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Fantozzi P, Billeci L, Muratori P, Maestro S, Muratori F, Chakrabarti B, Calderoni S. Autistic traits and perspective taking in youths with anorexia nervosa: an exploratory clinical and eye tracking study. J Eat Disord 2024; 12:116. [PMID: 39143647 PMCID: PMC11325632 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-01075-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite their apparent dissimilarity, Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) share many features, especially in terms of social and emotional difficulties. In recent years, empathic abilities in AN have been frequently assessed using self-report measures. Otherwise, the director task (DT) has been used to investigate the ability to take the visual perspective of another individual in a communicative context, using eye-tracking technology. The aim of the current study was to test the presence of autism-relevant features in AN, through: (i) comparing self-reported autistic traits and empathic abilities in a group of young inpatients with AN and age/gender matched healthy controls (HC); (ii) comparing performance on the director paradigm. METHODS The participants were females in the age-range between 11 and 18 years: 24 with AN and 23 HC. Autistic traits, empathic abilities, and severity of the eating disorder were respectively measured using: the Autism Quotient (AQ), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3). Both groups performed a computerized task in which a director instructed them to move objects placed on a set of shelves using a mouse, while their eye gaze was tracked. A total of 36 shelf configurations, divided into three categories (with dimensional distractor - with spatial distractor - control), were created. RESULTS Subjects with AN showed higher autistic traits than HC. Eye-tracking data revealed that subjects with AN took longer to decide which object to select and where to move it, both in distractor-trials and in control-trials. In the AN group, we found a significant negative correlation between the total score of the AQ and the number of fixations to the irrelevant object in the dimensional control condition -in which the subjects were asked to focus on dimensional aspects of the object (large-small)-. CONCLUSIONS Autistic traits were over-represented in a group of young inpatients with AN. Through the use of eye-tracking technology, this exploratory study documented some differences between AN inpatients and HC in their online processes during the perspective taking tasks, which could be considered a target of tailored intervention. A larger sample of patients is needed to confirm these preliminary findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Fantozzi
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Pisa, I-56018, Italy
| | - Lucia Billeci
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Muratori
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Pisa, I-56018, Italy
| | - Sandra Maestro
- Residential Eating Disorder Treatment Center "Orti di Ada", Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Pisa, I-56018, Italy
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Centre for Autism, School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Sara Calderoni
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Pisa, I-56018, Italy.
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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Nimbley E, Maloney E, Buchan K, Sader M, Gillespie-Smith K, Duffy F. Barriers and facilitators to ethical co-production with Autistic people with an eating disorder. J Eat Disord 2024; 12:113. [PMID: 39123242 PMCID: PMC11312805 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-01076-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Co-production is the collaboration between researchers and the lived experience community in designing, conducting and sharing research. The importance of co-production is increasingly advocated in both the autism and eating disorder fields. Despite this, there remains a lack of clarity at how to define, apply and conduct ethical co-production. Understanding common challenges and what we can do to overcome these challenges are integral to ensuring ethical and meaningful research with Autistic people with an eating disorder. The current study therefore explored: What are the barriers and facilitators to ethical co-production with Autistic people with an ED? METHODS Five workshops were conducted with 30 collaborators exploring barriers and facilitators to ethical co-production. Synchronous (online workshops) and asynchronous (offline discussion forum) data was analysed using thematic analysis. Themes were co-produced by a neurotypical and Autistic researcher with lived/living experience of an eating disorder. RESULTS Four themes were identified that explored barriers to ethical co-production: unequal partnerships, the inaccessibility of research, excluded by diagnoses and communication differences. Three themes were identified with regards to facilitators of ethical co-production: shared power (with sub-themes relationships, not roles and creative compensation), clarity and transparency and autism-affirming approaches. DISCUSSION Conducting ethical co-production with Autistic people with eating disorders has the potential to generate meaningful research that can be translated into improving the lives of the Autistic and eating disorder community. To achieve this, co-production teams should strive towards shared power and long-term relationships, adapting for communication differences and preferences and operating firmly within an autism-affirming framework. It is hoped that study findings will inspire collaboration, discussion and novel, translatable research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emy Nimbley
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK
- Eating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ellen Maloney
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK
- Eating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kyle Buchan
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK
- Eating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michelle Sader
- Eating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Karri Gillespie-Smith
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK
- Eating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Fiona Duffy
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK.
- Eating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Gray IE, Enticott PG, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, Kirkovski M. Cognitive and emotional empathy in acute and remitted anorexia nervosa: a systematic review. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1385185. [PMID: 38855647 PMCID: PMC11157095 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1385185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Impairments in empathy are well established in anorexia nervosa (AN). It is unclear, however, whether these deficits only occur in the acute phases of AN due to neurocognitive impacts of starvation (often referred to as context-dependent, or state-like), or if deficits remain once remission has been achieved (trait-like). This debate is commonly referred to as the 'state vs trait' debate. Objective This systematic review aims to summarise existing literature regarding empathy in AN, and to investigate whether empathy deficits in AN are state- or trait-based. Method A total of 1014 articles were identified, and seven articles remained after the screening process. These seven articles, comparing empathy across three groups (acute AN, remission of AN, and non-clinical controls), were evaluated and summarised in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Articles were required to have included all three groups and report on either cognitive empathy and/or emotional empathy. Results The majority of studies were of satisfactory quality. The results identified were inconsistent, with few articles lending some support to the 'state' hypothesis and others producing nonsignificant results. Conclusions There is minimal literature comparing empathy in acute and remission phases of AN. While there were some inconsistencies in included articles, some data indicate that there may be slight improvements to emotional and cognitive empathy following recovery of AN. Further research is needed to better enrich knowledge regarding the role of state vs trait with regard to neurocognitive difficulties experienced by individuals with AN. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=335669, identifier CRD42022335669.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indigo E. Gray
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | - Melissa Kirkovski
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Cheang RT, Skjevling M, Blakemore AI, Kumari V, Puzzo I. Do you feel me? Autism, empathic accuracy and the double empathy problem. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241252320. [PMID: 38757626 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241252320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT The assumption that autistic people lack empathy, particularly imagining how others feel, has been much debated and is now being challenged by an alternative view: the 'double empathy problem'. This suggests that non-autistic people may find it equally difficult to imagine how autistic people feel. Although this perspective is gaining popularity, research testing whether non-autistic people can accurately imagine and feel an autistic person's emotions is still limited. Our study used video clips of autistic and non-autistic people recounting emotional events to test if participants from the general population could: track the intensity of the narrators' emotions; name and feel the same emotion; match where the narrator felt the emotion and indicate how intensely they felt the emotion using a body map. Our results show that participants found it significantly harder to track autistic narrators' emotions compared to non-autistic narrator's emotions, especially when viewing clips of narrators feeling happy and sad. We also found that participants felt emotions more intensely in the body when viewing clips of autistic narrators compared to non-autistic narrators, especially when describing anger and fear. These findings support the double empathy problem and have strong implications for therapeutic and interpersonal relationships with autistic people.
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Lee SC, Huang CY, Fu IN, Chen KL. Interpreting the results of explicit and applied theory of mind collectively in autistic children: A solution from Rasch analysis. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:355-366. [PMID: 37161767 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231170698] [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: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Theory of mind is an ability to infer others' mental states, which is a foundation for generating appropriate social responses. Theory of mind can be conceptually divided into two related but distinguishable constructs: explicit theory of mind (conceptual knowledge/information about others' mental states) and applied theory of mind (the ability to use theory of mind skills in real-life contexts). Although these two theory of mind scores can be described by the percentages of children in the early, basic, and advanced developmental stages, the resulting information may not be sufficient to determine the corresponding relationships between these two theory of mind constructs or identify children with mismatched theory of mind abilities (e.g. children who have difficulty in effectively applying their theory of mind knowledge in real-life contexts). To resolve these limitations, methods for simultaneously interpreting the relationships between the two theory of mind scores are proposed. Based on the findings, each applied theory of mind score can reflect multiple scores of explicit theory of mind. In particular, the results do not take measurement error into consideration, which would make them more ambiguous. Therefore, the scores of applied theory of mind should be interpreted carefully, given that children who have the same applied theory of mind score may actually have high or low explicit theory of mind. Regarding the method for joint interpretation, cutoff scores were selected to identify children who have mismatched theory of mind abilities (high explicit theory of mind with low applied theory of mind or low explicit theory of mind with high applied theory of mind) and determine the priority for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Chieh Lee
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- Institute of Long-Term Care, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Chien-Yu Huang
- School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - I-Ning Fu
- School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- Child Developmental Assessment & Intervention Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
| | - Kuan-Lin Chen
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
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Oliveira R, de Pinho GD, Silva D, Chester C, Marques IB. Altered social cognition in early relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2023; 78:104924. [PMID: 37566975 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2023.104924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) may suffer from some degree of impaired social cognition (SC), the process that integrates the mental operations underlying social interactions. SC is still not clearly characterized in the early stages of MS, and it is not defined whether SC is independent of cognitive impairment. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to compare SC measures in a population of early (≤5 years) relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) with an age, sex, and education-matched control group. All participants performed a clinical and a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. SC evaluation included assessment of facial emotion recognitionn by the Emotion Recognition Task, affective theory of mind (ToM) by the Reading the Mind in the eyes Test (RMET) and cognitive ToM by the Faux Pas test (FPT). Depression, anxiety, fatigue, and quality of life were also assessed. We included 38 pwMS (mean age 34.8 ± 8.7, 78.9% female sex, mean disease duration 1.9±1.3 years) and 38 healthy controls (mean age 34.9 ± 8.4, 81.6% female sex). RESULTS Altered social cognition was present in 34.2% of pwMS. Participants with MS performed worse than controls on measures of cognitive ToM, and affective ToM. There were no differences regarding FER. Cognitive ToM and FER correlated with cognitive functions, but no correlation was found between affective ToM and cognitive tests. The only clinical factor associated with altered SC was poor quality of life. CONCLUSIONS Social cognition impairment is already present in a significant percentage of early RRMS patients, namely ToM deficits. While cognitive ToM and FER appears to correlate with impaired cognitive results, affective ToM is likely independent of other cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Oliveira
