Genetic contribution to 'theory of mind' in adolescence

Theory of mind abilities during the course of bipolar disorder: A longitudinal study using mixed models

Theory of mind (ToM) deficits, difficulties in recognizing the intentions, propensities, and beliefs of others have been shown in individuals with bipolar disorder in several studies; however, it is not yet elucidated how ToM abilities changes over the course of bipolar disorder and is related to illness symptoms. This is one of the first longitudinal studies to compare the ToM abilities of euthymic bipolar individuals and healthy controls over a four and a half years period. ToM abilities were measured using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). A total of 91 euthymic bipolar individuals and 91 healthy controls were included in the analyses. Linear mixed models were used to compare ToM abilities of bipolar individuals and healthy controls. It was found that bipolar individuals scored lower on average on the RMET than healthy controls and that these RMET scores were stable over four and a half years. The results of this study suggest that ToM deficits are a stable (possibly endophenotypic) trait of bipolar disorder. This understanding can contribute to better identification, assessment, and treatment strategies for individuals with bipolar disorder, ultimately improving their overall care and outcome.

ARNT2 controls prefrontal somatostatin interneurons mediating affective empathy

Empathy, crucial for social interaction, is impaired across various neuropsychiatric conditions. However, the genetic and neural underpinnings of empathy variability remain elusive. By combining forward genetic mapping with transcriptome analysis, we discover that aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator 2 (ARNT2) is a key driver modulating observational fear, a basic form of affective empathy. Disrupted ARNT2 expression in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) reduces affect sharing in mice. Specifically, selective ARNT2 ablation in somatostatin (SST)-expressing interneurons leads to decreased pyramidal cell excitability, increased spontaneous firing, aberrant Ca2+ dynamics, and disrupted theta oscillations in the ACC, resulting in reduced vicarious freezing. We further demonstrate that ARNT2-expressing SST interneurons govern affective state discrimination, uncovering a potential mechanism by which ARNT2 polymorphisms associate with emotion recognition in humans. Our findings advance our understanding of the molecular mechanism controlling empathic capacity and highlight the neural substrates underlying social affective dysfunctions in psychiatric disorders.

Attachment, Mentalization, Emotion Dysregulation, and Empathy in Eating Disorders: Comparing Anorexic and Bulimic Patients

ABSTRACT

Eating disorders (EDs) represent a wide range of clinical symptoms related to food intake, body image, and weight issues, and include anorexia nervosa-restricting type (AN-R), anorexia nervosa-binge-purge type (AN-BP), and bulimia nervosa (BN). The aim was to investigate the characteristics of attachment, mentalization, emotion dysregulation, and empathy in a sample of 102 patients with EDs. A sample of 102 patients and therapists completed a series of measures for the assessment of ED pathology, mentalization, empathy, and emotion dysregulation. Pearson correlations and analysis of variance were used to test the characteristics of the variables among the groups. In relation to attachment and emotion dysregulation, no significant differences were found. In relation to mentalization, significant difference in good mentalization was found in AN-R subtype compared with the BN subtype. In relation to empathy, results showed significantly lower scores in BN subtype on affective empathy compared with the AN-BP subtype, and in AN-R subtype on cognitive empathy. Finally, we used Z -scores for each item ranked by value (higher to lower) to develop different clinical prototypes for each group. Our results point toward the clinical need to address the assessed variables, specifically mentalization, emotion dysregulation, and empathy, in the diagnosis and treatment of EDs.

Empathy and Violence in Schizophrenia and Antisocial Personality Disorder

A paucity of cognitive and affective features of empathy can be correlated with violent behavior. We aimed to identify differences in empathy among four groups in a sample of 100 male participants: (1) 27 violent offenders with schizophrenia, (2) 23 nonviolent patients with schizophrenia, (3) 25 patients with antisocial personality disorder, and (4) 25 subjects from the general population, who formed the control group. Schizophrenia symptoms were quantified with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Empathy was measured with the empathy quotient. Theory of mind was evaluated using (a) the first-order false-belief task, (b) the hinting task, (c) the faux pas recognition test and (d) the "reading the mind in the eyes" test (revised). Differences noted among the groups were age (controls were younger) and educational status (antisocials were less educated). The empathy quotient scoring (p < 0.001) and theory-of-mind tests (p < 0.001) were distinct between the control group and the three other groups of participants, but not among the three patient groups. Patients with antisocial personality disorder, violent psychotic offenders and psychotic nonviolent patients show no remarkable differences in affective or cognitive empathy tests, but they all present deficits in empathy and theory of mind when compared to controls.

