title: Validity of childhood autism in the Danish Psychiatric Central Register: findings from a cohort sample born 1990-1999.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the diagnosis of childhood autism in the Danish Psychiatric Central Register (DPCR) by reviewing medical records from 499 of 504 total children with childhood autism born 1990-1999. Based on review of abstracted behaviors recorded in case records from child psychiatric hospitals, case status determination was performed using a standardized coding scheme. In 499 children diagnosed with childhood autism in the DPCR, the diagnosis could be confirmed in 469 children (94%). Of the 30 non-confirmed cases, five were classified by the reviewers as non-autistic cases and the remaining 25 cases were either classified with another ASD diagnosis or the specific diagnosis was not possible to determine.
authors.affiliation: NANEA at Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. mbl@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Marlene B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Lauritsen
authors.forename: Meta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: Kreesten M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: Sanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lemcke
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toft
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grove
authors.forename: Diana E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Schendel
authors.forename: Poul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thorsen
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012042:Registries; D012720:Severity of Illness Index