Department of Psychological Sciences, 210 McAlester Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65203, USA.
Neuropsychology. 2010 Sep;24(5):590-8. doi: 10.1037/a0019176.
Recent research has documented increased psychosocial difficulties in individuals who report higher-than-typical autistic traits but without an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Less is known, however, regarding the cognitive profile of individuals with subthreshold autism symptomatology. The objective of the present study was to provide additional insight into this issue and examine whether young adults who report higher degrees of autism traits also report experiencing increased difficulties with executive control.
The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function was utilized to evaluate behavioral aspects of executive functioning in 66 and 28 individuals who endorsed high and low subthreshold levels of autism symptomatology, respectively.
After accounting for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptomatology at both the group and individual participant levels, we found that autism traits continued to explain a significant amount of variance in participants' overall level of executive function (Global Executive Composite) as well as within most individual executive domains. Interestingly, the high and low trait groups did not differ on the inhibitory control and organization of materials scales, areas of functioning that appears to be largely spared in individuals with ASD as well.
Findings from the present study are consistent with past research linking ASD and executive control impairment. In addition, ASD and ADHD traits were associated with unique contributions to the executive control profile of individuals with subthreshold autism symptomatology. This finding underscores the importance of accounting for ADHD symptomatology in studying ASD.
最近的研究记录到，报告具有高于典型自闭症特征但没有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）诊断的个体存在更多的心理社会困难。然而，对于具有亚阈值自闭症症状的个体的认知特征知之甚少。本研究的目的是提供对此问题的更多见解，并检查报告具有较高自闭症特征的年轻人是否也报告存在执行控制困难增加的情况。
使用行为评定量表的执行功能来评估 66 名和 28 名分别报告具有高和低亚阈值自闭症症状个体的执行功能的行为方面。
在考虑了群体和个体参与者水平上的注意力缺陷/多动障碍（ADHD）症状后，我们发现自闭症特征继续解释了参与者的整体执行功能（总体执行综合）以及大多数个体执行域的大量差异。有趣的是，高特征组和低特征组在抑制控制和材料组织量表上没有差异，而在 ASD 个体中，这些功能区域似乎基本不受影响。
本研究的结果与将 ASD 和执行控制障碍联系起来的过去研究一致。此外，ASD 和 ADHD 特征与亚阈值自闭症症状个体的执行控制特征有独特的关联。这一发现强调了在研究 ASD 时考虑 ADHD 症状的重要性。
