Autism spectrum disorders and autisticlike traits: similar etiology in the extreme end and the normal variation.
(2012) In Archives of General Psychiatry 69(1). p.46-52- Abstract
- CONTEXT:
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been suggested to represent the extreme end of a normal distribution of autisticlike traits (ALTs). However, the evidence of this notion is inconclusive.
OBJECTIVE:
To study whether there are similar genetic and/or environmental etiologies behind ASDs and ALTs.
DESIGN:
A nationwide twin study.
PARTICIPANTS:
Consenting parents of all Swedish twins aged 9 and 12 years, born between July 1, 1992, and December 31, 2001 (n = 19 208), were interviewed by telephone to screen for child psychiatric conditions, including ASDs.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Two validated cutoffs for ASDs, 2 cutoffs encompassing the normal... (More) - CONTEXT:
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been suggested to represent the extreme end of a normal distribution of autisticlike traits (ALTs). However, the evidence of this notion is inconclusive.
OBJECTIVE:
To study whether there are similar genetic and/or environmental etiologies behind ASDs and ALTs.
DESIGN:
A nationwide twin study.
PARTICIPANTS:
Consenting parents of all Swedish twins aged 9 and 12 years, born between July 1, 1992, and December 31, 2001 (n = 19 208), were interviewed by telephone to screen for child psychiatric conditions, including ASDs.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Two validated cutoffs for ASDs, 2 cutoffs encompassing the normal variation, and 1 continuous measure of ALTs were used with DeFries-Fulker extreme-end analyses and standard twin study methods.
RESULTS:
We discerned a strong correlation between the 4 cutoffs and the full variation of ALTs. The correlation was primarily affected by genes. We also found that the heritability for the 4 cutoffs was similar.
CONCLUSION:
We demonstrate an etiological similarity between ASDs and ALTs in the normal variation and, with results from previous studies, our data suggest that ASDs and ALTs are etiologically linked. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/2336761
- author
- Lundström, Sebastian LU ; Chang, Zheng ; Råstam, Maria LU ; Gillberg, Christopher ; Larsson, Henrik ; Anckarsäter, Henrik LU and Lichtenstein, Paul
- organization
- publishing date
- 2012
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Archives of General Psychiatry
- volume
- 69
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 46 - 52
- publisher
- American Medical Association
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000298675700006
- pmid:22213788
- scopus:84855331271
- pmid:22213788
- ISSN
- 0003-990X
- DOI
- 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.144
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- bf0e4d9d-56c3-43e0-9520-bd537afba274 (old id 2336761)
- alternative location
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22213788?dopt=Abstract
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:14:13
- date last changed
- 2022-04-20 00:03:24
@article{bf0e4d9d-56c3-43e0-9520-bd537afba274, abstract = {{CONTEXT:<br/><br> Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been suggested to represent the extreme end of a normal distribution of autisticlike traits (ALTs). However, the evidence of this notion is inconclusive.<br/><br> OBJECTIVE:<br/><br> To study whether there are similar genetic and/or environmental etiologies behind ASDs and ALTs.<br/><br> DESIGN:<br/><br> A nationwide twin study.<br/><br> PARTICIPANTS:<br/><br> Consenting parents of all Swedish twins aged 9 and 12 years, born between July 1, 1992, and December 31, 2001 (n = 19 208), were interviewed by telephone to screen for child psychiatric conditions, including ASDs.<br/><br> MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:<br/><br> Two validated cutoffs for ASDs, 2 cutoffs encompassing the normal variation, and 1 continuous measure of ALTs were used with DeFries-Fulker extreme-end analyses and standard twin study methods.<br/><br> RESULTS:<br/><br> We discerned a strong correlation between the 4 cutoffs and the full variation of ALTs. The correlation was primarily affected by genes. We also found that the heritability for the 4 cutoffs was similar.<br/><br> CONCLUSION:<br/><br> We demonstrate an etiological similarity between ASDs and ALTs in the normal variation and, with results from previous studies, our data suggest that ASDs and ALTs are etiologically linked.}}, author = {{Lundström, Sebastian and Chang, Zheng and Råstam, Maria and Gillberg, Christopher and Larsson, Henrik and Anckarsäter, Henrik and Lichtenstein, Paul}}, issn = {{0003-990X}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{1}}, pages = {{46--52}}, publisher = {{American Medical Association}}, series = {{Archives of General Psychiatry}}, title = {{Autism spectrum disorders and autisticlike traits: similar etiology in the extreme end and the normal variation.}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.144}}, doi = {{10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.144}}, volume = {{69}}, year = {{2012}}, }