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Vagnetti R, Vicovaro M, Spoto A, Battaglini L, Attanasio M, Valenti M, Mazza M. Atypical Time to Contact Estimation in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06352-z. [PMID: 38635130 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06352-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present atypical sensory processing in the perception of moving stimuli and biological motion. The present study aims to explore the performance of young adults with ASD in a time to contact (TTC) estimation task involving social and non-social stimuli. TTC estimation involves extrapolating the trajectory of a moving target concealed by an occluder, based on the visible portion of its path, to predict the target's arrival time at a specific position. Sixteen participants with a diagnosis of level-1 ASD (M = 19.2 years, SE = 0.54 years; 3 F, 13 M) and sixteen participants with TD (M = 22.3 years, SE = 0.44 years; 3 F, 13 M) took part in the study and underwent a TTC estimation task. The task presented two object types (a car and a point-light walker), different object speeds, occluder lengths, motion directions and motion congruency. For the car object, a larger overestimation of TTC emerged for ASDs than for TDs, whereas no difference between ASDs and TDs emerged for the point-light walker. ASDs exhibited a larger TTC overestimation for the car object than for the point-light walker, whereas no difference between object types emerged for TDs. Our results indicated an atypical TTC estimation process in young adults with ASD. Given its importance in daily life, future studies should further explore this skill. Significant effects that emerged from the analysis are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Vagnetti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Michele Vicovaro
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
| | - Andrea Spoto
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism (Centro di Riferimento Regionale per l'Autismo), Abruzzo Region Local Health Agency 1 (ASL 1), L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism (Centro di Riferimento Regionale per l'Autismo), Abruzzo Region Local Health Agency 1 (ASL 1), L'Aquila, Italy
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Dell’Osso L, Massoni L, Battaglini S, De Felice C, Nardi B, Amatori G, Cremone IM, Carpita B. Emotional dysregulation as a part of the autism spectrum continuum: a literature review from late childhood to adulthood. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1234518. [PMID: 37791135 PMCID: PMC10544895 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1234518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The concept of emotional dysregulation (ED) has recently gained interest in the scientific literature and is commonly defined as the inability to use the modulatory mechanisms involved in emotion regulation, resulting in a functioning meaningfully below the baseline. Even though the data available are still limited, an increasing number of studies have hypothesized a promoting role for some of the core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the development of ED, in particular being repetitive behaviors, social difficulties and alexythimia. In this framework, the purpose of this study was to review the literature that is currently available about presence and correlates of ED in young adults with autism spectrum conditions as well as to offer some insights about possible implications for illness trajectories. The data reported seems to point to a shared etiology between ED and repetitive/restricted ASD symptoms, with perseveration features serving as the foundation for the inability to control one's emotions. In this context, a neurodevelopmental basis for ED could be consistent with the transnosographic conceptualization of ASD, which hypothesizes a potential neurodevelopmental basis for several psychiatric disorders, whose autistic traits would be the phenotypical presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Barbara Carpita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Le Donne I, Attanasio M, Bologna A, Vagnetti R, Masedu F, Valenti M, Mazza M. Autism and intention attribution test: a non-verbal evaluation with comic strips. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2023; 22:29. [PMID: 37573317 PMCID: PMC10422844 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-023-00461-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mentalization being two words often associated in the literature, the assessment of this ability in individuals with ASD in the clinical setting is still limited. Indeed, there are no standardized Theory of Mind (ToM) tests that are adaptable to different cognitive profiles, such as individuals with language poverty, and intellectual or memory impairments. This study proposes a non-verbal test (Intentions Attribution-Comic Strip Test; IA-CST) to evaluate the ability to infer the intentions of others, a basic component of ToM, in the clinical setting. METHOD In Study 1, the test was administered to 261 healthy individuals and we performed structural validation using Exploratory Graph Analysis. In Study 2, the final version of the test was administered to 32 individuals with ASD to assess the known group validity of the measure by comparing their scores with a sample of IQ-matched controls. Moreover, we performed logistic regression and ROC curve to preliminarily assess the diagnostic performance of the IA-CST. RESULTS The IA-CST resulted in a 3-dimension measure with good structural stability. Group comparison indicated that the ASD group shows significantly lower performance in intention attribution but not in inferring causal consequences. The test demonstrated known group validity and that, preliminarily, it is suitable for implementation within the clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS The results support the IA-CST as a valid non-verbal task for evaluating intentions attribution in the clinical setting. Difficulties in ToM are early and relevant in ASD, so assessing these aspects is valuable for structuring individualized and evidence-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Le Donne
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy.
| | - Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Antony Bologna
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Roberto Vagnetti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesco Masedu
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
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Tarantino L, Attanasio M, Di Mascio T, De Gasperis G, Valenti M, Mazza M. On the Evaluation of Engagement in Immersive Applications When Users Are on the Autism Spectrum. Sensors (Basel) 2023; 23:2192. [PMID: 36850787 PMCID: PMC9963697 DOI: 10.3390/s23042192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
New generation wearable devices allow for the development of interactive environments tailored for Virtual Reality (VR)- and Augmented Reality (AR)-based treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Experts agree on their potential; however, there is lack of consensus on how to perform trials and the need arises for evaluation frameworks, methods, and techniques appropriate for the ASD population. In this paper, we report on a study conducted with high-functioning ASD people in the 21-23 age range, with the objectives of (1) evaluating the engagement of two headsets offering distinct immersive experiences, (2) reasoning on the interpretation of engagement factors in the case of ASD people, and (3) translating results into general guidelines for the development of VR/AR-based ASD treatment. To this aim, we (1) designed two engagement evaluation frameworks based on behavioral observation measures, (2) set up two packages of reference immersive scenarios, (3) defined the association between metrics and scenarios, and (4) administered the scenarios in distinct sessions for the investigated headsets. Results show that the immersive experiences are engaging and that the apparent lack of success of some evaluation factors can become potential advantages within the framework of VR/AR-based ASD treatment design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tarantino
- Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Tania Di Mascio
- Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Giovanni De Gasperis
- Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
- Regional Reference Center for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
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Attanasio M, Masedu F, Quattrini F, Pino MC, Vagnetti R, Valenti M, Mazza M. Are Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asexuality Connected? Arch Sex Behav 2022; 51:2091-2115. [PMID: 34779982 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02177-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Asexuality is a lack of sexual attraction to any gender. There is some evidence to suggest that many self-identified asexuals have a formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder which is characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, as well as by restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors. Additionally, the literature shows that asexuality and lack of sexual attraction or low sexual interest is overrepresented in people with autism spectrum disorder compared with neurotypical samples. Nevertheless, no studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between autism and asexuality in depth. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to examine whether asexuality and autism spectrum disorder are connected. We conclude that asexuality and autism share various aspects, such as a possible role of prenatal factors, reference to romantic dimensions of sexual attraction and sexual orientation, and non-partner-oriented sexual desire, but future research should explore and clarify this link.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Località Coppito, Italy.
- Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, L'Aquila, Italy.
