Self-reported empathy in adults with autism, early psychosis, and social anxiety disorder

Pepper, Karen L.; Demetriou, Eleni; Park, Shin; Boulton, Kelsie A; Hickie, Ian B.; Thomas, Emma; Guastella, Adam J.

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112604

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…In our sample, only the fantasizing dimension of the BVAQ reflected significant group differences between the patient samples, while the analyzing and the emotionalizing dimensions contributed, albeit modestly, to the classification of the ASD and SZ samples. Empathy scores also contributed relatively highly to distinguishing between the two clinical groups, and similarly to previously reported results (Pepper et al, 2019), the ASD in our sample scored significantly lower on self-reported empathy compared to both SZ and TD.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Using the Excitation/Inhibition Ratio to Optimize the Classification of Autism and Schizophrenia

Uscătescu

Hyatt

Dunn³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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The excitation/inhibition (E/I) ratio has been shown to be elevated in both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ), relative to neurotypical controls. However, the degree of E/I imbalance overlap and differentiation between SZ and ASD is not known. Our main objectives were therefore (1) to quantify group differences in the E/I ratio between controls, ASD and SZ, and (2) to assess the potential of the E/I ratio for differential diagnosis. We collected resting state fMRI (rsfMRI) and phenotypic data from 55 controls, 30 ASD, and 39 SZ, ages 18 to 35 (IQ>80). For each participant, we computed the Hurst exponent (H), an indicator of the E/I ratio, for the timecourses of 53 independent components covering the entire brain. Next, using Optimal Classification Trees (OCT), we ran a classification analysis on the two clinical groups using five incremental feature sets (i.e., models): (1) Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) only; (2) PANSS, ADOS, Bermond–Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ), Empathy Quotient (EQ), and IQ; (3) H only; (4) H, PANSS and ADOS; (5) H, PANSS, ADOS, BVAQ, EQ and IQ. We observed decreased H (i.e., increase in E/I ratio) in ASD and SZ compared to controls, and in SZ compared to ASD in the Cerebellar, Sensorimotor, Visual and Cognitive Control networks. The OCT classification showed a consistent increase in discrimination accuracy across models between ASD and SZ, suggesting that the E/I ratio in combination with phenotypic measures can contribute to differential diagnosis in adults.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Using the Excitation/Inhibition Ratio to Optimize the Classification of Autism and Schizophrenia

Uscătescu

Hyatt

Dunn³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…Morrison et al (2016), however, found evidence that individuals with SAD exhibited reduced affective empathy in response to viewing film clips of others' positive but not negative emotions. In contrast, Pepper et al (2019) found that a sample of individuals diagnosed with SAD showed greater affective empathy than a sample of people with autism spectrum disorder, but the SAD sample did not differ from early psychosis or nonpsychiatric control groups.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…Research on cognitive empathy in SAD samples has yielded similarly mixed results. Whereas two studies found that individuals with SAD displayed or selfreported reduced cognitive empathy as compared to nonpsychiatric controls (Pepper et al, 2019;Washburn et al, 2016), another study found no difference between a SAD sample and nonpsychiatric controls for cognitive empathy based on emotional valence ratings of film clips of others discussing positive and negative emotional situations (Morrison, et al, 2016). Jacobs and colleagues (2008) found no difference on cognitive empathy between SAD and nonpsychiatric groups, but found that increased severity of social anxiety within the SAD group related to reduced cognitive empathy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Higher Social Anxiety Severity Predicts Better Cognitive Empathy Performance in Women but Not Men

Berg¹,

Bedwell²,

Dvorak

et al. 2020

Psychol Rep

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Findings regarding relationships between social anxiety and subtypes of empathy have been mixed, and one study suggested that this may be due to moderation by biological sex. The present study examined whether accounting for general anxiety and biological sex clarifies these relationships. Undergraduates ( N = 701, 76% female) completed online self-report measures of cognitive and affective empathy, social and general anxiety severity, and a behavioral measure of cognitive empathy (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task; MIE). Path analysis examined relationships among social and general anxiety severity and affective and cognitive empathy. Model modification indices showed a significant influence of sex on the path from social anxiety severity to MIE accuracy. When the model was re-estimated with this path freed, more socially anxious women, but not men, showed greater MIE accuracy. Across both sexes, general anxiety severity related negatively to self-reported and behavioral (MIE) cognitive empathy. Affective empathy did not relate to either type of anxiety. The use of path analysis to simultaneously account for overlapping variance among measures of anxiety and empathy helps clarify earlier mixed findings on relationships between social anxiety and empathy subtypes.

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“…Impairment in empathy has been implicated in ASD. 85 , 86 Indeed, a previous lesion study has indicated that the IFG may be critical for emotional empathy. 87 Additionally, in an anatomical MRI study investigating the associations between brain regions and empathy for emotion, Eilam-Stock et al revealed that GMV alterations in the IFG may be associated with deficits of emotional empathy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abnormalities of Gray Matter Volume and Its Correlation with Clinical Symptoms in Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

Zhao

Zhu

Cao

et al. 2022

NDT

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Background Previous studies have indicated abnormal gray matter volume (GMV) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, there is little consistency across the findings within these studies, partly due to small sample size and great heterogeneity among participants between studies. Additionally, few studies have explored the correlation between clinical symptoms and GMV abnormalities in individuals with ASD. Here, the current study examined GMV alterations in whole brain and their correlations with clinical symptoms in a relatively large and homogeneous sample of participants with ASD matched typically developing (TD) controls. Methods Forty-eight adolescents with high-functioning ASD and 29 group-matched TD controls underwent structural magnetic resonance images. Voxel-based morphometry was applied to investigate regional GMV alterations. The participants with ASD were examined for the severity of clinical symptoms with Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). The relationship between GMV abnormalities and clinical symptoms was explored in ASD group using voxel-wise correlation analysis within brain regions that showed significant GMV alterations in individuals with ASD compared with TD controls. Results We found increased GMV in multiple brain regions, including the inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, occipital pole, anterior cingulate, cerebellum anterior lobe, cerebellum posterior lobe, and midbrain, as well as decreased GMV in cerebellum posterior lobe in individuals with ASD. The correlation analysis showed the GMV in the left fusiform was negatively associated with the scores of sensory factor, and the GMV in the right cerebellum anterior lobe was positively associated with the scores of social self-help factor. Conclusion Our results indicated that widespread GMV abnormalities of brain regions occurred in individuals with ASD, suggesting a potential neural basis for the pathogenesis and symptomatology of ASD.

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Self-reported empathy in adults with autism, early psychosis, and social anxiety disorder

Cited by 15 publications

References 32 publications

Using the Excitation/Inhibition Ratio to Optimize the Classification of Autism and Schizophrenia

Using the Excitation/Inhibition Ratio to Optimize the Classification of Autism and Schizophrenia

Higher Social Anxiety Severity Predicts Better Cognitive Empathy Performance in Women but Not Men

Abnormalities of Gray Matter Volume and Its Correlation with Clinical Symptoms in Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

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