[P1-162] Psychosocial adjustment of children and adolescents with phenylketonuria in Korea
[Introduction]
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is one of the most common inherited metabolic disorders This study was aimed to investigate the psychiatric manifestations in children and adolescents with PKU.
[Methodology]
The Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) was used to assess the psychopathology of 50 children with PKU and 50 healthy comparisons. Recent and mean phenylalanine (phe) levels and demographic information were collected through a retrospective chart review.
[Results]
Compared with healthy comparisons, children with PKU showed the significant differences in social, school, aggressive behavior, externalizing problem and total behavior scores in the K-CBCL. Significant differences in the total competence scale (p<0.001), total behavior scale (p=0.004), attention (p=0.031) and emotional lability (p=0.031) were found between groups in clinical and nonclinical spectrum. As the age of diagnosis progressed, the higher significance of score for anxiety, depression, thought problem, attention, emotional lability was observed in the K-CBCL. In addition, the internalizing problem (p=0.025), thought problem (p=0.016), delinquent behavior (p=0.006) were correlated with recent and mean phenylalanine levels in subjects with PKU. Internalizing problem (p=0.004), attention (p=0.008) and social problem (p=0.016) were related with variability of phe levels.
[Conclusions]
Recent and mean phe levels can be the risk factors of psychiatric manifestations. Variability of phe levels is related to internalizing, attention and social problems. Treatment strategies that enhance stability of the blood phe levels should seriously be considered.
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is one of the most common inherited metabolic disorders This study was aimed to investigate the psychiatric manifestations in children and adolescents with PKU.
[Methodology]
The Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) was used to assess the psychopathology of 50 children with PKU and 50 healthy comparisons. Recent and mean phenylalanine (phe) levels and demographic information were collected through a retrospective chart review.
[Results]
Compared with healthy comparisons, children with PKU showed the significant differences in social, school, aggressive behavior, externalizing problem and total behavior scores in the K-CBCL. Significant differences in the total competence scale (p<0.001), total behavior scale (p=0.004), attention (p=0.031) and emotional lability (p=0.031) were found between groups in clinical and nonclinical spectrum. As the age of diagnosis progressed, the higher significance of score for anxiety, depression, thought problem, attention, emotional lability was observed in the K-CBCL. In addition, the internalizing problem (p=0.025), thought problem (p=0.016), delinquent behavior (p=0.006) were correlated with recent and mean phenylalanine levels in subjects with PKU. Internalizing problem (p=0.004), attention (p=0.008) and social problem (p=0.016) were related with variability of phe levels.
[Conclusions]
Recent and mean phe levels can be the risk factors of psychiatric manifestations. Variability of phe levels is related to internalizing, attention and social problems. Treatment strategies that enhance stability of the blood phe levels should seriously be considered.