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Moraitopoulou G, Pickard H, Simonoff E, Pickles A, Bedford R, Carter Leno V. No association between alexithymia and emotion recognition or theory of mind in a sample of adolescents enhanced for autistic traits. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:2066-2079. [PMID: 38240268 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231221928] [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: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Alexithymia is a sub-clinical condition characterised by difficulties identifying and describing one's own emotions, which is found in many, but not all autistic people. The alexithymia hypothesis suggests that certain aspects of socio-cognitive functioning typically attributed to autism, namely difficulties in emotion recognition, might be better explained by often co-occurring alexithymia. It is important to understand what is specific to autism and what is due to other co-occurring characteristics to develop appropriate support for autistic people. However, most research on this topic has been conducted in adults, which limits our knowledge about the relevance of this theory to younger autistic populations. This study tested whether difficulties in emotion recognition and theory of mind traditionally associated with autism might be better explained by alexithymia in a sample of adolescents with and without a diagnosis of autism. Results found that difficulties in emotion recognition and theory of mind were both associated with autistic traits, and this was not accounted for by individual differences in levels of alexithymia. This research suggests that more work is needed to understand the applicability of the alexithymia hypothesis in younger populations, but that at least in adolescents and when using parent-report measures, alexithymia may not account for emotion recognition or theory of mind difficulties associated with autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgianna Moraitopoulou
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
| | - Hannah Pickard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Emily Simonoff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Pickles
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rachael Bedford
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Virginia Carter Leno
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
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H Gerber A, W Griffin J, M Keifer C, D Lerner M, C McPartland J. Social Anhedonia Accounts for Greater Variance in Internalizing Symptoms than Autism Symptoms in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06266-w. [PMID: 38340278 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06266-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Social anhedonia is a transdiagnostic trait that reflects reduced pleasure from social interaction. It has historically been associated with autism, however, very few studies have directly examined behavioral symptoms of social anhedonia in autistic youth. We investigated rates of social anhedonia in autistic compared to non-autistic youth and the relative contributions of autism and social anhedonia symptoms to co-occurring mental health. METHODS Participants were 290 youth (Mage=13.75, Nautistic=155) ranging in age from 8 to 18. Youth completed a cognitive assessment and a diagnostic interview. Their caregiver completed questionnaires regarding symptoms of autism and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. RESULTS Autistic youth were more likely to meet criteria for social anhedonia than non-autistic youth. There was a significant positive relationship between age and social anhedonia symptom severity, but there was no association between sex and social anhedonia. Dominance analysis revealed that social anhedonia symptom severity had the strongest association with symptoms of depression and social anxiety, while symptoms of ADHD, generalized anxiety, and separation anxiety were most strongly associated with autism symptom severity. CONCLUSION This was the first study to tease out the relative importance of social anhedonia and autism symptoms in understanding psychiatric symptoms in autistic youth. Findings revealed higher rates of social anhedonia in autistic youth. Our results indicate that social anhedonia is an important transdiagnostic trait that plays a unique role in understanding co-occurring depression and social anxiety in autistic youth. Future research should utilize longitudinal data to test the transactional relationships between social anhedonia and internalizing symptoms over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan H Gerber
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, CT 06519, USA
| | - Jason W Griffin
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, CT 06519, USA
| | - Cara M Keifer
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, CT 06519, USA
| | - Matthew D Lerner
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, CT 06519, USA
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Livingston LA, Shah P, Happé F. Linearly integrating speed and accuracy to measure individual differences in theory of mind: Evidence from autistic and neurotypical adults. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:287-297. [PMID: 36912210 PMCID: PMC10798019 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231165251] [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: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