The association between polygenic risk scores for mental disorders and social cognition: A scoping review

People with mental disorders, such as psychosis or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), often present impairments in social cognition (SC), which may cause significant difficulties in real-world functioning. SC deficits are seen also in unaffected relatives, indicating a genetic substratum. The present review evaluated the evidence on the association between SC and the polygenic risk score (PRS), a single metric of the molecular genetic risk to develop a specific disorder. In July 2022, we conducted systematic searches in Scopus and PubMed following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We selected original articles written in English reporting results on the association between PRSs for any mental disorder and domains of SC either in people with mental disorders or controls. The search yielded 244 papers, of which 13 were selected for inclusion. Studies tested mainly PRSs for schizophrenia, ASD, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Emotion recognition was the most investigated domain of SC. Overall, evidence revealed that currently available PRSs for mental disorders do not explain variation in SC performances. To enhance the understanding of mechanisms underlying SC in mental disorders, future research should focus on the development of transdiagnostic PRSs, study their interaction with environmental risk factors, and standardize outcome measurement.

Sex and age differences in "theory of mind" across 57 countries using the English version of the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test

The "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test (Eyes Test) is a widely used assessment of "theory of mind." The NIMH Research Domain Criteria recommends it as one of two tests for "understanding mental states." Previous studies have demonstrated an on-average female advantage on the Eyes Test. However, it is unknown whether this female advantage exists across the lifespan and across a large number of countries. Thus, we tested sex and age differences using the English version of the Eyes Test in adolescents and adults across 57 countries. We also tested for associations with sociodemographic and cognitive/personality factors. We leveraged one discovery dataset (N = 305,726) and three validation datasets (Ns = 642; 5,284; and 1,087). The results show that: i) there is a replicable on-average female advantage in performance on the Eyes Test; ii) performance increases through adolescence and shallowly declines across adulthood; iii) the on-average female advantage is evident across the lifespan; iv) there is a significant on-average female advantage in 36 out of 57 countries; v) there is a significant on-average female advantage on translated (non-English) versions of the Eyes Test in 12 out of 16 countries, as confirmed by a systematic review; vi) D-scores, or empathizing-systemizing, predict Eyes Test performance above and beyond sex differences; and vii) the female advantage is negatively linked to "prosperity" and "autonomy," and positively linked to "collectivism," as confirmed by exploratory country-level analyses. We conclude that the on-average female advantage on the Eyes Test is observed across ages and most countries.

Affective Theory of Mind as a residual ability to preserve mentalizing in amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A 12-months longitudinal study

INTRODUCTION

Theory of Mind (ToM) decline has been outlined in people with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI), but evidence from longitudinal studies is lacking. This longitudinal study aims to investigate changes in cognitive and affective ToM performance in an aMCI sample (n = 28; 14 females, mean age = 76.54 ± 4.35).

METHOD

Participants underwent two steps of neurocognitive evaluation, at the baseline (T1) and 12-month follow-up (T2), to obtain their global cognitive level and both affective (Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, ET) and cognitive (Strange Stories, SS) ToM profile. Then, participants were categorized into two groups based on ToM changes: people who worsened (ETΔ < 0; SSΔ < 0) and people who did not (ETΔ≥0; SSΔ≥0) at follow-up. Differences between groups in cognitive functions and ToM profiles at baseline have been investigated.

