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Christopher Gillberg, born 1950, is professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Gothenburg University in Gothenburg, Sweden, and at the medical college St George's, University of London, in Tooting (in south London).

Gillberg is known for his research of autism in children, DAMP, Asperger syndrome and ADHD. He was the founding editor of the journal European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and author and editor of several scientific and educational books. He is the recipient of several scientific awards, including the Philips Nordic Prize 2004 for neurological research, and he has more than 300 scientific papers listed in Medline.

In 2003, Gillberg was accused of having committed scientific fraud for much of his career. As of early 2006, the investigation into fraud was still ongoing. Gillberg has fought the investigation and this has led to his criminal conviction (in Sweden) for misuse of office and contempt of court.

Gillberg's Criteria for Asperger's Disorder

Gillberg's criteria are as follows (all six criteria must be met for confirmation of diagnosis) (Gillberg and Gillberg 1989) (Attwood 195-196)

1. Severe impairment in reciprocal social interaction (at least two of the following)
   1. inability to interact with peers
   2. lack of desire to interact with peers
   3. lack of appreciation of social cues
   4. socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior
2. All-absorbing narrow interest (at least one of the following)
   1. exclusion of other activities
   2. repetitive adherence
   3. more rote than meaning
3. Imposition of routines and interests (at least one of the following)
   1. on self, in aspects of life
   2. on others
4. Speech and language problems (at least three of the following)
   1. delayed development
   2. superficially perfect expressive language
   3. formal, pedantic language
   4. odd prosody, peculiar voice characteristics
   5. impairment of comprehension including misinterpretations of literal/implied meanings
5. Non-verbal communication problems (at least one of the following)
   1. limited use of gestures
   2. clumsy/gauche body language
   3. limited facial expression
   4. inappropriate expression
   5. peculiar, stiff gaze
6. Motor clumsiness: poor performance on neurodevelopmental examination

(Note that these criteria are somewhat different than those given in DSM-IV-TR.)

DAMP, MBD, and ADHD

In the 1980s, Gillberg launched the concept DAMP (Deficits in Attention, Motor control and Perception), which had a major impact on the field in Sweden as well as other parts of the Western world. In Sweden, the concept DAMP replaced the older diagnosis MBD (Minimal Brain Dysfunction). According to the Swedish classification, DAMP is a subgroup of ADHD. Gillberg and his coworkers assumed that the symptoms had at least partly biological causes.

Criticism and controversy

Gillberg's research shows that roughly ten percent of all children have either DAMP, or other neurological problems. His results regarding DAMP have been criticised by the sociologist Eva Kärfve at the University of Lund, and the pediatrician Leif Elinder. They accused Gillberg of forging his data. Gothenburg University performed an internal investigation, dismissing the accusations. Kärfve and Elinder (as private persons) then demanded access to the research material behind the so-called Gothenburg study about DAMP, but the university denied them this. They then took the matter to court, where it was decided that the two critics would be allowed to access some of the research material, although the material on patients falls under privacy restrictions.

In May 2004, three of Gillberg's coworkers destroyed the 12–27 years old research material, claiming that the privacy of the participating patients would have been violated had it been handed to Kärfve and Elinder. In June 2005, Gillberg and the rector of Gothenburg University were convicted for not handing the material over to Kärfve and Elinder.

Bibliography

• A Guide to Asperger Syndrome, Cambridge University Press, 2002 (author).
• Clinical Child Neuropsychiatry, Cambridge University Press, 1995 (author).

References

White C. (2005), "Swedish court rules against doctor at centre of row over destroyed research data", British Medical Journal, 331: 180.

External links

• LUA Brief information about Gillberg's research
• Philips Prize - Information about the Philips Prize
• European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (journal)
• Discussion about Gillberg fraud allegation - British Medical Journal (2004)

• 1950 births
• Academics of St George's, University of London
• Autism
• Living people
• Scientific misconduct
• Swedish psychiatrists
• Swedish physicians