Autism

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hare, D. J.
Right arrow Articles by Evershed, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hare, D. J.
Right arrow Articles by Evershed, K.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Autism, Vol. 10, No. 6, 565-575 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1362361306068509
© 2006 The National Autistic Society, SAGE Publications

A comparative study of circadian rhythm functioning and sleep in people with Asperger syndrome

Dougal Julian Hare

University of Manchester, UK

Steven Jones

University of Manchester, UK

Kate Evershed

University of Manchester, UK

The circadian rhythm functioning and sleep patterns of 10 adults with Asperger syndrome were investigated using actigraphy. When compared with data from neurotypical adults, both statistical and clinically significant differences were found between the two groups, with the adults with Asperger syndrome showing marked abnormalities in both the quantity and the quality of sleep recorded. Examination of the actigraphic data indicated low sleep efficiency and high fragmentation as being characteristic of the sleep of participants with Asperger syndrome. These individuals also showed lower-amplitude circadian rhythms that were less strongly linked to environmental synchronizers, but no evidence of significant desynchronization of circadian rhythm. Possible mechanisms for these abnormalities and implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Key Words: Asperger syndrome • circadian rhythms • sleep


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?