Autism Spectrum Questionnaire Research Articles

Self-Reported Autistic Traits and Stress Level of University Students in China

In Asian countries such as China, little research has been conducted on autism other than in early childhood, and thus the prevalence and psychosocial outcomes of young people with recognisable high levels of autistic traits remain largely unknown. This study used an online questionnaire format and the survey consisted of two scales, the Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (AQ-28) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The sample used for the study covered musicology majors, freshmen through seniors to ensure a diverse sample. A total of 111 undergraduate students participated in the survey. Their responses were analysed to examine the relationship between autistic traits and stress. The results of the study showed a positive correlation between autistic traits and stress, indicating that the higher the autistic traits, the higher the stress. Specifically, the social aspect of autistic traits was found to be the most significant predictor of stress. The findings suggest that it makes sense to provide social skills training to young people with high levels of autistic traits in order to improve their socialisation and reduce their stress. The paper also makes recommendations for environmental and social adaptation

Are steroid hormones and autistic traits affected by metformin? First insights from a pilot

BackgroundDifferent lines of evidence imply that metformin could alter steroid hormone homeostasis and thereby improve social impairment. Here, we tried to correlate the impact of metformin treatment on alterations in steroid hormones and autism spectrum traits before versus after treatment with metformin. Material & methodsUrine steroid hormones were measured using gas chromatography mass spectrometry in 12 male subjects (54.2 ± 9.1 years, 177.3 ± 4.1 cm, 80 ± 10.4 kg) and 7 female subjects (64.14 ± 18.0 years, 162.7 ± 4.1 cm, 76.1 ± 10.4 kg). Furthermore, a questionnaire on autism spectrum traits (Autism Spectrum Questionnaire]) was administered prior to and after metformin treatment. ResultsOverall, a decrease of steroid hormones were detected, which were most pronounced in the metabolites of corticosterone, deoxycortisol, cortisol, as well as androgens. These remained after Bonferroni correction (three classes: glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid, androgens). No effect on autism spectrum traits (social skills, attention switching skills, attention to detail skills, communication skills, imagination skills), was identified pre versus post metformin treatment. DiscussionThe decreased steroid hormone levels are based on different mechanisms; one effect is likely via mitochondria, another effect via activated protein kinase prior to post treatment. The finding on autistic traits must be taxed as negative and do not directly provide an argument for using metformin in the treatment of autism.

Metformin-Treatment Option for Social Impairment? An Open Clinical Trial to Elucidate the Effects of Metformin Treatment on Steroid Hormones and Social Behavior.

Background: Social behavior is mediated by steroid hormones, whereby various lines of evidence indicate that metformin might improve the symptoms of social withdrawal. This directly yields to the aim of the study to correlate the impact of metformin treatment on the potential alterations in steroid hormone homeostasis, which is ultimately impacting social behavior. Therefore, urinary samples of patients before and after treatment with metformin will be correlated to social behavior to elucidate potential changes in steroid hormone profiles and social behavior. Material and Methods: An observational study in healthy adults with a new indication for metformin. Steroid hormone analysis, including the most prominent androgen, estrogen, progesterone, aldosterone, corticosterone, cortisone and cortisol metabolites analyzed with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and a questionnaire on social behavior (Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (AQ)) will be administered prior to and after around a 12-week phase of metformin treatment. Discussion: It is likely that due to different pathophysiological mechanisms such as an effect on the respiratory chain in mitochondria or via AMP-activated protein kinase, a general alteration of steroid hormone levels can be detected prior to post treatment. The encompassing measurement of steroid hormones shall give hints concerning the involvement of specific cascades yielding potential pharmacological targets for future research.

Do Athletes Have More of a Cognitive Profile with ADHD Criteria than Non-Athletes?