- Department of Neurology, Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; Neuroimmunology clinic, Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Lisbon Portugal; Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | | | - Dina Silva
- Department of Neurology, Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Chester
- Department of Neurology, Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Brás Marques
- Department of Neurology, Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; Neuroimmunology clinic, Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Lisbon Portugal
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Gao S, Wang X, Su Y. Examining whether adults with autism spectrum disorder encounter multiple problems in theory of mind: a study based on meta-analysis. Psychon Bull Rev 2023; 30:1740-1758. [PMID: 37101097 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02280-8] [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] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) represents a complex ability, while persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encounter difficulties in the processing of ToM. The present ToM-focused studies on adults with ASD report inconsistent results, possibly owing to the differences between tasks. For instance, different ToM-related tasks involve different cognitive abilities, but the development of these cognitive abilities is different among adults with ASD, thereby leading to different behaviors by the same individual with ASD in different tasks. Therefore, it is of vital significance to explore the potential reasons for inconsistencies in the existing studies based on the task classification perspective. Hence, this study primarily reviews the existing ToM tasks used in studies on adults with ASD; afterward, based on the forms and characteristics of the task, the current ToM tasks are classified into four categories-reading comprehension, perceptual scene comprehension, comprehensive scene comprehension , and self-other processing. Subsequently, a meta-analysis is undertaken to determine the difference in each ToM task category between the ASD group and the typically developing (TD) group. As a result, 110 research papers (including 3,205 adults with ASD and 3,675 TD adults) that fulfilled the stated criteria are examined in this study. The study findings suggest that adults with ASD demonstrate worse performance in terms of all four ToM task categories as compared to TD adults. Furthermore, compared with tasks of self-other processing and perceptual scene comprehension, adults with ASD perform worse in reading comprehension and comprehensive scene comprehension. This shows that the differences between tasks may exert a potential influence on the study results. Future studies should focus on different abilities involved in ToM processing and the choice of ToM tasks, in order to elucidate the critical problems of ToM in adults with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihuan Gao
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xieshun Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Yanjie Su
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Fithall K, Gray IE, Linardon J, Phillipou A, Donaldson PH, Albein-Urios N, Enticott PG, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, Kirkovski M. Exploring the role of autistic traits and eating disorder psychopathology on mentalising ability in the general population. BMC Psychol 2023; 11:269. [PMID: 37674242 PMCID: PMC10483798 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01306-z] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study evaluated the role of overlapping traits and characteristics related to autism spectrum disorder (autism) and anorexia nervosa (AN) in the general population, and the impact of these traits on mentalising ability. METHODS A sample of young adults (N = 306), aged 18-25 years, was recruited to complete an online study that consisted of 4 measures: the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, the Mentalization Scale, and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task. RESULTS Higher levels of autistic traits, particularly difficulty with attention switching, were associated with increased eating disorder psychopathology. Overall, autistic traits and eating disorder psychopathology were related among females, but not males. Difficulty with attention switching, however, was related to eating disorder psychopathology among both females and males. Autistic traits also appear to have a greater role in mentalising ability than does eating disorder psychopathology. CONCLUSION The role of attention switching in overlapping traits of autism and eating disorder psychopathology needs to be more comprehensively evaluated by future research, as does the role of biological sex. Expanded knowledge in this field will help to better understand and evaluate symptoms at presentation, leading to clearer diagnoses and potentially better treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Fithall
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Indigo E Gray
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Jake Linardon
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Andrea Phillipou
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Orygen, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Mental Health, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Mental Health, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Melissa Kirkovski
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Goshen D, Stein D, Kurman J, Farbstein D, Enoch-Levy A, Aival-Naveh E, Gur E, Yoeli N, Bretler T, Koren D, Rothschild-Yakar L. The association between deficiencies in paternal and maternal reflective functioning and anorexia nervosa symptomatology. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:116. [PMID: 37434261 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00836-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A large theoretical body of knowledge exists emphasizing the importance of parental mentalizing in the context of anorexia-nervosa (AN). However, the empirical support to these assumptions is still scarce. The aim of the present study was to examine whether parents of patients with AN are characterized by a lower mentalizing ability, and whether it is associated with impaired mentalizing, AN symptomatology and eating disorder (ED) related psychological traits in the daughters. METHODS Thirty-two family triads (fathers, mothers, and daughters) of female adolescent and young adult inpatients with AN were compared with thirty-three non-clinical family triads (N = 195). The mentalizing ability of all the participants was assessed using semi-structured interviews and coded using the Reflective Functioning Scale (RFS). Self-report questionnaires were administered to the daughters to evaluate ED symptomatology and ED related psychological traits (e.g., low self-esteem, interpersonal insecurity, emotional dysregulation). RESULTS Decreased reflective functioning (RF) levels were found among mothers and fathers of patients with AN compared to their control peers. Examining the entire sample, clinical and non-clinical groups together, showed that both paternal and maternal RF were associated with the daughters' RF and each were found to have a significant and distinct contribution to the daughters' RF. Significant associations were found between lower levels of maternal and paternal RF and increased ED symptoms and ED related psychological traits. The use of a mediation model suggested a serial relationship in which low maternal and paternal RF contributes to the daughters' low RF, which in turn is associated with higher levels of psychological maladjustment, and ultimately contributes to the increased severity of ED symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The present results provide strong empirical support for theoretical models that suggest that deficits in parental mentalizing may represent important correlates of the presence and severity of ED symptoms in AN. Furthermore, the results highlight the relevance of fathers' mentalizing ability in the context of AN. Finally, clinical and research implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dor Goshen
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Daniel Stein
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Pediatric Psychosomatic Department, Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Jenny Kurman
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Dan Farbstein
- Pediatric Psychosomatic Department, Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Adi Enoch-Levy
- Pediatric Psychosomatic Department, Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Erez Aival-Naveh
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Eitan Gur
- Center for the Treatment of Eating Disorders and Obesity, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Neta Yoeli
- Ziv Medical Center, Zfat, Israel
- The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Poriya, Israel
| | - Tali Bretler
- Ziv Medical Center, Zfat, Israel
- The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Poriya, Israel
| | - Danny Koren
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Psychiatry Division, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Lily Rothschild-Yakar
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Pruccoli J, Guardi G, La Tempa A, Valeriani B, Chiavarino F, Parmeggiani A. Food and Development: Children and Adolescents with Neurodevelopmental and Comorbid Eating Disorders-A Case Series. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:499. [PMID: 37366751 DOI: 10.3390/bs13060499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of psychiatric comorbidities in the diagnosis and treatment of feeding and eating disorders (FEDs) represents an emerging research topic. The current literature, nonetheless, lacks studies investigating the developmental paths of individuals with FEDs and comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Here, we report 11 cases of children and adolescents with comorbid FEDs and NDDs, as assessed along the neuropsychological, psychopathological, and nutritional developmental pathways. The onset of FED-related psychopathology was preceded, sometimes undiagnosed, by altered neurodevelopmental features leading to specific NDD diagnoses (autism spectrum disorder-ASD; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-ADHD; specific learning disorder-SLD). NDDs appeared to influence the diagnoses and treatments of FEDs, frequently with an impact on socio-relational and emotional premorbid features, and on the possibility to receive and attend FED-targeted treatments. Further studies should longitudinally contribute to assessing the experiences of care and neurodevelopmental pathways of children with FEDs and specific NDD comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Pruccoli
- Centro Regionale per i Disturbi della Nutrizione e dell'Alimentazione in età Evolutiva, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O. Neuropsichiatria dell'età Pediatrica, 40138 Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Guardi
- Centro Regionale per i Disturbi della Nutrizione e dell'Alimentazione in età Evolutiva, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O. Neuropsichiatria dell'età Pediatrica, 40138 Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Angela La Tempa
- Centro Regionale per i Disturbi della Nutrizione e dell'Alimentazione in età Evolutiva, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O. Neuropsichiatria dell'età Pediatrica, 40138 Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Beatrice Valeriani
- Centre for Chronic Intestinal Failure-Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Unit, Universitaria di Bologna, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Chiavarino
- Centro Regionale per i Disturbi della Nutrizione e dell'Alimentazione in età Evolutiva, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O. Neuropsichiatria dell'età Pediatrica, 40138 Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonia Parmeggiani
- Centro Regionale per i Disturbi della Nutrizione e dell'Alimentazione in età Evolutiva, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O. Neuropsichiatria dell'età Pediatrica, 40138 Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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Nimbley E, Gillespie-Smith K, Duffy F, Maloney E, Ballantyne C, Sharpe H. "It's not about wanting to be thin or look small, it's about the way it feels": an IPA analysis of social and sensory differences in autistic and non-autistic individuals with anorexia and their parents. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:89. [PMID: 37277884 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00813-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite increasing evidence to support an overlap between autism and anorexia nervosa (AN), underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Social and sensory factors have emerged as promising targets in both autism and AN, however there remains scope to compare these differences across autistic and non-autistic experiences of AN. Drawing on dyadic multi-perspectives, this study explored experiences of social and sensory differences in autistic and non-autistic adults and their parents and/or carers. METHODS Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), dyadic interviews were conducted with 14 dyads, with seven autistic dyads and seven non-autistic dyads. Data analysis was subjected to a triangulation of interpretations: (1) the participants themselves; (2) a neurotypical researcher; (3) and an Autistic researcher with lived/living experience of AN. RESULTS IPA identified three themes in each group, with similarities and differences between autistic and non-autistic dyads. Similar themes were identified regarding the importance of social connectedness and socio-emotional difficulties, as well a common lack of trust in the social and sensory self and body. Autism-specific themes centred on feelings of social 'defectiveness', disparities between sensing and expressing certain cues, and lifelong, multi-sensory processing differences. Non-autistic themes reflected social comparisons and inadequacy, and sensitivities to the learning of ideals and behaviour through early experiences. CONCLUSIONS While similarities were observed across both groups, there appeared to be notable differences in the perceived role and influence of social and sensory differences. These findings may have important implications on the delivery and modification of eating disorder interventions. Specifically, they suggest that while treatment targets may look similar, subtle differences in underlying mechanisms and approaches may be required for Autistic individuals with AN across sensory, emotion and communication-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emy Nimbley
- Department of Clinical Psychology in the School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Old Medical School, Elsie Inglis Quadrangle, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, Scotland, UK.
