Differential Fairness Decisions and Brain Responses After Expressed Emotions of Others in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Little is known about how emotions expressed by others influence social decisions and associated brain responses in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We investigated the neural mechanisms underlying fairness decisions in response to explicitly expressed emotions of others in boys with ASD and typically developing (TD) boys. Participants with ASD adjusted their allocation behavior in response to the emotions but reacted less unfair than TD controls in response to happiness. We also found reduced brain responses in the precental gyrus in the ASD versus TD group when receiving happy versus angry reactions and autistic traits were positively associated with activity in the postcentral gyrus. These results provide indications for a role of precentral and postcentral gyrus in social-affective difficulties in ASD

Adult Attachment Interview differentiates adolescents with Childhood Sexual Abuse from those with clinical depression and non-clinical controls

Development Psychopathology in context: famil

The role of social skills in predicting treatment-recovery in children with a social anxiety disorder

The current study investigated the role of social skills and its interaction with social anxiety as predictors of treatment outcome in children with an anxiety disorder either with or without a social anxiety disorder (SoAD). In total, 133 children (aged 8 to 13) with an anxiety disorder received a 10-session cognitive behavioral treatment (FRIENDS program). Pre- to post treatment Reliable Change (RC) and Treatment-Recovery (TR) were assessed from a multi-informant perspective, by including diagnostic information (ADIS C/P), child-reported anxiety symptoms (MASC) and parent-reported internalizing symptoms (CBCL-Int). Social skills were assessed with the parent-rated Social Skills Rating System (assertion, self-control, responsibility). Results showed that 1) parents of children with a SoAD reported significantly less favorable use of assertive and responsible social behavior in their children pre-treatment than parents of children without SoAD, 2) children with higher social skills had a better treatment recovery, and 3) children with anxiety and higher responsible behavior pre-treatment and without a SoAD had a better treatment recovery, but this effect did not show for children with SoAD. In conclusion, better use of social behavior increased the likelihood of treatment recovery but not of reliable change. Further studies on the role of social skills in the treatment of childhood (social) anxiety are needed to investigate the mechanisms by which social skills impact treatment outcome.Pathways through Adolescenc

A new symptom model for autism cross-validated in an independent sample

Background: Results from several studies indicated that a symptom model other than the DSM triad might better describe symptom domains of autism. The present study focused on a) investigating the stability of a new symptom model for autism by cross-validating it in an independent sample and b) examining the invariance of the model regarding three covariates: symptom severity, intelligence, and age. Method: The validity of the symptom model was examined in an independent sample of N = 263 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders, and model invariance was studied in a larger sample of N = 356 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. The fit of the symptom model to the sample data was compared to that of alternative models (including the DSM triad), and the invariance of the new model was investigated for each covariate by multiple-group comparisons. Results: The fit of the new symptom model was better than that of two alternative models. It could not be compared to that of the DSM triad, because the latter encountered empirical identification problems. There were no significant or substantive differences between the estimated model in each of the dichotomised groups for any of the three covariates, which indicated factorial invariance of both structural form and factor loadings. Conclusions: The symptom model appeared to be relatively stable: It could be cross-validated in the independent sample and factorial invariance was shown between the dichotomised groups for each covariate. Further model validation with instruments other than the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) is recommended.

Different brain responses during empathy in youth with autism spectrum disorders and youth with conduct disorder and callous-unemotional traits

Stress-related psychiatric disorders across the life spa

How stable is activation in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex in adolescence? A study of emotional face processing across three measurements

Stress-related psychiatric disorders across the life spa