Autism linked to higher risk of Parkinsonism in new study

A large study published in the journal Autism indicates that older adults diagnosed with autism face a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease-related movement disorders compared to the general population.

Researchers analyzed Medicare and Medicaid claims data from nearly 57 million Americans aged 45 and older between 2017 and 2019. The study found that individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as those with intellectual disabilities, were diagnosed with Parkinsonism at much higher rates than those without autism.

To ensure the findings were not caused by the side effects of antipsychotic medications, researchers excluded individuals taking those drugs from the analysis. Even with this exclusion, the link remained. The prevalence of Parkinsonism was approximately 1.57% in the general population control group, rising to 3.83% among adults with autism alone, 4.32% for those with an intellectual disability alone, and 4.86% for individuals diagnosed with both.