Autism and schizophrenia in high functioning adults: Behavioral differences and overlap

Spek, Annelies; Wouters, Saskia

doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.01.009

Cited by 77 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…The assessment of positive schizotypy only, rather than the general construct of schizotypy (comprising both positive and negative traits), is based on evidence that autistic and schizotypal traits cannot be distinguished by the presence or absence of negative traits, due to similarities in impaired social and communicative functioning (Spek & Wouters, 2010). Moreover, given that ASD is more prevalent in males compared to females (Lehnhardt et al, 2016), the expression of autism traits in our sample were analysed for male and female patients separately.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autistic and schizotypal traits and global functioning in bipolar I disorder

Abu‐Akel

Clark

Perry

et al. 2017

Journal of Affective Disorders

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Objective: To determine the expression of autistic and positive schizotypal traits in a large sample of adults with bipolar I disorder (BD-I), and the effect of co-occurring autistic and positive schizotypal traits on global functioning in BD-I. Method: Autistic and positive schizotypal traits were self-assessed in 797 individuals with BD-I recruited by the Bipolar Disorder Research Network. Differences in global functioning (rated using the Global Assessment Scale) during lifetime worst depressive and manic episodes (GASD and GASM respectively) were calculated in groups with high/low autistic and positive schizotypal traits.Regression analyses assessed the interactive effect of autistic and positive schizotypal traits on global functioning. Results: 47.2% (CI=43.7-50.7%) showed clinically significant levels of autistic traits, and 23.22% (95% CI=20.29-26.14) showed clinically significant levels of positive schizotypal traits. In the worst episode of mania, the high autistic, high positive schizotypal group had better global functioning compared to the other groups. Individual differences analyses showed that high levels of co-occurring traits were associated with better global functioning in both mood states. Limitations: Autistic and schizotypal traits were assessed using self-rated questionnaires. Conclusions: Expression of autistic and schizotypal traits in adults with BD-I is prevalent, and may be important to predict illness aetiology, prognosis, and diagnostic practices in this population. Future work should focus on replicating these findings in independent samples, and on the biological and/or psychosocial mechanisms underlying better global functioning in those who have high levels of both autistic and positive schizotypal traits.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autistic and schizotypal traits and global functioning in bipolar I disorder

Abu‐Akel

Clark

Perry

et al. 2017

Journal of Affective Disorders

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“…The assessment of positive psychotic experiences is used in this study based on evidence that negative symptoms do not reliably discriminate between ASCs and SSDs 40 . Based on evidence for better ToM abilities in patients with schizophrenia and high psychopathic traits 12 , we predicted that co-occurrence of high psychopathy traits with positive psychotic experiences would be associated with improved cognitive ToM abilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autistic traits and positive psychotic experiences modulate the association of psychopathic tendencies with theory of mind in opposite directions

Gillespie

Mitchell

Abu‐Akel

2017

Sci Rep

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Various clinical disorders, including psychopathy, and autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, have been linked with impairments in Theory of Mind (ToM). However, although these conditions can co-occur in the same individual, the effect of their inter-play on ToM abilities has not been investigated. Here we assessed ToM abilities in 55 healthy adults while performing a naturalistic ToM task, requiring participants to watch a short film and judge the actors’ mental states. The results reveal for the first time that autistic traits and positive psychotic experiences interact with psychopathic tendencies in opposite directions to predict ToM performance—the interaction of psychopathic tendencies with autism traits was associated with a decrement in performance, whereas the interaction of psychopathic tendencies and positive psychotic experiences was associated with improved performance. These effects were specific to cognitive rather than affective ToM. These results underscore the importance of the simultaneous assessment of these dimensions within clinical settings. Future research in these clinical populations may benefit by taking into account such individual differences.

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“…Despite their obvious clinical differences in symptom onset and presentation, interpersonal and cognitive deficits, and disorganization are fundamental to both disorders (1, 3–9), yielding a potential confusion in diagnosis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factor Analysis Demonstrates a Common Schizoidal Phenotype within Autistic and Schizotypal Tendency: Implications for Neuroscientific Studies

Ford

Crewther

2014

Front. Psychiatry

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Behavioral and cognitive dysfunction, particularly social and communication impairments, are shared between autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, while evidence for a diametric autism-positive schizophrenia symptom profile is inconsistent. We investigated the shared phenotype at a personality trait level, particularly its resemblance to schizoid personality disorder, as well as differential aspects of the autism–schizophrenia model. Items of the autism spectrum quotient (AQ) and schizotypal personality questionnaire (SPQ) were pseudo-randomly combined, and were completed by 449 (162 male, 287 female) non-clinical participants aged 18–40. A factor analysis revealed three factors; the first represented a shared social disorganization phenotype, the second reflected perceptual oddities specific to schizotypy while the third reflected social rigidity specific to autism. The AQ and SPQ were strongly correlated with Factor 1 (AQ: r = 0.75, p < 0.001; SPQ: r = 0.96, p < 0.001), SPQ score was correlated with Factor 2 (r = 0.51, p < 0.001), particularly in cognitive–perceptual features (r = 0.66, p < 0.001), and AQ score was strongly correlated with Factor 3 (r = 0.76, p < 0.001). Furthermore, there was no relationship between Factor 1 and Factor 2. Thus, there is robust evidence for a shared social disorganization phenotype in autistic and schizotypal tendency, which reflects the schizoid phenotype. Discriminating and independent dimensions of schizotypal and autistic tendency exist in Factors 2 and 3, respectively. Current diagnostic protocols could result in different diagnoses depending on the instrument used, suggesting the need for neuromarkers that objectively differentiate autistic and schizotypal traits and resolve the question of commonality versus co-morbidity.

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Autism and schizophrenia in high functioning adults: Behavioral differences and overlap

Cited by 77 publications

References 47 publications

Autistic and schizotypal traits and global functioning in bipolar I disorder

Autistic and schizotypal traits and global functioning in bipolar I disorder

Autistic traits and positive psychotic experiences modulate the association of psychopathic tendencies with theory of mind in opposite directions

Factor Analysis Demonstrates a Common Schizoidal Phenotype within Autistic and Schizotypal Tendency: Implications for Neuroscientific Studies

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