Overlap between autistic and schizotypal personality traits is not accounted for by anxiety and depression

Early life factors of schizotypal personality disorder in adolescents: A systematic review

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: The complexity and high prevalence of schizotypal personality disorders (SPD) pose serious challenges for mental health practice in its management, and also bring severe consequences for the patients. The identification of the specific early life factors (ELFs) that confer risk to SPD has become a major focus of clinical research on schizophrenia-spectrum disorders which aligns well with the mental health nursing's responsibility in health promotion, prevention and treatment. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Adolescents may experience certain ELFs, which contribute to the occurrence of SPD, but no systematic review has been conducted to identify ELF among them. And nursing literature addressing modifiable ELF is very limited. Two clusters of ELF and SPD in adolescents were identified: prenatal and early postnatal factors; childhood trauma and parental factors. The findings also show that more research is needed to determine the specificity and cumulative effects of ELF on the development of SPD by using rigorous and comprehensive measurements and a longitudinal design. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Mental health nurses, especially nurses in the primary care, should be aware of potentially modifiable ELFs and incorporate more comprehensive and valid instrument for assessing cumulative ELF and SPD. These findings may serve to inform possible future interventions for SPD, such as parent education and support to mitigate these risk factors.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) affects 4% of the general population in the United States. The identification of early life factors (ELFs) that confer risk to SPD in adolescents (ages 10-24 years old) has become a major focus of clinical research on schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

AIM

This systematic review aims to determine what ELFs contribute to the onset of SPD in the adolescent population.

METHODS

A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, Psychiatry online, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE and CINAHL databases was conducted using relevant keywords. Data were extracted using a standardized form following PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies met the criteria for inclusion. ELFs in the development of SPD were grouped into two important clusters: (a) prenatal and early postnatal factors; (b) childhood trauma and parental factors.

CONCLUSION

Mental health nurses, especially nurses in primary care, should be aware of potentially modifiable ELF. Longitudinal research is needed to determine the causative roles of these ELF play in the occurrence of SPD by using rigorous measurements.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

These findings call for awareness of the modifiable ELF for SPD and also inform possible future interventions to reduce these risks, such as parent-training or environmental enrichment programmes.

Autistic characteristics in eating disorders: Treatment adaptations and impact on clinical outcomes

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.

Schizotypal personality traits and the social learning of fear

Schizotypy can be defined as a combination of traits qualitatively similar to those found in schizophrenia, but milder in their expression, that can be found in clinical and non-clinical populations. In this research, we explore, to our knowledge, for the first time, whether schizotypal personality traits may affect the acquisition of conditioned fear by social means only. Apart from being an essential capacity to ensure learning in safe environments, social fear learning shares important characteristics with direct fear acquisition, which also makes it a great candidate for developing successful extinction procedures. Undergraduate students (n = 72) performed a task of social fear learning. In this task, participants watched a video of a person that simulated to receive electric shocks (unconditioned stimulus; US) paired with a coloured square (conditioned stimulus plus; CS+), while another coloured square was never paired (conditioned stimulus minus; CS−) with the shock. After that, they were presented with a similar sequence of coloured screens. Their Skin Conductance Responses (SCRs) were registered during the whole process. Once they finished, they completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). Our results revealed that participants with a low score in the Cognitive-Perceptual factor of the SPQ exhibited higher SCRs when they saw the US than when they saw the CS− (all ps < 0.01) during the learning phase. Nevertheless, those with higher scores did not present any difference in their SCRs toward both stimuli (all ps > 0.05), a pattern that has been similarly found in schizophrenia. During the final trials of the test phase, participants with the highest scores in the Disorganized factor were the only ones that maintained a higher SCR towards the CS+ than towards the CS− (p = 0.006), which could be associated with an impairment in their extinction processes.

Robust association between autistic traits and psychotic-like experiences in the adult general population: epidemiological study from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey and replication with the 2014 APMS

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that there are overlapping traits and symptoms between autism and psychosis but no study to date has addressed this association from an epidemiological approach in the adult general population. Furthermore, it is not clear whether autistic traits are associated with specific symptoms of psychosis or with psychosis in general. We assess these associations for the first time by using the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) 2007 and the APMS 2014, predicting an association between autistic traits and probable psychosis, and specific associations between autistic traits and paranoia and strange experiences.

