Background: Multiple complex developmental disorder (MCDD) manifests as early-onset impairment across different domains. Although it could appear as a transitional condition between autism and childhood-onset schizophrenia, interest in MCDD has progressively waned. This study attempts to discern MCDD current relevance to avoid “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” too fast. Methods: All available studies published up to January 2024 were retrieved and evaluated following on the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews using the term “multiple complex developmental disorder” or “MCDD”, without any filter for study design nor year of publication. Results: Only 16 studies were included and analyzed. Overall, a variable heterogeneity was observed in terms of country of investigation, study design, and clinical groups. Most of the included studies explored the construct of MCDD in developmental age, comparing MCDD mostly with autistic patients, and observing how the former group had higher levels of paranoia, illusions, and psychotic thoughts, whereas the latter showed more frequently difficulties in social interactions and stereotypical behaviors. Conclusion: Overall, these results showed how progressive changes in diagnostic criteria over time led MCDD to be abandoned as nosographic construct, leaving perhaps a diagnostic void between autism and psychotic disorders that needs to be further studied. A systematic review on the Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder (MCDD): a forgotten diagnosis between autism and schizophrenia.

Multiple complex developmental disorder (MCDD): Did we throw the baby out with the bathwater too fast? A systematic review / Zaccaria, V.; Ardizzone, I.; Pisani, F.; Raballo, A.; Poletti, M.. - In: CLINICAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY. - ISSN 1359-1045. - (2024), pp. 1-15. [10.1177/13591045241285486]

Multiple complex developmental disorder (MCDD): Did we throw the baby out with the bathwater too fast? A systematic review

Zaccaria V.
Primo
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;
Pisani F.
Supervision
;
2024

Abstract

Background: Multiple complex developmental disorder (MCDD) manifests as early-onset impairment across different domains. Although it could appear as a transitional condition between autism and childhood-onset schizophrenia, interest in MCDD has progressively waned. This study attempts to discern MCDD current relevance to avoid “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” too fast. Methods: All available studies published up to January 2024 were retrieved and evaluated following on the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews using the term “multiple complex developmental disorder” or “MCDD”, without any filter for study design nor year of publication. Results: Only 16 studies were included and analyzed. Overall, a variable heterogeneity was observed in terms of country of investigation, study design, and clinical groups. Most of the included studies explored the construct of MCDD in developmental age, comparing MCDD mostly with autistic patients, and observing how the former group had higher levels of paranoia, illusions, and psychotic thoughts, whereas the latter showed more frequently difficulties in social interactions and stereotypical behaviors. Conclusion: Overall, these results showed how progressive changes in diagnostic criteria over time led MCDD to be abandoned as nosographic construct, leaving perhaps a diagnostic void between autism and psychotic disorders that needs to be further studied. A systematic review on the Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder (MCDD): a forgotten diagnosis between autism and schizophrenia.
2024
autism; Multiple complex developmental disorder; systematic review; thought disorder
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01g Articolo di rassegna (Review)
Multiple complex developmental disorder (MCDD): Did we throw the baby out with the bathwater too fast? A systematic review / Zaccaria, V.; Ardizzone, I.; Pisani, F.; Raballo, A.; Poletti, M.. - In: CLINICAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY. - ISSN 1359-1045. - (2024), pp. 1-15. [10.1177/13591045241285486]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1724680
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