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Cheang RT, Skjevling M, Blakemore AI, Kumari V, Puzzo I. Do you feel me? Autism, empathic accuracy and the double empathy problem. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241252320. [PMID: 38757626 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241252320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT The assumption that autistic people lack empathy, particularly imagining how others feel, has been much debated and is now being challenged by an alternative view: the 'double empathy problem'. This suggests that non-autistic people may find it equally difficult to imagine how autistic people feel. Although this perspective is gaining popularity, research testing whether non-autistic people can accurately imagine and feel an autistic person's emotions is still limited. Our study used video clips of autistic and non-autistic people recounting emotional events to test if participants from the general population could: track the intensity of the narrators' emotions; name and feel the same emotion; match where the narrator felt the emotion and indicate how intensely they felt the emotion using a body map. Our results show that participants found it significantly harder to track autistic narrators' emotions compared to non-autistic narrator's emotions, especially when viewing clips of narrators feeling happy and sad. We also found that participants felt emotions more intensely in the body when viewing clips of autistic narrators compared to non-autistic narrators, especially when describing anger and fear. These findings support the double empathy problem and have strong implications for therapeutic and interpersonal relationships with autistic people.
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Dickerson KL, Quas JA. Compensatory prosocial behavior in high-risk adolescents observing social exclusion: The effects of emotion feedback. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 241:105840. [PMID: 38245916 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Although exposure to violence has been consistently associated with deficits in prosocial behavior among adolescents, effective methods of mitigating these deficits have yet to be identified. The current investigation tested whether prosocial behavior could be promoted by providing adolescents with feedback about the emotional states of others and whether the effects of feedback varied between adolescents who had versus had not experienced violence in the home or in the community. Adolescents aged 8 to 17 years with (n = 87) and without (n = 61) histories of violence exposure completed a virtual social exclusion ball-tossing paradigm in which information about an excluded peer's emotions (sad, angry, or neutral) was experimentally manipulated. Among adolescents with histories of violence exposure, those who received feedback that the peer was sad due to being excluded compensated by throwing the ball more often to that peer. In contrast, adolescents without histories of violence exposure did not engage in compensatory prosocial behavior, instead maintaining a relatively even number of tosses to all players. Findings offer new insight into simple potential methods of eliciting prosocial behavior in adolescents for whom such responding may be compromised and may provide a potential starting point for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli L Dickerson
- Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Jodi A Quas
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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Díaz-Vázquez B, López-Romero L, Romero E. Emotion Recognition Deficits in Children and Adolescents with Psychopathic Traits: A Systematic Review. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2024; 27:165-219. [PMID: 38240937 PMCID: PMC10920463 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-023-00466-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Children and adolescents with psychopathic traits show deficits in emotion recognition, but there is no consensus as to the extent of their generalizability or about the variables that may be moderating the process. The present Systematic Review brings together the existing scientific corpus on the subject and attempts to answer these questions through an exhaustive review of the existing literature according to PRISMA 2020 statement. Results confirmed the existence of pervasive deficits in emotion recognition and, more specifically, on distress emotions (e.g., fear), a deficit that transcends all modalities of emotion presentation and all emotional stimuli used. Moreover, they supported the key role of attention to relevant areas that provide emotional cues (e.g., eye-region) and point out differences according to the presence of disruptive behavior and based on the psychopathy dimension examined. This evidence could advance the current knowledge on developmental models of psychopathic traits. Yet, homogenization of the conditions of research in this area should be prioritized to be able to draw more robust and generalizable conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Díaz-Vázquez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Laura López-Romero
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Estrella Romero
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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4
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Viding E, McCrory E, Baskin-Sommers A, De Brito S, Frick P. An 'embedded brain' approach to understanding antisocial behaviour. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:159-171. [PMID: 37718176 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Antisocial behaviour (ASB) incurs substantial costs to the individual and society. Cognitive neuroscience has the potential to shed light on developmental risk for ASB, but it cannot achieve this potential in an 'essentialist' framework that focuses on the brain and cognition isolated from the environment. Here, we present the case for studying the social transactional and iterative unfolding of brain and cognitive development in a relational context. This approach, which we call the study of the 'embedded brain', is needed to fully understand how risk for ASB arises during development. Concentrated efforts are required to develop and unify methods to achieve this approach and reap the benefits for improved prevention and intervention of ASB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Essi Viding
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Eamon McCrory
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Stephane De Brito
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Paul Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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5
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Tkalcec A, Bierlein M, Seeger-Schneider G, Walitza S, Jenny B, Menks WM, Felhbaum LV, Borbas R, Cole DM, Raschle N, Herbrecht E, Stadler C, Cubillo A. Empathy deficits, callous-unemotional traits and structural underpinnings in autism spectrum disorder and conduct disorder youth. Autism Res 2023; 16:1946-1962. [PMID: 37548142 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Distinct empathy deficits are often described in patients with conduct disorder (CD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) yet their neural underpinnings and the influence of comorbid Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits are unclear. This study compares the cognitive (CE) and affective empathy (AE) abilities of youth with CD and ASD, their potential neuroanatomical correlates, and the influence of CU traits on empathy. Adolescents and parents/caregivers completed empathy questionnaires (N = 148 adolescents, mean age = 15.16 years) and T1 weighted images were obtained from a subsample (N = 130). Group differences in empathy and the influence of CU traits were investigated using Bayesian analyses and Voxel-Based Morphometry with Threshold-Free Cluster Enhancement focusing on regions involved in AE (insula, amygdala, inferior frontal gyrus and cingulate cortex) and CE processes (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, superior temporal gyrus, and precuneus). The ASD group showed lower parent-reported AE and CE scores and lower self-reported CE scores while the CD group showed lower parent-reported CE scores than controls. When accounting for the influence of CU traits no AE deficits in ASD and CE deficits in CD were found, but CE deficits in ASD remained. Across all participants, CU traits were negatively associated with gray matter volumes in anterior cingulate which extends into the mid cingulate, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and precuneus. Thus, although co-occurring CU traits have been linked to global empathy deficits in reports and underlying brain structures, its influence on empathy aspects might be disorder-specific. Investigating the subdimensions of empathy may therefore help to identify disorder-specific empathy deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Tkalcec
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maria Bierlein
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gudrun Seeger-Schneider
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinic, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanne Walitza
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinic, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bettina Jenny
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinic, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Willeke M Menks
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, and Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Psychology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lynn V Felhbaum
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reka Borbas
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David M Cole
- Translational Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nora Raschle
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Evelyn Herbrecht
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christina Stadler
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ana Cubillo
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Clinic, Basel, Switzerland
