ABSTRACT
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder that affects about 1 out of every 54 youth and is characterized by impairments in social communication and functioning. ASD is a treatable condition though, and early initiation of interventions in the home and community can lead to improved long-term outcomes. Despite the clear benefits of early diagnosis and intervention, many youth, particularly from impoverished and minoritized populations, face tremendous barriers to accessing a timely formal diagnosis and critical early supports. Many of these barriers are inherent features of a fragmented health care system that even the most resourced of families struggle to navigate. Informed by the principles of coproduction of health care, value-based care design, and health equity, we present a quality improvement initiative to defragment the experience of care for underserved families seeking a timely formal diagnosis of ASD in a safety-net community-based health system. Over the course of 2.5 years, we were able to partner with families to create clinical workflows that cut in half the duration of time from first developmental concern to ASD diagnosis, and lowered the median age of ASD diagnosis in our health system by more than 3 years. We share our process and lessons learned in the hopes of helping other health systems pursuing similar goals for patient- and family-centered care design.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder , Adolescent , Autism Spectrum Disorder/diagnosis , Autism Spectrum Disorder/therapy , Child, Preschool , Cognition , Early Diagnosis , HumansABSTRACT
The relationship of cortical structure and specific neuronal circuitry to global brain function, particularly its perturbations related to the development and progression of neuropathology, is an area of great interest in neurobehavioral science. Disruption of these neural networks can be associated with a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Herein we review activity of the Default Mode Network (DMN) in neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy (Temporal Lobe Epilepsy - TLE), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and mood disorders. We discuss the implications of DMN disruptions and their relationship to the neurocognitive model of each disease entity, the utility of DMN assessment in clinical evaluation, and the changes of the DMN following treatment.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/metabolism , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/metabolism , Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/metabolism , Mood Disorders/metabolism , Alzheimer Disease/physiopathology , Animals , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/physiopathology , Brain Mapping , Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Mood Disorders/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Synthetic cannabinoids- (SCs-) induced psychosis is a growing public health concern. It leads to significant impairment, including emotional distress, difficulty communicating, and other debilitating symptoms. In this case report, we discuss a patient with no previous history of psychotic symptoms, presenting with first-episode psychosis in the context of progressive, acutely worsening, disorganized, psychotic thoughts and behaviors following prolonged use of SCs. We also discuss relevant literature on SCs-induced psychosis, highlighting its prevalence, presentation, diagnosis, and recommended management. It is important to diagnose and treat SCs-induced psychosis as early and efficiently as possible, in order to alleviate symptoms while limiting functional impairment and emotional distress to the patient.
