Rigid-compulsive behaviors are associated with mixed bowel symptoms in autism spectrum disorder
Open accessAbstract
Based on clinical experience, we hypothesized that rigid-compulsive behaviors are associated with severe constipation and co-occurring diarrhea or underwear staining in children with autism spectrum disorder. Using data from the Autism Treatment Network, we evaluated the association between these gastrointestinal symptoms and measures of rigid compulsive behavior in children ages 2-17. Following statistical correction, four of five primary measures were significantly associated with constipation and diarrhea or underwear staining, including parental report of repetitive behavior, parental report of compulsive behavior, clinician diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and report of rituals observed on the autism diagnostic observation schedule. This association could point to a causal connection between these symptoms or to a common biological pathway that impacts both gut and brain.
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Heightened stress and anxiety, rigid-compulsive behavior, and sleep problems have been shown to be associated with GI symptoms in ASD, especially constipation.
“Heightened stress and anxiety, rigid-compulsive behavior, and sleep problems, have been shown to be associated with GI symptoms in ASD, especially constipation (6, 11, 12, 16–19).”
From The Relationship Among Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Problem Behaviors, and Internalizing Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2019) · cites this paper as [19]
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- Authors
- Peters, B., Williams, K. C., Gorrindo, P., Rosenberg, D., Lee, E. B., Levitt, P., & Veenstra-VanderWeele, J.
- Affiliations
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- Nationwide Children's Hospital (US)
- Emmes (United States) (US)
- University of Southern California (US)
- Corresponding author
- Peters, Brittany
- Venue
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Published
- 2013-11-29
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1425-1432
- ISSN
- 0162-3257 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3432
- PMC
- PMC4024363
- OpenAlex
- W2084971731
- Cited by
- 70
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 6
- FWCI
- 2.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Autism Speaks
- National Institutes of Health
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- U.S. Public Health Service (UA3 MC11054)
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH094604, R01MH094604)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, constipation, diarrhea, fecal incontinence, gastrointestinal symptoms, obsessive-compulsive disorder, repetitive behavior, gut-brain axis, children
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Child Development Disorders, Pervasive, Child, Preschool, Compulsive Behavior, Constipation, Diarrhea, Female, Humans, Male, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
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