RESULTS

Our results showed that 46% of subjects worsened in affective (ET) and 28% in cognitive (SS) ToM at follow-up. People who worsened in ET reported a statistically significantly higher performance in ET at baseline (p = 0.002) but not at follow-up than people who did not worsen. In contrast, subjects who worsened in SS showed a lower Immediate Free Recall (IFR, p = 0.026) and Delayed Free Recall (DFR, p = 0.028) score of the Free and Cued Selective Reminding test at baseline and at follow-up, a lower ET (p = 0.020) baseline score, a lower SS and MMSE level at follow-up than people who not worsened. About 71% of MCI subjects showed the same trend of evolution of the Mini-Mental State Examination and SS. Variables that significantly differed between groups have been inserted in a stepwise logistic regression to pilot explore predictors of affective and cognitive ToM evolution. Logistic regression showed ET at baseline (p = 0.015) as the only significant predictor of affective ToM evolution (R2 = 0.450), while both ET (p = 0.044) and memory performance (p = 0.045) at baseline significantly predicted cognitive ToM evolution (R2 = 0.746).

DISCUSSION

In conclusion, our results support the role of affective ToM as a residual mentalizing ability in preserving the mentalizing level in people with aMCI.

The role of inflammatory markers and cortisol in the association between early social cognition abilities and later internalising or externalising problems: Evidence from a UK birth cohort

OBJECTIVE

Deficits in social cognition are associated with internalising (emotional and peer problems) and externalising (conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention) symptoms in youth. It has been suggested that stress may be one of the mechanisms underlying these associations. However, no empirical studies have investigated if physiological stress can explain the prospective associations between social cognition deficits and internalising and externalising symptoms in the general youth population. This study addressed this question and focused on two indicators of physiological stress, dysregulated diurnal cortisol patterns and systemic inflammation.

METHOD

Participants were 714 individuals from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a UK population-based birth cohort. Bayesian structural equation modelling was used to investigate a) the associations of social cognition abilities at ages 8, 11, and 14 years with internalising and externalising problems at age 17 years and b) the potential mediating effects of cortisol parameters at age 15 years and inflammatory markers [interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP)] at ages 9 and 16 years.

RESULTS

We found that social cognition difficulties were associated with later internalising and externalising problems. Flattened diurnal cortisol slope was associated with hyperactivity/inattention problems two years later. Lower morning cortisol partially mediated the direct association between social communication deficits at 8 years and hyperactivity/inattention and conduct problems at 17 years, even after adjustments for inflammation and confounders (for hyperactivity/inattention: indirect effect = 0.07, 95% CI [0.00, 0.18], p = .042; for conduct problems: indirect effect = 0.04, 95% CI [0.00, 0.11], p = .040). We did not find a significant association between systemic inflammation and social cognition difficulties, internalising problems, or externalising problems.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that part of the effect of social communication difficulties in childhood on externalising problems in adolescence was mediated by lower morning cortisol. Hence, our study indicates that the hypoactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may be one of the physiological mechanisms linking some social cognition deficits to externalising problems.

Interaction between the BDNF rs11030101 genotype and job stress on cognitive empathy

BACKGROUND

Empathy refers to an individual's ability to experience the emotional and cognitive processes of another person during social interactions. Although many studies have examined the effects of genetic variation on emotional empathy, little is currently known about whether genetic factors may influence cognitive empathy. This study investigated the relationship between BDNF rs11030101 genotype, job stress, and empathy, especially cognitive empathy, in a Chinese Han population.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was used and 340 participants were recruited from a university in Beijing. Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was used to measure empathy. Job stress was measured using House and Rizzo's Job Stress Scale. The BDNF rs11030101 was genotyped in all participants.

RESULTS

Gender and age were associated with various IRI subscales (p < 0.001). After controlling for gender, age and education level, BDNF rs11030101 genotype had no main effect on all empathy subscales (p > 0.05). Job stress was negatively associated with Perspective Taking (p = 0.006) and positively associated with Personal Distress (p < 0.001). In addition, the BDNF rs11030101 genotype modulated the relationship between job stress and Fantasy (p = 0.013), indicating that T allele carriers had higher Fantasy scores at higher job stress and lower Fantasy scores at lower job stress than AA homozygotes. This interaction was only present in women.

LIMITATIONS

The sample size and single-nucleotide polymorphism are limited, and the cross-sectional design should be improved.

CONCLUSIONS

Female university faculty with the BDNF rs11030101 T allele may utilize higher emotional job demands, thereby fostering their cognitive empathy.

