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02-07-2019 | Original Paper

The Empathizing–Systemizing Theory and ‘Extreme Male Brain’ (EMB) Theory in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): An Explorative, Cross-Sectional Study

Auteurs: Francesco Craig, Andrea De Giacomo, Rosa Savino, Marta Ruggiero, Luigi Russo, Isabella Fanizza, Lucia Margari, Antonio Trabacca

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders | Uitgave 10/2019

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether empathizing and systemizing are part of the parental broad autism phenotype (BAP). Parents (N = 76) of preschool children with a diagnosis of ASD and parents (N = 48) of typically developing (TD) children completed the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and Systemizing Quotient-Revised (SQ-R) questionnaires. The E–S discrepancy (D score) was used to test for sex differences in five “brain types”. Our results suggest that the E–S theory do not seem to be part of the BAP. However, a stronger drive to systemize than empathize (Type S brain) could be a highly inheritable cognitive endophenotype of mothers of children with ASD. This study should be repeated with a larger sample size.
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Metagegevens
Titel
The Empathizing–Systemizing Theory and ‘Extreme Male Brain’ (EMB) Theory in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): An Explorative, Cross-Sectional Study
Auteurs
Francesco Craig
Andrea De Giacomo
Rosa Savino
Marta Ruggiero
Luigi Russo
Isabella Fanizza
Lucia Margari
Antonio Trabacca
Publicatiedatum
02-07-2019
Uitgeverij
Springer US
Gepubliceerd in
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders / Uitgave 10/2019
Print ISSN: 0162-3257
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-3432
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04114-w