Autism Spectrum Disorder and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review

Abstract

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a group of conditions associated with the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and characterized by somatic and neuropsychological alterations. On the other hand, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a multifaceted neurobehavioral syndrome. Since alcohol can affect every stage of brain development, some authors hypothesized that in utero alcohol exposure might be linked to an increased risk of ASD in subjects with genetic vulnerability. The present review aimed to summarize the available literature on the possible association between FASD and ASD, also focusing on the reported clinical overlaps and on the possible shared pathogenic mechanisms. Studies in this field have stressed similarities and differences between the two conditions, leading to controversial results. The available literature also highlighted that both the disorders are often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, stressing the need to broaden the perspective, paying specific attention to milder presentations and sub-syndromic traits.

Investigating the relationship between autistic traits and symptoms and Catatonia Spectrum

“…In the validation study [1], the AdAS Spectrum questionnaire demonstrated an excellent reliability and a strong convergent validity with other scales employed in this field, such as the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Test [22] and the e Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale 14-item version [23]. The AdAS Spectrum has been used, in recent years, within numerous studies focusing on the autism spectrum both in clinical and in nonclinical settings [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33].…”

An investigation of the utility of the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in young children

“…There is no question that children with Autism have significant social and communication challenges but the attribution of this to PAE is controversial (Carpita et al, 2022). While autistic symptomology can be observed in children with FASD (Stevens et al, 2013), autistic symptomology can also be the result of early childhood neglect (Bishop et al, 2007; Carpita et al, 2022; Dodds, 2021). It may be timely to consider whether it is appropriate to continue using a diagnosis of Autism as evidence for “severe” impairment in this domain, particularly given that other behavioral disorders listed by the Guide for this domain cannot be used to establish a “severe” rating (i.e., oppositional defiance disorder and conduct disorder).…”

Perspective Chapter: Autism Spectrum Disorder Neurophenotype with Preconceptional and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure – A Call for Industry Responsibility in Prevention

“…Individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure are at risk for many DSM-5 psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions [16]. Co-occurrence may be overlooked for affected children who may have been exposed prior to pregnancy recognition or who have preconceptional alcohol-induced epigenetic factors that would not show up on chromosomal karyotype or genetic microarray analysis [17]. Neurobiology, neuropsychiatry, neuroimaging, and neurogenetics may assist in clarifying clinically overlapping phenotypes (i.e., co-morbid ASD and ND-PAE) when prenatal alcohol exposure is known.…”