Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42288753›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurodevelopmental disorders2026

Epilepsy in autism spectrum disorder: examining prevalence and associated factors in a large cross-sectional study.

Fouad Alshaban, Éric Fombonne, Iman Ghazal, Fatema Al-Faraj, Sarah Aqel, I Richard Thompson

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Article in Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Fouad AlshabanNeurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar. falshaban@hbku.edu.qa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0529-9721
Éric FombonneDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Iman GhazalNeurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.
Fatema Al-FarajNeurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.
Sarah AqelNeurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.
I Richard ThompsonThe North East and Yorkshire NHS Genomic Laboratory Hub, Leeds, England.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEpilepsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently co-occur, yet the prevalence and factors associated with epilepsy within autistic individuals remain insufficiently defined. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of epilepsy and examine demographic, developmental, and medical correlates in a large cohort of autistic individuals in Qatar.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 1,257 autistic individuals recruited through clinical and research channels in Qatar. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with epilepsy, with false discovery rate correction applied for multiple comparisons.

resultsEpilepsy was identified in 10.7% of the cohort, with affected individuals being significantly older (7.33 years) than those without epilepsy (6.59 years, p = 0.003). Factors associated with epilepsy included developmental delays-particularly in motor milestones such as delayed sitting (aOR = 2.954, p < 0.001) and walking (aOR = 3.289, p < 0.001)-and perinatal complications such as hypoxia (aOR = 3.188, p = 0.015). Behavioral features, including sleep disturbances (aOR = 5.167, p < 0.001) and anxiety (aOR = 2.334, p < 0.001), were also significantly associated.

conclusionThese findings highlight the complex interplay between developmental, behavioral, and perinatal factors associated with epilepsy within this cohort of autistic individuals and underscore the importance of systematic monitoring and multidisciplinary management to optimize outcomes in this cohort.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderEpilepsyAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceQatarAutism Spectrum DisorderComorbidityEpilepsyNeurodevelopmental DisorderQatar

Identifiers

PMID42288753
PMCPMC13488571

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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.