scholarly journals Facial emotion recognition in autistic adult females correlates with alexithymia, not autism

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2021-2034
Author(s):  
Louise Ola ◽  
Fiona Gullon-Scott
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Emotion Processing ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Facial Emotion Recognition ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Facial Emotion ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Complex Emotions ◽  
Spectrum Condition

Research on predominantly male autistic samples has indicated that impairments in facial emotion recognition typically associated with autism spectrum conditions are instead due to co-occurring alexithymia. However, whether this could be demonstrated using more realistic facial emotion recognition stimuli and applied to autistic females was unclear. In all, 83 females diagnosed with autism spectrum condition completed online self-report measures of autism spectrum condition severity and alexithymia, and afacial emotion recognition deficit that assessed their ability to identify multimodal displays of complex emotions. Higher levels of alexithymia, but not autism spectrum condition severity, were associated with less accurate facial emotion recognition. Difficulty identifying one’s own feelings and externally oriented thinking were the components of alexithymia that were specifically related to facial emotion recognition accuracy. However, alexithymia (and autism spectrum condition severity) was not associated with speed of emotion processing. The findings are primarily discussed with the theoretical view that perceiving and experiencing emotions share the same neural networks, thus being able to recognise one’s own emotions may facilitate the ability to recognise others’. This study is in line with previous similar research on autistic males and suggests impairments in facial emotion recognition in autistic females should be attributed to co-occurring alexithymia. Lay abstract Research with autistic males has indicated that difficulties in recognising facial expressions of emotion, commonly associated with autism spectrum conditions, may instead be due to co-occurring alexithymia (a condition involving lack of emotional awareness, difficulty describing feelings and difficulty distinguishing feelings from physical bodily sensations) and not to do with autism. We wanted to explore if this would be true for autistic females, as well as to use more realistic stimuli for emotional expression. In all, 83 females diagnosed with autism spectrum condition completed self-report measures of autism spectrum condition traits and alexithymia and completed a visual test that assessed their ability to identify multimodal displays of complex emotions. Higher levels of alexithymia, but not autism spectrum condition features, were associated with less accuracy in identifying emotions. Difficulty identifying one’s own feelings and externally oriented thinking were the components of alexithymia that were specifically related to facial emotion recognition accuracy. However, alexithymia (and levels of autism spectrum condition traits) was not associated with speed of emotion processing. We discuss the findings in terms of possible underlying mechanisms and the implications for our understanding of emotion processing and recognition in autism.

scholarly journals Effects of early institutionalization on emotion processing in 12-year-old youth

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 1749-1761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Bick ◽  
Rhiannon Luyster ◽  
Nathan A. Fox ◽  
Charles H. Zeanah ◽  
Charles A. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Emotion Processing ◽  
Institutional Care ◽  
Facial Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Emotion ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Fearful Faces

AbstractWe examined facial emotion recognition in 12-year-olds in a longitudinally followed sample of children with and without exposure to early life psychosocial deprivation (institutional care). Half of the institutionally reared children were randomized into foster care homes during the first years of life. Facial emotion recognition was examined in a behavioral task using morphed images. This same task had been administered when children were 8 years old. Neutral facial expressions were morphed with happy, sad, angry, and fearful emotional facial expressions, and children were asked to identify the emotion of each face, which varied in intensity. Consistent with our previous report, we show that some areas of emotion processing, involving the recognition of happy and fearful faces, are affected by early deprivation, whereas other areas, involving the recognition of sad and angry faces, appear to be unaffected. We also show that early intervention can have a lasting positive impact, normalizing developmental trajectories of processing negative emotions (fear) into the late childhood/preadolescent period.

scholarly journals Review: Posed vs. Genuine Facial Emotion Recognition and Expression in Autism and Implications for Intervention

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula J. Webster ◽  
Shuo Wang ◽  
Xin Li
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Facial Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Emotion ◽  
Dynamic Stimuli ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Facial Expressions Of Emotion ◽  
Cartoon Characters

