Table 1. Characteristics of total sample and experimental groups.
| Total sample | Experimental Groups | ||||||
| ASD-seizures | ASD-EEG | ASD “simplex” | Effect size | Test | p | ||
| Sample size | 206 | 58 (28.2%) | 76 (36.9%) | 72 (35%) | - | χ2 = 2.602 | 0.270 |
| Age assessment (yrs) * | |||||||
| mean±sd | 7.1±3.8 | 9.4±4.9 | 6.6±3 | 5.7±2.6 | η = 0.398 | F = 19.093 | <0.001* |
| range | 2.2–20.8 | 2.2–20.8 | 2.4–17.5 | 2.2–15.1 | |||
| C.I. (95%) | 6.5–7.5 | 8.1–10.7 | 5.8–7.3 | 5.1–6.3 | |||
| Gender | |||||||
| Boys | 174 (84.5%) | 51 (29.3%) | 58 (33.3%) | 65 (37.4%) | Φc = 0.174 | χ2 = 6.232 | 0.044 |
| Girls | 32 (15.5%) | 7 (21.9%) | 18 (56.2%) | 7 (21.9%) | |||
| ASD Diagnosis | |||||||
| Autism | 73 (35.4%) | 22 (30.1%) | 24 (32.9%) | 27 (37%) | Φc = 0.096 | χ2 = 3.767 | 0.430 |
| PDD-NOS | 130 (63.1%) | 34 (26.2%) | 52 (40%) | 44 (33.8%) | |||
| Asperger | 3 (1.5%) | 2 (66.7%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (33.3%) | |||
| EEG abnormalities** | |||||||
| Yes | 132 (64.1%) | 56 (42.4%) | 76 (57.6%) | - | Fisher’s Exact Test | <0.001** | |
| No | 74 (35.9%) | 2 (2.7%) | - | 72 (97.3%) | |||
*
one-way ANOVA, post-hoc Bonferroni method, ASD-seizures > ASD-EEG, p<0.001; ASD-seizures > ASD “simplex”, p<0.001; ASD-EEG vs ASD “simplex”, p>0.010; **EEG abnormalities are significantly associated with the presence of seizures (56/58 children with seizures vs 76/148 without seizures).
Φc = Cramers’ phi coefficient, η = eta, χ2 = the Pearson chi-squared test, F = F of Fisher, one-way ANOVA.