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Gehdu BK, Tsantani M, Press C, Gray KL, Cook R. Recognition of facial expressions in autism: Effects of face masks and alexithymia. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:2854-2864. [PMID: 36872641 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231163007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
It is often assumed that the recognition of facial expressions is impaired in autism. However, recent evidence suggests that reports of expression recognition difficulties in autistic participants may be attributable to co-occurring alexithymia-a trait associated with difficulties interpreting interoceptive and emotional states-not autism per se. Due to problems fixating on the eye-region, autistic individuals may be more reliant on information from the mouth region when judging facial expressions. As such, it may be easier to detect expression recognition deficits attributable to autism, not alexithymia, when participants are forced to base expression judgements on the eye-region alone. To test this possibility, we compared the ability of autistic participants (with and without high levels of alexithymia) and non-autistic controls to categorise facial expressions (a) when the whole face was visible, and (b) when the lower portion of the face was covered with a surgical mask. High-alexithymic autistic participants showed clear evidence of expression recognition difficulties: they correctly categorised fewer expressions than non-autistic controls. In contrast, low-alexithymic autistic participants were unimpaired relative to non-autistic controls. The same pattern of results was seen when judging masked and unmasked expression stimuli. In sum, we find no evidence for an expression recognition deficit attributable to autism, in the absence of high levels of co-occurring alexithymia, either when participants judge whole-face stimuli or just the eye-region. These findings underscore the influence of co-occurring alexithymia on expression recognition in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bayparvah Kaur Gehdu
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Maria Tsantani
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Clare Press
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London (UCL), London, UK
| | - Katie Lh Gray
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Richard Cook
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Kallitsounaki A, Williams DM. Brief Report: An Exploration of Alexithymia in Autistic and Nonautistic Transgender Adults. AUTISM IN ADULTHOOD 2023; 5:210-216. [PMID: 37346987 PMCID: PMC10280221 DOI: 10.1089/aut.2022.0113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Background Research has shown that many autistic people have alexithymia, a psychological trait characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing emotions. It is also now clear that there is a high rate of autism among transgender people, but we know little about the intersection of autism and gender diversity or about the clinical features of autistic transgender individuals. Methods Seventy-eight nonautistic transgender, 56 autistic transgender, 106 nonautistic cisgender, and 107 autistic cisgender adults completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and the Autism-spectrum Quotient as part of an online study. We also used the General Alexithymia Factor Score-8 as an additional alexithymia score. Results We found that nonautistic transgender participants reported significantly higher mean levels of alexithymia than nonautistic cisgender participants, and that there was a significant overrepresentation of individuals in this group who met the clinical cutoff for alexithymia. The difference in alexithymia between autistic cisgender and autistic transgender participants was nonsignificant, with >50% of each group scoring above the clinical cutoff point. Of note, when we used the General Alexithymia Factor Score-8, the difference between autistic transgender participants and autistic cisgender participants was significant, with autistic transgender participants reporting higher mean levels of alexithymia. Conclusion Results suggest that nonautistic transgender individuals might be more prone to experience alexithymia (including at clinically significant levels) than nonautistic cisgender people. When autism occurs in transgender people, the average level and clinical rate of alexithymia is higher than among nonautistic transgender people and potentially higher than among autistic cisgender people. Our findings are in keeping with evidence of a subgroup of transgender people with "subclinical autism" and inconsistent with the notion that autism among transgender and gender diverse people is a "phenomimic" of autism. Lastly, our study highlights the potential importance of screening autistic and nonautistic transgender people for alexithymia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David M. Williams
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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He JL, Williams ZJ, Harris A, Powell H, Schaaf R, Tavassoli T, Puts NAJ. A working taxonomy for describing the sensory differences of autism. Mol Autism 2023; 14:15. [PMID: 37041612 PMCID: PMC10091684 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00534-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals on the autism spectrum have been long described to process sensory information differently than neurotypical individuals. While much effort has been leveraged towards characterizing and investigating the neurobiology underlying the sensory differences of autism, there has been a notable lack of consistency in the terms being used to describe the nature of those differences. MAIN BODY We argue that inconsistent and interchangeable terminology-use when describing the sensory differences of autism has become problematic beyond mere pedantry and inconvenience. We begin by highlighting popular terms that are currently being used to describe the sensory differences of autism (e.g. "sensitivity", "reactivity" and "responsivity") and discuss why poor nomenclature may hamper efforts towards understanding the aetiology of sensory differences in autism. We then provide a solution to poor terminology-use by proposing a hierarchical taxonomy for describing and referring to various sensory features. CONCLUSION Inconsistent terminology-use when describing the sensory features of autism has stifled discussion and scientific understanding of the sensory differences of autism. The hierarchical taxonomy proposed was developed to help resolve lack of clarity when discussing the sensory differences of autism and to place future research targets at appropriate levels of analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason L He
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Zachary J Williams
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ashley Harris
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Helen Powell
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Roseann Schaaf
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Teresa Tavassoli
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AL, UK
| | - Nicolaas A J Puts
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
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Moore HL, Brice S, Powell L, Ingham B, Freeston M, Parr JR, Rodgers J. The Mediating Effects of Alexithymia, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Anxiety on the Relationship Between Sensory Processing Differences and Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours in Autistic Adults. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:4384-4396. [PMID: 34643864 PMCID: PMC9508023 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05312-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Distress caused by sensory processing differences for autistic individuals may be reduced by repetitive behaviours (RRB), including repetitive motor (RMB) and insistence on sameness (ISB) behaviours. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and anxiety mediate the relationship between sensory processing and RRB in autistic children. We replicated this model in autistic adults, extending it to include alexithymia. Serial mediation, using data from 426 autistic adults, identified significant direct effects from sensory processing to RMB and ISB, and indirect effects through alexithymia-IU-anxiety for RMB, and IU alone, and alexithymia-IU for ISB. Different mechanisms may underpin RMB and ISB. Alexithymia alongside, IU and anxiety, should be considered when understanding the relationship between sensory processing and RRB, and when offering interventions to support autistic people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L Moore
- School of Psychology, 4.28, Dame Margaret Barbour Building, Wallace Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4DR, UK.
| | - Samuel Brice
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Sir James Spence Institute, Newcastle University, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Level 3, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, St. Nicholas Hospital, Jubilee Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 1XT, UK
| | - Lauren Powell
- School of Psychology, 4.28, Dame Margaret Barbour Building, Wallace Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4DR, UK
| | - Barry Ingham
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Sir James Spence Institute, Newcastle University, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Level 3, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, St. Nicholas Hospital, Jubilee Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 1XT, UK
| | - Mark Freeston
- School of Psychology, 4.28, Dame Margaret Barbour Building, Wallace Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4DR, UK
| | - Jeremy R Parr
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Sir James Spence Institute, Newcastle University, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Level 3, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, St. Nicholas Hospital, Jubilee Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 1XT, UK
| | - Jacqui Rodgers
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Sir James Spence Institute, Newcastle University, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Level 3, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
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Edwards DJ. Going beyond the DSM in predicting, diagnosing, and treating autism spectrum disorder with covarying alexithymia and OCD: A structural equation model and process-based predictive coding account. Front Psychol 2022; 13:993381. [PMID: 36148114 PMCID: PMC9485626 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.993381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is much overlap among the symptomology of autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs), obsessive compulsive disorders (OCDs), and alexithymia, which all typically involve impaired social interactions, repetitive impulsive behaviors, problems with communication, and mental health. Aim This study aimed to identify direct and indirect associations among alexithymia, OCD, cardiac interoception, psychological inflexibility, and self-as-context, with the DV ASD and depression, while controlling for vagal related aging. Methodology The data involved electrocardiogram (ECG) heart rate variability (HRV) and questionnaire data. In total, 1,089 participant's data of ECG recordings of healthy resting state HRV were recorded and grouped into age categories. In addition to this, another 224 participants completed an online survey that included the following questionnaires: Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS); Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 (TAS-20); Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQII); Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DAS21); Multi-dimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness Scale (MAIA); and the Self-as-Context Scale (SAC). Results Heart rate variability was shown to decrease with age when controlling for BMI and gender. In the two SEMs produced, it was found that OCD and alexithymia were causally associated with autism and depression indirectly through psychological inflexibility, SAC, and ISen interoception. Conclusion The results are discussed in relation to the limitations of the DSM with its categorical focus of protocols for syndromes and provide support for more flexible ideographic approaches in diagnosing and treating mental health and autism within the Extended Evolutionary Meta-Model (EEMM). Graph theory approaches are discussed in their capacity to depict the processes of change potentially even at the level of the relational frame.
