The search for a link between autism spectrum disorder and neurodegenerative dementia

As the prevalence rates of autism and neurodegenerative dementia are rising, it has become a public health priority understanding the factors that might contribute to the co-occurrence of the two conditions. To date, the literature about the intersection between autism and neurodegenerative dementia is still limited although growing. In this perspective article, we summarized the evidence on this topic, describing the behavioral features shared by autism and neurodegenerative dementia, including social communication difficulties, cognitive alterations, and emotional problems. In addition, we reviewed the results from recent studies on the prevalence of dementia in autistic older individuals. Last, we focused on possible shared mechanisms and pathological underpinnings for each condition. We highlighted the importance of understanding the strengths and the needs of autistic subjects who present comorbid dementia, in order to develop long term care resources and arrange appropriate intervention programs. Furthermore, we argued that the systematic study of potentially common etiopathological mechanisms could increase our knowledge about the pathological basis of autism and neurodegenerative dementia, to possibly develop targeted interventions.