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Sinha P, Mehta UM, S.N. A, Srivastava P. Empathic Accuracy Task: Indian Adaptation and Validation. Indian J Psychol Med 2023; 45:486-495. [PMID: 37772149 PMCID: PMC10523519 DOI: 10.1177/02537176221141583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Empathic Accuracy Task (EAT) is an objective measure to assess empathic accuracy. Due to the variability in the number and linked emotions of the narrated events, we adapted EAT for the Indian sociocultural setting as Indian EAT (I-EAT). Methods Eight videos were adapted in three languages (English, Hindi, and Kannada), narrating emotional events with a uniform representation of age groups, different emotions, and sex. The adapted I-EAT was then validated by cross-sectional comparison with different tests similar to EAT and those that assessed concepts different from or similar to empathy, in 29 healthy young adults, 23 healthy older adults (aged ≥60 years) along with clinical groups of 15 young people with depression, 15 older people with depression, and 15 young people with schizophrenia. Results We selected eight videos with good content validity and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.73. We obtained satisfactory concurrent validity of the EAT scores with the self-reported empathic assessments using the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (Cognitive empathy score = 0.29, p = .034; Total score = 0.29, p = .035) and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Empathic concern score = 0.45, p = .001). Good divergent validity was revealed in the high inverse correlation recorded with the Apathy Evaluation Scale ( = -0.67, p < .001). I-EAT did not correlate significantly with measures of social cognition. Known-groups validity was adequate in young adults with the significantly lower EAT scores (Cohen's d: 0.77 to 1.15) in the Schizophrenia group and higher EAT-N scores (Cohen's d: 0.51) in the Depression group, compared to the Healthy group. The Healthy group of the geriatric population also achieved significantly higher EAT scores (Cohen's d: 0.71 to 0.85) than the Depression group. Conclusion With a good validity and internal consistency, I-EAT can be used in the Indian population to assess empathic accuracy without compromising performance of the original EAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Sinha
- Dept. of Psychiatry, National
Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka,
India
| | - Urvakhsh M. Mehta
- Dept. of Psychiatry, National
Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka,
India
| | - Anuradha S.N.
- Dept. of Psychiatry, National
Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka,
India
- Dept. of Psychiatry, SDM College of
Medical Sciences & Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
| | - Prerna Srivastava
- Dept. of Psychiatry, National
Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka,
India
- Dept. of Clinical Psychology,
Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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7
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Masi G, Carucci S, Muratori P, Balia C, Sesso G, Milone A. Contemporary diagnosis and treatment of conduct disorder in youth. Expert Rev Neurother 2023; 23:1277-1296. [PMID: 37853718 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2023.2271169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Conduct disorder (CD) is characterized by repetitive and persistent antisocial behaviors, being among the most frequently reported reasons of referral in youth. CD is a highly heterogeneous disorder, with possible specifiers defined according to age at onset, Limited Prosocial Emotions (LPE) otherwise known as Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits, Emotional Dysregulation (ED), and patterns of comorbidity, each with its own specific developmental trajectories. AREAS COVERED The authors review the evidence from published literature on the clinical presentations, diagnostic procedures, psychotherapeutic and psychoeducational approaches, and pharmacological interventions from RCT and naturalistic studies in youth. Evidence from studies including youths with LPE/CU traits, ED and aggression are also reviewed, as response moderators. EXPERT OPINION Due to its clinical heterogeneity, relevant subtypes of CD should be carefully characterized to gain reliable information on prognosis and treatments. Thus, disentangling this broad category in subtypes is crucial as a first step in diagnosis. Psychosocial interventions are the first option, possibly improving LPE/CU traits and ED, especially if implemented early during development. Instead, limited information, based on low-quality studies, supports pharmacological options. Second-generation antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and stimulants are first-line medications, according to different target symptoms, such as aggression and emotional reactivity. Developmental pathways including ADHD suggest a specific role of psychostimulants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Masi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Carucci
- Department of Biomedical Science, Section of Neuroscience & Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit, "A. Cao" Paediatric Hospital-ARNAS "G. Brotzu" Hospital Trust, Department of Paediatrics, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Pietro Muratori
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Carla Balia
- Department of Biomedical Science, Section of Neuroscience & Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit, "A. Cao" Paediatric Hospital-ARNAS "G. Brotzu" Hospital Trust, Department of Paediatrics, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Gianluca Sesso
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Group, Molecular Mind Lab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Annarita Milone
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
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Northam JC, Dar H, Hawes DJ, Barnes K, McNair NA, Fisher CA, Dadds MR. More than a feeling? An expanded investigation of emotional responsiveness in young children with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:494-508. [PMID: 35068401 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Children with conduct problems and high callous-unemotional (CP+CU) traits are characterized by dampened emotional responding, limiting their ability for affective empathy and impacting the development of prosocial behaviors. However, research documenting this dampening in young children is sparse and findings vary, with attachment-related stimuli hypothesized to ameliorate deficits in emotional responding. Here we test emotional responsiveness across various emotion-eliciting stimuli using multiple measures of emotional responsiveness (behavioral, physiological, self-reported) and attention, in young children aged 2-8 years (M age = 5.37), with CP+CU traits (CP+CU; n = 36), CPs and low CU traits (CP-CU; n = 82) and a community control sample (CC; n = 27). We found no evidence that attachment-related stimulus ameliorated deficits in emotional responding. Rather, at a group level we found a consistent pattern of reduced responding across all independent measures of responsiveness for children with CP+CU compared to the CC group. Few differences were found between CP+CU and CP-CU groups. When independent measures were standardized and included in a regression model predicting to CU trait score, higher CU traits were associated with reduced emotional responding, demonstrating the importance of multimodal measurement of emotional responsiveness when investigating the impact of CU traits in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaimie C Northam
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hayim Dar
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David J Hawes
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kirsten Barnes
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicolas A McNair
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carri A Fisher
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mark R Dadds
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Fairchild G, Sully K, Passamonti L, Staginnus M, Darekar A, Sonuga-Barke EJS, Toschi N. Neuroanatomical markers of familial risk in adolescents with conduct disorder and their unaffected relatives. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1721-1731. [PMID: 34607618 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721003202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported brain structure abnormalities in conduct disorder (CD), but it is unclear whether these neuroanatomical alterations mediate the effects of familial (genetic and environmental) risk for CD. We investigated brain structure in adolescents with CD and their unaffected relatives (URs) to identify neuroanatomical markers of familial risk for CD. METHODS Forty-one adolescents with CD, 24 URs of CD probands, and 38 healthy controls (aged 12-18), underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. We performed surface-based morphometry analyses, testing for group differences in cortical volume, thickness, surface area, and folding. We also assessed the volume of key subcortical structures. RESULTS The CD and UR groups both displayed structural alterations (lower surface area and folding) in left inferior parietal cortex compared with controls. In contrast, CD participants showed lower insula and pars opercularis volume than controls, and lower surface area and folding in these regions than controls and URs. The URs showed greater folding in rostral anterior cingulate and inferior temporal cortex than controls and greater medial orbitofrontal folding than CD participants. The surface area and volume differences were not significant when controlling for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder comorbidity. There were no group differences in subcortical volumes. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that alterations in inferior parietal cortical structure partly mediate the effects of familial risk for CD. These structural changes merit investigation as candidate endophenotypes for CD. Neuroanatomical changes in medial orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex differentiated between URs and the other groups, potentially reflecting neural mechanisms of resilience to CD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kate Sully
- School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Luca Passamonti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Angela Darekar
- Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Nicola Toschi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
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10
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Zhang R, Aloi J, Bajaj S, Bashford-Largo J, Lukoff J, Schwartz A, Elowsky J, Dobbertin M, Blair KS, Blair RJR. Dysfunction in differential reward-punishment responsiveness in conduct disorder relates to severity of callous-unemotional traits but not irritability. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1870-1880. [PMID: 34467836 PMCID: PMC8885913 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721003500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conduct disorder (CD) has been associated with dysfunction in reinforcement-based decision-making. Two forms of affective traits that reflect the components of CD severity are callous-unemotional (CU; reduced guilt/empathy) traits and irritability. The form of the reinforcement-based decision-making dysfunction with respect to CD and CU traits remains debated and has not been examined with respect to irritability in cases with CD. The goals of the current study were to determine the extent of dysfunction in differential (reward v. punishment) responsiveness in CD, and CU traits and irritability in participants with CD. METHODS The study involved 178 adolescents [typically developing (TD; N = 77) and cases with CD (N = 101)]. Participants were scanned with fMRI during a passive avoidance task that required participants to learn to respond to (i.e. approach) stimuli that engender reward and refrain from responding to (i.e. passively avoid) stimuli that engender punishment. RESULTS Adolescents with CD showed reduced differential reward-punishment responsiveness within the striatum relative to TD adolescents. CU traits, but not irritability, were associated with reduced differential reward-punishment responsiveness within the striatum, rostromedial, and lateral frontal cortices. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest CD is associated with reduced differential reward-punishment responsiveness and the extent of this dysfunction in participants with CD is associated with the severity of CU traits but not irritability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Joseph Aloi
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sahil Bajaj
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Johannah Bashford-Largo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Jennie Lukoff
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Amanda Schwartz
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Jamie Elowsky
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Matthew Dobbertin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Karina S. Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - R. James R. Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
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11
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Matthys W, Schutter DJLG. Improving Our Understanding of Impaired Social Problem-Solving in Children and Adolescents with Conduct Problems: Implications for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2022; 25:552-572. [PMID: 35165840 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-021-00376-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) children and adolescents with conduct problems learn social problem-solving skills that enable them to behave in more independent and situation appropriate ways. Empirical studies on psychological functions show that the effectiveness of CBT may be further improved by putting more emphasis on (1) recognition of the type of social situations that are problematic, (2) recognition of facial expressions in view of initiating social problem-solving, (3) effortful emotion regulation and emotion awareness, (4) behavioral inhibition and working memory, (5) interpretation of the social problem, (6) affective empathy, (7) generation of appropriate solutions, (8) outcome expectations and moral beliefs, and (9) decision-making. To improve effectiveness, CBT could be tailored to the individual child's or adolescent's impairments of these psychological functions which may depend on the type of conduct problems and their associated problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Matthys
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Dennis J L G Schutter
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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12
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Farrow E, Chiocchetti AG, Rogers JC, Pauli R, Raschle NM, Gonzalez-Madruga K, Smaragdi A, Martinelli A, Kohls G, Stadler C, Konrad K, Fairchild G, Freitag CM, Chechlacz M, De Brito SA. SLC25A24 gene methylation and gray matter volume in females with and without conduct disorder: an exploratory epigenetic neuroimaging study. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:492. [PMID: 34561420 PMCID: PMC8463588 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01609-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Conduct disorder (CD), a psychiatric disorder characterized by a repetitive pattern of antisocial behaviors, results from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The clinical presentation of CD varies both according to the individual's sex and level of callous-unemotional (CU) traits, but it remains unclear how genetic and environmental factors interact at the molecular level to produce these differences. Emerging evidence in males implicates methylation of genes associated with socio-affective processes. Here, we combined an epigenome-wide association study with structural neuroimaging in 51 females with CD and 59 typically developing (TD) females to examine DNA methylation in relation to CD, CU traits, and gray matter volume (GMV). We demonstrate an inverse pattern of correlation between CU traits and methylation of a chromosome 1 region in CD females (positive) as compared to TD females (negative). The identified region spans exon 1 of the SLC25A24 gene, central to energy metabolism due to its role in mitochondrial function. Increased SLC25A24 methylation was also related to lower GMV in multiple brain regions in the overall cohort. These included the superior frontal gyrus, prefrontal cortex, and supramarginal gyrus, secondary visual cortex and ventral posterior cingulate cortex, which are regions that have previously been implicated in CD and CU traits. While our findings are preliminary and need to be replicated in larger samples, they provide novel evidence that CU traits in females are associated with methylation levels in a fundamentally different way in CD and TD, which in turn may relate to observable variations in GMV across the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Farrow
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Andreas G. Chiocchetti
- grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jack C. Rogers
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ruth Pauli
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Nora M. Raschle
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Anne Martinelli
- grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gregor Kohls
- grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XRWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Kerstin Konrad
- grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XRWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Graeme Fairchild
- grid.7340.00000 0001 2162 1699Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Christine M. Freitag
- grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Magdalena Chechlacz
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Stephane A. De Brito
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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13
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Dickerson KL, Quas JA. Emotional awareness, empathy, and generosity in high-risk youths. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 208:105151. [PMID: 33892296 PMCID: PMC8218817 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Although maltreatment places youths at risk for substantial deficits in prosociality, effective methods of improving these deficits have yet to be identified. The current investigation tested whether prosociality could be enhanced in maltreated youths by increasing their awareness of others' sadness. Maltreated youths (n = 145) and matched community youths (n = 106) aged 6-17 years completed a sharing task within which labels about a peer's emotions (sad vs. neutral) were experimentally manipulated. Youths who received the sad emotion label about a peer's feelings showed greater empathic concern, and in turn generosity, toward that peer than youths who received the neutral label. Findings offer new insight into potential methods of improving prosocial responding in youths and thus provide direction for intervention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli L Dickerson
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Jodi A Quas
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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14
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McKenzie K, Russell A, Golm D, Fairchild G. Empathic Accuracy and Cognitive and Affective Empathy in Young Adults With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:2004-2018. [PMID: 34052970 PMCID: PMC9021079 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05093-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether young adults with ASD (n = 29) had impairments in Cognitive Empathy (CE), Affective Empathy (AE) or Empathic Accuracy (EA; the ability to track changes in others' thoughts and feelings) compared to typically-developing individuals (n = 31) using the Empathic Accuracy Task (EAT), which involves watching narrators recollecting emotionally-charged autobiographical events. Participants provided continuous ratings of the narrators' emotional intensity (indexing EA), labelled the emotions displayed (CE) and reported whether they shared the depicted emotions (AE). The ASD group showed deficits in EA for anger but did not differ from typically-developing participants in CE or AE on the EAT. The ASD group also reported lower CE (Perspective Taking) and AE (Empathic Concern) on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, a self-report questionnaire.
