Study of Formal Thought disorder symptoms in adults with Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder: Correlations between TALD, ADOS-2, and other neuropsychological dimensions

Introduction While several studies have investigated language disorders in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), few have specifically examined formal thought disorder (FTD) symptoms, particularly in adults. Objectives This study aims to assess FTD symptoms in adults with Level 1 ASD using the Thought and Language Disorder (TALD) scale and to analyze correlations between TALD scores and other neuropsychological dimensions. Methods The study included 23 adults with Level 1 ASD (16 males, 7 females). Inclusion criteria were: a diagnosis of Level 1 ASD and age between 18 and 50 years. Exclusion criteria included: presence of major psychiatric comorbidities, intellectual disability, and neurological disorders that could impair language abilities. A comprehensive evaulation was conducted using TIB, HAMD, PANSS, STAI-Y1 and Y2, TASIT (Parts 1, 2, and 3), Ekman Facial Expression Test, TAS-20, ADOS-2, RAADS, AQ, and EQ. Language and thought disorders were evaluated using the TALD scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software to examine correlations between TALD scores and other neuropsychological dimensions. Results The study population had a mean age of 27.6 ± 8.22 years, comprising 16 men and 7 women. Total TALD scores showed no significant correlation with educational level (r = -0.028, p = 0.914). Results revealed a significant correlation between the total TALD score and the total TASIT-2 score (r = -0.679, p = 0.011). Additionally, the “manneristic speech” item correlated with paradoxical sarcasm on TASIT-2 (r = -0.620, p = 0.024) and with lie recognition on TASIT-3 (r = -0.633, p = 0.02). The total ADOS-2 score showed a strong correlation with the total TALD score (r = 0.607, p = 0.028) and with specific linguistic features, including verbigeration (r = 0.725, p = 0.005), pressured speech (r = 0.648, p = 0.017), clanging (r = 0.725, p = 0.005), echolalia (r = 0.725, p = 0.005), and concretism (r = 0.738, p = 0.004). Furthermore, TALD was predictive of higher ADOS-2 scores (β = 0.607, t = 2.53, r = 0.607, p = 0.028, R² = 0.368). Conclusions Our findings highlight specific FTD symptoms in adults with Level 1 ASD. The TALD scale proved to be a valuable tool, showing significant correlations with other neuropsychological domains. TALD scale also demonstrated a reliable predictive ability for higher ADOS-2 scores and distinct linguistic characteristics associated with ASD. TALD scale is proposed as a useful tool in clinical evaluations, providing additional insights beyond traditional diagnostic tools and showing independence from educational level. Disclosure of Interest None Declared