Autistic traits, psychosis proneness, and empathy in preadolescents: A network analysis.

Researchers studied over 9,000 children aged 9-11 to understand how autism traits, empathy, and unusual thoughts/experiences relate to each other. They found that children with higher empathy tended to have fewer autism traits and fewer grandiose thoughts. Children with more autism traits experienced more distress from unusual thoughts and hallucinations. The study shows these different aspects of development are connected in complex ways during the pre-teen years.

This large population study examined relationships between autistic traits, psychotic-like experiences, and empathy in 9,214 preadolescents (aged 8.9-11.1 years) using network analysis. The research found that higher empathy was negatively associated with both autistic traits (social/communication difficulties and restricted behaviors) and certain psychotic-like experiences (grandiose delusions). Additionally, elevated autistic traits were positively linked to distress from grandiose delusions and hallucinations. Network analysis identified hallucinations as a central node, with subtle sex differences in connectivity patterns.

The findings suggest complex interrelationships between these constructs during preadolescence, highlighting shared social cognitive processes across neurodevelopmental and psychosis-spectrum traits.

Findings suggest empathy interventions may benefit children with autism traits. Clinicians should monitor for psychotic-like experiences in autistic children, as they may experience greater distress. The interconnected nature of these traits supports comprehensive assessment approaches that consider multiple domains simultaneously during preadolescence.

Cross-sectional design prevents causal inferences. Study relies on questionnaire measures rather than clinical assessments. Participants are preadolescents, limiting generalizability to other age groups. Network analysis methodology, while innovative, requires replication to establish reliability of findings.

Autism spectrum disorder and psychotic disorders, although clinically distinct, share overlapping characteristics, particularly in the domain of social cognition. Both autistic traits and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are increasingly conceptualized as existing along a continuum within the general population. Empathy, a fundamental aspect of social cognition, is commonly associated with both conditions. This study examined the relationships among autistic traits, PLEs, and empathy in a large general-population sample of preadolescents using network analysis.

Data were drawn from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, including 9,214 participants (age range = 8.92 to 11.08 years; 4,850 males). Autistic traits were assessed using the abbreviated version of the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition, which measures social and communication difficulties and restricted and repetitive behaviors. PLEs were evaluated using the Prodromal Questionnaire, Brief Child Version, which assesses hallucinations, thought delusions, and grandiose delusions. Associations among these constructs were modeled using both an undirected Gaussian graphical model and a directed acyclic graph (DAG).

Higher empathy scores were negatively associated with elevated autistic traits (social and communication interactions and restricted and repetitive behaviors) and with PLEs (grandiose delusions). Moreover, higher levels of autistic traits were positively associated with greater distress related to grandiose delusions and hallucinations. Centrality analysis identified hallucinations as a key node in the network, a result supported by the DAG. Sex-specific analyses revealed subtle differences in network connectivity between males and females.

These findings highlight the intricate interplay among autistic traits, PLEs, and empathy during preadolescence and emphasize empathy's negative relationship with autistic traits. Overall, the results offer insight into shared social cognitive processes across neurodevelopmental and psychosis-spectrum traits.