INVESTIGATON OF COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION IN AUTISM

我们建议的研究的目的是帮助建立 核心认知功能障碍的神经生理机制 自闭症。基于临床、精神病学研究证据和来自 在这个实验室，我们假设注意力中普遍存在的异常 机制可能是认知和社会功能障碍的核心领域 自闭症患者。这一假设将通过获得 自闭症神经生理异常的三个关键因素的直接证据 注意力领域：注意力的捕捉、保持和转移。 事件相关电位(ERP)将记录来自非智力迟缓的年轻人 自闭症成人(年龄：18-33岁)和匹配的正常对照组。 已知相关的视觉和听觉事件相关电位成分 注意会伴随着行为表现被记录下来 在选择性注意任务中。将比较企业资源规划和绩效数据 在受试者群体之间，以及行为之间的关系 自闭症的表现缺陷和事件相关电位异常将被检查。 拟议的实验将研究： 1.捕捉注意力：已知的听觉失配负性(MMN) 当受试者的注意力集中在其他地方时，刺激变化引起的， 在自闭症患者身上是缺失的。这些实验将决定刺激 以及阻碍或促进刺激检测的形态因素 自闭症患者无人值守频道的变化。 2.保持选择性注意的焦点：早期感觉门控 自闭症患者选择性注意的机制和促进过程 将会被研究。实验将确定最早的 选择性注意控制开始的神经生理学阶段 自闭症患者的基因片段。 3.转移注意力：这些实验将研究P700，它是 由发出信号使受试者将注意力从电流上转移的刺激引起的 到一个新的焦点；以及由以下刺激引起的其他ERP组件 新的焦点。实验将确定通道和响应因素 这会影响自闭症患者转移注意力的能力。 从这些实验中学到的信息将有助于 对精神分裂症患者选择性注意机制缺陷的认识 自闭症，并将影响未来帮助自闭症患者的补救方法 个人在认知和社会领域的表现有所提高。

The objective of our proposed research is to help establish the neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie core cognitive dysfunctions in autism. Based on clinical, psychiatric research evidence and evidence from this laboratory, we hypothesize that pervasive abnormalities in attention mechanisms may underlie core areas of cognitive and social dysfunction in people with autism. This hypothesis will be investigated by obtaining direct evidence of neurophysiological abnormalities in autism in three key areas of attention: the capturing, maintaining and shifting of attention. Event-related potentials (ERP) will be recorded from nonretarded young adults with autism (age: 18 - 33 years) and from matched normal controls. The visual and auditory ERP components which are known to be associated with attention will be recorded concomitantly with behavioral performance in selective attention tasks. The ERP and performance data will be compared between the subject groups, and the relationship between behavioral performance deficits and ERP abnormalities in autism will be examined. The proposed experiments will study: 1. Capturing attention: The auditory mismatch negativity (MMN) known to be elicited by stimulus changes when subjects' attention is focused elsewhere, is absent in people with autism. The experiments will determine stimulus and modality factors which hinder or facilitate the detection of stimulus changes in an unattended channel in autism. 2. Maintaining a focus of selective attention: Early sensory gating mechanisms and facilitation processes for selective attention in autism will be studied. The experiments will determine the earliest neurophysiological stages at which control of selective attention begins to fragment in people with autism. 3. Shifting attention: These experiments will study the P700 which is elicited by stimuli which signal subjects to shift attention from a current to a new focus; and other ERP components which are elicited by stimuli from the new focus. The experiments will determine modality and response factors which affect the capacity to shift attention in people with autism. Information learned from these experiments will contribute to the understanding of deficits in selective attention mechanisms in people with autism, and will impact future remedial approaches to help autistic individuals improve their performance in cognitive and social areas.