Thursday, May 20, 2010
Franklin Hall B Level 4 (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown)
10:00 AM
Background: The ability to discriminate and recognise facially expressed emotions has been studied extensively in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Less research, however, has been conducted on individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Although emotion recognition deficits have been observed in both clinical populations, few studies have compared individuals with autism and ADHD or considered whether the co-occurrence of ASD traits in ADHD may be relevant.
Objectives: The current study aimed to compare facial affect recognition in autistic individuals with and without comorbid ADHD to a ‘pure’ ADHD group who have few ASD traits. This will help clarify whether emotion recognition deficits are specific to autism.
Methods: To date 34 male children and adolescents between the ages of 7 and 16 have taken part in the study. Included were individuals who, according to the DSM-IV, fulfilled the diagnosis of an ADHD (n=19) or an autistic disorder (Asperger syndrome, high functioning autism and atypical autism) with (n=7) and without (n=8) comorbid ADHD symptoms (ASD+/-ADHD n=15) with an IQ>70. Facial affect recognition was assessed using labeling and same/different discrimination computer tasks, with negative emotions (sad, angry, fear, disgust) from the Facial Expression of Emotion: Stimuli and Tests (FEEST) at three different intensities (25%. 50%, 75%).
Results: The mean percentage correct responses on the labelling task was not significantly different between the ASD +/- ADHD group (M=39.53, SE=7.70) and the ‘pure’ ADHD group (M=37.95, SE=10.85) By contrast, the ASD +/- ADHD group were significantly less accurate (M=51.15, SE=6.57) on the emotion discrimination task compared with the ‘pure’ ADHD group (M=55.44, SE=4.83; t(29) = -2.10, p<.05).
Conclusions: Preliminary results indicate that young children and adolescents with ASD perform as well as children with ‘pure’ ADHD when asked to label faces showing negative affect. By contrast, their accuracy on an emotion discrimination task was significantly reduced. Future research in an extended sample will examine the pattern of discrimination deficits by emotion and intensity and will determine whether ASD cases with and without co morbid ADHD show similar levels of impairment.
Objectives: The current study aimed to compare facial affect recognition in autistic individuals with and without comorbid ADHD to a ‘pure’ ADHD group who have few ASD traits. This will help clarify whether emotion recognition deficits are specific to autism.
Methods: To date 34 male children and adolescents between the ages of 7 and 16 have taken part in the study. Included were individuals who, according to the DSM-IV, fulfilled the diagnosis of an ADHD (n=19) or an autistic disorder (Asperger syndrome, high functioning autism and atypical autism) with (n=7) and without (n=8) comorbid ADHD symptoms (ASD+/-ADHD n=15) with an IQ>70. Facial affect recognition was assessed using labeling and same/different discrimination computer tasks, with negative emotions (sad, angry, fear, disgust) from the Facial Expression of Emotion: Stimuli and Tests (FEEST) at three different intensities (25%. 50%, 75%).
Results: The mean percentage correct responses on the labelling task was not significantly different between the ASD +/- ADHD group (M=39.53, SE=7.70) and the ‘pure’ ADHD group (M=37.95, SE=10.85) By contrast, the ASD +/- ADHD group were significantly less accurate (M=51.15, SE=6.57) on the emotion discrimination task compared with the ‘pure’ ADHD group (M=55.44, SE=4.83; t(29) = -2.10, p<.05).
Conclusions: Preliminary results indicate that young children and adolescents with ASD perform as well as children with ‘pure’ ADHD when asked to label faces showing negative affect. By contrast, their accuracy on an emotion discrimination task was significantly reduced. Future research in an extended sample will examine the pattern of discrimination deficits by emotion and intensity and will determine whether ASD cases with and without co morbid ADHD show similar levels of impairment.