Geurts Hilde M, Stek Max, Comijs Hannie
Autism & ADHD Research Center (d'Arc), Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Research & Development, Dr. Leo Kannerhuis Center for Autism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
GGZ InGeest, Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016 Feb;24(2):161-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2015.08.003. Epub 2015 Sep 3.
To study the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characteristics in older adults with and without depressive disorders and the social network and past negative life events in those with a high number of ASD characteristics and those without a large number of these characteristics.
This large, multisite, naturalistic, prospective cohort study used data from the Netherlands Study of Depression in Older persons (aged 60-90 years) with (N = 259) and without (N = 114) a depressive disorder according to DSM-IV criteria. ASD characteristics were measured with the abbreviated Autism Spectrum Quotient with a cutoff score of 70. Additional measures were the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, the Becks Anxiety Inventory, the Close Person Inventory, and the life events questionnaire.
Of the older adults with a depressive disorder, 31% showed elevated ASD characteristics, which is much higher than the observed 6% in the comparison group. High ASD characteristics were associated with elevated depression and anxiety symptoms and more comorbid anxiety disorders. Those with a high number of ASD characteristics did not differ in the size of their social network or the number of negative life events as compared with those with less ASD characteristics.
ASD might be overlooked in older adults, especially within geriatric psychiatry. When diagnosing and treating depression and anxiety in older patients, one should be attentive to ASD.
研究患有和未患有抑郁症的老年人中自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）特征的患病率，以及具有大量ASD特征和不具有大量这些特征的老年人的社交网络和过去的负面生活事件。
这项大型、多地点、自然主义的前瞻性队列研究使用了来自荷兰老年人抑郁症研究（年龄在60 - 90岁之间）的数据，根据DSM - IV标准，其中患有抑郁症的有259人，未患有抑郁症的有114人。ASD特征通过缩写版自闭症谱系商数进行测量，临界值为70分。其他测量工具包括复合国际诊断访谈、抑郁症状量表、贝克焦虑量表、亲密人物量表和生活事件问卷。
患有抑郁症的老年人中，31%表现出ASD特征升高，这远高于对照组中观察到的6%。高ASD特征与抑郁和焦虑症状加重以及更多共病焦虑症相关。与ASD特征较少的老年人相比，具有大量ASD特征的老年人在社交网络规模或负面生活事件数量上没有差异。
ASD在老年人中可能被忽视，尤其是在老年精神病学领域。在诊断和治疗老年患者的抑郁症和焦虑症时，应注意ASD。
