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Association between fatigue and autistic symptoms in children with cri du chat syndrome
Anthony Claro1, Kim Cornish, Reut Gruber
1McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Insights
Children with cri du chat syndrome and high fatigue levels showed more autistic symptoms. Unexpectedly, high fatigue in the comparison group also increased autism expression, suggesting fatigue is a key factor.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Pediatric psychology
Background:
- Cri du chat syndrome is a genetic disorder associated with developmental delays.
- Autistic symptoms are frequently observed in children with genetic syndromes.
- Fatigue is a common but understudied symptom in children with disabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between fatigue levels and autistic symptoms in children with cri du chat syndrome.
- To compare this association with a control group of children with intellectual disabilities.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-nine children with cri du chat syndrome and 47 children with intellectual disabilities were assessed.
- Fatigue levels were measured using the Infant Sleep Questionnaire.
- Autistic symptoms were evaluated using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale.
Main Results:
- Children with cri du chat syndrome exhibiting high fatigue levels were more likely to display high autistic symptoms.
- Contrary to hypotheses, high fatigue in the comparison group also correlated with increased autistic symptom expression.
- Fatigue appears to be a significant vulnerability factor for autistic symptoms across different pediatric populations.
Conclusions:
- Fatigue is a critical factor to consider in the assessment and management of autistic symptoms in children with cri du chat syndrome.
- The findings highlight the need for further research into the mechanisms linking fatigue and autism.
- Interventions targeting fatigue may potentially mitigate autistic symptom severity in affected children.
Abstract:
In the current study, the authors examined whether the fatigue level of children diagnosed with cri du chat syndrome was associated with the expression of autistic symptoms. Sixty-nine children with cri du chat syndrome were compared with 47 children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities who did not differ on intellectual severity. Participants were assessed using the Infant Sleep Questionnaire ( J. M. B. Morrell, 1999 ) for fatigue-level rating and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale ( E. Schopler, R. J. Reichler, & B. R. Renner, 1988 ) for autism-level rating. In support of the authors' hypothesis, results indicated that children who exhibited high levels of fatigue were more likely to express high levels of autistic symptoms. Contrary to the authors' hypothesis, children in the comparison group who exhibited high levels of fatigue conferred the greatest vulnerability to the expression of autistic symptoms.
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