• 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.24 no.3
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• pp.109-123
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• 2013

The discovery of the mirror neuron system (MNS) is one of the most important neuroscientific achievements in the 20th century. Some researchers had reported that MNS dysfunction was discovered in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Finally, the 'broken mirror' theory of ASD was announced in the mid 2000's. According to this theory, ASD cannot simulate the mind and behavior of others due to MNS dysfunction; therefore, they cannot imitate the behaviors and empathized with the mind of others. However, ASD does not always show imitation problems. The researchers who have criticized the 'broken mirror' theory proposed the 'social top-down response modulation (STORM)' theory. On STORM theory, the medial prefrontal cortex or temporo-parietal junction, brain areas related with mentalising, might modulate MNS according to social context. We compared the strengths and weaknesses of each theory.

• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to verify the validity and clinical cutoff score of the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1.5-5 (CBCL 1.5-5) for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: 44 ASD infants and 100 normal infants participated. T-test, discriminant analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and odds ratio analysis were performed on the data. Results: Discriminant validity was confirmed by mean differences and discriminant analysis on the subscales of Withdrawn, Attention problems, Internalizing problems, Externalizing problems, Total problems, and all Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-oriented scales between the two groups. ROC curve analysis showed that Withdrawn, Attention problems, Internalizing problems, Externalizing problems, Total problems, DSM pervasive developmental problems, DSM attention deficit/hyperactivity problems, and DSM oppositional defiant problems significantly predicted ASD infants compared to normal infants. In addition, the clinical cutoff score criteria adopted in the Korean CBCL 1.5-5 for subscales of Withdrawn, Attention problems, Internalizing problems, Externalizing problems, Total problems, DSM pervasive developmental problems, DSM attention deficit/hyperactivity problems, and DSM oppositional defiant problems were shown to be valid. Conclusion: The subscales of Withdrawn, Attention problems, Internalizing problems, Externalizing problems, Total problems, DSM pervasive developmental problems, DSM attention deficit/hyperactivity problems, and DSM oppositional defiant problems significantly discriminated for the diagnosis of ASD.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2021

Objectives: Among the many intervention programs for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is one of the few approaches that has succeeded in demonstrating clinical efficacy in randomized control trials. Here, we investigate the clinical efficacy of ESDM intervention in young children with ASD in a community setting within Japan. Methods: All subjects were children with ASD who received ESDM intervention during the study period. Each ESDM session lasted 75 min and occurred once per week for at least 12 weeks. The outcome measures consisted of the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development (K-test), Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Japanese version (ABC-J), and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale (CGI-S). Results: Twenty-seven subjects (29.4±6.4 months old) received ESDM intervention that lasted for 8.0±2.6 months on average. The score on Language and Social developmental quotient on the K-test increased significantly after the intervention. The total scores on the ABC-J and CGI-S significantly decreased after completion of the ESDM intervention. Conclusion: Our results suggest that ESDM intervention could reduce the severity of distinct clinical features of ASD, such as impairments in social interaction and communication assessed by the K-test, and maladaptive behavior rated by the ABC-J and CGI-S. We believe that the ESDM adapted to each institution might become one of the standard options for children with ASD in Japan.

• 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.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.108-114
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• 2022

Autism (ASD) is a mental disorder characterized by a pronounced deficit in personal, social, speech, and other aspects of development and communication skills. Since autism is a complex developmental disorder that requires a lot of effort to recognize, this research was conducted to develop an interactive data Acquisition System and detect the first signs of ASD in children. The proposed system presents several variants of the tasks in an entertaining form, using hand tracking. Hand tracking is used to attract children's attention and interest them more to achieve more accurate results. The creation of the system is based on such libraries as OpenCV, PyGame, TensorFlow, and Mediapipe. The ultimate goal of the paper is to obtain data on the disease of autism in children for use in further diagnosis by medical experts.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.196-206
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• 2016

Objectives: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are considered to have problems with empathy. It has recently been suggested that there are two systems for empathy; cognitive and emotional. We aimed to investigate the neural response to cognitive and emotional empathy and elucidate the neurobiological aspects of empathy in patients with ASD. Methods: We recruited patients with ASD (N=17, ASD group) and healthy controls (HC) (N=22, HC group) for an functional magnetic resonance imaging study. All of the subjects were scanned while performing cognitive and emotional empathy tasks. The differences in brain activation between the groups were assessed by contrasting their neural activity during the tasks. Results: During both tasks, the ASD group showed greater neural activities in the bilateral occipital area compared to the HC group. The ASD group showed more activation in the bilateral precunei only during the emotional empathy task. No brain regions were more activated in the HC group than in the ASD group during the cognitive empathy task. While performing the emotional empathy task, the HC group exhibited greater neural activities in the left middle frontal gyrus and right anterior cingulate gyrus than the ASD group. Conclusion: This study showed that the brain regions associated with cognitive and emotional empathy in ASD patients differed from those in healthy individuals. The results of this study suggest that individuals with ASD might have defects both in cognitive empathy and in emotional empathy.