Abstract
In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), medical conditions in infancy could be predictive markers for later ASD diagnosis. In this study, electronic medical records of 579 autistic individuals and 1897 matched controls prior to age 2 were analyzed for potential predictive conditions. Using a novel tool, the relative association of each condition in the autistic group was compared to the control group using logistic regressions across medical records. Generalized convulsive epilepsy, nystagmus, lack of normal physiological development, delayed milestones, and strabismus were more likely in those later diagnosed with ASD while perinatal jaundice was less likely to be associated. Lesser-known conditions, such as strabismus and nystagmus, may point to novel predictive co-occurring condition profiles which could improve screening practices for ASD.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s BioVU repository and all patients who contributed their information to their rich dataset. They would also like to acknowledge Shikha Chaganti and Cailey Kerley for their support in operating the pyPheWAS tool.
Funding
The datasets used for the analyses described were obtained from Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s BioVU which is supported by numerous sources: institutional funding, private agencies, and federal grants. These include the NIH funded Shared Instrumentation Grant S10RR025141; and Clinical and Translational Science Awards grants UL1TR002243, UL1TR000445, and UL1RR024975. Ms. Eyoh was supported by the National Institutes of Mental Health Grant R01-MH102272 during the completion of this work. Dr. Failla was supported by a National Institute of Mental Health training Grant (T32-MH18921) and by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (TL1TR002244-03) during the completion of this work. This work was also supported in part by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering training grant T32-EB021937, National Institute of General Medical Sciences training grant T32-GM007347, the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development grant U54HD08321105.
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Ekomobong E. Eyoh performed initial and revised data analysis and interpretation, drafted the manuscript, created figures and tables, and reviewed and revised the final manuscript. Michelle D. Failla designed the study, drafted the initial manuscript, and reviewed and revised the manuscript. Zachary J. Williams assisted in data analysis and interpretation, figure creation, and drafting/revising the manuscript. Kyle L. Schwartz assisted in drafting the initial manuscript and reviewed and revised the manuscript. Laurie E. Cutting, Bennett A. Landman, and Carissa J. Cascio conceptualized and designed the study, coordinated and supervised data analysis, and reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
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The authors declare they have no financial interests. Zachary Williams has served as a consultant for Roche. He also serves on the family advisory committee of the Autism Speaks Autism Care Network Vanderbilt site and the autistic researcher review board of the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P). The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
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Eyoh, E.E., Failla, M.D., Williams, Z.J. et al. Brief Report: The Characterization of Medical Comorbidity Prior to Autism Diagnosis in Children Before Age Two. J Autism Dev Disord 53, 2540–2547 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05380-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05380-3