Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T02:49:42.823Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Developmental associations between traits of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a genetically informative, longitudinal twin study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 November 2012

M. J. Taylor ,
T. Charman ,
E. B. Robinson ,
R. Plomin ,
F. Happé ,
P. Asherson  and
A. Ronald
M. J. Taylor*
Affiliation:
Centre for Research in Autism and Education, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education, University of London, London, UK
T. Charman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
E. B. Robinson
Affiliation:
Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
R. Plomin
Affiliation:
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
F. Happé
Affiliation:
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
P. Asherson
Affiliation:
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
A. Ronald
Affiliation:
Genes Environment Lifespan Laboratory, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: M. J. Taylor, M.Sc., Centre for Research in Autism and Education, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education (University of London), 25 Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AA, UK. (Email: [email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and associated subclinical traits, regularly co-occur with one another. However, the aetiology of their co-occurrence remains poorly understood. This paper provides the first genetically informative, longitudinal analysis of the interaction between traits of ASD and ADHD, and explores their genetic and environmental overlap.

Method

Parents of approximately 5000 twin pairs completed questionnaires assessing traits of ASD and ADHD when twins were aged 8 and 12 years. Cross-lagged longitudinal modelling explored their developmental association, enabling a consideration of phenotypic-driven processes. Overlapping aetiological influences on traits at age 12 years were explored using bivariate twin modelling.

Results

Traits of ADHD at age 8 years were more strongly predictive of traits of ASD at 12 years than traits of ASD at 8 years were of traits of ADHD at 12 years. Analysis of traits by subscales assessing specific symptom domains suggested that communication difficulties were most strongly associated with traits of ADHD. Bivariate modelling suggested moderate genetic overlap on traits in males (genetic correlation = 0.41), and a modest degree of overlap in females (genetic correlation = 0.23) at age 12 years.

Conclusions

Traits of ADHD at age 8 years significantly influence traits of ASD at age 12 years, after controlling for their initial relationship at age 8 years. In particular, early ADHD traits influenced later communication difficulties. These findings demonstrate the dynamic nature of co-occurring traits across development. In addition, these findings add to a growing body of literature suggesting that traits of ASD and ADHD may arise via similar aetiological processes.

Keywords

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorderautismlongitudinaltwin study
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 43 , Issue 8 , August 2013 , pp. 1735 - 1746
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