| | - Karri Gillespie-Smith
- Department of Clinical Psychology in the School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Old Medical School, Elsie Inglis Quadrangle, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, Scotland, UK
| | - Fiona Duffy
- Department of Clinical Psychology in the School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Old Medical School, Elsie Inglis Quadrangle, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, Scotland, UK
- NHS Lothian Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Ellen Maloney
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Carrie Ballantyne
- School of Education and Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Helen Sharpe
- Department of Clinical Psychology in the School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Old Medical School, Elsie Inglis Quadrangle, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, Scotland, UK
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12
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Lysaker PH, Chernov N, Moiseeva T, Sozinova M, Dmitryeva N, Makarova A, Kukla M, Myers E, Karpenko O, Kostyuk G. Contrasting Metacognitive, Emotion Recognition and Alexithymia Profiles in Bulimia, Anorexia, and Schizophrenia. J Nerv Ment Dis 2023; 211:348-354. [PMID: 37040137 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Alexithymia, or deficits in emotion recognition, and metacognitive capacity have been noted both in psychosis and eating disorders and potentially linked to psychopathology. This study sought to compare levels of impairments in these phenomena and their associations with psychopathology in groups with eating disorders and psychosis. Participants with diagnoses of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD; n = 53), anorexia (n = 40), or bulimia (n = 40) were recruited from outpatient clinics. Alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale; emotion recognition, with the Ekman Faces Test; and metacognition, with the Metacognitive Assessment Scale-Abbreviated. Psychopathology was measured with the Eating Attitudes Test, Body Image Questionnaire, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Results indicated that the SSD group had significantly poorer metacognitive function than either eating disorder group. Metacognition was related to body image in the anorexia group and a range of different forms of general psychopathology in the bulimia group. Alexithymia was related to eating disorder behaviors in the bulimia group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nikita Chernov
- Department of Psychiatry, Mental-health clinic №1 named after N.A. Alexeev, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatyana Moiseeva
- Department of Psychiatry, Mental-health clinic №1 named after N.A. Alexeev, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marta Sozinova
- Department of Psychiatry, Mental-health clinic №1 named after N.A. Alexeev, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nadezhda Dmitryeva
- Department of Psychiatry, Mental-health clinic №1 named after N.A. Alexeev, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasiya Makarova
- Department of Psychiatry, Mental-health clinic №1 named after N.A. Alexeev, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Olga Karpenko
- Department of Psychiatry, Mental-health clinic №1 named after N.A. Alexeev, Moscow, Russia
| | - Georgiy Kostyuk
- Department of Psychiatry, Mental-health clinic №1 named after N.A. Alexeev, Moscow, Russia
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13
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Gaggero G, Luminet O, Vermeulen N, De Timary P, Nandrino JL, Goffinet S, Dereau J, Shankland R, Dassonneville C, Grynberg D. A multidimensional examination of affective and cognitive empathy in anorexia nervosa. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2023. [PMID: 37081796 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2980] [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: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Socio-emotional features are crucial in the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study investigates the patterns of altered and preserved empathic abilities in AN. Empathy is an umbrella term that comprises the ability to recognise another's emotional state, take another's perspective, and fantasise (cognitive empathy), as well as the ability to experience vicarious emotions and signal them (affective empathy). These empathic abilities were measured in 43 AN patients and 33 healthy women through a multi-method approach comprising self-report measures, behavioural tasks and bodily correlates. Further, we assessed self-reported approach-avoidance attitudes towards suffering others. Results showed that, within the domain of cognitive empathy, AN patients reported impairment in recognising emotional expressions of anger and fantasising. Concerning affective empathy, they manifested lower sharing of others' positive emotions, higher self-reported distress, and higher facial expressiveness during a video depicting a suffering person. Finally, AN patients reported lower motivation to approach suffering others. Our results draw a complex picture of preserved and altered empathic abilities in AN and capture which are the deficits mediated by the higher levels of anxiety and depression reported by the AN population and those that seem to persist independently from these co-morbid conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Gaggero
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
| | - O Luminet
- Psychological Science Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS), Brussels, Belgium
| | - N Vermeulen
- Psychological Science Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS), Brussels, Belgium
| | - P De Timary
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, UCLouvain, Institute of Neuroscience and Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - J L Nandrino
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
| | - S Goffinet
- Service de Psychiatrie Infanto-Juvénile, Hospital Erasme, HUB, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - J Dereau
- Clinique La Ramée, Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - R Shankland
- Laboratory DIPHE (Development, Individual, Personality, Handicap, Education), Department of Psychology of Development, Education and Vulnerabilities, University Lumière Lyon, Bron, France
- Laboratory LIP/PC2S, Department of Psychology, University Grenoble Alpes/Savoie-Mont-Blanc, Grenoble, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - C Dassonneville
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
| | - D Grynberg
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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14
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Bylemans T, Heleven E, Baetens K, Deroost N, Baeken C, Van Overwalle F. Mentalizing and narrative coherence in autistic adults: Cerebellar sequencing and prediction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 146:105045. [PMID: 36646260 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105045] [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] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BYLEMANS, T., et al. Mentalizing and narrative coherence in autistic adults: Cerebellar sequencing and prediction. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV, 2022. - This review focuses on autistic adults and serves 4 purposes: (1) providing an overview of their difficulties regarding mentalizing (understanding others' mental states) and narrative coherence (structured storytelling), (2) highlighting the relations between both skills by examining behavioral observations and shared neural substrates, (3) providing an integrated perspective regarding novel diagnostic tools and support services, and (4) raising awareness of adult autism. We suggest that mentalizing and narrative coherence are related at the behavioral level and neural level. In addition to the traditional mentalizing network, the cerebellum probably serves as an important hub in shared cerebral networks implicated in mentalizing and narrative coherence. Future autism research and support services should tackle new questions within a framework of social cerebellar (dys)functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Bylemans
- Brain, Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Elien Heleven
- Brain, Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Kris Baetens
- Brain, Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Natacha Deroost
- Brain, Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Chris Baeken
- Ghent University: Department of Head and Skin (UZGent), Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Belgium; Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium; Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Frank Van Overwalle
- Brain, Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, and Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
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15
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Martini M, Marzola E, Musso M, Brustolin A, Abbate-Daga G. Association of emotion recognition ability and interpersonal emotional competence in anorexia nervosa: A study with a multimodal dynamic task. Int J Eat Disord 2023; 56:407-417. [PMID: 36373846 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Interpersonal difficulties are evidenced in Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and are thought to contribute to disease onset and maintenance, however, research in the framework of emotional competence is currently limited. Previous studies have often only used static images for emotion recognition tasks, and evidence is lacking on the relationships between performance-based emotional abilities and self-reported intra- and interpersonal emotional traits. This study aimed to test multimodal dynamic emotion recognition ability in AN and analyze its correlation with the psychometric scores of self- and other-related emotional competence. METHOD A total of 268 participants (128 individuals with AN and 140 healthy controls) completed the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test, the Profile of Emotional Competence, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and measures of general and eating psychopathology. Scores were compared between the two groups. Linear mixed effects models were utilized to examine the relationship between emotion recognition ability and self-reported measures and clinical variables. RESULTS Individuals with AN showed significantly poorer recognition of emotions of both negative and positive valence and significantly lower scores in all emotional competence dimensions. Beside emotion type and group, linear mixed models evidenced significant effects of interpersonal comprehension on emotion recognition ability. DISCUSSION Individuals with AN show impairment in multimodal emotion recognition and report their difficulties accordingly. Notably, among all emotional competence dimensions, interpersonal comprehension emerges as a significant correlate to emotion recognition in others, and could represent a specific area of intervention in the treatment of individuals with AN. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE In this study, we evidence that the ability to recognize the emotions displayed by others is related to the level of interpersonal emotional competence reported by individuals with anorexia nervosa. This result helps in understanding the social impairments in people with anorexia nervosa and could contribute to advancements in the application of the training of emotional competence in the treatment of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Martini
- Eating Disorders Center, Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini,", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Enrica Marzola
- Eating Disorders Center, Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini,", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Maria Musso
- Eating Disorders Center, Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini,", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Annalisa Brustolin
- Eating Disorders Center, Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini,", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giovanni Abbate-Daga
- Eating Disorders Center, Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini,", University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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16
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Acikel SB, Cikili Y. Are the obsessive-compulsive traits a moderator for the relationship between autism and anorexia? A cross-sectional study among university students. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2022; 70:1975-1980. [PMID: 33180674 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1841769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ObjectiveIt is known that there is a high comorbidity between eating disorders and autistic traits among both the clinical and non-clinical populations. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the relationship between ASD and AN, and the effects of obsessive-compulsive traits. Participants: The study has been conducted in a non-clinical sample. A total of 290 university students have been included. Methods: Autism Quotient (AQ), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) and Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) have been used. Results: There is a positive relationship between EAT-40, MOCI scores, and AQ total scores. However, after controlling the sex and MOCI scores relation in total AQ and EAT-40 scores, they have become statistically insignificant. In regression, only MOCI scores and AQ Communication subscale scores have been able to predict the EAT-40 scores. Conclusions: It has been found that the relationship between autistic traits and eating attitudes is moderated by obsessive-compulsive traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Burak Acikel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Konya City Hospital, Konya, Turkey
| | - Yahya Cikili
- Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty, Department of Special Education, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
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17