Different styles of social interaction are one of the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social differences among individuals with ASD often include difficulty in discerning the emotions of neurotypical people based on their facial expressions. This review first covers the rich body of literature studying differences in facial emotion recognition (FER) in those with ASD, including behavioral studies and neurological findings. In particular, we highlight subtle emotion recognition and various factors related to inconsistent findings in behavioral studies of FER in ASD. Then, we discuss the dual problem of FER – namely facial emotion expression (FEE) or the production of facial expressions of emotion. Despite being less studied, social interaction involves both the ability to recognize emotions and to produce appropriate facial expressions. How others perceive facial expressions of emotion in those with ASD has remained an under-researched area. Finally, we propose a method for teaching FER [FER teaching hierarchy (FERTH)] based on recent research investigating FER in ASD, considering the use of posed vs. genuine emotions and static vs. dynamic stimuli. We also propose two possible teaching approaches: (1) a standard method of teaching progressively from simple drawings and cartoon characters to more complex audio-visual video clips of genuine human expressions of emotion with context clues or (2) teaching in a field of images that includes posed and genuine emotions to improve generalizability before progressing to more complex audio-visual stimuli. Lastly, we advocate for autism interventionists to use FER stimuli developed primarily for research purposes to facilitate the incorporation of well-controlled stimuli to teach FER and bridge the gap between intervention and research in this area.

scholarly journals Menstruation and menopause in autistic adults: Periods of importance?

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110597
Author(s):  
Annabeth P Groenman ◽  
Carolien Torenvliet ◽  
Tulsi A Radhoe ◽  
Joost A Agelink van Rentergem ◽  
Hilde M Geurts
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Male Condition ◽  
Spectrum Condition

Autism spectrum conditions were once seen as a predominantly male condition. This has caused a paucity of information on common events in the lives of women, such as menstruation and menopause. Some smaller studies indicate that autistic women might suffer from increased difficulties surrounding these events. This study aims to investigate whether autistic women experience more frequent premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and increased complaints surrounding menopause. In partly overlapping samples (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, n = 70, nASC = 28, ncomparisons = 42; menopause, n = 65, nASC = 30, ncomparisons = 35), we investigated premenstrual dysphoric disorder prevalence and menopausal complaints. In 70 individuals, we did not find an increased prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in autistic women (14.3%) compared with non-autistic women (9.5%). In 65 women aged 40 years and above, we found that autistic women did experience higher levels of menopausal complaints. In autistic women, higher menopausal complaints were associated with higher levels of depression and autistic traits. In non-autistic women, menopausal complaints were associated with increased inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity (i.e. attention deficit hyperactivity disorder traits), and depression. With this work, we show the important role that major reproductive milestones can have in an autistic woman’s life. Lay abstract Autism spectrum conditions were once seen as a predominantly male condition, but this has caused research to have little focus on women. Therefore, little is known about menstruation and menopause in autism spectrum conditions. Some smaller studies indicate that autistic individuals might suffer from increased difficulties surrounding these events. This study aimed to investigate whether autistic women experience more frequent premenstrual dysphoric disorder, causing extreme physical, emotional, and functional impairment. In a partly overlapping sample, we also examined whether women with autism spectrum condition experience increased complaints surrounding menopause. We did not find an increased prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in autism spectrum conditions (14.3%) compared with non-autistic women (9.5%). Those with autism spectrum conditions did experience increased menopausal complaints. These menopausal complaints were associated with higher levels of depression and autistic traits. In non-autistic women, menopausal complaints were associated with increased inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity (i.e. attention deficit hyperactivity disorder traits), and depression. With this work, we show the important role that major reproductive milestones can have in an autistic woman’s life.

scholarly journals Profil Gaya Kognitif Empathizing-Systemizing pada Anak Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Ni Putu Adelia Kesumaningsari
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Styles ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Biological Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Features ◽  
Extreme Male Brain ◽  
Empathy Quotient ◽  
Spectrum Condition

