Subtle cues missed: Impaired perception of emotion from gait in relation to schizotypy and autism spectrum traits

Abstract

Background: Deficits in emotion perception are central features of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. These conditions are also associated with disrupted embodiment and impaired processing of biological motion. However, medication and the impact of illness over time complicate the study of socioemotional processing in such neuropsychiatric populations. Thus, the current study investigated the perception of emotional cues from gait, in relation to autistic and schizotypal traits in the general population.

Methods: Self-report measures of schizotypy and autism-spectrum were obtained from 107 healthy participants. An affective biological motion task that required participants to discriminate emotions from the gait patterns of polygonal avatars at varying levels of emotional intensity was used to assess accuracy of emotion perception.

Results: Emotion perception accuracy depended on the stimulus intensity. Those with elevated autism spectrum quotient and those with elevated positive syndrome (cognitive-perceptual) schizotypy showed deficits in emotion perception from gait.

Conclusions: Perception of emotion from low-intensity gait cues is compromised in those who may carry liability for autism or psychosis. Emotion perception deficits may be a core feature of autism and schizophrenia, rather than simply being a downstream consequence of illness duration or medication.

Keywords: Autism; Biological motion; Embodiment; Emotion perception; Schizophrenia.