It has long been theorised that there is a direct link between individual differences in social cognition and behaviour. One of the most popular tests of this theory has involved examination of Theory of Mind (ToM) difficulties in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, evidence for associations between ToM and social behaviour is mixed, both when testing the ToM explanation of ASD and when investigating individual differences in ToM in the general population. We argue that this is due to methodological limitations of many ToM measures, such as a lack of variability in task performance, inappropriate non-ToM control tasks, and a failure to account for general mental ability. To overcome these issues, we designed a novel task, which probed individual differences in ToM fluency through mental state attribution in response to cartoons (Cartoons Theory of Mind [CarToM] task). This task, enabling the linear combination of speed and accuracy, was used to quantify ToM ability and its association with self-reported (a)typical social behaviour in adults with and without ASD. In a large sample (N = 237), we found that having an ASD diagnosis and higher autistic traits predicted lower ToM ability, even after accounting for performance on a well-matched non-ToM condition and general mental ability. Overall, our findings provide fresh support for the existence of a link between individual differences in social cognition (specifically, ToM) and behaviour (specifically, autism). This has implications for social-cognitive theory and research, allowing large-scale, online assessment of individual differences in ToM in clinical groups and the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Anne Livingston
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Punit Shah
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Francesca Happé
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
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Raman N, Ringold SM, Jayashankar A, Butera CD, Kilroy E, Harrison L, Cermak SA, Aziz-Zadeh L. Relationships between Affect Recognition, Empathy, Alexithymia, and Co-Occurring Conditions in Autism. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1161. [PMID: 37626517 PMCID: PMC10452701 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior studies show differences in empathy and affect-recognition ability between those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals. Autistic individuals also exhibit increased behavioral, gastrointestinal, and sleep issues. In the current study, we explored the differences in empathy and affect recognition between the ASD and TD groups; and we investigated their associations with conditions co-occurring in ASD. A total of 54 TD and 56 ASD children (8-17 years) were included. As compared to the TD group, the ASD group showed lower scores for affect recognition and perspective taking (PT) and higher scores for personal distress (PD). Interestingly, results from hierarchical linear regressions suggested that disparities in the PD and PT between the groups were primarily attributable to attenuated levels of alexithymia, rather than being mediated by the presence of an autism diagnosis. Differences in affect-recognition ability, however, were mediated by both an autism diagnosis and alexithymia. We also found significant correlations between empathy and affect recognition and measures of related conditions common in ASD. Alexithymia, hence, contributes to difficulties in empathy while both alexithymia and autism are associated with affect-recognition ability in ASD. Additionally, the association between affect recognition and empathic ability with co-occurring conditions in ASD needs to be considered during assessments and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandita Raman
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (N.R.); (S.M.R.); (A.J.); (C.D.B.); (E.K.); (L.H.); (S.A.C.)
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sofronia M. Ringold
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (N.R.); (S.M.R.); (A.J.); (C.D.B.); (E.K.); (L.H.); (S.A.C.)
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Aditya Jayashankar
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (N.R.); (S.M.R.); (A.J.); (C.D.B.); (E.K.); (L.H.); (S.A.C.)
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Christiana D. Butera
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (N.R.); (S.M.R.); (A.J.); (C.D.B.); (E.K.); (L.H.); (S.A.C.)
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Emily Kilroy
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (N.R.); (S.M.R.); (A.J.); (C.D.B.); (E.K.); (L.H.); (S.A.C.)
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Laura Harrison
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (N.R.); (S.M.R.); (A.J.); (C.D.B.); (E.K.); (L.H.); (S.A.C.)
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sharon A. Cermak
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (N.R.); (S.M.R.); (A.J.); (C.D.B.); (E.K.); (L.H.); (S.A.C.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; (N.R.); (S.M.R.); (A.J.); (C.D.B.); (E.K.); (L.H.); (S.A.C.)
