Alexithymia is a personality construct characterized by altered emotional awareness which has been gaining diagnostic prevalence in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, with notably high rates of overlap with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the nature of its role in ASD symptomatology remains elusive. Here, we distill research at the intersection of alexithymia and ASD. After a brief synopsis of the studies that plaid a pioneering role in the identification of the overlapping fields between alexithymia and ASD, we comb the literature for evidence of its overlap with ASD in terms of prevalence, etiology, and behaviors. Through a formalized framework of the process of emotional interpretation and expression, we explore evidence for where and how deficits arise in this complex network of events. We portray how these relate to the dynamic interplay between alexithymic and autistic traits and find emerging evidence that alexithymia is both a cause and consequence of autistic behaviors. We end with a strategic proposal for future research and interventions to dampen the impacts of alexithymia in ASD.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6056680 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01196 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Autism Spectrum Disorder Traits Predict Interoceptive Deficits and Eating Disorder Symptomatology in Children and Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa-A Cross-Sectional Analysis: Italian Preliminary Data.
Pediatr Rep
December 2024
IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Neuropsichiatria dell'Età Pediatrica, Centro Regionale per i Disturbi della Nutrizione e dell'Alimentazione in età evolutiva, 40139 Bologna, Italy.
Background: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a severe Feeding and Eating Disorder (FED) that is more prevalent in females, often manifesting during adolescence. Recent research highlights an elevated presence of comorbid Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) traits among individuals with AN, with specific expressions in females accounting for sensorial and interoceptive experiences. This study retrospectively explores the association between ASD traits, eating symptomatology, and interoceptive deficits in Italian female adolescents with AN.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFErbB inhibition rescues nigral dopamine neuron hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome.
Mol Psychiatry
November 2024
Department of Experimental Neuroscience, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Article Synopsis
- Repetitive stereotyped behaviors are key symptoms of autism spectrum disorders and fragile X syndrome, linked to dysregulation in the dopamine circuit which affects movement and habits.
- Research shows that hyperactivity in specific dopamine neurons is an early sign of fragile X syndrome, driven by interactions between certain receptors (mGluR1 and ErbB).
- Inhibiting ErbB receptors can reduce hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors in fragile X mouse models, suggesting a potential new treatment avenue for autism and fragile X syndrome.
The Moderating Effect of Sex on Autistic Trait Emotional Intelligence, Alexithymia, and Empathy.
J Autism Dev Disord
September 2024
Psychology Department, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Ave, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with differences in social communication, and these differences are related to trait emotional intelligence (TEI), alexithymia, and empathy. Autism is known to present differently in males and females, but research on sex differences in TEI, alexithymia, and empathy is largely relegated to non-autistic people. Therefore, the current research sought to explore individual relationships between autistic characteristics and TEI, alexithymia, and empathy, as well as the possible influence of sex in these relationships.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExamining the Link Between Social Affect and Visual Exploration of Cute Stimuli in Autistic Children.
J Autism Dev Disord
August 2024
Faculty of Psychology, UniDistance Suisse, Brig, Switzerland.
Baby schema refers to physical features perceived as cute, known to trigger attention, induce positive emotions, and prompt social interactions. Given the reduced visual attention to social stimuli observed in individuals on the autism spectrum, the current study examines whether the sensitivity to baby schema is also affected. We expected that the looking time towards cute-featured stimuli would vary with symptom severity levels and would be associated with social affect.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCharacterizing associations between emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and repetitive behaviors in autistic youth with intellectual disability.
Autism Res
September 2024
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
There is a paucity of research that explores associations between emotion dysregulation and the expression and severity of core and co-occurring characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially in autistic youth with co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). This study explored the interplay between developmental characteristics and emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and specific subtypes of RRBs that are elevated in autistic youth with co-occurring ID. Generalized additive models demonstrated that age, sex, language level, dysregulation, and anxiety showed unique patterns of association with subtypes of RRBs in a sample of 150 autistic youth with co-occurring ID who are non-speaking or minimally verbal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!