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Chirica MG, Zhu Y, Mu W, Zhou H, Gong J, Chan RCK, Kwapil TR, Berenbaum H. Exploring phenotypic overlap across schizotypy and autism spectrum conditions in American and Chinese young adults. Schizophr Res 2024; 267:359-366. [PMID: 38626663 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.03.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Competing theories have been proposed to explain the considerable overlap in social-cognitive features and risk factors across schizotypy and autism spectrum conditions (ASCs). Six previous factor analyses have been reported in the literature, yet all have major limitations; evidence for the clear superiority of any of the competing theories is insufficient and warrants further investigation. The primary aim of the present research was to identify dimensions that cut across schizotypy and ASCs while addressing limitations of past research. Data were collected from three independent samples (n = 1006, 544, and 2469) in the U.S. and China using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, and the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales. Exploratory factor analyses in Sample 1 identified an interpretable three-factor structure, which was replicated in Samples 2 and 3 using confirmatory factor analyses. We found consistent evidence for three dimensions (Aberrant Salience, Asociality, and Concrete Thinking) underlying schizotypy and ASCs. This three-dimension model is consistent with a common vulnerability model of schizotypy and ASCs. Implications of these findings for the schizotypy and ASCs literature are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne G Chirica
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Yiqin Zhu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Wenting Mu
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Hanyu Zhou
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingbo Gong
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Thomas R Kwapil
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States of America
| | - Howard Berenbaum
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States of America
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Tarasi L, Trajkovic J, Diciotti S, di Pellegrino G, Ferri F, Ursino M, Romei V. Predictive waves in the autism-schizophrenia continuum: A novel biobehavioral model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:1-22. [PMID: 34774901 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The brain is a predictive machine. Converging data suggests a diametric predictive strategy from autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to schizophrenic spectrum disorders (SSD). Whereas perceptual inference in ASD is rigidly shaped by incoming sensory information, the SSD population is prone to overestimate the precision of their priors' models. Growing evidence considers brain oscillations pivotal biomarkers to understand how top-down predictions integrate bottom-up input. Starting from the conceptualization of ASD and SSD as oscillopathies, we introduce an integrated perspective that ascribes the maladjustments of the predictive mechanism to dysregulation of neural synchronization. According to this proposal, disturbances in the oscillatory profile do not allow the appropriate trade-off between descending predictive signal, overweighted in SSD, and ascending prediction errors, overweighted in ASD. These opposing imbalances both result in an ill-adapted reaction to external challenges. This approach offers a neuro-computational model capable of linking predictive coding theories with electrophysiological findings, aiming to increase knowledge on the neuronal foundations of the two spectra features and stimulate hypothesis-driven rehabilitation/research perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Tarasi
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy.
| | - Jelena Trajkovic
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Stefano Diciotti
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy; Alma Mater Research Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe di Pellegrino
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Francesca Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Mauro Ursino
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, 47521 Cesena, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy.
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3
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Nenadić I, Meller T, Evermann U, Schmitt S, Pfarr JK, Abu-Akel A, Grezellschak S. Subclinical schizotypal vs. autistic traits show overlapping and diametrically opposed facets in a non-clinical population. Schizophr Res 2021; 231:32-41. [PMID: 33744683 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The overlap of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and psychosis or schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) has exposed problems central to conceptualising and understanding co-morbidity in psychiatric disorders. METHODS In the present study, we demonstrate that a deep phenotyping approach aids clarification of both overlapping and diametrically opposed features of ASD and SSD on the level of trait facets. RESULTS We first show overlap of negative and disorganised (but not positive) features of schizotypy with autistic traits in a sample of n = 376 German non-clinical subjects using multiple psychometric measures of schizotypy (MSS multidimensional schizotypy scale, OLIFE Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences, and SPQ-B schizotypal personality questionnaire - brief) and the AQ autism spectrum quotient, with control measures for affective spectrum pathology (BDI). Findings were then replicated in a French-Swiss sample (n = 264) using MSS, OLIFE, AQ, and in addition the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE). Additional principal component analysis confirmed our finding of the co-existence of both overlapping (loss of function, social communication deficit, and negative schizotypy) as well as diametrically opposed features (AQ attention to detail, positive schizotypy) across the two spectra. Results were validated with Horn's parallel analyses, affirming two component solutions, and PCA using sample-specific, factor-analysis-derived schizotypy scores. CONCLUSIONS Providing a framework for multi-dimensional transdiagnostic characterisation of ASD vs. SSD phenotypes we point out overlapping vs. discriminating facets. In addition to the use of novel multidimensional schizotypy scales, it also shows transcultural consistency of findings, and highlights a particular role for the attention to detail AQ subscale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Nenadić
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany; Marburg University Hospital - UKGM, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Tina Meller
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Ulrika Evermann
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Simon Schmitt
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Julia-Katharina Pfarr
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Ahmad Abu-Akel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL-Mouline, Géopolis, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Grezellschak
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany; Marburg University Hospital - UKGM, Marburg, Germany
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Zhou HY, Yang HX, Cui XL, Shi LJ, Gong JB, Lui SSY, Cheung EFC, Watanabe K, Chan RCK. Self-reported sensory responsiveness patterns in typically-developing and early-onset schizophrenia adolescents: Its relationship with schizotypal and autistic traits. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 131:255-262. [PMID: 33035958 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Altered behavioural responses to sensory stimuli, including both hypo- and hyper-reactivity, have been found in individuals with schizophrenia. However, how specific sensory responsiveness patterns are associated with symptomatology of schizophrenia remains largely unknown. The present study aimed to examine sensory responsiveness in typically-developing (TD) adolescents (n = 98) and adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) (n = 29) and investigate the relationship between schizotypal traits and sensory responsiveness patterns. All participants completed the Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile (AASP), the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Results showed that higher levels of hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity coexisted in EOS patients and were correlated with positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Atypical sensory experiences except for sensory seeking were found to be positively correlated with higher levels of schizotypal traits regardless of diagnostic status. Moreover, the strength and pattern of such correlations were comparable in both EOS and TD groups. This study also provided evidence that higher levels of autistic traits would intensify the positive correlation between schizotypal traits and sensory responsiveness abnormalities, suggesting an additive effect of co-occurring schizotypal and autistic traits on atypical sensory experiences. These findings extend previous research by depicting sensory responsiveness patterns in younger populations with schizophrenia, and may have implications for future development of sensory-related interventions in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Yu Zhou
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Han-Xue Yang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xi-Long Cui
- Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Li-Juan Shi
- School of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan, China
| | - Jing-Bo Gong
- Department of Applied Psychology, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Simon S Y Lui
- Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Department of Psychiatry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Eric F C Cheung
- Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Katsumi Watanabe
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan; Faculty of Art & Design, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Alink A, Charest I. Clinically relevant autistic traits predict greater reliance on detail for image recognition. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14239. [PMID: 32859935 PMCID: PMC7455566 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70953-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis are often described as having an eye for detail. But it remains to be shown that a detail-focused processing bias is a ubiquitous property of vision in individuals with ASD. To address this question, we investigated whether a greater number of autistic traits in neurotypical subjects is associated with an increased reliance on image details during a natural image recognition task. To this end, we use a novel reverse correlation-based method (feature diagnosticity mapping) for measuring the relative importance of low-level image features for object recognition. The main finding of this study is that image recognition in participants with an above-median number of autistic traits benefited more from the presence of high-spatial frequency image features. Furthermore, we found that this reliance-on-detail effect was best predicted by the presence of the most clinically relevant autistic traits. Therefore, our findings suggest that a greater number of autistic traits in neurotypical individuals is associated with a more detail-oriented visual information processing strategy and that this effect might generalize to a clinical ASD population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Alink
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Ian Charest
- School of Psychology, Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Sunwoo M, O'Connell J, Brown E, Lin A, Wood SJ, McGorry P, O'Donoghue B. Prevalence and outcomes of young people with concurrent autism spectrum disorder and first episode of psychosis. Schizophr Res 2020; 216:310-315. [PMID: 31787480 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The intersect and blurring of boundaries between schizophrenia spectrum disorders and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has long been an area of confusion, in both nosology and clinical practice. Individuals with a comorbid presentation of the two spectra can present with a distinct phenomenological profile to those with psychosis or ASD alone. AIMS To examine the prevalence rates of ASD in a cohort of young people presenting with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) and compare the demographic and clinical characteristics and functional outcomes between individuals with concurrent FEP and ASD, and individuals with FEP only. METHODS Young people aged 15 to 24 who presented with FEP to the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) between 1st January 2011 and 31st December 2013 were included in the study. RESULTS Of the 544 individuals presenting with a FEP, 3.7% (N = 20) had a diagnosis of ASD. Individuals with a concurrent diagnosis of FEP and ASD were more likely to be male and less likely to have comorbid substance use issues. There was no difference found in the severity of psychotic symptoms or diagnoses between groups. Those with FEP and ASD were more likely to experience impairments in interpersonal skills and be more likely to be engaged in employment or education at time of discharge from service. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with concurrent FEP and ASD can present with distinct clinical characteristics that require specialised assessment and treatment. Further large-scale studies with control groups could help to better understand the phenomenological specificity of this subgroup.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica O'Connell
- Orygen Youth Health, Melbourne, Australia; Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ellie Brown
- Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ashleigh Lin
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Rd, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia
| | - Stephen J Wood
- Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Patrick McGorry
- Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Brian O'Donoghue
- Orygen Youth Health, Melbourne, Australia; Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia.
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Abu-Akel A, Philip RCM, Lawrie SM, Johnstone EC, Stanfield AC. Categorical and Dimensional Approaches to Examining the Joint Effect of Autism and Schizotypal Personality Disorder on Sustained Attention. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:798. [PMID: 32848955 PMCID: PMC7426517 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Accumulating evidence for the co-occurrence autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) at both the diagnostic and symptom levels raises important questions about the nature of their association and the effect of their co-occurrence on the individual's phenotype and functional outcome. Research comparing adults with ASD and SPD, as well as the impact of their co-occurrence on outcomes is extremely limited. We investigated executive functioning in terms of response inhibition and sustained attention, candidate endophenotypes of both conditions, in adults with ASD, SPD, comorbid ASD and SPD, and neurotypical adults using both categorical and dimensional approaches. METHODS A total of 88 adults (Mean Age = 37.54; SD = 10.17): ASD (n = 26; M/F = 20/6); SPD (n = 20; M/F = 14/6); comorbid ASD and SPD (n=9; M/F=6/3) and neurotypicals (n=33; M/F=23/10) completed the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) in both its fixed and random forms. Positive and autistic symptom severity was assessed with the positive subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSSpos) and the PANSS Autism Severity Score (PAUSS), respectively. RESULTS Controlling for full scale IQ, working memory and medication dosage, group analyses revealed that the comorbid group committed fewer omission errors than the ASD group on the fixed SART, and fewer omission errors than the ASD and SPD groups on the random SART. The individual difference analyses of the entire sample revealed that the PANSSpos and PAUSS interactively reduced omission errors in both the fixed and random SARTs, as well as increased d' scores, indicative of improved overall performance. We observed no significant results for commission errors or reaction time. CONCLUSIONS Concurrent elevated levels of autistic and positive psychotic symptoms seem to be associated with improved sustained attention abilities (reduced omission errors) but not inhibition (commission errors). Our findings highlight the importance of investigating the concurrent effect of ASD and SPD at both the symptom and diagnostic levels, and raise important questions for future research regarding the clinical and behavioral phenotypes of adults with dual diagnosis and, more generally, about the nature of the relationship between ASD and SPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Abu-Akel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ruth C M Philip
- Tailor Ed Foundation, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen M Lawrie
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Eve C Johnstone
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C Stanfield
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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8
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Zhou HY, Yang HX, Gong JB, Cheung EFC, Gooding DC, Park S, Chan RCK. Revisiting the overlap between autistic and schizotypal traits in the non-clinical population using meta-analysis and network analysis. Schizophr Res 2019; 212:6-14. [PMID: 31387828 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.07.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to explore the relationship between autistic and schizotypal traits in the non-clinical population. We first conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the correlation between self-reported autistic traits and the three dimensions of schizotypal traits (positive, negative and disorganization). The strongest correlation was found between autistic traits and negative schizotypal traits (r = 0.536, 95% CI [0.481, 0.586]), followed by the disorganization (r = 0.355, 95% CI [0.304, 0.404]) and positive (r = 0.256, 95% CI [0.208, 0.302]) dimensions. To visualize the partial correlations between dimensional behavioural traits, we constructed a network model based on a large sample of college students (N = 2469). Negative schizotypal traits were strongly correlated with autistic social/communicative deficits, whereas positive schizotypal traits were inversely correlated with autistic-like traits, lending support to the psychosis-autism diametrical model. Disentangling the overlapping and diametrical structure of autism and schizophrenia may help to elucidate the aetiology of these two neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Yu Zhou
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Han-Xue Yang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Bo Gong
