First, sorry for my almost three-month hiatus. I am back, anyway. A few days ago, I commented on someone in a YouTube video claiming that high-functioning autism and Asperger’s Syndrome are subtly different in other ways than language acquisition. I disagreed based on DSM-IV criteria. However, the DSM-IV can be criticized, and it remains an ongoing debate whether HFA and Asperger’s are distinct.
Yu et al. (2011) did a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on people with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome to determine grey matter volume differences. In each of the analyzed studies, Asperger’s or autistic individuals were compared to controls, so the two groups were not directly compared. Note that autism or Asperger’s diagnostic status was determined based on the absence or presence of language delay.
It was found that not only did autistic individuals’ brains differ more from controls’ brains than the Asperger’s brains differed from those of controls, but that different areas within the grey matter were affected. Specifically, the studies on HFA people showed lower volumes in the cerebellum, right uncus, dorsal hippocampus and middle temporal gyrus compared with controls and grey matter volumes greater than in controls in the bilateral caudate, prefrontal lobe and ventral temporal lobe. In Asperger’s Syndrome people, lower grey matter volumes were found in the bilateral amygdala/hippocampal gyrus and prefrontal lobe, left occipital gyrus, right cerebellum, putamen and precuneus. Grey matter volumes were greater in fewer areas than among HFA subjects, including in the bilateral inferior parietal lobule and the left fusiform gyrus. The areas that are dissimilarly affected in Asperger’s versus HFA are not only related to language acquisition. The authors discuss observed differences between Asperger’s and HFA in the light of neuroimaging. They go so far as to speculate that Asperger’s should be considered more similar to schizophrenia on a continuum of neuropsychopathology than should autism.
Reference
Yu KK, Cheung C, Chua SE, McAlonan GM (2011), Can Asperger Syndrome Be Distinguished from Autism?: An Anatomic Likelihood Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 36(6): 412-421. DOI: 10.1503/jpn.100138.
Since you’ve been gone awhile, I’m not sure if you know that my son was diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified in ASD. Well, there’s an update for you. And welcome back!
I started to notice some similarities between ASD and bipolar disorder when it comes to sensory reactions. Children with ASD have sensory needs, whether they are sensory seeking or avoidant. I’ve noticed that people with bipolar disorder begin to have similar sensory needs when symptoms appear. This is just observation from the bipolar community blogs and observation of my son and my brother who have very different sensory needs (my son is a seeker, my brother is avoidant).
I found that it was also interesting that four people in my family carrying Dx’s (brother with classical Autism, sister with BP I, and son with PDD-NOS), all fall within Autism Spectrum Disorder or Bipolar Disorder (which is a spectrum as well).
What do you think?
I’ve never heard about common sensory problems in bipolar disorder, and I don’t think that bipolar is similar to autism or is some form of autism, if that’s what you’re wondering. they aren’t similar at all except for this sensory thing I’m unsure is a similarity…
I’ve had a look through the full paper here
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3201995/?tool=pubmed
“higher paranoia scores in people with Asperger syndrome compared with controls”
This is one of the statements supporting their proposition that Asperger’s is linked with Schizophrenia.
However, I can see little evidence for them having taken into account the psychosocial aspects of Asperger’s, and as for their statements about Risperidone shutting up Asperger’s people as effectively as Schizophrenics – well, sedating someone to near-unconsciousness will deal with most mental disorders – real or imagined.
Woeful in the extreme.
@LunaSunshine: I have never heard that bipolars have similar sensory needs to autistics, or that bipolar is in any way related to autism. I will research this when I have the time.
@Socrates: as far as I know (I got the paper from the same source you did) the study did not say that Asperger’s is like schizophrenia, just that they share some common traits and that, on a spectrum of neurodevelopmental psychopathology Asperger’s would be closer to schizopphrenia than would autism. I agree with the rest of w hat you say, and the point about risperidone seems totally backwards indeed.
Neither have I, and I’m not sure that any research exists. But there is research supporting the connection between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Logically, you can follow the dots.
I’ve observed sensory disturbances through first-hand accounts on other blogs. One mentioned sensory avoidance, because it aggrevated their condition. Another mentioned sensory seeking behavior because it eased their symptoms. Anecdotally, I face similar sensory disturbances. I seek tactile and pressure stimulation when I am in a depressive state and auditory avoidance when irritated. Auditory stimulation makes the irritation worse. Sometimes, I’ve had to isolate myself with pillows wrapped around my head.
It’s curious. How do you experience sensory imput?
