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Empathy deficits, callous‐unemotional traits and structural underpinnings in autism spectrum disorder and conduct disorder youth

Tkalcec, Antonia; Bierlein, Maria; Seeger‐Schneider, Gudrun; Walitza, Susanne; Jenny, Bettina; Menks, Willeke M; Felhbaum, Lynn V; Borbas, Réka; Cole, David M; Raschle, Nora; Herbrecht, Evelyn; Stadler, Christina; Cubillo, Ana (2023). Empathy deficits, callous‐unemotional traits and structural underpinnings in autism spectrum disorder and conduct disorder youth. Autism Research, 16(10):1946-1962.

Abstract

Distinct empathy deficits are often described in patients with conduct disorder (CD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) yet their neural underpinnings and the influence of comorbid Callous‐Unemotional (CU) traits are unclear. This study compares the cognitive (CE) and affective empathy (AE) abilities of youth with CD and ASD, their potential neuroanatomical correlates, and the influence of CU traits on empathy. Adolescents and parents/caregivers completed empathy questionnaires (N = 148 adolescents, mean age = 15.16 years) and T1 weighted images were obtained from a subsample (N = 130). Group differences in empathy and the influence of CU traits were investigated using Bayesian analyses and Voxel‐Based Morphometry with Threshold‐Free Cluster Enhancement focusing on regions involved in AE (insula, amygdala, inferior frontal gyrus and cingulate cortex) and CE processes (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, superior temporal gyrus, and precuneus). The ASD group showed lower parent‐reported AE and CE scores and lower self‐reported CE scores while the CD group showed lower parent‐reported CE scores than controls. When accounting for the influence of CU traits no AE deficits in ASD and CE deficits in CD were found, but CE deficits in ASD remained. Across all participants, CU traits were negatively associated with gray matter volumes in anterior cingulate which extends into the mid cingulate, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and precuneus. Thus, although co‐occurring CU traits have been linked to global empathy deficits in reports and underlying brain structures, its influence on empathy aspects might be disorder‐specific. Investigating the subdimensions of empathy may therefore help to identify disorder‐specific empathy deficits.

Additional indexing

Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:04 Faculty of Medicine > Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich > Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
06 Faculty of Arts > Institute of Psychology
06 Faculty of Arts > Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development
Dewey Decimal Classification:370 Education
Scopus Subject Areas:Life Sciences > General Neuroscience
Health Sciences > Neurology (clinical)
Health Sciences > Genetics (clinical)
Uncontrolled Keywords:Genetics (clinical), Neurology (clinical), General Neuroscience
Language:English
Date:October 2023
Deposited On:18 Aug 2023 08:59
Last Modified:30 Aug 2024 01:35
Publisher:Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
ISSN:1939-3806
OA Status:Hybrid
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2993
PubMed ID:37548142
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  • Language: English
  • Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

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