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Published on: July 31, 2017
Analyzing the effects of high autistic traits on neural markers of learning and memory: An EEG approach analysis
Ellis M Parsons1, Mathew R Hammerstrom1, Anya Nazaroff1
1University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Objective:
A body of electroencephalographic (EEG) research demonstrates that executive functioning (EF) differences exist in autistic people. Here, we aimed to investigate how and to what extent these EF differences appear in people with high autistic traits in contrast to a low autistic traits comparison.
Methods:
The present study used a series of EEG markers (frontal theta power, frontal beta power, the reward positivity ERP component, and the P300 ERP component) to examine potential differences in EF over the course of gambling and oddball tasks. Qualitative research measures to include the perspectives of the autistic people who took part in the study were also used.
Results:
While frontal theta and beta power differed between groups, we observed no significant component or correlational differences. However, it was found that high autistic traits participants perceived their task performance as worse than low autistic traits participants despite task performance being equal across groups.
Conclusions:
EF differences as measured by frontal theta and beta power were observed across groups. Self-perception of task performance may differ in high autistic traits participants when asked to complete tasks under a time constraint.
