Callous-unemotional traits in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Virginia Carter Leno; Tony Charman; Andrew Pickles; Catherine R G Jones; Gillian Baird; Francesca Happé; Emily Simonoff

doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.114.159863

Callous-unemotional traits in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Virginia Carter Leno^*, Tony Charman, Andrew Pickles, Catherine R G Jones, Gillian Baird, Francesca Happé, Emily Simonoff

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

6 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Background People with callous-unemotional traits and also those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display sociocognitive difficulties. However, the frequency and neurocognitive correlates of callous-unemotional traits within individuals with ASD are unknown. Aims To determine the prevalence of callous-unemotional traits in individuals with ASD and test their association with behavioural and cognitive measures. Method Parents of 92 adolescents with ASD completed the Antisocial Processes Screening Device (APSD) for callous-unemotional traits. Adolescents participated in tasks of emotion recognition, theory of mind and cognitive flexibility. Results In total 51% (n = 47) scored above a cutoff expected to identify the top 6% on the APSD. Of these 17% (n = 8) had concurrent conduct problems. Regression analyses found callous-unemotional traits were associated with specific impairment in fear recognition but not with theory of mind or cognitive flexibility. Conclusions Adolescents with ASD show high rates of callous-unemotional traits but, unlike in the general population, these are not strongly associated with conduct problems. The relationship of callous-unemotional traits to impairments in fear recognition suggests similar affective difficulties as in individuals with callous-unemotional traits without ASD.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	392-399
Journal	British Journal of Psychiatry
Volume	207
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.159863 https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.159863
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2015

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Cite this

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title = "Callous-unemotional traits in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder",

abstract = "Background People with callous-unemotional traits and also those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display sociocognitive difficulties. However, the frequency and neurocognitive correlates of callous-unemotional traits within individuals with ASD are unknown. Aims To determine the prevalence of callous-unemotional traits in individuals with ASD and test their association with behavioural and cognitive measures. Method Parents of 92 adolescents with ASD completed the Antisocial Processes Screening Device (APSD) for callous-unemotional traits. Adolescents participated in tasks of emotion recognition, theory of mind and cognitive flexibility. Results In total 51% (n = 47) scored above a cutoff expected to identify the top 6% on the APSD. Of these 17% (n = 8) had concurrent conduct problems. Regression analyses found callous-unemotional traits were associated with specific impairment in fear recognition but not with theory of mind or cognitive flexibility. Conclusions Adolescents with ASD show high rates of callous-unemotional traits but, unlike in the general population, these are not strongly associated with conduct problems. The relationship of callous-unemotional traits to impairments in fear recognition suggests similar affective difficulties as in individuals with callous-unemotional traits without ASD.",

author = "Leno, {Virginia Carter} and Tony Charman and Andrew Pickles and Jones, {Catherine R G} and Gillian Baird and Francesca Happ{\'e} and Emily Simonoff",

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doi = "10.1192/bjp.bp.114.159863",

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AU - Leno, Virginia Carter

AU - Charman, Tony

AU - Pickles, Andrew

AU - Jones, Catherine R G

AU - Baird, Gillian

AU - Happé, Francesca

AU - Simonoff, Emily

PY - 2015/11/1

Y1 - 2015/11/1

N2 - Background People with callous-unemotional traits and also those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display sociocognitive difficulties. However, the frequency and neurocognitive correlates of callous-unemotional traits within individuals with ASD are unknown. Aims To determine the prevalence of callous-unemotional traits in individuals with ASD and test their association with behavioural and cognitive measures. Method Parents of 92 adolescents with ASD completed the Antisocial Processes Screening Device (APSD) for callous-unemotional traits. Adolescents participated in tasks of emotion recognition, theory of mind and cognitive flexibility. Results In total 51% (n = 47) scored above a cutoff expected to identify the top 6% on the APSD. Of these 17% (n = 8) had concurrent conduct problems. Regression analyses found callous-unemotional traits were associated with specific impairment in fear recognition but not with theory of mind or cognitive flexibility. Conclusions Adolescents with ASD show high rates of callous-unemotional traits but, unlike in the general population, these are not strongly associated with conduct problems. The relationship of callous-unemotional traits to impairments in fear recognition suggests similar affective difficulties as in individuals with callous-unemotional traits without ASD.

AB - Background People with callous-unemotional traits and also those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display sociocognitive difficulties. However, the frequency and neurocognitive correlates of callous-unemotional traits within individuals with ASD are unknown. Aims To determine the prevalence of callous-unemotional traits in individuals with ASD and test their association with behavioural and cognitive measures. Method Parents of 92 adolescents with ASD completed the Antisocial Processes Screening Device (APSD) for callous-unemotional traits. Adolescents participated in tasks of emotion recognition, theory of mind and cognitive flexibility. Results In total 51% (n = 47) scored above a cutoff expected to identify the top 6% on the APSD. Of these 17% (n = 8) had concurrent conduct problems. Regression analyses found callous-unemotional traits were associated with specific impairment in fear recognition but not with theory of mind or cognitive flexibility. Conclusions Adolescents with ASD show high rates of callous-unemotional traits but, unlike in the general population, these are not strongly associated with conduct problems. The relationship of callous-unemotional traits to impairments in fear recognition suggests similar affective difficulties as in individuals with callous-unemotional traits without ASD.

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Callous-unemotional traits in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

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