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The Autism-Spectrum Quotient—Italian Version: A Cross-Cultural Confirmation of the Broader Autism Phenotype

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Abstract

The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) has been used to define the ‘broader’ (BAP), ‘medium’ (MAP) and ‘narrow’ autism phenotypes (NAP). We used a new Italian version of the AQ to test if difference on AQ scores and the distribution of BAP, MAP and NAP in autism parents (n = 245) versus control parents (n = 300) were replicated in a Sicilian sample. Parents of children with autism spectrum conditions scored higher than the control parents on total AQ, social skills and communication subscales, and exhibited higher rates of BAP, MAP and NAP. We conclude that the Italian AQ is a cross-culturally reliable measure of these different phenotypes, and can be used to identify a phenotypic gradient of severity of autistic traits in families. To understand the molecular basis of these phenotypes will require its use in genetic association studies.

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Acknowledgments

SBC, SW, and LR were supported by a grant from the MRC UK and the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation during the period of this work. This work was conducted in association with the NIHR CLAHRC for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. The authors thank all the parents who participated to the study. We are grateful to Dr. Valeria Mannino and Dr. Nunzia Russo for helping with parents’ recruitment. LR submitted the study in part fulfilment of her degree of PhD at the University of Catania, Italy. Some data from this work was first presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), Chicago, 2009.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Liliana Ruta, Sally Wheelwright & Simon Baron-Cohen

  2. Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Paediatrics, University of Catania, via S. Sofia 78, 95123, Catania, Italy

    Liliana Ruta, Domenico Mazzone & Luigi Mazzone

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  1. Liliana Ruta
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  2. Domenico Mazzone
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Correspondence to Liliana Ruta.

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Ruta, L., Mazzone, D., Mazzone, L. et al. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient—Italian Version: A Cross-Cultural Confirmation of the Broader Autism Phenotype. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 625–633 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1290-1

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