Clinical markers of hyperactivity in patients with autism spectrum disorder

Introduction: A comorbid diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with neuropsychological and neurophysiological changes, unlike those found in individuals with ASD but without ADHD. The comorbidity of the two disorders appears to further compromise the prognosis of individuals with ASD. The objective of the present study was to identify clinical characteristics that differentiate patients with ASD and hyperactivity from patients with ASD without hyperactivity. Methods: This is a case-control study, nested within a cross-sectional study, to analyze the clinical characteristics of individuals with ASD with and without hyperactivity. Results: The study sample consisted of 30 cases and 22 controls. The risk of hyperactivity was found to increase 4.5-fold when digestive complaints were present, 3.8-fold when dysarthria was present, 4.9-fold when concentration problems were present and 3.9-fold when there was psychomotor agitation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the presence of symptoms of hyperactivity in individuals with ASD is associated with differences in their clinical profile, specifically a greater prevalence of complains of digestive abnormalities, dysarthria, psychomotor agitation and concentration problems.