{
  "abstract": "Introduction Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition involving persistent deficits in social communication and interaction. Sleep disruption is a prevalent feature of autism, and this might be mediated through a core deficit in circadian timing mechanisms. This study aims to investigate the associations between autism-related social difficulties and chronotype or sleep disruption.Methods The UK Biobank is a population-based, longitudinal cohort study comprising over half a million middle-aged UK residents (n =502,128). A subset (n = 89,602) completed sleep and social situation questionnaires [UK Biobank project ID: 99491]. Chronotype was calculated by rMEQ (Category 206) while sleep disruption was assessed by PSQI (Category 208). For social traits, latent class analysis was used to categorise the participants according to their answers to 16 questions on social situation (Category 1512). Logistic regression models were applied to investigate the relationship between autism-related social difficulties and chronotype or sleep disruption.Results There were three latent social classes [Low loneliness, high stress resilience, good-high social connectivity (n= 70,510), Mid loneliness, mid stress resilience, mid-good social connectivity (n=16,290) and High loneliness, low-mid stress resilience, low-mid social connectivity (n=2802)] ( figure 1). Participants in the least favourable social trait class were more likely to report evening chronotype (p<0.001). Evening chronotype was associated with deleterious health and lifestyle outcomes (depression, obesity, low physical activity, alcohol use, and smoking) (figure 2). Moreover, poor sleep quality was associated with poor social trait latent class, depression, obesity, and evening chronotype.Discussion The results demonstrate that traits consistent with reduced social functioning, such as loneliness, poor social connectivity, and low resilience are associated with chronotype and circadian rhythm disruption independent of multiple potential confounding variables. These findings suggest that sleep and circadian rhythm disruption may be a component of the neurobiological mechanism that underlies autism.Abstract P26 Figure 1Abstract P26 Figure 2",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Republic of Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Aung Myat Phyo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Republic of Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Cathy Wyse"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Republic of Ireland",
        "FutureNeuro Research Centre, Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Republic of Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Lorna M Lopez"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P26 Cross-sectional associations between autism-related social difficulties, chronotype and sleep disruption in 89,602 UK biobank participants",
  "uid": "377f8e0a-645d-5a71-a374-9e97d49a250d"
}