Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Asperger syndrome differential diagnosis
Introduction
Overview
Overview
There are several differential diagnosis to consider in the diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome (AS) including attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder and mood disorders.[1][2]
Differential Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome
Differential Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome
- Conditions that must be considered in a differential diagnosis include:[1][2]
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Schizophrenia
- Schizophrenia simplex
- Residual schizophrenia
- Schizoid personality disorder
- Schizotypal personality disorder
- Semantic pragmatic disorder
- Nonverbal learning disorder
- Mood disorders (depression and anxiety)
- Stereotypic movement disorder
- Alexithymia
- Avoidant personality disorder
- Antisocial personality disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Narcissistic personality disorder
- Nonverbal learning disorder
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Social phobia
- Compulsive (anankastic) personality disorder
- The following table shows the overlap of some differential diagnoses of AS that have abnormal social interaction:[1]
| Some Differential Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome
(Modified Table from The Investigation and Differential Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome in Adults)[1] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abnormal social interaction | Abnormal verbal communication | Abnormal facial expression/
gestures /prosody |
Abnormal eye contact | Abnormal theory of mind | Abnormal empathy | Abnormal interests/
rituals/ compulsions |
Abnormal attention | Abnormal psychomotor function | Abnormal self-injurious behavior | Abnormal psychotic manifestations | Abnormal social interaction in childhood | Abnormal biographical stress factors | |
| Asperger Syndrome | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | +/-Â | + | +/-Â | +/-Â | + | – |
| Schizoid Personality Disorder | + | + | + | + | +/-Â | +/-Â | +/-Â | – | – | +/-Â | – | +/-Â | + |
| Schizotypal Personality Disorder | + | + | + | +/-Â | +/-Â | +/-Â | +/-Â | – | +/-Â | +/-Â | +/-Â | +/-Â | +/-Â |
| Avoidant Personality Disorder | + | – | + | + | +/-Â | – | – | – | – | – | – | +/-Â | + |
| Social Phobia | + | – | +/-Â | +/-Â | +/-Â | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | +/-Â |
| Obsessive Personality Disorder | + | – | – | – | +/-Â | +/-Â | + | – | – | – | – | – | + |
| Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) | + | – | – | – | – | – | + | – | – | – | – | – | +/-Â |
| Attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | + | – | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | – | + | +/- | +/- | – | + | +/- |
References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lehnhardt FG, Gawronski A, Pfeiffer K, Kockler H, Schilbach L, Vogeley K (2013). “The investigation and differential diagnosis of Asperger syndrome in adults”. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 110 (45): 755–63. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0755. PMC 3849991. PMID 24290364.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fitzgerald, Michael; Corvin, Aiden (2018). “Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Asperger syndrome”. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. 7 (4): 310–318. doi:10.1192/apt.7.4.310. ISSN 1355-5146.
Editor-In-Chief:
C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Shakiba Hassanzadeh, MD[2]