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Confabulation in children with autism
David Spitzer1, Sarah J White1, Will Mandy2
1Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL (University College London), London, UK.
Summary
Children with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) may confabulate like neurological patients. This study suggests confabulation in autism might stem from impaired source memory or executive function, not just social factors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) are linked to frontal lobe atypicalities and executive function deficits.
- Clinical observations suggest some children with ASC produce confabulations, similar to neurological patients.
- Confabulation in autism has not been experimentally investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if confabulation patterns in autism resemble those seen in neurological confabulation.
- To explore the relationship between confabulation, source monitoring, and executive function in adolescents with ASC.
Main Methods:
- Administered tests of confabulation, source monitoring (reality, temporal, task context), and executive function to four adolescents with ASC who confabulate.
- Compared scores to typically developing (TD) and ASC control groups.
Main Results:
- One participant showed impaired reality monitoring; another had impaired task context memory.
- Three confabulators exhibited executive function deficits (Brixton, Cognitive Estimates, Hayling Test B errors).
- Two confabulators produced an abnormal number of confabulations on a specific questionnaire compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Confabulation in some individuals with ASC may be associated with impaired source memory or executive function deficits.
- Findings suggest confabulation in autism might be less influenced by social factors and more by cognitive impairments.
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