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Affiliation(s)
- K McKenzie
- Centre for Applied Autism Research, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AY, UK.
| | - A Russell
- Centre for Applied Autism Research, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - D Golm
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - G Fairchild
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AY, UK
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15
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Matthys W, Schutter DJLG. Increasing Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Conduct Problems in Children and Adolescents: What Can We Learn from Neuroimaging Studies? Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2021; 24:484-499. [PMID: 33683495 PMCID: PMC8324588 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-021-00346-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is particularly relevant for children from 7 years on and adolescents with clinical levels of conduct problems. CBT provides these children and adolescents with anger regulation and social problem-solving skills that enable them to behave in more independent and situation appropriate ways. Typically, CBT is combined with another psychological treatment such as behavioral parent training in childhood or an intervention targeting multiple systems in adolescence. The effectiveness of CBT, however, is in the small to medium range. The aim of this review is to describe how the effectiveness of CBT may be improved by paying more attention to a series of psychological functions that have been shown to be impaired in neuroimaging studies: (1) anger recognition, (2) the ability to generate situation appropriate solutions to social problems, (3) reinforcement-based decision making, (4) response inhibition, and (5) affective empathy. It is suggested that children and adolescents first become familiar with these psychological functions during group CBT sessions. In individual sessions in which the parents (and/or child care workers in day treatment and residential treatment) and the child or adolescent participate, parents then learn to elicit, support, and reinforce their child’s use of these psychological functions in everyday life (in vivo practice). In these individual sessions, working on the psychological functions is tailored to the individual child’s characteristic impairments of these functions. CBT therapists may also share crucial social-learning topics with teachers with a view to creating learning opportunities for children and adolescents at school.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Matthys
- Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, P.O. Box 80140, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands. .,Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Dennis J L G Schutter
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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16
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Chang SAA, Tillem S, Benson-Williams C, Baskin-Sommers A. Cognitive Empathy in Subtypes of Antisocial Individuals. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:677975. [PMID: 34290630 PMCID: PMC8287099 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.677975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive empathy allows individuals to recognize and infer how others think and feel in social situations and provides a foundation for the formation and maintenance of mutually constructive relationships. It may seem intuitive to assume that individuals who engage in antisocial behavior, who disregard the rights of others, might have problems with cognitive empathy. However, careful examination of the literature suggests that any dysfunction in cognitive empathy associated with antisociality varies by subtype of antisocial individual and is specific to subcomponents of cognitive empathy. In this review, we (1) briefly define subtypes of antisocial individuals ("psychopathic" vs. "antisocial-only"), (2) summarize specific components of cognitive empathy; (3) review existing literature examining cognitive empathy through questionnaires, behavioral tasks, and neuroimaging within different antisocial subtypes; and (4) discuss the limitations of the current research and potential future directions. Individuals in the psychopathic subtype fail to implicitly engage in cognitive empathy, and potentially lack insight into this issue reflected in no self-reported problems with cognitive empathy, but show an ability to engage in cognitive empathy when explicitly required. Individuals in the antisocial-only subtype appear able to engage in cognitive empathy, showing no differences on questionnaire or behavioral tasks that tap explicit cognitive empathy, but may display subtle difficulties accurately inferring (affective theory of mind) the emotions of others. We end the review by noting areas for future research, including the need to: (1) document the patterns of equifinality that exist across levels of analysis for these antisocial subtypes; (2) examine the temporality of empathy and antisociality development; (3) carefully consider and label subcomponents of cognitive empathy in research on antisocial behavior; and (4) investigate the intersection among environmental experiences, cognitive empathy, and antisocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shou-An A Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Scott Tillem
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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17
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Vilas SP, Reniers RLEP, Ludlow AK. An Investigation of Behavioural and Self-Reported Cognitive Empathy Deficits in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Adolescents With Behavioural Difficulties. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:717877. [PMID: 34975557 PMCID: PMC8719354 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.717877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in empathy have been considered hallmarks in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) but are also considered to underlie antisocial behaviour associated with individuals with callous unemotional traits (CU). Research has suggested that individuals with autism spectrum disorders show more difficulties with cognitive empathy, and that individuals diagnosed with behaviours difficulties, characterised by CU traits and antisocial behaviour, demonstrate low affective empathy. In the current manuscript we present findings of two studies. The first study describes the validation of a new stimulus set developed for the empathic accuracy task, focused on its cognitive component. The second study compares the performance of 27 adolescents with ASD, 27 age matched typically developing adolescents and 17 adolescents with behavioural difficulties on the empathic accuracy task and a self-report measure of empathy. While, no differences were observed between the three groups across the empathy accuracy task, the adolescents with ASD and CD showed deficits in their cognitive empathy across the self-report measure. Adolescents with ASD showed lower scores in particularly their perspective taking abilities, whereas the adolescences with behavioural difficulties showed more difficulties with their online simulation. No differences in self-reported affective empathy across the three groups were observed. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara P Vilas
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Renate L E P Reniers
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda K Ludlow
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,School of Psychology, Sports and Geography, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
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18
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Dugré JR, Radua J, Carignan-Allard M, Dumais A, Rubia K, Potvin S. Neurofunctional abnormalities in antisocial spectrum: A meta-analysis of fMRI studies on Five distinct neurocognitive research domains. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:168-183. [PMID: 32956690 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Past functional magnetic resonance imaging on antisocial subjects have shown important inconsistencies and methodological problems (e.g. heterogeneity in fMRI tasks domain, small sample sizes, analyses on regions-of-interest). We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of whole-brain fMRI studies on antisocial individuals based on distinct neurocognitive domains. A voxel-based meta-analysis via permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI) was performed on studies using fMRI tasks in the domains of acute threat response, cognitive control, social cognition, punishment and reward processing. Overall, 83 studies were retrieved. Using a liberal statistical threshold, several key regions were identified in the meta-analysis, principally during acute threat response, social cognition and cognitive control tasks. Additionally, we observed that the right amygdala was negatively associated with both callous-unemotional traits and severity of antisocial behaviors, in meta-analyses on region-of-interest and on dimensional studies, respectively. The findings show that the most prominent functional brain deficits arise during acute threat response, social cognitions and cognitive control neurocognitive domains. These results provide substantial insights for our understanding of aberrant neural processing across specific contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules R Dugré
