ERIC Number: EJ1476812
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Aug
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Autism in the Context of Joint Hypermobility, Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders, and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes: A Systematic Review and Prevalence Meta-Analyses
Carolina Baeza-Velasco1,2,3; Judith Vergne1; Marianna Poli4; Larissa Kalisch1; Raffaella Calati4,5
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v29 n8 p1939-1958 2025
Increasing research suggests a link between autism spectrum disorders and joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders, and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. However, no study systematically examined the available literature about the relationship between these conditions. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies (a) examining the link between autism, joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and (b) reporting the frequency of autism spectrum disorders in people with joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or vice versa. Prevalence meta-analyses were performed. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. Twelve studies explored joint hypermobility/hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in autistic people. Six explored autism spectrum disorders/autistic traits in people with hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Two studies examined autism spectrum disorders in relatives of patients with hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and two explored autistic traits and joint hypermobility in non-clinical samples. Out of 15 studies examining the association between autism spectrum disorders/autistic traits and joint hypermobility/hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, 12 reported significant results. The overall prevalence of joint hypermobility in autistic individuals was 22.3%, but it was higher (31%) when only studies assessing joint hypermobility clinically (excluding self-reports) were considered. The overall prevalence of hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in autistic samples was 27.9%, but 39% if hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome were assessed clinically. Despite the heterogeneity of studies, these results suggest an association between autism and joint hypermobility/hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome that should be confirmed in further research.
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Genetic Disorders, Human Body, Psychomotor Skills, Incidence
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé, France; 2Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Acute Care, CHU Montpellier, France; 3Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, France; 4Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; 5Department of Adult Psychiatry, Nîmes University Hospital, France