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A network analysis of interoception, self-awareness, empathy, alexithymia, and autistic traits

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Abstract

Altered interoception has been consistently found in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and this impairment may contribute to social cognitive dysfunctions. However, little is known regarding the intercorrelations between interoceptive sensibility, autistic, alexithymic, empathic, and self-related traits. We recruited 1360 non-clinical college students and adults to investigate the complex inter-relationship between these variables using network analysis. The resultant network revealed patterns connecting autistic traits to interoceptive sensibility, empathy, alexithymia, and self-awareness, with reasonable stability and test–retest consistency. The node of alexithymia exhibited the highest centrality and expected influence. As revealed by the network comparison test, networks constructed in high- and low-autistic subgroups were comparable in global strength and structure. Our findings suggested that alexithymia serves as an important node, bridging interoceptive deficits, self-awareness, and empathic impairments of autism spectrum disorder. The co-morbidity of alexithymia should be considered carefully in future studies of interoceptive impairments and social deficits in ASD.

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Original data of this study are available on request.

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Funding

This study was supported by a grant form National Science Foundation China (31970997) and the CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, 16 Lincui Road, Bei**g, 100101, China

    Han-Xue Yang, Hui-**n Hu, Yi-**g Zhang, Yi Wang & Raymond C. K. Chan

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bei**g, China

    Han-Xue Yang, Hui-**n Hu, Yi-**g Zhang, Yi Wang & Raymond C. K. Chan

  3. Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China

    Simon S. Y. Lui

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  1. Han-Xue Yang
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Contributions

H-XY designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote up the drafts of the paper. H-XH and Y-JZ collected the data and commented the drafts of the paper. YW helped analyze the data, interpreted the findings and commented the drafts of the paper. SL commented the drafts critically. RC generated the idea, designed the study, interpreted the findings and commented the drafts critically. All authors commented and approved the drafts for submission.

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Correspondence to Raymond C. K. Chan.

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Yang, HX., Hu, HX., Zhang, YJ. et al. A network analysis of interoception, self-awareness, empathy, alexithymia, and autistic traits. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 272, 199–209 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-021-01274-8

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