Should Epilepsy / Brain Injury be addressed in DSM-V?

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Should Epilepsy / Brain Injury - TBI/ABI/Sports concussions be addressed in the upcoming
DSM-V somehow?

As some know, there is a DSM-V scheduled for 2013 with a current period right
now (2010) where public comments are formally being requested for.

At the moment, there are literally 1,000s of articles on Google news about the
topic of DSM-V.

http://www.news.google.com/

http://www.google.com/

. . .

Home | APA DSM-5
APA Announces Draft Diagnostic Criteria for DSM-5 · DSM-5 Development Process
Includes Emphasis on Gender and Cultural Sensitivity ...
http://www.dsm5.org/ - Cached

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If you were to have the topic of Epilepsy / Brain Injuries / Sports concussions / TBI / ABI addressed (accurately,
correctly)
somehow in the upcoming DSM-V, what would it say?

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By the way, my personal feeling is that there is large gap between Neurology
(the many Epilepsies, for example) and Psychiatry (the ADHDs, dyslexias,
learning disabilities, Asperger's, autism, and so on, for example).

This gap is difficult to understand since both Neurology and Psychiatry say they
look at the human brain.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/tbi.htm

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy/epilepsy.htm

http://my.epilepsy.com/

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/adhd/adhd.htm

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/disorder_index.htm

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http://www.biausa.org/
http://www.headinjury.com/
http://www.givebackorlando.com/
http://www.tbihome.org/

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Apparently the gap is based on a Business Turf War between Neurology and
Psychiatry where too often certain groups want to draw a line in the sand where
one Professional Guild gets all the customers' money, not another Professional
Guild. (Simplified/oversimplified)

Sorry if my view offends some readers.

Also, personally I lean toward Neurology as often being a little more objective
than Psychiatry since Psychiatry tends, at times (my view), to try to convert a
neurological challenge into some sort of muddy, foggy, unclear personality trait
along the lines of: a neurologist would say the moon is definitely made of
rocks vs psychiatry would say the moon is definitely made of cheese.

Again, sorry if my view offends some readers.

http://www.neurologychannel.com/

Your experiences?

Your insights?

Your views?

Comments

Re: Should Epilepsy / Brain Injury be addressed in DSM-V?

Submitted by pgd on Tue, 2010-02-23 - 15:43

sally - Agree 100% with you: epilepsy is neurological, not something else. Agree with what you posted above. The idea of an addendum in the DSM to cover the appropriate ICD-10 code is a great idea. It's really time for the Neurologists (ICD) and Psychiatrists (ICD) to clarify what they do and provide services for. What is kind of surprising to me is how silent Neurology is about the whole topic of the new (2013) DSM vs Neurology clearly saying that perhaps Psychiatry - here and there - may be already misclassifying some neurological challenges but apparently there is a kind of white coat rule of silence: do not question anything any medical guild on planet earth says even if it may be in error. In the world of white coats, it's good manners above actual facts: the customers be damned - business as usual/public relations campaigns above all. Sorry if my view offends some readers. - pgd

Re: Should Epilepsy / Brain Injury be addressed in DSM-V?

Submitted by kay69 on Sun, 2010-02-21 - 23:34

No- epilepsy/HI/neuro conditions in general are NOT mental disorders, and nor are at least 1/2 the entries in DSM-4. A lot of media reports about the latest edition mention the glaringly obvious that in each new edition the amount of "disorders" substationally increase. Many article refer to the influence of the drug companies over the American Psychiatric Association which is highly believeable. if you have a disorder, therefore a drug is necessary and Big Pharma make even more on their already obscene profits.

The only DSM criteria that could possibly apply to neuro conditions is the "mental symptoms due to medical condition/medications" (something like that, haven't looked it up for a while). Given the psychiatric complications of ep and side effects of AEDs that's an established fact, but it is not a psych disorder, ie take away the ep and the meds and there isn't a problem.

Plus, the second one gets given a DSM "label" (I refuse to say "diagnosis"), the effect that has on everything from insurance to the way one is treated by the medical profession becomes a nightmare.

And it does nothing to dispel the long-held myth of epilepsy being a mental illness that a lot of people still believe.

No- epilepsy/HI/neuro conditions in general are NOT mental disorders, and nor are at least 1/2 the entries in DSM-4. A lot of media reports about the latest edition mention the glaringly obvious that in each new edition the amount of "disorders" substationally increase. Many article refer to the influence of the drug companies over the American Psychiatric Association which is highly believeable. if you have a disorder, therefore a drug is necessary and Big Pharma make even more on their already obscene profits.

The only DSM criteria that could possibly apply to neuro conditions is the "mental symptoms due to medical condition/medications" (something like that, haven't looked it up for a while). Given the psychiatric complications of ep and side effects of AEDs that's an established fact, but it is not a psych disorder, ie take away the ep and the meds and there isn't a problem.

Plus, the second one gets given a DSM "label" (I refuse to say "diagnosis"), the effect that has on everything from insurance to the way one is treated by the medical profession becomes a nightmare.

And it does nothing to dispel the long-held myth of epilepsy being a mental illness that a lot of people still believe.

Re: Should Epilepsy / Brain Injury be addressed in DSM-V?