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Applied Psychology, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Eric F C Cheung
- Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Diane C Gooding
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
| | - Sohee Park
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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9
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Crespi B, Dinsdale N. Autism and psychosis as diametrical disorders of embodiment. Evol Med Public Health 2019; 2019:121-138. [PMID: 31402979 PMCID: PMC6682708 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoz021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have evolved an elaborate system of self-consciousness, self-identity, self-agency, and self-embodiment that is grounded in specific neurological structures including an expanded insula. Instantiation of the bodily self has been most-extensively studied via the 'rubber hand illusion', whereby parallel stimulation of a hidden true hand, and a viewed false hand, leads to the felt belief that the false hand is one's own. Autism and schizophrenia have both long been regarded as conditions centrally involving altered development of the self, but they have yet to be compared directly with regard to the self and embodiment. Here, we synthesize the embodied cognition literature for these and related conditions, and describe evidence that these two sets of disorders exhibit opposite susceptibilities from typical individuals to the rubber hand illusion: reduced on the autism spectrum and increased in schizophrenia and other psychotic-affective conditions. Moreover, the opposite illusion effects are mediated by a consilient set of associated phenomena, including empathy, interoception, anorexia risk and phenotypes, and patterns of genetic correlation. Taken together, these findings: (i) support the diametric model of autism and psychotic-affective disorders, (ii) implicate the adaptive human system of self-embodiment, and its neural bases, in neurodevelopmental disorders, and suggest new therapies and (iii) experimentally ground Bayesian predictive coding models with regard to autism compared with psychosis. Lay summary: Humans have evolved a highly developed sense of self and perception of one's own body. The 'rubber hand illusion' can be used to test individual variation in sense of self, relative to connection with others. We show that this illusion is reduced in autism spectrum disorders, and increased in psychotic and mood disorders. These findings have important implications for understanding and treatment of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Natalie Dinsdale
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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10
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Enhanced auditory disembedding in an interleaved melody recognition test is associated with absolute pitch ability. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7838. [PMID: 31127171 PMCID: PMC6534562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44297-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) and autism have recently been associated with each other. Neurocognitive theories of autism could perhaps explain this co-occurrence. This study investigates whether AP musicians show an advantage in an interleaved melody recognition task (IMRT), an auditory version of an embedded figures test often investigated in autism with respect to the these theories. A total of N = 59 professional musicians (AP = 27) participated in the study. In each trial a probe melody was followed by an interleaved sequence. Participants had to indicate as to whether the probe melody was present in the interleaved sequence. Sensitivity index d′ and response bias c were calculated according to signal detection theory. Additionally, a pitch adjustment test measuring fine-graded differences in absolute pitch proficiency, the Autism-Spectrum-Quotient and a visual embedded figures test were conducted. AP outperformed relative pitch (RP) possessors on the overall IMRT and the fully interleaved condition. AP proficiency, visual disembedding and musicality predicted 39.2% of variance in the IMRT. No correlations were found between IMRT and autistic traits. Results are in line with a detailed-oriented cognitive style and enhanced perceptional functioning of AP musicians similar to that observed in autism.
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Panton KR, Badcock JC, Dickinson JE, Badcock DR. Poorer Search Efficiency in Healthy Young Adults With High Schizotypal Personality Traits. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:285. [PMID: 30050472 PMCID: PMC6052133 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceptual organization (PO) difficulties have repeatedly been reported in people with schizophrenia, and in healthy individuals with high levels of schizotypy traits, who are at increased risk for schizophrenia. In particular, poor performance on the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) has been interpreted as an atypically strong preference for global over local processing, even though these processes cannot be clearly disambiguated on this test. Here we use two separate versions of the Radial Frequency Search Task (RFST), a new index of PO abilities, to selectively investigate global and local processing of shape information in trait schizotypy. Schizotypy traits were assessed using the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales-Brief. Individuals selected for high and low levels of positive schizotypy [assessed with the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales-Brief Perceptual Aberration (PAb) scale] completed the EFT, along with the Global RFST and the Local RFST, all of which require participants to find a target shape amongst distractor elements. The High PAb group (n = 83) were less efficient (i.e., reactions times slowed more as the set size increased) than the Low PAb group (n = 146) on the Global RFST (significant group differences for Target Absent conditions only), but not the Local RFST. High and Low PAb groups also differed on other schizotypy traits, so the specificity of the results to positive schizotypy cannot be assured. Unexpectedly, no group differences were observed on the EFT; however, there was a small, but significant, positive correlation between RFST search efficiency and EFT performance, indicating that they shared some common processes. Overall, the pattern of results suggests that global (but not local) processing difficulties may be contributing to the poorer perceptual organization observed in groups with high levels of schizotypy traits. In addition, the confinement of this result to the Target Absent condition suggests that the underlying mechanism involves differences in decisional processes on the RFST between high and low schizotypy groups. The RFST shows promise as a useful tool for measuring specific perceptual organization abilities in non-clinical, and potentially clinical, samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten R. Panton
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Johanna C. Badcock
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre - Mental Health, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - J. Edwin Dickinson
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - David R. Badcock
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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12
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Mitelman SA, Bralet MC, Haznedar MM, Hollander E, Shihabuddin L, Hazlett EA, Buchsbaum MS. Diametrical relationship between gray and white matter volumes in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 11:1823-1835. [PMID: 27882449 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9648-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia have been variously characterized as separate nosological entities with overlapping deficits in social cognition or diametrical extremes of a phenotypic continuum. This study aimed to determine how these models apply to comparative morphometric data. MRI scans of the brain were obtained in 49 subjects with schizophrenia, 20 subjects with autism and 39 healthy controls. Images were parcellated into 40 Brodmann areas and entered into repeated-measures ANOVA for between-group comparison of global and localized gray and white matter volumes. A pattern of lower gray mater volumes and greater white matter volumes was found in subjects with schizophrenia in comparison to subjects with autism. For both gray and white matter, this pattern was most pronounced in regions associated with motor-premotor and anterior frontal cortex, anterior cingulate, fusiform, superior and middle temporal gyri. Patient groups tended to diverge from healthy controls in opposite directions, with greater-than-normal gray matter volumes and lower-than-normal white matter volumes in subjects with autism and reversed patterns in subjects with schizophrenia. White matter reductions in subjects with autism were seen in posterior frontal lobe and along the cingulate arch. Normal hemispheric asymmetry in the temporal lobe was effaced in subjects with autism and schizophrenia, especially in the latter. Nearly identical distribution of changes and diametrically divergent volumetry suggest that autism and schizophrenia may occupy opposite extremes of the same cognitive continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge A Mitelman
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Elmhurst Hospital Center, 79-01 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY, 11373, USA.
