Subgrouping siblings of people with autism: Identifying the broader autism phenotype

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Emily Ruzich ; Carrie Allison ; Paula Smith ; Peter Watson ; Bonnie Auyeung ; Howard Ring and Simon Baron-Cohen
• 刊名：Autism Research
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：June 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：9
• 期：6
• 页码：658-665
• 全文大小：211K
• ISSN：1939-3806

文摘

We investigate the broader autism phenotype (BAP) in siblings of individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). Autistic traits were measured in typical controls (n = 2,000), siblings (n = 496), and volunteers with ASC (n = 2,322) using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), both self-report and parent-report versions. Using cluster analysis of AQ subscale scores, two sibling subgroups were identified for both males and females: a cluster of low-scorers and a cluster of high-scorers. Results show that while siblings as a group have intermediate levels of autistic traits compared to control individuals and participants with ASC, when examined on a cluster level, the low-scoring sibling group is more similar to typical controls while the high-scoring group is more similar to the ASC clinical group. Further investigation into the underlying genetic and epigenetic characteristics of these two subgroups will be informative in understanding autistic traits, both within the general population and in relation to those with a clinical diagnosis. Autism Res 2016, 9: 658–665.