APA (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn, revised. American Psychiatric Association: Washington, DC.Google Scholar
APA (2012). DSM-5 Development: Proposed Revisions, Neurodevelopmental Disorders (http://www.dsm5.org/proposedrevision/Pages/NeurodevelopmentalDisorders.aspx). Accessed 19 January 2012.Google Scholar
Asherson, P, Gurling, H (2012). Quantitative and molecular genetics of ADHD. Current Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience 9, 239–272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barrett, P (2007). Structural equation modelling: adjudging model fit. Personality and Individual Differences 42, 815–824.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bishop, DVM, Baird, G (2001). Parent and teacher report of pragmatic aspects of communication: use of the Children's Communication Checklist in a clinical setting. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 43, 809–818.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burt, SA, McGue, M, Krueger, RF, Iacono, WG (2005). How are parent–child conflict and externalizing symptoms related over time? Results from a genetically-informative cross-lagged study. Development and Psychopathology 17, 145–165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, T, Feehan, C, Tinline, C, Vostanis, P (1999). Autistic symptoms in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 8, 50–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Conners, CK, Sitarenios, G, Park, JDA, Epstein, JN (1998). The revised Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-R): factor structure, reliability, and criterion validity. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 26, 257–268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Bruin, EI, Ferdinand, RF, Meester, S, de Nijs, PFA, Verheij, F (2007). High rates of psychiatric co-morbidity in PDD-NOS. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 37, 877–886.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goldsmith, HH (1991). A zygosity questionnaire for young adults: a research note. Behavior Genetics 21, 257–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greven, CU, Asherson, P, Rijsdijk, F, Plomin, R (2011). A longitudinal twin study on the association between inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 39, 623–632.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hall, JG (2003). Twinning. Lancet 362, 735–743.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hallett, V, Ronald, A, Rijsdijk, F, Happé, F (2010). Association of autistic-like and internalizing traits during childhood: a longitudinal twin study. American Journal of Psychiatry 167, 809–817.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Happé, F, Ronald, A (2008). Fractionable autism triad: a review of evidence from behavioural, genetic, cognitive, and neural research. Neuropsychology Review 18, 287–304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Happé, F, Ronald, A, Plomin, R (2006). Time to give up on a single explanation for autism. Nature Neuroscience 9, 1218–1220.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kenny, DA (1975). Cross-lagged panel correlation: a test for spuriousness. Psychological Bulletin 82, 887–903.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuntsi, J, Rijsdijk, F, Ronald, A, Asherson, P, Plomin, R (2005). Genetic influences on the stability of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms from early to middle childhood. Biological Psychiatry 57, 647–654.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leonard, MA, Milich, S, Lorch, EP (2011). The role of pragmatic language use in mediating the relation between hyperactivity and inattention and social skills problems. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 54, 567–579.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lichtenstein, P, Carlström, E, Råstam, M, Gillberg, C, Anckarsäter, H (2010). The genetics of autism spectrum disorders and related neuropsychiatric disorders in childhood. American Journal of Psychiatry 167, 1357–1363.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lundström, S, Chang, Z, Kerekes, N, Gumpert, CH, Råstam, M, Gillberg, C, Lichtenstein, P, Anckarsäter, H (2011). Autistic-like traits and their association with mental health problems in two nationwide twin cohorts of children and adults. Psychological Medicine 41, 2423–2433.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLoughlin, G, Ronald, A, Kuntsi, J, Asherson, P, Plomin, R (2007). Genetic support for the dual nature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: substantial genetic overlap between the inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive components. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 35, 999–1008.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mulligan, A, Anney, RJL, O'Regan, M, Chen, W, Butler, L, Fitzgerald, M, Buitelaar, J, Steinhausen, H, Rothenberger, A, Minderaa, A, Nijmeijer, J, Hoekstra, PJ, Oades, RD, Roeyers, H, Buschgens, C, Christiansen, H, Franke, B, Gabriels, I, Hartman, C, Kuntsi, J, Marco, R, Meidad, S, Mueller, U, Psychogiou, L, Rommelse, N, Thompson, M, Uebel, H, Banaschewski, T, Ebstein, R, Eisenberg, J, Manor, I, Miranda, A, Mulas, F, Sergeant, J, Sonuga-Barke, E, Asherson, P, Faraone, SV, Gill, M (2009). Autism symptoms in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a familial trait which correlates with conduct, oppositional defiant, and language and motor disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 39, 197–209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neale, MC, Boker, SM, Xie, G, Maes, HM (2003). Mx: Statistical Modelling. Virginia Commonwealth University: Richmond, VA.Google Scholar
Neale, MC, Røysamb, E, Jacobson, K (2006). Multivariate genetic analysis of sex limitation and G x E interaction. Twin Research and Human Genetics 9, 481–489.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nijmeijer, J, Hoekstra, PJ, Minderaa, RB, Buitelaar, JK, Altink, ME, Buschgens, CJM, Fliers, EA, Rommelse, NNJ, Sergeant, JA, Hartman, CA (2009). PDD symptoms in ADHD, an independent familial trait? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 37, 443–453.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nikolas, MA, Burt, SA (2010). Genetic and environmental influences on ADHD symptom dimensions of inattention and hyperactivity: a meta-analysis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 119, 1–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oliver, BR, Plomin, R (2007). Twins' Early Development Study (TEDS): a multivariate, longitudinal investigation of language, cognition and behavior problems from childhood through adolescence. Twin Research and Human Genetics 10, 96–105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Plomin, R, DeFries, JC, McClearn, GE, McGuffin, P (2008). Behavioral Genetics. Worth Publishers: New York.Google Scholar
Price, TS, Freeman, B, Craig, I, Petrill, SA, Ebersole, L, Plomin, R (2000). Infant zygosity can be assigned by parental report questionnaire data. Twin Research 3, 129–133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reiersen, AM, Constantino, JN, Grimmer, M, Martin, NG, Todd, RD (2008). Evidence for shared genetic influences on self-reported ADHD and autistic symptoms in young adult Australian twins. Twin Research and Human Genetics 11, 579–585.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reiersen, AM, Constantino, JN, Volk, HE, Todd, RD (2007). Autistic traits in a population-based ADHD twin sample. Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology 48, 464–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, EB, Munir, K, Munafo, MR, Hughes, M, McCormick, MC, Koenen, KC (2011). Stability of autistic traits in the general population: further evidence for a continuum of impairment. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 50, 376–384.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ronald, A, Edelson, LR, Asherson, P, Saudino, KJ (2010 a). Exploring the relationship between autistic-like traits and ADHD behaviours in early childhood: findings from a community twin study of 2-year-olds. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 38, 185–196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ronald, A, Happé, F, Bolton, P, Butcher, LM, Price, TS, Wheelwright, S, Baron-Cohen, S, Plomin, R (2006). Genetic heterogeneity between the three components of the autism spectrum: a twin study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 45, 691–699.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ronald, A, Happé, F, Dworzynski, K, Bolton, P, Plomin, R (2010 b). Exploring the relation between prenatal and neonatal complications and later autistic-like features in a representative community sample of twins. Child Development 81, 166–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ronald, A, Hoekstra, RA (2011). Autism spectrum disorders and autistic traits: a decade of new twin studies. American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics 156, 255–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ronald, A, Simonoff, E, Kuntsi, J, Asherson, P, Plomin, R (2008). Evidence for overlapping genetic influences on autistic and ADHD behaviours in a community twin study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 49, 535–542.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, FJ, Baron-Cohen, S, Bolton, P, Brayne, C (2002). The CAST (Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test): preliminary development of a UK screen for mainstream primary-school-age children. Autism 6, 9–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simonoff, E, Pickles, A, Charman, T, Chandler, S, Loucas, T, Baird, G (2008). Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 47, 921–929.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
St Pourcain, B, Mandy, WP, Heron, J, Golding, J, Davey Smith, G, Skuse, DH (2011). Links between co-occurring social-communication and hyperactive-inattentive trait trajectories. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 50, 892–902.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turkheimer, E, Waldron, M (2000). Nonshared environment: a theoretical, methodological, and quantitative review. Psychological Bulletin 126, 78–108.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whitehouse, AJO, Hickey, M, Ronald, A (2011). Are autistic traits in the general population stable across development? PLoS One 6, e23029.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, J, Scott, F, Stott, C, Allison, C, Baron-Cohen, S, Brayne, C (2005). The CAST (Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test): test accuracy. Autism 9, 45–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yoshida, Y, Uchiyama, T (2004). The clinical necessity for assessing Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) symptoms in children with high-functioning pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 13, 307–314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Taylor Supplementary Material

Appendix

Download Taylor Supplementary Material(File)
File 112.6 KB