Executive Function in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analysis of fMRI Studies
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Executive Function in High‑Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta‑analysis of fMRI Studies Zheng Zhang1 · Peng Peng1 · Delong Zhang2
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Abnormalities in executive function (EF) are clinical markers for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the neural mechanisms underlying abnormal EF in ASD remain unclear. This meta-analysis investigated the construct, abnormalities, and age-related changes of EF in ASD. Thirty-three fMRI studies of inhibition, updating, and switching in individuals with high-functioning ASD were included (n = 1114; age range 7–57 years). The results revealed that the EF construct in ASD could be unitary (i.e., common EF) in children/adolescents, but unitary and diverse (i.e., common EF and inhibition) in adults. Abnormalities in this EF construct were found across development in individuals with ASD in comparison with typically developing individuals. Implications and recommendations are discussed for EF theory and for practice in ASD. Keywords Autism spectrum disorder · Executive function · Unity and diversity · Development · Fronto-parietal areas · Meta-analysis
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consists of a wide range of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by clinical symptoms that include difficulties in social communication and interaction; restricted and repetitive patterns of interests or activities; and atypical sensitivity to sensory information (American Psychiatric Association 2013). Approximately 70% of individuals with ASD are reported to have normal intelligence (an IQ of 70 or above; California Department of Developmental Services 2019). Such individuals are typically said to have high-functioning ASD (Jarrold and Brock 2004; Scheeren et al. 2013). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04461-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Zheng Zhang [email protected] 1
Department of Special Education, College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 1912 Speedway, Stop D5000, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
2
Until recently, neurocognitive studies have linked ASD with impairments in widely distributed brain systems. Accordingly, functions that depend on those systems, such as sensorimotor processing, theory of mind, attention, and executive function (EF), are compromised in those who have ASD (Loukusa et al. 2014; Mosconi et al. 2011; O’Hearn et al. 2008). Among these functions, EF has been of great interest in ASD research (De Vries and Geurts 2015; Mostert-Kerckhoffs et al. 2015). EF is itself an umbrella term that refers to a set of cognitive processes that guide individuals toward goal-oriented behaviors (Diamond 2013). It has been postulated that EF abnorm
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