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A study of the neuropsychological correlates in adults with high functioning autism spectrum disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2016

Ronna Fried ,
Gagan Joshi ,
Pradeep Bhide ,
Amanda Pope ,
Maribel Galdo ,
Ariana Koster ,
James Chan ,
Stephen V. Faraone  and
Joseph Biederman
Ronna Fried*
Affiliation:
Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Gagan Joshi
Affiliation:
Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Pradeep Bhide
Affiliation:
Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA
Amanda Pope
Affiliation:
Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Maribel Galdo
Affiliation:
Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Ariana Koster
Affiliation:
Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
James Chan
Affiliation:
Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Stephen V. Faraone
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA Department of Biomedicine, K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychiatric Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
Joseph Biederman
Affiliation:
Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
*
Ronna Fried, Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street WRN 705, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Tel: +617-724-0963; Fax: +617-724-3742; E-mail: rfried@partners.org
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Abstract

Objective

To examine the unique neuropsychological presentation in adults with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASD) by comparison with adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods

Adults with ASD referred to a specialty clinic (n=26) were compared to two non-ASD groups with (n=52) and without (n=52) ADHD of similar age and sex.

Results

No differences in IQ were found. Subjects with HF-ASD were significantly more impaired than both comparison groups in processing speed, cognitive flexibility and sight words. Subjects with HF-ASD were more impaired than controls in working memory, but not the ADHD group.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that there may be specific neuropsychological correlates of HF-ASD differing from ADHD that could have significant implications for identifying individuals at risk for ASD.

Keywords

ADHDautism spectrum disordercognitive flexibilityneuropsychology
Type
Original Articles
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 28 , Issue 5 , October 2016 , pp. 286 - 295
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Copyright
© Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2016 

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