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Kerr-Gaffney J, Jones E, Mason L, Hayward H, Murphy D, Loth E, Tchanturia K. Social attention in anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorder: Role of social motivation. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 26:1641-1655. [PMID: 34845940 PMCID: PMC9483678 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211060593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Research suggests a relationship between autism and anorexia nervosa. For example, rigid and inflexible behaviour, a preference for routine and social difficulties are seen in both conditions. In this study, we examined whether people with anorexia and people with autism show similarities in social attention (where they look while engaging in social interactions or watching a scene with people interacting). This could help us understand why people with anorexia and autism experience difficulties in social situations. Participants with either anorexia or autism, as well as participants with no mental health problems watched a video of a social scene while we recorded which parts of the scene they looked at with an eye-tracker. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess characteristics of autism. We found that autistic participants looked at faces less than typically developing participants. However, participants with anorexia did not show a similar reduction in attention to faces, contrary to our predictions. Autistic features were not related to attention in either group. The results suggest that autistic people may miss important social cues (like facial expressions), potentially contributing to social difficulties. However, this mechanism does not appear explain social difficulties in people with anorexia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kate Tchanturia
- King’s College London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS
Trust, UK
- Ilia State University,
Georgia
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18
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Riddiford JA, Enticott PG, Lavale A, Gurvich C. Gaze and social functioning associations in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Autism Res 2022; 15:1380-1446. [PMID: 35593039 PMCID: PMC9543973 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by significant social functioning impairments, including (but not limited to) emotion recognition, mentalizing, and joint attention. Despite extensive investigation into the correlates of social functioning in ASD, only recently has there been focus on the role of low‐level sensory input, particularly visual processing. Extensive gaze deficits have been described in ASD, from basic saccadic function through to social attention and the processing of complex biological motion. Given that social functioning often relies on accurately processing visual information, inefficient visual processing may contribute to the emergence and sustainment of social functioning difficulties in ASD. To explore the association between measures of gaze and social functioning in ASD, a systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted. A total of 95 studies were identified from a search of CINAHL Plus, Embase, OVID Medline, and psycINFO databases in July 2021. Findings support associations between increased gaze to the face/head and eye regions with improved social functioning and reduced autism symptom severity. However, gaze allocation to the mouth appears dependent on social and emotional content of scenes and the cognitive profile of participants. This review supports the investigation of gaze variables as potential biomarkers of ASD, although future longitudinal studies are required to investigate the developmental progression of this relationship and to explore the influence of heterogeneity in ASD clinical characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A Riddiford
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
| | - Peter G Enticott
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Alex Lavale
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
| | - Caroline Gurvich
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
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19
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Bronstein MV, Everaert J, Kummerfeld E, Haynos AF, Vinogradov S. Biased and inflexible interpretations of ambiguous social situations: Associations with eating disorder symptoms and socioemotional functioning. Int J Eat Disord 2022; 55:518-529. [PMID: 35132668 PMCID: PMC9392902 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research indicates that difficulties across multiple socioemotional functioning domains (e.g., social emotion expression/regulation, response to social elicitors of emotion) and negatively biased interpretations of ambiguous social situations may affect eating disorder symptoms. The impact of inflexible interpretations of social situations on eating disorder symptoms is less clear. The present study therefore examined relations between inflexible and biased social interpretations, socioemotional functioning, and eating disorder symptoms. METHOD A total of 310 participants from the general population, recruited from an online crowdsourcing platform, completed measures of socioemotional functioning (e.g., rejection sensitivity, negative social exchange), eating disorder symptoms, and positive and negative interpretation bias and inflexibility on a single measurement occasion. RESULTS Socioemotional functioning impairments (Pillai's trace = 0.11, p < .001), but not negative (β = .07, p = .162) or positive (β = -.01, p = .804) interpretation bias or inflexible interpretations (β = .04, p = .446), were associated with eating disorder symptoms in multiple regression models. In network analyses controlling statistically for multiple markers of socioemotional functioning, eating disorder symptoms were directly associated with negative (but not positive) interpretation bias. Inflexible interpretations were indirectly linked to symptoms via co-dampening of positive emotions. Exploratory causal discovery analyses suggested that several socioemotional functioning variables (social anxiety, depression, negative social exchange) may cause eating disorder symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with cognitive-interpersonal models of disordered eating, our results suggest that less accurate (biased, inflexible) interpretations of social information contribute to patterns of cognition (anxious anticipation of rejection) and emotion regulation (down-regulation of positive social emotion) thought to encourage disordered eating. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE This study suggests that less accurate interpretations of ambiguous social information encourage anxious anticipation of rejection and downregulation of positive social emotions, both of which are thought to promote eating disorder symptoms. Knowledge provided by this study about the likely relations between interpretive processes, social/emotional functioning, and eating disorder symptoms may help inform treatments for eating disorders, particularly those that attempt to modify patterns of interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V. Bronstein
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jonas Everaert
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
- Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Erich Kummerfeld
- Institute for Health Informatics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ann F. Haynos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sophia Vinogradov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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20
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Qi L, Zhao J, Zhao P, Zhang H, Zhong J, Pan P, Wang G, Yi Z, Xie L. Theory of mind and facial emotion recognition in adults with temporal lobe epilepsy: A meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:976439. [PMID: 36276336 PMCID: PMC9582667 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.976439] [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: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mounting studies have investigated impairments in social cognitive domains (including theory of mind [ToM] and facial emotion recognition [FER] in adult patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However, to date, inconsistent findings remain. METHODS A search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases was conducted until December 2021. Hedges g effect sizes were computed with a random-effects model. Meta-regressions were used to assess the potential confounding factors of between-study variability in effect sizes. RESULTS The meta-analysis included 41 studies, with a combined sample of 1,749 adult patients with TLE and 1,324 healthy controls (HCs). Relative to HCs, adult patients with TLE showed large impairments in ToM (g = -0.92) and cognitive ToM (g = -0.92), followed by medium impairments in affective ToM (g = -0.79) and FER (g = -0.77). Besides, no (statistically) significant differences were observed between the magnitude of social cognition impairment in adult with TLE who underwent and those who did not undergo epilepsy surgery. Meta-regressions exhibited that greater severity of executive functioning was associated with more severe ToM defects, and older age was associated with more severe FER defects. CONCLUSIONS Results of this meta-analysis suggest that adult patients with TLE show differential impairments in the core aspects of social cognitive domains (including ToM and FER), which may help in planning individualized treatment with appropriate cognitive and behavioral interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Qi
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Huai'an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, The Second People's Hospital of Huai'an, Huaian, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China
| | - PanWen Zhao
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China
| | - JianGuo Zhong
- Department of Neurology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China
| | - PingLei Pan
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China.,Department of Neurology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China
| | - GenDi Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China
| | - ZhongQuan Yi
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China
| | - LiLi Xie
- Department of Neurology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China
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21
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Sun Y, Zhao J, Zhao P, Zhang H, Zhong J, Pan P, Wang G, Yi Z, Xie L. Social cognition in children and adolescents with epilepsy: A meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:983565. [PMID: 36186867 PMCID: PMC9520261 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.983565] [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: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have investigated impairments in two key domains of social cognition (theory of mind [ToM] and facial emotion recognition [FER]) in children and adolescents with epilepsy. However, inconsistent conclusions were found. Our objective was to characterize social cognition performance of children and adolescents with epilepsy. A literature search was conducted using Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase databases. The article retrieval, screening, quality assessment (Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale), and data extraction were performed independently by two investigators. A random-effects model was used to examine estimates. The meta-analysis included 19 studies, with a combined sample of 623 children and adolescents with epilepsy (mean [SD] age, 12.13 [2.62] years; 46.1% female) and 677 healthy controls [HCs]) (mean [SD] age, 11.48 [2.71] years; 50.7% female). The results revealed that relative to HCs, children and adolescents with epilepsy exhibited deficits in ToM (g = -1.08, 95% CI [-1.38, -0.78], p < 0.001, the number of studies [k] = 13), FER (g = -0.98, 95% CI [-1.33, -0.64], p < 0.001, k = 12), and ToM subcomponents (cognitive ToM: g = -1.04, 95% CI [-1.35, -0.72], p < 0.001, k = 12] and affective ToM: g = -0.73, 95% CI [-1.12, -0.34], p < 0.001, k = 8). In addition, there were no statistically significant differences in social cognition deficits between children and adolescents with focal epilepsy and generalized epilepsy. Meta-regressions confirmed the robustness of the results. These quantitative results further deepen our understanding of the two core domains of social cognition in children and adolescents with epilepsy and may assist in the development of cognitive interventions for this patient population. Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-3-0011/, identifier INPLASY202230011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Sun
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - PanWen Zhao
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - JianGuo Zhong
- Department of Neurology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - PingLei Pan
- Department of Neurology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - GenDi Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - ZhongQuan Yi
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - LiLi Xie
- Department of Neurology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
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22
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Kozunova G, Novikov A, Stroganova T, Chernyshev B. Intolerance of Uncertainty and Challenges in Decision-making in Adults with High-Functioning Autism. КЛИНИЧЕСКАЯ И СПЕЦИАЛЬНАЯ ПСИХОЛОГИЯ 2022. [DOI: 10.17759/cpse.2022110402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
<p style="text-align: justify;">Individuals with high-functioning autism have difficulties in decision-making in face of incomplete or ambiguous information, particularly in the context of social interaction. Tasks demanding an immediate response or deviation from the usual behavior make them feel excessive anxiety which restricts their social and professional activity. Attempts to camouflage their conservatism to others are one of the risk factors for comorbid depression. Therefore, they avoid new and non-routine situations, thus restricting their own social activity and professional development. On the other hand, insisting on sameness and clarity may give individuals with autism an advantage in long-lasting monotonous tasks. The aim of this review is to consider these symptoms from the perspective of predictive coding. A range of experimental studies has shown that most of the subjects with autism have difficulty in predicting the outcomes based on the cumulative history of interacting with the environment, as well as updating expectations as new evidence becomes available. These peculiarities of the analysis and pragmatic weighting of information may cause the trait intolerance of uncertainty and novelty avoidance of most people with autism.</p>