| | - Marie-Cecile Bralet
- Crisalid Unit (FJ5), CHI Clermont de l'Oise, 2 rue des finets, 60607, Clermont, France.,Inserm Unit U669, Maison de Solenn, Universities Paris 5-11, 75014, Paris, France.,GDR 3557 Recherche Psychiatrie, Paris, France
| | - M Mehmet Haznedar
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Outpatient Psychiatry Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
| | - Eric Hollander
- Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Program, Anxiety and Depression Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Lina Shihabuddin
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Erin A Hazlett
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Research and Development and VISN 3 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
| | - Monte S Buchsbaum
- Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, San Diego School of Medicine, NeuroPET Center, University of California, 11388 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite #100, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
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13
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Ford TC, Apputhurai P, Meyer D, Crewther DP. Cluster analysis reveals subclinical subgroups with shared autistic and schizotypal traits. Psychiatry Res 2018; 265:111-117. [PMID: 29702302 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Autism and schizophrenia spectrum research is typically based on coarse diagnostic classification, which overlooks individual variation within clinical groups. This method limits the identification of underlying cognitive, genetic and neural correlates of specific symptom dimensions. This study, therefore, aimed to identify homogenous subclinical subgroups of specific autistic and schizotypal traits dimensions, that may be utilised to establish more effective diagnostic and treatment practices. Latent profile analysis of subscale scores derived from an autism-schizotypy questionnaire, completed by 1678 subclinical adults aged 18-40 years (1250 females), identified a local optimum of eight population clusters: High, Moderate and Low Psychosocial Difficulties; High, Moderate and Low Autism-Schizotypy; High Psychosis-Proneness; and Moderate Schizotypy. These subgroups represent the convergent and discriminant dimensions of autism and schizotypy in the subclinical population, and highlight the importance of examining subgroups of specific symptom characteristics across these spectra in order to identify the underlying genetic and neural correlates that can be utilised to advance diagnostic and treatment practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talitha C Ford
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Heath, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Pragalathan Apputhurai
- Department of Statistics, Data Science and Epidemiology, Faculty of Heath, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Denny Meyer
- Department of Statistics, Data Science and Epidemiology, Faculty of Heath, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Heath, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David P Crewther
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Heath, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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14
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Diametric effects of autism tendencies and psychosis proneness on attention control irrespective of task demands. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8478. [PMID: 29855492 PMCID: PMC5981437 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26821-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Our capacity to attend a target while ignoring irrelevant distraction impacts our ability to successfully interact with our environment. Previous reports have sometimes identified excessive distractor interference in both autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders and in neurotypical individuals with high subclinical expressions of these conditions. Independent of task, we show that the direction of the effect of autism or psychosis traits on the suppression or rejection of a non-target item is diametrical. In Study 1, in which the presence of a salient non-target item hindered performance, higher autism traits were associated with better performance, while higher psychosis traits were associated with worse performance. In Study 2, in which the presence of a salient non-target item facilitated performance, a complete reversal of effects was observed. Future clinical interventions may be informed by the context-specific advantages we observed for the autism and psychosis spectra, and by the need to consider the diametric effects they yield.
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15
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Stevenson JL, Nonack MB. Gender differences in mental rotation strategy depend on degree of autistic traits. Autism Res 2018; 11:1024-1037. [PMID: 29727503 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Participants with low, medium, and high autistic traits completed a mental rotation task while their eye movements were recorded. Men were more accurate than women (F(1, 102) = 4.36, P = 0.04, η2p = 0.04), but there were no group differences in reaction time. In terms of eye movements, all participants tended to rely on top corners of cube figures for most angles of rotation, and bottom corners of cube figures for 0 and 90 degree rotations (duration: F(8, 816) = 21.70, P < 0.001, η2p = 0.18; count: F(8, 816) = 24.42, P < 0.001, η2p = 0.19) suggesting a shift in strategy with rotation angle. Eye movements to corners of cube figures also varied by autistic traits group and gender (duration: F(4, 204) = 2.44, P = 0.05, η2p = 0.05; count: F(4, 204) = 2.47, P = 0.05, η2p = 0.05). Participants with low and medium autistic traits tended to rely more often on the top corners, whereas women with high autistic traits relied on both the top and bottom corners and men with high autistic traits relied on all corners equally. These results suggest mental rotation strategies may vary by both gender and autistic traits. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1024-1037. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY The current study looked at eye movements to assess adults' strategies when mentally rotating three-dimensional cube figures. Adults with varying levels of autistic traits differ in their mental rotation strategies. In addition, gender differences in strategies are observed in adults with the highest level of autistic traits.
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16
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Zhou HY, Cai XL, Weigl M, Bang P, Cheung EF, Chan RC. Multisensory temporal binding window in autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 86:66-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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17
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Sabatino DiCriscio A, Troiani V. Brief Report: Autism-like Traits are Associated With Enhanced Ability to Disembed Visual Forms. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:1568-1576. [PMID: 28213838 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3053-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Atypical visual perceptual skills are thought to underlie unusual visual attention in autism spectrum disorders. We assessed whether individual differences in visual processing skills scaled with quantitative traits associated with the broader autism phenotype (BAP). Visual perception was assessed using the Figure-ground subtest of the Test of visual perceptual skills-3rd Edition (TVPS). In a large adult cohort (n = 209), TVPS-Figure Ground scores were positively correlated with autistic-like social features as assessed by the Broader autism phenotype questionnaire. This relationship was gender-specific, with males showing a correspondence between visual perceptual skills and autistic-like traits. This work supports the link between atypical visual perception and autism and highlights the importance in characterizing meaningful individual differences in clinically relevant behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vanessa Troiani
- Geisinger Health System, Geisinger Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute (ADMI), Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA
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18
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Cribb SJ, Olaithe M, Di Lorenzo R, Dunlop PD, Maybery MT. Embedded Figures Test Performance in the Broader Autism Phenotype: A Meta-analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 46:2924-39. [PMID: 27312717 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2832-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
People with autism show superior performance to controls on the Embedded Figures Test (EFT). However, studies examining the relationship between autistic-like traits and EFT performance in neurotypical individuals have yielded inconsistent findings. To examine the inconsistency, a meta-analysis was conducted of studies that (a) compared high and low Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) groups, and (b) treated AQ as a continuous variable. Outcomes are consistent with superior visual search forming part of the broader autism phenotype, but in existing literature, this is evident only when comparing extreme groups. Reanalysis of data from previous studies suggests findings are unlikely to be driven by a small number of high scorers. Monte Carlo simulations are used to illustrate the effect of methodological differences on results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena J Cribb
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Michelle Olaithe
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Renata Di Lorenzo
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Patrick D Dunlop
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Murray T Maybery
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
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19
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Psychometric Properties of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient for Assessing Low and High Levels of Autistic Traits in College Students. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:1838-1853. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3109-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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20
