Familial confounding on the ability to read minds: A co-twin control study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Genetics

Background:

• Social cognition deficits are central to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) challenges.
• The precise causes of this link and the influence of co-occurring conditions are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between autism spectrum disorder and social cognition.
• To explore the impact of other psychiatric conditions and familial factors on this association.

Main Methods:

• A co-twin control design was employed with 308 twins.
• Participants included individuals with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, affective disorders, or typical development.
• Social cognition was assessed using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and autistic traits via the Social Responsiveness Scale-2.

Main Results:

• Autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and autistic traits predicted poorer performance on social cognition tasks.
• This association persisted even after accounting for other diagnoses and IQ.
• Male sex, younger age, and lower IQ were associated with reduced social cognition ability.
• The link between autism and social cognition weakened significantly in within-pair analyses, suggesting familial confounding.

Conclusions:

• Social cognition alterations are significant in autism spectrum disorder compared to other conditions.
• Familial factors, including genetics and shared environment, play a crucial role in the observed association between autism and social cognition.