title: Subjective face recognition difficulties, aberrant sensibility, sleeping disturbances and aberrant eating habits in families with Asperger syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was undertaken in order to determine whether a set of clinical features, which are not included in the DSM-IV or ICD-10 for Asperger Syndrome (AS), are associated with AS in particular or whether they are merely a familial trait that is not related to the diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten large families, a total of 138 persons, of whom 58 individuals fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for AS and another 56 did not to fulfill these criteria, were studied using a structured interview focusing on the possible presence of face recognition difficulties, aberrant sensibility and eating habits and sleeping disturbances.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence for face recognition difficulties was 46.6% in individuals with AS compared with 10.7% in the control group. The corresponding figures for subjectively reported presence of aberrant sensibilities were 91.4% and 46.6%, for sleeping disturbances 48.3% and 23.2% and for aberrant eating habits 60.3% and 14.3%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An aberrant processing of sensory information appears to be a common feature in AS. The impact of these and other clinical features that are not incorporated in the ICD-10 and DSM-IV on our understanding of AS may hitherto have been underestimated. These associated clinical traits may well be reflected by the behavioural characteristics of these individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Neurology, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. taina.nieminen@kolumbus.fi
authors.forename: Taina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nieminen-von Wendt
authors.forename: Juulia E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Paavonen
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ylisaukko-Oja
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarenius
authors.forename: Tiia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Källman
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Järvelä
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Wendt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005145:Face; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005556:Form Perception; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D012938:Social Perception