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England; Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Alexandre Dumais
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Institut National De Psychiatrie Légal Philippe-Pinel, Montreal, Canada
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stéphane Potvin
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
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19
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Kleine Deters R, Naaijen J, Rosa M, Aggensteiner PM, Banaschewski T, Saam MC, Schulze UME, Sethi A, Craig MC, Sagar-Ouriaghli I, Santosh P, Castro-Fornieles J, Penzol MJ, Arango C, Werhahn JE, Brandeis D, Franke B, Glennon J, Buitelaar JK, Hoekstra PJ, Dietrich A. Executive functioning and emotion recognition in youth with oppositional defiant disorder and/or conduct disorder. World J Biol Psychiatry 2020; 21:539-551. [PMID: 32212964 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2020.1747114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: Executive functioning and emotion recognition may be impaired in disruptive youth, yet findings in oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) are inconsistent. We examined these functions related to ODD and CD, accounting for comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and internalising symptoms.Methods: We compared executive functioning (visual working memory, visual attention, inhibitory control) and emotion recognition between youth (8-18 years old, 123 boys, 55 girls) with ODD (n = 44) or CD (with/without ODD, n = 48), and healthy controls (n = 86). We also related ODD, CD, and ADHD symptom counts and internalising symptomatology to all outcome measures, as well as executive functioning to emotion recognition.Results: Visual working memory and inhibitory control were impaired in the ODD and CD groups versus healthy controls. Anger, disgust, fear, happiness, and sadness recognition were impaired in the CD group; only anger recognition was impaired in the ODD group. Deficits were not explained by comorbid ADHD or internalising symptoms. Visual working memory was associated with recognition of all basic emotions.Conclusions: Our findings challenge the view that neuropsychological impairments in youth with ODD/CD are driven by comorbid ADHD and suggest possible distinct neurocognitive mechanisms in CD versus ODD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee Kleine Deters
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jilly Naaijen
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mireia Rosa
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Clínic Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pascal M Aggensteiner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Melanie C Saam
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ulrike M E Schulze
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychiatry, Calw, Germany
| | - Arjun Sethi
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Michael C Craig
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ilyas Sagar-Ouriaghli
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paramala Santosh
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,Centre for Interventional Paediatric Psychopharmacology and Rare Diseases (CIPPRD), National and Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
| | - Josefina Castro-Fornieles
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Clínic Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 2017SGR881, University of Barcelona, CIBERSAM, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María J Penzol
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia E Werhahn
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey Glennon
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter J Hoekstra
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Dietrich
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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20
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Roberts R, McCrory E, Bird G, Sharp M, Roberts L, Viding E. Thinking about Others' Minds: Mental State Inference in Boys with Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 48:1279-1290. [PMID: 32632744 PMCID: PMC7445196 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-020-00664-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Children with conduct problems (CP) and high levels of callous-unemotional traits (CP/HCU) have been found to have an intact ability to represent other minds, however, they behave in ways that indicate a reduced propensity to consider other people’s thoughts and feelings. Here we report findings from three tasks assessing different aspects of mentalising in 81 boys aged 11–16 [Typically developing (TD) n = 27; CP/HCU n = 28; CP and low levels of callous-unemotional traits (CP/LCU) n = 26]. Participants completed the Movie Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC), a task assessing ability/propensity to incorporate judgements concerning an individual’s mind into mental state inference; provided a written description of a good friend to assess mind-mindedness; and completed the Social Judgement Task (SJT), a new measure assessing mentalising about antisocial actions. Boys with CP/HCU had more difficulty in accurately inferring others’ mental states in the MASC than TD and CP/LCU boys. There were no group differences in the number of mind-related comments as assessed by the mind-mindedness protocol or in responses to the SJT task. These findings suggest that although the ability to represent mental states is intact, CP/HCU boys are less likely to update mental state inferences as a function of different minds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Roberts
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK.
| | - Eamon McCrory
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Geoffrey Bird
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.,MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Molly Sharp
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Linda Roberts
- University of Manitoba, 66 Chancellors Cir, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Essi Viding
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK
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21
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Empathic Accuracy in Female Adolescents with Conduct Disorder and Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Conduct Disorder and Empathy. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 48:1155-1167. [PMID: 32488571 PMCID: PMC7392945 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-020-00659-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Research on empathy in youth with Conduct Disorder (CD) has primarily focused on males, with the few studies that have investigated empathy in females relying on questionnaire measures. Our primary aim was to investigate whether females with CD show empathy deficits when using a more ecologically-valid task. We used an empathic accuracy (EA) paradigm that involved watching videos of actors recalling emotional experiences and providing continuous ratings of emotional intensity (assessing EA), naming the emotion expressed (emotion recognition), and reporting whether they shared the emotion expressed (affective empathy). We compared 23 females with CD and 29 typically-developing (TD) adolescents aged 13-18 years. The CD sample was divided into subgroups with higher (CD/CU+) versus lower (CD/CU-) levels of callous-unemotional traits. Females with CD did not differ from TD females in EA or emotion recognition but exhibited reduced affective empathy responses (ps < 0.01, rs ≥ 0.39). The CD/CU+ and CD/CU- subgroups did not differ on any empathy measure. We also assessed for sex differences in CD-empathy associations by comparing the present data with archive data from males. CD adolescents exhibited impairments in EA relative to their TD counterparts overall (p < 0.05, ηp2 = 0.06), but there was no sex-by-diagnosis interaction. While females with CD were only impaired in affective empathy, males with CD exhibited emotion recognition and affective empathy deficits. This study demonstrates that females with CD show relatively specific impairments in affective empathy on an ecologically-valid task, whereas males with CD display more global empathic difficulties.