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Ramirez-Melendez R, Matamoros E, Hernandez D, Mirabel J, Sanchez E, Escude N. Music-Enhanced Emotion Identification of Facial Emotions in Autistic Spectrum Disorder Children: A Pilot EEG Study. Brain Sci 2022; 12:704. [PMID: 35741590 PMCID: PMC9221118 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12060704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by a difficulty in expressing and interpreting others' emotions. In particular, people with ASD have difficulties when interpreting emotions encoded in facial expressions. In the past, music interventions have been shown to improve autistic individuals' emotional and social skills. The present study describes a pilot study to explore the usefulness of music as a tool for improving autistic children's emotion recognition in facial expressions. Twenty-five children (mean age = 8.8 y, SD = 1.24) with high-functioning ASD and normal hearing participated in the study consisting of four weekly sessions of 15 min each. Twenty-five participants were randomly divided into an experimental group (N = 14) and a control group (N = 11). During each session, participants in the experimental group were exposed to images of facial expressions for four emotions (happy, sad, angry, and fear). Images were shown in three conditions, with the second condition consisting of music of congruent emotion with the shown images. Participants in the control group were shown only images in all three conditions. For six participants in each group, EEG data were acquired during the sessions, and instantaneous emotional responses (arousal and valence values) were extracted from the EEG data. Inter- and intra-session emotion identification improvement was measured in terms of verbal response accuracy, and EEG response differences were analyzed. A comparison of the verbal responses of the experimental group pre- and post-intervention showed a significant (p = 0.001) average improvement in emotion identification accuracy responses of 26% (SD = 3.4). Furthermore, emotional responses of the experimental group at the end of the study showed a higher correlation with the emotional stimuli being presented, compared with their emotional responses at the beginning of the study. No similar verbal responses improvement or EEG-stimuli correlation was found in the control group. These results seem to indicate that music can be used to improve both emotion identification in facial expressions and emotion induction through facial stimuli in children with high-functioning ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisabet Matamoros
- Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08018 Barcelona, Spain; (E.M.); (D.H.)
| | - Davinia Hernandez
- Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08018 Barcelona, Spain; (E.M.); (D.H.)
| | - Julia Mirabel
- Centre Carrilet, 08031 Barcelona, Spain; (J.M.); (E.S.)
| | | | - Nuria Escude
- Institut Catalá de Musicoterapia, 08021 Barcelona, Spain;
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Davidson D, Morales D. Associations Between Autism Symptomatology, Alexithymia, Trait Emotional Intelligence, and Adjustment to College. Front Psychol 2022; 13:813450. [PMID: 35572317 PMCID: PMC9096698 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.813450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been asserted that the socio-emotional challenges associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be explained, in part, by the higher rates of alexithymia in individuals with autism. Alexithymia refers to difficulties in identifying one's own emotional states and describing those states to others. Thus, one goal of the present study was to examine levels of alexithymia in relation to ASD symptomatology and trait emotion intelligence (EI). Trait EI is a multifaceted concept that captures emotional competencies and behavioral dispositions A second goal was to assess whether alexithymia, ASD symptomatology and trait EI served as significant predictors of adjustment to college, including academic, social, and personal-emotional adjustment. In addition to keeping with the spectrum nature of autism, our research strategy allowed us to capture those students who may not have received a formal diagnosis of ASD but report symptoms that can be indicative of ASD. This includes women, who are less likely to receive a diagnosis of ASD even when ASD symptomatology is present. The results of the study showed that students reporting higher levels of ASD symptomatology also reported significantly higher levels of alexithymia and lower trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) than those with less or no symptomatology. Alexithymia was also negatively related to trait EI, and both alexithymia and ASD symptomatology were found to be significant predictors of trait EI. However, only trait EI was a significant predictor of adjustment to college and only for social adjustment. These findings suggest that support programs that develop trait EI skills may improve the college experience for students with ASD, regardless of alexithymia or ASD symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Davidson
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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A Systematic Review of Scientific Studies on the Effects of Music in People with or at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095150. [PMID: 35564544 PMCID: PMC9100336 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is globally increasing, and the current available interventions show variable success. Thus, there is a growing interest in additional interventions such as music therapy (MT). Therefore, we aimed to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of music and people with, or at risk of, ASD. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and used PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science as databases, with “music”, “music therapy”, “autism spectrum disorder”, and “ASD” as search terms. Among the identified and screened articles, 81 out of 621 qualified as scientific studies involving a total of 43,353 participants. These studies investigated the peculiarities of music perception in people with ASD, as well as the effects of music and MT in this patient group. Most of the music-based interventions were beneficial in improving social, emotional, and behavioural problems. However, the availability of studies utilizing a rigorous randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was scarce. Most of the studies had a small sample size, and the applied therapeutic and scientific research methods were heterogeneous.
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Vaiouli P, Luminet O, Panayiotou G. Alexithymic and autistic traits in children and adolescents: A systematic review of the current state of knowledge. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 26:308-316. [PMID: 35109700 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211058512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT In this study, we aim to explore the ability of autistic children to process emotions and respond to a range of feelings in relation to a triad of difficulties known as alexithymia, namely children's difficulties to recognize, describe, and distinguish emotions. Alexithymia is common in autistic adults but we know very little about children. To understand this condition better, within a large group of studies, first we study the extent to which alexithymia difficulties are present in autistic children. In reviewing the literature, we also present the assessment measures implemented in each study, their limitations, and potential effects on our understanding of findings. This knowledge will help us understand the extent to which alexithymia is present in autistic children and how it may be related to their emotional difficulties. Also, it will allow us to further detect challenges early on in children's lives so that we recommend interventions that teach autistic children how to recognize, describe, and distinguish emotions in themselves and in others. Such interventions may include family members of autistic children to assist interactions with their child. Supporting children from an early age will help them develop skills that will ready them for school and life and it will enhance their ability to build supportive relationships and meet their fullest potential.
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Vaiouli P, Panayiotou G. Alexithymia and Autistic Traits: Associations With Social and Emotional Challenges Among College Students. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:733775. [PMID: 34744608 PMCID: PMC8566745 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.733775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Alexithymia is a multifaceted personality construct defined by marked difficulties in identifying and describing feelings and in externally oriented thinking. Given its intrinsic role in social-emotional processing, alexithymia is now recognized as a trans-diagnostic trait in a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Research has pinpointed to the co-occurrence of autism with characteristics typical of alexithymic normative samples, such as social-communication difficulties and decreased emotion regulation abilities. Nonetheless, the role of individual facets of alexithymia in predicting challenges in social communication functioning is still understudied. Methods: In total, 275 young adults completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Autism Spectrum Quotient (short form), the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale self-reported questionnaires for assessing alexithymic and autistic traits, social-communication abilities, and emotion regulation difficulties. We used regression models to establish cross-sectional associations between autism, alexithymia, and social-emotional difficulties. Also, we ran a parallel mediation analysis to determine whether the relationship between autistic traits and emotion regulations challenges are mediated by Alexithymia facets. Results: Analysis showed a significant positive association between autistic traits and alexithymic traits and between autistic traits and emotion regulation difficulties while, as expected, autistic traits were negatively correlated with social skills. A significant relationship was found among the participants' levels of alexithymia and their interpersonal skills with two of three alexithymic subscales significantly contributing to the model. Similarly, a significant relationship was found among alexithymia subscales and emotion regulation difficulties with all three alexithymia subscales being statistically significant. Finally, analysis on two mediator models indicated a significant effect of autistic traits on social skills mediated by alexithymic traits as well as a significant indirect effect of autistic traits on emotion regulation difficulties mediated by alexithymic traits. Conclusion: The results of this study provide evidence of the influence of different alexithymic facets on the relationship between autistic traits and social-emotional challenges in young adults. Longitudinal studies may explore further alexithymia and its associations with social-emotional difficulties in autism as well as the potential implications of these findings in intervention and treatment programs.
