Autistic traits and individual brain differences: functional network efficiency reflects attentional and social impairments, structural nodal efficiencies index systemising and theory-of-mind skills

Abstract Background Autism is characterised not only by impaired social cognitive ‘empathising’ but also by superior rule-based ‘systemising’. These cognitive domains intertwine within the categorical diagnosis of autism, yet behavioural genetics suggest largely independent heritability, and separable brain mechanisms. We sought to determine whether quantitative behavioural measures of autistic traits are dimensionally associated with structural and functional brain network integrity, and whether brain bases of autistic traits vary independently across individuals. Methods Thirty right-handed neurotypical adults (12 females) were administered psychometric (Social Responsiveness Scale, Autism Spectrum Quotient and Systemising Quotient) and behavioural (Attention Network Test and theory-of-mind reaction time) measures of autistic traits, and structurally (diffusion tensor imaging) and functionally (500 s of 2 Hz eyes-closed resting fMRI) derived graph-theoretic measures of efficiency of information integration were computed throughout the brain and within subregions. Results Social impairment was positively associated with functional efficiency (r = .47, p = .006), globally and within temporo-parietal and prefrontal cortices. Delayed orienting of attention likewise was associated with greater functional efficiency (r = − .46, p = .0133). Systemising was positively associated with global structural efficiency (r = .38, p = 0.018), driven specifically by temporal pole; theory-of-mind reaction time was related to structural efficiency (r = − .40, p = 0.0153) within right supramarginal gyrus. Limitations Interpretation of these relationships is complicated by the many senses of the term ‘connectivity’, including functional, structural and computational; by the approximation inherent in group functional anatomical parcellations when confronted with individual variation in functional anatomy; and by the validity, sensitivity and specificity of the several survey and experimental behavioural measures applied as correlates of brain structure and function. Conclusions Functional connectivities highlight distributed networks associated with domain-general properties such as attentional orienting and social cognition broadly, associating more impaired behaviour with more efficient brain networks that may reflect heightened feedforward information flow subserving autistic strengths and deficits alike. Structural connectivity results highlight specific anatomical nodes of convergence, reflecting cognitive and neuroanatomical independence of systemising and theory-of-mind. In addition, this work shows that individual differences in theory-of-mind related to brain structure can be measured behaviourally, and offers neuroanatomical evidence to pin down the slippery construct of ‘systemising’ as the capacity to construct invariant contextual associations.

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Diachronic Tendency and Thinking Style Across the Broader Autism Spectrum: Sources of Individual Differences?

Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s41252-021-00209-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Stian Orm ◽

Ella Holt Holmberg ◽

Paul L. Harris ◽

Maria Nunez ◽

Francisco Pons

Keyword(s):

Autistic Traits ◽

Broader Autism Phenotype ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Inner Speech ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Present Moment ◽

Thinking Style ◽

Mental Images ◽

High School Degree ◽

Future Events

Abstract Objectives First, to see whether previous studies showing a limited capacity to spontaneously evoke the past and the future of a present moment (diachronic tendency) and a prevalence of mental images over inner speech (thinking style) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder could be replicated in individuals belonging to the broader autism phenotype. Second, to test the hypothesis that individuals thinking with mental images have a more limited diachronic tendency compared with individuals thinking with inner speech. Methods Adults (N = 309, Mage = 31.5 years, 76% women) with at least a high school degree were assessed with the Autism Spectrum Quotient, a test of diachronic tendency comprising four pictures varying in social interactivity and dynamicity, and a thinking style scale comprising three items representing three different everyday situations. Results The results showed that adults with many autistic traits have a limited diachronic tendency but only when the situation is socially interactive and dynamic, think more in mental images than individuals with no or few autistic traits but nevertheless still think more with inner speech than with mental images, and the more the participants reported thinking in inner speech, the more they evoked past and future events when describing a socially interactive and dynamic situation. Conclusions More autistic traits are associated with a limited diachronic tendency in socially interactive and dynamic situations and more thinking in mental images, and thinking style could be one of the determinants of diachronic tendency in socially interactive and dynamic situations.

