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Updated: Feb 18, 2026
Probing the Brain in Autism Using fMRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: September 12, 2011
Response Inhibition in Autistic Adults: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study in Virtual Reality
Anna Vorreuther1, Nektaria Tagalidou1, Katharina Lingelbach2,3
1Institute of Human Factors and Technology Management IAT, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
Introduction:
Response inhibition, a core component of executive functioning, has been studied extensively in autism, though results depend substantially on task choice and design. This study investigated whether autistic and non-autistic adults differ in behavioral and neurophysiological responses during a visuospatial go/no-go task (GNGT) implemented in virtual reality (VR).
Methods:
Participants (22 autistic, 10 non-autistic) completed a blocked go/no-go task in a VR environment, where stimuli appeared in varied spatial locations. Prefrontal hemodynamic responses were recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), along with reaction times (RTs) and error rates.
Results:
Both groups demonstrated slower RTs and fewer errors in no-go blocks compared to go blocks, with no significant group differences in behavioral performance. fNIRS analyses revealed significant right-lateralized increases in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during no-go blocks in non-autistic adults only. Autistic adults showed no significant task-related modulation of prefrontal cortex activity.
Discussion:
While behavioral performance was comparable across groups, only non-autistic participants showed task-related modulation of dlPFC activity. These findings highlight differential neural engagement during inhibition and illustrate the potential of fNIRS paradigms for examining the executive functioning of autistic individuals in VR.
