Regardless of levels of autistic traits, cognitive ability is maintained
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Spatial working memory (SWM) does not differ among older people with or without autistic traits, according to a study published online in the May issue of The Gerontologist.
Saloni Ghai, from University College London, and colleagues examined the relationship between autistic traits in adults 50 years and older and the risk for SWM decline. The analysis included 13,390 participants in the PROTECT cohort. SWM performance was captured annually across seven years.
The researchers found that in growth mixture models, there was an optimal one-class quadratic solution consistent across groups (high autism spectrum traits, 205; intermediate, 589; and no traits, 12,451). There were no significant differences observed between autism spectrum trait groups in baseline SWM. At baseline, autism spectrum traits were not associated with SWM (B = 0.01; SE = 0.05) or the SWM trajectory (B = 0.00; SE = 0.01), even in an adjusted analysis.
“While there are limitations and more studies are needed, looking directly at other aspects of cognitive decline and dementia risk in community rather than healthcare records samples, this research provides useful evidence that can hopefully help to reassure autistic people about this concerning issue,” coauthor Joshua Stott, Ph.D., also from University College London, said in a statement.
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