That’s a lie! Schitzoids and Aspies DO NOT mix; this happened when I was abused by a schitzoid. I will do anything with what little power I have to delete mental health from the face of this earth. To call us “close to schitzophrenic” is not only incriminating, but near racist and stereotypist. People with Asperger’s have one thing that separates them from schitzoids: Have anyone with schitzophrenia ever won a Nobel Prize?! And, did you know that twice as many people have Asperger’s than other severe mental illness. To call us schitzophrenics is an insult…no wait, I take that back: To call us this is to essentially say we are insane. We are more sane than anyone with mental illness. However, that alone doesn’t help my situation, where Aspies are considered mentally ill. Medications are considered a dangerous treatment for Aspies because of the fact that we have severe adverse reactions to the medications’ side effects. I have, and medications had scarred me for life.
Another blessing of Asperger’s is that some of us have special psychic abilities. Mine happen to be in the areas of talking with someone online and somehow knowing where they lost their things. Any of you schitzoids know how to do this?
How about you mentally ill freaks of nature out there that we sense hostility stronger than you?
Another: What if we’re abuse victims of mental health?! Hmm?! I am. I was scammed by “professionals” before…thrice! I got blamed for their actions against me every time. We Aspies are going to one day gang up and force Virginia to revolutionize their mental health laws. There’ s no real money anyway, especially due to the economy!
@Alterna: ast he owner of this blog, I want to remind you that your comment is stereotyped and offensive towards people with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. Just because you were abused by a schizophrenic doesn’t mean all or even most people with mental illnesses are abusive, dangerous or in any way “less”. Besides, many Aspies do have comorbid mental health conditions, including severe ones. Please stop making comments like this on my blog.
You sound like a complete troll. And guys, sometimes trolls come on blogs, keep in mind.
Nobel prize John Nash. A genius affected by schizophrenia.
I’m not sure what to think. It is interesting that autism was once considered childhood schizophrenia, wasn’t it? I wonder where my son would be considered, He’s had a lot of labels, but language wise, he was echolaic until age 9. I mean, he got by, but much of what he said was a “script” from t.v. shows, where he received non-threatening auditory/visual feedback in order to learn language, I’m guessing. Would he still be considered Aspergers? Or HFA? He also has Dyslexia. Lucky kid, eh? So much to over come. He is adopted, though, so any relation genetically is nil, it would have to be environmental.
I, myself, was diagnosed Schizoid, but I don’t know if it was situational or not. I always was “different”, and my father was textbook paranoid, but neither of us had visual hallucinations or any of the other negative symptoms. We were just easily overwhelmed by people. He was a bartender, though, and made good despite it. Booze, the poor mans neuroleptic. Who knew? Most of his family were heavy drinkers.
Anyways, why I am here is, I once let you know about Valproates and autism. Dr. Jon Brock, medical researcher, had a very fine write-up on it, that was infinitely more instructive than anything I’ve seen.
http://crackingtheenigma.blogspot.com/2011/01/of-autistic-mice-and-men.html
He’s a good guy, and his blog is very interesting.
Thanks. Rose.
Interesting article. At least i know that there is actual research that supports the claim that autism and aspergers are separate disorders. It makes more sense than “well, just look at my kid and look at your kid – clearly they are different”.
What is the research ? I’m still not sure, my original impression (after getting enough info) was that AS overlaps with others on the spectrum enough to be on the spectrum but that there was just differences between HFA and AS, and I’ve also read about brain differences, (but this doesn’t mean they’re completely separate… depends on what the differences are exactly, and also I think I read something about differences in LFA and HFA too anyways)
I’m still rather skeptical of the claim that those diagnosed with aspergers are inherently different from those diagnosed with HFA considering that autism is diagnosed based on behaviour.
I’m looking forward to any other papers on the subject.
Having young adult children with high functioning autism, I have frequently heard through the years that many things are related to genetic autism including bipolar disorder (I have bipolar II disorder – I have often said that having kids with autism CAUSES bipolar disorder – although my symptoms predated their birth), learning disabilities, ADHD, etc. Bipolar disorder, learning disabilities, and ADHD run rampant through our extended family on both sides. Also determination, genius, and talent runs rampant through our family on both sides.
It can be related someway but that doesn’t mean that bipolar is similar in a way that it should be like, on the autism spectrum or something, or the symptoms are similar (not many common things there). So what do you mean by related ? And a family having all of them (especially since some people with autism are just put as ADHD, and especially after I read about some signs being mistaken for that, when they’re different) isn’t necessarily evidence.
I have Aspergers, so does my son. As a teacher, and human, I’ve worked with and have met all ends of the spectrum. I believe Aspergers and autism are very different. Thanks for the post.