Is autism more common now than ten years ago?

Article Abstract:

In the Swedish city of Goteborg and the outlying rural area, the population was screened to assess the prevalence of autistic disorder (AD) and autistic-like conditions (AC) in 1980, 1984, and 1988. In 1980, the total prevalence for AD and AC was 4.0 per 100,000 children; in 1984, the combined prevalence was 7.5 per 100,000 children. Boys with AD greatly outnumbered girls with AD, while AC was more equally divided between the sexes. A 1988 study is reported here, which updates the 1984 study. The same urban and rural areas were re-screened to locate new cases not reported in the 1984 study and new cases among children born between 1984 and 1988. Registers were searched, and doctors, psychologists, teachers, social workers, therapists and parents who had reported children with AD, AC, or similar disorders were questioned. All children thought to have AD or AC were examined clinically and given neurobiological tests as well as several screening devices for intelligence quotient, autistic symptoms, and developmental maturity. The results indicated that 11.6 per 10,000 children in the urban area suffered from AD or AC, with AD constituting 72 percent of the cases. Combined prevalence for AD and AC in the rural area was 7.2 per 10,000 children. Four times more boys than girls had AD, while AC was equally distributed between sexes. Almost three out of seven children with AD in the urban area had immigrant parents. Increasing prevalence rates may, in part, be related to improved detection measures and the influence of immigrant migration. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Demographic aspects, Autism, Autistic children

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Outcome and prognosis of anorexia nervosa

Article Abstract:

Research findings on the outcome and prognosis of anorexia nervosa have been inconclusive. The methodology of studies may be at fault, or possibly patient selection may need to be standardized. The inconsistencies in the data, however, make comparisons difficult. In an effort to control for some of the possible methodological difficulties, 41 subjects (39 female and two male) diagnosed with anorexia were studied; these patients were admitted to the hospital for treatment between 1958 and 1980. Thirty patients were available to be interviewed in 1986 for follow-up. The interview gathered information on demographics and a brief history of milestones before and after treatment. Patients also completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). It was found that over 50 percent of the sample had sought psychiatric treatment since leaving the hospital. Better outcome was associated with histrionic personality features and poor outcome was associated with a high incidence of borderline personality disorder and chronic depression. This is consistent with other data. It was also found that long duration of illness, poor treatment outcome, and negative relationships with friends and family were associated with poor outcome and poor prognosis. This is consistent with other data as well, and confirms the general hypothesis that outcome is affected by a variety of factors, no one of which is most important. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Prognosis

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Anorexia nervosa in a Swedish urban region: a population-based study

Article Abstract:

All children in the eighth grade (aged 14.5 to 15.5 years) of all schools in Goteborg, Sweden in 1985 were screened for anorexia nervosa (AN) by using school health service growth charts, nurse reports, and self-reports of food interests, weight, and desire to lose weight. The 330 girls and 55 boys who demonstrated AN symptoms were then repeatedly weighed by school nurses for a one-year follow-up period and were extensively interviewed. At the end of the follow-up period, 38 girls and 5 boys were diagnosed with AN and agreed to participate in a more complete diagnostic study, which included a neuropsychiatric examination. Seventeen children fulfilled all criteria for AN, including a real or projected weight loss of 25 percent or more and extreme anorectic behavior (e.g., refusal to maintain body weight over a minimal normal weight, intense fear of weight gain, and disturbed bodily perceptions). A partial AN syndrome (real or projected weight loss of 15 percent and mild anorectic behavior) was diagnosed in three girls, bringing an accumulated AN frequency to 0.84 percent of the general population of girls 15.5 years of age or younger. The rate of cases for boys was about one tenth of that for girls. Findings show that AN is more widespread in the general population than previously thought. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Surveys, Adolescent psychiatry

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