Neural dynamics of executive function in cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorders as predictors of concurrent academic achievement

Abstract

Although electrophysiological (electroencephalography) measures of executive functions (e.g. error monitoring) have been used to predict academic achievement in typically developing children, work investigating a link between error monitoring and academic skills in children with autism spectrum disorder is limited. In this study, we employed traditional electrophysiological and advanced time–frequency methods, combined with principal component analyses, to extract neural activity related to error monitoring and tested their relations to academic achievement in cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder. In total, 35 cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder completed academic assessments and the child-friendly “Zoo Game” Go/No-go task at school entry. The Go/No-go task successfully elicited an error-related negativity and error positivity in children with autism spectrum disorder as young as 5 years at fronto-central and posterior electrode sites, respectively. We also observed increased response-related theta power during errors relative to correct trials at fronto-central sites. Both larger error positivity and theta power significantly predicted concurrent academic achievement after controlling for behavioral performance on the Zoo Game and intelligence quotient. These results suggest that the use of time–frequency electroencephalography analyses, combined with traditional event-related potential measures, may provide new opportunities to investigate neurobiological mechanisms of executive function and academic achievement in young children with autism spectrum disorder.

Atypical mediofrontal theta oscillations underlying cognitive control in kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder

“…Various behavioral studies have shown that impairments in cognitive control may negatively impact academic and social functioning (7,15 19). Moreover, our previous work found that variability in mediofrontal theta predicted math abilities in children with ASD (37). The current study further extends these results by revealing a more specfic pattern of neural dyanamics that may play a key role in social and academic development in young children.…”

“…However, resting state theta power reflects a qualitatively different neural process, functionally and anatomically distinct from task-related mediofrontal theta (33 36). Additionally, in a recent study we found that variability in task-related mediofrontal theta within children with ASD was predictive of academic outcomes (37). However, a key limitation of this work is that we did not include a TD group, preventing any direct comparisons between ASD and TD.…”

Sex differences in neuronal systems function and behaviour: beyond a single diagnosis in autism spectrum disorders

“…These oscillations are a key indicator of the communication status between neurons, neuronal connectivity or synchrony, with these connections forming circuits that collectively make up the large networks that are involved in cognitive processes [ 25 ]. Measurement of these electrophysiological rhythms, or of functional network activity, can be done non-invasively in humans through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [ 18 ], functional MRI (fMRI) [ 34 – 36 ], electroencephalography (EEG) [ 37 – 39 ], and magnetoencephalography (MEG) [ 40 ]. The blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal detected in fMRI is also a potential measure of neuronal oscillations as it has been shown to be linked to neuronal oscillatory activity in various brain regions including visual and auditory cortices [ 34 , 35 ].…”

“…As a neurodevelopmental disorder, neuronal connectivity alterations are observed throughout the development of children with ASD [ 44 ]. Such differences in neuronal oscillatory function and connectivity have been observed in several brain regions implicated in ASD including the frontal [ 18 , 36 , 37 , 39 ], temporal [ 18 , 40 ], and occipital cortices [ 18 , 38 ]. Studies have focused on the relationship between neuronal oscillatory alterations and behaviours in ASD, although many inconsistencies exist, potentially as a result of both the lack of inclusion of sex differences in the studies, as well as the grouping of individuals into a single “ASD group” despite significant variations in symptom presentation.…”

“…Given the tight coupling of oscillations to behavioural output, and the known sex-specific structural, functional, and behaviour differences present in the disorder [ 20 , 37 , 89 ], it is likely that sex differences in neuronal connectivity also exist in ASD. These neurophysiological differences remain for the most part unexplored, however some research has been performed, with a summary of the available studies that evaluated sex differences in ASD provided in Table 1 .…”