Paternal age at birth and high-functioning autistic-spectrum disorder in offspring.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have reported the association between advanced paternal age at birth and the risk of autistic-spectrum disorder in offspring, including offspring with intellectual disability.


OBJECTIVE
To test whether an association between advanced paternal age at birth is found in offspring with high-functioning autistic-spectrum disorder (i.e. offspring without intellectual disability).


METHODS
A case-control study was conducted in Japan. The participants consisted of individuals with full-scale IQ>or=70, with a DSM-IV autistic disorder or related diagnosis. Unrelated healthy volunteers were recruited as controls. Parental ages were divided into tertiles (i.e. three age classes). Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using logistic regression analyses, with an adjustment for age, gender and birth order.


RESULTS
Eighty-four individuals with autistic-spectrum disorder but without intellectual disability and 208 healthy controls were enrolled. Increased paternal, but not maternal, age was associated with an elevated risk of high-functioning autistic-spectrum disorder. A one-level advance in paternal age class corresponded to a 1.8-fold increase in risk, after adjustment for covariates.


CONCLUSIONS
Advanced paternal age is associated with an increased risk for high-functioning autistic-spectrum disorder.
Tsuchiya
Kenji J
KJ
Osaka Hamamatsu Joint Research Center for Child Mental Development (OHJRC-CMD), Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan.
Matsumoto
Kaori
K
Miyachi
Taishi
T
Tsujii
Masatsugu
M
Nakamura
Kazuhiko
K
Takagai
Shu
S
Kawai
Masayoshi
M
Yagi
Atsuko
A
Iwaki
Kimie
K
Suda
Shiro
S
Sugihara
Genichi
G
Iwata
Yasuhide
Y
Matsuzaki
Hideo
H
Sekine
Yoshimoto
Y
Suzuki
Katsuaki
K
Sugiyama
Toshirou
T
Mori
Norio
N
Takei
Nori
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D010331:Paternal Age; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult