Recent Advances in Understanding and Managing Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Autism spectrum disorder in children is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by difficulties with social communication and behavior. Growing scientific evidence in addition to clinical practice has led the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to categorize several disorders into the broader category of autism spectrum disorder. As more is learned about how autism spectrum disorder manifests, progress has been made toward better clinical management including earlier diagnosis, care, and when specific interventions are required. The 2014 Neurobiology of Disease in Children symposium, held in conjunction with the 43rd annual meeting of the Child Neurology Society, aimed to (1) describe the clinical concerns involving diagnosis and treatment, (2) review the current status of understanding in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder, (3) discuss clinical management and therapies for autism spectrum disorder, and (4) define future directions of research. The article summarizes the presentations and includes an edited transcript of question-and-answer sessions.
Department of Pediatric Neurology, Goryeb Children's Hospital, Atlantic Health System, Morristown, NJ, USA Blair.germain@atlantichealth.org.
Blair
B
Germain
Department of Pediatric Neurology, Goryeb Children's Hospital, Atlantic Health System, Morristown, NJ, USA.
Melissa A
MA
Eppinger
Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Stewart H
SH
Mostofsky
Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
Emanuel
E
DiCicco-Bloom
Department of Pediatric Neurology, Goryeb Children's Hospital, Atlantic Health System, Morristown, NJ, USA.
Bernard L
BL
Maria
D000818:Animals; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D019468:Disease Management; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans
autism; developmental delay; language; neurobiology; social communication