| | - Francesco Masedu
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Località Coppito, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Quattrini
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Località Coppito, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Pino
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Località Coppito, Italy
| | - Roberto Vagnetti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Località Coppito, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Località Coppito, Italy
- Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Località Coppito, Italy
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Fernandes JM, Soares S, Lopes R, Jerónimo R, Barahona-Corrêa JB. Attribution of intentions in autism spectrum disorder: A study of event-related potentials. Autism Res 2022; 15:847-860. [PMID: 35274469 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social cognition deficits, including difficulties inferring the intentions of others. Although deficits in attribution of intentions (AI) have been consistently replicated in ASD, their exact nature remains unexplored. Here we registered the electrophysiological correlates of a nonverbal social cognition task to investigate AI in autistic adults. Twenty-one male autistic adults and 30 male neurotypical volunteers performed a comic strips task depicting either intentional action (AI) or physical causality with or without human characters, while their electroencephalographic signal was recorded. Compared to neurotypical volunteers, autistic participants were significantly less accurate in correctly identifying congruence in the AI condition, but not in the physical causality conditions. In the AI condition a bilateral posterior positive event-related potential (ERP) occurred 200-400 ms post-stimulus (the ERP intention effect) in both groups. This waveform comprised a P200 and a P300 component, with the P200 component being larger for the AI condition in neurotypical volunteers but not in autistic individuals, who also showed a longer latency for this waveform. Group differences in amplitude of the ERP intention effect only became evident when we compared autistic participants to a subgroup of similarly performing neurotypical participants, suggesting that the atypical ERP waveform in ASD is an effect of group, rather than a marker of low-task performance. Together, these results suggest that the lower accuracy of the ASD group in the AI task may result from impaired early attentional processing and contextual integration of socially relevant cues. LAY SUMMARY: To understand why autistic people have difficulties in inferring others' intentions, we asked participants to judge the congruence of the endings of comic strips depicting either intentional actions (e.g., fetching a chair to reach for something) or situations solely following physical rules (e.g., an apple falling on someone's head), while their electrical brain activity was recorded. Autistic individuals had more difficulties in inferring intentions than neurotypical controls, which may reflect impaired attention and contextual integration of social cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Miguel Fernandes
- NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- CADIn-Neurodevelopment & Inclusion, Non-Profit Association, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Sara Soares
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL), CIS_Iscte, Lisbon, Portugal
- Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (Unescog), Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ricardo Lopes
- CADIn-Neurodevelopment & Inclusion, Non-Profit Association, Cascais, Portugal
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL), CIS_Iscte, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rita Jerónimo
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte-IUL), CIS_Iscte, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - J Bernardo Barahona-Corrêa
- NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research & Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
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Masedu F, Vagnetti R, Pino MC, Valenti M, Mazza M. Comparison of Visual Fixation Trajectories in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development: A Markov Chain Model. Brain Sci 2021; 12:10. [PMID: 35053753 PMCID: PMC8773751 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition in which visual attention and visual search strategies are altered. Eye-tracking paradigms have been used to detect these changes. In our study, 18 toddlers with ASD and 18 toddlers with typical development (TD; age range 12-36 months) underwent an eye-tracking paradigm where a face was shown together with a series of objects. Eye gaze was coded according to three areas of interest (AOIs) indicating where the toddlers' gaze was directed: 'Face', 'Object', and 'No-stimulus fixation'. The fixation sequence for the ASD and TD groups was modelled with a Markov chain model, obtaining transition probabilities between AOIs. Our results indicate that the transition between AOIs could differentiate between toddlers with ASD or TD, highlighting different visual exploration patterns between the groups. The sequence of exploration is strictly conditioned based on previous fixations, among which 'No-stimulus fixation' has a critical role in differentiating the two groups. Furthermore, our analyses underline difficulties of individuals with ASD to engage in stimulus exploration. These results could improve clinical and interventional practice by considering this dimension among the evaluation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Masedu
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
| | - Roberto Vagnetti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
| | - Maria Chiara Pino
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