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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Butera CD, Harrison L, Kilroy E, Jayashankar A, Pruyser A, Shipkova M, Aziz-Zadeh L. Relationships between alexithymia, interoception, and emotional empathy in autism spectrum disorder. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023; 27:690-703. [PMID: 35833505 PMCID: PMC9839896 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221111310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Empathy, the ability to understand and share the emotions of others, is a necessary skill for social functioning and can be categorized into cognitive and emotional empathy. There is evidence to suggest that individuals with autism spectrum disorder have difficulties with cognitive empathy, the ability to imagine how another person is thinking or feeling. However, it is unclear if individuals with autism spectrum disorder struggle with emotional empathy, the ability to share and feel emotions others are experiencing. Self-report and interview data were collected to explore the relationships between interoception (individuals' self-reported awareness of sensation from their body such as thirst, heartbeat, etc.), alexithymia (an individual's ability to describe and distinguish between their own emotions), and emotional empathy in 35 youth with autism spectrum disorder and 40 typically developing youth. Greater personal distress to others' emotions and greater difficulty describing and recognizing self-emotions were associated with reporting fewer physical sensations in the body when experiencing emotion in the autism spectrum disorder group. The results of this study suggest that while autism spectrum disorder youth with concomitant alexithymia may experience emotional empathy differently, it should not be characterized as an absence of a capacity for emotional empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana D. Butera
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laura Harrison
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emily Kilroy
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aditya Jayashankar
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ariel Pruyser
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Shipkova
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Li W, Lou W, Zhang W, Tong RKY, Jin R, Peng W. Gyrus rectus asymmetry predicts trait alexithymia, cognitive empathy, and social function in neurotypical adults. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1941-1954. [PMID: 35567793 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac184] [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] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced empathy and elevated alexithymia are observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which has been linked to altered asymmetry in brain morphology. Here, we investigated whether trait autism, empathy, and alexithymia in the general population is associated with brain morphological asymmetry. We determined left-right asymmetry indexes for cortical thickness and cortical surface area (CSA) and applied these features to a support-vector regression model that predicted trait autism, empathy, and alexithymia. Results showed that less leftward asymmetry of CSA in the gyrus rectus (a subregion of the orbitofrontal cortex) predicted more difficulties in social functioning, as well as reduced cognitive empathy and elevated trait alexithymia. Meta-analytic decoding of the left gyrus rectus annotated functional items related to social cognition. Furthermore, the link between gyrus rectus asymmetry and social difficulties was accounted by trait alexithymia and cognitive empathy. These results suggest that gyrus rectus asymmetry could be a shared neural correlate among trait alexithymia, cognitive empathy, and social functioning in neurotypical adults. Left-right asymmetry of gyrus rectus influenced social functioning by affecting the cognitive processes of emotions in the self and others. Interventions that increase leftward asymmetry of the gyrus rectus might improve social functioning for individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Li
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Wutao Lou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Wenyun Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Raymond Kai-Yu Tong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Richu Jin
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Weiwei Peng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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Hargitai LD, Livingston LA, Waldren LH, Robinson R, Jarrold C, Shah P. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder traits are a more important predictor of internalising problems than autistic traits. Sci Rep 2023; 13:31. [PMID: 36646771 PMCID: PMC9842645 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26350-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are both linked to internalising problems like anxiety and depression. ASD and ADHD also often co-occur, making their individual statistical contributions to internalising disorders difficult to investigate. To address this issue, we explored the unique associations of self-reported ASD traits and ADHD traits with internalising problems using a large general population sample of adults from the United Kingdom (N = 504, 49% male). Classical regression analyses indicated that both ASD traits and ADHD traits were uniquely associated with internalising problems. Dominance and Bayesian analyses confirmed that ADHD traits were a stronger, more important predictor of internalising problems. However, brief depression and anxiety measures may not provide a comprehensive index of internalising problems. Additionally, we focused on recruiting a sample that was representative of the UK population according to age and sex, but not ethnicity, a variable that may be linked to internalising disorders. Nevertheless, our findings indicate that while ASD and ADHD uniquely predict internalising problems, ADHD traits are a more important statistical predictor than ASD traits. We discuss potential mechanisms underlying this pattern of results and the implications for research and clinical practice concerning neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca D. Hargitai
- grid.7340.00000 0001 2162 1699Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY UK
| | - Lucy A. Livingston
- grid.5600.30000 0001 0807 5670Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK ,grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy H. Waldren
- grid.7340.00000 0001 2162 1699Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY UK
| | - Ross Robinson
- grid.7340.00000 0001 2162 1699Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY UK
| | - Christopher Jarrold
- grid.5337.20000 0004 1936 7603School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TU UK
| | - Punit Shah
- grid.7340.00000 0001 2162 1699Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY UK
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Bogdanova OV, Bogdanov VB, Pizano A, Bouvard M, Cazalets JR, Mellen N, Amestoy A. The Current View on the Paradox of Pain in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:910824. [PMID: 35935443 PMCID: PMC9352888 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.910824] [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: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which affects 1 in 44 children and may cause severe disabilities. Besides socio-communicational difficulties and repetitive behaviors, ASD also presents as atypical sensorimotor function and pain reactivity. While chronic pain is a frequent co-morbidity in autism, pain management in this population is often insufficient because of difficulties in pain evaluation, worsening their prognosis and perhaps driving higher mortality rates. Previous observations have tended to oversimplify the experience of pain in autism as being insensitive to painful stimuli. Various findings in the past 15 years have challenged and complicated this dogma. However, a relatively small number of studies investigates the physiological correlates of pain reactivity in ASD. We explore the possibility that atypical pain perception in people with ASD is mediated by alterations in pain perception, transmission, expression and modulation, and through interactions between these processes. These complex interactions may account for the great variability and sometimes contradictory findings from the studies. A growing body of evidence is challenging the idea of alterations in pain processing in ASD due to a single factor, and calls for an integrative view. We propose a model of the pain cycle that includes the interplay between the molecular and neurophysiological pathways of pain processing and it conscious appraisal that may interfere with pain reactivity and coping in autism. The role of social factors in pain-induced response is also discussed. Pain assessment in clinical care is mostly based on subjective rather than objective measures. This review clarifies the strong need for a consistent methodology, and describes innovative tools to cope with the heterogeneity of pain expression in ASD, enabling individualized assessment. Multiple measures, including self-reporting, informant reporting, clinician-assessed, and purely physiological metrics may provide more consistent results. An integrative view on the regulation of the pain cycle offers a more robust framework to characterize the experience of pain in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena V. Bogdanova
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Volodymyr B. Bogdanov
- Laboratoire EA 4136 – Handicap Activité Cognition Santé HACS, Collège Science de la Sante, Institut Universitaire des Sciences de la Réadaptation, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Adrien Pizano
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| | - Manuel Bouvard
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-Rene Cazalets
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicholas Mellen
- Department of Neurology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Anouck Amestoy
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Bordeaux, France
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Falter-Wagner CM, Bloch C, Burghof L, Lehnhardt FG, Vogeley K. Autism traits outweigh alexithymia traits in the explanation of mentalising performance in adults with autism but not in adults with rejected autism diagnosis. Mol Autism 2022; 13:32. [PMID: 35804399 PMCID: PMC9264711 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00510-9] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pronounced alexithymia traits have been found in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and recent research has been carving out the impact alexithymia traits might have on mentalising deficits associated with ASD. Method In this cross-sectional study, a large representative referral population for diagnostic examination for possible ASD (n = 400) was screened for clinical alexithymia with a German version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RME). In contrast to previous attempts to carve out the impact of alexithymia traits on mentalising deficits though, we employed dominance analysis to account for the correlation between predictors. The relative relationship between alexithymia traits and autism traits with RME performance was investigated in the group of individuals with confirmed ASD diagnosis (N = 281) and compared to the clinical referral sample in which ASD was ruled out (N = 119). Results Dominance analysis revealed autism traits to be the strongest predictor for reduced mentalising skills in the ASD sample, whereas alexithymia contributed significantly less. In the sample of individuals with ruled out diagnosis, autism traits were the strongest predictor, but alexithymia traits were in sum equally associated to mentalising, with the External-Oriented Thinking subscale as an important predictor of this association. Limitations It needs to be considered that the cross-sectional study design does not allow for causal inference. Furthermore, mentalising is a highly facetted capacity and measurements need to reduce this complexity into simple quantities which limits the generalizability of results. Discussion While alexithymia traits should be considered for their mental health importance, they do not dominate the explanation of reduced mentalising skills in individuals with ASD, but they might do to a larger degree in individuals with ruled out ASD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-022-00510-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Falter-Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.
