A. Stanciu, Romania

University of Medicine and Pharmacy 'Carol Davila', Bucharest, Romania
Here is my favourite quote: ‘It has to do with curiosity. It has to do with people wondering what makes something do something. And then to discover, if you try to get answers, that they are related to each other; that things that make the wind make the waves, that the motion of water is like the motion of air is like the motion of sand. The fact that things have common features. It turns out more and more universal. What we are looking for is how everything works. What makes everything work.’ Richard Feynman

Presenter of 1 Presentation

 Conference Calendar
Oral Communications (ID 1110) AS03. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

O034 - Multidisciplinary approach in children with autism spectrum disorder

Session Name
Oral Communications (ID 1110)
Date
Sat, 10.04.2021
Session Time
07:00 - 21:00
Room
On Demand
Lecture Time
12:36 - 12:48
Presenter

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts and it is marked by repetitive sensory–motor behaviours and restricted interests or activities. Now recognized to occur in up to 1% of the population, the prevalence of ASD has registered a steady increase in the past two decades. Heterogeneity of presentation is a hallmark with comorbid psychiatric and medical morbidities frequently reported. Comorbidities mask and delay the diagnosis and are the cause of inadequate therapies.

Objectives

In the present paper, we studied a cohort of patients with ASD, investigating the rates and types of psychiatric and medical comorbidities.

Methods

A retrospective study of psychiatric and medical comorbidities was carried out on a sample of 120 participants that met ASD criteria according to DSM-V. The patients were examined with a detailed medical history, physical examination, as well as some additional functional, imaging, laboratory and genetic investigations. The associated conditions considered were: attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, intellectual disability, gastrointestinal symptoms, ophtalmologic manifestations, infections.

Results

Of the 120 ASD subjects referred, 25 (20.8%) received the diagnosis of epilepsy. ADHD was established in 24 cases (20%). IQ score was obtained in half of the patients, 43.3% of them presenting a severe intellectual disability (IQ<35). Respiratory disorders occured in 25% of the cases. Ophtalmological findings were observed in 9.1% of the cases. Other frequent comorbidities included motor disturbances and feeding problems.

Conclusions

A better understanding of comorbidities in ASD patients improves interdisciplinary collaboration, thus facilitating effective treatment programs.

Hide