Social touch observation in adults with autism: intact neural representations of affective meaning but lack of embodied resonance

AbstractHumans can easily grasp the affective meaning of touch when observing social interactions. Several neural systems support this ability, including theory of mind (ToM) and somatosensory resonance systems, but it is unclear how these systems are affected in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals with ASD are characterized by impairments in social interaction and the use of (non)verbal communication such as social and reciprocal touch. The present study applies an ecologically valid stimulus set and multivoxel pattern fMRI neuroimaging to pinpoint atypicalities in the neural circuitry underlying socio-affective touch observation in adults with ASD as compared to matched neurotypical controls. The MVPA results reveal that the affective meaning of touch is well represented in the temporoparietal junction, a core ToM mentalizing area, in both groups. Conversely, only the neurotypical group hosts affective touch representations in the somatosensory cortex, not the ASD group, yielding a significant group difference. Lastly, individuals with a more positive attitude towards receiving, witnessing, and providing social touch and with a higher score on social responsivity, show more differentiated representations of the affective meaning of touch in these somatosensory areas. Together, our findings imply that individuals with ASD are able to cognitively represent the affective meaning of touch, but they lack the spontaneous embodied somatosensory resonance when observing social touch communications. Individual differences in this diminished resonance appear to be related to social touch avoidance and quantitative autism traits.Significance StatementAutism is characterized by socio-communicative impairments, including abnormal processing of interpersonal touch. Little is known about the neural basis of atypicalities in social touch processing in autism. Here, adults with and without autism watched video clips displaying social touch interactions and judged the affective valence of the touch. Subsequently, they underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while watching the same videos. Brain activity patterns demonstrate that adults with autism show intact cognitive understanding (i.e. “knowing”) of observed socio-affective touch experiences but lack of embodied emotional resonance (i.e. “feeling”). This lack of emotional resonance is linked to social touch avoidance and quantitative autism traits. These findings highlight that the depth of experiencing the state of others is shallower in people with autism.

Download Full-text

Intact neural representations of affective meaning of touch but lack of embodied resonance in autism: a multi-voxel pattern analysis study

Molecular Autism ◽

10.1186/s13229-019-0294-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Haemy Lee Masson ◽

Ineke Pillet ◽

Steffie Amelynck ◽

Stien Van De Plas ◽

Michelle Hendriks ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Somatosensory Cortex ◽

Pattern Analysis ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Neural Systems ◽

Social Responsiveness ◽

Affective Meaning ◽

Temporoparietal Junction ◽

Affective Touch ◽

Social Touch ◽

Adults With Asd

Abstract Background Humans can easily grasp the affective meaning of touch when observing social interactions. Several neural systems support this ability, including the theory of mind (ToM) network and the somatosensory system linked to embodied resonance, but it is unclear how these systems are affected in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals with ASD exhibit impairments in the use of nonverbal communication such as social and reciprocal touch. Despite the importance of touch in social communication and the reported touch aversion in ASD, surprisingly little is known about the neural systems underlying impairments in touch communication in ASD. Methods The present study applies a dynamic and socially meaningful stimulus set combined with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to pinpoint atypicalities in the neural circuitry underlying socio-affective touch observation in adults with ASD. Twenty-one adults with ASD and 21 matched neurotypical adults evaluated the valence and arousal of 75 video fragments displaying touch interactions. Subsequently, they underwent fMRI while watching the same videos. Using multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) and multiple regression analysis, we examined which brain regions represent the socio-affective meaning of observed touch. To further understand the brain-behavior relationship, we correlated the strength of affective representations in the somatosensory cortex with individuals’ attitude towards social touch in general and with a quantitative index of autism traits as measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale. Results Results revealed that the affective meaning of touch was well represented in the temporoparietal junction, a core mentalizing area, in both groups. Conversely, only the neurotypical group represented affective touch in the somatosensory cortex, a region involved in self-experienced touch. Lastly, irrespective of the group, individuals with a more positive attitude towards receiving, witnessing, and providing social touch and with a higher score on social responsivity showed more differentiated representations of the affective meaning of touch in these somatosensory areas. Conclusions Together, our findings imply that male adults with ASD show intact cognitive understanding (i.e., “knowing”) of observed socio-affective touch interactions, but lack of spontaneous embodied resonance (i.e., “feeling”).