Exploring social emotion processing in autism: evaluating the reading the mind in the eyes test using network analysis

BACKGROUND

Features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include difficulties in processing and interpreting socioemotional information. The "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test (RMET) is a validated measurement for processing socioemotional ability. However, previous RMET studies did not explore patterns of incorrect answers and the emotional valence of the test items. This study used the Taiwanese version of the RMET and the network analysis methods to examine the differences in underlying mechanisms of socioemotional processes between 30 males with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (mean age = 18 years) and 30 healthy control males (mean age = 17 years). For each test item, a picture of a person's eyes and partial face was shown with four words describing the emotional status on picture corners. Participants were instructed to choose one of the four words that best matched the person's thinking or feeling. We further classified the words into three valences of emotional categories to examine socioemotional processes.

RESULTS

Our results showed that ASD males performed poorer on the RMET than the controls. ASD males had higher network density and in-degree scores, especially in negative words, than control males.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that males with ASD might have deficits in mapping the best emotional concept words to the target item, especially for processing negative emotion.

Variable Emergence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms From Childhood to Early Adulthood

OBJECTIVE

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently considered an early-onset neurodevelopmental condition. Follow-up studies of clinic-ascertained autism suggest that autistic symptoms typically decline with age, although symptom improvement is limited for some. To date there have been no population-based prospective studies investigating the natural history of autistic symptoms from childhood to adulthood. The aim of this study was to characterize the development and heterogeneity of autistic symptoms in a population-based cohort from childhood to age 25.

METHODS

Data were analyzed in a prospective U.K. population-based cohort (ALSPAC). Trajectories were derived using five assessments of the parent-rated Social and Communication Disorders Checklist (SCDC) spanning ages 7-25. Additional measures were used to validate symptom trajectories.

RESULTS

Three distinct SCDC symptom trajectory classes were identified: low (88.5%), declining (5.0%), and late-emerging (6.5%). Both the declining and late-emerging trajectory classes were associated with child and adult ASD measures, low IQ, communication problems, peer problems, and worse adult functioning compared with the low trajectory class. Male sex was associated with a higher likelihood of being in the declining trajectory class (odds ratio=2.84, 95% CI=2.19, 3.69). This sex difference was not observed in the late-emerging class (odds ratio=1.00, 95% CI=0.80, 1.24) compared with the low trajectory class.

CONCLUSIONS

ASD symptom levels that emerged early tended to decline across development, although impairment was still present in adulthood for some. For others, autistic symptoms emerged across adolescence and adulthood. This challenges our current understanding that ASD symptoms inevitably first manifest early in development.

Associations between oxytocin and empathy in humans: A systematic literature review

This is a systematic review about the association between empathic behavior and oxytocin (OXT). Searches were conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, SciELO, and LILACS using the search terms "oxytocin", "empathy", and "empathic". Forty-four studies were reviewed. Scarce findings point to a lack of association between baseline endogenous OXT levels and empathy traits, and for a trend towards a direct relationship between oxytocinergic reactivity and empathic functioning. The results showed that variations in empathy were related to polymorphisms in the OXT receptor gene, especially in rs53576, and that this relationship seems to mediated by individual, ethnic, and cultural characteristics. Most studies on the exogenous administration of OXT tested a single dose (24 IU) with positive effects mainly on the affective domain of empathy. At the neural level, findings were inconsistent. Taken together, the results of the studies reviewed support the existence of a relationship between OXT and empathy that is complex and multifaceted. Robust evidence is still needed to elucidate existing links. Future investigations could benefit from methodological improvements aimed at increasing the reproducibility and applicability of findings, as well as the systematic assessment of the effects of exogenous OXT considering dose and frequency of administration, genotyping, and hormonal availability at the peripheral and central levels. This should lead to significant progress in the understanding of the therapeutic possibilities of OXT in the domain of empathic behavior.

Lack of association of common polymorphisms linked to empathic behavior with self-reported trait empathy in healthy volunteers

BACKGROUND

In a previously specified sample of 421 healthy subjects, we found associations of a common oxytocin receptor (OXTR) polymorphism with self-reported trait empathy. In this study, we used this sample to explore polymorphisms in other genes which have been frequently linked to empathic behavior for associations with self-reported trait empathy: CD38 (CD38), involved in oxytocin secretion, the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4), the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) and the corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1).