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Abu-Akel A, Apperly IA, Wood SJ, Hansen PC, Mevorach C. Autism Tendencies and Psychosis Proneness Interactively Modulate Saliency Cost. Schizophr Bull 2017; 43:142-151. [PMID: 27217269 PMCID: PMC5216849 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbw066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Atypical responses to salient information are a candidate endophenotype for both autism and psychosis spectrum disorders. The present study investigated the costs and benefits of such atypicalities for saliency-based selection in a large cohort of neurotypical adults in whom both autism and psychosis expressions were assessed. Two experiments found that autism tendencies and psychosis proneness interactively modulated the cost incurred in the presence of a task-irrelevant salient distractor. Specifically, expressions of autism and psychosis had opposing effects on responses to salient information such that the benefits associated with high expressions for autism offset costs associated with high expressions for psychosis. The opposing influences observed on saliency cost may be driven by distinct attentional mechanisms that are differentially affected by expressions for autism and psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Abu-Akel
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK;
| | - Ian A. Apperly
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Stephen J. Wood
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK;,Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter C. Hansen
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Carmel Mevorach
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
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21
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McCabe KL, Marlin S, Cooper G, Morris R, Schall U, Murphy DG, Murphy KC, Campbell LE. Visual perception and processing in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: associations with social cognition measures of face identity and emotion recognition. J Neurodev Disord 2016; 8:30. [PMID: 27536336 PMCID: PMC4988033 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-016-9164-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) have difficulty processing social information including facial identity and emotion processing. However, difficulties with visual and attentional processes may play a role in difficulties observed with these social cognitive skills. METHODS A cross-sectional study investigated visual perception and processing as well as facial processing abilities in a group of 49 children and adolescents with 22q11DS and 30 age and socio-economic status-matched healthy sibling controls using the Birmingham Object Recognition Battery and face processing sub-tests from the MRC face processing skills battery. RESULTS The 22q11DS group demonstrated poorer performance on all measures of visual perception and processing, with greatest impairment on perceptual processes relating to form perception as well as object recognition and memory. In addition, form perception was found to make a significant and unique contribution to higher order social-perceptual processing (face identity) in the 22q11DS group. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate evidence for impaired visual perception and processing capabilities in 22q11DS. In turn, these were found to influence cognitive skills needed for social processes such as facial identity recognition in the children with 22q11DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn L McCabe
- Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA USA ; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Stuart Marlin
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Gavin Cooper
- Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Robin Morris
- King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Ulrich Schall
- Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Declan G Murphy
- King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Kieran C Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Linda E Campbell
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia ; Priority Research Centre GrowUpWell, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia ; School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Science Offices, Ourimbah, NSW 2258 Australia
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22
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Horlin C, Black M, Falkmer M, Falkmer T. Proficiency of individuals with autism spectrum disorder at disembedding figures: A systematic review. Dev Neurorehabil 2016; 19:54-63. [PMID: 24649841 DOI: 10.3109/17518423.2014.888102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This systematic review examines the proficiency and visual search strategies of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) while disembedding figures and whether they differ from typical controls and other comparative samples. METHODS Five databases, including Proquest, Psychinfo, Medline, CINAHL and Science Direct were used to identify published studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS Twenty articles were included in the review, the majority of which matched participants by mental age. Outcomes discussed were time taken to identify targets, the number correctly identified, and fixation frequency and duration. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with ASD perform at the same speed or faster than controls and other clinical samples. However, there appear to be no differences between individuals with ASD and controls for number of correctly identified targets. Only one study examined visual search strategies and suggests that individuals with ASD exhibit shorter first and final fixations to targets compared with controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Horlin
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia
| | - Melissa Black
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia
| | - Marita Falkmer
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia .,b School of Education and Communication, CHILD programme, Institute of Disability Research, Jönköping University , Sweden
| | - Torbjorn Falkmer
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia .,c Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences (IMH), Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University & Pain and Rehabilitation Centre , Linköping , Sweden , and.,d School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University , Melbourne , VIC , Australia
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23
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English MCW, Maybery MT, Visser TAW. Threatening faces fail to guide attention for adults with autistic-like traits. Autism Res 2016; 10:311-320. [PMID: 27385675 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Individuals diagnosed with autistic spectrum conditions often show deficits in processing emotional faces relative to neurotypical peers. However, little is known about whether similar deficits exist in neurotypical individuals who show high-levels of autistic-like traits. To address this question, we compared performance on an attentional blink task in a large sample of adults who showed low- or high-levels of autistic-like traits on the Autism Spectrum Quotient. We found that threatening faces inserted as the second target in a rapid serial visual presentation were identified more accurately among individuals with low- compared to high-levels of autistic-like traits. This is the first study to show that attentional blink abnormalities seen in autism extend to the neurotypical population with autistic-like traits, adding to the growing body of research suggesting that autistic-related patterns of behaviors extend into a subset of the neurotypical population. Autism Res 2017, 10: 311-320. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C W English
- School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Murray T Maybery
- School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Troy A W Visser
- School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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24
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Abu-Akel AM, Wood SJ, Hansen PC, Apperly IA. Perspective-taking abilities in the balance between autism tendencies and psychosis proneness. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150563. [PMID: 25972469 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Difficulties with the ability to appreciate the perspective of others (mentalizing) is central to both autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. While the disorders are diagnostically independent, they can co-occur in the same individual. The effect of such co-morbidity is hypothesized to worsen mentalizing abilities. The recent influential 'diametric brain theory', however, suggests that the disorders are etiologically and phenotypically diametrical, predicting opposing effects on one's mentalizing abilities. To test these contrasting hypotheses, we evaluated the effect of psychosis and autism tendencies on the perspective-taking (PT) abilities of 201 neurotypical adults, on the assumption that autism tendencies and psychosis proneness are heritable dimensions of normal variation. We show that while both autism tendencies and psychosis proneness induce PT errors, their interaction reduced these errors. Our study is, to our knowledge, the first to observe that co-occurring autistic and psychotic traits can exert opposing influences on performance, producing a normalizing effect possibly by way of their diametrical effects on socio-cognitive abilities. This advances the notion that some individuals may, to some extent, be buffered against developing either illness or present fewer symptoms owing to a balanced expression of autistic and psychosis liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad M Abu-Akel
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK
| | - Stephen J Wood
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter C Hansen
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ian A Apperly
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK
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25
