Abstract
We examined comorbid psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in fifty adult males (mean age 30 years) with Asperger syndrome (AS) diagnosed in childhood and followed up prospectively for almost two decades (13–26 years). Only three of the 50 men had never met criteria for an additional psychiatric/neurodevelopmental diagnosis and more than half had ongoing comorbidity (most commonly either ADHD or depression or both). Any psychiatric comorbidity increased the risk of poorer outcome. The minority of the AS group who no longer met criteria for a full diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder were usually free of current psychiatric comorbidity. The high rate of psychiatric/neurodevelopmental comorbidities underscores the need for a full psychiatric/neurodevelopmental assessment at follow-up of males with AS.
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Acknowledgments
The study was supported by funding from: Centre for Research and Development in Gavleborg and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic in Gavle, VG Region Scientific Fund, the Jerring Fund, Wilhelm and Martina Lundgren Foundation, Petter Silfverskiold Foundation, Golje Foundation, AnnMarie and Per Ahlqvist Foundation, the Swedish Child Neuropsychiatry Science Foundation, and the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre.
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ICG, EB and CG designed the study. ICG, AH and EB performed the data collection. AH perfomed all the analysis. ICG, AH and CG wrote the manuscript. EB critically edited the manuscript. AH is guarantor of this work and had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
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Gillberg, I.C., Helles, A., Billstedt, E. et al. Boys with Asperger Syndrome Grow Up: Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Disorders 20 Years After Initial Diagnosis. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 74–82 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2544-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2544-0