Reduced Proactive Control Processes Associated With Behavioral Response Inhibition Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Shannon E Kelly, Lauren M Schmitt, John A Sweeney and 1 others
PMID 33111461WHAT IT FOUND
People with autism had more difficulty stopping eye movements when they had to wait and see, but reacted faster once they decided to stop.
This suggests the issue is not a lack of ability to stop, but trouble preparing to hold back in uncertain situations.
Key findings
01Individuals with ASD showed reduced accuracy in stopping eye movements compared to controls.
02Individuals with ASD exhibited less slowing of reaction times before making an eye movement, indicating reduced proactive control.
03Individuals with ASD had shorter stop-signal reaction times, indicating faster reactive stopping than controls.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was restricted to individuals with an IQ above 70 who were not taking medications affecting cognition or eye movements, so findings may not apply to those with intellectual disability or those on medication. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if these deficits are developmental delays that persist or change over time. There were differences in task parameters between the two testing sites, which affected stopping accuracy scores, though within-group comparisons remained consistent.
Declared interests
One author (Dr. Sweeney) consults for Verasci, a company that provides eye-tracking technology and clinical trial services. The other authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that people with autism have a general inability to stop behaviors. The study found their reactive stopping mechanism was actually faster than controls; the deficit was specifically in proactively slowing down in anticipation of a stop signal, which is a preparatory process.