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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 22, 2015

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Developmental functioning and medical Co-morbidity profile of children with complex and essential autism

Jaimie Flor1,2, Jayne Bellando1,2, Maya Lopez1,2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.

Autism Research : Official Journal of the International Society for Autism Research
|May 6, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are classified as "complex" or "essential." Complex cases, identified by microcephaly or dysmorphology, show lower cognitive and adaptive scores, and more medical issues like GI symptoms and medication use.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Genetics and Genomics

Background:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are heterogeneous, with subtypes potentially impacting clinical presentation.
  • Previous research suggests 'complex' ASD (with microcephaly/dysmorphology) differs from 'essential' ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate developmental, psychological, and medical differences between complex and essential ASD subtypes.
  • To determine if physical characteristics predict distinct clinical trajectories in children with ASD.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 1,347 children (2-17 years) in the Autism Treatment Network (ATN) Registry.
  • Classified subjects as complex or essential ASD based on head circumference and the Autism Dysmorphology Measure (ADM).
  • Compared cognitive, adaptive, quality of life, medical comorbidities (GI symptoms), and medication use between groups.

Main Results:

  • Complex ASD subjects had significantly lower cognitive, adaptive, and quality of life scores.
  • Complex ASD subjects exhibited increased physician-documented GI symptoms and higher medication counts.
  • No significant differences were found in autism severity, behavioral ratings, or sleep problems.

Conclusions:

  • Complex and essential ASD subtypes demonstrate distinct developmental and medical profiles.
  • Identifying microcephaly and dysmorphology is crucial for evaluating children with autism.
  • Subtyping may inform prognosis, co-morbidity identification, and treatment strategies for ASD.

Keywords:
autismchildrendevelopmentaldysmorphologyessential autism complex autismmicrocephaly

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