A review on cognitive and brain endophenotypes that may be common in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and facilitate the search for pleiotropic genes

We propose to bring together the hitherto rather separate research fields of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and argue that by contrasting and combining findings of the endophenotypes of ASD and ADHD new insights can be gained into the etiology and pathophysiology of these two disorders. Given the highly heritable nature of both disorders, studies of the genes explaining the shared origins of the two neurodevelopmental disorders seem particularly called for. Instead of the clinical diagnosis, using neurocognitive measures as (endo)phenotypes that index genetic liability appears a powerful tool in gene finding. We, therefore, extensively reviewed the literature and not only included research wherein ASD and ADHD were compared within a single study, but extended our search also to the separate lines of cognitive neuroscience research. We discuss which cognitive and brain measures will be useful in future genetic studies targeting pleiotropic genes for ASD and ADHD. By specifying the most promising endophenotypic measures we chart the future course for endophenotypic research in ASD and ADHD. We also discuss the various models that may explain the frequent co-occurrence of ASD and ADHD.

► The comorbidity of ASD and ADHD has been largely ignored during the last decades.
► Both disorders are partly related to the same genes.
► Endophenotypes related to both disorders will facilitate pleiotropic gene detection.
► ASD and ADHD may be different manifestations of the same overarching disorder.