The current study investigates the possibility that athletes have more parallel ADHD symptoms than non-athletes. High-level youth sport athletes were compared with non-athletes in leisure time (i.e., sport) and in the school in ADHD symptoms. Athletes and students were evaluated by a trained psychotherapist using Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) on activities at school and during activities in leisure/sports time. They also filled in the Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (AQ) as a self-report assessment. Results showed significant differences in ASRS-scores for athletes in school and in their sport, with high scores in school and low scores in sport. No differences were found in AQ between the groups. The findings indicate that many athletes might display a cognitive profile of parallel of ADHD criteria. Future research needs to further investigate potential benefits of the cognitive profile in athletes and how they handle different contexts including sport and school settings.

Musical practice and BDNF plasma levels as a potential marker of synaptic plasticity: an instrument of rehabilitative processes

Background and objectivesThe aim of the study was to investigate the influence of musical practice on brain plasticity. BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is a neurotrophin involved in neuroplasticity and synaptic function.Materials and methodsWe recruited 48 healthy subjects of equal age and sex (21 musicians and 27 non-musicians). All subjects were administered the AQ (Autism-Spectrum Questionnaire) and plasma levels (PLs) of BDNF, oxytocin (OT), and vasopressin (VP) were measured in the blood sample of every participant.Results.The difference between BDNF PLs in the two groups was found to be statistically significant (t = − 2.214, p = 0.03). Furthermore, oxytocin (OT) PLs and musical practice were found to be independent positive predictors of BDNF PLs (p < 0.04). We also found a negative correlation between BDNF PLs and AD (attention to detail) sub-scale score of AQ throughout the whole sample. Assuming BDNF PLs to be a marker of synaptic plasticity, higher PLs could be associated with the activation of alternative neural pathways: a lower score in the “attention to detail” sub-scale could imply greater flexibility of higher cerebral functions among musicians.Further researches should be conducted to assess the rehabilitative usefulness of these findings among patients affected by psychiatric disorders.

Autistic traits, personality, and evaluations of humanoid robots by young and older adults

While research with individuals on the autistic spectrum has increased strongly, there is still a lack of research on autism/autistic traits in older adults. Children with autism have been proposed to benefit from interactions with social robots; for older adults, the potential role of robotics is currently being discussed. We combined these topics by assessing both young and older (Mean age = 22 vs. 69 years) neurotypical adults’ evaluations of various humanoid robots presented in video clips, on multiple dimensions (likeability, companionship, dominance, threat, human-likeness). We additionally assessed autistic traits (Autism Spectrum Questionnaire – AQ) and Big-Five personality traits. Remarkably, older adults evaluated robots as more likeable. Compared to young adults, older adults also showed significantly higher levels of autistic traits (particularly in the AQ social interaction subscale), higher levels of conscientiousness, and lower levels of openness. We found strong positive correlations between ratings of likeability and human-likeness of robots across groups, and particularly in participants with high levels of autistic trait. Across robots, data also provided evidence for the uncanny valley phenomenon. Favourable evaluations of robots by older adults suggest potential for older adults on the autistic spectrum to benefit from social robots.

Writing with imagination: the influence of hot and cold executive functions in children with autism characteristics and typically developing peers

The current study investigated the extent cognitive and emotion regulation deficits (i.e., executive functions) associated with autism impact on the development of imagination in writing. Sixty-one children participated in the study (M age = 9 years 7 months, SD = 14 months, 18 female, 43 male), comprising a selected group with autism characteristics (N = 26, M age = 9 years 5 months, SD = 17 months, 4 female, 22 male) and an age-matched group of typically developing children (N = 35, M age = 9 years 8 months, SD = 12 months, 14 female, 21 male). All children undertook assessments of nonverbal cognitive ability, vocabulary knowledge, and perceptual processing speed. Parents also completed an autism spectrum questionnaire based on the social and behavioural characteristics of their children. Cold executive functions were measured, by performance on inhibition (Go–No–Go), sustained attention (Flanker), and cognitive flexibility (attention shifting) tasks. Assessment of hot executive functions included a questionnaire measuring the degree to which the children reported engagement in maladaptive and adaptive emotion regulation strategies. The children wrote an independent story assessed for narrative coherence and number of words written. The interaction between the cognitive cost of attention shifting and developmental group was the main significant predictor of the ability to enrich imaginatively a story from the beginning to the end point. Flexibly shifting the focus of attention between the various tasks and sub-goals of writing is an important skill that benefits typically developing children to a greater extent than children with autism.