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The Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory (CATI): development and validation of a new measure of autistic traits in the general population

Molecular Autism ◽

10.1186/s13229-021-00445-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michael C. W. English ◽

Gilles E. Gignac ◽

Troy A. W. Visser ◽

Andrew J. O. Whitehouse ◽

James T. Enns ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

General Population ◽

Measurement Invariance ◽

High Reliability ◽

Predictive Ability ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Sensory Sensitivity ◽

Wide Range

Abstract Background Traits and characteristics qualitatively similar to those seen in diagnosed autism spectrum disorder can be found to varying degrees in the general population. To measure these traits and facilitate their use in autism research, several questionnaires have been developed that provide broad measures of autistic traits [e.g. Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ)]. However, since their development, our understanding of autism has grown considerably, and it is arguable that existing measures do not provide an ideal representation of the trait dimensions currently associated with autism. Our aim was to create a new measure of autistic traits that reflects our current understanding of autism, the Comprehensive Autism Trait Inventory (CATI). Methods In Study 1, 107 pilot items were administered to 1119 individuals in the general population and exploratory factor analysis of responses used to create the 42-item CATI comprising six subscales: Social Interactions, Communication, Social Camouflage, Repetitive Behaviours, Cognitive Rigidity, and Sensory Sensitivity. In Study 2, the CATI was administered to 1068 new individuals and confirmatory factor analysis used to verify the factor structure. The AQ and BAPQ were administered to validate the CATI, and additional autistic participants were recruited to compare the predictive ability of the measures. In Study 3, to validate the CATI subscales, the CATI was administered to 195 new individuals along with existing valid measures qualitatively similar to each CATI subscale. Results The CATI showed convergent validity at both the total-scale (r ≥ .79) and subscale level (r ≥ .68). The CATI also showed superior internal reliability for total-scale scores (α = .95) relative to the AQ (α = .90) and BAPQ (α = .94), consistently high reliability for subscales (α > .81), greater predictive ability for classifying autism (Youden’s Index = .62 vs .56–.59), and demonstrated measurement invariance for sex. Limitations Analyses of predictive ability for classifying autism depended upon self-reported diagnosis or identification of autism. The autistic sample was not large enough to test measurement invariance of autism diagnosis. Conclusions The CATI is a reliable and economical new measure that provides observations across a wide range of trait dimensions associated with autism, potentially precluding the need to administer multiple measures, and to our knowledge, the CATI is also the first broad measure of autistic traits to have dedicated subscales for social camouflage and sensory sensitivity.

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Longitudinal association between autistic traits and affinity for hikikomori in Japanese university students

Current Psychology ◽

10.1007/s12144-020-01287-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yuuki Shimono ◽

Akira Hasegawa ◽

Kohei Tsuchihara ◽

Keisuke Tanaka ◽

Yuko Matsuda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Interaction ◽

University Students ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Japanese University ◽

Longitudinal Association ◽

Academic Failures

AbstractThe affinity for hikikomori represents the desire to be withdrawn, as well as to entertain an empathetic attitude towards withdrawn individuals. It is composed of two subdimensions, the maladaptive desire for hikikomori, and empathy for others with hikikomori. This longitudinal study examined whether autistic traits predicted the affinity for hikikomori. At the baseline assessment, undergraduate and graduate students in Japan (N = 272) completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Affinity for Hikikomori Scale in University Students, and measures assessing academic failures and interpersonal conflicts. They also completed all measures excluding the AQ eight weeks later. Structural equation modeling indicated that difficulties in social interaction aspects of autistic traits were positively associated with academic failures at Time 2 even after controlling for academic failures at Time 1. In addition, difficulties in social interaction were positively related to the desire for hikikomori at Time 2 indirectly via academic failures at Time 2 after controlling for the desire for hikikomori at Time 1. Difficulties in social interaction were also directly associated with the increased desire for hikikomori at Time 2. These findings suggest that autistic traits, and especially difficulties in social interaction, are predictors of the maladaptive aspect of the affinity for hikikomori.

