scholarly journals Examining the association between childhood autistic traits and adolescent hypomania: a longitudinal twin study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Mark J. Taylor ◽  
Angelica Ronald ◽  
Joanna Martin ◽  
Sebastian Lundström ◽  
Georgina M. Hosang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autistic Trait ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
Longitudinal Twin Study

Abstract Background There is evidence that autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) co-occur with bipolar disorder (BD) relatively frequently. Individuals with BD often report symptoms of mania and hypomania during adolescence, prior to the age of onset for BD. It is unknown whether these symptoms are associated with ASDs. We examined whether diagnoses of ASDs and autistic traits were associated with hypomania in a large, population-based Swedish twin sample. Methods Parental structured interviews assessed autistic traits, and were used to assign screening diagnoses of ASDs, when twins were aged 9 or 12 (N = 13 533 pairs). Parents then completed questionnaires assessing hypomania when the twins were aged 15 and 18 (N = 3852 pairs at age 15, and 3013 pairs at age 18). After investigating the phenotypic associations between these measures, we used the classical twin design to test whether genetic and environmental influences on autistic traits influence variation in adolescent hypomania. Results Autistic traits and ASD diagnoses in childhood were associated with elevated scores on the measures of adolescent hypomania. Twin analyses indicated that 6–9% of the variance in hypomania was explained by genetic influences that were shared with autistic traits in childhood. When repeating these analyses for specific autistic trait domains, we found a stronger association between social interaction difficulties and hypomania than for other autistic trait domains. Conclusions These results indicate a genetic link between autistic traits and hypomania in adolescence. This adds to the growing evidence base of genetic factors associated with ASDs showing links with psychiatric outcomes across childhood and into adulthood.

scholarly journals Child Autistic Traits, Food Selectivity and Diet Quality: A Population-Based Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 756-756
Author(s):  
Holly Harris ◽  
Yuchan Mou ◽  
Trudy Voortman ◽  
Pauline Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Food Selectivity ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Autistic Trait

Abstract Objectives Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) tend to have sensory disturbances and behavioral rigidity which may predispose them to be selective in their food intake, potentially compromising their nutritional status. While ASD captures severe levels of impairment, autistic traits vary on a continuum throughout the general population. Yet, little is known about how subclinical autistic traits relate to dietary intake. Therefore, this study study examines how autistic traits throughout early childhood are associated with diet quality (DQ) in mid-childhood and explores the mediating role of food selectivity. Methods Participants were children (n = 4061) from the population-based birth cohort, Generation R (the Netherlands). Parents completed assessments on their child's autistic traits at 1.5, 3 and 6 years, food selectivity at 4 years and food intake at 8 years (via a Food Frequency Questionnaire), from which a DQ score (comprising of 10 food groups, scale 0 to 10) was derived based on adherence to age-specific dietary guidelines. Multiple linear regression models examined the association between autistic trait SD score at each assessment wave and DQ. A mediation analysis was performed using structural equation modeling to examine the indirect effect of autistic traits at 3 years and DQ at 8 years through food selectivity at 4 years. Models adjusted for child sex, age, energy intake, ethnicity, birth weight, BMIz score, and maternal age and education. Results Autistic trait SD score at each wave was associated with decreased DQ score (e.g., 3 years: β = −0.06; 95% CI: −0.10, −0.03). Post-hoc analyses showed that associations between autistic traits and DQ were consistently driven by lower consumption of fruit, vegetable and whole grain food groups at each wave. The indirect effect of food selectivity (β = −0.03, 95% CI: −0.03, −0.02) explained 60% of the total association between autistic traits and DQ. Conclusions Expression of autistic traits across childhood is associated with poorer DQ in mid-childhood, and food selectivity may be one key behavioral mechanism explaining this association. Dietary interventions intended to optimize nutrition in children with elevated autistic traits may integrate behavioral strategies to support parents’ appropriately responding to and managing food selectivity. Funding Sources European Union's Horizon 2020 programme.

