DSM-5 Proposed Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder Designed to Provide More Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment

ARLINGTON, Va. (Jan. 20, 2012)—The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has proposed new diagnostic criteria for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) for autism. While final decisions are still months away, the recommendations reflect the work of dozens of the nation’s top scientific and research minds and are supported by more than a decade of intensive study and analysis. The proposal by the DSM-5 Neurodevelopmental Work Group recommends a new category called autism spectrum disorder which would incorporate several previously separate diagnoses, including autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.
The proposal asserts that symptoms of these four disorders represent a continuum from mild to severe, rather than a simple yes or no diagnosis to a specific disorder. The proposed diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder specify a range of severity as well as describe the individual’s overall developmental status--in social communication and other relevant cognitive and motor behaviors.
Dr. James Scully, Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association said, “The proposed criteria will lead to more accurate diagnosis and will help physicians and therapists design better treatment interventions for children who suffer from autism spectrum disorder.”
The draft DSM-5 criteria will provide a more useful dimensional assessment to improve the sensitivity and specificity of the criteria. This change will help clinicians more accurately diagnose people with relevant symptoms and behaviors by recognizing the differences from person to person, rather than providing general labels that tend not to be consistently applied across different clinics and centers.
Proposed DSM-5 criteria are being tested in real-life clinical settings known as field trials. Field testing of the proposed criteria for autism spectrum disorder does not indicate that there will be any change in the number of patients receiving care for autism spectrum disorders in treatment centers--just more accurate diagnoses  that can lead to more focused treatment.
Criteria proposed for DSM-5 are posted on the DSM-5 website and will be open for additional public comment this spring. More information on the process for developing DSM-5 is also available on the website. Final publication of DSM-5 is planned for May 2013.
DSM is the manual used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) will publish DSM-5 in 2013, culminating a 14-year revision process. For more information,
go to www.dsm5.org.

Rise of 175 pc of ADHD among kids in last 6 yrs

Rise of 175 pc of ADHD among kids in last 6 yrs: ASSOCHAM

New Delhi, Sep 4 : Prevalence of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 3-17 age group have gone up from 4 per cent to 11 per cent from the year 2005 to 2011, due to genetics, diet, social, physical and parental behaviour environments, according to an ASSOCHAM study.

ADHD makes it hard for kids to pay attention and control impulsive behaviour.

It's often treated with drugs, behavioural therapy, or both.

The study titled 'Rising numbers of ADHD kids in metropolitan cities' revealed that more boys are affected by ADHD than girls.

"The occurrence among boys increased to 11 per cent from six per cent, while among girls it rose to 5.5 per cent from 2 per cent over the six years," the industry body said.

While releasing the study, Dr B K Rao, Chairman, ASSOCHAM Health Council said about one-third of the children who have ADHD are on medication. The estimate comes from a survey that found an increase in ADHD of about 11 per cent from 2005 to the most recent survey in 2011.

Nearly, 46 per cent of doctor or health care provider found that children at the age of 4 are more prone to this disease, he said.

Dr Rao said every day, they receive 3 to 5 cases of ADHD.

"It is hard to believe that so many kids have been affected by ADHD. It is the most common behavioural disorder among children seen in the recent times. The children with ADHD are sure to have problems staying focused, and often suffer learning and behavioural problems as a result of a tendency to engage in hyperactive and/or impulsive behaviours," Dr Rao added.

The survey was conducted in 10 major cities of Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur and Lucknow and interacted with around 1,000 of school teachers and said in every single class, they have 1-3 children who are diagnosed be suffering from to ADHD.

Impulsive symptoms of ADHD are: -- restless feeling, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or they squirm.

-- run, climb, or leave a seat, when they are expected to sit quiet or remain silent.

-- blurting out answers before hearing the whole question.

-- have difficulty waiting in line or for their turn.

--UNI

Courtesy: http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-60862.html 

Weak Synchronization In Brain May Be A Marker For Autism

The biological causes of autism are still not understood. A diagnosis of autism is only possible after ages three or four and the tests are subjective, based on behavioral symptoms. Now, in research that appeared in Neuron, scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of California, San Diego have found, for the first time, a method that can accurately identify a biological sign of autism in very young toddlers. By scanning the brain activity of sleeping children, the scientists discovered that the autistic brains exhibited significantly weaker synchronization between brain areas tied to language and communication, compared to that of non-autistic children.
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/231704.php

Autistic brains "organized differently" say scientists

People with autism use their brains differently from other people, which may explain why some have extraordinary abilities to remember and draw objects in detail. The research, published in the journal Human Brain Mapping, pulls together 15 years of data on the way the autistic brain works.

•  It suggests that the brains of autistic people are organized differently from those of other people; the area at the back of the brain, which processes visual information, is more highly developed.
• That leaves less brain capacity in areas which deal with decision-making and planning.
• That may be why people with autism can be better than others at carrying out some types of visual tasks. e.g. some are able to draw highly accurate and detailed images from memory. However, they can find it difficult to interpret things like facial expressions. 

The researchers believe their findings may show a means to help people to literacy in a much more natural way than the usual methods of helping autistic people, “The natural tendency is to think that autism is a form of disorganization. Here, what we see is that it is a reorganization of the brain”.

"This review highlights that autism should not only be seen as a condition with behavioral difficulties, but should also be associated with particular skill," said Dr Christine Ecker from the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College, London. "It offers us unique insights into the way people with autism perceive their environment and helps us to understand some of their behaviour.”She said it added to the understanding of autism. "Knowing the strengths and difficulties of someone with autism may help to better understand their needs and help them maximize their potential."

Carol Povey of the National Autistic Society said: "This study is interesting as it begins to demonstrate why people with autism often show a strong single channel for focus and attention.

"Some adults with autism develop their own ways of coping with this experience, some seek out calm and quiet places, whilst others find creative outlets, like art, can help them both process the information as well as give others an insight into how they see the world.

"The more insight we have into the way autism affects sensory processing, the more people with autism, their families and professionals can develop strategies to make daily life easier."

 Source: By Jane Hughes, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13539922

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12937009