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23
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Wang H, Zhao P, Zhao J, Zhong J, Pan P, Wang G, Yi Z. Theory of Mind and Empathy in Adults With Epilepsy: A Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:877957. [PMID: 35573343 PMCID: PMC9093035 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.877957] [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: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that social cognitive abilities [including theory of mind (ToM) and empathy] are impaired in adult patients with epilepsy. Although the deficits in overall ToM in epilepsy have been documented well, the effects of epilepsy on empathic ability and specific subcomponents of ToM remain unclear. The primary aim of this study was to provide the first meta-analytic integration of ToM and empathy in adult patients with epilepsy, and to decompose these constructs to clearly differentiate their distinct (cognitive ToM and affective empathy) and overlapping (affective ToM/cognitive empathy) components. This meta-analysis included 28 studies. Adult patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) showed impairments in cognitive ToM and affective ToM/cognitive empathy compared to the healthy controls (HCs); no group differences were identified for affective empathy. Besides, cognitive ToM was impaired in adult patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) and focal seizures (caused by epileptogenic foci) outside the temporal and frontal lobes (extra-TLE/FLE) and no group differences were evident for affective ToM/cognitive empathy compared to the HCs. Moreover, relative to the HCs, no group differences were identified for affective empathy in adult patients with IGE. Additionally, no (statistically) significant difference was observed between the magnitude of ToM/empathy impairment in adult patients who underwent and those who did not undergo epilepsy surgery. These quantitative findings suggest differential impairment of the core aspects of social cognitive processing in adult patients with epilepsy, which may contribute to the development of structured cognitive interventions (i.e., social cognitive training) for adult patients with epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- HongZhou Wang
- Department of Neurology, Anting Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - PanWen Zhao
- Department of Central Laboratory, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Central Laboratory, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng, China
| | - JianGuo Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng, China
| | - PingLei Pan
- Department of Central Laboratory, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng, China.,Department of Neurology, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng, China
| | - GenDi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng, China
| | - ZhongQuan Yi
- Department of Central Laboratory, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng, China
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24
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Li Z, Halls D, Byford S, Tchanturia K. Autistic characteristics in eating disorders: Treatment adaptations and impact on clinical outcomes. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2021; 30:671-690. [PMID: 34850503 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Autistic people with eating disorders (EDs) may have special needs that are not met in standard ED treatment, raising the need for treatment adaptations to accommodate co-existing autism spectrum condition (ASC). Little is currently known about the nature of existing treatment options or adaptations for this population. We conducted a pre-registered systematic review to: (1) identify research articles describing existing interventions for patients with ED and comorbid ASC, and to critically review evidence of their clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness (Review 1); (2) review the impact of ASC comorbidity on ED clinical outcomes (Review 2). METHOD Peer-reviewed studies published until the end of December 2020 were identified through a systematic search of the electronic databases: Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, Scopus and Cochrane Library. RESULTS Only one clinical pathway of treatment adaptations (the 'PEACE' pathway) was identified in Review 1 with early evidence of cost-savings and favourable treatment outcomes. ASC characteristics were shown in Review 2 to have no direct impact on physical outcomes or ED symptoms, but could be associated with higher rates of comorbidities and greater use of intensive ED treatment. Additionally, patients with ASC characteristics may benefit more from individual sessions, rather than group sessions. CONCLUSIONS Any new treatments or treatment adaptations may not directly impact on ED symptoms, but may be better able to support the complex needs of the ASC population, thus reducing subsequent need for intensive treatment. Future research is warranted to explore evidence of clinical and cost-effectiveness of interventions for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Li
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Halls
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Byford
- King's Health Economics, Health Service and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, National Eating Disorders Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK.,Department of Psychology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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25
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Corsi E, Cardi V, Sowden S, Coll M, Cascino G, Ricca V, Treasure J, Bird G, Monteleone AM. Socio-cognitive processing in people with eating disorders: Computerized tests of mentalizing, empathy and imitation skills. Int J Eat Disord 2021; 54:1509-1518. [PMID: 34056730 PMCID: PMC8453969 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Eating disorders are psychiatric illnesses characterized by extreme eating behaviors, such as sustained food restriction or loss of control over eating. Symptoms are thought to be maintained by a variety of mechanisms, one of which may be the socio-cognitive impairments associated with eating disorders. While some previous work has addressed socio-cognitive impairments in eating disorders, this work has relied mostly on self-report data. METHOD Here we employed computerized tests of (a) mentalizing (ability to infer the mental states of others); (b) empathy (the degree to which the emotional states of others can be identified and the degree to which the states of others impact one's own emotional state); and (c) imitation (the degree to which observation of another's actions prompts the performance of those actions); in a group of 78 women with an eating disorder and a matched control group of 66 healthy women. RESULTS People with eating disorders showed both hyper- and hypo-mentalizing and reduced accuracy of emotional and cognitive mental state inference. They displayed less imitation of observed actions, but no differences in empathy compared to healthy controls. Although anxiety and depressive symptoms had significant effects on mentalizing, most of the observed inter-group differences persisted. DISCUSSION Women with eating disorders have difficulties mentalizing and imitating observed actions despite intact non-social automatic imitation, compared to healthy controls. These findings provide an indication that intervention modules to strengthen specific areas of social cognition might be helpful to improve patients' social skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Corsi
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating DisordersInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College LondonLondonUK
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health SciencesUniversity of FlorenceFlorenceItaly
| | - Valentina Cardi
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating DisordersInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College LondonLondonUK
- Department of General PsychologyUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | | | | | - Giammarco Cascino
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry ‘Scuola Medica Salernitana’, Section of NeurosciencesUniversity of SalernoSalernoItaly
| | - Valdo Ricca
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health SciencesUniversity of FlorenceFlorenceItaly
| | - Janet Treasure
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating DisordersInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Geoffrey Bird
- Department of Experimental PsychologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry CentreInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College LondonLondonUK
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26
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Heath DS, Jhinjar N, Hayward DA. Altered social cognition in a community sample of women with disordered eating behaviours: a multi-method approach. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14683. [PMID: 34282195 PMCID: PMC8289917 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94117-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior work suggests that individuals with an eating disorder demonstrate task-based and overall differences in sociocognitive functioning. However, the majority of studies assessed specifically anorexia nervosa and often employed a single experimental paradigm, providing a piecemeal understanding of the applicability of various lab tasks in denoting meaningful differences across diverse individuals. The current study was designed to address these outstanding issues. Participants were undergraduate females who self-identified as having an official (n = 18) eating disorder diagnosis or disordered eating behaviours with no diagnosis (n = 18), along with a control group (n = 32). Participants completed three social tasks of increasing complexity with different outcome measures, namely a gaze cueing task, passive video-watching using eyetracking, and a task to measure preferred social distance. Results diverged as a function of group across tasks; only the control group produced typical social attention effects, the disordered eating group looked significantly more at faces, and the eating disorder group demonstrated a significantly larger preferred social distance. These results suggest variations in task efficacy and demonstrate that altered sociocognitive functioning extends beyond official eating disorder diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon S Heath
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Women & Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, 5-083 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA), 11405 87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada
| | - Nimrit Jhinjar
- Department of Psychology, P-217 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Dana A Hayward
- Department of Psychology, P-217 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada. .,Women & Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, 5-083 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA), 11405 87 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada. .,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, 2-132 Li Ka Shing, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada.
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27
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Kerr-Gaffney J, Hayward H, Jones EJH, Halls D, Murphy D, Tchanturia K. Autism symptoms in anorexia nervosa: a comparative study with females with autism spectrum disorder. Mol Autism 2021; 12:47. [PMID: 34193255 PMCID: PMC8247081 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00455-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent research suggests a link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anorexia nervosa (AN). Individuals with AN show high scores on measures of ASD symptoms, relative to individuals without AN, however, there are currently no studies directly comparing women with AN to women with ASD. The aim of the current study was to examine profiles of ASD symptoms in young women in the acute and recovered stages of AN, women with ASD, and typically developing controls (TD), on both self-report and clinical interview measures. Methods Four groups of participants aged 12–30 years were included (n = 218): AN, recovered AN (REC), ASD, and TD. Group differences on the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition (SRS-2), 10-item Autism Quotient (AQ-10), and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition (ADOS-2) were examined. To explore similarities and differences in specific symptom profiles associated with AN and ASD, individual item endorsement on the ADOS-2 was also examined in AN, REC, and ASD. Results Across measures, women with ASD showed the highest scores, and TDs the lowest. Generally, individuals with AN and REC showed intermediate levels of ASD symptoms, scoring between the other two groups. However, AN and ASD did not differ on restricted interests and repetitive behaviour subscales. The ADOS-2 item ‘quality of social response’ adequately discriminated between ASD and non-ASD participants. Limitations A full diagnostic assessment for ASD was not provided for participants with AN/REC, nor were eating disorders assessed in the ASD group. Therefore, some diagnostic overlap between groups is possible. The cross-sectional design is another limitation. Conclusions The results suggest similarities in scores on both self-report and clinical interview measures in AN and ASD. However, individual ADOS-2 item analyses also revealed subtle differences, particularly in reciprocal social interaction. ASD symptoms may be a combination of both state and trait features in AN. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00455-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess Kerr-Gaffney
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, 103 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ, UK.
