Autistic Traits Not Tied to Spatial Working Memory in Older Adults
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 -- 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.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2025
Read this next
Average Time to Diagnosis Is 3.5 Years Across All Types of Dementia
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- The mean time to diagnosis (TTD) for dementia is 3.5 years across all types of dementia, according to a review published online July 27 in the...
Intranasal Administration of PET Radiotracer Delivers Insulin to Multiple Brain Regions
THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Intranasal administration of [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-insulin is safe and delivers insulin to multiple brain regions, according to a study published online July 23...
Lifestyle Interventions Improve Cognition for At-Risk Older Adults
WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2025 -- Lifestyle interventions improve cognition for older adults at risk for cognitive decline and dementia, with significant benefit seen for a structured...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.