OBJECTIVES: The current study examined the effect of birth weight on the relationship between age and IQ of children, who were born preterm with very low birth weight (VLBW) or extremely low birth weight (ELBW). METHODS: The study subjects were 82 children, aged between 3–5 years, who visited the neonatal intensive care unit of a university hospital located in Seoul. The children had been born prematurely with VLBW or ELBW. Their IQ was tested using the performed Korean-Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence fourth edition. RESULTS: A hierarchical regression analysis showed a significant interaction effect of birth weight and age on Full Scale IQ (FSIQ); the effect of age on FSIQ differed according to birth weight. For the group with VLBW, FSIQ was more likely to be higher with increasing age. Conversely, for the group with ELBW, FSIQ remained low regardless of the age level. In addition, birth weight and age had a significant interaction effect on the Visual Spatial Index. Birth weight had a significant main effect on Verbal Comprehension Index. CONCLUSION: This research suggested the possibility of predicting the cognitive developmental of premature children, by highlighting the fact that prematurely born children, with VLBW/ELBW, have different cognitive developmental trajectories.
Birth Weight ; Child ; Comprehension ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Intelligence ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Premature Birth ; Seoul

Background: The main barrier to the effective rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy is poor adherence. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have led to a significant change in the pattern and the number of medical visits. We assessed changing patterns of medical visits and no-show, and identified factors associated with no-show in patients with RA during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: RA patients treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs at least 6 months who had been in remission or those with mild disease activity were observed for 6 months from February to July 2020. No-show was defined as a missed appointment that was not previously cancelled by the patient and several variables that might affect no-show were examined. Results: A total of 376 patients and 1,189 appointments were evaluated. Among 376 patients, 164 patients (43.6%) missed appointment more than one time and no-show rate was 17.2% during COVID-19 pandemic. During the observation, face-to-face visits gradually increased and no-show gradually decreased. The logistic regression analysis identified previous history of no-show (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.225; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.422–3.479; P < 0.001) and fewer numbers of comorbidities (adjusted OR, 0.749; 95% CI, 0.584–0.961; P = 0.023) as the independent factors associated with no-show. Conclusion Monthly analysis showed that the no-show rate and the pattern of medical visits gradually changed in patients with RA during COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, we found that previous history of no-show and fewer numbers of comorbidities as the independent factors associated with no-show.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab with and without posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injections for macular edema with branch retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: Intravitreal bevacizumab injection (single group) or intravitreal bevacizumab injection with posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injection (combined group) were performed in 30 eyes each, and intravitreal bevacizumab injection was given once a month in both groups until macular edema was in the normal range. A best corrected visual acuity and central macular thickness were measured pre- and post-injection. RESULTS: The required number of injections to achieve improved macular edema in the normal range was 2.8 +/- 0.5 times in the single group and 2.0 +/- 0.6 times in the combined group. Six months after injection, average central macular thickness decreased to 185.3 +/- 63.5 microm in the single group and to 260.0 +/- 74.6 microm in the combined group. The best corrected visual acuity (log MAR) improved from 0.71 +/- 0.63 to 0.35 +/- 0.44 in the single group and from 0.67 +/- 0.42 to 0.08 +/- 0.11 in the combined group. The number of cases in which the central macular thickness increased again within 6 months after the injections was 19 eyes in the single group and 6 eyes in the combined group. CONCLUSIONS: In macular edema with branch retinal vein occlusion, early rapid recovery of visual acuity and decrease of central macular thickness were observed due to the synergistic effect of bevacizumab and triamcinolone acetonide in combined therapy, and the recurrence frequency of macular edema was reduced by the long-term effect instilled by the long half-life of triamcinolone acetonide.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Eye ; Half-Life ; Macular Edema ; Recurrence ; Reference Values ; Retinal Vein ; Retinal Vein Occlusion ; Retinaldehyde ; Triamcinolone ; Triamcinolone Acetonide ; Visual Acuity ; Bevacizumab

Radioactive iodine treatment is useful for ablating remnant thyroid tissue and metastasis ofwell-differentiated thyroid cancer withlong-lasting effects. A scintigraphy after radioactive iodine treatment is a major imaging modality for detecting metastasis andassessing the management of metastasis. However, caution is required when reading the scan due to potential false-positivefindings. In this study, scintigraphy and single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography images afterradioactive iodine treatment revealed a physiological uptake of radioactive iodine due to lacrimal secretion around an artificialeyeball; such findings have not been reported previously.

Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In contrast to neurocognitive measurements of inattention and impulsivity, there has been limited research regarding the objective measurement of hyperactivity in youths with ADHD. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of a newly developed Robot-assisted Kinematic Measure for ADHD (RAKMA) in children with ADHD. Methods: In total, 35 children with ADHD aged 5 to 12 years and 50 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited, and the parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist and the Korean ADHD Diagnostic Scale. RAKMA performance was represented by RAKMA stimulus–response and hyperactivity variables. We compared the RAKMA performance of those with ADHD and with that of HCs and also investigated the correlation between the RAKMA variables and ADHD clinical scale scores. Results: Significant differences between the ADHD and HC groups were observed regarding most RAKMA variables, including correct reactions, commission errors, omission errors, reaction times, migration distance, and migration speed scores. Significant correlations were detected between various ADHD clinical scale scores and RAKMA variables. Conclusion The RAKMA was a clinically useful tool for objectively measuring hyperactivity symptoms in children with ADHD. Further studies with larger samples are warranted.

Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In contrast to neurocognitive measurements of inattention and impulsivity, there has been limited research regarding the objective measurement of hyperactivity in youths with ADHD. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of a newly developed Robot-assisted Kinematic Measure for ADHD (RAKMA) in children with ADHD. Methods: In total, 35 children with ADHD aged 5 to 12 years and 50 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited, and the parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist and the Korean ADHD Diagnostic Scale. RAKMA performance was represented by RAKMA stimulus–response and hyperactivity variables. We compared the RAKMA performance of those with ADHD and with that of HCs and also investigated the correlation between the RAKMA variables and ADHD clinical scale scores. Results: Significant differences between the ADHD and HC groups were observed regarding most RAKMA variables, including correct reactions, commission errors, omission errors, reaction times, migration distance, and migration speed scores. Significant correlations were detected between various ADHD clinical scale scores and RAKMA variables. Conclusion The RAKMA was a clinically useful tool for objectively measuring hyperactivity symptoms in children with ADHD. Further studies with larger samples are warranted.

BACKGROUND: Novel H1N1 influenza A was a pandemic disease in 2009. However, limited data are available on renal transplant recipients undergoing long-term immunosuppression who contracted novel H1N1 influenza A. METHODS: We analyzed 2,345 patients who had been tested with H1N1 swab real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test (rRT-PCR) between May 2009 and February 2010. Of them, 30 were kidney recipients who underwent kidney transplantation between April 1979 and 2, May 2009 before the first diagnosis of H1N1 influenza A in Korea. The clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome of renal transplant recipients with confirmed H1N1 influenza were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 1,543 (66.7%) general patients were swine influenza A confirmed. Of the 30 transplant patients, 19 (63.3%) were confirmed with swine influenza A. The mean age of the general patients at diagnosis of swine influenza A was younger than that of renal recipients (16.5+/-16.1 vs. 39.7+/-11.5 years, P<0.0001). More patients died in the transplant group than in the general patient group even after oseltamivir (Tamiflu) treatment. When comparing the cured group with the dead group of transplant patients, the dead group had a longer duration between symptom manifestation and the beginning of treatment than the cured group (7 [5-7] vs. 2 [1-14] days, P=0.007). The dead group presented more complications such as pneumonia (P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: H1N1 influenza A can cause severe illness in kidney transplant recipients. We suggest that early diagnosis and treatment with an antiviral agent produces good results in kidney transplant recipients as in the general population.
Contracts ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Korea ; Oseltamivir ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia ; Swine ; Transplants

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare preterm, neurodevelopmentally disordered and healthy full-term children. METHODS: We enrolled 47 children who were born preterm, 40 neurodevelopmentally disordered children, and 80 healthy children as control participants, in order to assess the cognitive functioning and the risk of behavioral problems at the age of 5. Children were assessed using the Korean Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-4th edition (K-WPPSI-IV), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). RESULTS: The mean K-WPPSI-IV score of the preterm group was 87.19±17.36, which was significantly higher than that of the neurodevelopmental disorder group (69.98±28.63; p < 0.001) but lower than that of the control group (107.74±14.21; p < 0.001). The cumulative CBCL scores of the preterm children were not significantly different from those of the control group. Additionally, the TCI scores for reward dependence of the preterm children were higher than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: The cognitive performance of preterm infants was lower than that of healthy full-term infants at the age of 5, and there was an association between slower growth and decreased cognitive ability.
Checklist ; Child Behavior ; Child ; Cognition ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Neurodevelopmental Disorders ; Problem Behavior ; Reward ; Temperament