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Mood Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Psychiatric Symptoms and Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Studies published so far have highlighted high rates of association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mood disorders. Data have shown that prevalence rates of co-occurring ASD and mood disorders range from 1.4 % to 70 %.

A factor that seems to account this variability is the cognitive ability: high-functioning autism individuals seem more likely to develop mood symptoms. In clinical practice the diagnostic process for mood symptoms in ASD is particularly challenging because autistic symptoms can cover comorbid symptoms, and proper screening tools specifically designed for this population are needed. Indeed, studies on the neurobiological bases of these conditions suggest a genetic overlap between ASD and mood disorders, but the available findings are still unclear.

The present chapter will describe the prevalence, the phenomenology and clinical features, the diagnostic process, neurobiological and genetic bases, and treatment of mood disorders in ASD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Marcus Autism Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Valentina Postorino

  2. Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, I.R.C.C.S. Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Valentina Postorino, Stefano Vicari & Luigi Mazzone

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  1. Valentina Postorino
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  2. Stefano Vicari
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  3. Luigi Mazzone
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Correspondence to Valentina Postorino .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy

    Luigi Mazzone

  2. National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Benedetto Vitiello

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Postorino, V., Vicari, S., Mazzone, L. (2016). Mood Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder. In: Mazzone, L., Vitiello, B. (eds) Psychiatric Symptoms and Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29695-1_1

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