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Redondo Pedregal C, Heaton P. Autism, music and Alexithymia: A musical intervention to enhance emotion recognition in adolescents with ASD. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2021; 116:104040. [PMID: 34329821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Difficulties identifying and describing emotions in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been linked with an increased prevalence of Type 2 Alexithymia. Alexithymia is associated with difficulties in interpreting and verbally labelling physiological arousal. Children and adults with ASD show typical patterns of physiological arousal to music and can attribute verbal labels to musical emotions. AIM This pilot study aimed to develop a music-based intervention to improve facial and vocal emotion recognition (ER) and Alexithymia in adolescents with ASD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Adolescents with ASD completed 5 music sessions and pre and post-tests of Alexithymia, ER and language. Each intervention began with a researcher-led group analysis of the emotions expressed in a series of musical excerpts, followed by a group-led discussion of the participants' experiences of these emotions and the ways they may be communicated. Finally, the likely causes and outward expression of these emotions were discussed. OUTCOME AND RESULTS Results showed that at pre-test, chronological age (CA) and receptive vocabulary were significantly associated with recognition of facial and verbal emotions and Not hiding emotions. At post-test, older children showed a greater increase in recognition of voices and in emotional bodily awareness. Correlations suggested a trend towards increased ER in voices and faces in children with lower language scores. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Music-based interventions may enhance ER in adolescents with ASD and Alexithymia. Limitations and recommendations for future investigations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Redondo Pedregal
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, New Cross, SE14 6NW London, United Kingdom.
| | - Pamela Heaton
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, New Cross, SE14 6NW London, United Kingdom.
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Williams ZJ, Gotham KO. Improving the measurement of alexithymia in autistic adults: a psychometric investigation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and generation of a general alexithymia factor score using item response theory. Mol Autism 2021; 12:56. [PMID: 34376227 PMCID: PMC8353782 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00463-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties interpreting emotional states, is commonly elevated in autistic adults, and a growing body of literature suggests that this trait underlies several cognitive and emotional differences previously attributed to autism. Although questionnaires such as the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) are frequently used to measure alexithymia in the autistic population, few studies have investigated the psychometric properties of these questionnaires in autistic adults, including whether differential item functioning (I-DIF) exists between autistic and general population adults. METHODS This study is a revised version of a previous article that was retracted due to copyright concerns (Williams and Gotham in Mol Autism 12:1-40). We conducted an in-depth psychometric analysis of the TAS-20 in a large sample of 743 cognitively able autistic adults recruited from the Simons Foundation SPARK participant pool and 721 general population controls enrolled in a large international psychological study. The factor structure of the TAS-20 was examined using confirmatory factor analysis, and item response theory was used to generate a subset of the items that were strong indicators of a "general alexithymia" factor. Correlations between alexithymia and other clinical outcomes were used to assess the nomological validity of the new alexithymia score in the SPARK sample. RESULTS The TAS-20 did not exhibit adequate model fit in either the autistic or general population samples. Empirically driven item reduction was undertaken, resulting in an 8-item general alexithymia factor score (GAFS-8, with "TAS" no longer referenced due to copyright) with sound psychometric properties and practically ignorable I-DIF between diagnostic groups. Correlational analyses indicated that GAFS-8 scores, as derived from the TAS-20, meaningfully predict autistic trait levels, repetitive behaviors, and depression symptoms, even after controlling for trait neuroticism. The GAFS-8 also presented no meaningful decrement in nomological validity over the full TAS-20 in autistic participants. LIMITATIONS Limitations of the current study include a sample of autistic adults that was majority female, later diagnosed, and well educated; clinical and control groups drawn from different studies with variable measures; only 16 of the TAS-20 items being administered to the non-autistic sample; and an inability to test several other important psychometric characteristics of the GAFS-8, including sensitivity to change and I-DIF across multiple administrations. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate the potential of the GAFS-8 to robustly measure alexithymia in both autistic and non-autistic adults. A free online score calculator has been created to facilitate the use of norm-referenced GAFS-8 latent trait scores in research applications (available at https://asdmeasures.shinyapps.io/alexithymia ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Williams
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
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Suslow T, Kersting A. Beyond Face and Voice: A Review of Alexithymia and Emotion Perception in Music, Odor, Taste, and Touch. Front Psychol 2021; 12:707599. [PMID: 34393944 PMCID: PMC8362879 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.707599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia is a clinically relevant personality trait characterized by deficits in recognizing and verbalizing one's emotions. It has been shown that alexithymia is related to an impaired perception of external emotional stimuli, but previous research focused on emotion perception from faces and voices. Since sensory modalities represent rather distinct input channels it is important to know whether alexithymia also affects emotion perception in other modalities and expressive domains. The objective of our review was to summarize and systematically assess the literature on the impact of alexithymia on the perception of emotional (or hedonic) stimuli in music, odor, taste, and touch. Eleven relevant studies were identified. On the basis of the reviewed research, it can be preliminary concluded that alexithymia might be associated with deficits in the perception of primarily negative but also positive emotions in music and a reduced perception of aversive taste. The data available on olfaction and touch are inconsistent or ambiguous and do not allow to draw conclusions. Future investigations would benefit from a multimethod assessment of alexithymia and control of negative affect. Multimodal research seems necessary to advance our understanding of emotion perception deficits in alexithymia and clarify the contribution of modality-specific and supramodal processing impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Suslow
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anette Kersting
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
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Steinberg S, Shivers CM, Liu T, Cirelli LK, Lense MD. Survey of the Home Music Environment of Children with Various Developmental Profiles. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 75:101296. [PMID: 34737486 PMCID: PMC8562654 DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2021.101296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Families with young children with and without developmental disabilities often create a musically rich home environment. Parent-child music engagement, like singing play songs, is associated with positive outcomes for children, parents, and their relationship. However, little is known about if the home music environment differs across diagnostic groups and if parent-child music engagement relates to parent-child affective attachment across families of diagnostically diverse children. Using an online questionnaire, the current study examined the home music environment of 340 families with young children with typical and atypical development. A variety of musical activities were common in all diagnostic groups. Diagnostic groups differed in active musical engagement, potentially relating to the differing phenotypes of various developmental disabilities. Parent-child music engagement was associated with parent-child affective attachment, even when controlling for relevant variables. Promoting musical engagement at home and through parent-child therapy may be an accessible way to support parent-child relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selena Steinberg
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA
| | - Carolyn M Shivers
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 295 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Talia Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21 Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| | - Laura K Cirelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Miriam D Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21 Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
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15
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Ryan C, Cogan S, Phillips A, O'Connor L. Objective and Subjective Measurement of Alexithymia in Adults with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:2019-2028. [PMID: 32888165 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04665-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
High rates of alexithymia, a condition characterised by difficulties identifying and describing emotions, are frequently reported in both children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the dilemma of measuring alexithymia via self-report has rarely been addressed. In this study, we compared objective and subjective measures of alexithymia in adults with ASD and typically developing adults. We found significantly higher levels of alexithymia in the ASD sample as measured by both self-report on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and by the observer rated Alexithymia Provoked Response Scale (APRQ). However, the two measures did not correlate with each other. We explore the different facets of the alexithymia construct that these two measures may be distinguishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Ryan
- School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Distillery House, North Mall, Cork, T23 TK30, Ireland.
