The Association of Paternal IQ With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Its Comorbidities: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Year: 2019
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective Original case descriptions of autism noted that parents of the affected children tended to be highly educated and intelligent, a characterization that has endured publicly. Recent genetic studies indicate that risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is associated with high intelligence. We examined the association between paternal intelligence and ASD, considering co-occurring intellectual disability (ID) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method We used a register-based cohort study design including 360,151 individuals with fathers conscripted to the Swedish military, resident in Stockholm, Sweden, born from 1984 to 2008, and followed until December 31, 2011, for diagnosis of ASD, ADHD, and/or ID. Risk of neurodevelopmental disorders relative to paternal IQ (rated on a 9-point scale) was assessed using a score of 5 (average intelligence) as the referent in models accounting for potentially nonlinear relationships and clustering of siblings. Results We observed an association between high paternal IQ and offspring risk of ASD without ID/ADHD in models adjusted for individual and family characteristics (OR IQ=9 1.32, 95% CI 1.15−1.52), an association that appeared to be driven largely by the fathers' score on the technical comprehension portion of the test (OR Technical IQ = 9 1.53, 95% CI 1.31−1.78). Conversely, low paternal IQ was associated with ASD+ID (OR IQ = 1 1.78, 95% CI 1.27−2.49) and ASD+ADHD (OR IQ = 1 1.40, 95% CI 1.16−1.70); low paternal IQ was strongly associated with ID (OR IQ = 1 4.46, 95% CI 3.62−5.49) and present also for ADHD (OR IQ = 1 1.56, 95% CI 1.42−1.72)] without co-occurring ASD or ID. Conclusion The relationship between paternal IQ and offspring risk of ASD was nonmonotonic and varied by the presence of co-occurring disorders, probably reflecting phenotypic diversity among affected individuals.
Authors: Renee M. Gardner, Christina Dalman, Dheeraj Rai, Brian K. Lee, Håkan Karlsson
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,750
Funders: Stanley Medical Research Institute, Drexel University, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust/Institute of Cancer Research, National Institute for Health and Care Research, University of Bristol, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholms Läns Landsting, Vetenskapsrådet, Socialstyrelsen
Awards: G158726132, G1864101858, G6907778346
OpenAlex ID: W2941534306