Correlates of Age at Natural Menopause in the Cohorts of Epic-Italy

2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 608-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egidio Celentano ◽  
Rocco Galasso ◽  
Franco Berrino ◽  
Elisabetta Fusconi ◽  
Maria Concetta Giurdanella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Life Style ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Scientific Interest ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Natural Menopause

A large number of studies have investigated the factors correlated to age at natural menopause in several populations. However, information on genetics and life-style factors influencing the age of onset of menopause in different populations is of current scientific interest. Specifically, for Italian women there are no large population-based data. The EPIC-Italy collaboration is a source of data of this kind; moreover, the geographical distribution of the cohorts (recruited in northern, central and southern Italy) is an added value as regards the scientific interest of these data. A number of biological and life-style-related factors have been analyzed to evaluate their association to the age at natural menopause in 14,454 menopausal women of the EPIC-Italy collaboration. As regards life-style and environmental factors, the main results are: a) women living in different areas of the country have different ages of onset of natural menopause; b) educational level is significantly associated to this age and may explain part of the between-center difference; c) cigarette smoking appears as a major correlate and probably determinant of the age at natural menopause across all the Italian cohorts; d) alcohol consumption does not have any relationship with the age at natural menopause; e) the use of oral contraceptives may influence age at natural menopause. As regards biological factors, short cycles and low parity have been found associated with earlier menopause. Overall, the results concerning menstrual cycles, parity, and cigarette smoking are consistent with the hypothesis that the number of oocytes in the ovary is pre-determined and any acceleration or impairment of the ovarian function leads to reduce the duration of the reproductive life.

scholarly journals The social brain in female autism: a structural imaging study of twins

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-436
Author(s):  
Élodie Cauvet ◽  
Annelies van’t Westeinde ◽  
Roberto Toro ◽  
Ralf Kuja-Halkola ◽  
Janina Neufeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
The Social

Abstract A female advantage in social cognition (SoC) might contribute to women’s underrepresentation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The latter could be underpinned by sex differences in social brain structure. This study investigated the relationship between structural social brain networks and SoC in females and males in relation to ASD and autistic traits in twins. We used a co-twin design in 77 twin pairs (39 female) aged 12.5 to 31.0 years. Twin pairs were discordant or concordant for ASD or autistic traits, discordant or concordant for other neurodevelopmental disorders or concordant for neurotypical development. They underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and were assessed for SoC using the naturalistic Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition. Autistic traits predicted reduced SoC capacities predominantly in male twins, despite a comparable extent of autistic traits in each sex, although the association between SoC and autistic traits did not differ significantly between the sexes. Consistently, within-pair associations between SoC and social brain structure revealed that lower SoC ability was associated with increased cortical thickness of several brain regions, particularly in males. Our findings confirm the notion that sex differences in SoC in association with ASD are underpinned by sex differences in brain structure.

scholarly journals Co-Occurrence of ASD and ADHD Traits in an Adult Population

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 1407-1415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Panagiotidi ◽  
Paul G. Overton ◽  
Tom Stafford
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Adult Adhd ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Common Etiology

Objective: ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be viewed as the extreme end of traits found in the general population. Clinical and genetic studies suggest that ADHD and ASD often co-occur and share genetic susceptibility. The aim of this study was to examine co-occurrence of ADHD and ASD traits in the general population. Method: In total, 334 participants were recruited from a population-based sample. Four questionnaires assessing current and retrospective ADHD and ASD traits were administered online: the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) Symptom Checklist, the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS-25), the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ), and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Results: A significant correlation was found between ADHD and autistic traits. In particular, higher inattention and overall ADHD scores were associated with self-reported deficits in communication and social skills. Conclusion: Our findings are similar to results from studies on clinical populations, suggesting that ADHD and ASD might share common etiology.

scholarly journals Erratum: Genetic correlation between autistic traits and IQ in a population-based sample of twins with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)

2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-191
Author(s):  
Takeshi Nishiyama ◽  
Hiroko Taniai ◽  
Taishi Miyachi ◽  
Koken Ozaki ◽  
Makoto Tomita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Genetic Correlation ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

scholarly journals Attentional switching forms a genetic link between attention problems and autistic traits in adults

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 1985-1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. C. Polderman ◽  
R. A. Hoekstra ◽  
A. A. E. Vinkhuyzen ◽  
P. F. Sullivan ◽  
S. van der Sluis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Attention Problems ◽  
Autistic Trait ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Attentional Switching ◽  
Inattention And Hyperactivity

BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and autistic traits often occur together. The pattern and etiology of co-occurrence are largely unknown, particularly in adults. This study investigated the co-occurrence between both traits in detail, and subsequently examined the etiology of the co-occurrence, using two independent adult population samples.MethodData on ADHD traits (Inattention and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity) were collected in a population sample (S1, n = 559) of unrelated individuals. Data on Attention Problems (AP) were collected in a population-based family sample of twins and siblings (S2, n = 560). In both samples five dimensions of autistic traits were assessed (social skills, routine, attentional switching, imagination, patterns).ResultsHyperactive traits (S1) did not correlate substantially with the autistic trait dimensions. For Inattention (S1) and AP (S2), the correlations with the autistic trait dimensions were low, apart from a prominent correlation with the attentional switching scale (0.47 and 0.32 respectively). Analyses in the genetically informative S2 revealed that this association could be explained by a shared genetic factor.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the co-occurrence of ADHD traits and autistic traits in adults is not determined by problems with hyperactivity, social skills, imagination or routine preferences. Instead, the association between those traits is due primarily to shared attention-related problems (inattention and attentional switching capacity). As the etiology of this association is purely genetic, biological pathways involving attentional control could be a promising focus of future studies aimed at unraveling the genetic causes of these disorders.

scholarly journals Sex differences along the Autism Continuum: A twin study of brain structure

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Élodie Cauvet ◽  
Annelies van’t Westeinde ◽  
Roberto Toro ◽  
Ralf Kuja-Halkola ◽  
Janina Neufeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Twin Pair ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Monozygotic Twin ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Protective Mechanisms ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
Structural Brain

ABSTRACTFemales might possess protective mechanisms regarding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and require a higher detrimental load, including structural brain alterations, before developing clinically relevant levels of autistic traits. This study examines sex differences in structural brain morphology in autism and autistic traits using a within-twin pair approach. Twin design inherently controls for shared confounders and enables the study of gene-independent neuroanatomical variation. N=148 twins (62 females) from 49 monozygotic and 25 dizygotic same-sex pairs were included. Participants were distributed along the whole continuum of autism including twin pairs discordant and concordant for clinical ASD. Regional brain volume, surface area and cortical thickness were computed. Within-twin pair increases in autistic traits were related to decreases in cortical volume and surface area of temporal and frontal regions specifically in female twin pairs, in particular regions involved in social communication, while only two regions were associated with autistic traits in males. The same pattern was detected in the monozygotic twin pairs only. Thus, non-shared environmental factors seem to impact female more than male cerebral architecture. Our results are in line with the hypothesis of a female protective effect in autism and highlights the need to study ASD in females separately from males.

scholarly journals Perceptual processing links autism and synesthesia: a twin study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa M van Leeuwen ◽  
Lowe Wilsson ◽  
Hjalmar Nobel Norrman ◽  
Mark Dingemanse ◽  
Sven Bölte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Twin Study ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Perceptual Processing ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sensory Sensitivity ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
Linear Relationships ◽  
Spectrum Condition ◽  
Attentional Style

Background. Synesthesia occurs more commonly in individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and is associated with autistic traits and autism-related perceptual processing characteristics, including a more detail-focused attentional style and altered sensory sensitivity. Furthermore, autistic traits and autism-like sensory sensitivity show a synesthesia-dosage effect, since they increase with the amount of synesthesia types in synesthetes and with the degree of synesthesia (how consistently colors are associated with graphemes) in non-synesthetes.Methods. Here we investigated a predominantly non-synesthetic twin sample, enriched for ASC and other neurodevelopmental disorders (n=65, 14-34 years, 60% female). We modelled the linear relationships between the degree of synesthesia and autistic traits, sensory sensitivity, and visual perception, both within-twin pairs (22 pairs) where all factors shared by twins are implicitly controlled (including 50-100% genetics), and across the entire cohort.Results. Our results indicate that the degree of synesthesia is associated with autistic traits only within the attention to details domain and with sensory hyper-, but not hypo-sensitivity. These associations were stronger within-twin pairs compared to across the sample. Further, twins with a higher degree of synesthesia were better than their co-twins in identifying fragmented images in the Fragmented Pictures Test (FPT).Conclusions. This study is the first twin study on the association between synesthesia and autism-related perceptual and clinical features, and the results suggest that a twin design can be more sensitive for detecting these associations. Consistent with previous findings, the results support an association between the degree of synesthesia and autism-related perceptual features, while utilizing a different self-report measure for sensory sensitivity. The novel finding of enhanced feature integration in the FPT in twins with a higher degree of synesthesia challenges the view of a generally more detail-focused attentional style in synesthesia and might be related to enhanced memory or mental imagery in more synesthetic individuals.