| | - Carola Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lana Burghof
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fritz-Georg Lehnhardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kai Vogeley
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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10
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Distinct neurocognitive bases for social trait judgments of faces in autism spectrum disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:104. [PMID: 35292617 PMCID: PMC8924227 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01870-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social processes, interactions, and communication. Yet, the neurocognitive bases underlying these difficulties are unclear. Here, we triangulated the 'trans-diagnostic' approach to personality, social trait judgments of faces, and neurophysiology to investigate (1) the relative position of autistic traits in a comprehensive social-affective personality space, and (2) the distinct associations between the social-affective personality dimensions and social trait judgment from faces in individuals with ASD and neurotypical individuals. We collected personality and facial judgment data from a large sample of online participants (N = 89 self-identified ASD; N = 307 neurotypical controls). Factor analysis with 33 subscales of 10 social-affective personality questionnaires identified a 4-dimensional personality space. This analysis revealed that ASD and control participants did not differ significantly along the personality dimensions of empathy and prosociality, antisociality, or social agreeableness. However, the ASD participants exhibited a weaker association between prosocial personality dimensions and judgments of facial trustworthiness and warmth than the control participants. Neurophysiological data also indicated that ASD participants had a weaker association with neuronal representations for trustworthiness and warmth from faces. These results suggest that the atypical association between social-affective personality and social trait judgment from faces may contribute to the social and affective difficulties associated with ASD.
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A cross-modal component of alexithymia and its relationship with performance in a social cognition task battery. J Affect Disord 2022; 298:625-633. [PMID: 34763032 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The personality trait alexithymia describes an altered emotional awareness that is associated with a range of social impairments and constitutes a transdiagnostic risk factor for various psychopathologies. Despite the characteristic interoceptive deficits in alexithymia, it is predominantly assessed via self-reports. This can result in unreliable measurements and arguably contributes to the prevailing uncertainty regarding its components, including constricted imaginal processes and emotional reactivity. METHODS The current study employed an interview and two validated questionnaires to derive a shared component of multi-modally assessed alexithymia in a German non-clinical sample (n = 78) via prinicipal component analysis. This component was used as a predictor for performance in four behavioural social cognition tasks. The relative importance of this predictor against related variables was assessed via dominance analysis. RESULTS The identified component reflected cognitive alexithymia. Higher cognitive alexithymia scores were associated with less affective distress in an ostracizing task. Dominance analysis revealed the dominance of competing autism traits relative to cognitive alexithymia and competing predictors empathy, depression, and anxiety, in predicting affective distress. LIMITATIONS Emotional reactivity was only assessed via self-report and no implicit measures of alexithymia were employed. Due to the low reliability of the self-report measure, no measure of emotional reactivity could be included in the principal component analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide compelling evidence that cognitive interoceptive deficits are at the core of alexithymia across assessment modalities. Behavioural data suggest that these deficits result in diminished emotional sensitivity to high-pressure social situations, which may cause a lack of behavioural adaptation.
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McKenzie K, Russell A, Golm D, Fairchild G. Empathic Accuracy and Cognitive and Affective Empathy in Young Adults With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:2004-2018. [PMID: 34052970 PMCID: PMC9021079 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05093-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether young adults with ASD (n = 29) had impairments in Cognitive Empathy (CE), Affective Empathy (AE) or Empathic Accuracy (EA; the ability to track changes in others' thoughts and feelings) compared to typically-developing individuals (n = 31) using the Empathic Accuracy Task (EAT), which involves watching narrators recollecting emotionally-charged autobiographical events. Participants provided continuous ratings of the narrators' emotional intensity (indexing EA), labelled the emotions displayed (CE) and reported whether they shared the depicted emotions (AE). The ASD group showed deficits in EA for anger but did not differ from typically-developing participants in CE or AE on the EAT. The ASD group also reported lower CE (Perspective Taking) and AE (Empathic Concern) on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, a self-report questionnaire.