| | | | - Ailish Phillips
- School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Distillery House, North Mall, Cork, T23 TK30, Ireland
| | - Lorraine O'Connor
- School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Distillery House, North Mall, Cork, T23 TK30, Ireland
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16
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Keating CT, Fraser DS, Sowden S, Cook JL. Differences Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults in the Recognition of Anger from Facial Motion Remain after Controlling for Alexithymia. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:1855-1871. [PMID: 34047905 PMCID: PMC8159724 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05083-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To date, studies have not established whether autistic and non-autistic individuals differ in emotion recognition from facial motion cues when matched in terms of alexithymia. Here, autistic and non-autistic adults (N = 60) matched on age, gender, non-verbal reasoning ability and alexithymia, completed an emotion recognition task, which employed dynamic point light displays of emotional facial expressions manipulated in terms of speed and spatial exaggeration. Autistic participants exhibited significantly lower accuracy for angry, but not happy or sad, facial motion with unmanipulated speed and spatial exaggeration. Autistic, and not alexithymic, traits were predictive of accuracy for angry facial motion with unmanipulated speed and spatial exaggeration. Alexithymic traits, in contrast, were predictive of the magnitude of both correct and incorrect emotion ratings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dagmar S Fraser
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sophie Sowden
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jennifer L Cook
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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17
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Williams ZJ, Gotham KO. Improving the measurement of alexithymia in autistic adults: a psychometric investigation and refinement of the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Mol Autism 2021; 12:20. [PMID: 33653400 PMCID: PMC7971146 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00427-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties interpreting one's own emotional states, is commonly elevated in autistic adults, and a growing body of literature suggests that this trait underlies a number of cognitive and emotional differences previously attributed to autism, such as difficulties in facial emotion recognition and reduced empathy. Although questionnaires such as the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) are frequently used to measure alexithymia in the autistic population, few studies have attempted to determine the psychometric properties of these questionnaires in autistic adults, including whether differential item functioning (I-DIF) exists between autistic and general population adults. METHODS We conducted an in-depth psychometric analysis of the TAS-20 in a large sample of 743 verbal autistic adults recruited from the Simons Foundation SPARK participant pool and 721 general population controls enrolled in a large international psychological study (the Human Penguin Project). The factor structure of the TAS-20 was examined using confirmatory factor analysis, and item response theory was used to further refine the scale based on local model misfit and I-DIF between the groups. Correlations between alexithymia and other clinical outcomes such as autistic traits, anxiety, and quality-of-life were used to assess the nomological validity of the revised alexithymia scale in the SPARK sample. RESULTS The TAS-20 did not exhibit adequate global model fit in either the autistic or general population samples. Empirically driven item reduction was undertaken, resulting in an eight-item unidimensional scale (TAS-8) with sound psychometric properties and practically ignorable I-DIF between diagnostic groups. Correlational analyses indicated that TAS-8 scores meaningfully predict autistic trait levels, anxiety and depression symptoms, and quality of life, even after controlling for trait neuroticism. LIMITATIONS Limitations of the current study include a sample of autistic adults that was overwhelmingly female, later-diagnosed, and well-educated; clinical and control groups drawn from different studies with variable measures; and an inability to test several other important psychometric characteristics of the TAS-8, including sensitivity to change and I-DIF across multiple administrations. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate the potential of the TAS-8 as a psychometrically robust tool to measure alexithymia in both autistic and non-autistic adults. A free online score calculator has been created to facilitate the use of norm-referenced TAS-8 latent trait scores in research applications (available at http://asdmeasures.shinyapps.io/TAS8_Score ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Williams
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
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18
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Wagener GL, Berning M, Costa AP, Steffgen G, Melzer A. Effects of Emotional Music on Facial Emotion Recognition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 51:3256-3265. [PMID: 33201423 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04781-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Impaired facial emotion recognition in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is in contrast to their intact emotional music recognition. This study tested whether emotion congruent music enhances facial emotion recognition. Accuracy and reaction times were assessed for 19 children with ASD and 31 controls in a recognition task with angry, happy, or sad faces. Stimuli were shown with either emotionally congruent or incongruent music or no music. Although children with ASD had higher reaction times than controls, accuracy only differed when incongruent or no music was played, indicating that congruent emotional music can boost facial emotion recognition in children with ASD. Emotion congruent music may support emotion recognition in children with ASD, and thus may improve their social skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary L Wagener
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, 11, Porte des Sciences, 4366, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Madeleine Berning
- Institute of Psychology, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54286, Trier, Germany
| | - Andreia P Costa
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, 11, Porte des Sciences, 4366, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Georges Steffgen
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, 11, Porte des Sciences, 4366, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - André Melzer
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, 11, Porte des Sciences, 4366, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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19
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Huggins CF, Donnan G, Cameron IM, Williams JH. Emotional self-awareness in autism: A meta-analysis of group differences and developmental effects. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 25:307-321. [PMID: 33153301 PMCID: PMC7874376 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320964306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autistic people are thought to have difficulties with identifying and understanding their own emotions. This is referred to as emotional self-awareness. It is important to study emotional self-awareness as people who are more able to understand their own emotions, whether they are autistic or not, are more able to respond to them appropriately, as well as to identify them in other people. It has not yet been confirmed whether autistic people have difficulties with emotional self-awareness, or if any reported difficulties are actually due to the way in which emotional self-awareness is measured in autistic people. If these difficulties do exist, it is also not known when these difficulties emerge. In this research, we reviewed 47 existing studies that measured emotional self-awareness in autistic and non-autistic adults and children. We also compared studies that measured emotional self-awareness in different ways. We found that autistic adults did seem to have poorer emotional self-awareness compared to their neurotypical peers. However, this was not the case with autistic children of age 12 years and below. Instead, differences in emotional self-awareness only seemed to emerge during adolescence. Moreover, these difficulties seemed to increase with age. These results suggest that difficulties with emotional self-awareness may not be inherent in autism. Instead, they may emerge alongside the greater social and mental health difficulties that are experienced by many autistic people during adolescence. We therefore suggest that it is important to find out more about, and subsequently support, the emotional self-awareness difficulties that autistic adolescents may encounter.
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20
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Ola L, Gullon-Scott F. Facial emotion recognition in autistic adult females correlates with alexithymia, not autism. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 24:2021-2034. [PMID: 32689812 PMCID: PMC7539601 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320932727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Research on predominantly male autistic samples has indicated that impairments in facial emotion recognition typically associated with autism spectrum conditions are instead due to co-occurring alexithymia. However, whether this could be demonstrated using more realistic facial emotion recognition stimuli and applied to autistic females was unclear. In all, 83 females diagnosed with autism spectrum condition completed online self-report measures of autism spectrum condition severity and alexithymia, and afacial emotion recognition deficit that assessed their ability to identify multimodal displays of complex emotions. Higher levels of alexithymia, but not autism spectrum condition severity, were associated with less accurate facial emotion recognition. Difficulty identifying one’s own feelings and externally oriented thinking were the components of alexithymia that were specifically related to facial emotion recognition accuracy. However, alexithymia (and autism spectrum condition severity) was not associated with speed of emotion processing. The findings are primarily discussed with the theoretical view that perceiving and experiencing emotions share the same neural networks, thus being able to recognise one’s own emotions may facilitate the ability to recognise others’. This study is in line with previous similar research on autistic males and suggests impairments in facial emotion recognition in autistic females should be attributed to co-occurring alexithymia.
