Bone Mass in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Chadi A Calarge, Janet A Schlechte
PMID 28342168WHAT IT FOUND
Boys with autism spectrum disorder on risperidone had lower trabecular bone density and bone strength at the ultra-distal radius than boys with other psychiatric disorders.
Total body less head and spine bone scans were not significant.
Key findings
01In 186 boys, ASD diagnosis was associated with significantly lower trabecular volumetric bone mineral density at the ultra-distal radius compared with other psychiatric disorders after adjustment.
02ASD diagnosis was also associated with significantly lower bone strength index at the ultra-distal radius after adjustment.
03DXA measures of total body less head bone mineral content and density, and lumbar spine bone mineral content and density, were not significantly associated with ASD.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The analysis was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that ASD caused low bone mass. It included only boys treated with risperidone, so it says nothing about girls or children not taking antipsychotics. Whole body DXA results were limited by small sample size, because only two of the smaller studies collected a whole body scan. ASD diagnosis did not use standardized methods such as the autism diagnostic observation schedule. Physical activity and diet were measured by parent report and food frequency, not serum vitamin D.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that autism alone causes low bone mass or that these findings apply to girls or children not taking risperidone. The study compared boys with ASD to boys with other psychiatric disorders, included only boys treated with risperidone, and was cross-sectional.