Autism spectrum disorders: concurrent clinical disorders.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder are heterogeneous in clinical presentation, concurrent disorders, and developmental outcomes. This study characterized the clinical co-occurrences and potential subgroups in 160 children with autism spectrum disorders who presented to The Autism Center between 1999 and 2003. Medical and psychiatric co-occurrences included sleep disorders, epilepsy, food intolerance, gastrointestinal dysfunction, mood disorder, and aggressive and self-injurious behaviors. Sleep disorders were associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction (P < .05) and mood disorders (P < .01). Food intolerance was associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction (P = .001). Subjects with mood disorder tended to develop aggressive or self-injurious behaviors (P < .05). Developmental regression was not associated with increased co-occurrence of medical or psychiatric disorders. Medical co-occurrence did not present as a risk factor for psychiatric co-occurrence, and vice versa. These results showed a high prevalence of multiple medical and psychiatric co-occurrences. There may be common pathophysiologic mechanisms resulting in clinical subgroups of autism spectrum disorders. Recognition of the co-occurrence of concurrent disorders may provide insight into the therapeutic strategy.
Department of Neuroscience, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA. mingxu@umdnj.edu
Xue Ming
Michael
M
Brimacombe
Janti
J
Chaaban
Barbie
B
Zimmerman-Bier
George C
GC
Wagner
D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012043:Regression, Psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000453:epidemiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*