ADHD with learning disorder, and tic disorder on the Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure. The clinical group consisted of 57 children between the ages of 6 and 13 years (15 with ADHD, 13 with learning disorder, 15 with ADHD + learning disorder, and 15 with tic disorder), and the control group included 20 children recruited from an elementary school. Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure productions were scored according to the Developmental Scoring System. The children in the control group showed a clear developmental trend--organization score increasing with age--that was similar to the performance of American children. No such age-related effect was found in the three clinical groups. The organization scores of the children with ADHD were lower than those of other groups, suggesting an organizational deficit in ADHD. Performance on the immediate recall condition was poorest in the tic disorder and ADHD + learning disorder groups, suggesting the presence of nonverbal memory problems in those groups.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Regional cerebral perfusion abnormalities in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Statistical parametric mapping analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A voxel based investigation of cerebral blood flow was conducted to identify brain function differences in the resting state between children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and normal controls. METHOD: Using DSM-IV criteria, we selected 40 children with pure ADHD by various assessment scales, psychometric tools and a neuropsychological battery. All patients were examined by (99m)Tc-HMPAO brain SPECT. Seventeen normal controls were recruited from age, sex, and IQ-matched children whose previous SPECT, MRI, EEG and psychometric and neuropsychological findings had been normal. Using SPM methods, we compared SPECT images of ADHD patients and those of 17 control subjects on a voxel by voxel basis using t-statistics. Voxels with a p-value of less than 0.01 were considered to be significantly different. RESULT: Decreased cerebral blood flow in right lateral prefrontal cortex, right middle temporal cortex, both orbital prefrontal cortex and both cerebellar cortices were found in children with ADHD compared to the controls. In addition, the ADHD group showed increased blood flow in some parietal and occipital lobes (posterior brain regions) compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Although the results should be interpreted cautiously, this study confirms the presence of functional defects in the prefrontal cortex and reports new problems in the limbic area, somatosensory areas and in the cerebellum during the resting state of brains of ADHD children.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2002

The segmented regional volumes of the cerebrum and cerebellum in boys with Tourette syndrome.

Neuropathological deficits are an etiological factor in Tourette syndrome (TS), and implicate a network linking the basal ganglia and the cerebrum, not a particular single brain region. In this study, the volumes of 20 cerebral and cerebellar regions and their symmetries were measured in normal boys and TS boys by brain magnetic resonance imaging. Brain magnetic resonance images were obtained prospectively in 19 boys with TS and 17 age-matched normal control boys. Cerebral and cerebellar regions were segmented to gray and white fractions using algorithm for semi-automated fuzzy tissue segmentation. The frontal, parietal, temporal, and the occipital lobes and the cerebellum were defined using the semiautomated Talairach atlas-based parcellation method. Boys with TS had smaller total brain volumes than control subjects. In the gray matter, although the smaller brain volume was taken into account, TS boys had a smaller right frontal lobe and a larger left frontal lobe and increased normal asymmetry (left>right). In addition, TS boys had more frontal lobe white matter. There were no significant differences in regions of interest of the parietal, temporal, or the occipital lobes or the cerebellum. These findings suggest that boys with TS may have neuropathological abnormalities in the gray and the white matter of the frontal lobe.

Adolescent↗