title: Lifetime autism spectrum features in a patient with a psychotic mixed episode who attempted suicide.
abstract: We present a case report of a young man who attempted suicide during a mixed episode with psychotic symptoms. The patient's history revealed the lifetime presence of signs and features belonging to the autism spectrum realm that had been completely overlooked. We believe that this case is representative of an important and barely researched topic: what happens to children with nondiagnosed and nontreated subthreshold forms of autism when they grow old. The issue of early recognition of autism spectrum signs and symptoms is discussed, raising questions on the diagnostic boundaries between autism and childhood onset psychotic spectrums among patients who subsequently develop a full-blown psychotic disorder.
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Marly
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4133-888X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simoncini
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7536-9927
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miniati
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vanelli
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy ; Bipolar Disorders Program, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, 170 Villarroel Street, 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7326-1530
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Callari
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vannucchi
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mauri
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dell'Osso