Evidence for Transgenerational Effects on Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Multigenerational Space-time Cluster Detection

Keywords: “Space-time Cluster Analysis”, “Scan Statistics”, “Autism Spectrum Disorder”, “Transgenerational”
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 19

Abstract

Background and Aim: Space-time cluster analyses are commonly used in geography. There is evidence of transgenerational factors associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Space-time clusters of ancestors of ASD cases may provide evidence of transgenerational effects and generate hypotheses regarding ancestral conditions associated with ASD. This study aims to identify and describe space-time clusters of ancestors of individuals with a diagnosis of ASD.

Methods: Ancestors of ASD individuals were identified in the Utah Registry of Autism Developmental Disabilities (URADD) and linked to pedigrees in the Utah Population Database (UPDB). Inclusion criteria for ASD case ancestors included (1) three generations of Utah residency and (2) first reported case of ASD in the family. Ancestors of individuals without ASD were selected based on a 2:1 random sample matched by age, time period, and sex.

Results: The study included 7,914 parents and 15,828 grandparents generated from 3,957 ASD cases. Twenty statistically significant space-time clusters (p-value <0.05) were identified. The four strongest clusters (RR = 2.74 – 2.96) were from paternal grandparents at the perinatal time period spanning 1 to 10 years, covering 8 to 132 km2 in urban residential areas. Thirteen clusters with RR>1 (range=1.27 – 2.96) range 1946 -1960, nine were grandparents.

Conclusions: Multiple high relative risk space-time clusters of ASD ancestors during early life provide evidence of transgenerational effects on ASD in grandchildren.