The mediating effect of mood spectrum on the relationship between autistic traits and catatonia spectrum

Liliana Dell'Osso; Giulia Amatori; Barbara Carpita; Gabriele Massimetti; Benedetta Nardi; Davide Gravina; Francesca Benedetti; Chiara Bonelli; Danila Casagrande; Mario Luciano; Isabella Berardelli; Natascia Brondino; Marianna De Gregorio; Giacomo Deste; Marta Nola; Antonino Reitano; Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello; Maurizio Pompili; Pierluigi Politi; Antonio Vita; Mario Maj

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1092193

The mediating effect of mood spectrum on the relationship between autistic traits and catatonia spectrum

Front Psychiatry. 2023 Jul 20:14:1092193. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1092193. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Liliana Dell'Osso¹, Giulia Amatori¹, Barbara Carpita¹, Gabriele Massimetti¹, Benedetta Nardi¹, Davide Gravina¹, Francesca Benedetti¹, Chiara Bonelli¹, Danila Casagrande¹, Mario Luciano², Isabella Berardelli³, Natascia Brondino⁴, Marianna De Gregorio⁵, Giacomo Deste⁶, Marta Nola⁴, Antonino Reitano⁵, Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello⁵, Maurizio Pompili³, Pierluigi Politi⁴, Antonio Vita⁶, Mario Maj²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
² Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.
³ Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sense Organs, University of Roma "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
⁴ Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
⁵ Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
⁶ Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.

Abstract

Background: In the recent years, several studies have shown a correlation between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and catatonia. It is also known that both conditions are found to be associated with mood disorders. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between autistic traits and catatonic symptoms, as well as the potential mediating role of mood disorder spectrum in the relationship between them.

Methods: The total sample of 514 subjects was composed by four diagnostic groups, composed by patients affected by catatonia (CTN), borderline personality disorder (BPD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HC). Subjects were assessed with the SCID-5-RV, the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) and the Catatonia Spectrum (CS) and the Mood Spectrum Self-Report (MOODS-SR). Statistical analyses included Pearson's coefficient calculation, multiple linear regression, and mediation analysis.

Results: all the correlations appear to be strongly positive and significant with the strongest coefficient emerging between AdAS Spectrum total score and CS total score (r = 0.762, p < 0.001). The Mediation Analysis showed that AdAS Spectrum total score showed a significant indirect effect on CS total score through MOODS-SR total score (b = 0.168, 95% bootstrapped CI [0.127:0.207]).

Conclusion: The present study highlights the presence of a mediating role of the mood disorder spectrum in the relationship between autistic traits and the catatonia spectrum.

Keywords: autism; autism spectrum; catatonia; catatonia spectrum; mood disorders; mood spectrum.

Copyright © 2023 Dell’Osso, Amatori, Carpita, Massimetti, Nardi, Gravina, Benedetti, Bonelli, Casagrande, Luciano, Berardelli, Brondino, De Gregorio, Deste, Nola, Reitano, Muscatello, Pompili, Politi, Vita and Maj.