title: The nature of covariation between autistic traits and clumsiness: a twin study in a general population sample.
abstract: While social impairment, difficulties with communication, and restricted repetitive behaviors are central features of Autism Spectrum Disorders, physical clumsiness is a commonly co-occuring feature. In a sample of 398 twin pairs (aged 8-17 years) from the Italian Twin Registry we investigated the nature of the co-variation between a psychometric index of Clumsiness and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Autistic scale. Bivariate twin analyses showed that a genetic etiological overlap, rather than direct causation, is a plausible explanation for the association between clumsiness and autistic-like traits, as measured by indices derived from the parent-rated CBCL scale. Additive genetic influences that impinge upon clumsiness/motor problem and autistic-like traits coincided remarkably, with a genetic correlation of 0.63.
authors.affiliation: The Academic Centre for the Study of Behavioural Plasticity, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20 via S D'Ancona, 20127, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moruzzi
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogliari
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ronald
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Happé
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battaglia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D011594:Psychometrics; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics*