Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Relationship Between Restrictive and Repetitive Behaviors in Individuals with Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms in Parents

  • Published:
Child Psychiatry and Human Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between repetitive behaviors in individuals with autism and obsessive-compulsive behaviors in parents. We hypothesized that repetitive behaviors in probands with autism would be associated with increased obsessive-compulsive behaviors in parents in sporadic families (1 known case of autism per family and no known history of autism). Parents with clinically significant Y-BOCS scores were more likely to have a family history of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The empirically derived Autism Diagnostic Interview-R (ADI-R) factor, Insistence on Sameness, was positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive behaviors in parents. Further, when probands were grouped on the basis of parental Y-BOCS scores (clinically significant versus non-clinically significant), probands whose parents had clinically significant Y-BOCS scores had higher ADI-R Insistence on Sameness factor scores. The findings of the current study of sporadic families extend previous work that has shown an association between restrictive/repetitive behaviors in probands with autism and obsessive-compulsive features in parents.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. ML Cuccaro Y Shao J Grubber et al. (2003) ArticleTitleFactor analysis of restricted and repetitive behaviors in autism using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-R Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 34 3–17 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1025321707947 Occurrence Handle14518620

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. M Alarcon RM Cantor J Liu TC Gilliam DH Geschwind (2002) ArticleTitleEvidence for a language quantitative trait locus on chromosome 7q in multiplex autism families Am J Hum Genet 70 60–71 Occurrence Handle10.1086/338241 Occurrence Handle11741194

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. JM Silverman CJ Smith J Schmeidler et al. (2002) ArticleTitleSymptom domains in autism and related conditions: Evidence for familiality Am J Med Genet 114 64–73 Occurrence Handle10.1002/ajmg.10048 Occurrence Handle11840508

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. RK Abramson HH Wright ML Cuccaro et al. (1992) ArticleTitleBiological liability in families with autism J Am Acad Child AdolescPsychiatry 31 370–371

    Google Scholar 

  5. EH Cook SuffixJr. DA Charak J Arida JA Spohn NJM Roizen BL Leventhal (1994) ArticleTitleDepressive and obsessive-comprehensive symptoms in hyperserotonemic parents of children with autistic disorder Psychiatry Res 52 25–33 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0165-1781(94)90117-1 Occurrence Handle8047619

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. J Piven J Gayle GA Chase et al. (1990) ArticleTitleA family history study of neuropsychiatric disorders in the adult siblings of autistic individuals J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 29 177–183 Occurrence Handle2324058

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. PF Bolton A Pickles M Murphy M Rutter (1998) ArticleTitleAutism, affective and other psychiatric disorders: patterns of familial aggregation Psychol Med 28 385–395 Occurrence Handle10.1017/S0033291797006004 Occurrence Handle9572095

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. J Piven P Palmer (1999) ArticleTitlePsychiatric disorder and the broad autism phenotype: evidence from a family study of multiple-incidence autism families Am J Psychiatry 156 557–563 Occurrence Handle10200734

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. E Hollander A King K Delaney CJ Smith JM Silverman (2003) ArticleTitleObsessive-compulsive behaviors in parents of multiplex autism families Psychiatry Res 117 11–16 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0165-1781(02)00304-9 Occurrence Handle12581816

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. ER Hauser RM Watanabe WL Duren MP Bass CD Langefeld M Boehnke (2004) ArticleTitleOrdered subset analysis in genetic linkage mapping of complex traits Genet Epidemiol 27 53–63 Occurrence Handle10.1002/gepi.20000 Occurrence Handle15185403

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Y Shao ML Cuccaro ER Hauser et al. (2003) ArticleTitleFine mapping of autistic disorder to chromosome 15q11-q13 by use of phenotypic subtypes Am J Hum Genet 72 539–548 Occurrence Handle10.1086/367846 Occurrence Handle12567325

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. C Lord A Pickles J McLennan et al. (1997) ArticleTitleDiagnosing autism: Analyses of data from the Autism Diagnostic Interview J Autism DevDisord 27 501–517 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1025873925661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. SS Sparrow D Balla D Cicchetti (1984) Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Interview Edition AGS Publishing Circle Pines, MN

    Google Scholar 

  14. P Baker J Piven Y Sato (1998) ArticleTitleAutism and tuberous sclerosis complex: prevalence and clinical features J Autism Dev Disord 28 279–285 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1026004501631 Occurrence Handle9711484

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. F Volkmar EH Cook SuffixJr. J Pomeroy G Realmuto P Tanguay (1999) ArticleTitlePractice parameters for the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders. American academy of child and adolescent psychiatry working group on quality issues. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 38 32S–54S Occurrence Handle10624084

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. M Cuccaro MP Bass RK Abramson et al. (2000) ArticleTitleFactor-analysis of behavorial characteristics in Autistic disorder (AD) Am J Hum Genet 67 IssueID302 1665A

    Google Scholar 

  17. G Steketee R Frost K Bogart (1996) ArticleTitleThe Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale: Interview versus self-report Behav Res Ther 34 675–684 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0005-7967(96)00036-8 Occurrence Handle8870295

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. WK Goodman LH Price SA Rasmussen et al. (1989) ArticleTitleThe Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. I. Development, use, and reliability Arch Gen Psychiatry 46 1006–1011 Occurrence Handle2684084

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. L Baer MW Brown-Beasley J Sorce AI Henriques (1993) ArticleTitleComputer-assisted telephone administration of a structured interview for obsessive-compulsive disorder Am J Psychiatry 150 1737–1738 Occurrence Handle8214187

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. JH Greist (1990) ArticleTitleTreatment of obsessive compulsive disorder: psychotherapies, drugs, and other somatic treatment J Clin Psychiatry 51 IssueIDSuppl 44–50

    Google Scholar 

  21. S Bejerot L Nylander E Lindstrom (2001) ArticleTitleAutistic traits in obsessive-compulsive disorder Nord J Psychiatry 55 169–176 Occurrence Handle10.1080/08039480152036047 Occurrence Handle11827611

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Bebbington PE (1998) Epidemiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Br J Psychiatry Suppl. 2–6, 1998

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. W.S. Hall Psychiatric Institute, University of South Carolina, USA

    RK Abramson, SA Ravan, HH Wright & K Wieduwilt

  2. Center for Human Genetics, Duke University Medical Center, USA

    CM Wolpert, SA Donnelly, MA Pericak-Vance & ML Cuccaro

Authors
  1. RK Abramson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. SA Ravan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. HH Wright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K Wieduwilt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. CM Wolpert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. SA Donnelly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. MA Pericak-Vance
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. ML Cuccaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to ML Cuccaro.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Abramson, R., Ravan, S., Wright, H. et al. The Relationship Between Restrictive and Repetitive Behaviors in Individuals with Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms in Parents. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 36, 155–165 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-005-2973-7

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-005-2973-7

Key words

Search

Navigation