scholarly journals Lower help-seeking intentions and subsequent depressive symptoms among adolescents with high autistic traits: A population-based cohort study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariko Hosozawa ◽  
Syudo Yamasaki ◽  
Shuntaro Ando ◽  
Kaori Endo ◽  
Yuko Morimoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Multivariable Regression

AbstractBackgroundAdolescents with high autistic traits in the general population are at increased risk of depression. Despite the importance of help-seeking for early intervention, evidence on help-seeking intentions among this population is scarce.AimsTo examine the help-seeking intentions and preferences for depression by the level of autistic traits in adolescents, and test how help-seeking intentions mediate the association between autistic traits and depressive symptoms.MethodParticipants were from the Tokyo Teen Cohort, a population-based cohort in Japan. They were classified into two groups according to parent-rated autistic traits measured by the short-version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (≥6 as AQhigh). Help-seeking intentions and preferences were assessed at age 12 using a depression vignette. Depressive symptoms were self-rated at age 14 using the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire. Data were analysed using multivariable regression analysis and structural equation modelling.ResultsOf the 2,505 adolescents in the study, 200 (8%) were classified as AQhigh. In the AQhigh-group, 40% of the adolescents reported not having help-seeking intentions, although 93% recognised the need and 97% had someone to rely on. Parents of the AQhigh-group also reported fewer help-seeking intentions. The AQhigh-group was associated with an increased risk of not having help-seeking intentions (OR 1.83, 95%CI 1.35–2.49), which explained 19% of the above association.ConclusionsLower help-seeking intentions among adolescents with high autistic traits partially explained their increased risk for subsequent depressive symptoms. Interventions to promote help-seeking intentions among this population should involve both adolescents and their parents and ideally be provided before adolescence.

Familial clustering of psychiatric disorders and low IQ

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Mark Weiser ◽  
Or Frenkel ◽  
Daphna Fenchel ◽  
Dorit Tzur ◽  
Sven Sandin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Recurrence Risk ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Diagnostic Categories ◽  
Severe Intellectual Disability ◽  
Familial Clustering ◽  
Low Iq ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Background Although the ICD and DSM differentiate between different psychiatric disorders, these often share symptoms, risk factors, and treatments. This was a population-based, case–control, sibling study examining familial clustering of all psychiatric disorders and low IQ, using data from the Israel Draft-Board Registry on all Jewish adolescents assessed between 1998 and 2014. Methods We identified all cases with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, N = 2128), severe intellectual disability (ID, N = 9572), attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) (N = 3272), psychotic (N = 7902), mood (N = 9704), anxiety (N = 10 606), personality (N = 24 816), or substance/alcohol abuse (N = 791) disorders, and low IQ (⩾2 SDs below the population mean, N = 31 186). Non-CNS control disorders were adolescents with Type-1 diabetes (N = 2427), hernia (N = 29 558) or hematological malignancies (N = 931). Each case was matched with 10 age-matched controls selected at random from the Draft-Board Registry, with replacement, and for each case and matched controls, we ascertained all full siblings. The main outcome measure was the relative recurrence risk (RRR) of the sibling of a case having the same (within-disorder RRR) or a different (across-disorder RRR) disorder. Results Within-disorder RRRs were increased for all diagnostic categories, ranging from 11.53 [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.23–14.40] for ASD to 2.93 (95% CI: 2.80–3.07) for personality disorders. The median across-disorder RRR between any pair of psychiatric disorders was 2.16 (95% CI: 1.45–2.43); the median RRR between low IQ and any psychiatric disorder was 1.37 (95% CI: 0.93–1.98). There was no consistent increase in across-disorder RRRs between the non-CNS disorders and psychiatric disorders and/or low IQ. Conclusion These large population-based study findings suggest shared etiologies among most psychiatric disorders, and low IQ.

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