Sungkyunkwan University · Psychology
Professor Seog Ju Kim's research lab focuses on the neurobiological and psychological underpinnings of trauma-related disorders, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ADHD, and sleep-wake disturbances in adolescents and young adults. The lab employs advanced neuroimaging techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate white matter integrity and neurochemical markers like GABA in brain regions associated with emotion regulation and attention. A key research direction involves understanding how circadian phenotypes—such as morningness-eveningness preferences—and sleep patterns, including weekend catch-up sleep, contribute to cognitive and psychiatric outcomes. The lab also evaluates the efficacy of trauma-focused psychotherapies, such as narrative exposure therapy, in refugee populations and clinical populations with sleep and mood disorders.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Previously, our group reported the altered white matter tract integrity of the left anterior cingulate in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in whole-brain exploration. Current study intended to explore whether the alteration was more prominent in any specific regions of the cingulum bundle. Diffusion tensor images of 21 PTSD subjects and 21 healthy comparison subjects were acquired. Eight isocubic regions of interest (ROIs), i.e. bilateral rostral, subgenual, dorsal, and upper cingulum bundle
Increased weekend catch-up sleep as an indicator of insufficient weekday sleep is associated with poor performance on objective attention tasks. Assessment of catch-up sleep and sleep duration may be useful for physicians to evaluate sleep insufficiency and its adverse effects on attention in adolescents.
We aimed to investigate the association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and morningness–eveningness in adulthood. Subjects without psychiatric comorbidity on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (n = 344) completed the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and the Adult Self-Report Scale for ADHD. MEQ showed an independent and negative association with ADHD symptoms (P < 0.0001). In male subjects, both inattention (P < 0.0001) and hyperactiv
Findings of the current study suggest that specific patterns of temperament and character potentially influence adolescents' psychopathology in the community.
Refugees affected by multiple traumatic stressors are at high risk for developing trauma-related mental disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and insomnia, which is sometimes overlooked. The present study examined the effectiveness of narrative exposure therapy (NET) on trauma-related symptoms in a sample of North Korean refugee youth. We focused on sleep patterns in addition to changes in symptom severity for PTSD, depression, and internalizing and externalizing
The current study reports that young adults with narcolepsy had a higher GABA concentration in the medial prefrontal cortex, which was more prominent in patients without nocturnal sleep disturbance. Our findings suggest that the medial prefrontal GABA level may be increased in narcolepsy, and the increased medial prefrontal GABA might be a compensatory mechanism to reduce nocturnal sleep disturbances in narcolepsy.
Abstract Introduction The purpose of the present study was to validate a Korean version of the short UPPS‐P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS‐P). Methods This study included 724 undergraduate students who completed the following questionnaires: the Korean UPPS‐P, Beck Depression Inventory, State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory, Eating Disorder Inventory‐2, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and Canadian Problem Gambling Index. Results A confirmatory factor analysis supported a 5‐factor interrelated
These findings highlight the important role of prefrontal cortex function during emotion regulation in the associations between stress, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. Increasing lateral prefrontal cortex recruitment when regulating the emotional response to negative life events may be critical for the prevention and intervention of depression as well as sleep problems.
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