Journal Article

A Predictive Coding Account of Psychotic Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder

van Schalkwyk, Gerrit I., Volkmar, Fred R., Corlett, Philip R.

2017

Overview

The co-occurrence of psychotic and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms represents an important clinical challenge. Here we consider this problem in the context of a computational psychiatry approach that has been applied to both conditions—predictive coding. Some symptoms of schizophrenia have been explained in terms of a failure of top–down predictions or an enhanced weighting of bottom–up prediction errors. Likewise, autism has been explained in terms of similar perturbations. We suggest that this theoretical overlap may explain overlapping symptomatology. Experimental evidence highlights meaningful distinctions and consistencies between these disorders. We hypothesize individuals with ASD may experience some degree of delusions without the presence of any additional impairment, but that hallucinations are likely indicative of a distinct process.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adolescents / Autism / Autism Spectrum Disorder - complications / Autism Spectrum Disorder - diagnosis / Autism Spectrum Disorders / Autistic children / Behavioral Science and Psychology / Care and treatment / Child and School Psychology / Coding / Comorbidity / Computer applications / Delusions / Diagnosis / Disorders / Ego / Errors / Hallucinations / Humans / Language / Mental Disorders / Mental illness / Models, Psychological / Neural networks / Neurosciences / Original Paper / Pediatrics / Pervasive Developmental Disorders / Phenomenology / Prediction / Predictions / Psychiatry / Psychology / Psychosis / Psychotic symptoms / Public Health / Schizophrenia / Schizophrenia - complications / Schizophrenia - diagnosis / Schizophrenic Psychology / Social Behavior / Symptoms / Symptoms (Individual Disorders) / Weighting