Anxiety and Attentional Bias to Threat in Children at Increased Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

The BASIS Team

doi:10.1007/s10803-016-3012-1

Anxiety and Attentional Bias to Threat in Children at Increased Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

The BASIS Team

Birkbeck, University of London

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Anxiety and threat bias were examined in 6-8-year-old children at familial-risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and low-risk (LR, n = 37) controls. The high-risk (HR) group was divided into those who met diagnostic criteria for ASD (HR-ASD, n = 15) and those who did not (HR-non ASD, n = 24). The HR-ASD group had highest levels of parent-reported anxiety. The HR-non ASD group exhibited increased threat bias on a spatial-cueing task, while the HR-ASD group did not. Anxiety symptoms were associated with both threat bias and ASD severity. These findings suggest that the mechanisms underlying anxiety in HR siblings without ASD are similar to those in non-ASD populations. However, among children with ASD, hypersensitivity to threat may not underlie anxiety symptoms.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-3012-1
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 23 Jan 2017

Keywords

AUTISM SPECTRUM CONDITIONS
High risk siblings
ANXIETY
threat bias

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Cite this

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title = "Anxiety and Attentional Bias to Threat in Children at Increased Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder",

abstract = "Anxiety and threat bias were examined in 6-8-year-old children at familial-risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and low-risk (LR, n = 37) controls. The high-risk (HR) group was divided into those who met diagnostic criteria for ASD (HR-ASD, n = 15) and those who did not (HR-non ASD, n = 24). The HR-ASD group had highest levels of parent-reported anxiety. The HR-non ASD group exhibited increased threat bias on a spatial-cueing task, while the HR-ASD group did not. Anxiety symptoms were associated with both threat bias and ASD severity. These findings suggest that the mechanisms underlying anxiety in HR siblings without ASD are similar to those in non-ASD populations. However, among children with ASD, hypersensitivity to threat may not underlie anxiety symptoms.",

keywords = "AUTISM SPECTRUM CONDITIONS, High risk siblings, ANXIETY, threat bias",

author = "Bosiljka Milosavljevic and Elizabeth Shephard and Happe, {Francesca Gabrielle Elizabeth} and Johnson, {Mark H.} and Tony Charman and {The BASIS Team}",

year = "2017",

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doi = "10.1007/s10803-016-3012-1",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders",

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T1 - Anxiety and Attentional Bias to Threat in Children at Increased Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

AU - Milosavljevic, Bosiljka

AU - Shephard, Elizabeth

AU - Happe, Francesca Gabrielle Elizabeth

AU - Johnson, Mark H.

AU - Charman, Tony

AU - The BASIS Team

PY - 2017/1/23

Y1 - 2017/1/23

N2 - Anxiety and threat bias were examined in 6-8-year-old children at familial-risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and low-risk (LR, n = 37) controls. The high-risk (HR) group was divided into those who met diagnostic criteria for ASD (HR-ASD, n = 15) and those who did not (HR-non ASD, n = 24). The HR-ASD group had highest levels of parent-reported anxiety. The HR-non ASD group exhibited increased threat bias on a spatial-cueing task, while the HR-ASD group did not. Anxiety symptoms were associated with both threat bias and ASD severity. These findings suggest that the mechanisms underlying anxiety in HR siblings without ASD are similar to those in non-ASD populations. However, among children with ASD, hypersensitivity to threat may not underlie anxiety symptoms.

AB - Anxiety and threat bias were examined in 6-8-year-old children at familial-risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and low-risk (LR, n = 37) controls. The high-risk (HR) group was divided into those who met diagnostic criteria for ASD (HR-ASD, n = 15) and those who did not (HR-non ASD, n = 24). The HR-ASD group had highest levels of parent-reported anxiety. The HR-non ASD group exhibited increased threat bias on a spatial-cueing task, while the HR-ASD group did not. Anxiety symptoms were associated with both threat bias and ASD severity. These findings suggest that the mechanisms underlying anxiety in HR siblings without ASD are similar to those in non-ASD populations. However, among children with ASD, hypersensitivity to threat may not underlie anxiety symptoms.

KW - AUTISM SPECTRUM CONDITIONS

KW - High risk siblings

KW - ANXIETY

KW - threat bias

U2 - 10.1007/s10803-016-3012-1

DO - 10.1007/s10803-016-3012-1

M3 - Article

SN - 0162-3257

JO - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

JF - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

ER -

Anxiety and Attentional Bias to Threat in Children at Increased Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Keywords

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