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Panton KR, Badcock DR, Badcock JC. A Metaanalysis of Perceptual Organization in Schizophrenia, Schizotypy, and Other High-Risk Groups Based on Variants of the Embedded Figures Task. Front Psychol 2016; 7:237. [PMID: 26941688 PMCID: PMC4763090 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Current research on perceptual organization in schizophrenia frequently employs shapes with regularly sampled contours (fragmented stimuli), in noise fields composed of similar elements, to elicit visual abnormalities. However, perceptual organization is multi-factorial and, in earlier studies, continuous contours have also been employed in tasks assessing the ability to extract shapes from a background. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using closed-contour stimuli, including the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) and related tasks, both in people with schizophrenia and in healthy schizotypes and relatives, considered at increased risk for psychosis. Eleven studies met the selection criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, including six that used a between-groups study design (i.e., perceptual organization abilities of schizophrenia/high-risk groups were compared to healthy or clinical controls), and five that treated schizophrenia symptoms or schizotypy traits and indices of perceptual organization as continuous variables. Effect sizes and heterogeneity statistics were calculated, and the risk of publication bias was explored. A significant, moderate effect for EFT performance was found with studies that compared performance of schizophrenia/high-risk groups to a healthy or patient comparison group (d = −0.523, p < 0.001). However, significant heterogeneity was also found amongst the schizotypy, but not schizophrenia studies, as well as studies using accuracy, but not reaction time as a measure of performance. A non-significant correlation was found for the studies that examined schizophrenia symptoms or schizotypy traits as continuous variables (r = 0.012, p = 0.825). These results suggest that deficits in perceptual organization of non-fragmented stimuli are found when differences between schizophrenia/high-risk groups and comparison groups are maximized. These findings should motivate further investigation of perceptual organization abilities with closed-contour stimuli both in schizophrenia and high-risk groups, which is pertinent to current initiatives to improve the assessment and treatment of cognition in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten R Panton
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia Perth, WA, Australia
| | - David R Badcock
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Johanna C Badcock
- Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre - Mental HealthMelbourne, VIC, Australia
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Crespi BJ, Go MC. Diametrical diseases reflect evolutionary-genetic tradeoffs: Evidence from psychiatry, neurology, rheumatology, oncology and immunology. Evol Med Public Health 2015; 2015:216-53. [PMID: 26354001 PMCID: PMC4600345 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eov021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tradeoffs centrally mediate the expression of human adaptations. We propose that tradeoffs also influence the prevalence and forms of human maladaptation manifest in disease. By this logic, increased risk for one set of diseases commonly engenders decreased risk for another, diametric, set of diseases. We describe evidence for such diametric sets of diseases from epidemiological, genetic and molecular studies in four clinical domains: (i) psychiatry (autism vs psychotic-affective conditions), (ii) rheumatology (osteoarthritis vs osteoporosis), (iii) oncology and neurology (cancer vs neurodegenerative disorders) and (iv) immunology (autoimmunity vs infectious disease). Diametric disorders are important to recognize because genotypes or environmental factors that increase risk for one set of disorders protect from opposite disorders, thereby providing novel and direct insights into disease causes, prevention and therapy. Ascertaining the mechanisms that underlie disease-related tradeoffs should also indicate means of circumventing or alleviating them, and thus reducing the incidence and impacts of human disease in a more general way.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew C Go
- Department of Biological Sciences; Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6 Present address: Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 109 Davenport Hall, 607 S Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Tan DW, Russell-Smith SN, Simons JM, Maybery MT, Leung D, Ng HLH, Whitehouse AJO. Perceived Gender Ratings for High and Low Scorers on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Consistent with the Extreme Male Brain Account of Autism. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131780. [PMID: 26186689 PMCID: PMC4506065 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Extreme Male Brain (EMB) theory posits that autistic traits are linked to excessive exposure to testosterone in utero. While findings from a number of studies are consistent with this theory, other studies have produced contradictory results. For example, some findings suggest that rather than being linked to hypermasculinization for males, or defeminization for females, elevated levels of autistic traits are instead linked to more androgynous physical features. The current study provided further evidence relevant to the EMB and androgony positions by comparing groups of males selected for high or low scores on the Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ) as to the rated masculinity of their faces and voices, and comparable groups of females as to the rated femininity of their faces and voices. The voices of High-AQ males were rated as more masculine than those of Low-AQ males, while the faces of High-AQ females were rated as less feminine than those of Low-AQ females. There was no effect of AQ group on femininity ratings for female voices or on masculinity ratings for male faces. The results thus provide partial support for a link between high levels of autistic-like traits and hypermasculinization for males and defeminization for females, consistent with the EMB theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Weiting Tan
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Suzanna N. Russell-Smith
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jessica M. Simons
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Murray T. Maybery
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Doris Leung
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Honey L. H. Ng
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew J. O. Whitehouse
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Chisholm K, Lin A, Abu-Akel A, Wood SJ. The association between autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A review of eight alternate models of co-occurrence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:173-83. [PMID: 25956249 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Although now believed to be two distinct disorders, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) share multiple phenotypic similarities and risk factors, and have been reported to co-occur at elevated rates. In this narrative review, we give a brief overview of the phenomenological, genetic, environmental, and imaging evidence for the overlap between ASD and SSD, highlighting similarities and areas of distinction. We examine eight possible alternate models of explanation for the association and comorbidity between the disorders, and set out a research agenda to test these models. Understanding how and why these disorders co-occur has important implications for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, as well as for developing fundamental aetiological models of the disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashleigh Lin
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Rd, Subiaco, WA, 6008, Australia
| | - Ahmad Abu-Akel
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Stephen J Wood
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, National Neuroscience Facility, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry St, Carlton, Vic, 3053, Australia
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Gilani SZ, Tan DW, Russell-Smith SN, Maybery MT, Mian A, Eastwood PR, Shafait F, Goonewardene M, Whitehouse AJO. Sexually dimorphic facial features vary according to level of autistic-like traits in the general population. J Neurodev Disord 2015; 7:14. [PMID: 25901187 PMCID: PMC4404287 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-015-9109-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In a recent study, Bejerot et al. observed that several physical features (including faces) of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were more androgynous than those of their typically developed counterparts, suggesting that ASD may be understood as a 'gender defiant' disorder. These findings are difficult to reconcile with the hypermasculinisation account, which proposes that ASD may be an exaggerated form of cognitive and biological masculinity. The current study extended these data by first identifying six facial features that best distinguished males and females from the general population and then examining these features in typically developing groups selected for high and low levels of autistic-like traits. METHODS In study 1, three-dimensional (3D) facial images were collected from 208 young adult males and females recruited from the general population. Twenty-three facial distances were measured from these images and a gender classification and scoring algorithm was employed to identify a set of six facial features that most effectively distinguished male from female faces. In study 2, measurements of these six features were compared for groups of young adults selected for high (n = 46) or low (n = 66) levels of autistic-like traits. RESULTS For each sex, four of the six sexually dimorphic facial distances significantly differentiated participants with high levels of autistic-like traits from those with low trait levels. All four features were less masculinised for high-trait males compared to low-trait males. Three of four features were less feminised for high-trait females compared to low-trait females. One feature was, however, not consistent with the general pattern of findings and was more feminised among females who reported more autistic-like traits. Based on the four significantly different facial distances for each sex, discriminant function analysis correctly classified 89.7% of the males and 88.9% of the females into their respective high- and low-trait groups. CONCLUSIONS The current data provide support for Bejerot et al.'s androgyny account since males and females with high levels of autistic-like traits generally showed less sex-typical facial features than individuals with low levels of autistic-like traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Zulqarnain Gilani
- />School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Perth, WA Australia
| | - Diana Weiting Tan
- />Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Perth, WA Australia
