Cross-sectional study finds altered reaction time and visual memory in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, suggesting subclinical cognitive endophenotypes.
Key Points
To evaluate neurocognitive profiles and candidate Broad Autism Phenotype endophenotypes in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder compared to parents of neurotypical children.
Cross-sectional study enrolling 124 parents of children aged 2 to 12 years.
Neurocognitive function was measured using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), assessing Reaction Time (RTI), Spatial Working Memory (SWM), and Paired Associates Learning (PAL).
Correlations between parental cognitive performance and child symptom severity (assessed via CARS and ABC) were analyzed, alongside binary logistic regression to identify predictors of ASD parental status.
Parents of children with ASD demonstrated significantly poorer performance on the RTI task (attention and psychomotor speed) and the PAL task (visual episodic memory) compared to control parents.
Five-choice reaction time (RTIFMDMT) was the sole significant independent predictor of being a parent of a child with ASD in binary logistic regression analysis.
Child autism severity scores on CARS and ABC showed no significant correlation with parental neurocognitive test performance.