theories of autism
DESCRIPTION
The main objective of this study was to better understand the underlying behavioral and cognitive interactions of autism. We used a bottom-up approach to analyze the patterns of behavior and cognitive development among autistic individuals to define probable interactions between the two. More specifically, we used the Social Communication Questionnaire to quantify the behavioral symptoms and the Simon, First-Order False Belief, and Global/Local tasks to quantify the cognitive abilities of autistic children in the age range of 5 and 13 years old (n = 20; 17 males and 3 females). Results showed a positive correlation between communication problems and exaggerated inhibitory processes (reflected in less interference on the Simon task). Results also showed a positive correlation between more social interaction problems and a better understanding of first-order mental states. Finally, more restricted and repetitive behaviors were related to an improved performance on global as opposed to local processing tasks. These interaction findings could eventually lead to cognitive, theory-based, intervention methods to treat the behavioral symptoms found in autistic individuals.TRANSCRIPT
Theories of Autism:How symptomatic behaviors
relate to cognitive theories
Amanda Legge
Master in Cognitive Neuroscience
Trabajo Fin de Máster, 2013
Supervisor: Pedro Macizo
What is Autism?
What is Autism?
• Communication
Deficits
What is Autism?
• Communication
Deficits
• Social Interaction
Problems
What is Autism?
• Communication
Deficits
• Social Interaction
Problems
• Restricted and
Repetitive Behaviors
Communication
Communication
Interaction
Communication
RRBsInteraction
Communication
RRBsInteraction
Triad
of Impairments
Communication
RRBsInteraction
Triad
of Impairments
Behavioral
Profile
Behavioral
Profile
Cognitive
Profile
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Theory
of
Mind
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Theory
of
Mind
Central
Coherence
Objectives
Objectives
• Better understand the underlying interactions
between behavior and cognition in autism
Objectives
• Better understand the underlying interactions
between behavior and cognition in autism
• Investigate the patterns and
relationships between the
'Triad of Impairments'
and the cognitive theories
1.
2.
3.
Predictions
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Predictions
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interference
Predictions
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
Interference
Predictions
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
Interference
Ability to Understand
Mental States
Predictions
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
RRBs
Interference
Ability to Understand
Mental States
Predictions
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
RRBs
Interference
Ability to Understand
Mental States
Local Processing
Predictions
Who participated?
Who participated?
Who participated?
= 17
= 3
Who participated?
= 17
= 3
15
Cognitive
Profile
Behavioral
Profile
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments
Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ)
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments
Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ)
1.
2.
3.
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments
Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ)
1. Clinical evaluations
2.
3.
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments
Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ)
1. Clinical evaluations
2. Collective measurements
3.
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments
Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ)
1. Clinical evaluations
2. Collective measurements
3. Approximate symptomatic
severity indexes
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments
Social Communication Questionnaire
(SCQ)
1. Clinical evaluations
2. Collective measurements
Approximate symptomatic
severity indexes*
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments
15 13 8
Behavioral
Profile Triad of
Impairments %
15 13 8
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Theory
of
Mind
Central
Coherence
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Theory
of
Mind
Central
Coherence
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
+
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
Congruent
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
+
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
+
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
+
Incongruent
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
+
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
+
Neutral
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
+
Neutral
Cognitive
Profile
Executive
Function
Simon Test
+
Neutral
Theory
of
Mind
Cognitive
Profile
Theory
of
Mind
Cognitive
ProfileFirst-Order False
Belief Test
Theory
of
Mind
Cognitive
ProfileFirst-Order False
Belief Test
Theory
of
Mind
Cognitive
ProfileFirst-Order False
Belief Test
Belief
Theory
of
Mind
Cognitive
ProfileFirst-Order False
Belief Test
Belief
Reality
Theory
of
Mind
Cognitive
ProfileFirst-Order False
Belief Test
Belief
Reality
Memory
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local Test
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local Test
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestGlobal
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestGlobal
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestLocal
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestLocal
Incongruent
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestLocal
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestLocal
Congruent
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestLocal
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestLocal
Neutral
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestLocal
Neutral
Cognitive
Profile
Central
Coherence
Global/Local TestLocal
Neutral
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
RRBs
Interference
Ability to Understand
Mental States
Local Processing
Predictions
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
RRBs
Interference
Ability to Understand
Mental States
Local Processing
Predictions
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
RRBs
Ability to Understand
Mental States
Local Processing
Predictions+
Incongruent
1.
2.
3.
Communication
RRBs
Local Processing
Predictions+
Incongruent
Interaction
Ability to Understand
Mental States
1.
2.
3.