| | - Hannah Hayward
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Halls
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, 103 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ, UK
| | - Declan Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, 103 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ, UK.,Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, National Eating Disorders Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK.,Department of Psychology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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28
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Rothschild-Yakar L, Goshen D, Enoch-Levy A, Raanan H, Gur E, Stein D, Golan O. General mentalizing, emotional theory of mind and interpersonal mistrust in anorexia nervosa: The validation of the Hebrew version of the Cambridge mindreading face-task. Clin Psychol Psychother 2021; 29:240-249. [PMID: 34110657 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study had two goals. The first was to validate and examine the potential of the Hebrew version of the Cambridge Mindreading face task (CAMHeb )-an ecological measure of emotional theory of mind (eToM)-to assess eToM in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN). The second goal was to examine whether interpersonal mistrust would mediate the relation between mentalizing and eToM and the severity of AN. METHOD The validity of the CAMHeb was examined using well-established measures of mentalizing ability and eToM in 45 young female patients with AN and 53 control participants. Next, the mediation model was assessed using a subsample of 33 AN patients and 34 controls, in which interpersonal mistrust was additionally assessed. RESULTS The CAMHeb correlated with the measures of mentalizing ability and eToM. The CAMHeb , along with the measure of general mentalizing, significantly differentiated between the AN and control groups. The associations of general mentalizing and CAMHeb with eating disorder (ED) symptoms were mediated by interpersonal mistrust. CONCLUSION The CAMHeb is a valid measure of deficient eToM in AN. In therapy, an increase in mentalizing ability and accurate eToM may enhance interpersonal trust, which may further contribute to attenuation of AN symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dor Goshen
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Adi Enoch-Levy
- Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Hadas Raanan
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Eitan Gur
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Daniel Stein
- Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, TelAviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ofer Golan
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Israel
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29
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Kerr-Gaffney J, Mason L, Jones E, Hayward H, Harrison A, Murphy D, Tchanturia K. Autistic Traits Mediate Reductions in Social Attention in Adults with Anorexia Nervosa. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:2077-2090. [PMID: 32910314 PMCID: PMC8124046 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04686-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with difficulties in social and emotional functioning. A significant proportion of individuals with AN show autistic traits, which may influence social attention. This study examined attention to faces and facial features in AN, recovered AN (REC), and healthy controls, as well as relationships with comorbid psychopathology. One hundred and forty-eight participants' eye movements were tracked while watching a naturalistic social scene. Anxiety, depression, alexithymia, and autistic traits were assessed via self-report questionnaires. Participants with AN spent significantly less time looking at faces compared to REC and controls; patterns of attention to individual facial features did not differ across groups. Autistic traits mediated the relationship between group and time spent looking at faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess Kerr-Gaffney
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, 103 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ, UK.
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Emily Jones
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Hannah Hayward
- Department of Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Amy Harrison
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, University College London, London, UK
- Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, National Eating Disorders Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Declan Murphy
- Department of Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, 103 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ, UK
- Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, National Eating Disorders Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, GA, USA
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30
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Xie Y, Zhang X, Liu F, Qin W, Fu J, Xue K, Yu C. Brain mRNA Expression Associated with Cortical Volume Alterations in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108137. [PMID: 32937121 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies report abnormal cerebral cortex volume (CCV) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, genes related to CCV abnormalities in ASD remain largely unknown. Here, we identify genes associated with CCV alterations in ASD by performing spatial correlations between the gene expression of 6 donated brains and neuroimaging data from 1,404 ASD patients and 1,499 controls. Based on spatial correlations between gene expression and CCV differences from two independent meta-analyses and between gene expression and individual CCV distributions of 404 patients and 496 controls, we identify 417 genes associated with both CCV differences and individual CCV distributions. These genes are enriched for genetic association signals and genes downregulated in the ASD post-mortem brain. The expression patterns of these genes are correlated with brain activation patterns of language-related neural processes frequently impaired in ASD. These findings highlight a model whereby genetic risk impacts gene expression (downregulated), which leads to CCV alterations in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Xie
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 300052 Tianjin, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 300052 Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 300052 Tianjin, China
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 300052 Tianjin, China
| | - Jilian Fu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 300052 Tianjin, China
| | - Kaizhong Xue
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 300052 Tianjin, China
| | - Chunshui Yu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 300052 Tianjin, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China.
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31
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A revised instrument for the assessment of empathy and Theory of Mind in adolescents: Introducing the EmpaToM-Y. Behav Res Methods 2021; 53:2487-2501. [PMID: 33948924 PMCID: PMC8613142 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01589-3] [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: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Empathy and Theory of Mind (ToM) are two core components of social understanding. The EmpaToM is a validated social video task that allows for independent manipulation and assessment of the two capacities. First applications revealed that empathy and ToM are dissociable constructs on a neuronal as well as on a behavioral level. As the EmpaToM has been designed for the assessment of social understanding in adults, it has a high degree of complexity and comprises topics that are inadequate for minors. For this reason, we designed a new version of the EmpaToM that is especially suited to measure empathy and ToM in youths. In experiment 1, we successfully validated the EmpaToM-Y on the original EmpaToM in an adult sample (N = 61), revealing a similar pattern of results across tasks and strong correlations of all constructs. As intended, the performance measure for ToM and the control condition of the EmpaToM-Y showed reduced difficulty. In experiment 2, we tested the feasibility of the EmpaToM-Y in a group of teenagers (N = 36). Results indicate a reliable empathy induction and higher demands of ToM questions for adolescents. We provide a promising task for future research targeting inter-individual variability of socio-cognitive and socio-affective capacities as well as their precursors and outcomes in healthy minors and clinical populations.
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32
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Lin X, Zhang X, Liu Q, Zhao P, Zhong J, Pan P, Wang G, Yi Z. Social cognition in multiple sclerosis and its subtypes: A meta-analysis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2021; 52:102973. [PMID: 33962135 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.102973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease that disrupts several social cognitive abilities, including the theory of mind (ToM) and facial emotion recognition (FER). It is unclear how specific ToM subcomponents, including cognitive and affective ToM, are affected in patients with MS and the social cognitive abilities in MS subtypes. METHODS A search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases was conducted until June 2020. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges g with a random-effects model. RESULTS A total of 45 studies were included. Relative to health controls (HCs), patients with MS and its subtypes (including relapsing-remitting MS [RRMS] and progressive MS) exhibited impairments in ToM (g = -0.77, g = -0.70, g = -0.75, respectively), cognitive ToM (g = -0.72, g = -0.83, g = -0.73, respectively), affective ToM (g = -0.84, g = -0.63, g = -0. 50, respectively), and FER (g = -0.62, g = -0.53, g = -1.07, respectively). In addition, there was no difference between progressive primary MS and secondary progressive MS in overall ToM, cognitive ToM, affective ToM, and FER. Compared to patients with RRMS, patients with progressive MS showed no difference in overall ToM, cognitive ToM, and affective ToM but had more serious defects in FER (g = -0.57). CONCLUSIONS These quantitative results indicate that patients with MS and its subtypes have a differential impairment of the core aspects of social cognitive processing (including ToM and FER), which may help develop the structured social cognitive interventions in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- XiaoGuang Lin
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, PR China
| | - XueLing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, PR China
| | - QinQin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, PR China
| | - PanWen Zhao
- Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, PR China
| | - JianGuo Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, PR China
| | - PingLei Pan
- Department of Neurology and Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, PR China
| | - GenDi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, PR China
| | - ZhongQuan Yi
- Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, PR China.
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Pruccoli J, Solari A, Terenzi L, Malaspina E, Angotti M, Pignataro V, Gualandi P, Sacrato L, Cordelli DM, Franzoni E, Parmeggiani A. Autism spectrum disorder and anorexia nervosa: an Italian prospective study. Ital J Pediatr 2021; 47:59. [PMID: 33750445 PMCID: PMC7945370 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-021-01006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Potential overlaps exist between psychopathological features of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The impact of malnutrition on autistic traits in patients with AN should be considered. This study investigates possible associations among the psychopathology of Eating Disorders (EDs), ASD traits and BMI in a group of young patients with AN, using the EDI-3 (Eating Disorder Inventory-3) test and gold-standard measures for ASD. METHODS Prospective study involving 23 inpatients admitted to an Italian Centre for paediatric ED. ASD traits and ED psychopathology were assessed administering the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2), AQ (Autism Quotient) and EDI-3 tests. Both present and past autistic traits were investigated using different versions of AQ. Correlations were adjusted for BMI, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) comorbidity and concurrent antipsychotic treatments. RESULTS An ASD diagnosis was possible in 22% of patients. Significant correlations were documented between ASD traits and ED psychopathology: AQ total-Interpersonal problems (IPC) (p = 0.041); AQ total-Global psychological maladjustment (GMPC) (p = 0.027); AQ social skills-Ineffectiveness (IC) (p = 0.018); AQ social skills-IPC (p = 0.019); AQ social skills-Affective problems (APC) (p = 0.025); AQ social skills-GMPC (p = 0.007); AQ attention switching-IPC (p = 0.020); ADOS-2 imagination-IC (p = 0.035). These correlations were independent of BMI, OCD and antipsychotic treatments. CONCLUSIONS ASD traits presented high prevalence in a group of young inpatients with AN. These traits were significantly correlated to 4 specific EDI-3 subscales and independent of BMI. This is the first study to investigate the relationship between ASD traits as measured with gold-standard measures, EDI-3 scores, and BMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Pruccoli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Altea Solari
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Letizia Terenzi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Malaspina
- Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marida Angotti
- Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Veronica Pignataro
- Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paola Gualandi
- Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Leonardo Sacrato
- Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Duccio Maria Cordelli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Emilio Franzoni
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonia Parmeggiani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. .,Regional Centre for Feeding Eating Disorders, Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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34
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Looking beneath the surface: Distinguishing between common features in autism and anorexia nervosa. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbct.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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35