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22
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Is Callous Always Cold? A Critical Review of the Literature on Emotion and the Development of Callous-Unemotional Traits in Children. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2020; 23:265-283. [PMID: 31912346 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-019-00309-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Low emotional responsiveness is considered a core feature of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in childhood and, in the context of antisocial behavior, a precursor of psychopathic traits in adulthood. However, recent findings suggest that CU traits are not always characterized by low emotional responsiveness and the evidence base requires review. This review asks a fundamental question- 'Is callous always cold?'-with a specific focus on emotional responsiveness and CU traits in children with conduct problems (CPs). PRISMA review protocols were followed to identify literature reporting on emotional responsiveness for children 3-18 years with CPs and varying (high and low) CU traits. Results from eligible studies were contrasted by age (children 3-11 years, adolescents 12-18 years), emotional responsive measurement type (physiological, behavioral, self-report), emotion-eliciting stimuli type (interactive activities, static imagery, film) and socio-emotional context of the stimuli (other-orientated, self-orientated, neutral). This review highlights considerable variation in results across studies: reduced emotional responsiveness was not synonymous with participants demonstrating high CU traits. A more consistent picture of reduced emotional responsiveness in participants with high CU traits was found when studies used physiological measures, when stimuli were other-orientated in socio-emotional context, and in older, adolescent samples. In conclusion, this paper advocates for a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between high CU traits and the specific factors involved in emotional responsiveness, ultimately suggesting that callous is not always cold. Given that emotional responsiveness is central to theories of moral development, these findings may suggest innovative approaches to early intervention.
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23
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Abstract
Empathy, broadly defined as the ability to understand the other and to share others' emotions, motivates prosocial behavior and underlies successful interpersonal relations. Dysfunctions in this ability may cause fundamental difficulties in social communication. Empathy has been measured in various ways, from self-report questionnaires to laboratory objective performance tests. Empathic accuracy (EA), i.e., the ability to accurately empathize, is measured using more complex and ecological paradigms, such as asking participants to infer filmed interactions, or having people narrate personal emotional stories then assessing the correspondence between the perceiver and the target of empathy as the criteria for empathic ability. This measure is particularly useful in the study of clinical populations, where deconstructing the multifaceted concept of empathy may contribute to a more complete understanding of specific clinical profiles. This paper presents a scoping review of the literature on EA in clinical populations, and on EA and clinical traits and states in nonclinical or high-risk populations. Following an exhaustive literature search, 34 studies were found eligible to be included in this review. The largest category was studies focused on EA in people with schizophrenia (31%; 11 papers), followed by studies focused on EA in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and autistic traits in a nonclinical population (22%; 8 papers). Studies were also found on EA and depression tendencies, psychopathy, social anxiety, behavior disorders, and personality disorders, and a few other clinical conditions. The included studies varied on research aims, designs, sample sizes, and male:female ratios. The overall synthesized results suggest that EA is reduced in schizophrenia and ASD. In other clinical populations, the number of studies was very limited. We urge researchers to further examine EA in these less-studied populations. The review reveals a general underrepresentation of female participants in studies on EA in clinical populations. We suggest that future research address understudied clinical populations, such as those diagnosed with psychopathy. Subject, target, and situational variables should also be considered, with special attention to gender differences (and similarities), the association between EA abilities and adaptive functioning, and the study of individuals with clinical conditions as targets, not just observers, in EA tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonat Rum
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Anat Perry
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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24
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Winters DE, Wu W, Fukui S. Longitudinal Effects of Cognitive and Affective Empathy on Adolescent Substance Use. Subst Use Misuse 2020; 55:983-989. [PMID: 32067568 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2020.1717537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Background: A deficit in either socio-cognitive or socio-affective components of empathy is associated with the severity of substance use by late adolescence. What remains unknown is how longitudinal changes in these components of empathy predict adolescent substance using behavior. Methods: This secondary data analysis used data that followed adolescents in outpatient treatment for substance use (n = 826) during treatment and at 6 months post-treatment. To examine cross-lagged effects of empathy on substance use over time, we used a latent basis growth curve model. Results: Increases in affective empathy predicted reduced substance use over time. However, cognitive empathy did not predict substance use after controlling for other covariates. Conclusions: Lower levels of affective empathy may indicate a developmental vulnerability for substance using behavior. Modifying affective empathy may be a viable treatment target for reducing adolescent substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew E Winters
- Indiana University School of Social Work, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.,Section of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Wei Wu
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Sadaaki Fukui
- Indiana University School of Social Work, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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Waller R, Wagner NJ, Barstead MG, Subar A, Petersen JL, Hyde JS, Hyde LW. A meta-analysis of the associations between callous-unemotional traits and empathy, prosociality, and guilt. Clin Psychol Rev 2019; 75:101809. [PMID: 31862383 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Antisocial behavior is harmful, financially costly to society, and hard to treat. Callous-unemotional (CU) traits, which predict greater risk for antisocial behavior, are defined in theoretical and diagnostic models as representing low empathy, guilt, and prosociality. However, no meta-analytic reviews have systematically integrated the findings of studies that have reported associations between measures of CU traits and empathy, guilt, or prosociality, or potential moderators of these associations, including gender, age, severity of antisocial behavior, and informant (i.e., self or other reports of measures). To address this gap in the literature, we conducted three separate meta-analyses exploring the association between CU traits and empathy, guilt, and prosociality. In follow-up analyses, we explored associations between CU traits and affective versus cognitive empathy. The results revealed statistically significant and moderate-to-large negative associations between measures of CU traits and empathy (ρ = -.57), guilt (ρ = -.40), and prosociality (ρ = -.66). The negative association between CU traits and cognitive empathy was stronger when the informant was a parent or teacher rather than the child, and in younger children. CU traits were also more strongly related to cognitive empathy than affective empathy when the informant was a parent or teacher rather than the child, and in younger children. The findings establish that CU traits are moderately-to-strongly correlated with the presence of callous (low empathy), uncaring (low prosociality), and remorseless (low guilt) behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Waller
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Nicholas J Wagner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew G Barstead
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Anni Subar
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jennifer L Petersen
- Department of Educational Foundations, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, WI, USA
| | - Janet S Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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26
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Ackermann K, Martinelli A, Bernhard A, Freitag CM, Büttner G, Schwenck C. Friendship Quality in Youth With and Without Disruptive Behavior Disorders: The Role of Empathy, Aggression, and Callousness. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2019; 50:776-788. [PMID: 30850913 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-019-00880-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Youth with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD; Oppositional defiant disorder and/or conduct disorder) are known to show impaired social relationships. Little is known about positive (PFQ) and negative best friendship quality (NFQ) in youth with DBD, and their relations with DBD specific symptoms such as aggression subtypes, empathic abilities, and callous unemotional (CU)-traits. The current study includes N = 115 youth with and N = 146 without DBD (Mage = 13.98, SD = 2.2). A diagnostic interview and self-rating questionnaires assessed ODD/CD diagnosis, friendship quality, aggression, empathy, and CU-traits. When examined on a categorical level, youth with and without DBD did not differ in friendship quality. On a dimensional level across groups, perspective taking was positively associated with PFQ. Proactive aggression was positively associated with NFQ. CU-traits in females were positively, while CU-traits in males were negatively, associated with NFQ. Results highlight that behavioral and cognitive symptoms, rather than clinical categories, are important to consider when discussing friendship qualities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ackermann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Anne Martinelli
