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A multisite study of the clinical diagnosis of different autism spectrum disorders.

ABSTRACT: Best-estimate clinical diagnoses of specific autism spectrum disorders (autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, and Asperger syndrome) have been used as the diagnostic gold standard, even when information from standardized instruments is available.To determine whether the relationships between behavioral phenotypes and clinical diagnoses of different autism spectrum disorders vary across 12 university-based sites.Multisite observational study collecting clinical phenotype data (diagnostic, developmental, and demographic) for genetic research. Classification trees were used to identify characteristics that predicted diagnosis across and within sites.Participants were recruited through 12 university-based autism service providers into a genetic study of autism.A total of 2102 probands (1814 male probands) between 4 and 18 years of age (mean [SD] age, 8.93 [3.5] years) who met autism spectrum criteria on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and who had a clinical diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder.Best-estimate clinical diagnoses predicted by standardized scores from diagnostic, cognitive, and behavioral measures.Although distributions of scores on standardized measures were similar across sites, significant site differences emerged in best-estimate clinical diagnoses of specific autism spectrum disorders. Relationships between clinical diagnoses and standardized scores, particularly verbal IQ, language level, and core diagnostic features, varied across sites in weighting of information and cutoffs.Clinical distinctions among categorical diagnostic subtypes of autism spectrum disorders were not reliable even across sites with well-documented fidelity using standardized diagnostic instruments. Results support the move from existing subgroupings of autism spectrum disorders to dimensional descriptions of core features of social affect and fixated, repetitive behaviors, together with characteristics such as language level and cognitive function.

SUBMITTER: Lord C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3626112 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A multisite study of the clinical diagnosis of different autism spectrum disorders.

Lord Catherine C Petkova Eva E Hus Vanessa V Gan Weijin W Lu Feihan F Martin Donna M DM Ousley Opal O Guy Lisa L Bernier Raphael R Gerdts Jennifer J Algermissen Molly M Whitaker Agnes A Sutcliffe James S JS Warren Zachary Z Klin Ami A Saulnier Celine C Hanson Ellen E Hundley Rachel R Piggot Judith J Fombonne Eric E Steiman Mandy M Miles Judith J Kanne Stephen M SM Goin-Kochel Robin P RP Peters Sarika U SU Cook Edwin H EH Guter Stephen S Tjernagel Jennifer J Green-Snyder Lee Anne LA Bishop Somer S Esler Amy A Gotham Katherine K Luyster Rhiannon R Miller Fiona F Olson Jennifer J Richler Jennifer J Risi Susan S

Archives of general psychiatry 20111107 3

<h4>Context</h4>Best-estimate clinical diagnoses of specific autism spectrum disorders (autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, and Asperger syndrome) have been used as the diagnostic gold standard, even when information from standardized instruments is available.<h4>Objective</h4>To determine whether the relationships between behavioral phenotypes and clinical diagnoses of different autism spectrum disorders vary across 12 university-based sites.<h4>Design</ ...[more]

PMID: 22065253

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Project description:ImportanceThe finding of factors that differentially predict the likelihood of response to placebo over that of an active drug could have a significant impact on study design in this population.ObjectiveTo identify possible nonspecific, baseline predictors of response to intervention in a large randomized clinical trial of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.Design, setting, and participantsRandomized clinical trial of citalopram hydrobromide for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and prominent repetitive behavior. Baseline data at study entry were examined with respect to final outcome to determine if response predictors could be identified. A total of 149 children and adolescents 5 to 17 years of age (mean [SD] age, 9.4 [3.1] years) from 6 academic centers were randomly assigned to citalopram (n = 73) or placebo (n = 76). Participants had autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified; had illness severity ratings that were moderate or more than moderate on the Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale; and scored moderate or more than moderate on compulsive behaviors measured with the modified Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale.InterventionsTwelve weeks of treatment with citalopram (10 mg/5 mL) or placebo. The mean (SD) maximum dose of citalopram was 16.5 (6.5) mg by mouth daily (maximum dose, 20 mg/d).Main outcomes and measuresA positive response was defined as having a score of at least much improved on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale at week 12. Baseline measures included demographic (sex, age, weight, and pubertal status), clinical, and family measures. Clinical variables included baseline illness severity ratings (the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised, and the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale). Family measures included the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire.ResultsSeveral baseline predictors of response were identified, and a principal component analysis yielded 3 composite measures (disruptive behavior, autism/mood, and caregiver strain) that significantly predicted response at week 12. Specifically, participants in the placebo group were significantly less likely than participants in the citalopram group to respond at week 12 if they entered the study more symptomatic on each of the 3 composite measures, and they were at least 2 times less likely to be responders.Conclusions and relevanceThis analysis suggests strategies that may be useful in anticipating and potentially mitigating the nonspecific response in randomized clinical trials of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00086645.

Project description:Multiple lines of evidence indicate a strong genetic contribution to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Current guidelines for clinical genetic testing recommend a G-banded karyotype to detect chromosomal abnormalities and fragile X DNA testing, but guidelines for chromosomal microarray analysis have not been established.A cohort of 933 patients received clinical genetic testing for a diagnosis of ASD between January 2006 and December 2008. Clinical genetic testing included G-banded karyotype, fragile X testing, and chromosomal microarray (CMA) to test for submicroscopic genomic deletions and duplications. Diagnostic yield of clinically significant genetic changes was compared.Karyotype yielded abnormal results in 19 of 852 patients (2.23% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.73%-2.73%]), fragile X testing was abnormal in 4 of 861 (0.46% [95% CI: 0.36%-0.56%]), and CMA identified deletions or duplications in 154 of 848 patients (18.2% [95% CI: 14.76%-21.64%]). CMA results for 59 of 848 patients (7.0% [95% CI: 5.5%-8.5%]) were considered abnormal, which includes variants associated with known genomic disorders or variants of possible significance. CMA results were normal in 10 of 852 patients (1.2%) with abnormal karyotype due to balanced rearrangements or unidentified marker chromosome. CMA with whole-genome coverage and CMA with targeted genomic regions detected clinically relevant copy-number changes in 7.3% (51 of 697) and 5.3% (8 of 151) of patients, respectively, both higher than karyotype. With the exception of recurrent deletion and duplication of chromosome 16p11.2 and 15q13.2q13.3, most copy-number changes were unique or identified in only a small subset of patients.CMA had the highest detection rate among clinically available genetic tests for patients with ASD. Interpretation of microarray data is complicated by the presence of both novel and recurrent copy-number variants of unknown significance. Despite these limitations, CMA should be considered as part of the initial diagnostic evaluation of patients with ASD.

Dataset Information

A multisite study of the clinical diagnosis of different autism spectrum disorders.

Publications

A multisite study of the clinical diagnosis of different autism spectrum disorders.

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