Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42049680›Full record

ArticleAutism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research2026

A Network Analysis of Alexithymia, Interoception, Empathy, Self-Awareness and Psychopathological Symptoms in Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Antonio Kei-Fung Shek, Simon S Y Lui, Eric C L Lai, Raisie W K Wong, Jason L F Chan, Lok-Yin Choi, Kimi H Y Lam, Eugenia Y C Lok, Siu-Man Lam, Wang Yi and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Antonio Kei-Fung ShekCastle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.
Simon S Y LuiDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9360-6244
Eric C L LaiCastle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2768-2828
Raisie W K WongDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.
Jason L F ChanDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.
Lok-Yin ChoiDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.
Kimi H Y LamDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0009-0001-3651-1254
Eugenia Y C LokCastle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.
Siu-Man LamCastle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.
Wang YiNeuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6880-5831
Raymond C K ChanDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3414-450X

Funding

HKU Seed Fund for PI Research - Basic Research 2302101820
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with altered interoception, empathy, self-awareness, and alexithymia. However, limited research has been conducted to investigate the interrelationships of these constructs with psychopathological symptoms. A prior network analysis in college students examined the interrelationship of these constructs and demonstrated that cognitive empathy and alexithymia influenced interoception and autistic features. We aimed to examine the interrelationships of these constructs in people with clinical ASD using network analysis. We recruited 208 young people aged 15-25 with Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) confirmed diagnosis of ASD and administered self-report measures for interoception, empathy, self-awareness, and alexithymia. We constructed a regularized partial correlation network. The results showed the alexithymia node of "difficulty-describing-feelings-to-others" (expected influence (EI) = 0.854), interoceptive awareness (strength = 1.273; EI = -0.084), depressive symptoms (EI = 0.537), and anxiety symptoms (EI = 0.652) were important nodes. Our findings suggested that alexithymia, depressive, and anxiety symptoms influenced empathy, self-awareness, and autistic features in people with ASD and supported the important role of interoception in the network.

Indexed as

Affective SymptomsAutism Spectrum DisorderAwarenessEmpathyInteroceptionSelf ConceptAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleYoung Adultalexithymiaautismempathyinteroceptionnetwork analysisself‐awareness

Identifiers

PMID42049680
PMCPMC13276700

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.