A new study from University College London (UCL) has found that older people who show signs of autism do not experience more memory problems as they age than those who do not. This is the first research to look at how a certain kind of memory—called spatial working memory—changes over time in older adults with autistic traits.
Spatial working memory is the ability to remember where things are and how they are arranged in space. It helps people do everyday tasks like finding their way around, packing a bag, or setting the table.
Like many brain functions, this type of memory can get worse with age. This is called cognitive decline, and while it can be a normal part of aging, it is more serious in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
People with autism often think and learn in different ways. Some past studies have found that autistic people may have trouble with memory tasks that involve visual or spatial information.
Because of this, some experts have wondered if autistic people might face a higher risk of memory decline or even dementia later in life. However, there has been very little research to answer this question, especially over a long period of time.
To explore this, the researchers looked at data from a large study in the UK called PROTECT. This study follows people over 50 to learn how their thinking skills change as they get older. The UCL team studied information from over 10,000 participants.
They used a computer-based task to test how well people could remember and organize objects in space. The study also asked questions to find out if people had autistic traits, such as difficulties with social interaction or repetitive behaviors.
About 1.5% of the people in the study had strong autistic traits, which is similar to the estimated rate of autism in the general population. The researchers tracked changes in participants’ memory over seven years using a statistical method that looks at how memory changes over time.
They found that, on average, people with autistic traits had similar patterns of memory change as people without those traits. Most people in the study did not experience major memory decline, no matter their level of autistic traits. This suggests that being autistic—or having some autistic characteristics—does not lead to faster memory loss in older age.
Professor Joshua Stott, one of the lead researchers from UCL, explained that there has been a lot of concern about whether having autism could increase the risk of developing dementia. He said the study offers reassurance by showing that spatial memory seems to stay stable in older adults with autistic traits.
This is especially important because some earlier studies using health records have suggested that autistic adults may face a higher risk of dementia. But those studies often only include people who have been formally diagnosed with autism.
Since many older adults have never been diagnosed, especially if they grew up at a time when autism was less understood, those earlier studies may have only included people who also had more serious health problems.
In contrast, this new research included a wider group of people—those with autistic traits, whether or not they had an official diagnosis. The results suggest that memory decline is not more common in this broader group.
Dr. Gavin Stewart, another researcher from King’s College London, added that this study gives an important first step toward understanding how autism and aging interact. He noted that while more studies are needed, the findings are good news for autistic people who may be worried about memory loss in old age.
However, the researchers say there are some limits to their study. For example, all participants needed to use a computer and the internet, so the results may not apply to people who are less comfortable with technology.
Also, the questions used to measure autistic traits focused mostly on social and communication challenges, and may not reflect all aspects of autism. Most participants in the study were white, so the findings might not apply to people from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds.
The researchers say more studies are needed that include a more diverse group of participants and follow people for even longer. Future research should also include people who have been formally diagnosed with autism, to confirm these results.
For now, though, the study brings a hopeful message: older people with autistic traits seem to keep their memory skills just as well as anyone else.
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The research findings can be found in The Gerontologist.
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