Interplay of circadian clock and melatonin pathway gene variants in adults with autism, intellectual disability and sleep problems

Abstract Background People diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and intellectual disability (ID) usually experience sleep problems, where circadian clock and melatonin pathway genes may play a role. Method Our aim was to analyze the influence of genetic variants PER1, ASMT, NPAS2, and MTNR1A by MassARRAY, in sleep-wake rhythms in a group of autistic adults with ID, cases (n = 83) and controls (n = 25). Sleep-wake rhythms were evaluated with ambulatory circadian monitoring. Results In autistic cases (age 18−41years), PER1 rs6416892-GG and ASMT rs5989681-GG genotypes had a better sleep pattern according to sleep onset latency and awakenings; together with a worse sleep and/or temperature rhythm. Furthermore, diurnal temperature values were affected by NPAS2 rs1811399-CC genotype. Conclusions Normal and abnormal sleep-wake rhythms could be related to circadian clock (PER1) and melatonin pathway (ASMT) gene variants. There is a need for further research to translate this data into clinical decisions or risk profiles.