Abstract
Autistic symptoms are frequently observed in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but their etiology
remains unclear. The main aim of this study was to describe risk factors for increased autistic symptoms in children with
ADHD without an autism or autism-spectrum diagnosis. Comorbid psychiatric disorders, developmental delay, current medication,
prenatal biological and postnatal psychosocial risk factors as well as parental autistic traits were assessed in 205 children
with ADHD. Linear regression models identified maternal autistic traits, current familial risk factors and hyperactive symptoms
as predictors of autistic symptoms in children with ADHD. Findings are indicative of possible genetic as well as environmental
risk factors mediating autistic symptoms in children with ADHD. An additional validity analysis by ROC, area under the curve
(AUC), suggested a cut-off of 11 to differentiate between ADHD and high-functioning ASD by the Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ).
remains unclear. The main aim of this study was to describe risk factors for increased autistic symptoms in children with
ADHD without an autism or autism-spectrum diagnosis. Comorbid psychiatric disorders, developmental delay, current medication,
prenatal biological and postnatal psychosocial risk factors as well as parental autistic traits were assessed in 205 children
with ADHD. Linear regression models identified maternal autistic traits, current familial risk factors and hyperactive symptoms
as predictors of autistic symptoms in children with ADHD. Findings are indicative of possible genetic as well as environmental
risk factors mediating autistic symptoms in children with ADHD. An additional validity analysis by ROC, area under the curve
(AUC), suggested a cut-off of 11 to differentiate between ADHD and high-functioning ASD by the Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ).
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Contribution
- Pages 1-10
- DOI 10.1007/s00787-011-0221-1
- Authors
- Anne Kröger, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
- Susann Hänig, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
- Christiane Seitz, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
- Haukur Palmason, Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
- Jobst Meyer, Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
- Christine M. Freitag, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
- Journal European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Online ISSN 1435-165X
- Print ISSN 1018-8827