Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Assessing gastrointestinal symptoms in people with autism : Applying a new measure based on the Rome IV criteria

Martínez González, Agustín ; Cervin, Matti LU and Pérez-Sánchez, Susana (2024) In Digestive and Liver Disease 56(11). p.1863-1870
Abstract
Background
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle with gastrointestinal symptoms, implicating alterations of the gut-microbiota-brain axis, which has also been linked to sensory reactivity, pain, and gastro-intestinal symptoms in ASD. To better understand the prevalence and impact of gastrointestinal symptoms among individuals with ASD, a measure is needed that adhere to the Rome IV criteria of gastrointestinal symptoms and is applicable to individuals with ASD. The Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Scale (GSSS) is a new assessment tool designed to match this need.
Methods
In a diverse sample of 265 individuals with ASD (mean age = 9.44, SD = 4.99), we examined the psychometric properties of the GSSS, the... (More)
Background
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle with gastrointestinal symptoms, implicating alterations of the gut-microbiota-brain axis, which has also been linked to sensory reactivity, pain, and gastro-intestinal symptoms in ASD. To better understand the prevalence and impact of gastrointestinal symptoms among individuals with ASD, a measure is needed that adhere to the Rome IV criteria of gastrointestinal symptoms and is applicable to individuals with ASD. The Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Scale (GSSS) is a new assessment tool designed to match this need.
Methods
In a diverse sample of 265 individuals with ASD (mean age = 9.44, SD = 4.99), we examined the psychometric properties of the GSSS, the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and associations with ASD traits, sensory sensitivity, repetitive behaviors, and pain.
Results
A unidimensional factor structure of the GSSS was confirmed and the measure showed good internal consistency, adequate test-retest reliability and strong convergent validity. Around a third of the participants evidenced clear difficulties with gastrointestinal symptoms and gastrointestinal symptoms were strongly associated with more pronounced ASD traits, sensory reactivity, and repetitive behaviors.
Conclusions
The GSSS shows promise as a useful measure to analyze the prevalence, severity, and impact of gastro-intestinal symptoms in individuals with ASD. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
autism, rds Gastrointestinal symptoms, Sensitivity reactivity, Pain
in
Digestive and Liver Disease
volume
56
issue
11
pages
8 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:38851976
  • scopus:85189035530
ISSN
1590-8658
DOI
10.1016/j.dld.2024.05.019
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
806f7b5a-4d58-4b02-8754-f1bc38e9105a
date added to LUP
2024-11-06 07:23:54
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:11:02
@article{806f7b5a-4d58-4b02-8754-f1bc38e9105a,
  abstract     = {{Background<br/>People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle with gastrointestinal symptoms, implicating alterations of the gut-microbiota-brain axis, which has also been linked to sensory reactivity, pain, and gastro-intestinal symptoms in ASD. To better understand the prevalence and impact of gastrointestinal symptoms among individuals with ASD, a measure is needed that adhere to the Rome IV criteria of gastrointestinal symptoms and is applicable to individuals with ASD. The Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Scale (GSSS) is a new assessment tool designed to match this need.<br/>Methods<br/>In a diverse sample of 265 individuals with ASD (mean age = 9.44, SD = 4.99), we examined the psychometric properties of the GSSS, the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and associations with ASD traits, sensory sensitivity, repetitive behaviors, and pain.<br/>Results<br/>A unidimensional factor structure of the GSSS was confirmed and the measure showed good internal consistency, adequate test-retest reliability and strong convergent validity. Around a third of the participants evidenced clear difficulties with gastrointestinal symptoms and gastrointestinal symptoms were strongly associated with more pronounced ASD traits, sensory reactivity, and repetitive behaviors.<br/>Conclusions<br/>The GSSS shows promise as a useful measure to analyze the prevalence, severity, and impact of gastro-intestinal symptoms in individuals with ASD.}},
  author       = {{Martínez González, Agustín and Cervin, Matti and Pérez-Sánchez, Susana}},
  issn         = {{1590-8658}},
  keywords     = {{autism; rds     Gastrointestinal symptoms; Sensitivity reactivity; Pain}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{1863--1870}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Digestive and Liver Disease}},
  title        = {{Assessing gastrointestinal symptoms in people with autism : Applying a new measure based on the Rome IV criteria}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dld.2024.05.019}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.dld.2024.05.019}},
  volume       = {{56}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}