Seizures in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (CME track/practitioner registrants only)

Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined disorder, research shows that ASD is associated with neurological, genetic, gastrointestinal, and other medical abnormalities. In this presentation, Suzanne Goh, MD, will discuss the most prevalent neurological abnormality affecting children with ASD -- seizures. The following subtopics will be covered: prevalence, etiology, subclinical electrical discharges, pathophysiological processes, EEG assessment, systematic workup, current research, and future research directions.

Learning objectives:

1)     

The student will recall the difference in seizure incidence between the ASD population and the general population.

2)     

The attendee will recognize laboratory and other diagnostic testing that are appropriate based on a systematic workup and an evidence-based approach.

3)     

The learner will discuss the pathophysiological processes related to seizures in the ASD population.

    

Suzanne Goh, MD

Dr. Suzanne Goh is a board-certified pediatric behavioral neurologist, a neuroscience researcher, and author. She has dedicated her career to researching and developing therapies for neurological conditions that impact childhood brain development. Specializing in the treatment of autism, she is the co-founder and chief medical officer of Cortica in San Diego, CA.

Dr. Goh holds a BA from Harvard University, summa cum laude. She went on to attend Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. She graduated from Harvard Medical School, cum laude. Dr. Goh completed her pediatrics internship at Massachusetts General Hospital and her pediatric neurology residency at University of California San Francisco.

Dr. Goh completed a postdoctoral autism research fellowship in the Pediatric Brain Imaging Laboratory at Columbia University. She went on to serve as a member of the faculty at Columbia University as Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, with joint appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Goh’s research has focused on mitochondrial and other metabolic features in autism. Through brain imaging studies (magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy), she has identified unique aspects of neural circuitry and brain chemistry in autism. Her research has led to publications in leading neuroscience journals, including Neurology, Annals of Neurology, Pediatric Neurology, & Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.

‍At Columbia, Dr. Goh served as co-director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Clinic for Autism and Related Disorders where she led a multi-disciplinary team of physicians and psychologists specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of autism.