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21
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Alcañiz Raya M, Chicchi Giglioli IA, Marín-Morales J, Higuera-Trujillo JL, Olmos E, Minissi ME, Teruel Garcia G, Sirera M, Abad L. Application of Supervised Machine Learning for Behavioral Biomarkers of Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on Electrodermal Activity and Virtual Reality. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:90. [PMID: 32317949 PMCID: PMC7146061 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sensory processing is the ability to capture, elaborate, and integrate information through the five senses and is impaired in over 90% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The ASD population shows hyper-hypo sensitiveness to sensory stimuli that can generate alteration in information processing, affecting cognitive and social responses to daily life situations. Structured and semi-structured interviews are generally used for ASD assessment, and the evaluation relies on the examiner's subjectivity and expertise, which can lead to misleading outcomes. Recently, there has been a growing need for more objective, reliable, and valid diagnostic measures, such as biomarkers, to distinguish typical from atypical functioning and to reliably track the progression of the illness, helping to diagnose ASD. Implicit measures and ecological valid settings have been showing high accuracy on predicting outcomes and correctly classifying populations in categories. METHODS Two experiments investigated whether sensory processing can discriminate between ASD and typical development (TD) populations using electrodermal activity (EDA) in two multimodal virtual environments (VE): forest VE and city VE. In the first experiment, 24 children with ASD diagnosis and 30 TDs participated in both virtual experiences, and changes in EDA have been recorded before and during the presentation of visual, auditive, and olfactive stimuli. In the second experiment, 40 children have been added to test the model of experiment 1. RESULTS The first exploratory results on EDA comparison models showed that the integration of visual, auditive, and olfactive stimuli in the forest environment provided higher accuracy (90.3%) on sensory dysfunction discrimination than specific stimuli. In the second experiment, 92 subjects experienced the forest VE, and results on 72 subjects showed that stimuli integration achieved an accuracy of 83.33%. The final confirmatory test set (n = 20) achieved 85% accuracy, simulating a real application of the models. Further relevant result concerns the visual stimuli condition in the first experiment, which achieved 84.6% of accuracy in recognizing ASD sensory dysfunction. CONCLUSION According to our studies' results, implicit measures, such as EDA, and ecological valid settings can represent valid quantitative methods, along with traditional assessment measures, to classify ASD population, enhancing knowledge on the development of relevant specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Alcañiz Raya
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Javier Marín-Morales
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan L. Higuera-Trujillo
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Elena Olmos
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Maria E. Minissi
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Teruel Garcia
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marian Sirera
- Red Cenit, Centros de Desarrollo Cognitivo, Valencia, Spain
| | - Luis Abad
- Red Cenit, Centros de Desarrollo Cognitivo, Valencia, Spain
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22
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Brancatisano O, Baird A, Thompson WF. Why is music therapeutic for neurological disorders? The Therapeutic Music Capacities Model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 112:600-615. [PMID: 32050086 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Music has cognitive, psychosocial, behavioral and motor benefits for people with neurological disorders such as dementia, stroke, Parkinson's disease (PD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Here we discuss seven properties or 'capacities' of music that interact with brain function and contribute to its therapeutic value. Specifically, in its various forms, music can be engaging, emotional, physical, personal, social and persuasive, and it promotes synchronization of movement. We propose the Therapeutic Music Capacities Model (TMCM), which links individual properties of music to therapeutic mechanisms, leading to cognitive, psychosocial, behavioral and motor benefits. We review evidence that these capacities have reliable benefits for people with dementia, stroke, PD and ASD when employed separately or in combination. The model accounts for the profound value that music affords human health and well-being and provides a framework for the development of non-pharmaceutical treatments for neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Brancatisano
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Ageing, Cognition, and Wellbeing, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Amee Baird
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Ageing, Cognition, and Wellbeing, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - William Forde Thompson
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Ageing, Cognition, and Wellbeing, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
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23
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Larwood JL, Vanman EJ, Dingle GA. Negative valence specific deficits in judgements of musical affective quality in alexithymia. Cogn Emot 2020; 35:500-509. [PMID: 31906793 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2019.1707514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Alexithymia is characterised by a lack of words for emotional experiences and it has been implicated in deficits in emotion processing. Research in this area has typically focused on judgements of discrete emotions rather than of affect, which is a precursor to emotion construction. In the current study, higher alexithymia was predicted to be related to more neutral judgements of valence and arousal of music representing a range of emotions. Participants (N = 162) listened to ten 15-second musical pieces that represented five target emotions (happy, sad, tender, angry, and fearful) and rated the valence and arousal of each. Participants also listed emotion words they knew to be expressed in music. Analyses revealed that alexithymia was not related to the number of emotion words generated but was related to valence-specific affect judgements of music. Participants higher in alexithymia rated sad, angry, and fearful pieces as more neutral in valence and arousal. Alexithymia was not related to ratings of valence or arousal for happy and tender pieces. These findings suggest that perceptual deficits in alexithymia may be specific to negative emotions. Our results are consistent with the idea that alexithymia is related to the direction of attention away from negative stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel L Larwood
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Eric J Vanman
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
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24
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Lense MD, Camarata S. PRESS-Play: Musical Engagement as a Motivating Platform for Social Interaction and Social Play in Young Children with ASD. MUSIC & SCIENCE 2020; 3:10.1177/2059204320933080. [PMID: 32832103 PMCID: PMC7440205 DOI: 10.1177/2059204320933080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Musical experiences are ubiquitous in early childhood. Beyond potential benefits of musical activities for young children with typical development, there has long been interest in harnessing music for therapeutic purposes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there is debate as to the effectiveness of these approaches and thus a need to identify mechanisms of change (or active ingredients) by which musical experiences may impact social development in young children with ASD. In this review, we introduce the PRESS-Play framework, which conceptualizes musical activities for young children with ASD within an applied behavior analysis framework consistent with the principles of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Specifically, the PRESS-Play framework proposes that musical activities support key elements of evidence-based approaches for social engagement including predictability, reinforcement, emotion regulation, shared attention, and social play context, providing a platform for delivery and receipt of social and behavioral instruction via a transactional, developmental approach. PRESS-Play considers that these factors may impact not only the child with ASD but also their interaction partner, such as a parent or peer, creating contexts conducive for validated social engagement and interaction. These principles point to focused theories of change within a clinical-translational framework in order to experimentally test components of social-musical engagement and conduct rigorous, evidence-based intervention studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam D. Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Stephen Camarata
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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25
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Interactive video-player to improve social smile in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. ADVANCES IN AUTISM 2019. [DOI: 10.1108/aia-05-2019-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose and develop a live interaction-based video player system named LIV4Smile for the improvement of the social smile in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed LIV4Smile intervention was a video player that operated by detecting smile using a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based algorithm. To maintain a live interaction, a CNN-based smile detector was configured and used in this system. The statistical test was also conducted to validate the performance of the system.
Findings
The significant improvement was observed in smile responses of individuals with ASD with the utilization of the proposed LIV4Smile system in a real-time environment.
Research limitations/implications
A small sample size and clinical utilizing for validation and initial training of ASD individuals for LIV4Smile could be considered under implications.
Originality/value
The main aim of this study was to address the inclusive practices for children with autism. The proposed CNN algorithm-based LIV4Smile intervention resulted in high accuracy in facial smile detection.
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26
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Desai A, Foss-Feig JH, Naples AJ, Coffman M, Trevisan DA, McPartland JC. Autistic and alexithymic traits modulate distinct aspects of face perception. Brain Cogn 2019; 137:103616. [PMID: 31734588 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.103616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atypical face processing is a prominent feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but is not universal and is subject to individual variability. This heterogeneity could be accounted for by reliable yet unidentified subgroups within the diverse population of individuals with ASD. Alexithymia, which is characterized by difficulties in emotion recognition and identification, serves as a potential grouping factor. Recent research demonstrates that emotion recognition impairments in ASD are predicted by its comorbidity with alexithymia. The current study assessed the relative influence of autistic versus alexithymic traits on neural indices of face and emotion perception. METHODS Capitalizing upon the temporal sensitivity of event-related potentials (ERPs), it investigates the distinct contributions of alexithymic versus autistic traits at specific stages of emotional face processing in 27 typically developing adults (18 female). ERP components reflecting sequential stages of perceptual processing (P100, N170 and N250) were recorded in response to fear and neutral faces. RESULTS The results indicated that autistic traits were associated with structural encoding of faces (N170), whereas alexithymic traits were associated with more complex emotion decoding (N250). CONCLUSIONS These findings have important implications for deconstructing heterogeneity within ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishani Desai
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jennifer H Foss-Feig
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Adam J Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Marika Coffman
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, United States
| | - Dominic A Trevisan
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.
