Dissociation in How Core Autism Features Relate to Interoceptive Dimensions: Evidence from Cardiac Awareness in Children

E R Palser; A Fotopoulou; E Pellicano; J M Kilner

doi:10.1007/s10803-019-04279-4

Dissociation in How Core Autism Features Relate to Interoceptive Dimensions: Evidence from Cardiac Awareness in Children

J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Feb;50(2):572-582. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-04279-4.

Authors

E R Palser^{1

2

3}, A Fotopoulou⁴, E Pellicano^{5

6}, J M Kilner⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK. eleanor.palser.14@ucl.ac.uk.
² Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, 33 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK. eleanor.palser.14@ucl.ac.uk.
³ Sandler Neurosciences Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA. eleanor.palser.14@ucl.ac.uk.
⁴ Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
⁵ Centre for Research into Autism and Education, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK.
⁶ Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University, Building X5B, 29 Wally's Walk, Room 209, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
⁷ Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, 33 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.

Abstract

Interoception in autism is receiving increasing research attention. Previously, differences were identified in autism on both objective and subjective measures of interoception, and an association with anxiety. Yet, it is currently unknown how interoception relates to core autism features. Here, in 49 autistic children, we consider how interoceptive accuracy (measured with heartbeat detection tasks) and sensibility (subjective judgements of awareness) relate to overall severity on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, and symptom domains of social-affective and repetitive, restricted behaviors. Socio-affective features were related to interoceptive sensibility, while repetitive restricted behaviors were related to interoceptive accuracy. This dissociation suggests disparate interoceptive mechanisms for the formation and/or maintenance of autistic features.

Keywords: Affect; Autism; Interoception; Social Cognition.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Anxiety / physiopathology
Anxiety / psychology
Attention / physiology
Autism Spectrum Disorder / physiopathology*
Autism Spectrum Disorder / psychology*
Awareness / physiology*
Child
Cognition / physiology
Female
Heart Rate / physiology*
Humans
Interoception / physiology*
Judgment / physiology
Male
Young Adult

Abstract

MeSH terms

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