Witwer Andrea N, Lecavalier Luc
Department of Psychology and Nisonger Center, Ohio State University, 305 McCampbell Hall, 1581 Dodd Drive, Columbus, OH 43210-1257, USA.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2008 Oct;38(9):1611-24. doi: 10.1007/s10803-008-0541-2. Epub 2008 Mar 8.
The classification of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is a topic of debate among clinicians and researchers with many questioning the validity of the distinction among subtypes. This manuscript examines the validity of three ASD subtypes (Autism, Asperger's, and PDDNOS) by reviewing 22 studies published between 1994 and 2006. We reviewed studies that examined differences between the subtypes in terms of clinical and demographic characteristics, neuropsychological profiles, comorbidity, and prognosis. Results largely did not support differences between autism and Asperger's disorder based on current diagnostic criteria. Overall, the most salient group differences were noted when samples were categorized on IQ. Drawing definitive conclusions is difficult due to the inconsistent application of diagnostic criteria and circularity in methods.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的分类是临床医生和研究人员之间争论的话题，许多人质疑亚型之间区分的有效性。本手稿通过回顾1994年至2006年间发表的22项研究，检验了三种ASD亚型（自闭症、阿斯伯格综合征和未特定的广泛性发育障碍）的有效性。我们回顾了那些在临床和人口统计学特征、神经心理学概况、共病情况和预后方面检验亚型之间差异的研究。根据当前的诊断标准，结果在很大程度上不支持自闭症和阿斯伯格综合征之间存在差异。总体而言，当根据智商对样本进行分类时，发现了最显著的组间差异。由于诊断标准应用不一致和方法存在循环性，很难得出明确的结论。