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Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder and autistic traits in children with anorexia nervosa and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder

BioPsychoSocial Medicine ◽

10.1186/s13030-021-00212-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Takeshi Inoue ◽

Ryoko Otani ◽

Toshiyuki Iguchi ◽

Ryuta Ishii ◽

Soh Uchida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Food Intake ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Eating Attitudes ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Multicenter Cohort Study ◽

Feeding And Eating Disorders

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and feeding and eating disorders (FEDs) such as anorexia nervosa (AN) are strongly linked as evidenced by frequent comorbidity and overlapping traits. However, eating and social behaviors are shaped by culture, so it is critical to examine these associations in different populations. Moreover, FEDs are heterogeneous, and there has been no examination of autistic traits in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Methods Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of ASD and autistic traits among Japanese children with AN (n = 92) or ARFID (n = 32) from a prospective multicenter cohort study using the Autism Spectrum Quotient Children’s version (AQC) and Children’s Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT26). Results ASD prevalence was high in both AN and ARFID (16.3 and 12.5%, respectively). The AN group exhibited significantly higher scores on all AQC subscales than an age-matched healthy control (HC) group, but there were no significant correlations between AQC scores and ChEAT26 scores. In the AFRID group, AQC scores did not differ from HCs, but significant correlations were found between total AQC and ChEAT26 scores and between several AQC and ChEAT26 subscales. Conclusions Both the AN and ARFID groups had high prevalence rates of ASD. The AN group showed a significantly higher degree of autistic traits than the HC group; however, no difference was found between the ARFID and HC groups. Clinicians need to be aware of these rates when working with children with ED.

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Patterns of Contagious Yawning and Itching Differ Amongst Adults With Autistic Traits vs. Psychopathic Traits

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645310 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Molly S. Helt ◽

Taylor M. Sorensen ◽

Rachel J. Scheub ◽

Mira B. Nakhle ◽

Anna C. Luddy

Keyword(s):

Eye Gaze ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Psychopathic Traits ◽

Reactivity Index ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Contagious Yawning ◽

Different Types ◽

The Relationship ◽

Underlying Processes

Both individuals with diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and individuals high in psychopathic traits show reduced susceptibility to contagious yawning; that is, yawning after seeing or hearing another person yawn. Yet it is unclear whether the same underlying processes (e.g., reduced eye gaze) are responsible for the relationship between reduced contagion and these very different types of clinical traits. College Students (n = 97) watched videos of individuals yawning or scratching (a form of contagion not reliant on eye gaze for transmission) while their eye movements were tracked. They completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Psychopathy Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R), and the Adolescent and Adult Sensory Processing Disorder Checklist. Both psychopathic traits and autistic traits showed an inverse relationship to contagious yawning, consistent with previous research. However, the relationship between autistic (but not psychopathic) traits and contagious yawning was moderated by eye gaze. Furthermore, participants high in autistic traits showed typical levels of contagious itching whereas adults high in psychopathic traits showed diminished itch contagion. Finally, only psychopathic traits were associated with lower overall levels of empathy. The findings imply that the underlying processes contributing to the disruptions in contagious yawning amongst individuals high in autistic vs. psychopathic traits are distinct. In contrast to adults high in psychopathic traits, diminished contagion may appear amongst people with high levels of autistic traits secondary to diminished attention to the faces of others, and in the absence of a background deficit in emotional empathy.

