Atypical attentional networks and the emergence of autism

Abstract

The sociocommunicative impairments that define autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not present at birth but emerge gradually over the first two years of life. In typical development, basic attentional processes may provide a critical foundation for sociocommunicative abilities. Therefore early attentional dysfunction in ASD may result in atypical development of social communication. Prior research has demonstrated that persons with ASD exhibit early and lifelong impairments in attention. The primary aim of this paper is to provide a review of the extant research on attention in ASD using a framework of functionally independent attentional networks as conceptualized by Posner and colleagues: the alerting, orienting and executive control networks (Posner and Petersen, 1990; Petersen & Posner, 2012). The neural substrates and typical development of each attentional network is briefly discussed, a review of the ASD attention literature is presented, and a hypothesis is proposed that links aberrant attentional mechanisms, specifically impaired disengagement of attention, with the emergence of core ASD symptoms.

The motor way: Clinical implications of understanding and shaping actions with the motor system in autism and drug addiction

“…3) seems to be a promising way to tackle a range of neurodevelopmental and drugrelated disorders. In ASD, early motor cognition anomalies resulting in basic motor-understanding difficulties could be one of the crucial neurocognitive markers for ASD detection (Becchio, Pierno, Mari, Lusher, & Castiello, 2007;Cattaneo et al, 2007;Fabbri-Destro et al, 2009;Parma, Bulgheroni, Tirindelli, & Castiello, 2013;Rochat et al, 2013), and potentially they could be tested even in infancy, before the onset of unequivocal behavioral symptoms (for reviews from nonmotor perspectives, see Jones, Gliga, Bedford, Charman, & Johnson, 2014;Keehn, Müller, & Townsend, 2013;Klin, Shultz, & Jones, 2015). Furthermore, considering that ASD is a lifelong condition that usually requires permanent assistance, motor cognition anomalies may assume a pivotal role for setting (early) rehabilitative protocols to improve social functioning (Pineda, Carrasco, Datko, Pillen, & Schalles, 2014;Rogers et al, 2014;Zwaigenbaum, Bryson, & Garon, 2013).…”

The singular nature of auditory and visual scene analysis in autism

“…Autistic individuals show impairments in attentional networks, including the alerting, orienting and executive control networks [106]. Some researchers have suggested that the superior performance of autistic individuals in visual search is related to their atypical attention system.…”

Atypical sensory reactivity influences auditory attentional control in adults with autism spectrum disorders

“…In everyday environments, we balance investment of top-down controlled attention to achieve goal-directed behaviors with bottom-up monitoring for unexpected, but potentially relevant, environmental events [Keehn, M€ uller, & Townsend, 2013;Pashler, Johnston, & Ruthruff, 2001]. The tradeoff in attention between the amount of resources attributed to the current task goal versus those devoted to monitoring the environment for task-irrelevant, but important information is termed the "stability-flexibility dilemma" [Liljenstr€ om, 2003].…”

“…The tradeoff in attention between the amount of resources attributed to the current task goal versus those devoted to monitoring the environment for task-irrelevant, but important information is termed the "stability-flexibility dilemma" [Liljenstr€ om, 2003]. In people with ASD, resolution of this attentional dilemma may require consideration of sensory reactivity [Allen & Courchesne, 2001;Keehn et al, 2013;Liss et al, 2006]. Over-focused attentional styles have been related to over-reactivity and under-reactivity in people with ASD [Liss et al, 2006], while behavioral paradigms associate atypical arousal with difficulties disengaging attention [Keehn et al, 2013].…”