Attenuated impression of irony created by the mismatch of verbal and nonverbal cues in patients with autism spectrum disorder.

Perception of irony has been observed to be impaired in adults with autism spectrum disorder. In typically developed adults, the mismatch of verbal and nonverbal emotional cues can be perceived as an expression of irony even in the absence of any further contextual information. In this study, we evaluate to what extent high functioning autists perceive this incongruence as expressing irony. Our results show that incongruent verbal and nonverbal signals create an impression of irony significantly less often in participants with high-functioning autism than in typically developed control subjects. The extent of overall autistic symptomatology as measured with the autism-spectrum questionnaire (AQ), however, does not correlate with the reduced tendency to attribute incongruent stimuli as expressing irony. Therefore, the attenuation in irony attribution might rather be related to specific subdomains of autistic traits, such as a reduced tendency to interpret communicative signals in terms of complex intentional mental states. The observed differences in irony attribution support the assumption that a less pronounced tendency to engage in higher order mentalization processes might underlie the impairment of pragmatic language understanding in high functioning autism.

The assessment of autistic traits with the Autism Spectrum Quotient: Contribution of the French version to its construct validity

IntroductionThe Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (AQ, Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) is a self-report assessment tool aiming at screening autistic traits in normal intelligence adults. While numerous versions in other languages than English now exist, few factorial evidence do sustain the valid use of this instrument as it was conceived, based upon five distinct dimensions (Social skills, Communication, Attention to detail, Attention switching, Imagination); no such study exists with a French version of the AQ. The aim of our study is therefore to present the French version of the scale and to explore its factorial validity with confirmatory factorial analyses and, possibly, its invariance across men and women. MethodSeveral confirmatory factorial analyses, with the robust WLSMV estimator for categorical response format, were run on the questionnaire data from 788 French-speaking students (17–25 years old) at university faculties or schools for higher education in Belgium. The original five-factor measurement model of the AQ was assessed as well as alternative models. An exploratory factorial analysis was also applied to get more insight as to possible sources of misfit. ResultsNo measurement model – neither the original five-factor one nor any of the six other models tested – did produce statistics or fit indices close to significant values: there was no fit to the data. The internal consistency of the subscales was weak; the exploratory factorial analysis further confirmed that as much as ten factors were needed to explain 45% of the data variance. ConclusionOur results, with a French version of the scale, add to many other ones which suggest that the AQ is a too heterogeneous questionnaire with somewhat ill-defined dimensions and non specific/ambiguous items. The questionnaire should probably be shortened and its content realigned to core features of the autism spectrum.

Validation of the French Autism Spectrum Quotient scale and its relationships with schizotypy and Eysenckian personality traits

BackgroundAutism and schizophrenia spectra were long considered distinct entities. Yet, recent studies emphasized overlapping clinical and personality features suggesting common mechanisms and liabilities. Independent notions, however, highlight that the two spectra oppose each other socially (positive schizotypal hyper-mentalism versus autistic hypo-mentalism). MethodsTo clarify these relationships, we used data from 921 French-speaking Swiss undergraduates to firstly validate the French Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (AQ) identifying an optimal factor structure. Secondly, we assessed relationships between this AQ structure and schizotypic personality traits. ResultsResults from correlational and principal component analyses replicated both overlapping and opposing relationships. ConclusionsWe conjecture that autistic traits opposing positive schizotypy represent autistic mentalizing deficits. We discuss implications of our findings relative to theories of autism and schizophrenia spectrum relationships.