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anka Bernhard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gerhard Büttner
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christina Schwenck
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Special Needs Educational and Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen, Germany
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27
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Fairchild G, Hawes DJ, Frick PJ, Copeland WE, Odgers CL, Franke B, Freitag CM, De Brito SA. Conduct disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2019; 5:43. [PMID: 31249310 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-019-0095-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Conduct disorder (CD) is a common and highly impairing psychiatric disorder that usually emerges in childhood or adolescence and is characterized by severe antisocial and aggressive behaviour. It frequently co-occurs with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and often leads to antisocial personality disorder in adulthood. CD affects ~3% of school-aged children and is twice as prevalent in males than in females. This disorder can be subtyped according to age at onset (childhood-onset versus adolescent-onset) and the presence or absence of callous-unemotional traits (deficits in empathy and guilt). The aetiology of CD is complex, with contributions of both genetic and environmental risk factors and different forms of interplay among the two (gene-environment interaction and correlation). In addition, CD is associated with neurocognitive impairments; smaller grey matter volume in limbic regions such as the amygdala, insula and orbitofrontal cortex, and functional abnormalities in overlapping brain circuits responsible for emotion processing, emotion regulation and reinforcement-based decision-making have been reported. Lower hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomic reactivity to stress has also been reported. Management of CD primarily involves parent-based or family-based psychosocial interventions, although stimulants and atypical antipsychotics are sometimes used, especially in individuals with comorbid ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David J Hawes
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA and Institute for Learning Science and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Candice L Odgers
- Department of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Barbara Franke
- Departments of Human Genetics and Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stephane A De Brito
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Dong D, Jiang Y, Gao Y, Ming Q, Wang X, Yao S. Atypical Frontotemporal Connectivity of Cognitive Empathy in Male Adolescents With Conduct Disorder. Front Psychol 2019; 9:2778. [PMID: 30687205 PMCID: PMC6338247 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: It has been suggested that adolescents with conduct disorder (CD) may have a deficit in the affective and cognitive domains empathy, but studies exploring networks within the key brain regions of affective and cognitive empathy in adolescents with CD are lacking. Methods: Functional connectivity (FC) analyses among key brain regions of the affective and cognitive empathy with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were conducted in 30 adolescent boys with CD and 33 demographically matched healthy controls (HCs). Results: Atypical FC within the key brain regions of affective empathy was not observed in CD adolescents. However, we found that CD adolescents showed decreased frontotemporal connectivity within the key brain regions of cognitive empathy in relation to HCs, that is, the FCs between right temporoparietal junction and ventromedial prefrontal cortex as well as dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Conclusion: These findings may provide insight into neural mechanism underlying a cognitive empathy deficiency of CD adolescents from the perspective of FC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Yali Jiang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Yidian Gao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Qingsen Ming
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
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Haut KM, Dodell-Feder D, Guty E, Nahum M, Hooker CI. Change in Objective Measure of Empathic Accuracy Following Social Cognitive Training. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:894. [PMID: 31920748 PMCID: PMC6914938 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The capacity for empathy plays an important role in interpersonal relationships and social functioning, and impairments in empathy can have negative effects on social interactions and overall social adjustment. This suggests that empathy may be a critical target for intervention in individuals who struggle with social interactions, yet it is unclear if the skills required for empathy are malleable. This study investigates the efficacy of targeted social cognitive training for improving empathic skills. Methods: Forty-five individuals (mean age = 24) were included in this study. Twenty-four individuals were allocated to the active social cognition training group and 21 individuals were allocated to a computer games control condition. Subjects completed approximately 10.5 h of training over two weeks. Pre- and post- training, they completed measures of empathy and emotion recognition, including the Interpersonal Reactivity Inventory (IRI) and an empathic accuracy task. ANOVA and regression analyses tested changes in participants' performance on the empathic accuracy task and scores on the IRI subscales were used to assess the effect of the social cognitive training. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA show that there is a significant group by timepoint interaction on the Empathic Accuracy task, with individuals who completed the social cognition training showing a significant improvement in performance following training. There were no significant changes for either group on any of the self-report IRI subscales. Individuals in the active training group show significant improvement on negative valence videos and a trend towards improvement on positive valence videos. In addition, individuals in social cognition active training group who reported higher intrinsic motivation demonstrated greater improvement on the Empathic Accuracy task. Conclusions: Individuals who completed a computerized social cognition training program demonstrated improved performance on a rater objective measure of empathic accuracy while individuals who completed a computer game control condition did not demonstrate any significant changes in their performance on the empathic accuracy task. These results suggest that targeted training in social cognition may increase empathic abilities, even in healthy individuals, and that this training may be beneficial to individuals with social cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Haut
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - David Dodell-Feder
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Erin Guty
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Mor Nahum
- School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Christine I Hooker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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Mackes NK, Golm D, O'Daly OG, Sarkar S, Sonuga-Barke EJS, Fairchild G, Mehta MA. Tracking emotions in the brain - Revisiting the Empathic Accuracy Task. Neuroimage 2018; 178:677-686. [PMID: 29890323 PMCID: PMC6057276 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.05.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Many empathy tasks lack ecological validity due to their use of simplistic stimuli and static analytical approaches. Empathic accuracy tasks overcome these limitations by using autobiographical emotional video clips. Usually, a single measure of empathic accuracy is computed by correlating the participants' continuous ratings of the narrator's emotional state with the narrator's own ratings. In this study, we validated a modified empathic accuracy task. A valence-independent rating of the narrator's emotional intensity was added to provide comparability between videos portraying different primary emotions and to explore changes in neural activity related to variations in emotional intensity over time. We also added a new neutral control condition to investigate general emotional processing. In the scanner, 34 healthy participants watched 6 video clips of people talking about an autobiographical event (2 sad, 2 happy and 2 neutral clips) while continuously rating the narrator's emotional intensity. Fluctuation in perceived emotional intensity correlated with activity in brain regions previously implicated in cognitive empathy (bilateral superior temporal sulcus, temporoparietal junction, and temporal pole) and affective empathy (right anterior insula and inferior frontal gyrus). When emotional video clips were compared to neutral video clips, we observed higher activity in similar brain regions. Empathic accuracy, on the other hand, was only positively related to activation in regions that have been implicated in cognitive empathy. Our modified empathic accuracy task provides a new method for studying the underlying components and dynamic processes involved in empathy. While the task elicited both cognitive and affective empathy, successful tracking of others' emotions relied predominantly on the cognitive components of empathy. The fMRI data analysis techniques developed here may prove valuable in characterising the neural basis of empathic difficulties observed across a range of psychiatric conditions. Activity in affective and cognitive empathy related regions during emotional videos. Activity in similar regions related to changes in perceived emotional intensity. Only regions implicated in cognitive empathy were associated with empathic accuracy. No difference between video clips that did and did not elicit affect sharing. Empathic accuracy related to self-rated perspective-taking but not empathic concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria K Mackes
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, UK; Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, UK.