- />Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, 6008 Perth, WA Australia
| | - Suzanna N Russell-Smith
- />Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Perth, WA Australia
| | - Murray T Maybery
- />Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Perth, WA Australia
| | - Ajmal Mian
- />School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Perth, WA Australia
| | - Peter R Eastwood
- />School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Perth, WA Australia
| | - Faisal Shafait
- />School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Perth, WA Australia
| | - Mithran Goonewardene
- />School of Dentistry/Oral Health Centre of Western Australia, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Perth, WA Australia
| | - Andrew JO Whitehouse
- />Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Perth, WA Australia
- />Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, 6008 Perth, WA Australia
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Taylor LJ, Maybery MT, Grayndler L, Whitehouse AJO. Evidence for distinct cognitive profiles in autism spectrum disorders and specific language impairment. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:19-30. [PMID: 23670577 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1847-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Findings that a subgroup of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have linguistic capabilities that resemble specific language impairment (SLI) have led some authors to hypothesise that ASD and SLI have a shared aetiology. While considerable research has explored overlap in the language phenotypes of the two conditions, little research has examined possible overlap in cognitive characteristics. In this study, we explored nonword and sentence repetition performance, as well as performance on the Children's Embedded Figures Test (CEFT) for children with ASD or SLI. As expected, 'language impaired' children with ASD (ALI) and children with SLI performed worse than both 'language normal' ASD (ALN) and typically developing (TD) children on the nonword and sentence repetition tests. Further, the SLI children performed worse than all other groups on the CEFT. This finding supports distinct cognitive profiles in ASD and SLI and may provide further evidence for distinct aetiological mechanisms in the two conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J Taylor
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia,
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31
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Almeida RA, Dickinson JE, Maybery MT, Badcock JC, Badcock DR. Enhanced global integration of closed contours in individuals with high levels of autistic-like traits. Vision Res 2014; 103:109-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2014.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 08/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Del Giudice M, Klimczuk AC, Traficonte DM, Maestripieri D. Autistic-like and schizotypal traits in a life history perspective: diametrical associations with impulsivity, sensation seeking, and sociosexual behavior. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Silverstein SM, Moghaddam B, Wykes T. Research strategies and priorities to improve the lives of people with schizophrenia: executive summary of the Ernst Strüngmann Forum on schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2014; 40:259-65. [PMID: 24473059 PMCID: PMC3932103 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbt238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Silverstein
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed; Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 151 Centennial Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854, US; tel: 732-235-5149, fax: 732-235-9293, e-mail:
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Almeida RA, Dickinson JE, Maybery MT, Badcock JC, Badcock DR. Visual search targeting either local or global perceptual processes differs as a function of autistic-like traits in the typically developing population. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 43:1272-86. [PMID: 23054202 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1669-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Relative to low scorers, high scorers on the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ) show enhanced performance on the embedded figures test and the radial frequency search task (RFST), which has been attributed to both enhanced local processing and differences in combining global percepts. We investigate the role of local and global processing further using the RFST in four experiments. High AQ adults maintained a consistent advantage in search speed across diverse target-distracter stimulus conditions. This advantage may reflect enhanced local processing of curvature in early stages of the form vision pathway and superior global detection of shape primitives. However, more probable is the presence of a superior search process that enables a consistent search advantage at both levels of processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renita A Almeida
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
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35
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Dinsdale NL, Hurd PL, Wakabayashi A, Elliot M, Crespi BJ. How are autism and schizotypy related? Evidence from a non-clinical population. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63316. [PMID: 23691021 PMCID: PMC3655150 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 03/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Both autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) and schizophrenia spectrum conditions (SSCs) involve altered or impaired social and communicative functioning, but whether these shared features indicate overlapping or different etiological factors is unknown. We outline three hypotheses (overlapping, independent, and diametric) for the possible relationship between ASCs and SSCs, and compare their predictions for the expected relationships between autistic and schizotypal phenotypes using the Autism Spectrum Quotient and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief Revised from a large non-clinical sample of undergraduate students. Consistent with previous research, autistic features were positively associated with several schizotypal features, with the most overlap occurring between interpersonal schizotypy and autistic social and communication phenotypes. The first component of a principal components analysis (PCA) of subscale scores reflected these positive correlations, and suggested the presence of an axis (PC1) representing general social interest and aptitude. By contrast, the second principal component (PC2) exhibited a pattern of positive and negative loadings indicative of an axis from autism to positive schizotypy, such that positive schizotypal features loaded in the opposite direction to core autistic features. These overall PCA patterns were replicated in a second data set from a Japanese population. To evaluate the validity of our interpretation of the PCA results, we measured handedness and mental rotation ability, as these are established correlates of SSCs and ASCs, respectively. PC2 scores were significantly associated with hand preference, such that increasingly 'schizotypal' scores predicted reduced strength of handedness, which is consistent with previous research. PC1 scores were positively related to performance on the mental rotation task, suggesting trade-offs between social skills and visual-spatial ability. These results provide novel evidence for an autism-positive schizotypy axis, and highlight the importance of recognizing that psychological variation involving reduced social interest and functioning may have diverse causes.
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Crespi B. Developmental heterochrony and the evolution of autistic perception, cognition and behavior. BMC Med 2013; 11:119. [PMID: 23639054 PMCID: PMC3649927 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7015-11-119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is usually conceptualized as a disorder or disease that involves fundamentally abnormal neurodevelopment. In the present work, the hypothesis that a suite of core autism-related traits may commonly represent simple delays or non-completion of typical childhood developmental trajectories is evaluated. DISCUSSION A comprehensive review of the literature indicates that, with regard to the four phenotypes of (1) restricted interests and repetitive behavior, (2) short-range and long-range structural and functional brain connectivity, (3) global and local visual perception and processing, and (4) the presence of absolute pitch, the differences between autistic individuals and typically developing individuals closely parallel the differences between younger and older children. SUMMARY The results of this study are concordant with a model of 'developmental heterochrony', and suggest that evolutionary extension of child development along the human lineage has potentiated and structured genetic risk for autism and the expression of autistic perception, cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
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37
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Gadow KD, DeVincent CJ. Comparison of children with autism spectrum disorder with and without schizophrenia spectrum traits: gender, season of birth, and mental health risk factors. J Autism Dev Disord 2013; 42:2285-96. [PMID: 22361923 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1473-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with and without co-occurring schizophrenia spectrum traits (SST) were examined for differences in co-occurring psychiatric symptoms, background characteristics, and mental health risk factors. Participating mothers and teachers completed a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale and a background questionnaire (mothers only) describing 147 children (6-12 years) with ASD. There was a clear pattern of group differences in co-occurring psychiatric symptom severity (+SST > SST-) and background characteristics. Children with impairing SST had more mental health risk factors. Girls were more likely to be classified SST according to mothers' ratings. Children born in spring-summer were more likely to be classified non-SST by teachers' ratings. Findings provide tentative evidence that SST may be a useful marker of behavioral heterogeneity within the ASD clinical phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth D Gadow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (Pediatrics), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8790, USA.