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Autistic traits are associated with the functional connectivity of between—but not within—attention systems in the general population

10.21203/rs.3.rs-61510/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sayaka Yoshimura ◽

Kei Kobayashi ◽

Tsukasa Ueno ◽

Takashi Miyagi ◽

Naoya Oishi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

General Population ◽

Executive Control ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽

Fmri Study ◽

Trait Level ◽

Attention Systems

Abstract Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit dysfunction in the three attention systems (i.e., alerting, orienting, and executive control) as well as atypical relationships among these systems. Additionally, other studies have reported that individuals with subclinical but high levels of autistic traits show similar attentional tendencies to those observed in ASD. Based on these findings, it was hypothesized that autistic traits would affect the functions and relationships of the three attention systems in a general population. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in 119 healthy adults to investigate relationships between autistic traits and within- and between-system functional connectivity (FC) among the three attention systems. Twenty-six regions of interest that were defined as components of the three attention systems by a previous task-based fMRI study were examined in terms of within- and between-system FC. We assessed autistic traits using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient.Results: Correlational analyses revealed that autistic traits were significantly correlated with between-system FC, but not with within-system FC. Conclusions: Our results imply that a high autistic trait level, even when subclinical, is associated with the way the three attention systems interact.

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Emotional response bias, autistic traits and paranormal beliefs in patients with OCD

Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association ◽

10.47391/jpma.1438 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Ayesha Ashraf ◽

Rabia Iftikhar

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Response Bias ◽

Emotional Response ◽

Recognition Task ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Paranormal Beliefs

Objective: To find the relationship involving autistic traits, paranormal beliefs and emotional response bias in obsessive compulsive disorder patients. Method: The cross-sectional quasi-experimental study was conducted from November 2017 to November 2018 at the Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised patients with obsessive compulsive disorder and healthy controls from the general population aged 20-40 years. Data was collected using the self-reporting Autism Spectrum Quotient, the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale, the Emotional Recognition Task and the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder symptom checklist. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. Results: Of the 140 participants, there were 70(50%) patients and as many controls. Overall, there were 72(52%) males and 68(48%) females. High level of autistic traits (p<0.001) and paranormal beliefs (p<0.001) had a significant impact on obsessive compulsive disorder. Impairments in recognition of emotions were related to the presence of high autistic traits and obsessive compulsive symptoms in the patients group (p<0.05). Emotion of disgust (p<0.001) was significantly impaired in the patients, while the differences were not significant in terms of emotions of happiness and surprise (p>0.05). Conclusion: Autistic traits, paranormal beliefs and emotional response bias were found to have a significant relationship in obsessive compulsive disorder patients. Continuous....

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Autistic traits in Indian general population and patient group samples: distribution, factor structure, reliability and validity of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient

Advances in Autism ◽

10.1108/aia-08-2020-0049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Asmita Karmakar ◽

Manisha Bhattacharya ◽

Susmita Chatterjee ◽

Atanu Kumar Dogra

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Factor Structure ◽

Patient Group ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Criterion Validity ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Group Differences ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Content Type ◽

Compulsive Disorder

Purpose The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is a widely used tool to quantify autistic traits in the general population. This study aims to report the distribution, group differences and factor structure of autistic traits in Indian general population. The work also assesses the criterion validity of AQ across three patient group samples – autism spectrum disorder (ASD), obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder. Design/methodology/approach In this study, psychometric properties of the adapted AQ were assessed among 450 neurotypical university students matched for age. Confirmatory factor analysis was done to see if the adapted AQ fits the original factor structure. Test–retest, internal consistency reliability and criterion validity were found out. Group differences (gender and field of study) in AQ were also assessed. Findings Autistic traits were found to be continuously distributed in the population, and patterns of group differences were consistent with previous studies. The adapted AQ had five factors resembling the original factor structure with a good fit, and 38 items instead of the original 50 items. Acceptable reliability coefficients were demonstrated along with criterion validity across clinical groups. Originality/value This work is the first to present the pattern of distribution and factor structure of autistic traits among neurotypical adults from Eastern India, a culturally different population, as well as a reliable and valid tool to assess autistic traits in Bengali, a language with 300 million speakers. The findings add to the growing literature on AQ measurement and the concept of autism as a quantitative trait, examined outside of the western samples.