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Affiliation(s)
- K McKenzie
- Centre for Applied Autism Research, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AY, UK.
| | - A Russell
- Centre for Applied Autism Research, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - D Golm
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - G Fairchild
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AY, UK
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Orm S, Vatne T, Tomeny TS, Fjermestad K. Empathy and Prosocial Behavior in Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-021-00251-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
AbstractSiblings of children with ASD have, as a group, more autistic traits than typically developing individuals. A high prevalence of autistic traits may (or may not) include lower scores on measures of empathy and prosocial behavior compared with typically developing individuals. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies of empathy and prosocial behavior in siblings of individuals with ASD. We conducted a comprehensive literature search of studies published until March 2020. We identified 16 studies with a total of 1066 siblings that met inclusion criteria. Based on the review, we conclude that the current literature suggests that siblings of individuals with ASD exhibit normative empathic abilities and prosocial behavior.
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Alexithymia and Autistic Traits as Contributing Factors to Empathy Difficulties in Preadolescent Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:823-834. [PMID: 33788077 PMCID: PMC8813806 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04986-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that, contrary to traditional views, empathy difficulties may not be a core feature of autism; but are rather due to co-occurring alexithymia. Empathy, alexithymia and autistic traits have yet to be examined concurrently in children. Therefore, we examined the co-occurrence of empathy difficulties and alexithymia in 59 typically developing and 5 autistic children. Multiple measures (self-report, parent-report and a behavioural task) were used to evaluate empathy and to assess differences in self- and parent-reports using multiple regressions. Alexithymia was found to predict empathy significantly better than autistic traits, providing support for the alexithymia hypothesis. From a therapeutic perspective, results suggest autistic children who screen positive for elevated alexithymic traits may benefit from additional support targeting emotion identification.
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Bloch C, Burghof L, Lehnhardt FG, Vogeley K, Falter-Wagner C. Alexithymia traits outweigh autism traits in the explanation of depression in adults with autism. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2258. [PMID: 33500523 PMCID: PMC7838249 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81696-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
When contemplating the alarming depression rates in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a need to find factors explaining heightened symptoms of depression. Beyond the impact of autism traits, markedly increased levels of alexithymia traits should be considered as a candidate for explaining why individuals with ASD report higher levels of depressive symptoms. Here, we aim to identify the extent to which autism or alexithymia traits indicate depressive symptoms in ASD and whether the pattern of association are specific to ASD. Data of a large (N = 400) representative clinical population of adults referred to autism diagnostics have been investigated and split by cases with a confirmed ASD diagnosis (N = 281) and cases with a ruled out ASD diagnosis (N = 119). Dominance analysis revealed the alexithymia factor, difficulties in identifying feelings, as the strongest predictor for depressive symptomatology in ASD, outweighing autism traits and other alexithymia factors. This pattern of prediction was not specific to ASD and was shared by clinical controls from the referral population with a ruled out ASD diagnosis. Thus, the association of alexithymia traits with depression is not unique to ASD and may constitute a general psychopathological mechanism in clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany. .,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.
| | - Lana Burghof
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fritz-Georg Lehnhardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kai Vogeley
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM3), Research Center Jülich, Leo-Brandt-Str, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - Christine Falter-Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Gronewaldstr. 2, 50931, Cologne, Germany
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Taylor EC, Livingston LA, Callan MJ, Ashwin C, Shah P. Autonomic dysfunction in autism: The roles of anxiety, depression, and stress. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 25:744-752. [DOI: 10.1177/1362361320985658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with atypical autonomic nervous system (ANS) function. However, little is known about this relationship, while accounting for co-occurring mental health conditions (e.g. anxiety) that are also associated with ANS dysfunction. In addition, research on the ANS has typically involved physiological measurements, without using more clinically meaningful measures of ANS dysfunction, such as the self-reported frequency of ANS-related physical health symptoms. Furthermore, very little is known about ANS function in autistic adults, given that previous research has focused on ANS dysfunction in children with ASD. Addressing these gaps in the literature, we compared ANS function in adults with(out) ASD (Study 1). Although autistic adults reported greater ANS dysfunction than matched neurotypical controls, this difference was not significant after controlling for anxiety and depression. Similarly, in a large nonclinical sample (Study 2), we found that anxiety and stress mediated the relationship between autistic traits and ANS dysfunction. Together, we conclude that ANS dysfunction is not a feature of ASD per se, but instead attributable to the high levels of anxiety and stress in autistic adults. We discuss the clinical relevance of these findings for managing ANS dysfunction and other physical and mental health concerns in autistic adulthood. Lay abstract The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is responsible for the functioning of the heart, bladder, pupils and several other bodily functions. Therefore, when the ANS functions abnormally, individuals can experience a number of physical symptoms, including dizziness, abnormal sweating and digestive difficulties. Currently, it is unclear if autistic adults experience ANS dysfunction. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether autistic adults report more ANS-related physical symptoms, indicating greater ANS dysfunction, and whether this may be related to autism, or rather anxiety, depression, or stress. The findings suggest that ANS dysfunction, where found in autism, is due to co-occurring stress and anxiety. We therefore propose that treating stress and anxiety may be an effective way to ameliorate ANS-related health problems in autistic adults.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Chris Ashwin
- University of Bath, UK
- University of Cambridge, UK
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Abstract
AbstractThere is growing interest in quantifying attitudes towards autistic people, however there is relatively little research on psychometric properties of the only existing measure and its ability to predict engagement with people with autism. To begin addressing these issues, we compared three scales measuring attitudes towards autistic people following the development of two new measures. Exploratory factor analysis, across two datasets, revealed that the factor-structure of an established 16-item scale is unclear. Further, its predictive validity of intended engagement with autistic people was comparable to our novel and psychometrically robust 1- and 4-item measures of attitudes towards autistic people. We therefore conclude that a 1- or 4-item scale is sufficient to measure general attitudes towards autistic people in future research. Equally, we propose that additional research is required to develop measures that are grounded in theoretical models of attitude formation and therefore distinguish between different components of attitudes.
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Vuillier L, Carter Z, Teixeira AR, Moseley RL. Alexithymia may explain the relationship between autistic traits and eating disorder psychopathology. Mol Autism 2020; 11:63. [PMID: 32758290 PMCID: PMC7406391 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00364-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autistic people are disproportionately vulnerable to anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders (ED), and within the general population, autistic traits correlate with ED psychopathology. A putative mechanism which may underpin this heightened risk is alexithymia, a difficulty identifying and describing emotional states which is observed in both autism and ED. In two experiments with independent non-clinical samples, we explored whether alexithymia might mediate the heightened risk of eating psychopathology in individuals high in autistic traits. METHODS Our first experiment used the PROCESS macro for SPSS to examine relationships between alexithymia (measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)), autistic traits (autism quotient (AQ)), and eating psychopathology (Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26)) in 121 participants. Our second experiment (n = 300) replicated and furthered this analysis by examining moderating effects of sex and controlling for anxiety and depression as covariates. We also included an additional performance-based measure of alexithymia, the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS). RESULTS Study 1 suggested that TAS-20 scores mediated the relationship between heightened autistic traits and eating psychopathology. Replication and further scrutiny of this finding, in study 2, revealed that this mediation effect was partial and specific to the female participants in this sample. The mediation effect appeared to be carried by the difficulty identifying feelings subscale of the TAS-20, even when depression and anxiety were controlled for. LEAS scores, however, were not significantly related to autistic traits or eating psychopathology. LIMITATIONS Cross-sectional data prevents any conclusions around the direction and causality of relationships between alexithymia, autistic traits, and eating psychopathology (alongside depression and anxiety), necessitating longitudinal research. Our non-clinical sample was predominantly Caucasian undergraduate students, so it remains to be seen if these results would extrapolate to clinical and/or autistic samples. Divergence between the TAS-20 and LEAS raises crucial questions regarding the construct validity of these measures. CONCLUSIONS Our findings with respect to autistic traits suggest that alexithymia could partially explain the prevalence of ED in autistic people and may as such be an important consideration in the pathogenesis and treatment of ED in autistic and non-autistic people alike. Further research with clinical samples is critical to explore these ideas. Differences between men and women, furthermore, emphasize the importance of looking for sex-specific as well as generic risk factors in autistic and non-autistic men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Vuillier
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | - Z. Carter
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | - A. R. Teixeira
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | - R. L. Moseley
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
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Leonardi E, Cerasa A, Famà FI, Carrozza C, Spadaro L, Scifo R, Baieli S, Marino F, Tartarisco G, Vagni D, Pioggia G, Ruta L. Alexithymia Profile in Relation to Negative Affect in Parents of Autistic and Typically Developing Young Children. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10080496. [PMID: 32751299 PMCID: PMC7464393 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10080496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In our study, we explored the construct of alexithymia in parents of children with and without ASD using a multi-method approach based on self-rated and external rater assessment. We also assessed the level of self-report measures of negative affect states such as trait anxiety and depression, and investigated the correlation between the alexithymia construct, trait anxiety, and depression within the broader autism phenotype (BAP). A total sample of 100 parents (25 mothers and 25 fathers in each group) were administered the TAS-20 and the TSIA to measure self-reported and observer-rated alexithymia traits, as well as self-report measures of anxiety and depression. Study results showed that the TSIA but not the TAS-20 was able to detect significant group differences in alexithymia traits among parents of children with and without ASD, with parents of ASD children displaying significantly higher levels of alexithymia. Furthermore, differently from the TAS-20, no significant correlations between the TSIA and measures of anxiety and depression were detected. Taken together, our results suggest the importance of using multi-method approaches to control for potential measurement bias and to detect psychological constructs such as alexithymia in subclinical samples such as parents of children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Leonardi
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Antonio Cerasa
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
- S. Anna Institute and Research in Advanced Neurorehabilitation (RAN), 88900 Crotone, Italy
| | - Francesca Isabella Famà
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Cristina Carrozza
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Letteria Spadaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Renato Scifo
- Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Child Psychiatry Unit, Provincial Health Service of Catania (ASP CT), 95100 Catania, Italy; (R.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Sabrina Baieli
- Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Child Psychiatry Unit, Provincial Health Service of Catania (ASP CT), 95100 Catania, Italy; (R.S.); (S.B.)
| | - Flavia Marino
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Gennaro Tartarisco
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - David Vagni
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Giovanni Pioggia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Liliana Ruta
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, 98164 Messina, Italy; (E.L.); (A.C.); (F.I.F.); (C.C.); (L.S.); (F.M.); ) (G.T.); (D.V.); (G.P.)
- Correspondence:
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Cognitive and Affective Aspects of Theory of Mind in Greek-Speaking Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 51:1142-1156. [PMID: 32656735 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04595-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Substantial research indicates that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulties with Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities, but rarely have studies used a comprehensive battery to measure both the cognitive and affective aspects of ToM. The present study tested this ability in 24 Greek-speaking children with ASD (ages 7-14), and their performance was compared to 24 age-, gender- and language-matched typically developing controls. Results showed that ASD children's performance was selectively impaired in both ToM aspects, supporting the distinction between ToM components. This is the first study of ToM abilities among Greek-speaking children with ASD, and the findings confirm that children with ASD are experiencing difficulties with socio-emotional understanding across languages and cultures.
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