Does the cognitive architecture of simplex and multiplex ASD families differ?

Anoek M Oerlemans; Catharina A Hartman; Barbara Franke; Jan K Buitelaar; Nanda N J Rommelse

doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2572-9

Does the cognitive architecture of simplex and multiplex ASD families differ?

J Autism Dev Disord. 2016 Feb;46(2):489-501. doi: 10.1007/s10803-015-2572-9.

Authors

Anoek M Oerlemans^{1

2}, Catharina A Hartman³, Barbara Franke^{4

5}, Jan K Buitelaar^{4

6}, Nanda N J Rommelse^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Anoek.Sluiter-Oerlemans@radboudumc.nl.
² Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Reinier Postlaan 12, 6525 GC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Anoek.Sluiter-Oerlemans@radboudumc.nl.
³ University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Human Genetics, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁶ Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Reinier Postlaan 12, 6525 GC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their unaffected siblings from 54 simplex (SPX, one individual in the family affected) and 59 multiplex (MPX, two or more individuals affected) families, and 124 controls were assessed on intelligence, social cognition and executive functions. SPX and MPX ASD probands displayed similar cognitive profiles, but within-family contrasts were highest in SPX families, suggesting SPX-MPX stratification may help parse etiological heterogeneity of ASD. Unaffected siblings (regardless SPX or MPX) were mostly unimpaired, suggesting that cognitive problems may be part of the defining features of ASD, rather than being an endophenotypic trait. Except for affective prosody, which appeared to be the most sensitive cognitive marker for detecting familial risk for ASD.

Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Cognition; Family; Simplex-multiplex stratification; Unaffected siblings.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder / psychology*
Case-Control Studies
Child
Child, Preschool
Cognition*
Executive Function*
Family Characteristics*
Female
Humans
Intelligence*
Male
Siblings / psychology*
Social Behavior