Quantitative autistic traits ascertained in a national survey of 22 529 Japanese schoolchildren. (22nd November 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kamio, Y.; Inada, N.; Moriwaki, A.; Kuroda, M.; Koyama, T.; Tsujii, H.; Kawakubo, Y.; Kuwabara, H.; Tsuchiya, K. J.; Uno, Y.; Constantino, J. N.
• Is Part Of: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. Volume 128:Number 1(2013:Jul.)
• Page Start: 45
• Page End: 53
• Publication Date: 2012-11-22
• Subjects: Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1111/acps.12034
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0001-690X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="acps12034-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="acps12034-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>Recent epidemiologic studies worldwide have documented a rise in prevalence rates for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Broadening of diagnostic criteria for ASD may be a major contributor to the rise in prevalence, particularly if superimposed on an underlying continuous distribution of autistic traits. This study sought to determine the nature of the population distribution of autistic traits using a quantitative trait measure in a large national population sample of children.</p> </sec> <sec id="acps12034-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Method</title> <p>The Japanese version of the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) was completed by parents on a nationally representative sample of 22 529 children, age 6–15.</p> </sec> <sec id="acps12034-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Social Responsiveness Scale scores exhibited a skewed normal distribution in the Japanese population with a single‐factor structure and no significant relation to IQ within the normal intellectual range. There was no evidence of a natural 'cutoff' that would differentiate populations of categorically affected children from unaffected children.</p> </sec> <sec id="acps12034-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>This study provides evidence of the continuous nature of autistic symptoms measured by the SRS, a validated quantitative trait measure. The findings reveal how paradigms for diagnosis that rest on arbitrarily imposed categorical cutoffs can result in substantial variation in prevalence estimation, especially when measurements used for case assignment are not standardized for a given population.</p> </sec> </abstract>