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, Goldie A McQuaid
PMID 39569641WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adults aged 40-83 who screened positive for parkinsonism reported lower physical, environmental, and autism-specific quality of life, plus more memory, sleep, and depression issues.
These links persisted when excluding those on antipsychotics, but daily living skills findings did not.
Key findings
01Participants who screened positive for parkinsonism reported significantly lower quality of life in physical, environmental, and autism-specific domains compared to those who screened negative.
02Parkinsonism screening status was associated with greater self-reported memory difficulties, poorer sleep quality, and more severe depression symptoms, even after controlling for medication use.
03The association between parkinsonism screening status and reduced independence in daily living skills was not significant when excluding participants taking antipsychotic medications or with unknown medication status.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if parkinsonism causes these outcomes or if they co-occur due to other factors. All data, including parkinsonism screening and outcomes, were self-reported without clinical examination or medical records verification. The sample consisted of 'independent' adults who could consent for themselves, excluding those with intellectual disability, which limits generalizability to the broader autistic population. The association between parkinsonism and daily living skills was not significant when excluding participants on antipsychotics, suggesting medication use may confound functional outcomes. Prior discontinued antipsychotic use was not assessed, which could have lasting effects on motor symptoms.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these associations as evidence that treating parkinsonism will improve these outcomes, as no intervention was tested. Furthermore, do not assume that parkinsonism screening status alone explains reduced independence in daily living skills, as this finding was not significant when excluding participants taking antipsychotic medications.