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Russell-Smith SN, Maybery MT, Bayliss DM, Sng AAH. Support for a link between the local processing bias and social deficits in autism: an investigation of embedded figures test performance in non-clinical individuals. J Autism Dev Disord 2013; 42:2420-30. [PMID: 22434280 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1506-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this investigation was to explore the degree to which specific subsets of autistic-like traits relate to performance on the Embedded Figures Test (Witkin et al. in A manual for the embedded figures test. Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, CA, 1971). In the first group-based investigation with this focus, students were selected for their extreme scores (either high or low) on each of the 'Social Skills' and 'Details/Patterns' factors of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (Baron-Cohen et al. in J Austim Dev Disord 31:5-17, 2001). The resulting 2 × 2 factorial design permitted examination of the degree to which the social and non-social autistic-like traits separately relate to EFT performance. Surprisingly, in two studies, superior EFT performance was found to relate only to greater social difficulty, suggesting that the local processing bias in autism may be linked specifically to the social deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanna N Russell-Smith
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
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Brosnan M, Ashwin C, Gamble T. Greater Empathizing and reduced Systemizing in people who show a jumping to conclusions bias in the general population: Implications for psychosis. PSYCHOSIS-PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIAL AND INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2011.626526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Are the Autism and Positive Schizotypy Spectra Diametrically Opposed in Empathizing and Systemizing? J Autism Dev Disord 2012; 43:695-706. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1614-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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41
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Gadow KD, Drabick DA. Symptoms of autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders in clinically referred youth with oppositional defiant disorder. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2012; 33:1157-1168. [PMID: 22502841 PMCID: PMC3775839 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Examined autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) symptoms in a clinically referred, non-ASD sample (N=1160; ages 6-18) with and without oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Mothers and teachers completed DSM-IV-referenced symptom checklists. Youth with ODD were subdivided into angry/irritable symptom (AIS) or noncompliant symptom (NS) subtypes. Two different classification strategies were used: within-informant (source-specific) and between-informant (source-exclusive). For the source-specific strategy, youth were classified AIS, NS, or Control (C) according to mothers' and teachers' ratings separately. A second set of analyses focused on youth classified AIS according to mother or teacher report but not both (source-exclusive) versus both mother and teacher (cross-informant) AIS. Results indicated the mother-defined source-specific AIS groups generally evidenced the most severe ASD and SSD symptoms (AIS>NS>C), but this was more pronounced among younger youth. Teacher-defined source-specific ODD groups exhibited comparable levels of symptom severity (AIS, NS>C) with the exception of SSD (AIS>NS>C; younger youth). Source-exclusive AIS groups were clearly differentiated from each other, but there was little evidence of differential symptom severity in cross-informant versus source-exclusive AIS. These findings were largely dependent on the informant used to define the source-exclusive groups. AIS and NS groups differed in their associations with ASD and SSD symptoms. Informant discrepancy provides valuable information that can inform nosological and clinical concerns and has important implications for studies that use different strategies to configure clinical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth D. Gadow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Putnam Hall, South Campus, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8790, USA
| | - Deborah A.G. Drabick
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6085, USA
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Badcock C. The imprinted brain: how genes set the balance between autism and psychosis. Epigenomics 2012; 3:345-59. [PMID: 22122342 DOI: 10.2217/epi.11.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The imprinted brain theory proposes that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a paternal bias in the expression of imprinted genes. This is reflected in a preference for mechanistic cognition and in the corresponding mentalistic deficits symptomatic of ASD. Psychotic spectrum disorder (PSD) would correspondingly result from an imbalance in favor of maternal and/or X-chromosome gene expression. If differences in gene expression were reflected locally in the human brain as mouse models and other evidence suggests they are, ASD would represent not so much an 'extreme male brain' as an extreme paternal one, with PSD correspondingly representing an extreme maternal brain. To the extent that copy number variation resembles imprinting and aneuploidy in nullifying or multiplying the expression of particular genes, it has been found to conform to the diametric model of mental illness peculiar to the imprinted brain theory. The fact that nongenetic factors such as nutrition in pregnancy can mimic and/or interact with imprinted gene expression suggests that the theory might even be able to explain the notable effect of maternal starvation on the risk of PSD - not to mention the 'autism epidemic' of modern affluent societies. Finally, the theory suggests that normality represents balanced cognition, and that genius is an extraordinary extension of cognitive configuration in both mentalistic and mechanistic directions. Were it to be proven correct, the imprinted brain theory would represent one of the biggest single advances in our understanding of the mind and of mental illness that has ever taken place, and would revolutionize psychiatric diagnosis, prevention and treatment - not to mention our understanding of epigenomics.
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Russell-Smith SN, Maybery MT, Bayliss DM. Relationships between autistic-like and schizotypy traits: An analysis using the Autism Spectrum Quotient and Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Functional evaluation of hidden figures object analysis in children with autistic disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2011; 41:13-22. [PMID: 20411412 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-010-1013-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during performance of a hidden figures task (HFT) was used to compare differences in brain function in children diagnosed with autism disorder (AD) compared to children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and typical controls (TC). Overall greater functional MRI activity was observed in the two control groups compared to children with AD. Laterality differences were also evident, with AD subjects preferentially showing activity in the right medial temporal region while controls tended to activate the left medial temporal cortex. Reduced fMRI activity was observed in the parietal, ventral-temporal and hippocampal regions in the AD group, suggesting differences in the way that children with AD process the HFT.
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45
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Almeida RA, Dickinson JE, Maybery MT, Badcock JC, Badcock DR. Visual search performance in the autism spectrum II: the radial frequency search task with additional segmentation cues. Neuropsychologia 2010; 48:4117-24. [PMID: 20946906 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2010] [Revised: 09/10/2010] [Accepted: 10/02/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The Embedded Figures Test (EFT) requires detecting a shape within a complex background and individuals with autism or high Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores are faster and more accurate on this task than controls. This research aimed to uncover the visual processes producing this difference. Previously we developed a search task using radial frequency (RF) patterns with controllable amounts of target/distracter overlap on which high AQ participants showed more efficient search than low AQ observers. The current study extended the design of this search task by adding two lines which traverse the display on random paths sometimes intersecting target/distracters, other times passing between them. As with the EFT, these lines segment and group the display in ways that are task irrelevant. We tested two new groups of observers and found that while RF search was slowed by the addition of segmenting lines for both groups, the high AQ group retained a consistent search advantage (reflected in a shallower gradient for reaction time as a function of set size) over the low AQ group. Further, the high AQ group were significantly faster and more accurate on the EFT compared to the low AQ group. That is, the results from the present RF search task demonstrate that segmentation and grouping created by intersecting lines does not further differentiate the groups and is therefore unlikely to be a critical factor underlying the EFT performance difference. However, once again, we found that superior EFT performance was associated with shallower gradients on the RF search task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renita A Almeida
- School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA, Australia.
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