Scherff Aline, Taylor Mark, Eley Thalia C, Happé Francesca, Charman Tony, Ronald Angelica
Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, 32 Torrington Square, London, WC1E 7JL, UK,
J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2014 May;42(4):601-10. doi: 10.1007/s10802-013-9796-y.
Autism shows a high degree of comorbidity with anxiety disorders. Adolescence is a time of increased stress and vulnerability to internalising problems. This study addresses for the first time the degree of genetic and environmental overlap between autistic traits (total measure and subscales) and internalising traits in a community-based adolescent twin sample. Parents of 12-14-year-old twins (N = 3,232 pairs; 3,460 males, 3,004 females) reported on the twins' internalising and autistic traits. Autistic trait subscales were created using principal component analysis. Bivariate twin model-fitting was conducted. Autistic and internalising traits correlated moderately (r = 0.30). Genetic influences on individual traits were substantial but genetic overlap between traits was moderate (genetic correlation: males = 0.30, females = 0.12). Shared environmental influences were low for internalising traits and moderate for autistic traits, and showed considerable overlap (shared environmental correlation: males = 0.53, females = 1). Nonshared environmental influences were moderate for internalising traits and low for autistic traits and showed low overlap. A multiple component solution was found for autistic traits and of the derived subscales, autistic-like 'Social Unease' showed the most phenotypic and genetic overlap with internalising traits.
自闭症与焦虑症具有高度的共病性。青少年时期是压力增加且易出现内化问题的时期。本研究首次探讨了在一个基于社区的青少年双胞胎样本中，自闭症特征（总量表及分量表）与内化特征之间的遗传和环境重叠程度。12至14岁双胞胎的父母（N = 3232对；男性3460名，女性3004名）报告了双胞胎的内化和自闭症特征。自闭症特征分量表通过主成分分析创建。进行了双变量双胞胎模型拟合。自闭症和内化特征呈中度相关（r = 0.30）。对个体特征的遗传影响很大，但特征之间的遗传重叠程度适中（遗传相关性：男性 = 0.30，女性 = 0.12）。内化特征的共享环境影响较低，自闭症特征的共享环境影响适中，且显示出相当大的重叠（共享环境相关性：男性 = 0.53，女性 = 1）。非共享环境影响对内化特征适中，对自闭症特征较低，且显示出低重叠。发现了自闭症特征的多成分解决方案，在派生的分量表中，类似自闭症的“社交不安”与内化特征表现出最大的表型和遗传重叠。
