Investigating Aberrant Salience in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Psychosis Risk: A Cross-Group Analysis.

This study looked at how people with autism and those at risk of psychosis process information differently. Researchers tested 99 young people and adults, finding that both autistic individuals and those at psychosis risk showed similar patterns of finding meaning in things that others wouldn't find significant. This suggests there may be shared brain processes between autism and early psychosis that affect how people interpret their environment.

This cross-sectional study examined aberrant salience (AS) - the tendency to attribute significance to irrelevant stimuli - in 99 individuals aged 17-39 years across three groups: autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n=23), attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS, n=27), and help-seeking individuals without formal diagnoses (n=49). Using the Aberrant Salience Inventory, researchers found significantly higher AS scores in both ASD and APS groups compared to help-seekers, with no significant difference between ASD and APS groups. These findings suggest shared AS processing patterns between autism and psychosis-spectrum conditions, supporting aberrant salience as a transdiagnostic construct that may underlie similarities in perceptual and cognitive experiences across these conditions.

Results suggest clinicians should be aware of potential overlapping perceptual processing differences between autism and psychosis-risk presentations. May inform differential diagnosis considerations and highlight need for careful assessment of perceptual experiences in both populations during clinical evaluation.

Small sample sizes per group (23-49 participants). Cross-sectional design prevents causal inferences. Unknown study methodology limits assessment of bias risk. Participant recruitment and diagnostic confirmation methods not specified. Generalizability uncertain due to specific age range and help-seeking sample.

This study investigates the expression of aberrant salience (AS) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), those at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) and help-seeking individuals without formal diagnoses. Ninety-nine participants, 44 males and 55 females (age range 17-39 years), met the inclusion criteria of absence of major neurological disorders, intellectual disabilities or substance-related conditions. None were receiving antipsychotic treatment. Based on clinical evaluations, participants were categorised into three groups: ASD (n = 23), Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome (APS) (n = 27) and help-seekers (n = 49).

The Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) was administered. Significant differences were observed in ASI total and subscale scores among groups. Post hoc analyses showed significantly higher ASI scores in the ASD and APS groups compared to help-seekers, but no significant differences between ASD and APS. These findings suggest an overlap in AS processing between ASD and psychosis-spectrum conditions, supporting AS as a transdiagnostic construct.