Download Full-text

Pharmacotherapy of ADHD in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effectiveness and Side Effects

Journal of Attention Disorders ◽

10.1177/1087054719866255 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 215-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. J. Muit ◽

N. Bothof ◽

C. C. Kan

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Side Effects ◽

Vital Signs ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Future Research ◽

Adults With Autism ◽

Significant Group ◽

Similar Treatment ◽

Treatment Regimens

Objective: Symptoms of ADHD are expected to be more difficult to treat in patients with a combination of ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as opposed to only ADHD. Little evidence is available on the influence of ASD on the effects of pharmacotherapy in adults with ADHD. This study addresses this gap. Method: 60 adults with ADHD and comorbid ASD were selected from an outpatient clinic and compared with 226 adults from the same clinic with only ADHD. Similar treatment regimens were received. Results: Significant decreases in symptoms of ADHD were found in both groups. A diagnosis of ASD did not affect the reduction in symptoms of ADHD. No significant group differences in side effects or vital signs were found. Conclusion: Results show that medication for ADHD can effectively and safely be prescribed to patients with ADHD and comorbid ASD. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Download Full-text

Alexithymia traits outweigh autism traits in the explanation of depression in adults with autism

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-81696-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Carola Bloch ◽

Lana Burghof ◽

Fritz-Georg Lehnhardt ◽

Kai Vogeley ◽

Christine Falter-Wagner

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Clinical Population ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Adults With Autism ◽

Autism Traits ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

The Impact

AbstractWhen contemplating the alarming depression rates in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a need to find factors explaining heightened symptoms of depression. Beyond the impact of autism traits, markedly increased levels of alexithymia traits should be considered as a candidate for explaining why individuals with ASD report higher levels of depressive symptoms. Here, we aim to identify the extent to which autism or alexithymia traits indicate depressive symptoms in ASD and whether the pattern of association are specific to ASD. Data of a large (N = 400) representative clinical population of adults referred to autism diagnostics have been investigated and split by cases with a confirmed ASD diagnosis (N = 281) and cases with a ruled out ASD diagnosis (N = 119). Dominance analysis revealed the alexithymia factor, difficulties in identifying feelings, as the strongest predictor for depressive symptomatology in ASD, outweighing autism traits and other alexithymia factors. This pattern of prediction was not specific to ASD and was shared by clinical controls from the referral population with a ruled out ASD diagnosis. Thus, the association of alexithymia traits with depression is not unique to ASD and may constitute a general psychopathological mechanism in clinical samples.

Download Full-text

Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder Show Altered Event-Related Potentials in the Late Stages of Olfactory Processing

Chemical Senses ◽

10.1093/chemse/bjz070 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Toshiki Okumura ◽

Hirokazu Kumazaki ◽

Archana K Singh ◽

Kazushige Touhara ◽

Masako Okamoto

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Cognitive Processing ◽

Time Windows ◽

Event Related Potentials ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Neural Basis ◽

Significant Group ◽

Related Potentials ◽

Olfactory Processing

Abstract Atypical sensory reactivities are pervasive among people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With respect to olfaction, most previous studies have used psychophysical or questionnaire-based methodologies; thus, the neural basis of olfactory processing in ASD remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the stages of olfactory processing that are altered in ASD. Fourteen young adults with high-functioning ASD (mean age, 21 years; 3 females) were compared with 19 age-matched typically developing (TD) controls (mean age, 21 years; 4 females). Olfactory event-related potentials (OERPs) for 2-phenylethyl alcohol—a rose-like odor—were measured with 64 scalp electrodes while participants performed a simple odor detection task. Significant group differences in OERPs were found in 3 time windows 542 ms after the stimulus onset. The cortical source activities in these time windows, estimated using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography, were significantly higher in ASD than in TD in and around the posterior cingulate cortex, which is known to play a crucial role in modality-general cognitive processing. Supplemental Bayesian analysis provided substantial evidence for an alteration in the later stages of olfactory processing, whereas conclusive evidence was not provided for the earlier stages. These results suggest that olfactory processing in ASD is altered at least at the later, modality-general processing stage.

Download Full-text