Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40071623›Full record

ArticleThe Gerontologist2025

The Association Between Autism Spectrum Traits and Age-Related Spatial Working Memory Decline: A Large-Scale Longitudinal Study.

Saloni Ghai, Aphrodite Eshetu, Anne Corbett, Clive Ballard, Dag Aarsland, Adam Hampshire, Elizabeth O'Nions, William Mandy, Joshua Stott, Gavin R Stewart and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The Gerontologist, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Saloni GhaiResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
Aphrodite EshetuResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
Anne CorbettMedical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2015-0316
Clive BallardMedical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0022-5632
Dag AarslandOld Age Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
Adam HampshireFaculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5176-5420
Elizabeth O'NionsResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
William MandyResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
Joshua StottResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
Gavin R StewartResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9262-888X
Amber JohnResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.

Funding

ARUK Fellowship ARUK-RF2021B-007British AcademyBritish Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship PFSS23\230043Care South West PeninsulaCollaboration for Leadership in Applied Health ResearchDunhill Medical Trust RPGF1910\191Economic and Social Research CouncilESRC UBEL-DTP Postdoctoral Fellowship ES/X006115/1Exeter Clinical Research FacilityNational Institute for Health Research
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesBased on mixed findings from previous research, researchers have hypothesized autism may be a protective or risk factor for age-related cognitive decline/dementia, or that autism does not influence it (parallel aging). To differentiate between hypotheses, longitudinal studies that account for autism underdiagnosis, are needed and lacking. This study examined if higher autistic traits in adults aged 50+ are associated with a greater risk of spatial working memory (SWM) decline, a key cognitive domain affected in both healthy aging and autism. RESEARCH DESIGN AND

methodsParticipants from the online PROTECT cohort (n = 13,390) were classified into 3 groups based on autism spectrum traits (AST): high (H-AST, n = 205), intermediate (I-AST, n = 589), and no traits (COA, n = 12,451). Spatial working memory performance was captured annually across 7 years. Growth mixture models (GMM) and latent growth curve models were estimated to examine the relationship between AST and SWM.

resultsGrowth mixture models revealed an optimal 1-class quadratic solution, consistent across groups. There were no significant differences between AST groups in baseline SWM (p = .837). Autism spectrum traits were not associated with SWM at baseline (B = 0.01, SE = 0.05, p = .901) or SWM trajectory (B = 0.00, SE = 0.01, p = .856), regardless of accounting for covariates. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Findings suggest a single SWM trajectory in middle-aged/older adults with higher autistic traits and no autistic traits. Future research should address if these broader autism phenotype results are replicated in diagnosed autism groups.

Indexed as

AgingAutism Spectrum DisorderCognitive DysfunctionMemory, Short-TermSpatial MemoryAgedFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsAutismCognitive declineTrajectory analysisWorking memory

Identifiers

PMID40071623
PMCPMC12036657

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.