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The social brain in female autism: a structural imaging study of twins

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience ◽

10.1093/scan/nsaa064 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 423-436

Author(s):

Élodie Cauvet ◽

Annelies van’t Westeinde ◽

Roberto Toro ◽

Ralf Kuja-Halkola ◽

Janina Neufeld ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Social Cognition ◽

Brain Structure ◽

Imaging Study ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Social Brain ◽

Twin Design ◽

The Social

Abstract A female advantage in social cognition (SoC) might contribute to women’s underrepresentation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The latter could be underpinned by sex differences in social brain structure. This study investigated the relationship between structural social brain networks and SoC in females and males in relation to ASD and autistic traits in twins. We used a co-twin design in 77 twin pairs (39 female) aged 12.5 to 31.0 years. Twin pairs were discordant or concordant for ASD or autistic traits, discordant or concordant for other neurodevelopmental disorders or concordant for neurotypical development. They underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and were assessed for SoC using the naturalistic Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition. Autistic traits predicted reduced SoC capacities predominantly in male twins, despite a comparable extent of autistic traits in each sex, although the association between SoC and autistic traits did not differ significantly between the sexes. Consistently, within-pair associations between SoC and social brain structure revealed that lower SoC ability was associated with increased cortical thickness of several brain regions, particularly in males. Our findings confirm the notion that sex differences in SoC in association with ASD are underpinned by sex differences in brain structure.

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The trend of association between autism traits in mothers and severity of autism symptomatology in children

Advances in Autism ◽

10.1108/aia-01-2020-0002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Asmita Karmakar ◽

Manisha Bhattacharya ◽

Jayeeta Adhya ◽

Susmita Chatterjee ◽

Atanu Kumar Dogra

Keyword(s):

Theory Of Mind ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Genetic Liability ◽

Content Type ◽

Autism Traits ◽

Autism Symptomatology ◽

Autism Phenotype ◽

Shared Genetic

Purpose Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are heterogeneous disorders, and heterogeneity lies both at genetic and phenotypic levels. To better understand the etiology and pathway that may contribute to autism symptomatology, it is important to study milder expressions of autism characteristics – autistic traits or milder expressions of autism phenotype, especially in intergenerational context. This study aims to see the trend of association, if any, between child autism symptom and mothers’ autism phenotype as well as mothers’ theory of mind and to see if mothers’ theory of mind was associated with their own autistic traits. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 96 mothers of children with varying symptom severity of autism (mild, moderate and severe) using Autism Spectrum Quotient and faux pas recognition test. Analysis of variance, trend analysis and t-test were done. Findings Results showed a linear trend of relationship between mothers’ autism phenotype and child symptom severity. However, the groups did not have significant differences in theory of mind. Only a few components of theory of mind were found to be associated with autistic traits. These findings question the prevailing idea that theory of mind can be a reliable endophenotype of autism. Research limitations/implications There has been a lack of research assessing the possible link between parents’ autism phenotype and symptom severity of ASD children. This study is a preliminary step towards that direction. This study indicates a probability of shared genetic liability between mothers and offspring, which would have important consequences for understanding the mechanisms that lead to autism. Practical implications This study offers implications for treatment planning of those with clinical ASD. An awareness of parental factors is critical for any holistic intervention plan when a family seeks treatment for their child. This study suggests that while individualising interventions, clinicians may consider possible presence of high levels of autistic traits and related cognitive features present in the probands’ parents. Originality/value There has been lack of research assessing the possible link between parents’ autism phenotype and symptom severity of ASD children. This study, even though preliminary, is a step towards that direction. This study suggests that autism traits might be influenced by common genetic variation and indicates a probability of shared genetic liability between mothers and offspring, which would have important consequences for understanding the mechanisms that lead to autism.

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