Submitted by pgd on Tue, 2010-02-23 - 15:29

kay69 - Agree 100% with you: epilepsy is a neurological challenge, not something else. The current (2010) DSM has already tried to include/has included children and adults with neurological conditions such as Dyslexia, ADHD Inattentive, ~ Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), and Learning Disabilities / Learning Disorders. There is even a movement to add Sensory Processing challenges to the new (2013) DSM. - http://www.spdfoundation.net/ - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/ (Paying Attention, Reading, Writing, Math) - There are cases where a brain injury/a head injury/a sports concussion has led to a diagnosis of acquired ADHD, acquired Dyslexia, and so on. So the area between brain injuries / sports concussions / seizures due to auto accidents and so on and the two standard references: the ICD-10 and the DSM is no longer separate at all. My current view is that epilepsy / brain injuries / sports concussions should be mentioned in the DSM clearly and addressed straightforwardly. If the DSM does not want to include them in the DSM, they should exclude them and say why. Also, the DSM should give the exact resources which cover epilepsy, brain injuries, concussions in the ICD-10 to try to reduce the confusion as to what the two competing business medical guilds - Neurology vs Psychiatry - actually cover. Some doctors have said that 25% - 33% of those with epilepsy display ADHD symptoms and that 40% of those with Tourette's display ADHD symptoms. If that's the actual situation, then it would seem to me the new (2013) DSM should confirm or deny those numbers and clarify the whole areas possible Venn diagram overlap here and there. Is the DSM already a kind of Pandora's Box/a can of worms regarding the idea of misunderstood minds (- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/ - as presented by PBS). Yes. One only has to look at the many posts at epilepsy boards to see that ADHD is frequently a part of some epilepsy discussions. Some parents find their children being given a double diagnosis of epilepsy and ADHD together. That's what's actually going on today (2010) all across America. - pgd

kay69 - Agree 100% with you:  epilepsy is a neurological challenge, not something else.  The current (2010) DSM has already tried to include/has included children and adults with neurological conditions such as Dyslexia, ADHD Inattentive, ~ Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), and Learning Disabilities / Learning Disorders.  There is even a movement to add Sensory Processing challenges to the new (2013) DSM. - <a href="http://www.spdfoundation.net/">http://www.spdfoundation.net/</a> - <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/</a> (Paying Attention, Reading, Writing, Math) - There are cases where a brain injury/a head injury/a sports concussion has led to a diagnosis of acquired ADHD, acquired Dyslexia, and so on.  So the area between brain injuries / sports concussions / seizures due to auto accidents and so on and the two standard references:  the ICD-10 and the DSM is no longer separate at all.  My current view is that epilepsy / brain injuries / sports concussions should be mentioned in the DSM clearly and addressed straightforwardly.  If the DSM does not want to include them in the DSM, they should exclude them and say why.  Also, the DSM should give the exact resources which cover epilepsy, brain injuries, concussions in the ICD-10 to try to reduce the confusion as to what the two competing business medical guilds - Neurology vs Psychiatry - actually cover.  Some doctors have said that 25% - 33% of those with epilepsy display ADHD symptoms and that 40% of those with Tourette's display ADHD symptoms.  If that's the actual situation, then it would seem to me the new (2013) DSM should confirm or deny those numbers and clarify the whole areas possible Venn diagram overlap here and there.  Is the DSM already a kind of Pandora's Box/a can of worms regarding the idea of misunderstood minds (- <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/</a> - as presented by PBS).  Yes.  One only has to look at the many posts at epilepsy boards to see that ADHD is frequently a part of some epilepsy discussions.  Some parents find their children being given a double diagnosis of epilepsy and ADHD together.  That's what's actually going on today (2010) all across America. - pgd

kay69 - Agree 100% with you: epilepsy is a neurological challenge, not something else. The current (2010) DSM has already tried to include/has included children and adults with neurological conditions such as Dyslexia, ADHD Inattentive, ~ Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), and Learning Disabilities / Learning Disorders. There is even a movement to add Sensory Processing challenges to the new (2013) DSM. - http://www.spdfoundation.net/ - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/ (Paying Attention, Reading, Writing, Math) - There are cases where a brain injury/a head injury/a sports concussion has led to a diagnosis of acquired ADHD, acquired Dyslexia, and so on. So the area between brain injuries / sports concussions / seizures due to auto accidents and so on and the two standard references: the ICD-10 and the DSM is no longer separate at all. My current view is that epilepsy / brain injuries / sports concussions should be mentioned in the DSM clearly and addressed straightforwardly. If the DSM does not want to include them in the DSM, they should exclude them and say why. Also, the DSM should give the exact resources which cover epilepsy, brain injuries, concussions in the ICD-10 to try to reduce the confusion as to what the two competing business medical guilds - Neurology vs Psychiatry - actually cover. Some doctors have said that 25% - 33% of those with epilepsy display ADHD symptoms and that 40% of those with Tourette's display ADHD symptoms. If that's the actual situation, then it would seem to me the new (2013) DSM should confirm or deny those numbers and clarify the whole areas possible Venn diagram overlap here and there. Is the DSM already a kind of Pandora's Box/a can of worms regarding the idea of misunderstood minds (- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/ - as presented by PBS). Yes. One only has to look at the many posts at epilepsy boards to see that ADHD is frequently a part of some epilepsy discussions. Some parents find their children being given a double diagnosis of epilepsy and ADHD together. That's what's actually going on today (2010) all across America. - pgd

Should Epilepsy / Brain Injury be addressed in DSM-V?

Comments

Re: Should Epilepsy / Brain Injury be addressed in DSM-V?

Submitted by pgd on Tue, 2010-02-23 - 15:43

Re: Should Epilepsy / Brain Injury be addressed in DSM-V?

Submitted by kay69 on Sun, 2010-02-21 - 23:34

Re: Should Epilepsy / Brain Injury be addressed in DSM-V?

Submitted by pgd on Tue, 2010-02-23 - 15:29

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