METHODS

We genotyped our sample for the following common polymorphisms: rs3796863 in the CD38 gene, 5-HTTLPR in the SLC6A4 gene, rs4680 in the COMT gene and rs242924 in the CRHR1 gene. Dispositional empathy was tested using Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). We used a Bonferroni corrected alpha level of p = 0.002 to adjust for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

None of the genotypes were associated with any of the IRI scales for the complete sample (n = 421) or for the sub-groups of male (n = 213) and female (n = 190) participants. Our sample of 421 participants achieved 95% power to detect effects greater than r = ±0.18. For smaller effects, however, false negatives could not be rejected with equal confidence as false positives.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that an association between the four polymorphisms with trait empathy measured by the IRI may not be present. We propose that the associations that have been found in other studies can be largely explained by differences in empathy-related constructs and measurements.

Look duration at the face as a developmental endophenotype: elucidating pathways to autism and ADHD

Identifying developmental endophenotypes on the pathway between genetics and behavior is critical to uncovering the mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental conditions. In this proof-of-principle study, we explored whether early disruptions in visual attention are a unique or shared candidate endophenotype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We calculated the duration of the longest look (i.e., peak look) to faces in an array-based eye-tracking task for 335 14-month-old infants with and without first-degree relatives with ASD and/or ADHD. We leveraged parent-report and genotype data available for a proportion of these infants to evaluate the relation of looking behavior to familial (n = 285) and genetic liability (using polygenic scores, n = 185) as well as ASD and ADHD-relevant temperament traits at 2 years of age (shyness and inhibitory control, respectively, n = 272) and ASD and ADHD clinical traits at 6 years of age (n = 94).

Results showed that longer peak looks at the face were associated with elevated polygenic scores for ADHD (β = 0.078, p = .023), but not ASD (β = 0.002, p = .944), and with elevated ADHD traits in mid-childhood (F(1,88) = 6.401, p = .013, $\eta _p^2$=0.068; ASD: F (1,88) = 3.218, p = .076), but not in toddlerhood (ps > 0.2). This pattern of results did not emerge when considering mean peak look duration across face and nonface stimuli. Thus, alterations in attention to faces during spontaneous visual exploration may be more consistent with a developmental endophenotype of ADHD than ASD. Our work shows that dissecting paths to neurodevelopmental conditions requires longitudinal data incorporating polygenic contribution, early neurocognitive function, and clinical phenotypic variation.

Polygenic risk for autism spectrum disorder associates with anger recognition in a neurodevelopment-focused phenome-wide scan of unaffected youths from a population-based cohort

The polygenic nature and the contribution of common genetic variation to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) allude to a high degree of pleiotropy between ASD and other psychiatric and behavioral traits. In a pleiotropic system, a single genetic variant contributes small effects to several phenotypes or disorders. While analyzed broadly, there is a paucity of research studies investigating the shared genetic information between specific neurodevelopmental domains and ASD. We performed a phenome-wide association study of ASD polygenetic risk score (PRS) against 491 neurodevelopmental subdomains ascertained in 4,309 probands from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC) who lack an ASD diagnosis. Our main analysis calculated ASD PRS in 4,309 PNC probands using the per-SNP effects reported in a recent genome-wide association study of ASD in a case-control design. In a high-resolution manner, our main analysis regressed ASD PRS against 491 neurodevelopmental phenotypes with age, sex, and ten principal components of ancestry as covariates. Follow-up analyses included in the regression model PRS derived from brain-related traits genetically correlated with ASD. Our main finding demonstrated that 11-17-year old probands with the highest ASD genetic risk were able to identify angry faces (R² = 1.06%, p = 1.38 × 10⁻⁷, p_{Bonferroni-corrected} = 1.9 × 10⁻³). This ability replicated in older probands (>18 years; R² = 0.55%, p = 0.036) and persisted after covarying with other psychiatric disorders, brain imaging traits, and educational attainment (R² = 0.2%, p = 0.019). We also detected several suggestive associations between ASD PRS and emotionality and connectedness with others. These data (i) indicate how genetic liability to ASD may influence neurodevelopment in the general population, (ii) reinforce epidemiological findings of heightened ability of ASD cases to predict certain social psychological events based on increased systemizing skills, and (iii) recapitulate theories of imbalance between empathizing and systemizing in ASD etiology.

