title: Mathematical Talent is Linked to Autism.
abstract: A total of 378 mathematics undergraduates (selected for being strong at "systemizing") and 414 students in other (control) disciplines at Cambridge University were surveyed with two questions: (1) Do you have a diagnosed autism spectrum condition? (2) How many relatives in your immediate family have a diagnosed autism spectrum condition? Results showed seven cases of autism in the math group (or 1.85%) vs one case of autism in the control group (or 0.24%), a ninefold difference that is significant. Controlling for sex and general population sampling, this represents a three- to sevenfold increase for autism spectrum conditions among the mathematicians. There were 7 of 1,405 (or 0.5%) cases of autism in the immediate families of the math group vs 2 of 1,669 (or 0.1%) cases in the immediate families of the control group, which again is a significant difference. These results confirm a link between autism and systemizing, and they suggest this link is genetic given the association between autism and first-degree relatives of mathematicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Rd., Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK. sb205@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baron-Cohen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Rd., Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wheelwright
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Rd., Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burtenshaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Rd., Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hobson
keywords: Autism; Broader autism phenotype; Genetic risk; Mathematical talent; Systemizing