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Do autism-related personality traits explain higher paternal age in autism?

Molecular Psychiatry volume 13, pages 243–244 (2008)Cite this article

In a historical population-based cohort study, we reported a nearly sixfold increased risk of autism in the offspring of Israeli fathers aged 40 years and older compared to those under 30 years,1 a finding observed in several other samples.2, 3 While we suggested that accumulating de novo mutations in the spermatogonia of older fathers might account for this finding,1 an alternative explanation is that deferred paternity is a function of genetic traits present in the fathers of autistic children. Personality traits such as aloofness, rigidity, anxiousness and hypersensitivity, collectively called the broader autism phenotype (BAP), are overexpressed in unaffected relatives of autism probands.4, 5 Delayed paternity may be a social effect of these phenotypes in familial autism. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the relationship between these BAP traits and age at first procreation, regardless of affected status, in a sample of 131 fathers and mothers of autistic children.

As described elsewhere,6 families with at least two children meeting autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) criteria specified below were recruited as part of an ongoing family study. We used the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised7 to assess and diagnose Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) autism as well as prespecified criteria for other ASDs.6 The Modified Personality Assessment Schedule-Revised4, 5 was administered independently to parents and informants (usually the other spouse) to measure rigidity, aloofness, anxiousness and hypersensitivity. Parent and informant reports were combined to form best estimate scores, reflecting the trait as absent, present but mild or severe (scores of ‘0’, ‘1’ and ‘2’).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, One Gustave Levy Place, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    C M Puleo, A Reichenberg, C J Smith, L A Kryzak & J M Silverman

  2. Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK

    A Reichenberg

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  1. C M Puleo
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  2. A Reichenberg
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  3. C J Smith
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  4. L A Kryzak
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  5. J M Silverman
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Correspondence to J M Silverman.

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Puleo, C., Reichenberg, A., Smith, C. et al. Do autism-related personality traits explain higher paternal age in autism?. Mol Psychiatry 13, 243–244 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4002102

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