Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's syndrome or Asperger's, is a term formerly used to describe a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.[5] Asperger syndrome has been merged with other ( Read more... )
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Two traits sometimes found in AS individuals are mind-blindness (the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and alexithymia (the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in oneself or others), which reduce the ability to be empathetically attuned to others.[57][58] Alexithymia in AS functions as an independent variable relying on different neural networks than those implicated in theory of mind (ToM).[57][58] In fact, a lack of ToM in AS may be a result of a lack of information available to the mind due to the operation of the alexithymic deficit.[57][58]
A second issue related to alexithymia involves the inability to identify and modulate strong emotions such as sadness or anger, which leaves the individual prone to "sudden affective outbursts such as crying or rage".[59][60][61] According to Tony Attwood, the inability to express feelings using words may also predispose the individual to use physical acts to articulate the mood and release the emotional energy.[62]
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