The etiology of autism in a group of mentally retarded subjects

A group of 33 autistic subjects was selected from a larger group of 262 mentall retarded patients. The autistic subjects were studied from the anamnestic-clinical and neurological points of view, and routine blood analyses, thoracic X-rays, electrocardiogram electroencephalogram, karyotype, and neurometabolic screenings on blood and urines were performed. The most important results of this study are the detection of an organic brain dysfunction in a high number of subjects (91%) and the recognition of a prenatal onset of it in 76.8% of the patients. Finally, the association between autism and some particular pathological conditions, rarely observed before, is reported.