Investigation of the neurocognitive profile of broad autism phenotype in parents of autistics

SUMMARY Objective: In this study we aimed to determine the cognitive aspects of broad autism phenotype in parents of autistic children, we also aimed to examine the effect of these cognitive aspects over intelligence. Method: Parents of autistic probands (n=64) are included in our study. Autistic probands are treated in DEÜTF child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic and diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria. Parents of Down's syndrome probands (n^öO) are selected as control group. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Stroop Test, Rey Auditory- Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test (WAIS) were administered to both groups for evaluating executive functions, attention, inhibition, verbal memory, verbal learning and intelligence. Results: Mothers of autistic probands have superior performance than mothers of control group on WCST, which indicates executive functions. No group differences was determined in Stroop test which shows attention and inhibition ability. No group differences are found among mothers of autistic probands and control group in RAVLT that evaluate verbal learning and memory skills, however fathers of low-functioning autistic probands have showed superior performance in post-distraction recall ability in RAVLT. Although some advantages were found in parents of low- functioning autistic group in WAIS subtests, no significant Intelligent Quotient (IQ) differences have found among parents in both groups. Conclusion: Results suggest that parents of autistic proband could display discrepant cognitive style, moreover cognitive style of parents of high and low-functioning autistic children could differantiate within two groups, nevertheless results are failed to detect a cognitive deficit and a prototype cognitive profile of broad autism phenotype in parents of autistic children. We assume that some cognitive advantages that are seen in parents of autistic probands could help/for extra-cognitive deficiencies of broad autism phenotype.