Genetic correlation between autistic traits and IQ in a population-based sample of twins with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)

Abstract

Although there is accumulating evidence that intelligence quotient (IQ) indexes some aspects of the autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs), the causal relationship between autistic traits and IQ remains controversial. We examined the sources of covariation between autistic traits and IQ. As males have a four times greater risk of ASDs than females, gender-specific effects were also explored. Autistic traits and IQ were assessed in 45 twin male-male, female-female and opposite-sex pairs ascertained by the regional screening system in Nagoya, Japan. Sex-limited Cholesky structural equation models were used to decompose the correlations between autistic traits and IQ into genetic and environmental components, including sex-specific factors. Genetic correlations between autistic traits and IQ were high and not significantly different between boys and girls (-0.94 and -0.95, respectively), but genetic factors underlying the autistic traits were not entirely shared with the IQ. The individual-specific environmental correlation between autistic traits and IQ was estimated at -0.29 for boys and -0.59 for girls. There is a substantial overlap between the genetic factors that influence individual variation in autistic traits and IQ, irrespective of gender. The individual life experiences that increase autistic traits, however, have a moderate overlap with those that contribute to individual IQs.