Frith Uta
UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK.
Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2012;65(11):2073-92. doi: 10.1080/17470218.2012.697178. Epub 2012 Aug 21.
In the 70 years since autism was described and named there have been huge changes in the conceptualization of this enigmatic condition. This review takes a personal perspective on the history of autism research. The origins of the first cognitive theories of autism, theory of mind and weak central coherence, are discussed and updated to inform future developments. Selected experimental findings are interpreted in the historical context of changes that have been brought about by advances in methodology. A three-level framework graphically illustrates a causal chain between brain, mind, and behaviour to facilitate the identification of phenotypes in neurodevelopmental disorders. Cognition is placed at the centre of the diagram to reveal that it can link together brain and behaviour, when there are complex multiple mappings between the different levels.
自自闭症被描述和命名以来的70年里，对这种神秘病症的概念化有了巨大变化。本综述从个人视角探讨自闭症研究的历史。讨论并更新了自闭症最初的认知理论——心理理论和弱中央统合理论的起源，以为未来发展提供参考。在方法学进步所带来变化的历史背景下解读了部分实验结果。一个三级框架以图形方式说明了大脑、心智和行为之间的因果链，以促进神经发育障碍中表型的识别。认知被置于该图的中心位置，以表明当不同层次之间存在复杂的多重映射时，认知能够将大脑和行为联系起来。