METHODS

Participants (N = 7353 in 2007 and 7500 in 2014) completed the Psychosis Screening Questionnaire (PSQ) and a 20-item version of the Autism Quotient (AQ-20). Binomial logistic regressions were performed using AQ-20 as the independent variable and probable psychosis and specific symptoms as dependent variables.

RESULTS

In the APMS 2007 dataset, significant associations were found between autism traits and probable psychosis, paranoia, thought insertion, and strange experiences. These results were replicated in APMS 2014 but with the additional significant association between autistic traits and hallucinations. Participants in the highest quartile of the AQ-20, compared with the lowest quartile, had an increased risk of probable psychosis of odds ratio (OR) = 15.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.57-52.6] in APMS 2007 and OR = 22.5 (95% CI 7.64-66.3) in APMS 2014.

CONCLUSIONS

Autistic traits are strongly associated with probable psychosis and psychotic experiences with the exception of mania. Limitations such as the cross-sectional nature of the study are discussed.

Autistic Personality Traits and Treatment Outcome for Alcohol Use Disorders

ABSTRACT

The importance of personality traits for the outcome of psychiatric treatment, including treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), has been widely acknowledged. Also, research on autism spectrum disorders has evolved in recent years, emphasizing that the behavioral traits within these neuropsychiatric disorders exist on a dimension both within and outside the boundaries of psychopathology. In the present study, the relationship between personality traits associated with autistic functioning and level of alcohol use among patients before and after concluded AUD treatment was investigated. The participants (n = 165, diagnosed with AUD) were part of a longitudinal project on AUD treatment. Data from personality questionnaires (Structured Clinical Interview of Personality Disorders II and Temperament and Character Inventory) were used to assess autistic personality traits (APTs) based on behavior within Wing's triad, which were related to background and treatment outcome. The chosen APT items illustrated a personality functioning with an emphasis on social interaction and rigidity. Only certain included questions were indicative of still having a problematic drinking pattern 2.5 years after treatment entry, which adhered to phobic, obsessive-compulsive, and schizoid personality traits, as well as rigidity/stubbornness. Albeit with modest influence, the degree of APTs was associated with heavier drinking at treatment entry, and symptoms relating to social interaction and rigidity were associated with still having a problematic drinking pattern 2.5 years after treatment entry. A higher degree of such traits may result in having problems taking advice from others and establishing treatment alliance, important parts of treatment efficacy, making assessment of such traits relevant to clinicians.

Association between schizotypal personality traits and emotional instability: mediation and moderation analysis among Chinese college students

BACKGROUND

Previous studies identified an association between schizophrenia and emotional instability. However, the relationship between schizotypal personality traits and emotional instability has not been explored to date. Furthermore, both mediating and moderating factors need to be identified.

METHODS

A total of 2936 students completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), the Affective Lability Scale-Short Form (ALS-SF), and the Davos Assessment of Cognitive Biases Scale (DACOBS).

RESULTS

1) The total scores of DACOBS (and all dimensions) and ALS-SF (and all dimensions) in the high schizotypal personality trait group were higher than in the low schizotypal personality trait group (all P < 0.05). 2) SPQ score and DACOBS social cognition problems, subjective cognitive problems, jumping to conclusions bias, and external attribution bias subscale scores positively predicted the total score of ALS-SF (or the dimensions of ALS-SF) in both male and female populations (all P < 0.05). 3) In the male population, DACOBS social cognition problems, subjective cognitive problems, jumping to conclusions bias, and external attribution bias subscale scores mediated the relationship between SPQ score and ALS-SF total score (or its subscales). In the female population, DACOBS attention for threat bias, external attribution bias, jumping to conclusions bias, social cognition problems, and subjective cognitive problems subscale scores mediated the relationship between SPQ score and ALS-SF total score (or its subscales). 4) Gender exerted a moderating effect on this relationship between SPQ score and ALS-SF total/anxiety-depression score (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Schizotypal personality traits might influence emotional instability through cognitive biases, and the degree of this influence varies depending on gender.

