title: [Clinical usefulness of IDEA and CARS: concordance with DSM-IV-TR in children and adolescents with suspicion of PDD].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Observational scales are useful to estimate the severity of symptoms in PDD as well as to monitor their evolution.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  a) To analyze the concordance between diagnoses based on the Autism Spectrum Inventory (Inventario del Espectro Autista, IDEA)) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), compared to DSM-IV-TR criteria, in subjects with a suspicion of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), and b) to study the discrimination power of both scales to differentiate between a clinical diagnosis situated in the autism spectrum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six children and adolescents, between 2 and 20 years-old, who attended our Neuropediatric Unit due to suspicion of PDD. Independently, two clinicians evaluated the presence of PDD symptoms; one of them according to DSM-IV-TR criteria and the other one based on the application of IDEA and CARS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concordance of IDEA and CARS when compared to DSM-IV-TR classification was 73 and 82%, respectively, with a sensitivity of 1 and 0,83 and a specificity of 0,61 and 0,82, respectively. Both scales correctly discriminated between autistic disorder and other clinical diagnoses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both IDEA and CARS are useful instruments to detect and monitor autism symptoms in the context of routine clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Neurología Pediátrica, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, España. Electronic address: cristigarlop@gmail.com.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García-López
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Neurología Pediátrica, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Narbona
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autism; Autism spectrum disorders; Autismo; Childhood Autism Rating Scale; Escalas observacionales; Evaluación; Evaluation; Inventario del Espectro Autista; Observational scales; Pervasive developmental disorders; Trastornos del espectro autista; Trastornos generalizados del desarrollo