Autistic traits distribution in different psychiatric conditions: A cluster analysis on the basis of the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) questionnaire

Liliana Dell'Osso; Barbara Carpita; Bendetta Nardi; Francesca Benedetti; Valerio Dell'Oste; Gabriele Massimetti; Ivan Mirko Cremone; Stefano Barlati; Giovanni Castellini; Mario Luciano; Letizia Bossini; Matteo Rocchetti; Maria Salvina Signorelli; Valdo Ricca; Eugenio Aguglia; Andrea Fagiolini; Antonio Vita; Pierluigi Politi; Mario Maj

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115270

Autistic traits distribution in different psychiatric conditions: A cluster analysis on the basis of the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) questionnaire

Psychiatry Res. 2023 Aug:326:115270. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115270. Epub 2023 May 29.

Authors

Liliana Dell'Osso¹, Barbara Carpita², Bendetta Nardi¹, Francesca Benedetti¹, Valerio Dell'Oste¹, Gabriele Massimetti¹, Ivan Mirko Cremone¹, Stefano Barlati³, Giovanni Castellini⁴, Mario Luciano⁵, Letizia Bossini⁶, Matteo Rocchetti⁷, Maria Salvina Signorelli⁸, Valdo Ricca⁴, Eugenio Aguglia⁸, Andrea Fagiolini⁶, Antonio Vita³, Pierluigi Politi⁷, Mario Maj⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa 56127, Italy.
² Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa 56127, Italy. Electronic address: barbara.carpita@unipi.it.
³ Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
⁴ Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.
⁶ Department of Mental Health and Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
⁷ Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
⁸ Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

PMID: 37320989
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115270

Abstract

Increasing interest is being paid on full-threshold and sub-threshold autism spectrum conditions among adults. Sub-threshold autistic traits (AT) seem to be distributed in a continuum from the clinical to the general population, being particularly higher among subjects with other psychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the distribution of AT in a sample of subjects with different psychiatric conditions by means of a cluster analysis on the basis of the score reported to the AdAS Spectrum instrument. A total of 738 subjects recruited by seven Italian Universities were divided in 5 groups depending on the clinical diagnosis: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), subthreshold ASD symptoms (partial ASD), Bipolar disorder (BD), Feeding and eating disorders (FED), and controls (CTLs). All subjects were assessed with the AdAS Spectrum. The cluster analysis identified 3 clusters: the high, medium and low autism clusters. The Restricted interests and rumination domain reported the highest influence in forming the clusters. The high, medium and low autism clusters were respectively more represented in the ASD, partial ASD and CTL groups. The clusters were represented intermediately in the FED and BD groups, confirming the presence of intermediate levels of AT in these clinical populations.

Keywords: AdAS Spectrum; Autism spectrum disorder; Autistic traits; Bipolar disorder; Cluster analysis; Feeding and eating disorders.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Adult
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / diagnosis
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / epidemiology
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / psychology
Autistic Disorder* / psychology
Bipolar Disorder* / diagnosis
Bipolar Disorder* / epidemiology
Cluster Analysis
Humans
Surveys and Questionnaires