Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD’s) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by a triad of impairments; qualitative disturbances in social interaction and communication, and restricted behaviour and interests. A growing number of systematic studies report co-occuring psychiatric symptoms and disorders to be common in children with ASD, and from follow up studies we know that a significant number of patients within years after diagnosis develop psychosis or even schizophrenia.The overlap between ASD and schizophrenia has been a matter of intense debate and research, and it is currently being reconsidered in view of emerging evidence about common neurobiological processes in both disorders. It may be appropriate to revisit the possibility that these disorders are related.
In schizophrenic patients the brain’s basic processing of auditory information is disturbed, which is reflected in aberrant scores in several psychophysiological paradigms compared to healthy controls, e.g. “Pre-pulse inhibition of the startle reflex” (PPI), “Sensory gating” (P50 suppression) and “Mis-match-negativity” (MMN).
The main objective of this study is to test whether the psychophysiological features that are normally found in schizophrenia are also present in ASD.
Objectives:
- To compare basic auditory information processing in children with ASD and a group of neurotypically developed (NTD) controls.
- To test whether it is possible, on the basis of the psychophysiological outcomes, to differentiate subgroups within the ASD group.
- To compare psychophysiological results from subgroups within the autism spectrum, presenting anxiety and "thought problems", with psychophysiological results from schizophrenic patients described in the literature.
Methods:
This case-control study involves 40 ASD children, 8-12 years old, diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR criteria and 40 age, gender and IQ matched NTD children. Both groups are tested with a neuropsychological tests battery, and parents to all participants have completed Social-Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). In addition all participants are testet in a PPI, P50 suppressions and a MMN paradigm.
Results:
We are just about to start analyzing our results and we expect to be able to present preliminary data and results at the conference.
Conclusions:
We hope that this study will generate new insight in the neurocognitive aetiology of ASD, as well as on possible underlying psychophysiological features shared by ASD and schizophrenia.