title: A prevalence study of autism in tuberous sclerosis.
abstract: An estimate of the prevalence of autism in tuberous sclerosis (TSC) was made by interviewing the parents of 21 children between ages 3 and 11 ascertained during a previous population study of the condition in the West of Scotland. Five of the children (24%) were rated autistic and a further four (19%), all of whom were girls, had socially impaired behavior categorized as pervasive developmental disorder, without fulfilling all the DSM-III-R criteria for autism. One further boy had disruptive attention-seeking behavior that had excluded him from his normal school. The estimated prevalence from this study of autism in TSC is 1 in 4 children in general, and 1 in 2 of those with mental retardation. Tuberous sclerosis could be a significant cause of autism and pervasive developmental disorders, particularly in girls.
authors.affiliation: Section of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Park Hospital for Children, Headington, England.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shepherd
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education; D008297:Male; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014402:Tuberous Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics