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Simmons GL, Corbett BA, Lerner MD, Wofford K, White SW. Social competence in autism: A structural equation modeling approach. Autism Res 2024; 17:761-774. [PMID: 38481386 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Autistic individuals present with difficulties in social competence (e.g., navigating social interactions and fostering relationships). Clinical interventions widely target social cognition and social behavior, but there is inconsistent understanding of the underlying components of social competence. The present study used structural equation modeling to examine social cognition and social behavior and explore the relationship between these latent constructs. Autistic youth (ages 10-17; n = 219) and their caregivers participated in this study. Constructs of social cognition and social behavior were captured using caregiver-report and self-report rating scales, as well as observational measures and direct clinical assessments (e.g., NEPSY-II). Measurement models of social cognition and social behavior demonstrated adequate to good fit. Correlational models demonstrated adequate to poor fit, indicating latent constructs of social cognition and social behavior are not closely related in autistic youth. Exploratory examination of a subsample of male youth (n = 157) evidenced improved model fit of social behavior, specifically. Findings tease apart social cognition and social behavior as cohesive and separable constructs; results do not support a structural relationship between social cognition and social behavior. Noted treatment implications include consideration of how targeting social cognition and social behavior together or separately may support autistic youth's progress toward reaching their identified therapeutic goals and supporting their self-directed social development.
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Affiliation(s)
- G L Simmons
- TEACCH Autism Program, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - B A Corbett
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - M D Lerner
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - K Wofford
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - S W White
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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2
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Perosanz A, Martínez O, Espinosa-Blanco P, García I, Al-Rashaida M, López-Paz JF. Comparative analysis of emotional facial expression recognition and empathy in children with prader-willi syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:94. [PMID: 38395942 PMCID: PMC10893661 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01590-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that is often comorbid with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Due to the close association between these two conditions, and recognizing that Theory of Mind (ToM) is related to social behaviors in ASD, there is a growing interest in studying the reciprocity of social communication between these two groups. METHOD The primary objective of this study was to compare how children (n = 45) with PWS (n = 15), ASD (n = 15), and a control group (n = 15) respond to emotion recognition of facial expressions and empathy, which are both concepts related to ToM. The study utilized two tools named FEEL and Deusto-e-Motion 1.0. We also evaluated the Working Memory index of the WISC-IV scale, the Social Perception domain of the NEPSY-II battery, and the SCQ in both clinical groups. RESULTS Our findings suggest that individuals with PWS exhibit lower accuracy in recognizing facial expressions and empathy compared to the control group. Both clinical groups exhibited a delayed reaction time compared to the control group. Children with PWS display difficulties in recognizing emotions of disgust and surprise. In terms of cognitive empathy, children with PWS showed a greater inclination to respond to disgust as compared to children with ASD. CONCLUSIONS This study represents the initial stage in comprehending the emotional and empathetic abilities of children with PWS and ASD. The findings can provide valuable insights for developing future interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Perosanz
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Deusto, Avenida de las Universidades, 24, 48007, Bilbao, Biscay, Spain.
| | - Oscar Martínez
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Deusto, Avenida de las Universidades, 24, 48007, Bilbao, Biscay, Spain
| | - Patricia Espinosa-Blanco
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Deusto, Avenida de las Universidades, 24, 48007, Bilbao, Biscay, Spain
| | - Irune García
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Deusto, Avenida de las Universidades, 24, 48007, Bilbao, Biscay, Spain
| | - Mohammad Al-Rashaida
- College of Education, Department of Special Education, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Juan Francisco López-Paz
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Deusto, Avenida de las Universidades, 24, 48007, Bilbao, Biscay, Spain
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3
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Gonçalves AM, Monteiro P. Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory sensory alterations: a systematic review on the integrity of cognitive and neuronal functions related to auditory processing. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:325-408. [PMID: 36914900 PMCID: PMC10033482 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02595-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with a wide spectrum of symptoms, mainly characterized by social, communication, and cognitive impairments. Latest diagnostic criteria according to DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, 2013) now include sensory issues among the four restricted/repetitive behavior features defined as "hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment". Here, we review auditory sensory alterations in patients with ASD. Considering the updated diagnostic criteria for ASD, we examined research evidence (2015-2022) of the integrity of the cognitive function in auditory-related tasks, the integrity of the peripheral auditory system, and the integrity of the central nervous system in patients diagnosed with ASD. Taking into account the different approaches and experimental study designs, we reappraise the knowledge on auditory sensory alterations and reflect on how these might be linked with behavior symptomatology in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Margarida Gonçalves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patricia Monteiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
- Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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Zhang M, Chen Y, Lin Y, Ding H, Zhang Y. Multichannel Perception of Emotion in Speech, Voice, Facial Expression, and Gesture in Individuals With Autism: A Scoping Review. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:1435-1449. [PMID: 35316079 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-21-00438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Numerous studies have identified individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with deficits in unichannel emotion perception and multisensory integration. However, only limited research is available on multichannel emotion perception in ASD. The purpose of this review was to seek conceptual clarification, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest directions for future research. METHOD We conducted a scoping review of the literature published between 1989 and 2021, following the 2005 framework of Arksey and O'Malley. Data relating to study characteristics, task characteristics, participant information, and key findings on multichannel processing of emotion in ASD were extracted for the review. RESULTS Discrepancies were identified regarding multichannel emotion perception deficits, which are related to participant age, developmental level, and task demand. Findings are largely consistent regarding the facilitation and compensation of congruent multichannel emotional cues and the interference and disruption of incongruent signals. Unlike controls, ASD individuals demonstrate an overreliance on semantics rather than prosody to decode multichannel emotion. CONCLUSIONS The existing literature on multichannel emotion perception in ASD is limited, dispersed, and disassociated, focusing on a variety of topics with a wide range of methodologies. Further research is necessary to quantitatively examine the impact of methodological choice on performance outcomes. An integrated framework of emotion, language, and cognition is needed to examine the mutual influences between emotion and language as well as the cross-linguistic and cross-cultural differences. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19386176.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyue Zhang
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
| | - Yi Lin
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
| | - Hongwei Ding
- Speech-Language-Hearing Center, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis
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Li TS, Gau SSF, Chou TL. Exploring social emotion processing in autism: evaluating the reading the mind in the eyes test using network analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:161. [PMID: 35241030 PMCID: PMC8892759 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-03773-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include difficulties in processing and interpreting socioemotional information. The "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test (RMET) is a validated measurement for processing socioemotional ability. However, previous RMET studies did not explore patterns of incorrect answers and the emotional valence of the test items. This study used the Taiwanese version of the RMET and the network analysis methods to examine the differences in underlying mechanisms of socioemotional processes between 30 males with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (mean age = 18 years) and 30 healthy control males (mean age = 17 years). For each test item, a picture of a person's eyes and partial face was shown with four words describing the emotional status on picture corners. Participants were instructed to choose one of the four words that best matched the person's thinking or feeling. We further classified the words into three valences of emotional categories to examine socioemotional processes. RESULTS Our results showed that ASD males performed poorer on the RMET than the controls. ASD males had higher network density and in-degree scores, especially in negative words, than control males. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that males with ASD might have deficits in mapping the best emotional concept words to the target item, especially for processing negative emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tai-Shan Li
- grid.19188.390000 0004 0546 0241Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 106 Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, No 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, 10002, Taiwan.
| | - Tai-Li Chou
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
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Automatic Emotion Recognition in Children with Autism: A Systematic Literature Review. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22041649. [PMID: 35214551 PMCID: PMC8875834 DOI: 10.3390/s22041649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The automatic emotion recognition domain brings new methods and technologies that might be used to enhance therapy of children with autism. The paper aims at the exploration of methods and tools used to recognize emotions in children. It presents a literature review study that was performed using a systematic approach and PRISMA methodology for reporting quantitative and qualitative results. Diverse observation channels and modalities are used in the analyzed studies, including facial expressions, prosody of speech, and physiological signals. Regarding representation models, the basic emotions are the most frequently recognized, especially happiness, fear, and sadness. Both single-channel and multichannel approaches are applied, with a preference for the first one. For multimodal recognition, early fusion was the most frequently applied. SVM and neural networks were the most popular for building classifiers. Qualitative analysis revealed important clues on participant group construction and the most common combinations of modalities and methods. All channels are reported to be prone to some disturbance, and as a result, information on a specific symptoms of emotions might be temporarily or permanently unavailable. The challenges of proper stimuli, labelling methods, and the creation of open datasets were also identified.
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Bretthauer J, Canu D, Thiemann U, Fleischhaker C, Brauner H, Müller K, Smyrnis N, Biscaldi M, Bender S, Klein C. Attention for Emotion-How Young Adults With Neurodevelopmental Disorders Look at Facial Expressions of Affect. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:842896. [PMID: 35782441 PMCID: PMC9240263 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.842896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Schizophrenia (SCZ) differ in many clinically relevant features such as symptomatology and course, they may also share genetic underpinnings, affective problems, deviancies in social interactions, and are all characterized by some kind of cognitive impairment. This situation calls for a joint investigation of the specifics of cognitive (dys-)functions of the three disorders. Such endeavor should focus, among other domains, on the inter-section of processing cognitive, affective and social information that is crucial in effective real-life interactions and can be accomplished when attentional preferences for human facial expressions of emotions is studied. To that end, attention to facial expressions of basic emotions was examined in young adults with ASD, ADHD, or SCZ in the present study. The three clinical groups were compared with an age-matched group of typically-developing participants (TD) during the free contemplation of five different facial emotions presented simultaneously, by varying identities, through the registration of eye movements. We showed, that dwell times and fixation counts differed for the different emotions in TD and in a highly similar way in ADHD. Patients with ASD differed from TD by showing a stronger differentiation between emotions and partially different attentional preferences. In contrast, the SCZ group showed an overall more restricted scanning behavior and a lack of differentiation between emotions. The ADHD group, showed an emotion-specific gazing pattern that was highly similar to that of controls. Thus, by analyzing eye movements, we were able to differentiate three different viewing patterns that allowed us to distinguish between the three clinical groups. This outcome suggests that attention for emotion may not tap into common pathophysiological processes and argues for a multi-dimensional approach to the grouping of disorders with neurodevelopmental etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Bretthauer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Daniela Canu
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Ulf Thiemann
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children and Adolescents, LVR Hospital, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Fleischhaker
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Heike Brauner
- Kinder- und Jugendwohnheim Leppermühle, Buseck, Germany
| | | | - Nikolaos Smyrnis
- Second Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, University General Hospital "Attikon", Athens, Greece
| | - Monica Biscaldi
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Stephan Bender
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christoph Klein
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,Second Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, University General Hospital "Attikon", Athens, Greece
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Morphing Task: The Emotion Recognition Process in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413273. [PMID: 34948881 PMCID: PMC8702190 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Recognizing a person’s identity is a fundamental social ability; facial expressions, in particular, are extremely important in social cognition. Individuals affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display impairment in the recognition of emotions and, consequently, in recognizing expressions related to emotions, and even their identity. The aim of our study was to compare the performance of participants with ADHD, ASD, and typical development (TD) with regard to both accuracy and speed in the morphing task and to determine whether the use of pictures of digitized cartoon faces could significantly facilitate the process of emotion recognition in ASD patients (particularly for disgust). This study investigated the emotion recognition process through the use of dynamic pictures (human faces vs. cartoon faces) created with the morphing technique in three pediatric populations (7–12 years old): ADHD patients, ASD patients, and an age-matched control sample (TD). The Chi-square test was used to compare response latency and accuracy between the three groups in order to determine if there were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the recognition of basic emotions. The results demonstrated a faster response time in neurotypical children compared to ASD and ADHD children, with ADHD participants performing better than ASD participants on the same task. The overall accuracy parameter between the ADHD and ASD groups did not significantly differ.
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9
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Hartmann D, Schwenck C. Emotion Processing in Children with Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits: An Investigation of Speed, Accuracy, and Attention. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2020; 51:721-733. [PMID: 32170490 PMCID: PMC7518997 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-020-00976-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess whether callous-unemotional traits (CU) are associated with deficits in emotion recognition independent of externalizing behavior and whether such deficits can be explained by aberrant attention. As previous studies have produced inconsistent results, the current study included two different emotion recognition paradigms and assessed the potential influence of factors such as processing speed and attention. The study included N = 94 children (eight to 14 years) with an oversampling of children with conduct problems (CP) and varying levels of CU-traits. Independent of externalizing behavior, CU-traits were associated with slower recognition of angry, sad and fearful facial expressions but not with higher error rates. There was no evidence that the association between CU-traits and emotion processing could be explained by misguided attention. Our results implicate that in children with high levels of CU-traits emotion recognition deficits depend on deficits in processing speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Hartmann
- Department of Special Needs Educational and Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Otto-Behaghel-Straße 10 C, 35394, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Christina Schwenck
- Department of Special Needs Educational and Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Otto-Behaghel-Straße 10 C, 35394, Giessen, Germany
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10
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Vandewouw MM, Choi EJ, Hammill C, Lerch JP, Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. Changing Faces: Dynamic Emotional Face Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder Across Childhood and Adulthood. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:825-836. [PMID: 33279458 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is classically associated with poor emotional face processing. Few studies, however, have used more ecological dynamic stimuli. We contrasted functional magnetic resonance imaging measures of dynamic emotional face processing in ASD and typically developing (TD) cohorts across a wide age range to determine if the processing and age-related trajectories differed between participants with and without ASD. METHODS Functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected from 200 participants (5-42 years old; 107 in ASD cohort, 93 in TD cohort) during the presentation of dynamic emotional faces (neutral-to-happy, neutral-to-angry) and dynamic flowers (closed-to-open) were analyzed. Group differences and group-by-age interactions in the faces versus flowers and between emotion contrasts were investigated. RESULTS Differences in activation between dynamic faces and flowers in occipital regions, including the fusiform gyri, were reduced in the ASD group. Contrasting the two emotions, ASD compared with TD participants showed increased engagement of the precentral, postcentral, and superior temporal gyri to happy faces and increased activation to angry faces occipitally. Emotion processing regions, such as insula, temporal pole, and frontal regions, showed increased recruitment with age to happy faces compared with both angry faces and flowers in the TD group, but decreased recruitment with age in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS Using dynamic stimuli, we demonstrated that participants with ASD processed faces similarly to nonface stimuli, and age-related atypicalities were more pronounced to happy faces in participants with ASD. We demonstrated emotion-specific atypicalities in a large group of participants with ASD that underscore persistent difficulties from childhood into mid-adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlee M Vandewouw
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Autism Research Center, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabiliation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Eun Jung Choi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Autism Research Center, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabiliation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher Hammill
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Autism Research Center, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabiliation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Riccio A, Delos Santos J, Kapp SK, Jordan A, DeNigris D, Gillespie-Lynch K. Developing the Multidimensional Visual Scale Assessing Affect, Anxiety, Pride, and Energy Through a Research Partnership with Autistic Scholars. AUTISM IN ADULTHOOD 2020; 2:87-100. [PMID: 36600981 PMCID: PMC8992848 DOI: 10.1089/aut.2019.0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism research studies have traditionally failed to represent the full diversity of the autism spectrum due to the lack of measures available for use with participants who prefer to express themselves visually. A multidimensional measure of emotions, which can include both picture- and text-based prompts, may improve accessibility of emotion rating measures and broaden participation in research and educational evaluations to include those who communicate in diverse ways. Picture-based measures designed to assess participants' emotions may be useful for research concerning autistic identity and service evaluation, two areas where representation of diverse perspectives is needed. Our participatory group of autistic and nonautistic researchers developed a Multidimensional Visual Scale Assessing Affect, Anxiety, Pride, and Energy (AAPE) by adapting and expanding upon an existing emotion rating scale. When testing the AAPE with autistic college students (n = 72), their open-ended responses indicated that the AAPE's dimensions of affect (97.2% correct), anxiety (79.2% correct), and energy (84.7% correct) were well comprehended without text-based labels with potential for improvement in how pride (52.8% correct) was represented. When provided with the labels that each dimension was intended to represent, participants generally agreed that each emotional dimension was well represented. When