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Quintin EM. Music-Evoked Reward and Emotion: Relative Strengths and Response to Intervention of People With ASD. Front Neural Circuits 2019; 13:49. [PMID: 31619969 PMCID: PMC6759939 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This review presents research findings showing that music is a unique domain to assess perception, reward, emotion, and associated physiological reactions and neural circuitry of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is growing evidence, reported in several studies in this review article, indicating that music is a relative strength of people with ASD including musical pitch perception, musical memory, and identification of music-evoked emotions. Listening to music activates neural circuits of reward and emotion response, which are described. Research presented shows adults with ASD also activate these systems when listening to music, although there may be developmental differences in the physiological and neural response to music in childhood and adolescence alongside typical behavioral response. Nonetheless, studies reviewed lend support to the use of music therapy and education for people with ASD, specifically to improve social skills and communication. Neural correlates of response to music therapy and education are also discussed. Taken together, findings reviewed provide evidence for music as a strength-based approach for ASD to assess reward and emotion response and as a powerful tool for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve-Marie Quintin
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Perrykkad K, Hohwy J. Modelling Me, Modelling You: the Autistic Self. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-019-00173-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Lakes KD, Neville R, Vazou S, Schuck SEB, Stavropoulos K, Krishnan K, Gonzalez I, Guzman K, Tavakoulnia A, Stehli A, Palermo A. Beyond Broadway: Analysis of Qualitative Characteristics of and Individual Responses to Creatively Able, a Music and Movement Intervention for Children with Autism. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E1377. [PMID: 30999560 PMCID: PMC6517971 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16081377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Movement in response to music represents one of the natural social environments in which physical activity occurs. The study of music and movement, including dance, requires a careful, holistic consideration of many features, which may include music, physical activity, motor learning, social engagement, emotion, and creativity. The overarching goal of this manuscript is to examine qualitative characteristics of and individual responses to a music and movement intervention (Creatively Able) for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We provide a description of Creatively Able, illustrating how the program design and physical and social environment were informed by children's needs and preferences in order to provide an enriched environment in which to promote multiple systems in children with ASD. Using data from two pilot studies with 20 children with ASD, we illustrate how researchers can use observational research methods to measure important aspects of the social environment (e.g., children's engagement during intervention sessions) as well as engagement of potential underlying behavioral mechanisms (e.g., self-regulation) that might reduce clinical symptoms. We further illustrate how individual responses to intervention (e.g., improvements in behaviors or symptoms) can be studied in physically active interventions. Our pilot study results showed group-level reductions in Stereotyped and Compulsive behaviors of 8% and 4%, respectively; posthoc analysis revealed that there were substantial individual differences in children's responses to the intervention. This research illustrates robust methods that can be applied to intervention research to improve our understanding of important features of interventions that might help promote development in various domains, including executive functions and self-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley D Lakes
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Ross Neville
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Spyridoula Vazou
- Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Sabrina E B Schuck
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA.
| | | | - Kavita Krishnan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA.
| | - Irene Gonzalez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA.
| | - Kayla Guzman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA.
| | - Arya Tavakoulnia
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA.
| | - Annamarie Stehli
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA.
| | - Andrew Palermo
- Clare Trevor School of Arts, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA.
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Kinnaird E, Stewart C, Tchanturia K. Investigating alexithymia in autism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Psychiatry 2019; 55:80-89. [PMID: 30399531 PMCID: PMC6331035 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND New research suggests that, rather than representing a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), emotional processing difficulties reflect co-occurring alexithymia. Autistic individuals with alexithymia could therefore represent a specific subgroup of autism who may benefit from tailored interventions. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to explore the nature and prevalence of alexithymia in autism using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). METHODS Online scientific databases were searched systematically for studies on ASD popu lations using the TAS. Meta-analyses were performed to evaluate differences in scores between the ASD and neurotypical groups, and to determine the prevalence of alexithymia in these populations. RESULTS 15 articles comparing autistic and neurotypical (NT) groups were identified. Autistic people scored significantly higher on all scores compared to the NT group. There was also a higher prevalence of alexithymia in the ASD group (49.93% compared to 4.89%), with a significantly increased risk of alexithymia in autistic participants. CONCLUSIONS This review highlights that alexithymia is common, rather than universal, in ASD, supporting a growing body of evidence that co-occurring autism and alexithymia represents a specific subgroup in the ASD population that may have specific clinical needs. More research is needed to understand the nature and implications of co-occurring ASD and alexithymia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Kinnaird
- King's College London, London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, UK
| | - Catherine Stewart
- King's College London, London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- King's College London, London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Illia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
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31
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Poquérusse J, Pastore L, Dellantonio S, Esposito G. Alexithymia and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Complex Relationship. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1196. [PMID: 30065681 PMCID: PMC6056680 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia is a personality construct characterized by altered emotional awareness which has been gaining diagnostic prevalence in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, with notably high rates of overlap with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the nature of its role in ASD symptomatology remains elusive. Here, we distill research at the intersection of alexithymia and ASD. After a brief synopsis of the studies that plaid a pioneering role in the identification of the overlapping fields between alexithymia and ASD, we comb the literature for evidence of its overlap with ASD in terms of prevalence, etiology, and behaviors. Through a formalized framework of the process of emotional interpretation and expression, we explore evidence for where and how deficits arise in this complex network of events. We portray how these relate to the dynamic interplay between alexithymic and autistic traits and find emerging evidence that alexithymia is both a cause and consequence of autistic behaviors. We end with a strategic proposal for future research and interventions to dampen the impacts of alexithymia in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Poquérusse
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Luigi Pastore
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Sara Dellantonio
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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32
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Sachs ME, Habibi A, Damasio A, Kaplan JT. Decoding the neural signatures of emotions expressed through sound. Neuroimage 2018; 174:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.02.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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DePriest J, Glushko A, Steinhauer K, Koelsch S. Language and music phrase boundary processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An ERP study. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14465. [PMID: 29089535 PMCID: PMC5663964 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14538-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is frequently associated with communicative impairment, regardless of intelligence level or mental age. Impairment of prosodic processing in particular is a common feature of ASD. Despite extensive overlap in neural resources involved in prosody and music processing, music perception seems to be spared in this population. The present study is the first to investigate prosodic phrasing in ASD in both language and music, combining event-related brain potential (ERP) and behavioral methods. We tested phrase boundary processing in language and music in neuro-typical adults and high-functioning individuals with ASD. We targeted an ERP response associated with phrase boundary processing in both language and music - i.e., the Closure Positive Shift (CPS). While a language-CPS was observed in the neuro-typical group, for ASD participants a smaller response failed to reach statistical significance. In music, we found a boundary-onset music-CPS for both groups during pauses between musical phrases. Our results support the view of preserved processing of musical cues in ASD individuals, with a corresponding prosodic impairment. This suggests that, despite the existence of a domain-general processing mechanism (the CPS), key differences in the integration of features of language and music may lead to the prosodic impairment in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- John DePriest
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Program in Linguistics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America.