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Rinaldi C, Attanasio M, Valenti M, Mazza M, Keller R. Autism spectrum disorder and personality disorders: Comorbidity and differential diagnosis. World J Psychiatry 2021; 11:1366-1386. [PMID: 35070783 PMCID: PMC8717043 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i12.1366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differential diagnosis, comorbidities and overlaps with other psychiatric disorders are common among adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but clinical assessments often omit screening for personality disorders (PD), which are especially common in individuals with high-functioning ASD where there is less need for support. AIM To summarize the research findings on PD in adults with ASD and without intellectual disability, focusing on comorbidity and differential diagnosis. METHODS PubMed searches were performed using the key words "Asperger's Syndrome", "Autism", "Personality", "Personality disorder" and "comorbidity" in order to identify relevant articles published in English. Grey literature was identified through searching Google Scholar. The literature reviews and reference sections of selected papers were also examined for additional potential studies. The search was restricted to studies published up to April 2020. This review is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method. RESULTS The search found 22 studies carried out on ASD adults without intellectual disability that met the inclusion criteria: 16 evaluated personality profiles or PD in ASD (comorbidity), five compared ASD and PD (differential diagnosis) and one performed both tasks. There were significant differences in the methodological approaches, including the ASD diagnostic instruments and personality measures. Cluster A and cluster C PD are the most frequent co-occurring PD, but overlapping features should be considered. Data on differential diagnosis were only found with cluster A and cluster B PD. CONCLUSION ASD in high-functioning adults is associated with a distinct personality profile even if variability exists. Further studies are needed to explore the complex relationship between ASD and PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Rinaldi
- Adult Autism Center, Department of Mental Health, ASL Città di Torino, Turin 10138, Italy
| | - Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila 67100, Italy
- Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L’Aquila 67100, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila 67100, Italy
- Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L’Aquila 67100, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila 67100, Italy
- Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L’Aquila 67100, Italy
| | - Roberto Keller
- Adult Autism Center, Department of Mental Health, ASL Città di Torino, Turin 10138, Italy
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Mazza M, Pino MC, Keller R, Vagnetti R, Attanasio M, Filocamo A, Le Donne I, Masedu F, Valenti M. Qualitative Differences in Attribution of Mental States to Other People in Autism and Schizophrenia: What are the Tools for Differential Diagnosis? J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:1283-1298. [PMID: 33909212 PMCID: PMC8854268 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05035-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The differential diagnosis between schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) remains an important clinical question, because they have overlap in clinical diagnosis. This study explored the differences between ASD (n = 44) and SSD patients (n = 59), compared to typically developing peers (n = 63), in completing an advanced Theory of Mind (ToM) task. The outcome found several differences between groups. The SSD patients showed greater difficulty in understanding social scenarios, while ASD individuals understood the stories, but did not correctly identify the protagonist’s intention. The interesting aspect of the results is that some ToM stories are more informative about the mentalistic reasoning of the two clinical groups, namely, the stories that investigate pretend, persuasion, double bluff and ironic joke constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Mazza
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
- Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Pino
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
- Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Roberto Keller
- Reference Centre for Adult Autism of the Piemonte Region, DSM Local Health Unit ASL Città di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Roberto Vagnetti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
- Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Angela Filocamo
- Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Ilenia Le Donne
- Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesco Masedu
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
- Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, L’Aquila, Italy
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10
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Pino MC, Vagnetti R, Masedu F, Attanasio M, Tiberti S, Valenti M, Mazza M. Mapping the Network of Social Cognition Domains in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Graph Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:579339. [PMID: 33192721 PMCID: PMC7661799 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.579339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterized by difficulties in social cognition (SC) domains. The aim of this study is to build an SC network to explore associations among interacting elements within this cognitive construct. We used a graph analysis to explain how individual SC domains relate to each other and how these relations may differ between ASD and typically developing (TD) groups. Seventy-six children with ASD and 81 TD children, matched for verbal mental age, were subjected to three SC measures. Our results showed that TD children exhibited an SC network characterized by a single domain (i.e., social cognition), while children with ASD demonstrated communicating node communities where social information processing measured by the Social Information Processing Interview (SIPI) represents a key point in understanding network differences between groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chiara Pino
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.,Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Roberto Vagnetti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesco Masedu
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.,Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Sergio Tiberti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.,Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.,Regional Centre for Autism, Abruzzo Region Health System, L'Aquila, Italy
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