The Relationship Between Repetitive Behaviors In UIC-ACE Probands with Parent BAPQ

Background: Features of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), both clinical and sub-clinical, have been noted in the general population and among families with members on the autism spectrum. The Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) has been conceptualized as phenotypic expressions of genetic risk for autism spectrum and used to examine potential genetic links between parents and children.

Objectives: The study examined the relationship between the BAP in parents, and repetitive behaviors, notably insistence on sameness (IS), in their children. It was hypothesized that a significant relationship would exist between parental measurements of sub-clinical ASD features (BAPQ) and repetitive behaviors in children with ASD (RBS-R and ADI-R).

Methods: The current study’s sample included parents (n (M) =95, n (D) =81), and their children (n=95, age 11.5 years +/- 8.1 (S.D.), 73 males, 22 females) who have been diagnosed with an ASD by ADI-R, ADOS, and best estimate.  The BAP was measured through the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ), which identifies three parental characteristics implicated in the autism phenotype: Aloofness, Rigidity, and deficits in Pragmatic Language. Repetitive Behaviors were measured through the Repetitive Behavior Scale- Revised (RBS-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior (RRSB) domain, subdomains, and insistence on sameness factor. Subjects were from the Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC-ACE).

Results: A significant association was noted between maternal BAPQ-Rigid scores and the ADI-R Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors and Interests (RRSB)(C) domain (r=0.23, n=95, p<0.03), and also the Encompassing Preoccupations (C1) subdomain (r=0.30 ,n=95, p<0.01). Analysis indicated a significant relationship between maternal BAPQ-Pragmatic Language score and RBS-R-Sameness (r=0.24, n=93, p<0.03), as well as RBS-R-Self Injurious Behaviors (SIB) (r=0.29, n=93, p<0.01); the correlation between maternal BAPQ Pragmatic Language and RBS-R Total was r=0.18, n=93, p=0.08.  All other correlations were not significant (p > 0.15), including the non-significant relationship between parental BAPQ-Total scores and overall RBS-R scores for mothers or fathers (p > 0.49 ). None of the findings withstood corrections for multiple comparisons.

Conclusions: The data suggests an association between maternal BAPQ-Rigid scores and the ADI-R RRSB domain and encompassing preoccupations (C1) subdomain, but no associations between overall parental BAPQ-Rigid scores and RBS-R.  There was an unanticipated, small positive correlation between maternal BAPQ-Pragmatic Language and the RBS-R-Sameness and RBS-R-SIB scores.  Because the data is from an interim sample, further analysis of expanded data in this study and other samples may indicate relationships not noted in the current study.