More evidence found for increased risk of Parkinson’s in ASD

A study by researchers in Sweden, Israel, and the U.S. adds to evidence linking autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to an elevated risk for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Using Swedish national registers, Weiyao Yin and colleagues analyzed data on more than two million adults. They report, “After adjusting for sex, depression and antidepressant use, antipsychotic exposure, socioeconomic status, and parental mental illness or PD, ASD remained consistently associated with increased risk of PD.” They conclude, “These findings suggest a potential shared etiology between neurodevelopmental disorders and PD, warranting increased awareness of long-term neurological conditions in individuals with ASD.”

In earlier research (see ARRI Vol. 38, No. 3, 2024), Gregory Wallace and colleagues reviewed medical records for more than 247,000 people who were 45 years of age or older and had ASD, intellectual disability, or both. Their analysis showed that approximately 6% of individuals with either ASD or intellectual disability, and more than 7% of those with both conditions, exhibited symptoms of parkinsonism. In the general population, only 0.11% to 1.85% of individuals in the same age range have Parkinson’s-like symptoms.

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Citations

“Risk of Parkinson disease in individuals with autism spectrum disorder,” Weiyao Yin, Abraham Reichenberg, Michal Schnaider Beeri, Stephen Z. Levine, Jonas F. Ludvigsson, Martijn Figee, and Sven Sandin, JAMA Neurology, May 7 (online). Address: Weiyao Yin, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, [email protected].