The Association Between Autistic Traits and Disordered Eating is Moderated by Sex/Gender and Independent of Anxiety and Depression

Previous studies have reported positive correlations between autistic traits and disordered eating, though it is unclear whether the association is moderated by sex/gender or whether it is independent of anxiety or depression. We present the findings of an online survey of 691 participants who completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). Following a pre-registered analysis plan, we observed positive correlations between AQ and EAT-26 in males and females, with the association being significantly stronger in females. AQ also remained a significant predictor of EAT-26 when anxiety and depression were controlled for statistically. These findings may be relevant when considering therapeutic interventions in disordered eating populations that exhibit autistic traits.

Co-occurrence of autistic and psychotic traits: implications for depression, self-harm and suicidality

BACKGROUND

There is increasing interest in the clinical and aetiological overlap between autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, reported to co-occur at both diagnostic and trait levels. Individually, sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are associated with poor clinical outcomes, including increased depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. However, the implications when both traits co-occur remain poorly understood. The study aimed to (1) examine the relationship between autistic and psychotic traits and (2) determine if their co-occurrence increases depressive symptomatology, self-harm and suicidality.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data from a self-selecting (online and poster advertising) sample of the adult UK population (n = 653) were collected using an online survey. Validated self-report measures were used to assess sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits, depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. Correlation and regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

A positive correlation between sub-clinical autistic and positive psychotic traits was confirmed (r_s = 0.509, p < 0.001). Overall, autistic traits and psychotic traits were, independently, significant predictors of depression, self-harm and suicidality. Intriguingly, however, depression was associated with a negative interaction between the autistic domain attention to detail and psychotic traits.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports previous findings that sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are largely independently associated with depression, self-harm and suicidality, and is novel in finding that their combined presence has no additional effect on depression, self-harm or suicidality. These findings highlight the importance of considering both autistic and psychotic traits and their symptom domains in research and when developing population-based depression prevention and intervention strategies.

Subthreshold autism spectrum in bipolar disorder: Prevalence and clinical correlates

BACKGROUND

While few previous studies highlighted a higher prevalence of autistic traits among adults with Bipolar Disorder (BD), little is known about their clinical significance in this population.

METHOD

143 subjects with BD were enrolled at the adult psychiatric inpatient clinic of the University of Pisa. Assessments included the SCID-5, the MOODS-SR, the AQ and the AdAS Spectrum.

RESULTS

42.7% of the sample scored positively for significant levels of autistic traits. Subjects with high autistic traits showed a greater likelihood of a very early onset of BD, greater length of current in-hospital stay, significantly higher rates of anxiety disorders and lower rates of substance use disorders compared to patients with low autistic traits. They also show significantly greater depressive symptoms and suicidality across the lifetime. Suicidality was associated with the altered responsiveness to sensory input and inversely related to adherence to routine and inflexibility.

CONCLUSION

The study is a first exploration of the clinical significance of autistic traits among BD patients. Our results highlight the clinical significance of autistic traits in patients with BD, supporting the usefulness of a dimensional approach to the autism spectrum.

Revisiting the overlap between autistic and schizotypal traits in the non-clinical population using meta-analysis and network analysis

The present study aimed to explore the relationship between autistic and schizotypal traits in the non-clinical population. We first conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the correlation between self-reported autistic traits and the three dimensions of schizotypal traits (positive, negative and disorganization). The strongest correlation was found between autistic traits and negative schizotypal traits (r = 0.536, 95% CI [0.481, 0.586]), followed by the disorganization (r = 0.355, 95% CI [0.304, 0.404]) and positive (r = 0.256, 95% CI [0.208, 0.302]) dimensions. To visualize the partial correlations between dimensional behavioural traits, we constructed a network model based on a large sample of college students (N = 2469). Negative schizotypal traits were strongly correlated with autistic social/communicative deficits, whereas positive schizotypal traits were inversely correlated with autistic-like traits, lending support to the psychosis-autism diametrical model. Disentangling the overlapping and diametrical structure of autism and schizophrenia may help to elucidate the aetiology of these two neurodevelopmental disorders.