Large-scale genetic studies have identified many regions of the genome associated with autism spectrum disorder that are considered common in the general population. We investigated how the additive effects of these genetic variations associate with neurodevelopment in youths who lack an ASD diagnosis to better understand how genetic risk for ASD may contribute to other aspects of mental health. We uncovered a relationship between greater genetic risk for ASD and more accurate recognition of angry emotions in others, which persists after considering genetic associations with other psychiatric disorders, educational attainment, and brain region volume. This finding is consistent with existing theories of the relationship between ASD genetic liability and a person’s ability to build generalizable and impulse driven models for responding to social phenomena.

Cognitive and Affective Aspects of Theory of Mind in Greek-Speaking Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Substantial research indicates that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulties with Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities, but rarely have studies used a comprehensive battery to measure both the cognitive and affective aspects of ToM. The present study tested this ability in 24 Greek-speaking children with ASD (ages 7-14), and their performance was compared to 24 age-, gender- and language-matched typically developing controls. Results showed that ASD children's performance was selectively impaired in both ToM aspects, supporting the distinction between ToM components. This is the first study of ToM abilities among Greek-speaking children with ASD, and the findings confirm that children with ASD are experiencing difficulties with socio-emotional understanding across languages and cultures.

Effects of early life adversity on immune function and cognitive performance: results from the ALSPAC cohort

BACKGROUND

Early life adversity (ELA) is a significant risk factor for mental health disorders. One hypothesised mechanism by which this occurs is via an effect on immune response. In this analysis of epidemiological data, we tested whether ELA was associated with cognitive performance, and if so, whether these effects were influenced by immune function.

METHODS

We investigated the longitudinal relationship between ELA, inflammatory markers, and cognition in data from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents And Children (ALSPAC; n ~ 5000). ELA was defined in terms of physical/emotional abuse, harsh parenting, or domestic violence before 5 years. Social cognition was measured in terms of theory of mind, and general cognitive ability was measured using IQ. Inflammatory markers included serum C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels.

RESULTS

A significant association was observed between IQ and harsh parenting, whereby children who were physically disciplined had lower IQ scores (accounting for relevant social factors). Both immune markers were associated with variation in cognition, however, neither accounted for the effects of ELA on cognition.

DISCUSSION

This study highlights the impact of ELA on cognition. In the absence of evidence that these effects are explained by inflammation, other mechanisms by which the effects of ELA are mediated are discussed.

Genome-wide association study of emotional empathy in children

The genetic contribution to different aspects of empathy is now established, although the exact loci are unknown. We undertook a genome-wide association study of emotional empathy (EE) as measured by emotion recognition skills in 4,780 8-year old children from the ALSPAC cohort who were genotyped and imputed to Phase 1 version 3 of the 1000 Genomes Project. We failed to find any genome-wide significant signal in either our unstratified analysis or analysis stratified according to sex. A gene-based association analysis similarly failed to find any significant loci. In contrast, our transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) with a whole blood reference panel identified two significant loci in the unstratified analysis, residualised for the effects of age, sex and IQ. One signal was for CD93 on chromosome 20; this gene is not strongly expressed in the brain, however. The other signal was for AL118508, a non-protein coding pseudogene, which completely lies within CD93’s genomic coordinates, thereby explaining its signal. Neither are obvious candidates for involvement in the brain processes that underlie emotion recognition and its developmental pathways.

