Skip to main content

What We Know About Asperger Syndrome: Epidemiology and Etiology

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
  • 3858 Accesses

Part of the book series: Issues in Children's and Families' Lives ((IICL))

Abstract

As we will see in this chapter, many individuals around the world have contributed to the contemporary understanding of Asperger syndrome. The numerous studies must be evaluated both individually and collectively. Each adds value to the field despite the fact that there are few unequivocal answers to the questions this chapter sets out to discuss.

The identification and determination of the composition of syndromes is partly a function of the construction of the brain and partly a function of how much man knows about it at any given time.

A. Jean Ayres (1972)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: APA.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: APA. Text Revision.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (January, 2011). Proposed revisions, Neurodevelopmental disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder. Retrieved June 20, 2011, from http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevision/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94.

  • Asperger, H. (1944). Die ‘aunstisehen Psychopathen’ im Kindesalter. Archives of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences, 117, 76–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayres, A. J. (1972). Sensory integration and the child. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baird, G., Simonff, E., Pickles, A., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., Meldrum, D., et al. (2006). Prevalence of disorders of the autism spectrum in a population cohort of children in South Thames: The special needs and autism project (SNAP). Lancet, 368, 210–215.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baron-Cohen, S., Knickmeyer, R. C., & Belmonte, M. K. (2005). Sex differences in the brain: Implications for explaining autism. Science, 310, 815–823.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baron-Cohen, S., O’Riordan, M., Stone, V., Jones, R., & Plaisted, K. (1999). Recognition of faux pas by normally developing children and children with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29(5), 407–418.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belmonte, M. K., Allen, G., Beckel-Mitchener, A., Boulanger, L. M., Carper, R. A., & Webb, S. J. (2004a). Autism and abnormal development of brain connectivity. Journal of Neuroscience, 24, 9228–9231.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belmonte, M. K., Cook, E. H., Anderson, G. M., Rubenstein, J. L. R., Greenough, W. T., Beckel-Mitchener, A., et al. (2004b). Autism as a disorder of neural information processing: Directions for research and targets for therapy. Molecular Psychiatry, 9, 646–663.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bertrand, J., Mars, A., Bove, F., Yeargin-Allsopp, M., & Decoufle, P. (2001). Prevalence of autism in a United States population: The Brick Township, New Jersey, investigation. Pediatrics, 108, 1155–1161.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brock, J., Brown, C. C., Boucher, J., & Rippon, G. (2002). The temporal binding deficit hypothesis of autism. Developmental Psychopathology, 14, 209–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castelli, F., Frith, C., Happé, F., & Frith, U. (2002). Autism, Asperger syndrome and brain mechanisms for the attribution of mental states to animated shapes. Brain, 125, 1839–1849.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Catani, M., Jones, D. K., Daly, E., Embiricos, N., Deeley, Q., Pugliese, L., et al. (2008). Altered cerebellar feedback projections in Asperger syndrome. Neuroimage, 41, 1184–1191.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chakrabarti, B., Dudbridge, F., Kent, L., Wheelwright, S., Hill-Cawthorne, G., Allison, C., et al. (2009). Genes related to sex steroids, neural growth, and social-emotional behavior are associated with autistic traits, empathy, and Asperger syndrome. Autism Research, 2, 157–177.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dapretto, M., Davies, M. S., Pfeifer, J. H., Scott, A. A., Sigman, M., Bookheimer, S. Y., et al. (2006). Understanding emotions in others: Mirror neuron dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders. Nature Neuroscience, 9(1), 28–38.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, G., Carver, L., Meltzoff, A. N., Panagiotides, H., McPartland, J., & Webb, S. J. (2002). Neural correlates of face and object recognition in young children with autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, and typical development. Child Development, 73, 700–717.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ehlers, S., Gillberg, C., & Wing, L. (1999). A screening questionnaire for Asperger syndrome and other high-functioning autism spectrum disorders in school age children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29, 129–141.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fan, Y. T., Decety, J., Yang, C. Y., Liu, J. L., & Cheng, Y. (2010). Unbroken mirror neurons in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51(9), 981–988.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fombonne, E. (2001). What is the prevalence of Asperger disorder? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 363–364.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ghaziuddin, M., Weidmer-Mikhail, E., & Ghaziuddin, N. (1998). Comorbidity of Asperger syndrome: A preliminary report. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 42(2), 279–283.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gillberg, C. (1991). Clinical and neurobiological aspects of Asperger’s syndrome in six families studied. In U. Frith (Ed.), Autism and Asperger’s syndrome (pp. 122–146). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gillberg, C. (1998). Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism. British Journal of Psychiatry, 172, 200–209.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gillberg, C., & Cederlund, M. (2005). Asperger syndrome: Familial and pre- and perinatal factors. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35, 159–166.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Glasson, E. J., Bower, C., Petterson, B., de Klerk, N., Chaney, G., & Hallmayer, J. F. (2004). Prenatal factors and the development of autism. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 618–627.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Happé, F., Ehlers, S., Fletcher, P., Frith, U., Johansson, M., Gillberg, C., et al. (1996). ‘Theory of mind’ in the brain. Evidence from a PET scan study of Asperger syndrome. Neuroreport, 8(1), 197–201.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herbert, M. R., Ziegler, D. A., Makris, N., Filipek, P. A., Kemper, T. L., Normandin, J. J., et al. (2004). Localization of white matter volume increase in autism and developmental language disorder. Annals of Neurology, 55, 530–540.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Honda, H., Shimizu, Y., Imai, M., & Nitta, Y. (2005). Cumulative incidence of childhood autism: A total population study of better accuracy and precision. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 47, 10–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Just, M. A., Cherkassky, V. L., Keller, T. A., & Minshew, N. J. (2004). Cortical activation and synchronization during sentence comprehension in high-functioning autism: Evidence of underconnectivity. Brain, 127, 1811–1821.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kadesjö, B., Gillberg, C., & Hagberg, B. (1999). Brief report: Autism and Asperger syndrome in seven-year-old children: A total population study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29, 327–331.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kamp-Becker, I., Smdt, J., Ghahreman, M., Heinzel-Gutenbrunner, M., Becker, K., & Remschmidt, H. (2010). Categorical and dimensional structure of autism spectrum disorders: The nosologic validity of Asperger syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 921–929.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kilpinen, H., Ylisaukko-oja, T., Hennah, W., Palo, O. M., Varilo, T., Vanhala, R., et al. (2008). Association of DISC1 with autism and Asperger syndrome. Molecular psychiatry, 13, 187–196.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kogan, M. D., Blumberg, S. J., Schieve, L. A., Boyle, C. A., Perrin, J. M., Ghandour, R. M., et al. (2009). Prevalence of parent-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder among children in the US, 2007. Pediatrics, 124, 1395–1403.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leyfer, O. T., Folstein, S. E., Bacalman, S., Davis, N. O., Dinh, E., Morgan, J., et al. (2006). Comorbid psychiatric disorder in children with autism: Interview development and rates of disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 849–861.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lotspeich, L. J., Kwon, H., Schumann, C. M., Fryer, S. L., Goodlin-Jones, B. L., Uonocore, M. H., et al. (2004). Investigation of neuroanatomical differences between autism and Asperger syndrome. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 291–298.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mukaddes, N. M., Hergüner, S., & Tanidir, C. (2010). Psychiatric disorders in individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s disorder: Similarities and differences. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 11, 964–971.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar, N., Dixon, G., Bourke, J., Bower, C., Glasson, E., de Klerk, N., et al. (2009). Autism spectrum disorders in young children: Effect of changes in diagnostic practices. International Journal of Epidemiology, 38, 1245–1254.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nayate, A., Tonge, B. J., Bradshaw, J. L., McGinley, J. L., Iansek, R., & Rinehard, N. J. (2007). Differentiation of high-functioning autism and Asperger’s disorder based on neuromotor behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s10803-011-1299-5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nieminen-von Wendt, T., Metsähonkala, L., Kulomäki, T., Aalto, S., Autti, T., Vanhala, R., et al. (2003). Changes in cerebral blood flow in Asperger syndrome during theory of mind tasks presenting by the auditory route. European Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 12(4), 178–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., & Miller, J. N. (2000). The external validity of Asperger disorder: Lack of evidence from the domain of neuropsychology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2, 227–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., Rogers, S. J., & Pennington, B. F. (1991). Asperger’s syndrome: Evidence of an empirical distinction form high functioning autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 1107–1122.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., Strayer, D. L., McMahon, W. M., & Filloux, F. (1994). Executive function abilities in autism and Tourette syndrome: An information processing approach. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 3(6), 1015–1032.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pugliese, L., Catani, M., Ameis, S., Dell’Acqua, F., Thiebaut de Schotten, M., Murphy, D. C., et al. (2009). The anatomy of extended limbic pathways in Asperger syndrome: A preliminary diffusion tensor imaging tractography study. Neuroimage, 47(2), 427–434.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rhenström, K., Ylisaukko-oja, Niemienen-von wendt, T., Sarenius, S., Källman, T., Kempas, E., et al. (2006). Independent replication and initial fine mapping of 3p21-24 in Asperger syndrome. Journal of Medical Genetics, 43, e6. doi: 10.1136/jmg.2005.033621. Online publication.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice, C. (2009). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders—autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, United States, 2006. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Surveillance Summaries, 58(SS10), 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rinehart, N. J., Tonge, B. J., Bradshaw, J. L., Iansek, R., Enticott, P. G., & Johnson, K. A. (2006). Movement-related potentials in high-functioning autism and Asperger disorder. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 48, 272–277.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, R. E., Law, K., Yenokyan, G., McGready, J., Kaufmann, W. E., & Law, P. A. (2009). Characteristics and concordance of autism spectrum disorders among 277 twin pairs. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 163(10), 907–914.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubenstein, J. L., & Merzenich, M. M. (2003). Model of autism: increased ratio of excitation/ inhibition in key neural systems. Genes Brain and Behavior, 2, 255–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salyakina, D., Ma, D. Q., Jaworski, J. M., Konidari, I., Whitehead, P. L., Henson, R., et al. (2010). Variants in several genomic regions associated with Asperger disorder. Autism Research, 3, 303–310.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, R. T., Gauthier, I., Klin, A., Fulbright, R. K., Anderson, A. W., Volkmar, F., et al. (2000). Abnormal ventral temporal cortical activity during face discrimination among individuals with autism and Asperger syndrome. Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(4), 331–340.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki, Y., Critchley, H. D., Rowe, A., Howlin, P., & Murphy, D. G. M. (2003). Impaired olfactory identification in Asperger syndrome. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 15, 105–107.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Szatmari, P., Bartolucci, G., & Bremmer, R. (1989). Asperger’s syndrome and autism: Comparison of early history and outcome. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 31, 709–720.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thede, L. L., & Coolidge, F. L. (2007). Psychological and neurobehavioral comparisons of children with Asperger’s disorder versus high functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 37, 847–854.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volkmar, F. R., & Cohen, D. J. (1991). Comorbid association of autism and schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1705–1707.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Welchew, D. E., Ashwin, C., Berkouk, K., Salvador, R., Suckling, J., Baron-Cohen, S., et al. (2005). Functional disconnectivity of the medial temporal lobe in Asperger’s syndrome. Biological Psychiatry, 57, 991–998.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wermter, A.-K., Kamp-Becker, I., Hesse, P., Schulte-Körne, G., Strauch, K., & Remschmidt, H. (2009). Evidence for the involvement of genetic variation in the Oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) in the etiology of autistic disorders on high-functioning level. American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part B, 153B, 629–639.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wing, L. (1981). Asperger’s syndrome: A clinical account. Psychological Medicine, 11, 115–130.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wing, L. (2005). Reflections on opening Pandora’s box. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(2), 197–203.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wing, L., Gould, J., & Gillberg, C. (2011). Autism spectrum disorders in the DSM-V: Better or worse than the DM-IV? Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32, 768–773.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wing, L., & Potter, D. (2002). The epidemiology of autistic spectrum disorders: Is the prevalence rising? Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 8, 151–161.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (1994). The ICD-10 10 classification of mental and behavioral disorders (Diagnostic criteria for research). Geneva, Switzerland: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamasaki, S., Yamasue, H., Abe, O., Suga, M., Yamada, H., Inoue, H., et al. (2010). Reduced gray matter volume of pars opercularis is associated with impaired social communication in high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Biological Psychiatry, 68(12), 1141–1147.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ylisaukko-oja, T., Nieminen-von Wendt, T., Kaempas, E., Sarenius, S., Varilo, T., von wendt, L., et al. (2004). Genome-wide scan for loci of Asperger syndrome. Molecular Psychiatry, 9, 161–168.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, K. K., Cheung, C., Chua, S. E., & McAlonan, G. M. (2011). Can Asperger syndrome be distinguished from autism? An anatomic likelihood meta-analysis of MRI studies. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 36(2), 1–10. doi: 10.1503/jpn.100138. Advance online publication.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexia E. Metz Ph.D., OTR/L .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Metz, A.E. (2013). What We Know About Asperger Syndrome: Epidemiology and Etiology. In: DuCharme, R., Gullotta, T. (eds) Asperger Syndrome. Issues in Children's and Families' Lives. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7016-8_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics