Brain abnormality

[hsmum]

Hi,

 

 

My son has been experiencing some 'absences' and trembling. We were pretty convinced that these were caused by anxiety, but to make sure, we requested a scan and an MRI. The results of both the tests showed no abnormalities and we were quite relieved. However, recently my son attended a paediatrician's appointment with a mental health worker from the CAMHS unit where he is staying as an inpatient. The doctor discussed the MRI scan at the appointment and said that images from my son's MRI showed he had no structural abnormalities that are commonly associated with autism.

 

The MH worker related this information and although I am pleased that my son's brain is 'normal', I am a little concerned that the observation has cast a little doubt about my son's diagnosis amongst staff at his CAMHS unit. There is nothing specific but I detect a slight shift in attitude and a certain lack of tolerance towards my son when I visit.

 

 

I had assumed that findings from studies in brain physiology were interesting, but not definitive and that autism (in all its variants) was diagnosed largely through behavioural and developmental phenomena. The research that I have read focused on small samples and/or post-mortem data and although there are exciting leads, no singular causative agent has been identified for autism.

 

I may, of course, be wrong and medical science could have discovered an anatomically 'typically autistic' brain; however surely such a breakthrough would be headline news!

 

So, why did the doctor make such a remark and why have staff interpreted this as implying my son has been misdiagnosed?

 

I would appreciate any information that could help me to develop a rational argument to counter, what I consider to be, an ill timed and slightly inaccurate observation made by my son's doctor.

 

 

Thansk

[hsmum]

Apologies for any typos and spelling errors. I am typing on the train.

[trekster]

According to nas autism is diagnosed on a combination of mri and behavioural observations. So as he has autistic behaviours they can't really be denied.

[oxgirl]

Hi hsmum, I can understand your concern and confusion about this. It could just be that you are feeling anxious and sensitive and that your feeling that the staff are reacting negatively to the results are not correct. Have they given you any reason to think they are sceptical about the dx now, or do you think you could just be imagining that this is what they are thinking? I know myself that I would feel the same as you, but I can also worry that people are thinking something when really they are not, so try to be rational about this or else you could discuss it with them upfront to see what they are thinking.

 

On the subject of MRI, my son used to suffer terrible migraines and he had an MRI scan. When we discussed the results with the consultant he said that there were some abnormalities in the brain but these were not due to epilepsy (which is what they were looking for) but due to his autism and I was very surprised by this, as I had not expected there to be any 'physical' signs. I must admit, that I did feel 'relieved', if this is the right term, because I had felt there might be some doubt about the dx and I felt the MRI confirmed it. So, I can understand that you would be feeling the opposite, but it could be that not ALL people with a dx of autism show these abnormal brains, just that they are present in some. You could write to the consultant to ask him to explain his comment and tell you if he feels the dx is in doubt and he might put your mind at rest about it by confirming that the MRI is not definitive.

 

~ Mel ~

[hsmum]

Hi,

 

Thank you for your replies. I think I will write to the consultant, just to put my mind at ease. I was just not aware that structural abnormalities of the brain had become almost a diagnostic feature of autism.

 

I may well be imagining the staff reactions. An explanation from the doctor may make me feel more secure.