Hyo-Won Kim

Introduction: Atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) are increasingly prescribed for bipolar spectrum disorders in children and adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and trends of AAP prescriptions among Korean children and adolescents with bipolar spectrum disorders. Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to assess AAP use among Koreans aged 0–18 years with bipolar spectrum disorders between 2010 and 2022. This population‐based study used an annual cross‐sectional assessment to evaluate trends in AAP prescription. Results: The prevalence of AAP prescriptions for children and adolescents with bipolar spectrum disorders increased over the 13‐year study period, rising from 0.14 in 2010 up to 1.23 per 1000 persons in 2022. During this time, the dominant AAP shifted from risperidone to aripiprazole. Data from 2022 revealed that the most prescribed AAP for children was aripiprazole, followed by risperidone, quetiapine, and olanzapine. Children and adolescents with bipolar spectrum disorders and psychiatric comorbidities, particularly ADHD, were prescribed AAPs more frequently ( p < 0.001). Conclusion: The prescription of AAPs in Korean children and adolescents with bipolar spectrum disorders has increased over the last decade. This trend was particularly pronounced among individuals with psychiatric comorbidities, especially ADHD. Future research is needed to develop more evidence‐based AAP treatments for bipolar spectrum disorders in this population.

Objective This study aimed to: 1) compare the cognitive profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and comorbid ADHD+ASD with typically developing (TD) children; and 2) examine the associations between indices of the Korean Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence–Fourth Edition (K-WPPSI-IV) and other clinical assessments.Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted for 233 children aged 4–6 years who visited Asan Medical Center between April 2017 and September 2024. The study population included 74 children with ADHD+ASD, 46 with ASD, 84 with ADHD, and 29 TD children. The full-scale intellectual quotient, 5 indices, and 12 subtest scores of the K-WPPSI-IV were compared using analysis of covariance, adjusting for age. Correlations were analyzed between the K-WPPSI-IV indices and the symptom severity measures: Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), ADHD Rating Scale (ARS), and Advanced Test of Attention (ATA) across the full population.Results Children with ADHD+ASD, ASD, and ADHD scored significantly lower than TD peers on the Working Memory Index (WMI; p<0.001) and Processing Speed Index (PSI; p<0.001). The ASD group showed significantly lower scores than the ADHD group in Vocabulary (p=0.001) and Comprehension (p<0.001). CARS scores negatively correlated with the WMI, while ATA negatively correlated with the PSI.Conclusion Both ADHD and ASD are associated with relative weakness in processing speed and working memory. Furthermore, ASD is characterized by additional difficulties in verbal abilities. These findings highlight distinct and overlapping cognitive features across these disorders.

Park KJ, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2026 Jan;41:e53. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2026.41.e53

Objective To investigate the effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine treatment on motor coordination in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods In this single-site, open-label, naturalistic follow-up study, 157 children (7.6±1.4 years; 139 males) with ADHD were recruited between March 2015 and May 2020 from the Department of Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center, and treated for 12 weeks with methylphenidate (n=48) or atomoxetine (n=109). Children completed the Advanced Test of Attention (ATA), and caregivers completed the ADHD Rating Scale (ARS) questionnaire and Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) at baseline and at 12 weeks. Paired t-tests, a mixed-effects model, and linear regression were used to compare treatment groups and assess factors influencing motor coordination changes.Results Methylphenidate and atomoxetine resulted in significant improvement in DCDQ fine motor/handwriting, general coordination, and total scores over 12 weeks. Fine motor/handwriting had a significant main effect for time (F1=16.64, p<0.001, η2=0.097); however, the interaction effect between group and time was not significant (F1=0.24, p=0.625, η2=0.002). Changes in parent-reported ARS inattention scores (β=-0.174, p=0.029) and auditory commission errors of ATA (β=0.191, p=0.022) were significantly associated with changes in fine motor/handwriting. Additionally, changes in parent-reported ARS inattention scores (β=-0.177, p=0.034) and rater-reported ARS inattention scores (β=-0.198, p=0.017) were significant predictors of improvements in general coordination in separate models.Conclusion Methylphenidate and atomoxetine had a positive effect on motor coordination in children with ADHD. Improvement in motor coordination was associated with ADHD symptom improvement.

Kim AY, et al. J Breast Cancer. 2025 Aug;28:e30. https://doi.org/10.4048/jbc.2025.0050

Taeyeop Lee and Hyo-Won Kim. J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2025;36:11-7. https://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.240040

Objective This study compared adaptive functioning measured by the Korean version of Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (K-VABS-II), in preschool children with developmental disabilities (DD) and those with typical development (TD). We also examined the correlation of K-VABS-II adaptive profiles with developmental and behavioral assessments.Methods Two hundred preschool children (73 females and 127 males, mean age 54.7±9.1 months) were recruited from special educational centers, community-based daycare centers, and kindergartens. Eighty-one with DD comprising 61 with autism spectrum disorder, 63 with intellectual disability, 12 with language disorder, and 119 with TD were included. Their developmental profiles were measured by the Psychoeducational Profile-Revised (PEP-R), Preschool Receptive-Expressive Language Scale (PRES), K-VABS-II, Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and the Korean version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (K-CARS). The parent completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC).Results The K-VABS-II Adaptive Behavior Composite and all domain scores of K-VABS-II differed significantly between children with DD and TD (all p<0.001). In most domains, K-VABS-II had moderate-to-strong correlations with PEP-R, PRES, K-CARS, and SRS. The Maladaptive Behavior Index domain of K-VABS-II had moderate correlations with behavioral assessments, including CBCL and ABC.Conclusion These findings suggest that K-VABS-II is useful in evaluating developmental levels and adaptive and maladaptive behaviors of preschool children with DD. K-VABS-II also had significant correlations with cognitive, language, social, and behavioral assessments.