An examination of motor functioning in autism and Asperger's disorder: An analysis of gait & cortical brain activity.

自闭症是一种发育障碍，其特征是三种缺陷：语言发展迟缓和非典型，社交技能发展受损，以及仪式性和刻板行为。虽然不是标准诊断的一部分，但运动障碍和步态异常已经在临床上观察到自闭症与帕金森病相似。此外，患有阿斯伯格症的人可能会显得更笨拙，走路的方式僵硬或尴尬，并且在姿势和手势方面表现出较差的协调性。有人认为，基底神经节-丘脑皮层回路（连接额叶和皮层下结构的区域）出现了紊乱，这可能导致自闭症和阿斯伯格综合症中的运动功能障碍。很少有研究试图分离运动功能的特定阶段，这些阶段可能解释自闭症和阿斯伯格障碍临床观察到的协调和运动延迟。我们最近的一项研究发现，有证据表明，运动规划缺陷可能是自闭症-阿斯伯格症文献中经常报道的“笨拙”运动模式的原因。因此，本研究的目的是对患有自闭症和阿斯伯格障碍的年轻人的运动功能进行全面的神经行为和神经生理学分析，以进一步研究这些障碍群体中缺乏的运动加工的确切阶段。最近的回顾性研究表明，即使在婴儿时期，自闭症儿童也表现出明显的运动障碍特征，如果能发现并明确界定，就可以促进早期诊断。除了推进自闭症和阿斯伯格障碍的临床定义外，对运动障碍的仔细检查也可能阐明这些疾病的神经生物学基础。

Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by a triad of deficits: delayed and atypical language development, impaired development of social skills, and ritualistic and stereotypic behaviour. Although not part of the standard diagnosis, movement disorders and gait abnormalities have been clinically observed in autism similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease. In addition, individuals with Asperger's disorder may appear more clumsy, have a stiff or awkward way of walking, and exhibit poor coordination in posture and gesture. It has been suggested that there is disruption within the basal-ganglia-thalamocortical circuitry (the region connecting the frontal and sub-cortical structures), which may cause the motor dysfunction seen in autism and Asperger's disorder. Few studies have attempted to isolate particular stages of motor functioning which may account for the coordination and motor delay observed clinically in autism and Asperger's disorder. A recent study of ours found evidence to suggest that motor planning deficiencies may account for the 'clumsy' movement patterns frequently reported in the autism - Asperger's disorder literature. Therefore, the aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive neurobehavioural and neurophysiological analysis of motor functioning in young people with autism and Asperger's disorder to further examine the exact stages of motor processing which are deficient in these disorder groups. Recent retrospective studies have shown that even as infants children with autism exhibit clear features of motor disturbance, which, if detected and clearly defined, could advance early diagnosis. In addition to advancing the clinical definition of autism and Asperger's disorder, a careful examination of motor disturbance may also illuminate the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders.