Links between co-occurring social-communication and hyperactive-inattentive trait trajectories

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Genetics

Background:

• Cross-sectional studies show overlap between autistic and hyperactive-inattentive symptoms.
• Longitudinal data on the association between these symptoms is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the longitudinal association between social-communication deficits and hyperactive-inattentive symptoms from childhood to adolescence.
• To explore shared prenatal/perinatal risk factors for co-occurring symptom trajectories.

Main Methods:

• Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was used to model symptom trajectories in 5,383 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
• Measurements included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Social Communication Disorder Checklist from ages 4 to 17.
• Associations with prenatal/perinatal risk factors were investigated.

Main Results:

• Two social-communication trajectories (persistently impaired, low-risk) and four hyperactive-inattentive trajectories were identified.
• Autistic symptoms were more stable than attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors.
• Persistent hyperactive-inattentive symptoms strongly predicted persistent social-communication deficits, but not vice versa.
• Maternal smoking in the first trimester and teenage pregnancy were shared predictors, especially for persistent impairment trajectories.

Conclusions:

• A complex, evolving relationship exists between social-communication and hyperactive-inattentive traits over time.
• Findings support reconsidering diagnostic exclusivity criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD.