Autism Linked to Higher Parkinson's Risk in Older Adults

A large study published in the journal Autism found that older adults diagnosed with autism have a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease-related movement disorders compared to the general population.

Researchers examined Medicare and Medicaid claims data for nearly 57 million Americans aged 45 and older between 2017 and 2019, identifying higher rates of parkinsonism among individuals with autism or intellectual disabilities.

Parkinsonism, a range of neurological conditions marked by movement symptoms like tremors and muscle rigidity, was found to occur at much higher rates in neurodivergent populations than in those without autism.

When researchers excluded individuals taking antipsychotic medications, which are known to cause Parkinson’s-like symptoms, they still found elevated rates of Parkinson’s-related diagnoses among autistic individuals.

The study found that the prevalence of parkinsonism was 1.57% in the general population, compared to 3.83% among autistic adults alone, 4.32% for those with intellectual disabilities alone, and 4.86% for individuals with both autism and intellectual disability.

The research highlights the importance of tracking motor skills in autistic individuals over time, as the findings suggest that these cases are not merely a result of lifelong motor challenges.