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Timko CA, Herrington JD, Bhattacharya A, Kuschner ES, Yerys BE. Caregiver Report of Executive Functioning in Adolescent Females With Anorexia Nervosa or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychol 2021; 11:586264. [PMID: 33633624 PMCID: PMC7899966 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Current literature suggesting a shared endophenotype between individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) related to executive functioning (EF) has several limitations: performance-based instead of ecologically valid measures of set-shifting are used, lack of comparisons between same-sex groups, and reliance on adult samples only. This was the first study directly comparing female youth with ASD to female youth with AN using an ecologically valid measure of EF. A secondary data analysis combined caregiver-reported EF on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF) for 22 female adolescent youth with AN and 29 female adolescent youth with ASD. EF in each group was compared to population norms, and EF was compared between groups. Compared to population norms, adolescents with AN had elevated scores on shift, initiate, and emotional control scales, and adolescents with ASD had elevated scores on all scales of the BRIEF and were more likely to have scores in the clinical range. There were significant differences between groups on all but three scales. The cognitive profiles and clinical scores of AN females were not comparable to those of ASD females. The findings reveal a clear clinical impairment in females with ASD but not in females with AN. The results do not support the hypothesis of similar real-world EF profiles between these groups. The results encourage further exploration into the similarities and distinctions between these two disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Alix Timko
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphian, Pennsylvania
| | - John D Herrington
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphian, Pennsylvania
| | - Anushua Bhattacharya
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Emily S Kuschner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphian, Pennsylvania
| | - Benjamin E Yerys
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphian, Pennsylvania
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Simpraga S, Weiland RF, Mansvelder HD, Polderman TJ, Begeer S, Smit DJ, Linkenkaer-Hansen K. Adults with autism spectrum disorder show atypical patterns of thoughts and feelings during rest. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 25:1433-1443. [PMID: 33607920 PMCID: PMC8264629 DOI: 10.1177/1362361321990928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Everyone knows the feeling of letting one's mind wander freely in a quiet moment. The thoughts and feelings experienced in those moments have been shown to influence our well-being-and vice versa. In this study, we looked at which thoughts and feelings are being experienced by adults with autism spectrum disorder and compared them to adults without autism spectrum disorder. In total, 88 adults with autism spectrum disorder and 90 adults without autism spectrum disorder were asked to rest for 5 min with their eyes closed and let their mind wander. Directly after, they filled in the Amsterdam Resting-State Questionnaire, which probes what participants were feeling and thinking during the period of rest. We found that adults with autism spectrum disorder tend to think less about others, felt less comfortable, and had more disrupted thoughts during the rest compared to adults without autism spectrum disorder. Interestingly, autism spectrum disorder participants reporting lower levels of comfort during the rest also reported more autism spectrum disorder symptoms, specifically in social behaviors and skills, attention switching, and imagination. We propose to use the eyes-closed rest condition in combination with the Amsterdam Resting-State Questionnaire more widely to shed light on aberrant thoughts and feelings in brain disorders and to study the effect of therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Simpraga
- VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,NBT Analytics B.V., The Netherlands
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37
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Plemeniti Tololeski B, Suhodolčan Grabner A, Kumperscak HG. Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa Comorbidity: Common Features and Treatment Possibilities With Cognitive Remediation Therapy and Oxytocin. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:686030. [PMID: 34413796 PMCID: PMC8369034 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.686030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autistic traits or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be found in 4% to 52% of anorexic patients, which makes the treatment of these patients very challenging. In this review, possible ways to treat ASD and anorexia nervosa (AN) comorbidity in children and adolescents are summarized. Over recent years, the focus has shifted from searching for the evidence of connections between these two disorders, which have started with Gillberg's study in 1983, to searching for more effective and holistic treatment of this comorbidity. The latter is known to contribute to more severe courses and worse prognosis, which is probably related to the obstacles in both diagnosing and treating. Since AN usually starts in early adolescence and high-functioning ASD children seem to begin struggling with increased pressure in adolescence, while various comorbidities can occur, it is important to improve the treatment of this comorbidity in young patients and to tailor it specifically in terms of diagnosing. In this paper, a literature review is conducted on common features and promising treatment possibilities. We describe cognitive remediation therapy and the promising pharmacotherapeutic candidate oxytocin with a special focus on adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Plemeniti Tololeski
- Centre for Mental Health, Unit for Adolescent Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Hojka Gregoric Kumperscak
- Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Maribor, Slovenia.,Faculty for Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
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38
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Lin X, Zhang X, Liu Q, Zhao P, Zhong J, Pan P, Wang G, Yi Z. Empathy and Theory of Mind in Multiple Sclerosis: A Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:628110. [PMID: 33897490 PMCID: PMC8062809 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.628110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Studies have shown that MS disrupts several social cognitive abilities [including empathy and theory of mind (ToM)]. Overall ToM deficits in MS are well documented, but how the specific ToM subcomponents and empathic capacity are affected remains unclear. For this meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from inception to July 2020. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges g with a random-effects model. Thirty-three studies were included. Relative to healthy controls (HCs), patients with MS were moderately impaired in overall empathy (g = -0.67), overall ToM (g = -74), cognitive ToM (g = -0.72), and the overlapping domains of cognitive empathy/affective ToM (g = -0.79); no group differences were identified for affective empathy (g = -0.19). Compared with HCs, patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and progressive MS were impaired in overall empathy, overall ToM, cognitive ToM, and cognitive empathy/affective ToM, without significant RRMS-progressive MS differences in impairment degree. We conducted the first meta-analytic review investigating the empathy and ToM functioning patterns in patients with MS and examined the overlapping and distinct subcomponents of these constructs. The findings suggest differential impairment of the core aspects of social cognitive processing in patients with MS, which may importantly inform the development of structured social cognitive MS interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- XiaoGuang Lin
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, China
| | - XueLing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, China
| | - QinQin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, China
| | - PanWen Zhao
- Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng, China
| | - JianGuo Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng, China
| | - PingLei Pan
- Department of Neurology and Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng, China
| | - GenDi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng, China
| | - ZhongQuan Yi
- Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng, China
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39
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Lin X, Zhang X, Liu Q, Zhao P, Zhang H, Wang H, Yi Z. Theory of mind in adults with traumatic brain injury: A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 121:106-118. [PMID: 33359093 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Studies of abnormal theory of mind (ToM) performance in adult patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have reported inconsistent results. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to characterize ToM performance in adult patients with TBI. Random-effects models were employed to estimate the overall effect size and the differential effect sizes across different ToM aspects. Based on a sample of 28 studies (1031 patients and 865 healthy controls), the meta-analytic findings revealed that ToM was significantly impaired in adult patients with TBI compared to healthy controls (g = -1.13). Besides, patients with TBI showed significant impairments in individual ToM tasks, as well as for different stimulus modes and contents involved in these ToM tasks. A meta-regression indicated a positive association between ToM performance and Glasgow Coma Scale score. The results of the current meta-analysis suggest that the performance in ToM tasks may be a good predictor of functional outcomes in adults with TBI, which is important for the identification of targets for cognitive interventions and the development of useful training intervention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- XiaoGuang Lin
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, PR China
| | - XueLing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, PR China
| | - QinQin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, PR China
| | - PanWen Zhao
- Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China
| | - HongSheng Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China.
| | - ZhongQuan Yi
- Department of Central Laboratory, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China.
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40
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Leslie M, Halls D, Leppanen J, Sedgewick F, Smith K, Hayward H, Lang K, Fonville L, Simic M, Mandy W, Nicholls D, Murphy D, Williams S, Tchanturia K. Neural Correlates of Theory of Mind Are Preserved in Young Women With Anorexia Nervosa. Front Psychol 2020; 11:568073. [PMID: 33013605 PMCID: PMC7511528 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
People with anorexia nervosa (AN) commonly exhibit social difficulties, which may be related to problems with understanding the perspectives of others, commonly known as Theory of Mind (ToM) processing. However, there is a dearth of literature investigating the neural basis of these differences in ToM and at what age they emerge. This study aimed to test for differences in the neural correlates of ToM processes in young women with AN, and young women weight-restored (WR) from AN, as compared to healthy control participants (HC). Based on previous findings in AN, we hypothesized that young women with current or prior AN, as compared to HCs, would exhibit a reduced neural response in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the inferior frontal gyrus, and the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) whilst completing a ToM task. We recruited 73 young women with AN, 45 WR young women, and 70 young women without a history of AN to take part in the current study. Whilst undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan, participants completed the Frith-Happé task, which is a commonly used measure of ToM with demonstrated reliability and validity in adult populations. In this task, participants viewed the movements of triangles, which depicted either action movements, simple interactions, or complex social interactions. Viewing trials with more complex social interactions in the Frith-Happé task was associated with increased brain activation in regions including the right TPJ, the bilateral mPFC, the cerebellum, and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. There were no group differences in neural activation in response to the ToM contrast. Overall, these results suggest that the neural basis of spontaneous mentalizing is preserved in most young women with AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Leslie
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chester, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Halls
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jenni Leppanen
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Felicity Sedgewick
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,School of Education, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Smith
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Hayward
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Katie Lang
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Leon Fonville
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mima Simic
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - William Mandy
- Research Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dasha Nicholls
- Division of Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Declan Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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41
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Lin X, Zhang X, Liu Q, Zhao P, Zhong J, Pan P, Wang G, Yi Z. Social cognition in multiple sclerosis and its subtypes: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e21750. [PMID: 32872066 PMCID: PMC7437743 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000021750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and degenerative neurological disorder of the central nervous system. Cognitive impairment is frequent in MS patients, which not only includes deficits in abilities assessed by traditional neuropsychological batteries, but also often features impairments in social cognition (including theory of mind and facial emotion recognition). Recently, numerous studies have assessed social cognition performance in MS. However, there have been inconsistent findings. Besides, it is not clear how social cognitive abilities are affected in MS subtypes. The aim of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis to characterize social cognition performance in MS and its subtypes (clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting MS, progressive primary MS, and secondary progressive MS). METHODS Literature sources will be divided into 2 sections: electronic sources and manual sources. A systematic literature search will be performed for eligible studies published up to June 10, 2020 in 3 international databases (Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science). In addition, manual sources will be searched, such as the references of all included studies. Two researchers will independently conduct the work such as article retrieval, screening, quality evaluation, data collection. Meta-analysis will be conducted using Stata 15.0 software. RESULTS The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis will provide a high-quality synthesis from existing evidence for social cognition performance in MS and its subtypes. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER INPLASY202070028.
