Parkinsonism may lower quality of life in ASD

Many adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit parkinsonism—symptoms seen in Parkinson’s disease, such as tremors, slow movement, rigidity, and unstable posture—and a new study indicates that these symptoms can significantly impact their lives.

Earlier research by Gregory Wallace and colleagues (see ARRI Vol. 38, No. 3, 2024) found that approximately 6% of individuals 45 years of age or older with either ASD or intellectual disability, and more than 7% of those with both conditions, exhibited Parkinson’s-like symptoms. In the general population, only 0.11% to 1.85% of individuals in the same age range exhibit these symptoms.

In their new research, Wallace and colleagues compared 119 middle-aged and older individuals with ASD who had positive scores on a parkinsonism screen to 260 who had a negative screen. They report, “Overall, co-occurring parkinsonism was linked with lower subjective quality of life, more memory problems, lower sleep quality, and greater depression symptoms in autistic adults.”

The researchers say their findings “implicate an important co-occurring motoric phenotype in middle and older adulthood for autistic people that could have significant real-world impacts yet has been largely neglected in the extant literature to date.”

Citations

“Elevated parkinsonism symptoms in autism during middle and older adulthood are linked with psychosocial, physical health, and mental health outcomes,” Gregory L. Wallace, Alex Job Said, and Goldie A. McQuaid, Autism Research, November 21, 2024 (online). Address: Gregory Wallace, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, [email protected].