The michigan autism spectrum questionnaire: a rating scale for high-functioning autism spectrum disorders.

Although the DSM-5 has recently created a single category of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), delineation of its putative subtypes remains clinically useful. For this process, screening instruments should ideally be brief, simple, and easily available. The aim of this study is to describe the validity of one such instrument. We administered the Michigan Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (MASQ), a 10-item questionnaire, to 42 patients with ASD (age range 6–13 years, mean 9.7 years, SD 2.5, one female) and 18 patients with other psychiatric disorders (age range 6–17 years, mean 11.7 years, SD 3.8, 6 females). Responses to each item were scored from 0 to 4 yielding a total score of 30. Patients with intellectual disability were excluded. As a group, patients with ASD scored higher than those with other psychiatric disorders (Chi-square test with 1 df = 16.019, P < 0.0001). Within the ASD group, a linear discriminant analysis found that the best cut-off points were 22 or above for Asperger syndrome, 14 to 21 for autism/PDDNOS, and less than 14 for those with other psychiatric disorders. We propose that the MASQ can be used as a brief measure to screen high-functioning ASD from other psychiatric disorders and to identify its possible subtypes.

C.04.02 The comorbidity of generalised anxiety disorder and depression: conceptualisation and options for therapy

The idea that autistic symptoms are produced by an ‘extreme male brain’ warrants further examination. The concept of the ‘extreme male brain’ derives from scores on the Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (AQ) i.e. it is defined behaviourally rather than anatomically. But if the concept of the ‘extreme male brain’ is to explain rather than describe autistic behaviour then evidence must come from a non-behavioural (e.g. physiological, biochemical or anatomical) source to avoid circularity of argument. The lack of a cognitive intervening variable linking autistic behavioural traits to brain activity casts doubt on the existence of a uni-dimensional spectrum of ‘brain gender’ for which autism is to be found at the ‘extreme male’ end. The inappropriate conflation of the dependent variable (score on the AQ) and the independent variable (brain anatomy of respondent) has led to the claim that a person with autism, even if female, has an ‘extreme male brain’. This is comparable to the claim that, because on average men are taller than women, extremely tall women have ‘extreme male height’. This stereotypical view of gender fails to recognize the overlapping diversity of cognitive styles found in males and females.

Social Behavior and Autism Traits in a Sex Chromosomal Disorder: Klinefelter (47XXY) Syndrome

Although Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY) has been associated with psychosocial difficulties, knowledge of the social behavioral phenotype is limited. We examined specific social abilities and autism traits in Klinefelter syndrome. Scores of 31 XXY men on the Scale for Interpersonal Behavior and the Autism Spectrum Questionnaire were compared to 24 and 20 control men respectively. XXY men reported increased distress during social interactions and less engagement in specific social behaviors. In the XXY group, levels of autism traits were significantly higher across all dimensions of the autism phenotype. These findings call for a clinical investigation of vulnerability to autism in Klinefelter syndrome. Klinefelter syndrome might serve as a model for studying a role of the X chromosome in social behavioral dysfunction and autism-like behavior.

Are autistic traits an independent personality dimension? A study of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the NEO-PI-R

This study examines the relation between autistic traits and the personality dimensions of the Big Five model in a sample of 320 university students. We administered the Autism-Spectrum Questionnaire (AQ) and the NEO-PI-R. Results showed the AQ correlated with Extraversion and Conscientiousness negatively, and Neuroticism positively. Results of multiple regression analyses suggested the NEO-PI-R did not predict AQ score. Joint factor analyses also suggested autistic traits are independent of the big five personality dimensions. High AQ scorers, who are an analogue model of autism spectrum conditions, showed a profile of high Neuroticism, low Extraversion and low Conscientiousness. Results are discussed in terms of autistic traits representing a sixth factor of personality.