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Biomedical subjects

D Sauvage

Publications and source records attributed to D Sauvage.

69 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Neurological aspects of infantile autism].

Childhood autism is not usually considered as a neurological disease although frequent antecedents of ante, peri and postnatal injuries are found in its antecedents. Several symptoms of autism particularly in the early development, resemble the signs observed in frontal, temporal, striatal and brainstem dysfunctioning. These cerebral structures are connected with the central dopaminergic system which may be disturbed in autistic children. Such hypotheses suggest the necessary elaboration of an infant and child "behavioral neurology".

Animals↗
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[Disturbances in dopamine metabolism in autistic children: results of clinical tests and urinary dosages of homovanilic acid (HVA)].

We have studied disturbances in dopamine metabolism by assaying HVA in urines of 44 autistic children. First a clinical study identifies the main clinical symptoms. This allows to differentiate between "pure" autistic children and autistic children with associated signs. Urinary HVA was significantly higher in autistic children and there was a relationship between severity of autism and HVA levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The placement of young children on medical advice. Psychological and social aspects (author's transl)].

The various aspects of the placement of young children on medical indications are considered on the basis of a pediatric and psychiatric study carried out in the Indre et Loire French department. The aim of the study is not to criticize the personnel in charge of the placements or the quality of the institutions, but to show how a generally satisfactory practice may also entail unrecognized risks. At present, placements solely for medical indications are unusual, and the reasons for such placements are largely psychological and/or social. Supervision of placement decision should be entrusted to competent services, and all decisions should be taken according to the best interest of the children.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Natural history of infantile autism (nosography)].

Natural history of infantile autism goes from its first description to current classifications. Most authors agree upon the perfect character of Kanner's description in 1943. But its situation in the nosography has much developed. The parution of 4th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM IV) bring us to analyse this evolution and the place of autistic disorders in the pervasive developmental disorders, with this of associated pathologies. The comparison of current classifications (DSM IV, ICD 10, CFTMEA) allows us to do correspondence between each diagnostic category in psychosis or developmental disorders of these classifications. It exists a real concordance between DSM IV and ICD 10. The french classification of child and adolescent mental disorders (CFTMEA) proposes original categories.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Rett syndrome and autism. Early comparative evaluation for signs of autism using family movies].

Rett's syndrome progresses in 4 stages: the first signs of the disorder appear after a period of 6 to 7 months, during which development is considered to be normal. This asymptomatic period is apparently an essential criterion of the diagnosis, but some parents have reported some prodromes. In stage II of the disease (before 3 years), signs common with autism dominate the clinical picture and the diagnosis of the latter was often formulated. Our working hypothesis is that the pedopsychiatric analysis of home movies of young girls with Rett's syndrome, taken by the parents before the age of 2, may be able to show early clinical signs. The present study involved examining home movies of children subsequently diagnosed as having Rett's syndrome (n = 9) in comparison to those of autistic (n = 9) and normal (n = 9) children, using semiological evaluation tools (IBSE, BFE). The persons scoring were not advised of the diagnosis. The observations were thus situated before the disorders and/or at the time of their appearance. The study confirms the asymptomatic interval between birth and the first signs of the disease, it defines the mode of onset and shows the disturbance of certain functions such as intent and imitation, more pronounced in Rett's syndrome children between 12 and 18 months. At this age, it also enables Rett's and autistic children to be differentiated on the basis of the different involvement of the "cognition" function and unusual posture, more pronounced in these girls. It does not, however, differentiate Rett's from autism between 6 and 12 months and it is thus not surprising that at this stage the diagnosis of rett's syndrome or autism may be a source of confusion.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Further clinical evaluations elicited by functional biological investigations in childhood autism].

As childhood autism is usually considered as a developmental disorder, complete assessment of each patient requires non only clinical examination but various biological investigations: EEG and evoked potentials recordings, biochemical dosages and sometimes, cerebral blood flow measures, molecular biologic explorations.... These investigations help to understand neurophysiological dysfunctionings which underly different autistic syndromes. It therefore seems necessary to develop quantified clinical tools which could allow closer matching between clinical evaluations and biological numerical data. These complementary evaluations must be both simple and quick to perform in medical practice, as they are added to an already heavy clinical examination. The main tools used in our bioclinical Department are described here. For each child, psychiatric, pediatric and neurological examination was performed. Different scales were progressively elaborated and validated to complete and precise behavioral parameters. Attention and perception were evaluated by a Behavior Summarized Evaluation (BSE) scale, association and imitation by appropriate scales, language by the Pre-Verbal Behavior Summarized Evaluation (PV-BSE) scale, early symptoms by the Infant Behavior Summarized Evaluation (t-BSE) scale. The main neurophysiological dysfunctionings were grouped in a Behavioral Functional Inventory (BFI). Clinical genetic data were scored in a summarized assessment carrying both on the antecedents and on the somatic abnormalities. The completed clinical data were gathered in a Quantified Multidimensional Assessment (QMA), with four axes: socialization, communication, cognition and neurological observation. These clinical evaluations provide behavioral details that can be integrated into a bioclinical database and give an objective approach to the heterogeneity of autism. They invite both clinicians and biologists to deepen the description of individual profiles which allow better understanding of physiopathological mechanisms in autistic children.

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