Christopher Gillberg - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Christopher Gillberg
Develop Med Child Neurol, 2007
Lakartidningen, Oct 1, 1993
J Amer Acad Child Adolesc Psy, 1991
Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often display symptoms from other d... more Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often display symptoms from other diagnostic categories. Studies of clinical and psychosocial outcome in adult patients with ASDs without concomitant intellectual disability are few. The objective of this paper is to describe the clinical psychiatric presentation and important outcome measures of a large group of normalintelligence adult patients with ASDs.
Eur Psychiat, 2010
The prevention of aggressive behaviours is a core priority for psychiatric clinical work, but the... more The prevention of aggressive behaviours is a core priority for psychiatric clinical work, but the association between the diagnostic concepts used in psychiatry and aggression remains largely unknown.We aimed to describe aggression according to the subscales formed in the Life History of Aggression (LHA) in relation to life-time psychiatric diagnoses.178 adults referred for psychiatric evaluations of childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorders (outpatients) and 92 perpetrators of violent crimes referred to pre-trial forensic psychiatric investigations had comprehensive, instrument-based, psychiatric assessments, including the LHA scales. Total and subscale LHA scores were compared to the categorical and dimensional diagnoses of childhood and adult DSM-IV axis I and II mental disorders, general intelligence, GAF, and personality traits according to Cloninger's biopsychosocial model.The two groups had similar LHA scores (despite higher scores on the Antisocial scale in the offender group). Higher total LHA scores were independently associated with the hyperactivity facet of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), childhood conduct disorder, substance-related disorders, and low scores on the Cooperativeness character dimension according to the Temperament and Character Inventory. IQ and GAF-scores were negatively correlated with the LHA subscale Self-directed aggression. Autistic traits were inversely correlated with aggression among outpatients, while the opposite pattern was noted in the forensic group.In these study groups, aggression was predicted by childhood behaviour aberrations, adult substance-related problems, and character immaturity rather than by symptoms associated with the major mental disorders. AD/HD in combined or hyperactive, but not inattentive, forms, was associated with high scores on aggressive behaviours.
The British Journal of Psychiatry the Journal of Mental Science, Feb 1, 2009
Anorexia nervosa is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders found in adolescence. In most ca... more Anorexia nervosa is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders found in adolescence. In most cases the teenager will gradually recover from the illness, but anorexia nervosa is also known for its severe complications, with chronicity and death being the two most feared consequences. In Steinhausen's review of all follow-up studies during the second half of the 20th century, chronicity occurred in one in five of all anorexia nervosa cases. 1 There are only three published studies on anorexia nervosa that report long-term outcome. 2-4 All three are based on severe cases of anorexia nervosa, with a sample of only tertiary referrals and/ or in-patients. The high mortality rates in these studies (17%, 18% and 16% respectively) corresponded in the study by Zipfel et al to a standardised mortality ratio of 9.8. 4 The occurrence of chronic anorexia nervosa in the three studies ranged from 8 to 25%. Researchers have indicated that recovery after 10-12 years is uncommon. 2,5 However, a growing number of follow-up studies have focused on more homogeneous anorexia nervosa samples, i.e. only individuals with teenage-onset anorexia nervosa who seem to have a brighter future. Long-term studies (10 years or more) of adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa tend to report more favourable outcomes compared with other follow-up studies. Since the mid-1980s our group has conducted the only controlled, prospective community-based study of adolescentonset anorexia nervosa. 9 So far we have reported on the anorexia nervosa group and their matched controls on three occasions, at mean ages 16 years, 21 years and 24 years. There has been no attrition. In this paper we report our fourth study, 18 years after anorexia nervosa onset. We predicted a better general outcome and less psychiatric comorbidity compared with other long-term outcome studies based on in-patient data, and also that a comparison of general outcome and psychiatric comorbidity with the control group would reveal continuing difficulties in our community-based anorexia nervosa group in spite of the high rate of recovery from the eating disorder.
This study examined group differences in language and pragmatic functions across sex-, age- and I... more This study examined group differences in language and pragmatic functions across sex-, age- and IQ-matched samples of Asperger syndrome (N = 22), high-functioning autism (N = 11), deficits in attention, motor control and perception (DAMP) (N = 11), and speech and language disorder (SLD) (N = 11) groups. The purpose was to explore possible differentiating features in the fields of vocabulary, comprehension and pragmatics and, in addition, to determine whether Asperger syndrome could be reliably separated from high-functioning autism on these variables. The findings suggest that Asperger syndrome may be associated with higher full-scale and verbal IQ than high-functioning autism; Asperger syndrome may not be associated with better pragmatic skills (as defined in this context) than high-functioning autism; language comprehension may not clearly separate Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism once the effects of very low IQ are partialled out; both DAMP and SLD can be distinctly separated from Asperger syndrome and autism.
Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 2007
Am J Med Genet Part B, 2007
BACKGROUND: Sotos syndrome is an overgrowth syndrome characterized by macrocephaly, advanced bone... more BACKGROUND: Sotos syndrome is an overgrowth syndrome characterized by macrocephaly, advanced bone age, characteristic facial features, and learning disabilities, caused by mutations or deletions of the NSD1 gene, located at 5q35. Sotos syndrome has been described in a number of patients with autism spectrum disorders, suggesting that NSD1 could be involved in other cases of autism and macrocephaly. METHODS: We
Develop Med Child Neurol, 2008
A total population of 589 6-year-old children were screened for neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatr... more A total population of 589 6-year-old children were screened for neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatric disorders by questionnaires to parents and preschool teachers, and by examination of motor abilities at the Child Health Center. Fifty screen-positive and fifty screen-negative children were assigned for complete neuropsychiatric assessment comprising a detailed history, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental assessment, neuropsychological examination and speech/language evaluation. Comprehensive diagnoses were made on the basis of all the available information. In the total population, 63 children (10.7%) with disorders were identified, 10 of whom had a diagnosis established before the study. The prevalence rates for deficits in attention, motor control and perception (DAMP) were 5.3 to 6.9%, for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) they were 2.4 to 4.0% and for mental retardation, 2.5%. Co-morbidity was established for ADHD on the one hand and DAMP, mental retardation and Tourette syndrome on the other. The findings suggest the need for a school entrant screening examination for the types of problems examined in this study.
BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE och CHILDREN'S YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE Namn: Födel... more BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE och CHILDREN'S YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE Namn: Födelsenummer: Datum: Bedömare:
Behavior Genetics, 2009
Objective: Autism spectrum disorders are considered to be am ong the m ost heritable m ental diso... more Objective: Autism spectrum disorders are considered to be am ong the m ost heritable m ental disorders, a notion based on surprisingly sparse data from sm all clinical studies. Population-based studies of the heritability of other neuropsychiatric disorders and com orbidities am ong them have also been sparse. The authors sought to address both of these issues.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, Jan 28, 2015
Clinical predictors of 2-year outcome in preschoolers with ASD were studied in a population-based... more Clinical predictors of 2-year outcome in preschoolers with ASD were studied in a population-based group of very young children with ASD (n = 208). Children who gained the most (n = 30) and lost the most (n = 23), i.e., increased or decreased their adaptive functioning outcome according to the Vineland Composite Score between study entry (T1) and follow-up (T2), 2 years later were compared. Individual factors that differed significantly between the two outcome groups were cognitive level, age at referral, not passing expected milestones at 18 months, autistic type behavior problems and regression. However, logistic regression analysis showed that only cognitive level at T1 (dichotomized into IQ < 70 and IQ ≥ 70) made a unique statistically significant contribution to outcome prediction (p = <.001) with an odds ratio of 18.01. The findings have significant clinical implications in terms of information at diagnosis regarding clinical prognosis in ASD.
Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), Jan 6, 2015
Several studies have suggested that rare copy number variants (CNVs) are an important genetic con... more Several studies have suggested that rare copy number variants (CNVs) are an important genetic contributor to autism spectrum disorders. The aims of the study were to use chromosomal microarray to investigate the presence of rare copy number variants in a population-based cohort of well-characterised young children with autism spectrum disorders and to relate the genetic results to neurodevelopmental profiles and medical conditions. We performed chromosomal microarray on samples from 162 children who had been referred to the Stockholm Autism Centre for Young Children in Sweden after being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder between 20 and 54 months of age. Pathogenic aberrations were detected in 8.6% of the children and variants of uncertain significance were present in another 8.6%. CNVs were more frequent in children with congenital malformations or dysmorphic features as well as in the subgroup with intellectual disability. Our results support the use of chromosomal microarray...
Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 2014
Research on anorexia nervosa (AN) has emphasized the importance of low absolute body weight, but ... more Research on anorexia nervosa (AN) has emphasized the importance of low absolute body weight, but emerging research suggests the importance of also considering low body weight relative to an individual's highest premorbid weight (weight suppression; WS). We investigated whether body mass index and WS at lowest weight (BMI-LW and WS-LW) among adolescents with AN predicted BMI at 6-, 10-, or 18-year follow-up, duration of AN, or total eating disorder duration, including time during which criteria were met for bulimia nervosa or eating disorder not otherwise specified. Forty-seven cases of AN identified through community screening in Sweden were included. Weight and height data were collected from medical records, school nurse charts, and study follow-up assessments. Higher WS-LW was associated with higher BMI at 6-year and 10-year follow-up, and this effect was strongest among those with the lowest BMI-LW values. BMI-LW and WS-LW were positively associated with BMI at 18-year follo...
The International journal of eating disorders, 2009
To study reproduction in a representative group of anorexia nervosa (AN) cases. Fifty-one adolesc... more To study reproduction in a representative group of anorexia nervosa (AN) cases. Fifty-one adolescent-onset AN cases (48 women; three men), originally recruited after community screening, and 51 matched comparison cases (COMP) were interviewed 18 years after AN onset at a mean age of 32 years, regarding pregnancies and early development of the children. The results of the 48 AN and 48 COMP group women are reported in the present study. Six women still had an eating disorder (ED), none of whom had become a mother. Twenty-seven women in the AN group and 31 women in the COMP group had children. Three women had an ED during pregnancy. Mean age at birth of the first child was lower in the AN group. Five AN women reported postpartum depression. Children in the AN group had significantly lower birth weight than the children in the COMP group. No other complications during pregnancy and the neonatal period differed across groups. Feeding difficulties were not overrepresented among the childr...
The International journal of eating disorders, 2005
We studied fertility and history of child sexual abuse (CSA) in a representative group of anorexi... more We studied fertility and history of child sexual abuse (CSA) in a representative group of anorexia nervosa (AN) cases. Fifty-one adolescent-onset AN cases recruited after community screening and 51 matched comparison cases were interviewed 10 years after reported AN onset, at mean age 24 years, regarding children, miscarriages, and fertility problems. They completed anonymously the Finkelhor self-report questionnaire regarding history of CSA. There were few fertility problems in our AN population. There was a tendency towards more subjects in the AN group to give birth to a child (10 AN and 4 comparison mothers). The prevalence of CSA was equal between groups. For example, 6% in each group had experienced CSA before the age of 10 years, and 14% of the AN and 12% of the comparison cases reported CSA. Infertility and history of CSA may not be overrepresented in a population-based AN sample at long-term follow-up.
Molecular autism, 2015
The purpose of the study was to evaluate time trends and effects of co-existing autism spectrum d... more The purpose of the study was to evaluate time trends and effects of co-existing autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on outcome in an ongoing long-term follow-up study of anorexia nervosa (AN). The Morgan-Russell Outcome Assessment Schedule (MROAS) was used at 6-, 10- and 18-year follow-up of a representative sample of 51 individuals with teenage-onset AN and a matched group of 51 healthy comparison cases. The full multinomial distribution of responses for the full scale and each of the subscales was evaluated using exact nonparametric statistical methods. The impact of diagnostic stability of ASD on outcome in AN was evaluated in a dose-response model. There were no deaths in either group. Food intake and menstrual pattern were initially poor in the AN group but normalised over time. MROAS 'mental state' was much poorer in the AN group and did not improve over time. The psychosexual MROAS domains 'attitudes' and 'aims' showed persistent problems in the AN group. ...
Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society, 2004
To review the association of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in individuals manifesting thalidomid... more To review the association of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in individuals manifesting thalidomide embryopathy and Möbius sequence and compare them with three new studies in which ASD was also associated with ocular and systemic malformations: (1) a Swedish study of individuals with CHARGE association (Coloboma, Heart, choanal Atresia, developmental or growth Retardation, Genital anomaly, and Ear involvement); (2) a Swedish study of Goldenhar syndrome; and (3) Brazilian Möbius syndrome (sequence) study. In the Swedish CHARGE study, 31 patients met the inclusion criteria (3+ or 4 of the common characteristics of the CHARGE syndrome). The same team of investigators also evaluated 20 Swedish patients with Goldenhar syndrome. In the Brazilian Möbius study, 28 children with a diagnosis of Möbius sequence were studied; some children had a history of exposure during their mother's pregnancy to the abortifacient drug misoprostol in an unsuccessful abortion attempt. In the CHARGE study, ...
Develop Med Child Neurol, 2007
Lakartidningen, Oct 1, 1993
J Amer Acad Child Adolesc Psy, 1991
Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often display symptoms from other d... more Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often display symptoms from other diagnostic categories. Studies of clinical and psychosocial outcome in adult patients with ASDs without concomitant intellectual disability are few. The objective of this paper is to describe the clinical psychiatric presentation and important outcome measures of a large group of normalintelligence adult patients with ASDs.
Eur Psychiat, 2010
The prevention of aggressive behaviours is a core priority for psychiatric clinical work, but the... more The prevention of aggressive behaviours is a core priority for psychiatric clinical work, but the association between the diagnostic concepts used in psychiatry and aggression remains largely unknown.We aimed to describe aggression according to the subscales formed in the Life History of Aggression (LHA) in relation to life-time psychiatric diagnoses.178 adults referred for psychiatric evaluations of childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorders (outpatients) and 92 perpetrators of violent crimes referred to pre-trial forensic psychiatric investigations had comprehensive, instrument-based, psychiatric assessments, including the LHA scales. Total and subscale LHA scores were compared to the categorical and dimensional diagnoses of childhood and adult DSM-IV axis I and II mental disorders, general intelligence, GAF, and personality traits according to Cloninger's biopsychosocial model.The two groups had similar LHA scores (despite higher scores on the Antisocial scale in the offender group). Higher total LHA scores were independently associated with the hyperactivity facet of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), childhood conduct disorder, substance-related disorders, and low scores on the Cooperativeness character dimension according to the Temperament and Character Inventory. IQ and GAF-scores were negatively correlated with the LHA subscale Self-directed aggression. Autistic traits were inversely correlated with aggression among outpatients, while the opposite pattern was noted in the forensic group.In these study groups, aggression was predicted by childhood behaviour aberrations, adult substance-related problems, and character immaturity rather than by symptoms associated with the major mental disorders. AD/HD in combined or hyperactive, but not inattentive, forms, was associated with high scores on aggressive behaviours.
The British Journal of Psychiatry the Journal of Mental Science, Feb 1, 2009
Anorexia nervosa is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders found in adolescence. In most ca... more Anorexia nervosa is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders found in adolescence. In most cases the teenager will gradually recover from the illness, but anorexia nervosa is also known for its severe complications, with chronicity and death being the two most feared consequences. In Steinhausen's review of all follow-up studies during the second half of the 20th century, chronicity occurred in one in five of all anorexia nervosa cases. 1 There are only three published studies on anorexia nervosa that report long-term outcome. 2-4 All three are based on severe cases of anorexia nervosa, with a sample of only tertiary referrals and/ or in-patients. The high mortality rates in these studies (17%, 18% and 16% respectively) corresponded in the study by Zipfel et al to a standardised mortality ratio of 9.8. 4 The occurrence of chronic anorexia nervosa in the three studies ranged from 8 to 25%. Researchers have indicated that recovery after 10-12 years is uncommon. 2,5 However, a growing number of follow-up studies have focused on more homogeneous anorexia nervosa samples, i.e. only individuals with teenage-onset anorexia nervosa who seem to have a brighter future. Long-term studies (10 years or more) of adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa tend to report more favourable outcomes compared with other follow-up studies. Since the mid-1980s our group has conducted the only controlled, prospective community-based study of adolescentonset anorexia nervosa. 9 So far we have reported on the anorexia nervosa group and their matched controls on three occasions, at mean ages 16 years, 21 years and 24 years. There has been no attrition. In this paper we report our fourth study, 18 years after anorexia nervosa onset. We predicted a better general outcome and less psychiatric comorbidity compared with other long-term outcome studies based on in-patient data, and also that a comparison of general outcome and psychiatric comorbidity with the control group would reveal continuing difficulties in our community-based anorexia nervosa group in spite of the high rate of recovery from the eating disorder.
This study examined group differences in language and pragmatic functions across sex-, age- and I... more This study examined group differences in language and pragmatic functions across sex-, age- and IQ-matched samples of Asperger syndrome (N = 22), high-functioning autism (N = 11), deficits in attention, motor control and perception (DAMP) (N = 11), and speech and language disorder (SLD) (N = 11) groups. The purpose was to explore possible differentiating features in the fields of vocabulary, comprehension and pragmatics and, in addition, to determine whether Asperger syndrome could be reliably separated from high-functioning autism on these variables. The findings suggest that Asperger syndrome may be associated with higher full-scale and verbal IQ than high-functioning autism; Asperger syndrome may not be associated with better pragmatic skills (as defined in this context) than high-functioning autism; language comprehension may not clearly separate Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism once the effects of very low IQ are partialled out; both DAMP and SLD can be distinctly separated from Asperger syndrome and autism.
Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 2007
Am J Med Genet Part B, 2007
BACKGROUND: Sotos syndrome is an overgrowth syndrome characterized by macrocephaly, advanced bone... more BACKGROUND: Sotos syndrome is an overgrowth syndrome characterized by macrocephaly, advanced bone age, characteristic facial features, and learning disabilities, caused by mutations or deletions of the NSD1 gene, located at 5q35. Sotos syndrome has been described in a number of patients with autism spectrum disorders, suggesting that NSD1 could be involved in other cases of autism and macrocephaly. METHODS: We
Develop Med Child Neurol, 2008
A total population of 589 6-year-old children were screened for neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatr... more A total population of 589 6-year-old children were screened for neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatric disorders by questionnaires to parents and preschool teachers, and by examination of motor abilities at the Child Health Center. Fifty screen-positive and fifty screen-negative children were assigned for complete neuropsychiatric assessment comprising a detailed history, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental assessment, neuropsychological examination and speech/language evaluation. Comprehensive diagnoses were made on the basis of all the available information. In the total population, 63 children (10.7%) with disorders were identified, 10 of whom had a diagnosis established before the study. The prevalence rates for deficits in attention, motor control and perception (DAMP) were 5.3 to 6.9%, for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) they were 2.4 to 4.0% and for mental retardation, 2.5%. Co-morbidity was established for ADHD on the one hand and DAMP, mental retardation and Tourette syndrome on the other. The findings suggest the need for a school entrant screening examination for the types of problems examined in this study.
BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE och CHILDREN'S YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE Namn: Födel... more BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE och CHILDREN'S YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE SCALE Namn: Födelsenummer: Datum: Bedömare:
Behavior Genetics, 2009
Objective: Autism spectrum disorders are considered to be am ong the m ost heritable m ental diso... more Objective: Autism spectrum disorders are considered to be am ong the m ost heritable m ental disorders, a notion based on surprisingly sparse data from sm all clinical studies. Population-based studies of the heritability of other neuropsychiatric disorders and com orbidities am ong them have also been sparse. The authors sought to address both of these issues.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, Jan 28, 2015
Clinical predictors of 2-year outcome in preschoolers with ASD were studied in a population-based... more Clinical predictors of 2-year outcome in preschoolers with ASD were studied in a population-based group of very young children with ASD (n = 208). Children who gained the most (n = 30) and lost the most (n = 23), i.e., increased or decreased their adaptive functioning outcome according to the Vineland Composite Score between study entry (T1) and follow-up (T2), 2 years later were compared. Individual factors that differed significantly between the two outcome groups were cognitive level, age at referral, not passing expected milestones at 18 months, autistic type behavior problems and regression. However, logistic regression analysis showed that only cognitive level at T1 (dichotomized into IQ < 70 and IQ ≥ 70) made a unique statistically significant contribution to outcome prediction (p = <.001) with an odds ratio of 18.01. The findings have significant clinical implications in terms of information at diagnosis regarding clinical prognosis in ASD.
Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), Jan 6, 2015
Several studies have suggested that rare copy number variants (CNVs) are an important genetic con... more Several studies have suggested that rare copy number variants (CNVs) are an important genetic contributor to autism spectrum disorders. The aims of the study were to use chromosomal microarray to investigate the presence of rare copy number variants in a population-based cohort of well-characterised young children with autism spectrum disorders and to relate the genetic results to neurodevelopmental profiles and medical conditions. We performed chromosomal microarray on samples from 162 children who had been referred to the Stockholm Autism Centre for Young Children in Sweden after being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder between 20 and 54 months of age. Pathogenic aberrations were detected in 8.6% of the children and variants of uncertain significance were present in another 8.6%. CNVs were more frequent in children with congenital malformations or dysmorphic features as well as in the subgroup with intellectual disability. Our results support the use of chromosomal microarray...
Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 2014
Research on anorexia nervosa (AN) has emphasized the importance of low absolute body weight, but ... more Research on anorexia nervosa (AN) has emphasized the importance of low absolute body weight, but emerging research suggests the importance of also considering low body weight relative to an individual's highest premorbid weight (weight suppression; WS). We investigated whether body mass index and WS at lowest weight (BMI-LW and WS-LW) among adolescents with AN predicted BMI at 6-, 10-, or 18-year follow-up, duration of AN, or total eating disorder duration, including time during which criteria were met for bulimia nervosa or eating disorder not otherwise specified. Forty-seven cases of AN identified through community screening in Sweden were included. Weight and height data were collected from medical records, school nurse charts, and study follow-up assessments. Higher WS-LW was associated with higher BMI at 6-year and 10-year follow-up, and this effect was strongest among those with the lowest BMI-LW values. BMI-LW and WS-LW were positively associated with BMI at 18-year follo...
The International journal of eating disorders, 2009
To study reproduction in a representative group of anorexia nervosa (AN) cases. Fifty-one adolesc... more To study reproduction in a representative group of anorexia nervosa (AN) cases. Fifty-one adolescent-onset AN cases (48 women; three men), originally recruited after community screening, and 51 matched comparison cases (COMP) were interviewed 18 years after AN onset at a mean age of 32 years, regarding pregnancies and early development of the children. The results of the 48 AN and 48 COMP group women are reported in the present study. Six women still had an eating disorder (ED), none of whom had become a mother. Twenty-seven women in the AN group and 31 women in the COMP group had children. Three women had an ED during pregnancy. Mean age at birth of the first child was lower in the AN group. Five AN women reported postpartum depression. Children in the AN group had significantly lower birth weight than the children in the COMP group. No other complications during pregnancy and the neonatal period differed across groups. Feeding difficulties were not overrepresented among the childr...
The International journal of eating disorders, 2005
We studied fertility and history of child sexual abuse (CSA) in a representative group of anorexi... more We studied fertility and history of child sexual abuse (CSA) in a representative group of anorexia nervosa (AN) cases. Fifty-one adolescent-onset AN cases recruited after community screening and 51 matched comparison cases were interviewed 10 years after reported AN onset, at mean age 24 years, regarding children, miscarriages, and fertility problems. They completed anonymously the Finkelhor self-report questionnaire regarding history of CSA. There were few fertility problems in our AN population. There was a tendency towards more subjects in the AN group to give birth to a child (10 AN and 4 comparison mothers). The prevalence of CSA was equal between groups. For example, 6% in each group had experienced CSA before the age of 10 years, and 14% of the AN and 12% of the comparison cases reported CSA. Infertility and history of CSA may not be overrepresented in a population-based AN sample at long-term follow-up.
Molecular autism, 2015
The purpose of the study was to evaluate time trends and effects of co-existing autism spectrum d... more The purpose of the study was to evaluate time trends and effects of co-existing autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on outcome in an ongoing long-term follow-up study of anorexia nervosa (AN). The Morgan-Russell Outcome Assessment Schedule (MROAS) was used at 6-, 10- and 18-year follow-up of a representative sample of 51 individuals with teenage-onset AN and a matched group of 51 healthy comparison cases. The full multinomial distribution of responses for the full scale and each of the subscales was evaluated using exact nonparametric statistical methods. The impact of diagnostic stability of ASD on outcome in AN was evaluated in a dose-response model. There were no deaths in either group. Food intake and menstrual pattern were initially poor in the AN group but normalised over time. MROAS 'mental state' was much poorer in the AN group and did not improve over time. The psychosexual MROAS domains 'attitudes' and 'aims' showed persistent problems in the AN group. ...
Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society, 2004
To review the association of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in individuals manifesting thalidomid... more To review the association of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in individuals manifesting thalidomide embryopathy and Möbius sequence and compare them with three new studies in which ASD was also associated with ocular and systemic malformations: (1) a Swedish study of individuals with CHARGE association (Coloboma, Heart, choanal Atresia, developmental or growth Retardation, Genital anomaly, and Ear involvement); (2) a Swedish study of Goldenhar syndrome; and (3) Brazilian Möbius syndrome (sequence) study. In the Swedish CHARGE study, 31 patients met the inclusion criteria (3+ or 4 of the common characteristics of the CHARGE syndrome). The same team of investigators also evaluated 20 Swedish patients with Goldenhar syndrome. In the Brazilian Möbius study, 28 children with a diagnosis of Möbius sequence were studied; some children had a history of exposure during their mother's pregnancy to the abortifacient drug misoprostol in an unsuccessful abortion attempt. In the CHARGE study, ...