Brain and behavioural correlates of action semantic deficits in autism.
Action-perception circuits comprising neurons in the motor system have been proposed as main building blocks of higher cognition; accordingly, motor dysfunction should entail cognitive deficits. Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are marked by motor impairments but the implications of such motor dysfu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2013-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00725/full |
| _version_ | 1811339927818862592 |
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| author | Rachel Louise Moseley Bettina eMohr Michael Vincent Lombardo Simon eBaron-Cohen Olaf eHauk Friedemann ePulvermuller |
| author_facet | Rachel Louise Moseley Bettina eMohr Michael Vincent Lombardo Simon eBaron-Cohen Olaf eHauk Friedemann ePulvermuller |
| author_sort | Rachel Louise Moseley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Action-perception circuits comprising neurons in the motor system have been proposed as main building blocks of higher cognition; accordingly, motor dysfunction should entail cognitive deficits. Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are marked by motor impairments but the implications of such motor dysfunction for higher cognition remain unclear. We here used word reading and semantic judgement tasks to interrogate action-related motor cognition and its corresponding fMRI brain activation in high-functioning adults with ASC. These participants exhibited hypoactivity of motor cortex in language processing relative to typically developing (TD) controls. Crucially, we also found a deficit in semantic processing of action-related words, which, intriguingly, significantly correlated with their underactivation of motor cortex to these items. Furthermore, the word-induced hypoactivity in the motor system also predicted the severity of ASC as expressed by the number of autistic symptoms measured by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (Baron-Cohen et al, 2001). These significant correlations between word-induced activation of the motor system and a newly discovered semantic deficit in a condition known to be characterised by motor impairments, along with the correlation of such activation with general autistic traits confirm critical predictions of causal theories explaining cognitive and semantic deficits in ASC, in part, to dysfunctional action-perception circuits and resultant reduction of motor system activation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:33:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eb0d407bf28e4186b02db8e3640b8ba5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:33:41Z |
| publishDate | 2013-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-eb0d407bf28e4186b02db8e3640b8ba52022-12-22T02:34:59ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612013-11-01710.3389/fnhum.2013.0072556655Brain and behavioural correlates of action semantic deficits in autism.Rachel Louise Moseley0Bettina eMohr1Michael Vincent Lombardo2Simon eBaron-Cohen3Olaf eHauk4Friedemann ePulvermuller5Medical Research CouncilCharite University of MedicineUniversity of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeMedical Research CouncilFreie UniversitätAction-perception circuits comprising neurons in the motor system have been proposed as main building blocks of higher cognition; accordingly, motor dysfunction should entail cognitive deficits. Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are marked by motor impairments but the implications of such motor dysfunction for higher cognition remain unclear. We here used word reading and semantic judgement tasks to interrogate action-related motor cognition and its corresponding fMRI brain activation in high-functioning adults with ASC. These participants exhibited hypoactivity of motor cortex in language processing relative to typically developing (TD) controls. Crucially, we also found a deficit in semantic processing of action-related words, which, intriguingly, significantly correlated with their underactivation of motor cortex to these items. Furthermore, the word-induced hypoactivity in the motor system also predicted the severity of ASC as expressed by the number of autistic symptoms measured by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (Baron-Cohen et al, 2001). These significant correlations between word-induced activation of the motor system and a newly discovered semantic deficit in a condition known to be characterised by motor impairments, along with the correlation of such activation with general autistic traits confirm critical predictions of causal theories explaining cognitive and semantic deficits in ASC, in part, to dysfunctional action-perception circuits and resultant reduction of motor system activation.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00725/fullsemanticsAutism Spectrum DisordersAction wordsmotor systemsvisual word comprehension |
| spellingShingle | Rachel Louise Moseley Bettina eMohr Michael Vincent Lombardo Simon eBaron-Cohen Olaf eHauk Friedemann ePulvermuller Brain and behavioural correlates of action semantic deficits in autism. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience semantics Autism Spectrum Disorders Action words motor systems visual word comprehension |
| title | Brain and behavioural correlates of action semantic deficits in autism. |
| title_full | Brain and behavioural correlates of action semantic deficits in autism. |
| title_fullStr | Brain and behavioural correlates of action semantic deficits in autism. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Brain and behavioural correlates of action semantic deficits in autism. |
| title_short | Brain and behavioural correlates of action semantic deficits in autism. |
| title_sort | brain and behavioural correlates of action semantic deficits in autism |
| topic | semantics Autism Spectrum Disorders Action words motor systems visual word comprehension |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00725/full |
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