An fMRI study of decision-making under conflict in individuals with autism spectrum condition
Introduction Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) frequently report difficulties in social communications, combined with restricted inflexible behaviors. However, it is unclear whether this rigidity is pervasive across cognitive flexibility (CF) and affective flexibility (AF) in situat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2021-04-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821019544/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797617462628319232 |
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| author | S. Tei J. Fujino |
| author_facet | S. Tei J. Fujino |
| author_sort | S. Tei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) frequently report difficulties in social communications, combined with restricted inflexible behaviors. However, it is unclear whether this rigidity is pervasive across cognitive flexibility (CF) and affective flexibility (AF) in situations which resolve different social conflicts.
Objectives
To study CF and AF levels and associated brain activity in individuals with ASC.
Methods
Individuals with ASC and with typical development (TD) performed a moral dilemma task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. For CF, participants made decisions on (1) whether to enforce result-oriented actions to prioritize social/public benefits; and (2) judged whether these actions are right or wrong. For AF, participants made decisions on (1) whether to permit social norm/rule violations in sympathy-evoking situations; and (2) permit these identical violations in no sympathy-evoking situations. We calculated participants’ CF/AF levels by computing the switching-rate of decisions in CF/AF sessions (switching was defined as: CF, judging the actions as wrong but choosing to enforce the action in the same vignette; AF, judging the violations as not permissible in a no sympathy-evoking circumstance, but permissible in a sympathy-evoking circumstance).
Results
For CF, ASC participants showed a marked decrease in CF switching-rates compared to TD participants (p < 0.05), and in corresponding brain activity for executive functioning. For AF, although the AF switching rate difference was non-significant, we observed unique brain activities in each group (e.g., TD activation of the greater dorsomedial-prefrontal cortex and ASC activation of the cingulate cortex).
Conclusions
Our results suggest ASC inflexibility may be further characterized by both CF and AF.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:56:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0f0c6f344a3e4f2ba8c2611f6567869d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:56:25Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-0f0c6f344a3e4f2ba8c2611f6567869d2023-11-17T05:05:29ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S737S73810.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.1954An fMRI study of decision-making under conflict in individuals with autism spectrum conditionS. Tei0J. Fujino1Department Of Psychiatry, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Institute Of Applied Brain Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan School Of Human And Social Sciences, Tokyo International University, Saitama, Japan Medical Institute Of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, JapanDepartment Of Psychiatry, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Medical Institute Of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan Department Of Psychiatry And Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan Introduction Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) frequently report difficulties in social communications, combined with restricted inflexible behaviors. However, it is unclear whether this rigidity is pervasive across cognitive flexibility (CF) and affective flexibility (AF) in situations which resolve different social conflicts. Objectives To study CF and AF levels and associated brain activity in individuals with ASC. Methods Individuals with ASC and with typical development (TD) performed a moral dilemma task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. For CF, participants made decisions on (1) whether to enforce result-oriented actions to prioritize social/public benefits; and (2) judged whether these actions are right or wrong. For AF, participants made decisions on (1) whether to permit social norm/rule violations in sympathy-evoking situations; and (2) permit these identical violations in no sympathy-evoking situations. We calculated participants’ CF/AF levels by computing the switching-rate of decisions in CF/AF sessions (switching was defined as: CF, judging the actions as wrong but choosing to enforce the action in the same vignette; AF, judging the violations as not permissible in a no sympathy-evoking circumstance, but permissible in a sympathy-evoking circumstance). Results For CF, ASC participants showed a marked decrease in CF switching-rates compared to TD participants (p < 0.05), and in corresponding brain activity for executive functioning. For AF, although the AF switching rate difference was non-significant, we observed unique brain activities in each group (e.g., TD activation of the greater dorsomedial-prefrontal cortex and ASC activation of the cingulate cortex). Conclusions Our results suggest ASC inflexibility may be further characterized by both CF and AF. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821019544/type/journal_articleflexibilitydecision makingautismfMRI |
| spellingShingle | S. Tei J. Fujino An fMRI study of decision-making under conflict in individuals with autism spectrum condition European Psychiatry flexibility decision making autism fMRI |
| title | An fMRI study of decision-making under conflict in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_full | An fMRI study of decision-making under conflict in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_fullStr | An fMRI study of decision-making under conflict in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_full_unstemmed | An fMRI study of decision-making under conflict in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_short | An fMRI study of decision-making under conflict in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_sort | fmri study of decision making under conflict in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| topic | flexibility decision making autism fMRI |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821019544/type/journal_article |
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