Student Grant Spotlight: A Med Student Explores Current Tools for Diagnosing Autism
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Marissa Toomey (left), a third-year medical student at Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine, and her mentor Dr. Dana Brazdziunas (right) showcase their autism research at the 2007 Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting held in May 2007 in Toronto. |
Participation in the Special Olympics Health Professions Student Grant Program is often primarily an opportunity for student investigators to learn more about the health concerns of people with intellectual disabilities, and to have a chance to interact directly with this population. A recently completed student grant project out of Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois (USA), however, also has the potential to impact practice in the field.
Marissa Toomey, a third-year medical student at Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine, worked under the mentorship of faculty members Drs. Kim Dell'Angela and Dana Brazdziunas, to assess Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a standardized behavioral rating scale commonly used to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children.
The objective of Ms. Toomey's research was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the CBCL, by comparing the diagnosis made by the tool to the diagnosis resulting from a multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation. Ms. Toomey conducted a retrospective chart review of 206 children between the ages of 18-36 months seen in the Loyola Early Intervention Clinic between July 2004-April 2006. In only 69 percent of cases where children were ultimately determined to have ASD did the CBCL confirm this diagnosis, based on the results of the corresponding CBCL PDD scale score. At the same time, the results of the CBCL PDD scale score did not effectively rule out ASD in 41 percent of cases where the children were ultimately diagnosed with something other than ASD. The study team concluded that the specificity and sensitivity of the CBCL, when used as a quick screening tool to help diagnose children with ASD, is not adequate to support its use in busy pediatric practices as it may miss a substantial number of children with ASD, as well as misdiagnose children with ASD who actually have another condition.
The team suggests that the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (MCHAT) may be a more effective screening tool, as it is designed specifically for the identification of ASD. Ms. Toomey and her faculty advisors are currently developing a manuscript to report their findings and are planning to submit the manuscript for publication.
The Special Olympics Health Professions Student Grant Program provides short (12-month) grants of $3,500 or less to health professions and social science students for research or service projects on issues impacting the health of persons with intellectual disabilities. Students can learn more about the program at: www.specialolympics.org/studentgrants.
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