| | - Dennis Golm
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, UK.
| | - Owen G O'Daly
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, UK
| | - Sagari Sarkar
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, UK
| | - Edmund J S Sonuga-Barke
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, UK
| | - Graeme Fairchild
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, 10 West, BA2 7AY, Bath, UK
| | - Mitul A Mehta
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, UK
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31
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An fMRI investigation of empathic processing in boys with conduct problems and varying levels of callous-unemotional traits. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:298-304. [PMID: 29876250 PMCID: PMC5987797 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The ability to empathise relies in part on using one's own affective experience to simulate the affective experience of others. This process is supported by a number of brain areas including the anterior insula (AI), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the amygdala. Children with conduct problems (CP), and in particular those with high levels of callous-unemotional traits (CP/HCU) present with less empathy than their peers. They also show reduced neural response in areas supporting empathic processing when viewing other people in distress. The current study focused on identifying brain areas co-activated during affective introspection of: i) One's own emotions (‘Own emotion’); ii) Others' emotions (‘Other emotion’); and iii) One's feelings about others' emotions (‘Feel for other’) during fearful vs neutral scenarios in typically developing boys (TD; n = 31), boys with CP/HCU (n = 31), and boys with CP and low levels of CU (CP/LCU; n = 33). The conjunction analysis across conditions within the TD group revealed significant clusters of activation in the AI, ACC/mPFC, and occipital cortex. Conjunction analyses across conditions in the CP/HCU and CP/LCU groups did not identify these areas as significantly activated. However, follow-up analyses were not able to confirm statistically significant differences between groups across the whole network, and Bayes-factor analyses did not provide substantial support for either the null or alternate hypotheses. Post-hoc comparisons indicated that the lack of conjunction effects in the CP/HCU group may reflect reduced affective introspection in the ‘Other emotion’ and ‘Feel for other’ conditions, and by reduced affective introspection in the ‘Own emotion’ condition in the CP/LCU group. These findings provide limited and ultimately equivocal evidence for altered affective introspection regarding others in CP/HCU, and altered affective introspection for own emotions in CP/LCU, and highlight the need for further research to systematically investigate the precise nature of empathy deficits in children with CP. A core affective introspective network was detected in typically developing children This was active when introspecting about their emotions, another's emotions, or how they felt for another This network was not consistently detected in children with conduct problems Direct comparisons were however unable to detect significant differences in this network between groups Future work must carefully assess and compare deliberative and incidental socio-affective processing in these children
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32
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Smaragdi A, Cornwell H, Toschi N, Riccelli R, Gonzalez-Madruga K, Wells A, Clanton R, Baker R, Rogers J, Martin-Key N, Puzzo I, Batchelor M, Sidlauskaite J, Bernhard A, Martinelli A, Kohls G, Konrad K, Baumann S, Raschle N, Stadler C, Freitag C, Sonuga-Barke EJS, De Brito S, Fairchild G. Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Conduct Disorder and Cortical Structure in Adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2017; 56:703-712. [PMID: 28735700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2017.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous studies have reported reduced cortical thickness and surface area and altered gyrification in frontal and temporal regions in adolescents with conduct disorder (CD). Although there is evidence that the clinical phenotype of CD differs between males and females, no studies have examined whether such sex differences extend to cortical and subcortical structure. METHOD As part of a European multisite study (FemNAT-CD), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were collected from 48 female and 48 male participants with CD and from 104 sex-, age-, and pubertal-status-matched controls (14-18 years of age). Data were analyzed using surface-based morphometry, testing for effects of sex, diagnosis, and sex-by-diagnosis interactions, while controlling for age, IQ, scan site, and total gray matter volume. RESULTS CD was associated with cortical thinning and higher gyrification in ventromedial prefrontal cortex in both sexes. Males with CD showed lower, and females with CD showed higher, supramarginal gyrus cortical thickness compared with controls. Relative to controls, males with CD showed higher gyrification and surface area in superior frontal gyrus, whereas the opposite pattern was seen in females. There were no effects of diagnosis or sex-by-diagnosis interactions on subcortical volumes. Results are discussed with regard to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and substance abuse comorbidity, medication use, handedness, and CD age of onset. CONCLUSION We found both similarities and differences between males and females in CD-cortical structure associations. This initial evidence that the pathophysiological basis of CD may be partly sex-specific highlights the need to consider sex in future neuroimaging studies and suggests that males and females may require different treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Amy Wells
- University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Ignazio Puzzo
- West London Mental Health Trust, Broadmoor High Secure Hospital, London, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Gregor Kohls
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | | | | | - Nora Raschle
- Psychiatric University Clinics and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christina Stadler
- Psychiatric University Clinics and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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