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Disgust Processing and Potential Relationships with Behaviors in Autism
Aditya Jayashankar1,2, Lisa Aziz-Zadeh3,4
1USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA. jayashan@usc.edu.
Current Psychiatry Reports
|September 6, 2023
Summary
Autism may involve atypical disgust processing, affecting contaminant avoidance and social-emotional interactions. This review explores potential links between disgust, autistic traits, and related health and moral reasoning outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Developmental Disorders
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social-emotional and communication differences.
- Emotion processing, particularly disgust, is not fully understood in autism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review literature on disgust processing differences in autism.
- To explore associations between disgust, autistic traits, and related outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on disgust processing in autism.
- Analysis of findings related to physical disgust, facial expressions, and neural activity.
- Examination of links to interoception, alexithymia, and moral processing.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests differences in physical disgust, pica, attention to disgust cues, and neural responses in autism.
- Atypical disgust processing in autism may impair contaminant avoidance and socio-emotional functioning.
- Potential links exist between disgust, illness, gastrointestinal issues, learning, and moral reasoning, requiring further research.
Conclusions:
- Disgust processing differences are a potential factor in autism's socio-emotional and health-related challenges.
- Understanding atypical disgust is crucial for addressing specific needs in autistic individuals.
- Further research is needed to clarify the complex relationship between disgust, autism, and associated outcomes.
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