| | - Anastasia Glushko
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- The Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Karsten Steinhauer
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stefan Koelsch
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Bravo F, Cross I, Hawkins S, Gonzalez N, Docampo J, Bruno C, Stamatakis EA. Neural mechanisms underlying valence inferences to sound: The role of the right angular gyrus. Neuropsychologia 2017; 102:144-162. [PMID: 28602997 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We frequently infer others' intentions based on non-verbal auditory cues. Although the brain underpinnings of social cognition have been extensively studied, no empirical work has yet examined the impact of musical structure manipulation on the neural processing of emotional valence during mental state inferences. We used a novel sound-based theory-of-mind paradigm in which participants categorized stimuli of different sensory dissonance level in terms of positive/negative valence. Whilst consistent with previous studies which propose facilitated encoding of consonances, our results demonstrated that distinct levels of consonance/dissonance elicited differential influences on the right angular gyrus, an area implicated in mental state attribution and attention reorienting processes. Functional and effective connectivity analyses further showed that consonances modulated a specific inhibitory interaction from associative memory to mental state attribution substrates. Following evidence suggesting that individuals with autism may process social affective cues differently, we assessed the relationship between participants' task performance and self-reported autistic traits in clinically typical adults. Higher scores on the social cognition scales of the AQ were associated with deficits in recognising positive valence in consonant sound cues. These findings are discussed with respect to Bayesian perspectives on autistic perception, which highlight a functional failure to optimize precision in relation to prior beliefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Bravo
- University of Cambridge, Centre for Music and Science, Cambridge, UK; TU Dresden, Institut für Kunst- und Musikwissenschaft (E.A.R.S.), Dresden, Germany.
| | - Ian Cross
- University of Cambridge, Centre for Music and Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sarah Hawkins
- University of Cambridge, Centre for Music and Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nadia Gonzalez
- Fundación Científica del Sur Imaging Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge Docampo
- Fundación Científica del Sur Imaging Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudio Bruno
- Fundación Científica del Sur Imaging Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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35
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Joshi A, Kiran R, Sah AN. An experimental analysis to monitor and manage stress among engineering students using Galvanic Skin Response meter. Work 2017; 56:409-420. [PMID: 28269803 DOI: 10.3233/wor-172507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This paper studies the impact of musical religious songs (hymns) for managing stress of Indian Engineering students through Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). OBJECTIVE The objective of the paper is to find out, whether listening to hymns is able to reduce the value of GSR. METHODS Sample students were selected through initial screening and the students who reported high mental stress during the interview were selected for the main drills. All the readings were taken using a GSR meter. Statistical t-test was used for the purpose of hypothesis testing. RESULTS The study examines the relation between GSR and stress. The results indicated that listening to hymns had a significant effect on the value of GSR. The results highlight that GSR decreased at t = 300 seconds for the experimental group, who listened to hymns, as compared to control group (not exposed to the same). CONCLUSION It is recommended that, this amazingly effortless and yet highly efficient traditional technique of listening to hymns be made a part of student's routine curriculum. The paper aims at spreading awareness of listening to hymns as one of the modes of Stress Management amongst Indian Engineering Students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Joshi
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab, India.,Electrical Engineering, Thapar Polytechnic College, Patiala, Punjab, India
| | - Ravi Kiran
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab, India
| | - Ash Narayan Sah
- Electrical Engineering, Thapar Polytechnic College, Patiala, Punjab, India
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36
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South M, Rodgers J. Sensory, Emotional and Cognitive Contributions to Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:20. [PMID: 28174531 PMCID: PMC5258728 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe symptoms of anxiety add substantial additional burden to many individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Improved understanding of specific factors that contribute to anxiety in ASD can aid research regarding the causes of autism and also provide targets for more effective intervention. This mini-review article focuses on emerging evidence for three concepts that appear to be related to each other and which also strongly predict anxiety in ASD samples. Atypical sensory function is included in the diagnostic criteria for ASD and is likely an important contributor to anxiety. Difficulties in understanding and labeling emotions (alexithymia), although a co-morbidity, may arise in part from atypical sensory function and can lead to confusion and uncertainty about how to respond to social and emotional situations. Intolerance of uncertainty(IU) describes people who have a particularly hard time with ambiguity and is known to be a key mechanism underlying some anxiety disorders. While evidence for linking these ideas is to date incomplete, we put forward a model including each concept as a framework for future studies. Specifically, we propose that IU is a critical mediator for anxiety in ASD, and explore the relationships between sensory function, alexithymia and IU. We further explore the role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in regulating emotional response, in connection with limbic and insula-based networks, and suggest that disrupted integration in these networks underlies difficulties with habituation to strong emotional stimuli, which results in an enhanced perception of threat in many people with ASD. Behavioral and biologically-based treatments for anxiety in ASD will benefit from attending to these specific mechanisms as adjunct to traditional interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikle South
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University Provo, UT, USA
| | - Jacqui Rodgers
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University Newcastle, UK
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37
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Brown LS. The Influence of Music on Facial Emotion Recognition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurotypical Children. J Music Ther 2016; 54:55-79. [DOI: 10.1093/jmt/thw017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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38
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Lydon S, Healy O, Reed P, Mulhern T, Hughes BM, Goodwin MS. A systematic review of physiological reactivity to stimuli in autism. Dev Neurorehabil 2016; 19:335-355. [PMID: 25356589 DOI: 10.3109/17518423.2014.971975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The prevalence of abnormal behavioural responses to a variety of stimuli among individuals with autism has led researchers to examine whether physiological reactivity (PR) is typical in this population. This article reviewed studies assessing PR to sensory, social and emotional, and stressor stimuli in individuals with autism. METHODS Systematic searches of electronic databases identified 57 studies that met our inclusion criteria. Studies were analysed to determine: (a) participant characteristics; (b) physiological measures used; (c) PR to sensory, social and emotional or stressor stimuli; (d) the relation between PR and behavioural or psychological variables and (e) baseline physiological activity. A novel measure of methodological quality suitable for use with non-randomized, non-interventional, psychophysiological studies was also developed and applied. RESULTS Individuals with autism were found to respond differently than typically developing controls in 78.6%, 66.7% and 71.4% of sensory, social and emotional, and stressor stimulus classes, respectively. However, this extant literature is characterized by variable and inconsistent findings, which do not appear to be accounted for by varying methodological quality, making it difficult to determine what specific factors differentiate individuals with autism who present with atypical PR from those who do not. CONCLUSIONS Despite this uncertainty, individual differences in PR are clearly present in autism, suggesting additional research is needed to determine the variables relating to PR among those with ASD and to examine the possible existence of physiological subtype responders in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad Lydon
- a School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Olive Healy
- a School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Phil Reed
- b Department of Psychology , Swansea University , Swansea , UK
| | - Teresa Mulhern
- c School of Psychology, National University of Ireland , Galway , Ireland , and
| | - Brian M Hughes
- c School of Psychology, National University of Ireland , Galway , Ireland , and
| | - Matthew S Goodwin
- d Department of Health Sciences , Northeastern University , Boston , MA , USA
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KAMUTHE video microanalysis system for use in Brazil: translation, cross-cultural adaptation and evidence of validity and reliability. HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY REPORT 2016. [DOI: 10.5114/hpr.2017.63574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
<b>Background</b><br />
KAMUTHE is a video microanalysis system which observes preverbal communication within the music therapy setting. This system is indicated for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or multiple disabilities. The purpose of this study was to translate, adapt to Brazilian Portuguese language and analyze some psychometric properties (reliability and validity evidence) of KAMUTHE administration in Brazil for individuals with ASD.<br />
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<b>Participants and procedure</b><br />
Translation, back translation, analysis by judges, and pilot application were performed to obtain evidence of content and face validity. The second part of this study was to administer KAMUTHE in 39 consecutive children with ASD. An individual session of improvisational music therapy was applied to assess the different behaviors included in KAMUTHE. The intra-rater reliability, concurrent validity and convergent validity were analyzed.<br />
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<b>Results</b><br />
Translation and cross-cultural adaptation were followed and some cultural adaptations were needed. Inter-rater reliability was very good (ICCs 0.95-0.99) for the three child’s behaviors analyzed. Criteria validity with a moderate negative association was found (r = –.38, p = .017) comparing the behavior “Gazes at therapist” and the level of ASD along with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Convergent validity was established between the behavior “Gazes at therapist” and the two nonlinguistic communication scales (social interaction and interests) of the Children’s Communication Checklist (CCC) with a moderate correlation (r = –.43, p = .005).<br />
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<b>Conclusions</b><br />
The administration of the KAMUTHE video microanalysis system showed positive results in children with ASD. Further studies are needed to improve the reliability and validity of the instrument in Brazil.
