Impact Factor:1.137 | Ranking:21/36 in Social Sciences, Biomedical | 81/136 in Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | 5-Year Impact Factor:1.396Source:2012 Journal Citation Reports® (Thomson Reuters, 2013)
David C Giles David.Giles{at}winchester.ac.uk University of Winchester, UKThis article considers the fate of Asperger’s disorder in the light of proposals for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) to collapse Asperger’s disorder along with other pervasive developmental disorders into a general spectrum of autism. It is argued that a powerful lay and scientific culture has evolved around the concept of Asperger’s disorder, which has found a particularly compelling voice over the last decade in the online Asperger community, with websites such as Wrong Planet recruiting tens of thousands of members. In order to assess the impact of these proposed changes on the online Asperger community, 19 threads on the topic of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) are analysed according to the arguments that community members put forward in favour of, or in opposition to, the proposals. Many members embrace the notion of the spectrum and have already coined a new identity – ‘spectrumite’ – to adapt to the diagnostic shift. Others, however, are suspicious of the motives behind the absorption of Asperger’s disorder, and potential threats to the provision of services as well as the strong ‘aspie’ identity that reflects the large literature and the online public sphere around Asperger’s disorder. To what extent this culture poses a challenge to the authority of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is uncertain at present. © 2013 SAGE Publications. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC
Showing posts with label Diagnosis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diagnosis. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Diagnostic vertigo: The journey to diagnosis in systemic lupus erythematosus
Impact Factor:1.137 | Ranking:21/36 in Social Sciences, Biomedical | 81/136 in Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | 5-Year Impact Factor:1.396Source:2012 Journal Citation Reports® (Thomson Reuters, 2013)
Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) is a complex condition characterised by wide ranging symptoms that are sometimes transient in nature. This makes recognising and diagnosing lupus particularly challenging for both patients and practitioners. The diagnostic process in this condition is a complex interplay between the boundaries of knowledge and power, control, integrity and legitimacy, which are (re)constructed and (re)negotiated between contemporary medicine, the patient and practitioner. Utilising data generated through a qualitative research design, this article illustrates some of the challenges lupus presents in the clinical encounter. We argue that the diagnosis of lupus is not a clinical event or a ‘diagnostic moment’. Rather, it constitutes a journey in and of itself, one which, for many of the respondents in this study, has no diagnostically satisfying conclusion. We conclude that uncertain diagnoses, such as lupus, illustrate the extent of both embodied and clinical doubt in, what might be termed, contemporary conditions and, concomitantly, throw into sharp relief the nature of the diagnostic process. This process, in the context of lupus, and other uncertain conditions, generates, we would argue, a sense of diagnostic vertigo. © 2013 SAGE Publications. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC
Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) is a complex condition characterised by wide ranging symptoms that are sometimes transient in nature. This makes recognising and diagnosing lupus particularly challenging for both patients and practitioners. The diagnostic process in this condition is a complex interplay between the boundaries of knowledge and power, control, integrity and legitimacy, which are (re)constructed and (re)negotiated between contemporary medicine, the patient and practitioner. Utilising data generated through a qualitative research design, this article illustrates some of the challenges lupus presents in the clinical encounter. We argue that the diagnosis of lupus is not a clinical event or a ‘diagnostic moment’. Rather, it constitutes a journey in and of itself, one which, for many of the respondents in this study, has no diagnostically satisfying conclusion. We conclude that uncertain diagnoses, such as lupus, illustrate the extent of both embodied and clinical doubt in, what might be termed, contemporary conditions and, concomitantly, throw into sharp relief the nature of the diagnostic process. This process, in the context of lupus, and other uncertain conditions, generates, we would argue, a sense of diagnostic vertigo. © 2013 SAGE Publications. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Early Diagnosis Consortium
Cancer Research UK and our commercial arm, Cancer Research Technology (CRT), have joined forces with Abcodia, the biomarker validation company with a focus on cancer screening, to develop new blood tests to detect a range of cancers when they are still at a very early stage.
The Early Diagnosis Consortium (EDC) aims to discover and validate blood-based biomarkers that may be used in cancer screening. Abcodia, through its exclusive commercial license, will provide access to longitudinal serum samples from the UKCTOCS biobank created by researchers at University College London. The programme aims to use best in class technology and engage with some of the world's leading researchers and clinicians.
Survival rates in breast, colorectal and cervical cancers have improved due to earlier diagnosis and better treatments. However there are still many other cancers that still have low survival rates.
Finding cancer before it has metastasized often means that there are more options for treatment and cancer screening is aimed at testing before there are any symptoms. A cancer screening blood test is relatively inexpensive, would be widely available and compliance rates would be improved.
This project aims to discover, verify and validate potential serum screening biomarkers, biomarker panels or statistical algorithms for common cancers that can be used for screening people either at high risk of cancer or the population in general.
Cancers with a high degree of unmet clinical need, for example lung cancer, are likely to be selected.
Once these validated biomarkers are identified the aim is to further test them in prospective studies and make them available for use in the UK and around the world.
This project is expected to have three main phases - discovery, verification and validation. Prior to commencing the discovery phase, the partnership will conduct a pilot.
The pilot aims to
Determine which cancers will be the focus of the collaborationIdentify the most appropriate technology suited to testing serum biomarkersAssessing and selecting technology partnersPhase 1 is the discovery phase that aims to establish the best biomarker for the screening of each cancer. We will select cohorts of longitudinal pre-diagnosis samples for each cancer type selected together with the appropriate numbers of controls. The sample set for each cancer will be tested on each technology platform including
microRNAProteomicsDNA methylationTumour auto-antibodiesOther technologies such as glycans, exosomes etc.The EDC is currently inviting expressions of interest from potential technology partners, please visit the website for more information.
At the end of phase 1, Cancer Research UK along with Abcodia and CRT will jointly select the most promising markers and technology to take forward to the verification phase.
Phase 2 will verify the new biomarkers in terms of their sensitivity and conduct specificity studies. At the end of the phase we will be seeking commercialisation partners who have the ability to develop production ready assays and validating these assays in defined sample sets to ensure reproducibility.
The phase 3 validation study is focussed on confirmation of the biomarker performance using the production ready assays and creating data packs in support of CE marking and other regulatory approvals.
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