New Digital Therapeutics and Neuromodulation for Optimal Treatment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) & Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Guest Speaker: Dr. Bung-Nyun Kim
Date: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 11 am (in person only)
Location: Neville Scarfe, Room 310
Abstract of the Talk:
The first-line treatment for ADHD is medication including psychostimulants like amphetamine and methylphenidate. Although these medications have a high response rate, they are also associated with a high drop-out rates due to serious side effects like growth retardation, insomnia and irritability. The majority of patients are found to discontinue medication within a year. There is no cure for ASD, and the current treatment of choice is behavioral interventions like applied behavior analysis (ABA). However, these interventions are not based on the pathophysiology of ASD and aim to reduce the symptoms and increase adaptive skills, rather than remission of symptoms. These methods heavily therapist-dependent, are costly, and are difficult to access due to the small number of experts and long waiting lists. As a new alternative to these conventional treatment methods, digital therapeutics and neuromodulation have gained attraction, as these methods have low potential of side effects and may also directly act on the core neuropathology of Social burden of Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).
Speaker Bio:
After receiving B.A. at College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Dr. Bung-Nyun Kim received both M.A. and Ph.D. at Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul National University. Since 2002, he is a professor at College of Medicine, Seoul National University and working as the division director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital. His main fields of research include brain imaging, genetic & environmental studies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders including ADHD, ASD and Tic disorders. He has published 157 peer reviewed article in SCI-International Journals & 62 articles in Korean Journals. He has also taken charge of some public mental heath research & educational program for governmental mental health system and policy development for children & adolescents.