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Tracking Social Motivation Systems Deficits: The Affective Neuroscience View of Autism

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Abstract

Abnormal functioning of primary brain systems that express and modulate basic emotional drives are increasingly considered to underlie mental disorders including autism spectrum disorders. We hypothesized that ASD are characterized by disruptions in the primary systems involved in the motivation for social bonding. Twenty adults with ASD were compared to 20 neurotypical participants on the basis of self-reports and clinical assessments, including the Social Anhedonia Scale (SAS) and the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS). ASD diagnosis was related to SAS, as well as to positive (PLAYFULNESS) and negative (FEAR) ANPS-traits. In the overall sample, levels of autistic traits (AQ) were related to SAS and PLAYFULNESS. We argue that PLAYFULNESS could be at the root of social bonding impairments in ASD.

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by the French “Fondation pour la Recherche Psychiatrique et la Santé Mentale” (FRPSM) and “Fondation Orange”. A.C. was funded by the French 'Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale'. C.C. was supported, in part, by Labex and Idex grants: ANR-10-LABX-0087 IEC and ANR-10-IDEX-0001-02 PSL* and by a Roger de Spoelberch Foundation Prize awarded to Julie Grèzes. We are grateful to Dr J. Grèzes for her assistance in the setting-up of the Autism Spectrum Disorder section of the DETENDOEMO study (RGB:2007-A01068-45). S.B. designed the study and wrote the protocol. A-S.M., L.P., A.P., F.P. and S.B. performed the study. A.C., C.C., L.R., C.B. and S.B. conducted the literature searches and analyses. A.C., C.B. and S.B. undertook the statistical analyses. A.C. wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors significantly participated in interpreting the results and revising the manuscript. All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript. A part of this study has been presented at the 15th congress of neuropsychoanalysis (New-York, July 2014). The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mental Health and Public Health, Inserm, U1178, 75014, Paris, France

    Arnaud Carré, Laurence Robel, Caroline Barry, Anne-Solène Maria & Sylvie Berthoz

  2. Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75006, Paris, France

    Arnaud Carré, Laurence Robel, Caroline Barry, Anne-Solène Maria & Sylvie Berthoz

  3. Université Paris Sud, UniverSud Paris, 91400, Orsay, France

    Arnaud Carré, Laurence Robel, Caroline Barry, Anne-Solène Maria & Sylvie Berthoz

  4. Université Savoie Mont Blanc, LIPPC2S, 73000, Chambéry, France

    Arnaud Carré

  5. Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Inserm, U960, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France

    Coralie Chevallier & Lydia Pouga

  6. Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 75015, Paris, France

    Laurence Robel & Anne Philippe

  7. Hôpital Paul Brousse, Eating Disorders Unit, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 94800, Villejuif, France

    Anne-Solène Maria

  8. Genetics and Epigenetics of Neurometabolic Diseases and Birth Defects, Inserm, U781, 75015, Paris, France

    Anne Philippe

  9. Hôpital Pitié-Salpétrière, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 75013, Paris, France

    François Pinabel

  10. Department of Psychiatry for Adolescents & Young Adults, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, 75014, Paris, France

    Sylvie Berthoz

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  1. Arnaud Carré
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Correspondence to Arnaud Carré.

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Carré, A., Chevallier, C., Robel, L. et al. Tracking Social Motivation Systems Deficits: The Affective Neuroscience View of Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 45, 3351–3363 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2498-2

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