Abstract(s) :

(Anglais) Electrodermal reactivity and emotional appraisal in adults with autistic spectrum disorders Alice Bodart, MSc., Jessica Ommenetti, MSc., Laurent Lefebvre, PhD., Khira El Bouragui, PhD., Mandy Rossignol, PhD Cognitive psychology and neuropsychology department. University of Mons, Belgium. Corresponding author: Alice.bodart@umons.ac.be Objective: To evaluate the relationship between electrodermal activity (EDA) and emotional appraisal of visual emotional stimuli in autism syndrome disorder (ASD) adults compared to healthy controls (HC). According to the James-Lange theory, the physiological arousal triggered by emotional stimulus may be at the origin of the emotional experience. Disturbances in physiological arousal in response to emotional stimuli have been observed in a variety of psychopathological disorders, including ASD (Lydon et al, 2016). Indeed, ASD has been associated with autonomic dysregulation characterized by an atypical EDA in response to emotional stimuli. However, few studies have been conducted to explore the role of sympathetic activity in emotional disturbances reported in ASD adults. Methods: 10 men with ASD free of intellectual disability (mean age = 29.72; SD = 3.77) and 10 HC (8 males, mean age = 30.43; SD = 10.97) took part to the experiment. The experimental task consisted of appraising 24 positive, negative and neutral pictures from the International Affective Picture System. After each picture, participants had to provide an evaluation of valence and arousal. In a second part of the experiment, they were asked to passively view 3 positive, negative and neutral film clips. EDA was monitored during the entire experience. Results: ASD and HC did not differ in their subjective appraisal of pictures, nor on EDA for neutral films and pictures. However, ASD produced significantly higher EDA for negative and positive films and pictures. Conclusions: Our results suggest that physiological reactivity to emotional stimuli was increased in ASD, but this autonomic overactivation does not seem to be associated with an enhancement of subjective appraisal. Accordingly, physiological responses and cognitive evaluation of emotional stimuli appeared as dissociated in ASD adults. This dissociation between bodily reaction and cognitive appraisal could contribute to emotional disturbances in ASD.