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Affiliation(s)
- XiaoGuang Lin
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian
| | - XueLing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian
| | - QinQin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian
| | | | - JianGuo Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, PR China
| | - PingLei Pan
- Department of Central Laboratory
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, PR China
| | - GenDi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, PR China
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42
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Lin X, Zhang X, Liu Q, Zhao P, Zhong J, Pan P, Wang G, Yi Z. Empathy and theory of mind in multiple sclerosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e21773. [PMID: 32872076 PMCID: PMC7437753 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000021773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Recently, numerous studies have shown that MS disrupts a number of social cognitive abilities, including empathy, theory of mind (ToM), and facial emotion recognition. In contrast to well-documented deficits in the core social cognitive domains of ToM and facial emotion recognition, it is not clear the broad and specific subcomponents of empathy processing affected. In addition, the specific subcomponents of ToM affected in MS are also unclear. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to characterize the performance of empathy and ToM in MS. METHODS A systematic literature search will be performed for eligible studies published up to July 1st, 2020 in 3 international databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase). The work such as article retrieval, screen, quality evaluation, data collection will be conducted by 2 independent researchers. Meta-analysis will be performed using Stata 15.0 software. RESULTS The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis will provide a high-quality synthesis from existing evidence for the performance of empathy and ToM in MS. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER INPLASY202070029.
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Affiliation(s)
- XiaoGuang Lin
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian
| | - XueLing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian
| | - QinQin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian
| | | | - JianGuo Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, P.R. China
| | - PingLei Pan
- Department of Central Laboratory
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, P.R. China
| | - GenDi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, P.R. China
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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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Bentz M, Westwood H, Jepsen JRM, Plessen KJ, Tchanturia K. The autism diagnostic observation schedule: Patterns in individuals with anorexia nervosa. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2020; 28:571-579. [PMID: 32729156 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Studies have used the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (the ADOS-2) in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), but the patterns of scores have not been assessed. We examined which subset of the ADOS-2 items best discriminate individuals with AN from healthy controls (HC), and assessed the potential clustering of AN participants based on different profiles of the ADOS-2 item scores. METHOD We combined datasets from two previous studies, and (a) compared mean ranks between young AN participants (N = 118) and HC (N = 42), (ii) replicated the item selection procedure of the existing ADOS-2 algorithm to assess sensitivity of items in the AN group, and (c) applied a two-step clustering analysis in the AN group (N = 149). RESULTS AN participants displayed significantly higher mean ranks than HC participants in five of 32 items. All five items are part of the existing ADOS-2 algorithm. We found two clusters of AN participants; one representing normal social behaviour, comprising 68% of the individuals with AN, and one representing less efficient social behaviour, comprising 32% of individuals with AN. CONCLUSIONS The items comprising the social affective cluster of the existing ADOS-2 algorithm are well suited to assess difficulties with social functioning in individuals with AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Bentz
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Heather Westwood
- Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS) and Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR), Mental Health Centre Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kerstin Jessica Plessen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Benau EM, Wiatrowski R, Timko CA. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation, Alexithymia, and Social Phobia Are Associated With Disordered Eating in Male and Female Undergraduate Athletes. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1646. [PMID: 32774318 PMCID: PMC7387713 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigations of disordered eating in the athlete population tend to focus on females and the influence of sport level. This leaves unanswered whether, and how, team interdependence (i.e., whether the competition is engaged with one person or as a team) may differentially impact male athletes. In the present study, we recruited a sample of non-athletes, individual athletes, and team athletes and examined the interaction of gender and teammate interdependence on established psychosocial risk factors for disordered eating, including social phobia, alexithymia, and emotion regulation. Although we identified a significant main effect of gender, there was no main effect of team type, nor was there a significant interaction of gender and team type. Using descriptive discriminant analysis, these variables significantly discriminated between genders. Women were defined by higher scores than men on drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and emotion recognition and men were defined by relatively higher scores on emotion dysregulation and binge eating. When we combined all athletes and compared them with non-athletes, a significant interaction of gender and athlete status emerged such that female athletes, compared to male athletes and women non-athletes, were defined by higher scores on drive for thinness, emotion dysregulation, and binge eating. Conversely, male athletes, compared to female athletes, were defined by greater difficulty identifying feelings and body dissatisfaction. Non-athletes were not well defined by the discriminant function. These results highlight that emotional processes convey risk of eating disorders in men and women, particularly in athletes, and these risk factors are not uniform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik M Benau
- Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Ryan Wiatrowski
- Department of Psychology, Towson University, Towson, MD, United States
| | - C Alix Timko
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Konstantakopoulos G, Ioannidi N, Patrikelis P, Gonidakis F. The impact of theory of mind and neurocognition on delusionality in anorexia nervosa. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2020; 42:611-621. [PMID: 32633184 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2020.1786504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The current study aimed to examine the impact of theory of mind (ToM) deficits on body image delusionality in anorexia nervosa (AN) while accounting for the effect of other cognitive functions. ToM and other cognitive functions were assessed in 46 patients with AN and 42 healthy controls. We used the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale to assess the degree of delusionality of body image beliefs in AN patients. Delusional body image beliefs were identified in 26.1% and overvalued ideas in 30.4% of the AN patients. Moderate but significant associations were found between impairments in ToM-overall capacity, cognitive and affective components-and body image delusionality. The effect of overall ToM performance on delusionality remained significant after controlling for other cognitive factors. General intelligence was also significantly associated with delusionality. Our findings support the notion that difficulties in taking the perspective of others contribute to insight impairment in AN. Further investigation is required to examine the effect of failures in social cognition and metacognition on insight in AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Konstantakopoulos
- First Department of Psychiatry, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens, Greece.,Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College , London, UK
| | - Nikoleta Ioannidi
- First Department of Psychiatry, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens, Greece
| | - Panayiotis Patrikelis
- Department of Neurosurgery, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens, Greece
| | - Frangiskos Gonidakis
- First Department of Psychiatry, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens, Greece
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Tchanturia K, Smith K, Glennon D, Burhouse A. Towards an Improved Understanding of the Anorexia Nervosa and Autism Spectrum Comorbidity: PEACE Pathway Implementation. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:640. [PMID: 32733294 PMCID: PMC7358367 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper describes an eating disorder service development pilot project helping clinicians implement evidence-based research for patients with anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum condition comorbidity. Currently, there are no clear guidelines or recommendations for people who have the developmental condition of autism spectrum condition and a comorbid eating disorder. The Maudsley eating disorder team is pioneering a tailored approach of adaptations for this autism and eating disorder comorbidity to improve and adapt evidenced-based treatments and improve the experience for patients, families, and clinicians involved in their care. This paper aims to support the clinical and research community to implement some of the learning and new strategies developed through the PEACE pathway. The authors aim is to collaborate with teams nationally and internationally to scale up the project to benefit patients with this comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Eating Disorder Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Smith
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Danielle Glennon
- National Eating Disorder Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Burhouse
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Patient Experience Department, Wansbeck General Hospital, Ashington, United Kingdom
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Monteleone AM, Corsi E, Cascino G, Ruzzi V, Ricca V, Ashworth R, Bird G, Cardi V. The Interaction Between Mentalizing, Empathy and Symptoms in People with Eating Disorders: A Network Analysis Integrating Experimentally Induced and Self-report Measures. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-020-10126-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Sedgewick F, Leppanen J, Tchanturia K. Autistic adult outcomes on weight and body mass index: a large-scale online study. Eat Weight Disord 2020; 25:795-801. [PMID: 31065975 PMCID: PMC7256089 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-019-00695-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE There has been a wealth of work on the weight outcomes of autistic children and young people, generally finding that they are more likely to be overweight or obese than their non-autistic counterparts. There has not been the same focussed study of the weight outcomes of autistic adults, however. This study, therefore, sought to examine the relationship between weight outcome and being autistic in adults. METHODS Data were collected as part of an online study looking at eating, autism, and relationships. 665 people gave demographic and mental health information, and group differences and robust regressions were conducted. RESULTS Autistic adults were more likely to be in non-healthy weight categories than their non-autistic counterparts, i.e., more likely to be underweight, overweight, or obese. There were no interactions between autism status and mental health impacting BMI, although both anxiety and depression predicted higher BMI in the sample overall. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that while some weight patterns from childhood and adolescence continue into adulthood for autistic individuals, this is not necessarily a straightforward picture, and would benefit from further in-depth and qualitative study to understand the processes at play. The lack of interactions between mental health and autism, however, should provide professionals with confidence in supporting healthy weight management among autistic people. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III, cohort study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicity Sedgewick
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jenni Leppanen
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Psychological Medicine, London, UK. .,South London and Maudsley NHS Trust EDU, London, UK. .,Psychology Department, Illia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
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Kerr-Gaffney J, Halls D, Harrison A, Tchanturia K. Exploring Relationships Between Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Adults With Anorexia Nervosa: A Network Approach. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:401. [PMID: 32477185 PMCID: PMC7235355 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, research has accumulated to suggest a relationship between anorexia nervosa (AN) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Elevated ASD traits are present in around one third of those with AN, and there is some evidence to suggest that ASD traits are associated with more severe eating disorder (ED) psychopathology. The current study aimed to examine relationships between ED and ASD symptoms in individuals with a lifetime history of AN using network analysis. One hundred and one participants completed the ED Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2). A regularized partial correlation network was estimated using a graphical least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. Expected influence (EI) and bridge EI values were calculated to identify central and bridge symptoms respectively. Isolation, difficulties with relating to others, and feelings of tension during social situations were most central to the network, while poor self-confidence, concerns over eating around others, and concerns over others seeing one's body were the strongest bridge symptoms. Our findings confirm that interpersonal problems are central to ED psychopathology. They also suggest poor self-confidence and social anxiety-type worries may mediate the relationship between ED and ASD symptoms in those with a lifetime diagnosis of AN. Longitudinal studies examining fluctuations in symptoms over time may be helpful in understanding direction of causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess Kerr-Gaffney
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Halls
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Harrison
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Eating Disorders Service, Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Eating Disorders Service, Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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