Proprioception and Cognitive Polarization in Autism: The Bipolar Tensile Model.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Semiotics
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often viewed as a deficit-based condition.
• Typical development involves harmonized hemispheric cognitive modalities.
• Instability in interhemispheric networks is implicated in atypical development.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the Bipolar Tensile Model for understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Reinterpret ASD as an outcome of hemispheric cognitive modality tension.
• Explore the role of proprioception in interhemispheric coherence and ASD.

Main Methods:

• Narrative synthesis of clinical, neuropsychological, and neurophysiological literature.
• Integration of semiotics, systems neuroscience, and embodied cognition.
• Analysis of clinical cases illustrating the model's principles.

Main Results:

• ASD arises from unresolved tension between symbolic-sequential and corporeal-perceptual modalities.
• Interhemispheric disconnection and proprioceptive instability shape ASD profiles.
• Compensatory adaptations like hyperconnectivity and symbolic overcompensation are key in ASD.

Conclusions:

• The Bipolar Tensile Model offers novel perspectives on ASD diagnosis and interpretation.
• Early identification of proprioceptive dysfunction is crucial for intervention.
• Integrative rehabilitation protocols tailored to proprioceptive and interhemispheric function are proposed.