Autistic symptoms in unaffected first-degree relatives of people with schizophrenia: results from the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses multicenter study.

This study looked at family members of people with schizophrenia to see if they also showed autism-like traits. Nearly half (45%) of the 342 family members studied had some autism-like symptoms. Those with more autism-like traits had more difficulty with memory, social understanding, daily living skills, relationships, and work. This suggests that autism-like traits may run in families affected by schizophrenia and can impact daily functioning even when the person doesn't have schizophrenia themselves.

This multicenter Italian study examined autistic symptoms in 342 unaffected first-degree relatives of people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Using the PANSS Autism Severity Scale, researchers found that 44.9% of relatives presented autistic symptoms, with 22.8% showing moderate levels. Participants with higher autistic symptom severity demonstrated significantly worse performance across multiple domains: working memory and social cognition, global cognitive functioning, functional capacity, psychosocial functioning, interpersonal relationships, community participation, and work skills. The findings suggest autistic symptoms may represent a familial trait associated with schizophrenia and correlate with functional impairment even in unaffected relatives, indicating potential diagnostic and therapeutic significance.

Results suggest screening for autistic symptoms in relatives of people with schizophrenia may identify individuals needing cognitive and functional support. Findings indicate potential shared genetic or environmental factors between autism and schizophrenia. Family-centered approaches addressing autistic traits alongside schizophrenia care may improve outcomes for entire family systems.

Single study from one country (Italy) limits generalizability. Cross-sectional design prevents causal inferences. No control group of relatives from families without schizophrenia. Reliance on single autism symptom measure (PANSS Autism Severity Scale) may not capture full autism spectrum presentation.

Autistic symptoms represent a frequent feature in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). However, the prevalence and the cognitive and functional correlates of autistic symptoms in unaffected first-degree relatives of people with SSD remain to be assessed. A total of 342 unaffected first-degree relatives related to 247 outpatients with schizophrenia were recruited as part of the multicenter study of the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses (NIRP). Autistic features were measured with the PANSS Autism Severity Scale.

Three groups of participants, defined on the presence and severity of autistic symptoms, were compared on a wide array of cognitive and functional measures. Of the total sample, 44.9% presented autistic symptoms; 22.8% showed moderate levels of autistic symptoms, which can be observed in the majority of people with SSD. Participants with higher levels of autistic symptoms showed worse performance on Working Memory ( = 0.014) and Social Cognition ( = 0.025) domains and in the Global Cognition composite score ( = 0.008), as well as worse on functional capacity ( = 0.001), global psychosocial functioning ( < 0.001), real-world interpersonal relationships ( < 0.001), participation in community activities ( = 0.017), and work skills ( = 0.006). A high prevalence of autistic symptoms was observed in first-degree relatives of people with SSD.

Autistic symptoms severity showed a negative correlation with cognitive performance and functional outcomes also in this population and may represent a diagnostic and treatment target of considerable scientific and clinical interest in both patients and their first-degree relatives.