Correlates of autistic traits among patients with borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND

Despite discrete autism-related dimensions, such as deficits in communication, empathy and mentalizing are likely to affect the development of personality and despite they actually frequently occur in borderline patients, no research has so far investigated the relationship between autistic traits and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical significance of autistic traits in subjects with BPD.

METHODS

The sample included 50 patients with a clinical diagnosis of BPD and 69 healthy controls. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Clinician Version was used to establish the presence of comorbid mental disorders among BPD subjects and to confirm the absence of lifetime mental disorders in the control group. Participants were also asked to fill three self-report instruments: the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum), the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Mood Spectrum Self-Report (MOODS-SR).

RESULTS

Patients with BPD reported higher autistic traits than healthy individuals. Moreover, autistic traits were shown to exert a significant impact on some clinical features and associated manifestation of BPD, such as suicidality and lifetime exposure to physical and/or sexual abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Subthreshold autism spectrum may be relevant for subjects suffering from BPD and future research may further address clinical correlates of autistic traits among patients with this disorder.

Childhood trauma is not a confounder of the overlap between autistic and schizotypal traits: A study in a non-clinical adult sample

Childhood trauma has been shown to be a robust risk factor for mental disorders, and may exacerbate schizotypal traits or contribute to autistic trait severity. However, little is known whether childhood trauma confounds the overlap between schizotypal traits and autistic traits. This study examined whether childhood trauma acts as a confounding variable in the overlap between autistic and schizotypal traits in a large non-clinical adult sample. A total of 2469 participants completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. Correlation analysis showed that the majority of associations between AQ variables and SPQ variables were significant (p < 0.05). In the multiple regression models predicting scores on the AQ total, scores on the three SPQ subscales were significant predictors(Ps < 0.05). Scores on the Positive schizotypy and Negative schizotypy subscales were significant predictors in the multiple regression model predicting scores on the AQ Social Skill, AQ Attention Switching, AQ Attention to Detail, AQ Communication, and AQ Imagination subscales. The association between autistic and schizotypal traits could not be explained by shared variance in terms of exposure to childhood trauma. The findings point to important overlaps in the conceptualization of ASD and SSD, independent of childhood trauma.

The mediating effects of childhood neglect on the association between schizotypal and autistic personality traits and depression in a non-clinical sample

BACKGROUND

Autistic personality traits (APT) and schizotypal personality traits (SPT) are associated with depression. However, mediating factors within these relationships have not yet been explored. Thus, the focus of the current study was to examine the effects of childhood neglect on the relationship between APT/SPT and depression.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on first-year students (N = 2469) at Hunan University of Chinese Medicine and Hengyang Normal College (Changsha, China). Participants completed surveys on APT, SPT, childhood neglect, abuse and depression.

RESULTS

Through correlational analyses, APT and SPT traits were positively correlated with childhood neglect and depression (p < 0.05). In a hierarchical regression analysis, among types of childhood maltreatment, emotional neglect (β = 0.112, p < 0.001) and physical neglect (β = 0.105, p < 0.001) were the strongest predictors of depression. Childhood neglect did not account for the relationships between APT/SPT and depression. Further analysis found that childhood neglect mediated the relationship between SPT and depression but not APT and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Among types of childhood maltreatment, neglect was the strongest predicting factor for depression. Neglect did not account for the relationship between APT/SPT and depression but was a strong mediating factor between SPT and depression.

Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum): Validation of a questionnaire investigating subthreshold autism spectrum

AIM

Increasing literature has shown the usefulness of a dimensional approach to autism. The present study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum), a new questionnaire specifically tailored to assess subthreshold forms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in adulthood.

METHODS

102 adults endorsing at least one DSM-5 symptom criterion for ASD (ASDc), 143 adults diagnosed with a feeding and eating disorder (FED), and 160 subjects with no mental disorders (CTL), were recruited from 7 Italian University Departments of Psychiatry and administered the following: SCID-5, Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale 14-item version (RAADS-14), and AdAS Spectrum.

