Saturday, May 19, 2012
Sheraton Hall (Sheraton Centre Toronto)
11:00 AM
G. Roberts1, N. Gillan2, K. Johnston3, S. Maltezos4, C. M. Murphy5, D. G. Murphy2, D. M. Robertson6, D. Spain2, E. Wilson7 and F. Happe8, (1)Behavioural Genetics Clinic, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom, (2)Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom, (3)Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Kings College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom, (4)The Maudsley Hospital, London, United Kingdom, (5)Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom, (6)South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom, (7)Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom, (8)Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
Background: Major changes in diagnostic criteria are proposed for DSM-V, including the collapsing of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder and PDD-NOS into a single diagnosis; 'autism spectrum disorder (ASD)'. The effects of these changes are as yet unclear; will individuals diagnosed by current criteria still meet diagnostic criteria with the proposed diagnostic scheme? While some work has been reported addressing this issue in children, no studies in adults have been published to date. Adults, including those first receiving a diagnosis in adulthood, are an important, and somewhat neglected, group in autism spectrum clinical services and research and are the focus for the present study.
Objectives: To review the effect of proposed DSM V diagnostic algorithms on the diagnostic outcome of a clinical sample of patients assessed for ASD in adulthood.
Methods: Diagnostic information was reviewed for 100 consecutive adult patients who attended the Behavioural Genetics Clinic, a specialist clinic providing assessment of ASD at the Maudsley Hospital, London. Original diagnosis was made in accordance with the ICD-10 criteria. Diagnostic assessment included a detailed neuropsychiatric interview, Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and / or Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) pending consent to contact parents/parental availability and physical examination. Information from the ICD 10 algorithm, ADI-R, ADOS and neuropsychiatric assessment reports was used to recode diagnostic outcomes in accordance with the proposed DSM 5 ASD algorithm as posted by the American Psychiatric Association.
Results: Data will be presented showing the degree of agreement between current ICD 10 diagnoses (Asperger’s Syndrome, Childhood Autism, Atypical Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-not otherwise specified) and the proposed new DSM 5 diagnosis of ASD.
Conclusions: Implications for proposed changes to diagnostic criteria will be highlighted.
