Autistic traits are associated with individual differences in finger tapping: an online study

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental differences
• Autism Spectrum Disorder research
• Motor function studies

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often associated with motor impairments.
• It remains unclear if these motor differences are detectable in the general population based on autistic traits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate finger tapping performance in relation to autistic traits within the general population.
• To determine if age moderates the relationship between autistic traits and finger tapping output.

Main Methods:

• An online study involving 159 participants (aged 18-78).
• Utilized the Autism Spectrum Quotient-10 (AQ-10) for autistic traits assessment.
• Employed the Finger Tapping Test (FTT) to measure motor dexterity.

Main Results:

• Higher AQ-10 scores correlated with lower finger tapping scores in both dominant and non-dominant hands.
• Younger participants with elevated autistic traits exhibited significantly lower tapping scores on their dominant hand.
• Age acted as a moderator, influencing the association between autistic traits and dominant hand tapping.

Conclusions:

• Subtle motor differences, akin to those observed in diagnosed autism studies, are evident in the general population.
• Autistic traits, even in non-clinical samples, are associated with measurable differences in fine motor skills.
• Findings support the continuum model of autism, extending to motor function.