Asperger Syndrome: Associated Psychiatric and Medical Conditions

M. Ghaziuddin, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Fall 2002; 17, 3: pages 138 - 144.

Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a pervasive developmental disorder characterised by social dysfunction and idiosyncratic interests in the presence of normal intelligence. There is no history of language delay. Persons with AS are often described as being active but odd, with a pedantic manner of speaking. In addition, they often present with a variety of medical and psychiatric conditions, a topic that has not received systematic study. This review summarises the literature on this topic, with particular reference to publications in the last two decades. The purpose is to underscore the need for early identification and treatment of these conditions. In summary, a high proportion of patients with AS suffer from additional psychiatric disorders. These disorders are of various types, but range in severity, but in general they seem to consist of disruptive behaviours and hyperactivity in younger children and depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults. Because the data are mostly derived from clinic samples, the true prevalence of these disorders in the community is not known.