Genetic and Environmental Covariation Between Autistic Traits and Behavioral Problems

Abstract

Our objective was to examine the overlap between autistic traits and other behavioral problems in a general population sample, and explore the extent to which this overlap is due to genetic or environmental factors. Youth Self Report (YSR) data were collected in a general population sample of 424 twin pairs at 18 years of age, and their nontwin siblings. In 197 of these twin families, self-report ratings on the Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ) were collected. Stepwise backward regression analyses revealed that of all 8 YSR syndrome scales, the Withdrawn Behavior (WB) and Social Problems (SOC) scale were the most important predictors of AQ scores, and together with sex, explained 23% of the variance in AQ scores. Genetic structural equation modeling showed that the overlap between AQ and WB and SOC was mainly due to genetic effects. About half of the genetic variance in AQ scores was specific to the AQ, with the remaining half shared with genetic variance in WB and SOC. Endorsement of autistic traits in a general population sample is associated with social and withdrawn behavioral problems and these problems partly share a common genetic etiology with autistic traits. However, most of the variance in AQ scores remains unexplained by YSR scores, and half of the genetic variance in AQ is unshared with WB and SOC. These results indicate that autistic traits have specific characteristics that are substantially genetically independent from other common but related behavioral domains such as social problems and withdrawn behavior.

Brief Report: Female-To-Male Transsexual People and Autistic Traits

“…This may also have led to difficulties socializing in a female peer group, and a feeling of belonging more in a male group, thus increasing the probability of GID. Assuming AQ is relatively stable throughout life, transmen can be assumed to have had an increased number of autistic traits in early development, possibly because of elevated foetal testosterone (FT) levels (Auyeung et al 2009;2010) and/or genetic factors (Hoekstra et al 2007). Such an idea fits with research based on studies of amniotic testosterone levels that show a correlation between foetal testosterone (FT) and autistic traits (Auyeung et al 2009;2010).…”

Disentangling the Associations Between Autistic-Like and Internalizing Traits: A Community Based Twin Study

“…Two studies found modest to moderate levels of phenotypic overlap between autistic-like and anxious/depressed traits at ages 7 to 15 (Constantino et al 2003) and 18 to 19 (Hoekstra et al 2007), but did not assess the etiological relationship within a quantitative genetic model. In our previous work using the current sample, we also found a modest phenotypic correlation between global measures of autistic-like and internalizing traits at age 8 to 9 years (Hallett et al 2009a).…”

Integrating Autism-Related Symptoms into the Dimensional Internalizing and Externalizing Model of Psychopathology. The TRAILS Study

“…A number of studies have shown the relevance of dimensional representations of autism related problems in clinical and general population samples (Constantino et al 2006;Frazier et al 2010Frazier et al , 2012Mandy et al 2012;Mulligan et al 2009;Reiersen, Constantino, Grimmer, Martin, and Todd 2008) as well as their genetic independence (Constantino, Hudziak, and Todd 2003;Hoekstra, Bartels, Hudziak, van Beijsterveldt, and Boomsma 2007). From this perspective, autism-related problems constitute a general dimension of individual differences rather than a specific dimension only relevant for a subsample of patients, similar to how internalizing and externalizing problems are conceived of.…”