tested in an informal educational summer camp with autistic children and adolescents (n = 50), the AAPE was well received and revealed insights about the students' emotional responses to different instructional strategies that can guide curricular improvements. The AAPE has utility as a tool to help diverse autistic individuals self-advocate and improve research and services. Lay summary Why was this study done?: There are very few tools that autistic people can use to share how they feel. We wanted to develop a tool to help autistic people express their emotions using pictures. Pictures can help autistic people share how they feel.What was the purpose of this study?: We wanted to make an easy-to-understand tool that autistic people can use to share how they feel.What did the researchers do?: Our research group is participatory, meaning that autistic and nonautistic researchers worked together to make our tool. An autistic artist drew the tool. We called it the AAPE, which stands for the emotions it assesses: Affect, Anxiety, Pride, and Energy. We worked together to see how well the AAPE worked. We used a survey to see if autistic high school and college students understood our first try at the AAPE and we learned how to make the AAPE better from these students. We worked together to make the AAPE better. Then, we did another survey with autistic college students to see if our second try at the AAPE worked better. Then, we asked autistic kids and teenagers to use the AAPE to share how they felt about different ways of teaching.What were the results of the study?: In our final test, we asked 72 autistic college students to tell us what emotions they thought the AAPE was showing. College students thought that affect (97.2%), anxiety (79.2%), and energy (84.7%) showed the emotions we aimed to show with room for improvement in how pride (52.8%) was shown. After we told participants which emotion each scale was showing, they agreed that affect (average score 4.28 of 5) and anxiety (4.29 of 5) showed the emotions best, followed by energy (4.08 of 5) and pride (3.5 of 5) on a scale from 1 to 5 (strongly agree).Students preferred using the AAPE compared with text-based surveys we used in the past. Results showed that the AAPE does a good job at measuring emotions. Edits may still be needed to better show "pride." Work is needed with nonspeaking people to make sure our measure works well for people who communicate in different ways.What are potential weaknesses in the study?: The autistic adolescents and adults we have tested the AAPE with so far have not been very diverse. We did not include participants who communicate without speaking in these first tests of the AAPE. We plan to use the AAPE with more diverse groups in future studies.How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: In a future study, we will use the AAPE to rate pictures that show experiences of being autistic, like feeling outside a social group, having sensory difficulties, and making patterns. We would like to do this because some studies talk about negative experiences of autism, like feeling the need to hide autistic traits, but other studies describe strengths of autism, like strong memories and advanced knowledge in particular subjects. However, these studies do not talk about the emotions that come with these experiences and if these experiences are shared with autistic people who do not use speech to communicate. The AAPE is a tool that might help us understand how diverse autistic people feel about autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana Riccio
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York (CUNY), New York, New York.,Address correspondence to: Ariana Riccio, PhD, Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York (CUNY), 365 5 Avenue, New York, NY 10016
| | - Jin Delos Santos
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, The City University of New York (CUNY), New York, New York
| | | | - Allison Jordan
- Borough of Manhattan Community College and The College of Staten Island, The City University of New York (CUNY), New York, New York
| | - Danielle DeNigris
- School of Psychology and Counseling, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, New Jersey
| | - Kristen Gillespie-Lynch
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center and The College of Staten Island, The City University of New York (CUNY), New York, New York
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12
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Sorensen T, Zane E, Feng T, Narayanan S, Grossman R. Cross-Modal Coordination of Face-Directed Gaze and Emotional Speech Production in School-Aged Children and Adolescents with ASD. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18301. [PMID: 31797950 PMCID: PMC6892887 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54587-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder involves persistent difficulties in social communication. Although these difficulties affect both verbal and nonverbal communication, there are no quantitative behavioral studies to date investigating the cross-modal coordination of verbal and nonverbal communication in autism. The objective of the present study was to characterize the dynamic relation between speech production and facial expression in children with autism and to establish how face-directed gaze modulates this cross-modal coordination. In a dynamic mimicry task, experiment participants watched and repeated neutral and emotional spoken sentences with accompanying facial expressions. Analysis of audio and motion capture data quantified cross-modal coordination between simultaneous speech production and facial expression. Whereas neurotypical children produced emotional sentences with strong cross-modal coordination and produced neutral sentences with weak cross-modal coordination, autistic children produced similar levels of cross-modal coordination for both neutral and emotional sentences. An eyetracking analysis revealed that cross-modal coordination of speech production and facial expression was greater when the neurotypical child spent more time looking at the face, but weaker when the autistic child spent more time looking at the face. In sum, social communication difficulties in autism spectrum disorder may involve deficits in cross-modal coordination. This finding may inform how autistic individuals are perceived in their daily conversations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner Sorensen
- Signal Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90089, USA.
| | - Emily Zane
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Emerson College, Boston, MA, 02116, USA
| | - Tiantian Feng
- Signal Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90089, USA
| | - Shrikanth Narayanan
- Signal Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90089, USA
| | - Ruth Grossman
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Emerson College, Boston, MA, 02116, USA
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13
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Cross-modal emotion recognition and autism-like traits in typically developing children. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 191:104737. [PMID: 31783253 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability to explicitly recognize emotions develops gradually throughout childhood, and children usually have greater difficulty in recognizing emotions from the voice than from the face. However, little is known about how children integrate vocal and facial cues to recognize an emotion, particularly during mid to late childhood. Furthermore, children with an autism spectrum disorder often show a reduced ability to recognize emotions, especially when integrating emotion from multiple modalities. The current preliminary study explored the ability of typically developing children aged 7-9 years to match emotional tones of voice to facial expressions and whether this ability varies according to the level of autism-like traits. Overall, children were the least accurate when matching happy and fearful voices to faces, commonly pairing happy voices with angry faces and fearful voices with sad faces. However, the level of autism-like traits was not associated with matching accuracy. These results suggest that 7- to 9-year-old children have difficulty in integrating vocal and facial emotional expressions but that differences in cross-modal emotion matching in relation to the broader autism phenotype are not evident in this task for this age group with the current sample.
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14
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Simmons GL, Hilton DC, Jarrett MA, Tomeny TS, White SW. Considering equifinality in treatment planning for social impairment: Divergent paths in neurodevelopmental disorders. Bull Menninger Clin 2019; 83:278-300. [DOI: 10.1521/bumc.2019.83.3.278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with deficits in both social cognition and executive functioning (EF), which contribute to social impairment. Autistic youth are also frequently diagnosed with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a disorder that, like ASD, includes impaired EF and social functioning. The comorbidity of ASD and ADHD may result in compounded social impairment, but prior research has not sufficiently evaluated the extent to which this comorbidity profile responds to evidence-based intervention targeting social deficits. It is conceivable that dually targeting EF and social cognition impairment will be more impactful than direct social skills training alone. The authors present an integrative model for intervention programming that examines pathways to social impairment in order to more effectively improve social skills and thereby impact both proximal (e.g., emotion expression, current peer relationships) and more distal outcomes (e.g., depression, self-esteem) in youth with ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Lee Simmons
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
| | - Dane C. Hilton
- Department of Psychology, Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia
| | | | | | - Susan W. White
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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15
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He Y, Su Q, Wang L, He W, Tan C, Zhang H, Ng ML, Yan N, Chen Y. The Characteristics of Intelligence Profile and Eye Gaze in Facial Emotion Recognition in Mild and Moderate Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:402. [PMID: 31281268 PMCID: PMC6596453 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can easily be misdiagnosed, due to the nonspecific social and communicational deficits associated with the disorder. The present study attempted to profile the mental development and visual attention toward emotion among preschool children with mild or moderate ASD who were attending mainstream kindergartens. A total of 21 children (17 boys and 4 girls) diagnosed with mild or moderate ASD selected from 5,178 kindergarteners from the Xi'an city were recruited. Another group of 21 typically developing (TD) children who were matched with age, gender, and class served as controls. All children were assessed using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales-Chinese (GDS-C), and their social visual attention was assessed during watching 20 ecologically valid film scenes by using eye tracking technique. The results showed that ASD children had lower mental development scores in the Locomotor, Personal-Social, Language, Performance, and Practical Reasoning subscales than the TD peers. Moreover, deficits in recognizing emotions from facial expressions based on naturalistic scene stimuli with voice were found for ASD children. The deficits were significantly correlated with their ability in social interaction and development quotient in ASD group. ASD children showed atypical eye-gaze pattern when compared to TD children during facial emotion expression task. Children with ASD had reduced visual attention to facial emotion expression, especially for the eye region. The findings confirmed the deficits of ASD children in real life multimodal of emotion recognition, and their atypical eye-gaze pattern for emotion recognition. Parents and teachers of children with mild or moderate ASD should make informed educational decisions according to their level of mental development. In addition, eye tracking technique might clinically help provide evidence diagnosing children with mild or moderate ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuying He
- Department of Pediatrics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China.,Child Healthcare Department, Xi'an Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Qi Su
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent System, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenxiang He
- Department of Pediatrics, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Chuanxue Tan
- Child Healthcare Department, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Haiqing Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Manwa L Ng
- Speech Science Laboratory, Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nan Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent System, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanni Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China.,Department of Pediatrics, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China.,Child Healthcare Department, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
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