Communication
RRBs
Local Processing
Predictions+
Incongruent
Interaction Belief
Reality
Memory
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
RRBs
Local Processing
Predictions+
Incongruent
Belief
Reality
Memory
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
RRBs
+
Incongruent
Belief
Reality
Memory
Local
Global
Predictions
1.
2.
3.
Communication
Interaction
RRBs
+
Incongruent
Belief
Reality
Memory
Local
Global
Results..?
Communication
Interaction
RRBs
+
Incongruent
Belief
Reality
Memory
Local
Global
Results..?
1.
2.
3.
Regressions
Predictor:
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test:
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test:
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: Simon
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: Simon
RT
Accuracy
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: Simon
RT
Accuracy
Incongruent
Improvement
(Cong - Incong)
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy
Incongruent
Improvement
(Cong - Incong)
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
Improvement
(Cong - Incong)
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
ImprovementFOFB Score
(Cong - Incong)
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonGlobal/
LocalFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
ImprovementFOFB Score
(Cong - Incong)
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonGlobal/
LocalFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
ImprovementFOFB Score
(Cong - Incong)
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonGlobal/
LocalFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
ImprovementFOFB Score
Global
Improvement
(Cong - Incong) (Local - Global)
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonGlobal/
LocalFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
ImprovementFOFB Score
Global
Improvement
(Cong - Incong) (Local - Global)
Regressions
SCQ Communication Index (%)
Inco
ng
ruen
t Im
pro
vem
en
t (m
s)
R2 = .128
β = .358
Regressions
SCQ Communication Index (%)
Inco
ng
ruen
t Im
pro
vem
en
t (m
s)
R2 = .128
β = .358
Regressions
SCQ Communication Index (%)
Inco
ng
ruen
t Im
pro
vem
en
t (m
s)
R2 = .128
β = .358
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonGlobal/
LocalFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
ImprovementFOFB Score
Global
Improvement
(Cong - Incong) (Local - Global)
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonGlobal/
LocalFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
ImprovementFOFB Score
Global
Improvement
(Cong - Incong) (Local - Global)
Regressions
SCQ Interaction Index (%)
FO
FB
Sco
reR2 = .127
β = .357
Regressions
SCQ Interaction Index (%)
FO
FB
Sco
reR2 = .127
β = .357
Regressions
SCQ Interaction Index (%)
FO
FB
Sco
reR2 = .127
β = .357
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonGlobal/
LocalFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
ImprovementFOFB Score
Global
Improvement
(Cong - Incong) (Local - Global)
Regressions
Communication
Predictor:
Interaction RRBs
Dependent
Variable:
Normalization
Process:
Test: SimonGlobal/
LocalFirst-Order
False Belief
RT
Accuracy
RT
Accuracy---
Incongruent
ImprovementFOFB Score
Global
Improvement
(Cong - Incong) (Local - Global)
Regressions
SCQ RRB Index (%)
Glo
bal Im
pro
vem
en
tR2 = .172
β = .415
Regressions
SCQ RRB Index (%)
Glo
bal Im
pro
vem
en
tR2 = .172
β = .415
Regressions
SCQ RRB Index (%)
Glo
bal Im
pro
vem
en
tR2 = .172
β = .415
Discussion
• More communication problems
are correlated with exaggerated
inhibitory processesCommunication
Discussion
• More communication problems
are correlated with exaggerated
inhibitory processesCommunication
• More social interaction problems
are correlated with a better Theory
of Mind understandingInteraction
Discussion
• More communication problems
are correlated with exaggerated
inhibitory processesCommunication
• More social interaction problems
are correlated with a better Theory
of Mind understanding
• More RRBs are correlated with
better (or at least more equal)
global as compared to local
processing
Interaction
RRBs
Discussion
Conclusion
Conclusion• Tentative relationship between behavioral
symptoms and cognitive abilities
Behavioral Symptoms
Co
gn
itiv
e A
bilit
ies
Conclusion• Tentative relationship between behavioral
symptoms and cognitive abilities
• Unexpected direction
Behavioral Symptoms
Co
gn
itiv
e A
bilit
ies
Future Work
Future Work
• Find a non-autistic control group with which
to compare the ASD children
Future Work
• Find a non-autistic control group with which
to compare the ASD children
• Begin developing and
conducting cognitive
training programs to
evaluate possible
behavioral
improvements
Thanks for listening!
Theories of Autism:How symptomatic behaviors
relate to cognitive theories
Amanda Legge
Master in Cognitive Neuroscience
Trabajo Fin de Máster, 2013
Supervisor: Pedro Macizo
List of Symptoms
Normalization Process
Reaction Time
Accuracy
2000ms
1.00
1000ms
.751333ms
2000ms
300ms
.103000ms
=
=
=
Reaction Time
2000ms
1000ms
300ms