A family history study of neuropsychiatric disorders in the adult siblings of autistic individuals

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1990 Mar;29(2):177-83. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199003000-00004.

Abstract

The family history method was used to obtain developmental, social, and psychiatric histories on the 67 adult siblings of 37 autistic probands. Two of 67 siblings (3.0%) were autistic, three siblings (4.4%) had severe social dysfunction and isolation, 10 (15%) had cognitive disorders, and 10 (15%) had received treatment for affective disorder. This study is the first to investigate the frequency of disorders in the adult siblings of autistic probands. These results suggest aggregation of a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders in the siblings of autistic individuals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Autistic Disorder / genetics*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Fragile X Syndrome / genetics
  • Humans
  • Intelligence
  • Male
  • Neurocognitive Disorders / genetics*
  • Risk Factors
  • Social Adjustment