The primary objective of this study is to specify the executive control processes that contribute to mental inflexibility in persons with autism. The specific part of mental flexibility we are interested in includes processes involved in task…
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Developmental disorders NEC
Synonym
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
Primary parameters:
Experiment 1:
Task transition, which can call for a task switch or a task resumption
Experiment 2:
The interval between the cue presentation and the first target in a run of
trials, which can be long (900 ms) or short (300 ms)
Experiment 3:
The interval between the last response in a run of trials and the upcoming cue;
this interval can be long (900 ms) or short (300 ms)
For all experiments, reaction times and error rates were registered.
Secondary outcome
Secondary parameters:
For all experiments:
Two tasks are used: a color matching and a shape matching task. Also, the
sequence of trials in a run is one of the secondary parameters here: A run of
trials consists of Trial 1,2,3,4 up to 8.
Additional secondary parameters for Experiment 2 and 3:
Task transition, which can call for a task switch or a task resumption
Background summary
Recently, some studies on autism suggested that ASD were associated with
problems in executive functions, such as planning and mental flexibility (Hill,
2004a, 2004b). One of the paradigms offered in the field of cognitive
psychology as a tool for exploring the control processes and isolating specific
cognitive processes is the task-switching paradigm. Within this paradigm,
participants are asked to execute two (or more) tasks alternately. Typically,
healthy participants are able to execute a switch between tasks without too
much effort. The rationale behind the task-switching paradigm is that this
ability to switch between tasks can be seen as an obvious expression of
cognitive, voluntary control.
The (in) ability to initiate a different (switch) or the same (interruption)
task falls into the category of (poor) mental flexibility. The aim of this
study would be to investigate whether adolescents with autism show any
deviation in task switching and task interruptions as compared to two control
groups: a group of healthy adolescents and a group of adolescents with
dyslexia. We expect to find a deviation in task switching and task interruption
performance. If the data support our hypothesis then the following step would
be to look from which specific part of task execution the deviating pattern
arises.
Considering the observation of insistence on sameness and resistance to change
in individuals with ASD, we would like to explore the processes involved in
task persistence (task-set decay) and task initiation (preparation effects) in
our target group. Task performance of healthy individuals seems to improve by
increasing the interval given to the previous task rule to decay before the
initiation of the next task (Poljac, Koch, & Bekkering, 2006). Furthermore,
literature on task switching shows that healthy individuals are able to prepare
the next task better if ample time is given for the advance preparation (e.g.,
Poljac, De Hann, Van Galen, 2006). We expect to find impaired performance in
both preparation and deactivation of tasks.
Study objective
The primary objective of this study is to specify the executive control
processes that contribute to mental inflexibility in persons with autism. The
specific part of mental flexibility we are interested in includes processes
involved in task switching and task interruptions.
Study design
This study includes three experiments. Each experiment involves 15 participants
from each of the three groups defined above. The experiments contain a computer
task, in which reaction times and error rates are registred.
Study burden and risks
The burden is a computer task, which lasts around 60 minutes (maximally).
There are no riscs involved in this task.
Montissorilaan 3
6525 HR
Nederland
Montissorilaan 3
6525 HR
Nederland
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
Participants with ASD should meet DSM-IV criteria for autistic disorder, Asperger disorder, or PDD NOS on the basis of both extensive clinical evaluations and a structured diagnostic interview (ADI-R).
Participants with dyslexia should meet DSM-IV criteria for dyslexia. This latter group will be matched as closely as possible person-to-person with the patient group on age, sex, and IQ.
Healthy volunteers with a negative history of neurological and psychiatric disorders as assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). This group will also be matched as closely as possible person-to-person with both patient groups on age, sex, and IQ.
Exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded if they have:
- sensory impairments
- neurological impairments
- experienced any neurological trauma
- used neuroleptics
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL11381.091.06 |