Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and behavioral impairments. Recent studies have suggested that gut microbiota play a critical role in ASD pathogenesis. Herein, we investigated the fecal microflora of Korean ASD children to determine gut microbiota profiles associated with ASD. Specifically, fecal samples were obtained from 54 children with ASD and 38 age-matched children exhibiting typical development. Systematic bioinformatic analysis revealed that the composition of gut microbiota differed between ASD and typically developing children (TDC). Moreover, the total amounts of short-chain fatty acids, metabolites produced by bacteria, were increased in ASD children. At the phylum level, we found a significant decrease in the relative Bacteroidetes abundance of the ASD group, whereas Actinobacteria abundance was significantly increased. Furthermore, we found significantly lower Bacteroides levels and higher Bifidobacterium levels in the ASD group than in the TDC group at the genus level. Functional analysis of the microbiota in ASD children predicted that several pathways, including genetic information processing and amino acid metabolism, can be associated with ASD pathogenesis. Although more research is needed to determine whether the differences between ASD and TDC are actually related to ASD pathogenesis, these results provide further evidence of altered gut microbiota in children with ASD, possibly providing new perspectives on the diagnosis and therapeutic approaches for ASD patients.

Cheon J, et al. Yonsei Med J. 2020 Jul;61(7):614-622. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2020.61.7.614

Kim H, et al. Yonsei Med J. 2020 Oct;61(10):880-890. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2020.61.10.880

Ahn J, et al. Yonsei Med J. 2021 Feb;62(2):159-163. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2021.62.2.159

Objective We aimed to elucidate public mental health problems and associated factors during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Furthermore, we evaluated people’s attitudes toward digital therapeutics during the pandemic.Methods Data was collected online from participants, aged between 20–50 without any history of mental illness, from June 1st to June 30th 2021. The survey consisted of questions regarding demographics, changes during pandemic and attitude towards digital therapeutics, and mental health measures.Results Among the total of 445 participants, 49.2% reported significant level of stress and 13.5% and 7.0% met the screening criteria for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, respectively. Significant predictive factors for mental health problems were-younger age group, female sex, currently being treated for medical or surgical disease, change in the amount of time spent on mobile device or computer after pandemic, change in household income, and change in work environment due to pandemic. Furthermore, 35.1% of participants, considered psychiatric consultation, at least slightly, but were hesitant to receive it due to the fear of contacting COVID-19 at the clinics. Instead, 54.4% of them preferred using digital therapeutics as an alternative to visiting offline clinics.Conclusion We demonstrated that COVID-19 increased mental health problems along with access problems and identified their predictive factors. Digital therapeutics emerged as a viable solution to mental health problems and it was well-received by those in need of psychiatric consultation. Therefore, development and implementation of digital therapeutics should be considered to improve the mental health of people.