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. 2022 Nov 4;65(1):e81.
doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2334.

Investigating the relationship between autistic traits and symptoms and Catatonia Spectrum

L Dell'Osso  1 , G Amatori  1 , G Massimetti  1 , B Nardi  1 , D Gravina  1 , F Benedetti  1 , C Bonelli  1 , M Luciano  2 , I Berardelli  3 , N Brondino  4 , M De Gregorio  5 , G Deste  6 , M Nola  4 , A Reitano  5 , M R A Muscatello  5 , M Pompili  3 , P Politi  4 , A Vita  6 , C Carmassi  1 , M Maj  2
Affiliations

Investigating the relationship between autistic traits and symptoms and Catatonia Spectrum

L Dell'Osso et al. Eur Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: In recent years, numerous studies have highlighted the overlap between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and catatonia, both from a clinical and pathophysiological perspective. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the autism spectrum (autistic traits and ASD signs, symptoms, and behavioral manifestation) and Catatonia Spectrum (CS).

Methods: A total sample of 376 subjects was distributed in four diagnostic groups. Subjects were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5, Research Version, the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum), and CS. In the statistical analyses, the total sample was also divided into three groups according to the degree of autism severity, based on the AdAS Spectrum total score.

Results: A statistically significant positive correlation was found between AdAS Spectrum and CS total score within the total sample, the gender subgroups, and the diagnostic categories. The AdAS Spectrum domains found to be significantly and strongly correlated with the total CS score were hyper-hypo reactivity to sensory input, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, restricted interests and rumination, and inflexibility and adherence to routine. The three groups of different autistic severity were found to be distributed across all diagnostic groups and the CS score increased significantly from the group without autistic traits to the group with ASD.

Conclusions: Our study reports a strong correlation between autism spectrum and CS.

Keywords: AdAS Spectrum; Catatonia Spectrum; autism; autism spectrum; catatonia.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Scatter graph showing the correlation between Adult Autism Subthreshold (AdAS) Spectrum and Catatonia Spectrum (CS) total score within the four diagnostic groups, represented by the plotter points.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Comparison of the three autism severity groups based on the total Catatonia Spectrum (CS) score. Each of the three lines represents an autism severity group. The points on each line correspond to the average total CS scores in the four diagnostic groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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