RESULTS

The AdAS Spectrum demonstrated excellent internal consistency for the total score (Kuder-Richardson's coefficient=.964) as well as for five out of seven domains (all coefficients>.80) and sound test-retest reliability (ICC=.976). The total and domain AdAS Spectrum scores showed a moderate to strong (>.50) positive correlation with one another and with the AQ and RAADS-14 total scores. ASDc subjects reported significantly higher AdAS Spectrum total scores than both FED (p<.001) and CTL (p<.001), and significantly higher scores on the Childhood/adolescence, Verbal communication, Empathy, Inflexibility and adherence to routine, and Restricted interests and rumination domains (all p<.001) than FED, while on all domains compared to CTL. CTL displayed significantly lower total and domain scores than FED (all p<.001). A significant effect of gender emerged for the Hyper- and hyporeactivity to sensory input domain, with women showing higher scores than men (p=.003). A Diagnosis* Gender interaction was also found for the Verbal communication (p=.019) and Empathy (p=.023) domains. When splitting the ASDc in subjects with one symptom criterion (ASD₁) and those with a ASD, and the FED in subjects with no ASD symptom criteria (FED₀) and those with one ASD symptom criterion (FED₁)_, a gradient of severity in AdAS Spectrum scores from CTL subjects to ASD patients, across FED₀, ASD₁, FED₁ was shown.

CONCLUSIONS

The AdAS Spectrum showed excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability and strong convergent validity with alternative dimensional measures of ASD. The questionnaire performed differently among the three diagnostic groups and enlightened some significant effects of gender in the expression of autistic traits.

Using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient to Measure Autistic Traits in Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Interest in the link between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Anorexia Nervosa (AN) has led to estimates of the prevalence of autistic traits in AN. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the use of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) or abbreviated version (AQ-10) to examine whether patients with AN have elevated levels of autistic traits. Seven studies were identified and subsequent meta-analysis indicated that those with AN appear to have significant difficulties of a manner characteristic of ASD, relative to controls. Whilst this analysis supports previous indications of higher prevalence of ASD in AN, the aetiology of these traits remains unclear. Studies using more robust clinical measures of ASD within AN are needed to confirm what self-report measures appear to show.

Oxytocin reversed MK-801-induced social interaction and aggression deficits in zebrafish

Changes in social behavior occur in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. The interaction between individuals is an essential aspect and an adaptive response of several species, among them the zebrafish. Oxytocin is a neuroendocrine hormone associated with social behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of MK-801, a non-competitive antagonist of glutamate NMDA receptors, on social interaction and aggression in zebrafish. We also examined the modulation of those effects by oxytocin, the oxytocin receptor agonist carbetocin and the oxytocin receptor antagonist L-368,899. Our results showed that MK-801 induced a decrease in the time spent in the segment closest to the conspecific school and in the time spent in the segment nearest to the mirror image, suggesting an effect on social behavior. The treatment with oxytocin after the exposure to MK-801 was able to reestablish the time spent in the segment closest to the conspecific school, as well as the time spent in the segment nearest to the mirror image. In addition, in support of the role of the oxytocin pathway in modulating those responses, we showed that the oxytocin receptor agonist carbetocin reestablished the social and aggressive behavioral deficits induced by MK-801. However, the oxytocin receptor antagonist L-368,899 was not able to reverse the behavioral changes induced by MK-801. This study supports the critical role for NMDA receptors and the oxytocinergic system in the regulation of social behavior and aggression which may be relevant for the mechanisms associated to autism and schizophrenia.

Psychopathological traits in college students from top-ranking french schools: Do autistic features impair success in science when associated with schizotypal traits?

