Cognitive Neuroscience Sector, International School for Advanced Study (SISSA/ISAS), via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2013 Mar;43(3):616-28. doi: 10.1007/s10803-012-1603-z.
According to some theories imitation, defined as an action resonance mechanism, is deficient in autism. In contrast, other theories (e.g., the "top down control of imitation" hypothesis) state that the problem is not in imitation per se but in the way social cues modulate imitative responses. In this study, 15 high-functioning children with autism and 15 matched controls were tested for their ability to imitate finger movements preceded by neutral and emotional facial expressions (primes) in a stimulus-response compatibility task. Hand movements performed after neutral expressions did not differ between the two groups (i.e., they both showed a normal imitative tendency). However, hand movements performed after emotional expressions significantly differed between the two populations, with controls, but not autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), showing enhanced imitation in the emotional condition. This study supports the view that, in ASD, imitation abilities are spared but they are not modulated according to the emotional and social context.
根据一些理论，模仿，定义为一种动作共鸣机制，在自闭症中是缺失的。相比之下，其他理论（例如，“模仿的自上而下控制”假说）则表明，问题不在于模仿本身，而在于社会线索调节模仿反应的方式。在这项研究中，15 名高功能自闭症儿童和 15 名匹配的对照组在刺激-反应相容性任务中接受了测试，以评估他们在前中性和情绪面部表情（启动）的手指运动的模仿能力。中性表情后的手部运动在两组之间没有差异（即，他们都表现出正常的模仿倾向）。然而，在情绪表情后的手部运动在两组之间有显著差异，对照组（但不是自闭症谱系障碍（ASD））在情绪条件下表现出增强的模仿。这项研究支持这样一种观点，即在 ASD 中，模仿能力是不受影响的，但它们不能根据情绪和社会环境进行调节。
