Asperger's Syndrome

Aetiology

There have been too few studies to find etiologic associations, recent research is pointing towards neurobiological involvement.

Birth Factors:
Reports by Wing (1981) of increased pre-, peri- or postnatal complications were challanged by Szatmari et al (1989), who found that complications during pregnancy or the postnatal period were about the same in the control group.
Genetic Factors:
Evidence from the family trees of there respective case loads prompted Asperger, Wing as well as Szatmari to considered the syndrome as genetically related. There seems to be a higher prevalence of similar characteristics in the father.
Neurophysiologic Factors:
Gillberg (1921) found that 5 of the 21 boys had prolonged brain stem transmission time on auditory brainstem response examination. 6 of the 21 had abnormal EEGs in the waking state as well.
Neuroanatomic Factors:
Gillberg noticed that 3 out of 18 children with Asperger he studied, had slight or moderate atrophy of the brain.