The link between personality and the interest of individuals for science has not been thoroughly explored. In this report, we studied psychopathological traits in students studying science in French top-ranking institutions. Three hundred and forty seven individuals answered questionnaires assessing autistic and schizotypal dimensions, as well as anxiety, depression symptomatology and attachment quality. A cluster analysis based on autistic and schizotypal traits led to the identification of 4 distinct profiles: a "low trait cluster", a "moderate autistic trait cluster", a "moderate schizotypal trait cluster" and a "high trait cluster" (HTC) composed of individuals with high scores on both autistic and schizotypal scales. Each cluster represented 20.1-27.1% of participants and was clearly different from the three others, both on autistic and on schizotypal dimensions. These groups could be also typified by their level of anxiety, depression or degraded attachment, which are proportional to the extent of psychopathological traits. Moreover, students from the HTC cluster displayed lower academic results, thus implying that autistic traits might impair success in science when they are associated with moderate schizotypal personality features. This study also suggests that depression and anxiety might mediate performance inhibition in the HTC group.

Distinctive Rorschach profiles of young adults with schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder

OBJECTIVE

The differential diagnosis of schizophrenia (SZ) versus autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be clinically challenging because accumulating evidence suggests both clinical and biological overlaps between them. The aim of this study was to compare Rorschach profiles between young adults with SZ and those with ASD.

METHODS

We evaluated quantitative tendencies on the Rorschach test among 20 patients diagnosed with SZ and 20 diagnosed with ASD. Both groups were matched for age, sex, and intelligence quotient.

RESULTS

We found significant differences in six response variables on the Rorschach comprehensive system. Those with SZ had significantly higher scores on D score, adjusted D score (Adj D), developmental quality code reflecting ordinary response (DQo), and form quality minus (FQ -) than those with ASD. In contrast, those with SZ had significantly lower scores on the active and developmental quality code reflecting synthesized response (DQ+) subscales than those with ASD.

CONCLUSION

The present findings reveal that individuals with SZ might have more stress tolerance, stronger perception distortions, and simpler and poorer recognition than those with ASD. We suggest that the Rorschach test might be a useful tool for differentiating between SZ and ASD.

Similarities and Differences in Decision-Making Impairments between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia

Although individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCH) share overlapping characteristics and may perform similarly on many cognitive tasks, cognitive dysfunctions common to both disorders do not necessarily share the same underlying mechanisms. Decision-making is currently a major research interest for both ASD and SCH. The aim of the present study was to make direct comparisons of decision-making and disorder-specific underlying neuropsychological mechanisms between the two disorders. Thirty-seven participants with ASD, 46 patients with SCH, and 80 healthy controls (HC) were assessed with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which measures decision-making under ambiguity, and the Game of Dice Task (GDT), which measures decision-making under risk. The results revealed that both the ASD and SCH groups had deficits for both the IGT and the GDT compared with the HC. More importantly, in the IGT, participants with ASD displayed a preference for deck A, indicating that they had more sensitivity to the magnitude of loss than to the frequency of loss, whereas patients with SCH displayed a preference for deck B, indicating that they showed more sensitivity to the frequency of loss than to the magnitude of loss. In the GDT, the impaired performance might be due to the deficits in executive functions in patients with SCH, whereas the impaired performance might be due to the deficits in feedback processing in participants with ASD. These findings demonstrate that there are similar impairments in decision-making tasks between ASD and SCH; however, these two disorders may have different impairment mechanisms.

Relationship between autistic traits and hoarding in a large non-clinical Chinese sample: mediating effect of anxiety and depression

Researchers and clinical practitioners have found that hoarding appears in many autism patients and that most of these patients show high anxiety and depression. There is no consensus on the relationship between autistic traits and hoarding, and little research concerning the role of negative emotions. This study investigated the relationship between autistic traits and hoarding in a large non-clinical Chinese sample. Participants were 3,229 university students (M age = 20.5 yr., SD = 1.6; 1,839 men) who were recruited in classroom. They completed measures of hoarding, autistic symptomology, anxiety, and depression: specifically the Saving Inventory-Revised, the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Mediating effects of anxiety and depression in the correlation between autistic traits and hoarding were also explored. There was a weak but significant correlation between autistic traits and hoarding. Significant mediating effects of anxiety and depression were observed. Hoarding in people with high autistic traits could be influenced by anxiety and depression.