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40
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Gaigg SB, Cornell AS, Bird G. The psychophysiological mechanisms of alexithymia in autism spectrum disorder. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2016; 22:227-231. [PMID: 27811193 DOI: 10.1177/1362361316667062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that co-occurring alexithymia underlies several facets of the social-emotional difficulties common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The mechanisms involved, however, remain poorly understood because measuring alexithymia relies heavily on self-report. To address this issue, carefully matched groups of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and comparison participants rated 70 emotion-inducing pictures on subjectively experienced arousal while skin conductance responses were monitored objectively. The results demonstrated reliable correlations between these subjective and objective measures, and in both groups, around 25% of individual differences in this correlation (i.e. in emotion-relevant interoception) were accounted for by self-reported alexithymia. In the context of the wider literature, this suggests that alexithymia involves a disruption in how physiological arousal modulates the subjective experience of feelings in those with and without a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Since mindfulness-based therapies foster greater awareness of thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations, the findings also have implications for how the symptoms and consequences of alexithymia (e.g. anxiety) might be ameliorated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Geoffrey Bird
- 2 King's College London, UK.,3 University College London (UCL), UK
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41
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Biotti F, Cook R. Impaired perception of facial emotion in developmental prosopagnosia. Cortex 2016; 81:126-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Similar impressions of humanness for human and artificial singing voices in autism spectrum disorders. Cognition 2016; 153:1-5. [PMID: 27107740 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2016.04.004] [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: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit impairments in the perception of and orientation to social information related to humans, and some people with ASD show higher preference toward human-like robots than other humans. We speculated that this behavioural bias in people with ASD is caused by a weakness in their perception of humanness. To address this issue, we investigated whether people with ASD detect a subtle difference between the same song sung by human and artificial voices even when the lyrics, melody and rhythm are identical. People without ASD answered that the songs sung by a human voice evoked more impressions of humanness (human-likeness, animateness, naturalness, emotion) and more positive feelings (warmth, familiarity, comfort) than those sung by an artificial voice. In contrast, people with ASD had similar impressions of humanness and positive feelings for the songs sung by the human and artificial voices. The evaluations of musical characteristics (complexity, regularity, brightness) did not differ between people with and without ASD. These results suggest that people with ASD are weak in their ability to perceive psychological attributes of humanness.
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Common Threads, Age-related Differences, and Avenues for Future Research: Response to Heaton. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 46:1494-7. [PMID: 26909763 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2750-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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44
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Erratum to: Age-Related Differences in Response to Music-Evoked Emotion Among Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2015; 46:1152. [PMID: 26701672 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2676-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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45
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Age Related Differences in Response to Music-Evoked Emotion Among Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2015; 46:1490-1. [PMID: 26659553 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2671-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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46
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Paul A, Sharda M, Menon S, Arora I, Kansal N, Arora K, Singh NC. The effect of sung speech on socio-communicative responsiveness in children with autism spectrum disorders. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:555. [PMID: 26578923 PMCID: PMC4624858 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00555] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
There is emerging evidence to demonstrate the efficacy of music-based interventions for improving social functioning in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). While this evidence lends some support in favor of using song over spoken directives in facilitating engagement and receptive intervention in ASD, there has been little research that has investigated the efficacy of such stimuli on socio-communicative responsiveness measures. Here, we present preliminary results from a pilot study which tested whether sung instruction, as compared to spoken directives, could elicit greater number of socio-communicative behaviors in young children with ASD. Using an adapted single-subject design, three children between the ages of 3 and 4 years, participated in a programme consisting of 18 sessions, of which 9 were delivered with spoken directives and 9 with sung. Sessions were counterbalanced and randomized for three play activities-block matching, picture matching and clay play. All sessions were video-recorded for post-hoc observational coding of three behavioral metrics which included performance, frequency of social gesture and eye contact. Analysis of the videos by two independent raters indicated increased socio-communicative responsiveness in terms of frequency of social gesture as well as eye contact during sung compared to spoken conditions, across all participants. Our findings suggest that sung directives may play a useful role in engaging children with ASD and also serve as an effective interventional medium to enhance socio-communicative responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megha Sharda
- National Brain Research Centre Gurgaon, India ; International Laboratory of Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), University of Montreal Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Soumini Menon
- Children First Mental Health Institute New Delhi, India
| | - Iti Arora
- Children First Mental Health Institute New Delhi, India
| | | | - Kavita Arora
- Children First Mental Health Institute New Delhi, India
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Brewer R, Cook R, Cardi V, Treasure J, Bird G. Emotion recognition deficits in eating disorders are explained by co-occurring alexithymia. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:140382. [PMID: 26064585 PMCID: PMC4448790 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/20/2014] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has yielded inconsistent findings regarding the ability of individuals with eating disorders (EDs) to recognize facial emotion, making the clinical features of this population hard to determine. This study tested the hypothesis that where observed, emotion recognition deficits exhibited by patients with EDs are due to alexithymia, a co-occurring condition also associated with emotion recognition difficulties. Ability to recognize facial emotion was investigated in a sample of individuals with EDs and varying degrees of co-occurring alexithymia, and an alexithymia-matched control group. Alexithymia, but not ED symptomology, was predictive of individuals' emotion recognition ability, inferred from tolerance to high-frequency visual noise. This relationship was specific to emotion recognition, as neither alexithymia nor ED symptomology was associated with ability to recognize facial identity. These findings suggest that emotion recognition difficulties exhibited by patients with ED are attributable to alexithymia, and may not be a feature of EDs per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Brewer
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- Author for correspondence: Rebecca Brewer e-mail:
| | - Richard Cook
- Department of Psychology, City University London, London EC1R 0JD, UK
| | - Valentina Cardi
- Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Janet Treasure
- Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Geoffrey Bird
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
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Gebauer L, Skewes J, Westphael G, Heaton P, Vuust P. Intact brain processing of musical emotions in autism spectrum disorder, but more cognitive load and arousal in happy vs. sad music. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:192. [PMID: 25076869 PMCID: PMC4098021 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Music is a potent source for eliciting emotions, but not everybody experience emotions in the same way. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show difficulties with social and emotional cognition. Impairments in emotion recognition are widely studied in ASD, and have been associated with atypical brain activation in response to emotional expressions in faces and speech. Whether these impairments and atypical brain responses generalize to other domains, such as emotional processing of music, is less clear. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated neural correlates of emotion recognition in music in high-functioning adults with ASD and neurotypical adults. Both groups engaged similar neural networks during processing of emotional music, and individuals with ASD rated emotional music comparable to the group of neurotypical individuals. However, in the ASD group, increased activity in response to happy compared to sad music was observed in dorsolateral prefrontal regions and in the rolandic operculum/insula, and we propose that this reflects increased cognitive processing and physiological arousal in response to emotional musical stimuli in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Line Gebauer
- Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhus, Denmark
- Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus UniversityAarhus, Denmark
| | - Joshua Skewes
- Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhus, Denmark
| | - Gitte Westphael
- Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhus, Denmark
| | - Pamela Heaton
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of LondonLondon, UK
| | - Peter Vuust
- Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhus, Denmark
- The Royal Academy of MusicAarhus, Denmark
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