Table 2.
Functional connectivity MRI studies on working memory in high-functioning adolescents with ASD
| Study | Mean age in years (SD) | Participant groups | General IQ (SD) | Working memory task (Are there differences in task performance?) |
Results |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activation in ASD | Connectivity in ASD | |||||
| Silk et al. (2006) [69] |
14.7 (2.9) |
(n = 7) Autism, AS |
114 (16.9) |
Mental rotation task (accuracy: N; response time: N) |
↓ Anterior cingulate, ↓ DLPFC, ↓ caudate nucleus, ↓ premotor cortex, = posterior parietal cortex |
↓ Fronto-striatal |
| 15.0 (1.8) |
(n = 9) TYP |
|||||
| Koshino et al. (2008) [72] |
24.5 (10.2) |
(n = 11) HFA |
104.5 (13.1) |
n-back (load = 0, 1, 2) (accuracy: N; response time: N) |
↓ Inferior left prefrontal region; No activation: right posterior temporal region; Shifted activation: fusiform face area |
↓ Frontal-parietal |
| 28.7 (10.9) |
(n = 11) TYP |
108.6 (9.1) |
||||
| Solomon et al. (2009) [71] |
15.2 (1.7) |
(n = 22) HFA, AS |
107 (14) |
POP task (accuracy low trials: N; accuracy high trials: Y; response time: N) |
Low control trials: =; High control trials: ↓ anterior frontal region, ↓ parietal region, ↓ occipital region |
↓ Frontal-parietal |
| 16.0 (2.0) | (n = 23) TYP | 113 (11) | ||||
AS: Asperger syndrome; ASD: autism spectrum disorders; DLPFC: dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; HFA: high-functioning autism; POP: preparing-to-overcome prepotency; TYP: typical development.