Abstract—The present study examined Empathizing-Systemizing Theory (E-S Theory) in Indonesian Children. E-S Theory has known as a theory that is attempted to explain the cluster of both the social and non-social features in autism spectrum conditions. Children’s version of the Empathy Quotient (EQ-C) and the Systemizing Quotient (SQ-C) were administered to 372 Indonesia parents who had typically developed children aged 4-11 years old (boys = 182, girls = 190). The results showed that the girls scored higher that boys on EQ-C . In the case of SQ-C, there were no differences between boys and girls. However, the proportion of cognitive style shows clear individual differences between boys and girls. The proportion of participants with empathizing dominant cognitive sytle was shown higher by girls than boys, which distributed to E and Extreme E brain types, while the proportion of systemizing dominant cognitive styles is higher in boys whom brain types spread across the Type S and Extreme S categories. This study explaining inherited biological factors of autism and  underscore the vulnerability among  boys to develop autism spectrum condition if compared to girls. Keywords: Empathizing Quotient (EQ), extreme male brain of autism, sex, Systemizing Quotient (SQ)   Abstrak—Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji teori Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S Theory) pada konteks anak Indonesia. E-S Theory dikenal sebagai sebuah teori yang digunakan untuk melihat gugus fitur sosial dan non-sosial kondisi spektrum autisme. Subjek penelitian ini adalah 372 orang tua Indonesia dengan anak berusia 4-11 tahun (anak laki-laki = 182, perempuan = 190), M usia = 7 Tahun, SD= 2.423 yang diminta untuk mengisi skala Empathizing Quotient (EQ) dan Systemizing Quotient (SQ). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa bahwa tingkat empati anak perempuan lebih tinggi daripada tingkat empati anak laki-laki. Dalam hal mensistemasi tidak ditemukan adanya perbedaan kemampuan antara anak laki-laki dan perempuan. Namun, proporsi gaya kognitif menunjukkan adanya perbedaan individual yang signifikan antara anak laki-laki dan perempuan. Gaya kognitif dominan berempati lebih tinggi pada anak perempuan, yang tersebar pada kategori tipe otak E dan Ekstrim E, sedangkan proporsi gaya kognitif mensistemasi lebih tinggi pada anak laki-laki dengan tipe otak yang tersebar pada kategori Tipe S dan Ekstrim S.  Hasil penelitian ini memberikan bukti adanya faktor biologis bawaan dari autism ditinjau dari jenis kelamin dan menunjukkan kerentanan bawaan anak laki-laki terhadap kondisi autism jika dibandingkan dengan anak perempuan. Kata kunci: Empathizing Quotient (EQ), extreme male brain of autism, jenis kelamin, Systemizing Quotient (SQ)

Traditional versus Neural Network Classification Methods for Facial Emotion Recognition

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-206
Author(s):  
Herag Arabian ◽  
Verena Wagner-Hartl ◽  
Knut Moeller
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Facial Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Emotion ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Machine Model

Abstract Facial emotion recognition (FER) is a topic that has gained interest over the years for its role in bridging the gap between Human and Machine interactions. This study explores the potential of real time FER modelling, to be integrated in a closed loop system, to help in treatment of children suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The aim of this study is to show the differences between implementing Traditional machine learning and Deep learning approaches for FER modelling. Two classification approaches were taken, the first approach was based on classic machine learning techniques using Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) for feature extraction, with a k-Nearest Neighbor and a Support Vector Machine model as classifiers. The second approach uses Transfer Learning based on the popular “Alex Net” Neural Network architecture. The performance of the approaches was based on the accuracy of randomly selected validation sets after training on random training sets of the Oulu-CASIA database. The data analyzed shows that traditional machine learning methods are as effective as deep neural net models and are a good compromise between accuracy, extracted features, computational speed and costs.

Facial emotion recognition in paranoid schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder

2014 ◽  
Vol 159 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 509-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Sachse ◽  
Sabine Schlitt ◽  
Daniela Hainz ◽  
Angela Ciaramidaro ◽  
Henrik Walter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Paranoid Schizophrenia ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Facial Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Emotion

scholarly journals Facial Emotion Recognition and Polymorphisms of Dopaminergic Pathway Genes in Children with ASD

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Zhuo Liu ◽  
Jun Liu ◽  
Zengyu Zhang ◽  
Hong Yu ◽  
Fengpei Hu
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Facial Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Emotion ◽  
Facial Emotions ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Dopaminergic Pathway

Background. It is inconclusive whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience a deficit in facial emotion recognition. The dopaminergic pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ASD. This study was aimed at determining facial emotion recognition and its correlation with polymorphisms in the dopaminergic pathway genes in children with ASD. Methods. Facial emotion recognition was examined in 98 children with ASD and 60 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The severity of ASD was evaluated using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). DNA from blood cells was used to analyze the genotypes of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in dopaminergic pathway genes. SNPs of DBH rs1611115, DDC rs6592961, DRD1 rs251937, DRD2 rs4630328, and DRD3 rs167771 were analyzed. Results. Children with ASD took a significantly longer time to recognize all facial emotions, and their interpretations were less accurate for anger at low intensity and fear at both low and high intensities. The severity of the disease was associated with significant delays in recognition of all facial emotions and with a decrease in accuracy in recognition of happiness and anger at low intensity. Accuracy in recognizing fear at high intensity and sadness at low intensity was associated with rs251937 and rs4630328, respectively, in children with ASD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that SNP rs167771, response time for the recognition of happiness, sadness and fear, and accuracy in recognition of anger and fear were all associated with the risk of childhood ASD. Conclusions. Children with ASD experience a deficit in facial emotion recognition. Certain SNPs in the dopaminergic pathway genes are associated with accuracy in recognizing selective facial emotions in children with ASD.

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