Abstract
An estimate of the prevalence of autism in tuberous sclerosis (TSC) was made by interviewing the parents of 21 children between ages 3 and 11 ascertained during a previous population study of the condition in the West of Scotland. Five of the children (24%) were rated autistic and a further four (19%), all of whom were girls, has socially impaired behavior categorized as pervasive developmental disorder, without fulfilling all the DSM-III-R criteria for autism. One further boy had disruptive attention-seeking behavior that had excluded him from his, normal school. The estimated prevalence from this study of autism in TSC is 1 in 4 children in general, and 1 in 2 of those with mental retardation. Tuberous sclerosis could be a significant cause of autism and pervasive developmental disorders, particularly in girls.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bruce, A. (1967). Infantile autism.New Zeland Medical Journal, 66, 895–897.
Coleman, M., & Gillberg, C. (1985).The biology of the autistic Syndromes. New York: Praeger.
Connor, J. M. (1990). Epidemiology and genetic approaches in tuberous sclerosis. In Y. Ishibasi and Y. Hori (Eds.),Tuberous sclerosis and neurofibromatosis: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, biology and management (pp. 55–62), Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Critchley, M., & Earl, C. J. C. (1932). Tuberous sclerosis and allied conditions.Brain, 55, 311–346.
Dick, A. R., Ziegler, D. K. (1967). Tuberous sclerosis: A report of 2 cases.Journal of the Kansas Medical Society, 68, 102.
Fisher, W., Kerbeshian, J., Burd, L., & Kolstoe, P. (1986). Tuberous sclerosis and autism.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 28, 814–823.
Gomez, M. R. (1988).Tuberous sclerosis (pp. 9–19). New York: Raven.
Houser, O. W., & Nixon, J. R. (1988). Central nervous system imaging. In M. R. Gomez (Ed.),Tuberous sclerosis (pp. 51–62). New York: Raven.
Hunt, A. (1983). Tuberous sclerosis: A survey of 97 cases. III. Family aspects.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 25, 350–352.
Hunt, A., & Dennis, J. (1987). Psychiatric disorder among children with tuberous sclerosis.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 29, 190–198.
Jambaque, I., Cusmai, R., Curatolo, P., Cortesi, F., Perrot, C., & Dulac, O. (1991). Neuro psychological aspects of tuberous sclerosis in relation to epilepsy and MRI findings.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 33, 698–705.
Kanner L. (1943). Autistic disturbance of affective contact.Nervous Child, 2, 217–250.
Lawlor, B. A., & Maurer, R. G. (1987). Tuberous sclerosis and the autistic syndrome.British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 396–397.
Maki, Y., Enomoto, T., Maruyama, H., & Maekawa, K. (1979). Computed tomography in tuberous sclerosis.Brain & Development, 1, 38–48.
Mansheim, P. (1979). Tuberous sclerosis and autistic behavior.Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 40, 97–98.
Quine, L. (1991). Sleep problems with mental handicap.Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 35, 349–354.
Riikonen, R., & Amnell, G. (1981). Psychiatric disorder in children with earlier infantile spasms.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 23, 747–760.
Rutter, M., & Hersov, L. (1977).Child Psychiatry: Modem approaches. Oxford. Blackwell.
Sampson, J. R., Scahill, S. J., Stephenson, J. B. P., Mann, L., & Connor, J. M. (1989). Genetic aspects of tuberous sclerosis in the West of Scotland.Journal of Medical Genetics, 26, 28–31.
Shepherd, C. W., Beard M., Gomez, M. R., Kurland, L. T., & Whisnant, J. P. (1991). Tuberous sclerosis complex in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1950–1989.Archives of Neurology, 48, 400–401.
Steffanson, K., Wollmann., R. L., & Huttenlocher, P. R. (1988). Lineages of cells in the central nervous system. In M. R. Gomez (Ed.),Tuberous sclerosis (pp. 75–87). New York: Raven.
Taft, L., & Cohen, H. (1971). Hypsarrhythmia and infantile autism: A clinical report.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1, 337–349.
Wakschlag, L. S., Cook, E. H., Hammond, D. N., Leventhal, B. L., & Hopkins, J. (1991). Autism and tuberous sclerosis.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 21, 95–97.
Wing, L., & Gould, J. (1978). Systematic recording of behaviors and skills of retarded and psychotic children.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 8, 79–97.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by a grant from the Tuberous Sclerosis Association of Great Britain. The authors thank Jennifer Dennis for discussions during the preparation of the questionnaire and for collaboration on validating the recorded interviews.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hunt, A., Shepherd, C. A prevalence study of autism in tuberous sclerosis. J Autism Dev Disord 23, 323–339 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046223
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046223