Empathy, mentalizing, and cognitive functioning in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

The existing evidence on the specific profile and the determinants of empathic and mentalizing abilities in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) is not conclusive. Moreover, it is not clear whether patients with eating disorders also exhibit diminished ability to accurately appraise their own empathic skills. We examine in AN and BN: (a) the impairments in various aspects of empathy and theory of mind (ToM), while accounting for the effect of other cognitive functions and (b) the accuracy of self-appraisal of empathy. Self-reported and performance-based empathy, ToM, and cognitive functions were assessed in 46 patients with AN, 30 patients with BN, and 42 healthy controls (HC). Both AN and BN patients reported diminished overall empathic abilities, whereas only BN patients reported reduced cognitive empathy compared to HC. Deficits in performance-based empathy were found in both patient groups. Cognitive ToM was impaired only in AN. Significant correlations between self-reported and performance-based empathy were found in BN and HC but not in AN. Cognitive deficits negatively affected the self-appraisal of empathy in AN but not empathic skills per se. Our findings highlight a double deficit related to empathic responding in AN: diminished performance and inaccurate self-appraisal of empathic abilities, indicating dysfunctional self-reflection.

Exploring the social cognition network in young adults with autism spectrum disorder using graph analysis

BACKGROUND

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by an impairment in social cognition (SC). SC is a cognitive construct that refers to the capacity to process information about social situations. It is a complex network that includes distinct components. Exploring how SC components work together leads to a better understanding of how their interactions promote adequate social functioning. Our main goal was to use a novel statistical method, graph theory, to analyze SC relationships in ASD and Typically Developing (TD) individuals.

METHODS

We applied graph theory to SC measures to verify how the SC components interact and to establish which of them are important within the interacting SC network for TD and ASD groups.

RESULTS

The results showed that, in the TD group, the SC nodes are connected; their network showed increased betweenness among nodes, especially for the Theory of Mind. By contrast, in the SC network in the ASD group the nodes are highly disconnected, and the efficient connection among the components is absent.

CONCLUSION

ASD adults do not show SC competencies and functional communication among these skills. Under this regard, specific components are crucial, suggesting they could represent critical domains for ASD SC.

Trait Autism is a Better Predictor of Empathy than Alexithymia

It has been proposed that atypical empathy in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is due to co-occurring alexithymia. However, difficulties measuring empathy and statistical issues in previous research raise questions about the role of alexithymia in empathic processing in ASD. Addressing these issues, we compared the associations of trait alexithymia and autism with empathy in large samples from the general population. Multiple regression analyses showed that both trait autism and alexithymia were uniquely associated with atypical empathy, but dominance analysis found that trait autism, compared to alexithymia, was a more important predictor of atypical cognitive, affective, and overall empathy. Together, these findings indicate that atypical empathy in ASD is not simply due to co-occurring alexithymia.

Evidence for a sex-specific contribution of polygenic load for anorexia nervosa to body weight and prefrontal brain structure in nonclinical individuals

Genetic predisposition and brain structural abnormalities have been shown to be involved in the biological underpinnings of anorexia nervosa (AN). Prefrontal brain regions are suggested to contribute through behavioral inhibition mechanisms to body weight. However, it is unknown if and to which extent biological correlates for AN might be present in individuals without clinical AN symptomatology. We therefore investigated the contribution of polygenic load for AN on body weight and prefrontal brain structure in a sample of n = 380 nonclinical individuals. A polygenic score (PGS) reflecting the individual genetic load for the trait of anorexia nervosa was calculated. Structural MRI data were acquired and preprocessed using the cortical parcellation stream of FreeSurfer. We observed a significant PGS × sex interaction effect on body mass index (BMI), which was driven by a negative correlation between PGS and BMI in female participants. Imaging analyses revealed significant interaction effects of sex  × PGS on surface area of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the pars orbitalis (PO), the rostral middle frontal gyrus (RMF) and the pars triangularis (PT) of the left frontal cortex. The interaction effects were driven by positive correlations between PGS and prefrontal surface areas in female participants and negative correlations in male participants. We furthermore found sex-specific associations between BMI and left RMF surface area as well as between BMI and left PO and left RMF thickness. Our findings demonstrate a sex-specific association between polygenic load for AN, BMI, and prefrontal brain structure in nonclinical individuals. Hence, this study identifies structural abnormalities associated with polygenic load for AN and BMI in brain regions deeply involved in behavioral inhibition and impulse regulation as candidate brain regions for future research.