Low prevalence of smoking in patients with autism spectrum disorders.
Psychiatric patients are significantly more often smokers than the general population, the only known exception being obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and catatonic schizophrenia. We have investigated nicotine use in subjects with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Ninety-five subjects (25 females and 70 males) consecutively diagnosed with any ASD and of normal intelligence were included in the study. Only 12.6% were smokers, compared with 19% in the general population and 47% in a control group of 161 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia or a schizophreniform disorder. The results suggest that smoking is rare among subjects with ASD, while the opposite was shown for schizophrenia. If replicated, this finding could suggest biological differences between non-catatonic schizophrenia and ASD, and support the theory of a biological link between ASD and a subtype of OCD, and between ASD and catatonic schizophrenia.
Bejerot
Susanne
S
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, St. Goran's Hospital, SE-112 81, Stockholm, Sweden. susanne.bejerot@chello.se
Nylander
Lena
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires