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Butera C, Kaplan J, Kilroy E, Harrison L, Jayashankar A, Loureiro F, Aziz-Zadeh L. The relationship between alexithymia, interoception, and neural functional connectivity during facial expression processing in autism spectrum disorder. Neuropsychologia 2023; 180:108469. [PMID: 36610493 PMCID: PMC9898240 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Neural processing differences of emotional facial expressions, while common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may be related to co-occurring alexithymia and interoceptive processing differences rather than autism per se. Here, we investigate relationships between alexithymia, interoceptive awareness of emotions, and functional connectivity during observation of facial expressions in youth (aged 8-17) with ASD (n = 28) compared to typically developing peers (TD; n = 37). Behaviorally, we found no significant differences between ASD and TD groups in interoceptive awareness of emotions, though alexithymia severity was significantly higher in the ASD group. In the ASD group, increased alexithymia was significantly correlated with lower interoceptive sensation felt during emotion. Using psycho-physiological interaction (PPI) analysis, the ASD group showed higher functional connectivity between the left ventral anterior insula and the left lateral prefrontal cortex than the TD group when viewing facial expressions. Further, alexithymia was associated with reduced left anterior insula-right precuneus connectivity and reduced right dorsal anterior insula-left ventral anterior insula connectivity when viewing facial expressions. In the ASD group, the degree of interoceptive sensation felt during emotion was positively correlated with left ventral anterior insula-right IFG connectivity when viewing facial expressions. However, across all participants, neither alexithymia nor interoceptive awareness of emotions predicted connectivity between emotion-related brain regions when viewing emotional facial expressions. To summarize, we found that in ASD compared to TD: 1) there is stronger connectivity between the insula and lateral prefrontal cortex; and 2) differences in interhemispheric and within left hemisphere connectivity between the insula and other emotion-related brain regions are related to individual differences in interoceptive processing and alexithymia. These results highlight complex relationships between alexithymia, interoception, and brain processing in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana Butera
- Brain & Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Division of Occupational Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Jonas Kaplan
- Brain & Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Emily Kilroy
- Brain & Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Division of Occupational Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Laura Harrison
- Brain & Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Division of Occupational Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Aditya Jayashankar
- Brain & Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Division of Occupational Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Fernanda Loureiro
- Brain & Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- Brain & Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Division of Occupational Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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Bitsika V, Sharpley CF. The interaction of Matrix Reasoning and Social Motivation as predictors of Separation anxiety in boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 67:6-13. [PMID: 29545099 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been suggested that higher cognitive functioning based in the pre-frontal cortex is implicated in the ability of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to understand and communicate in social situations. Low motivation to engage in social interaction may also be influential in this process. Although both of these factors have been argued to influence the levels of comorbid anxiety in young people with ASD, no detailed examination of those relationships has been reported to date. METHODS A sample of 90 boys with ASD (aged 6 to 12 yr) and 29 of their non-ASD peers, matched for age and IQ, completed tests of cognitive function and anxiety. RESULTS Only one form of anxiety-fear of being separated from their parents- was significantly associated with cognitive function, at the Full Scale IQ and Matrix Reasoning levels, plus motivation to engage in social interactions, and only for the ASD boys. CONCLUSION These data represent a complex interaction between the neurobiological aspects of ASD, fluid reasoning, social motivation, and Separation Anxiety in boys with ASD. As such, they bring a new perspective to understanding and treating anxious behaviour in these boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki Bitsika
- Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bond University, Robina, 4229, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Christopher F Sharpley
- Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, New South Wales, Australia.
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