TY - JOUR
T1 - Reduced differentiation of emotion-associated bodily sensations in autism
AU - Palser, Eleanor R.
AU - Galvez-Pol, Alejandro
AU - Palmer, Clare E.
AU - Hannah, Ricci
AU - Fotopoulou, Aikaterini
AU - Pellicano, Elizabeth
AU - Kilner, James M.
PY - 2021/7/1
Y1 - 2021/7/1
N2 - Differences in understanding emotion in autism are well-documented, although far more research has considered how being autistic impacts an understanding of other people’s emotions, compared to their own. In neurotypical adults and children, many emotions are associated with distinct bodily maps of experienced sensation, and the ability to report these maps is significantly related to the awareness of interoceptive signals. Here, in 100 children who either carry a clinical diagnosis of autism (n = 45) or who have no history of autism (n = 55), we investigated potential differences in differentiation across autistic children’s bodily maps of emotion, as well as how such differentiation relates to the processing of interoceptive signals. As such, we measured objective interoceptive performance using the heartbeat-counting task, and participants’ subjective experience of interoceptive signals using the child version of the Body Perception Questionnaire. We found less differentiation in the bodily maps of emotion in autistic children, but no association with either objective or subjective interoceptive processing. These findings suggest that, in addition to previously reported differences in detecting others’ emotional states, autistic children have a less differentiated bodily experience of emotion. This does not, however, relate to differences in interoceptive perception as measured here.
AB - Differences in understanding emotion in autism are well-documented, although far more research has considered how being autistic impacts an understanding of other people’s emotions, compared to their own. In neurotypical adults and children, many emotions are associated with distinct bodily maps of experienced sensation, and the ability to report these maps is significantly related to the awareness of interoceptive signals. Here, in 100 children who either carry a clinical diagnosis of autism (n = 45) or who have no history of autism (n = 55), we investigated potential differences in differentiation across autistic children’s bodily maps of emotion, as well as how such differentiation relates to the processing of interoceptive signals. As such, we measured objective interoceptive performance using the heartbeat-counting task, and participants’ subjective experience of interoceptive signals using the child version of the Body Perception Questionnaire. We found less differentiation in the bodily maps of emotion in autistic children, but no association with either objective or subjective interoceptive processing. These findings suggest that, in addition to previously reported differences in detecting others’ emotional states, autistic children have a less differentiated bodily experience of emotion. This does not, however, relate to differences in interoceptive perception as measured here.
KW - autism
KW - emotion
KW - interoception
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100006727&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1362361320987950
DO - 10.1177/1362361320987950
M3 - Article
C2 - 33482706
AN - SCOPUS:85100006727
SN - 1362-3613
VL - 25
SP - 1321
EP - 1334
JO - Autism
JF - Autism
IS - 5
ER -